Troy

I did not take the sacrasm seriously.... well stay warm. 

In 2019 the Coretta Scott King Award celebrates it 50 year.  They are having a gala celebration.

Google's YouTube has increasingly become a cesspool of misinformation -- so much so that otherwise smart people are convinced that things which should be ridiculed as ridiculous on their face are plausible because of high production quality and documentary-like editing. Videos pushing all sorts of garbage gain traction and credibility. Young people are particularly susceptible to this form of misinformation.

Sometimes I'll be watching some YouTube video, fall asleep, and wake up to some crazy video.  Google's revenue driven algorithm pushes these bogus videos -- no Russian Trolls are necessary.

Again, Google does not care that the video they push with their algorithm are full of lies. All they care about is serving advertising. In fact, if the video spouts some BS like the Earth being flat -- their algorithm will push this video because they know people are more likely to watch them. 

Google has even prevented some entities from (like AALBC), who produce accurate and often quality content because we don't have enough views or followers -- something Google itself is largely responsible for!

A video of an author reading from a literary novel is never pushed by Google -- people have to look for these videos.  However a video of someone denying climate change is pushed by Google's algorithm.

The conspiracy theory video creators are rewarded financially by Google and the creators of videos promoting Black literature are punished. 

Is Google racist?  What difference does it make, if their behavior is indistinguishable from one?

Editors Note: I recognize that I'm putting AALBC at serious risk of being buried in search, in retaliation, by Google. This is not hyperbolic or neurotic, but the truth.

Hey @Cynique, I'm listening to the news and I heard a report saying that Chicago may reach temperatures lower than -27 degrees!  Did I hear that correctly?  Negative 27!  Those are the kind of temperatures when car batteries die, pipes burst, and being outside without proper gear is simply lethal. 

Is it as bad as the national news makes it sound?

7 hours ago, Delano said:

How do you tell the difference? 

You can't tell the difference.

Perception is reality.  Any changes in one's perception must come from external sources, provided one is open to receiving new information

Here is the video Del linked to 

9 hours ago, Cynique said:

Does brainwashing always exploit people?

In a word, yes.  Because they have given up control and given it to someone else.  The is the definition of exploitation.

9 hours ago, Cynique said:

Does anybody have to be brainwashed into buying a convenience like a phone? 

Come on Cynique, you know that is not what I'm talking about.  A phone is a tremendous convince and the new ones are a marvel of technological development.

Suggesting this is just a guy thing is a cop out too, for their are women that feel the same way.  Just because you don't care about the subject does not mean it is unimportant.

Surely you are not suggesting that people using their phones obsessively, as I've described, is a good thing and or of little consequence?  

2 hours ago, Cynique said:

And, don't fool yourself, natural hair requires a lot of care and attention and products to maintain.

LOL! Oh trust me I know. This is why I no longer move my mouth to express an opinion on what Black women should do with their hair -- that and the fact that you and @Mel Hopkins beat me senseless for doing it

2 hours ago, Cynique said:

It's presumptuous to think they are all bamboozled and brain washed.

I don't think so Cynique. This subject has already been studied and researched in great depth.  I've previously shared information this research.  You recall the book I shared previously Subliminal Seduction. The problem is today marketers are FAR more effective at controlling our behavior, because they have access to us 24 hours a day and they literally know more about us they we know about ourselves.  Surely you know people who are unable to put their phone down for 5 minutes because they have been braining washed into this behavior.  The phone is the first thing they look at in the morning and the last thing they put down before falling asleep. Some people are on there phone while using the bathroom and while making love.  This is not normal, or even sane behavior, but it becoming normalized. 

You give us far more credit than we deserve in our ability to stave off this constant onslaught -- indeed most of us are so blind to what is happening that we'll argue tooth and nail they they are not being influenced.

2 hours ago, Cynique said:

We all have certain conventional tenets we don't attack.  

In my book none of my beliefs are beyond critique -- otherwise why would I be listening to any of y'all

I know a professional, Black, female hairdresser very well.  She tells me that perming hair and using weaves is simply bad for one's hair.  She was quite adamant about it, and told me this without prompting.

Has anyone ever argued that perming your hair is not "bad" for it?  If it is bad for your hair, then why does anyone feel compelled to fight for the practice?

We all know that smoking kills more people than homicide and only evil or ignorant person would fight for people to continue doing it. There are even laws to greatly restrict the promotion of cigarette smoking, but none to make it illegal - why?

We all know wearing 5 inch heals is bad for your feet, but why do we do it?  Women have been convinced it makes them look sexy and men have been convinced of this too.  The only ones truly benefiting are the people who make and sell this harmful footwear.  How many of us know women that have actually had foot surgery that would be completely unnecessary were it not for their footwear.

It is silly to argue that this is an attack on women.  The fact of the matter is that women are much more of a target of, and harmed, by marketers. Women actually shop for fun and to make themselves feel better. Some some are compulsive shoppers -- who have purchased clothing they've never worn.  Sure there are some men who like to go to the mall to "shop," but we all know that women are much more likely to engage in the behavior.

And I know it is not ALL women. I doubt @Cynique, for example, is a shop-a-holic, or has a closet full of clothing with the tags still on them. But we all know such people and mst likely it is a woman.

Even the NFL have tapped into the female market convincing them to buy overpriced apparel and tickets to watch men play.

As with most issues, in this country, this is more about power than race.  But as with most things in here Black folks are disproportionately harmed.

16 minutes ago, Delano said:

Are you intentionally being dense or are compound statements not comprehensible to you.

This read like an ad hominem, I know you are better than that.  Honesty, when you write, "Read between our lines." I don't know what you are talking about and I don't think I'm being intentionally dense. I might be dense, but it not intentional LOL!

Lord get the sticks out your butts you grammar prudes. @Cynique you know as well as anyone what @Delano writes is often riddled with grammatical errors typos and the like. it is not just one post of his i was referring to. I only get on Del when decides to complain about someone else's writing. 

As far as baloney is concerned i was teasing. I thought you knew that, but were probably not amused since you ignored it -- at least until the self appointed Tsar of grammar got involved.

That was a great response @Cynique.

One thing struck me. It seems when you agree with Nubian he is shattering old ideas, but when you disagree he is clinging to old ones.

As you know we've been down this well worn path of Black women's hair before and I've adjusted my opinion as a result. However as @NubianFellow has asserted it is not just about the hair.

When I was in Nigeria, for example, every Black woman in a corporate environment wore a wig or weave -- and this us an environment where EVERYBODY is Black. The men wore suits despite 90 percent humidity and 90+ degree weather -- even if they were not in client facing roles. I also noticed skin lightening creams in the store.  

Here we have a Black nation rather than being in the vanguard of (re)defining Black style, they adhere fervently to western European cultural standards. 

This is not about just Black women's hair. So anyone who tries to make it only about Black hair is deliberately ignoring much broader implications. 

Oh course, my recent focus on corporate manipulation, comes into play here too. We all know women, of all colors, who feel bad about themselves because of the state of their hair, because of their failure to mimick some photoshopped-impossible-to-achieve standard.  Keeping women in the state of perpetual dissatisfaction gets them to spend more money -- which is all that matters.

You never hear men say the are "having a bad hair day," at least not yet. 

It is not just about hair; it is about those with wealth and power and how they control  all if us. The impact on our hair is a minor indication of much braoder issues of domination.

Cool your jets sparky; sliced meat is spelled they way i wrote it here on America. What deli have you ever been to and seen it spelled baloney? Besides it was a joke. Since I'm always lamenting the impact of corporate influence. 

BTW Mr. Grammarist who lives in a glass house, you used incorrect word; Their is spelled "there. "

...man for the right amount of many I'm sure you could make anyone -- even you -- gay at least for an hour LOL!

In 2019, taken as a whole, do you think individuals are better off without practicing a religion? 

If so what would you replace the thing that religion currently provides to people?

@Delano, sure you do.  There are many atheists attending Church and bake sales.  Don't you believe, for one second, that everyone in the Church is an adherent to the religion

It is spelled "bologna." Remember the old Oscar Mayer Jingle -- Some ad exec figured out a way to burn this into my memory after almost 1/2 a century.  

Seriously, I figured since it has made national news it must be pretty serious.  What is the sentiment on the ground?  Has it become like a scene from Mad Max in the Outback?

@Delano, have your been following the news about the record heat in Australia?  The thinking is that it is a direct result of man-made climate change. It is being called an ecological disaster.

7 hours ago, Cynique said:

....ignoring how small a role organized religion has played in making the world a better place. 

Yeah, religion has had a huge negative inpact on the world. It was used to justify American slavery. Consider all the wars, inquistions, and then there is that bit about my damnation

But those days are largely over. most Europeans do not practice a religion. No one there is gonna go to battle over christianity 

It is only those nuts in the middle east who run around killing each other over religious differences. But even there the religious differences are used to minimalize the humanity of the people whose land they want to control.

Many here are more interested in the positive aspects that come from practicing a religion the fellowship and community it offers. The rituals and dogma are falling to the wayside. Fundamentalists who take the bible literary are largely viewed as nutty. Sure politicians play to these people, but most politicans are not righteous people.

@Delano and many atheists are great cooks.

@NubianFellow I feel you man.  The very first lesson I learned when I started this business over 21 years ago is that Black people will NOT support you just because you are Black.  Sure, there are some people who will but it is not very many -- certainly not enough to guarantee the success of a business.

One Brother I'm working with actively supports Black businesses.  he does not go around proclaiming it, but I observe how he operates and it is what he does.  I even used him as an example in a a#readingblack video:

I agree in that it seems like Black people often define success by the level of white validation.  You have to be covered in their media, win their awards, have credentials from their companies and schools. If you are not validated by white folks Black folks will not recognize you as a success.  This mentality feeds on itself because it increases our dependence on white folks for financial success.  I'd argue in most cases you can not be successful without the white cosign.

You mention social networks, I remember how excited I was to learn about the popularity of "Black Twitter."  I read hearing about it all over the media and remember thinking, finally Black folks have gotten together and have built a social platform -- even earning the elusive white cosign.  When I discovered it was just Black folks on Twitter -- I just shook my head.

But there is hope.  Think segregation, when we were forced to patronize our own business because we had no choice.  Today as corporations screw us over, people are seeking alternatives.  This will benefit all indie businesses including Black owned ones.

4 hours ago, Gibran said:

...but I always get the feeling that I'm being watched.

Perhaps it is because you are being watched, and very closely.  Not only are we being being watched ,we are being subjected to all forms of manipulation, often without even realizing it. I know some feel this is alarmist, and over reacting, but it is still true.  It is one reason I simply don't consume information on social media or consume news sources that "push" information to me in the form of a feed or notifications/alerts. 

I learn something new and interesting everyday, sometimes I share the information here on posts, but it is information I seek out.

If you only read what you are told to read, or what some corporate algorithm chooses for you, then you are not thinking for yourself and are being manipulated -- like watching a continuous stream of commercials.

5 hours ago, NubianFellow said:

Not to put down anyone's religion...

And then he proceeds to eviscerate all religions LOL! 

While I don't follow a religion, I'm not so quick to condemn the practitioners. Life can be hard, indeed very hard, and if going to church gives some people comfort then good for them. It if gets them to be more charitable to their fellow woman even better.

Some people who get high every day.  I know folks like this, and it is not something I would ever do, but hey, if it gets them through another day, without killing someone else, then great.

Some people obsess over grown men playing kids games on a court or field. Others gossip about celebrities on social media. 

We all waste time, have vices, and do things that are not always our best for us, because it gets us through what might otherwise be a mundane or hard existence. As long as you are not hurting anyone else why should any of us care.  

I drink, eat rich foods, gamble, and fornicate. According to some I'm going to "hell." I believe were are in hell now, and heaven awaits us all when we transition.

The live conversation is going on now: 

My neighbor is Haitian in fact he is an author. 

Yeah parts of Florida is a gay haven (but what large city isn't).  I was hanging out on Duval Street in Key West, FL this summer and accidentally walked into a gay roof-top bar. I was shocked to see dudes sun bathing and butt naked at the bar -- dicks and balls everywhere!  I bid a hasty retreat LOL! 

I went into another gay bar everyone was clothed and it was a very congenial atmosphere I ordered a drink (I was bar hopping) and chit-chatted a while.  

@Pioneer1 both bars were all white. There was nothing no one could have done to turn me gay.  This is one reason why your conspiracy theory hold no water.

Some people are just gay, get over it. 

Well Gibran there are a number of subtle clues:

• The way the post was written, it was not written like a native speaker.   
• The person posted twice in these forums in a manner that rang disingenuous to my ear. 
• The domain fictionghostwriting.com was registered just 3 months ago and for only a year -- this is a red flag
• The real giveaway was the way the website is designed.  The site is optimized on for terms like "Fiction Ghost Writing Western,"  "Fiction Ghost Writing Crime," etc.  I this is not a natural way to design a website and was clearly done for SEO (search engine optimization) purposes.  

Trust me; I understand the motivation, and I create content with SEO in mind every day.  This is the only reason I let the posts stand (though I did remove the hyper links). 

If the person/site is legit, they come back and defend their posts.  Plus people like you can see this exchange and exercise some caution when considering the business they deal with.

The WWW should stand for the "Wild Wild Web."  

3 hours ago, Pioneer1 said:

I actually MAY have been correct...

Ah there is the @Pioneer1 I've come to know -- an unqualified admission of error would be impossible. 

I'm just glad I don't have to compare IP address or any of that stuff to make sure your account was not spoofed

8 hours ago, Pioneer1 said:

I didn't know that.
Thank you for the correction and the knowledge!

Hold the phone! Did some one else take over @Pioneer1's account?! 

The Pioneer I know would NEVER make this statement.