Troy

My wife rocks a natural style as does my sister. My adult daughters have their hair straightened (high heat or relaxer) by the Dominicans who appear to have lock on the hair straighten business, or braided by the west Africans who dominate that segment of Black hair care. The article you referenced said, "...in the past 12 months, nearly three-fourths (70%) of Black women say they currently wear or have worn their hair natural (no relaxer or perm)," It would be interesting to know the number and demographics of the women they asked.

Interesting points Chris. I don't have any data either, but the attention paid to Lupita is much more of an aberration, more of a function of white America's embrace. As far as I can tell (based upon a few internet queries), Lupita has never graced the cover of Ebony magazine, but she has been on the cover of many white magazines multiple times. Besides man, in your heart of hearts, despite her grace and beauty does Lupita's boyish frame really appeal to you? I agree there has been a lot more attention paid to natural hair styles lately. There has also been a spate of new books on the subject, but again, if you go to anywhere Black women are you will see for more extensions, weaves, wigs, and processed hair than you will see natural styles. In the early 70's many women rocked afros. How many sisters do you see rocking afros today? We can debate whether women process their hair because that is the way men want to see it, versus it being the way women want to see it themselves. In any case, Black men and women are indoctrinated to want to see Black women minic European standards of beauty. I think we can agree this is pretty obvious. Sadly much of this indoctrination comes from Black media. I'm glad you got the Michael Jackson joke

Seriously, this is the question Ebony magazine asked 50 years ago. Whatever the answer was, the imagery has not changed. It may have even become more extreme as long blond hair is common place and the use photoshop is mandatory. Women wear long blond wigs not so much because that is the way men want to see them, but because that is the way they want to see themselves. Of course this is the image that Black media promotes, as they work hard to conform to the white standard of beauty. When we see a Black woman with rocking a natural style, we "freak out," the way we do when we see a more accurate world map.

Here is an interview that we just published with Ben Crump, Attorney for the Brown Family. In it he talks about the shooting of in Ferguson and other instances of police killing unarmed Black citizens.

James McIntosh will be debating his position this Sunday: http://aalbc.com/events/bepaa-debate-is-bill-cosby-being-lynched.html I'll be there

I'm going to be regularly sharing information about the organization who hosted this event, The Board for the Education of People of African Ancestry (“BEPAA”) here http://aalbc.com/events/bepaa.html

Harry there are some who suggest that the Iron Age religions need to be updated. But Mormonism started less than 200 years and Scientology is not much older than I am, so it does not appear the newer religions are getting any better. Many people consider themselves "spiritual," but that is a highly individual thing and is more a reflection of the person's nature than anything else. By that I mean, some people are just cut out to be devoted followers of a religion, others are not. The connection between religious people and the police shooting in Ferguson is lost on me. Perhaps you were not attempting to draw one. As long as there is someone willing to lead, there will always be people willing to follow, and of course there will be others who stand around wondering what the heck is wrong the them.

Yeah it does freak people out when they are forced to view something from different perspective--even if that perspective is true and the previously held one is false. The idea of flipping the map flipped me out too. I know the orientation we are accustomed to seeing is arbitrary, or rather designed to highlight America, but still, I know it would be hard for me to get used to the opposite orientation. There is an interest show on Freakonomics which discusses getting rid of bad ideas: http://freakonomics.com/2015/03/05/this-idea-must-die-full-transcript/ you can download the pod cast from itunes. For example, the idea that people are "left-brained" or "right brained" is scientifically false. However the misconception persists and we even come up with educational techniques based upon the falsehood. But bad ideas, like the idea of race and the apparent inferiority of so the so called "Black Race" die hard.

I imagine most of us are accustomed to seeing a maps of the world that look, more or less, like the one below. I was well into my adult years before I realized just how much larger Africa is than the United States (more than 3 times the size, including Alaska). Africa is almost 14 times the size of Greenland! Russia is little more than 1/2 the size of African. Mexico is bigger than Alaska. Obviously none of these facts could be discerned from the maps we normally see. Anthony T. Browder in his documentary film, Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization (at the 7:30 mark), based upon his book of the same name, offers reasons for the distorted world map, as well as why Egypt, is in the "Middle East." The so called third world is entirely, diminished in relative size, for no apparent reason, other than perhaps to diminish them in significance. Here is a better representation: Gall–Peters projection According to Wikipedia is is commonly used in British schools The African continent can encompass all of the continental US, India, Western Europe, and China with room to spare! Here is a funny video that illustrates the point Notice the center of this map is the intersection of the Prime Meridian (another arbitrary point favoring the British who created it) and the equator.

Yeah the blood is thicker than water is important and it should be--if you can't depend upon support from your family who can you depend upon. But this responsibility between family natural does not come naturally. It has to be instilled into the individuals from an early age. Unfortunately, our culture undermines this in so many ways.

Del it appeared that you put community subordinate, indeed everything to your own knowledge. You can't have knowledge without freedom. When you want cripple a person what is the first thing that you take away? You take away their access to knowledge. The enslaved African was forbidden to read, and governments burn books and deny internet access, to keep people in the dark. Governments also put out propaganda to misinform people. It is why the government has little interest in educating poor people. Even though Neo who was "the one" he would have never have been freed, nor would he have been able to help anyone else, without the knowledge that Morpheus provided.

Del, now that you mention it. I see what you are saying. I'm not sure that is a deliberately delivered subliminal message. If it is it is done quote well.

Yes Cynique, that was the name of the movie, HER I thought the film was really good. Specially when the relationship began to fall apart. GIve it another shot. I agree Chris and maybe that is why I have little interest in the popular Black movies and TV shows. I'm not holding my breathe waiting for this to happen on screen, fortunately there is the world of books.

Well Del next time you get to a PC, please take the time to elaborate on what you mean. It sounds rather misanthropic, but you never struck me as one., so I know I'm misinterpreting what you wrote. Whenever older people, who have much more life behind them than ahead, describe what they find most important in life, I'm all ears. The thing about siblings from my much less experienced life, is that they are truly individuals. I only have two children and my experience tells me that if they come out liking each other that is the result of the luck of the draw. Siblings seemingly have as much a likelihood of liking each other as two complete strangers. Of course we all have friends that we like more than our own family. This is not a bad thing, but the virtually infinite combination of genes, create such a wide variety of personalities, I can't image producing 5 children and having them all get along, and support each other, throughout their lives. There is always a Black sheep or two or three... The most important thing to me is freedom. But freedom is hard though. We have to fight to maintain it. When you do have it your actions result in with consequences, which may not always be desired. You also need freedom to not just acquire knowledge, but to produce knowledge.

Early users of this application, that sends pre-programmed messages to your girlfriend, reports that it actually improved their relationship. I saw a really interesting movie last year about this guy who fell in loved with his virtual girl-friend, a piece of software. There are already programs that can carry on conversations with people for hours and the people are unaware they a communicating with a computer program. So I'm not surprised an app like this would actually work for some people. There was a time when more of my tweets were automated and I noticed there were automated conversations taking place between my account and others!. I later learned that something like 60% (don't quote me) of the tweets on twitter are automated.

BRIC The Stoop Series: Conversation with Bernice McFadden and Terry McMillan Tuesday, March 31, 2015 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (EDT) Brooklyn, NY Long-time friends will discuss McFadden’s novel which includes a new introduction by McMillan. Read Thumper's Review of Loving Donovan RSVP for Their Conversation Here

I used a color picker to identify the various colors, what I see as white are shades of Blue. This site http://brainden.com/color-illusions.htm has some really remarkable color illusions. But still these would work on everyone, not just some people, unlike the dress. The colors a and b are the same! Just your finger over the white boarder any you will see! The squares labled A and B below are the same color! Print it out if you don't believe it.

Here is the flyer for this year's event:

http://worldvoices.pen.org Celebrate the transformative power of the written word as 100 writers from 30 countries gather in New York for the 11th Annual PEN World Voices of International Literature. This year's program, co-curated by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, takes you beyond the news by providing a rare chance to hear voices and perspectives from contemporary Africa and its diaspora. Join in a wide range of debates, readings, workshops, and performances in venues from Lower Manhattan and Harlem to Brooklyn and the Bronx, and engage with emerging and established international authors in new and profound ways. Toni Morrison and Marlene van Niekerk from the 2010 Festival.

Cynique, the fact you see the dress as Black and Blue sounds so bizarre, I can see why this thing went viral. My guess is it has to do with the display I'm going to look at this post of different displays and as the family what colors they see. Cynique moral relativism does not explain this away. The has to be some standard of what is right or wrong. The example of pedophilia does not work for me because at some point a kid is too young to make the decision to engage in sex. Now I think we can agree a 4 year old is too young to make that decision, although there are plenty of people lined up to engage in intercourse with someone still in diapers. Even SNL draws lines in what they do. They will never be outrageous enough to perform a skit which ridicules the Prophet Muhammad--SNL knows better. They are always lines, whether we chose to acknowledge and enforce them is a different story.

Los Angeles, CA - The 27th Annual Lambda Literary Awards - or the "Lammys," as they are affectionately known - kick off another record-breaking year with today's announcement of the finalists. They were chosen from a record 818 submissions (up from 746 last year) from 407 publishers (up from 352 last year). Submissions came from major mainstream publishers and from academic presses, from both long-established and new LGBT publishers, as well as from emerging publish-on-demand technologies. Pioneer and Trustee Award honorees, the master of ceremonies, and presenters will be announced in April. The winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on Monday evening, June 1, 2015 in New York City. Early Bird Gala Tickets On-Sale Now 27th Annual Lambda Literary Award Finalists Note: The number of finalists in a category is determined by the number of submissions in that category. LESBIAN FICTION Adult Onset, Ann-Marie Macdonald, Tin House Books Last Words of Montmartre, Qiu Miaojin, Translated by Ari Larissa Heinrich, New York Review Books Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932, Francine Prose, Harper Collins/Harper Miracle Girls, MB Caschetta, Engine Books New York 1, Tel Aviv 0, Shelly Oria, FSG Originals/Farrar, Straus and Giroux The Palace Blues, Brandy T. Wilson, Spinsters Ink The Paying Guests, Sarah Waters, Riverhead Books, Penguin Random House Yabo, Alexis De Veaux, RedBone Press GAY FICTION All I Love and Know, Judith Frank, HarperCollins/William Morrow Barracuda, Christos Tsiolkas, Hogarth Bitter Eden: A Novel, Tatamkhulu Afrika, Macmillan/Picador USA The City of Palaces, Michael Nava, University of Wisconsin Press I Loved You More, Tom Spanbauer, Hawthorne Books Little Reef and Other Stories, Michael Carroll, Terrace Books, an imprint of the University of Wisconsin Press Next to Nothing: Stories, Keith Banner, Lethe Press Souljah, John R. Gordon, Angelica Entertainments Ltd/Team Angelica Publishing BISEXUAL FICTION Best Bi Short Stories: Bisexual Fiction, Sheela Lambert editor, Gressive Press, an imprint of Circlet Press Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, Ron J. Suresha, Lethe Press Finder of Lost Objects, Susie Hara, Ithuriel's Spear Give It to Me, Ana Castillo, The Feminist Press She of the Mountains, Vivek Shraya, Arsenal Pulp Press TRANSGENDER FICTION Everything Must Go, La JohnJoseph, ITNA PRESS For Today I Am a Boy, Kim Fu, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Moving Forward Sideways like a Crab, Shani Mootoo, Doubleday Canada Revolutionary: A Novel, Alex Myers, Simon and Schuster A Safe Girl To Love, Casey Plett, Topside Press LGBT DEBUT FICTION Death in Venice, California, Vinton Rafe McCabe, The Permanent Press Kill Marguerite and Other Stories, Megan Milks, Emergency Press A Map of Everything, Elizabeth Earley, Jaded Ibis Press The Music Teacher, Bob Sennett, Lethe Press Nochita, Dia Felix, City Lights/Sister Spit Part the Hawser, Limn the Sea, Dan Lopez, Chelsea Station Editions Unaccompanied Minors, Alden Jones, New American Press The Walk-In Closet, Abdi Nazemian, Curtis Brown Unlimited LGBT NONFICTION An American Queer: The Amazon Trail, Lee Lynch, Bold Strokes Books Hold Tight Gently: Michael Callen, Essex Hemphill, and the Battlefield of AIDS, Martin Duberman, The New Press The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality, Julie Sondra Decker, Skyhorse Publishing/Carrel Books Nevirapine and the Quest to End Pediatric AIDS, Rebecca J. Anderson, McFarland Robert Gober: The Heart Is Not a Metaphor, Hilton Als, Ann Temkin, Claudia Carson, Robert Gober, Paulina Pobocha, Christian Scheidemann, The Museum of Modern Art Sexplosion: From Andy Warhol to A Clockwork Orange, How a Generation of Pop Rebels Broke All the Taboos, Robert Hofler, It Books/HarperCollins The Transgender Archives: Foundations for the Future, Aaron H. Devor, University of Victoria Libraries The Up Stairs Lounge Arson: Thirty-Two Deaths in a New Orleans Gay Bar, June 24, 1973, Clayton Delery-Edwards, McFarland BISEXUAL NONFICTION Fire Shut Up In My Bones, Charles M. Blow, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Not My Father's Son, Alan Cumming, HarperCollins Publishers/Dey Street Books Recognize: The Voices of Bisexual Men, Editors: Robyn Ochs & H. Sharif Williams, Bisexual Resource Center TRANSGENDER NONFICTION Man Alive: A True Story of Violence, Forgiveness and Becoming a Man, Thomas Page McBee, City Lights/Sister Spit Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love and So Much More, Janet Mock, Atria Books Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community, Laura Erickson-Schroth, Oxford University Press LESBIAN POETRY Haiti Glass, Lenelle Moïse, City Lights/Sister Spit Janey's Arcadia, Rachel Zolf, Coach House Books Last Psalm at Sea Level, Meg Day, Barrow Street Press Like a Begger, Ellen Bass, Copper Canyon Press MxT, Sina Queyras, Coach House Books Mysterious Acts by My People, Valerie Wetlaufer, Sibling Rivalry Press Only Ride, Megan Volpert, Sibling Rivalry Press Termination Dust, Susanna Mishler, Red Hen Press/Boreal GAY POETRY [insert] boy, Danez Smith, YesYes Books Clean, David J. Daniels, Four Way Books Don't Go Back To Sleep, Timothy Liu, Saturnalia Books ECODEVIANCE: (Soma)tics for the Future Wilderness, CAConrad, Wave Books The New Testament, Jericho Brown, Copper Canyon Press Prelude to Bruise, Saeed Jones, Coffee House Press This Life Now, Michael Broder, A Midsummer Night's Press This Way to the Sugar, Hieu Minh Nguyen, Write Bloody Publishing LESBIAN MYSTERY The Acquittal, Anne Laughlin, Bold Strokes Books Done to Death, Charles Atkins, Severn House Publishers The Old Deep and Dark-A Jane Lawless Mystery, Ellen Hart, Minotaur Books Slash and Burn, Valerie Bronwen, Bold Strokes Books UnCatholic Conduct, Stevie Mikayne, Bold Strokes Books GAY MYSTERY Blackmail, My Love: A Murder Mystery, Katie Gilmartin, Cleis Press Boystown 6: From the Ashes, Marshall Thornton, MLR Calvin's Head, David Swatling, Bold Strokes Books DeadFall, David Lennon, BlueSpike Publishing Fair Game, Josh Lanyon, Carina Press A Gathering Storm, Jameson Currier, Chelsea Station Editions Moon Over Tangier, Janice Law, Open Road Media The Next, Rafe Haze, Wilde City Press LESBIAN MEMOIR/BIOGRAPHY Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Forty Years of Movement Building with Barbara Smith, Alethia Jones and Virginia Eubanks, with Barbara Smith, SUNY Press Cease - a memoir of love, loss and desire, Lynette Loeppky, Oolichan Books Eating Fire: My Life as a Lesbian Avenger, Kelly Cogswell, The University of Minnesota Press The End of Eve, Ariel Gore, Hawthorne Books Under This Beautiful Dome: A Senator, A Journalist, and the Politics of Gay Love in America, Terry Mutchler, Seal Press GAY MEMOIR/BIOGRAPHY Body Counts: A Memoir of Politics, Sex, AIDS, and Survival, Sean Strub, Scribner Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance, Brent Phillips, University Press of Kentucky Closets, Combat and Coming Out: Coming Of Age As A Gay Man In The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Army, Rob Smith, Blue Beacon Books by Regal Crest Inside a Pearl: My Years in Paris, Edmund White, Bloomsbury Letter to Jimmy, Alain Mabanckou, translated by Sara Meli Ansari, Counterpoint/Soft Skull Press The Prince of Los Cocuyos, Richard Blanco, HarperCollins/Ecco Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh, John Lahr, W. W. Norton & Company Wagstaff: Before and After Mapplethorpe, Philip Gefter, W. W. Norton & Company/Liveright LESBIAN ROMANCE Christmas Crush, Kate McLachlan, Regal Crest The Farmer's Daughter, Robbi McCoy, Bella Books The Heat of Angels, Lisa Girolami, Bold Strokes Books Jolt, Kris Bryant, Bold Strokes Books Nightingale, Andrea Bramhall, Bold Strokes Books Seneca Falls, Jesse J. Thoma, Bold Strokes Books Tangled Roots, Marianne K. Martin, Bywater Books That Certain Something, Clare Ashton, Breezy Tree Press GAY ROMANCE The Companion, Lloyd A. Meeker, Dreamspinner Press Everything's Coming Up Roses: Four Tales of M/M Romance, Barry Lowe, Lydian Press Foolish Hearts: New Gay Fiction, Timothy Lambert and R.D. Cochrane, Cleis Press Like They Always Been Free, Georgina Li, Queer Young Cowboys Message of Love, Jim Provenzano, Myrmidude Press/CreateSpace The Passion of Sergius & Bacchus, A Novel of Truth, David Reddish, DoorQ Publishing Pulling Leather, L.C. Chase, Riptide Publishing Salvation: A Novel of the Civil War, Jeff Mann, Bear Bones Books LESBIAN EROTICA All You Can Eat. A Buffet of Lesbian Erotica and Romance, Andi Marquette and R.G. Emanuelle, Ylva Publishing Forbidden Fruit: stories of unwise lesbian desire, Cheyenne Blue, Ladylit Publishing Lesbian Sex Bible, Diana Cage, Quiver Books GAY EROTICA Bears of Winter, Jerry Wheeler, Bear Bones Books Incubus Tales, Hushicho, Circlet Press The King, Tiffany Reisz, MIRA Books Leather Spirit Stallion, Raven Kaldera, Circlet Press The Thief Taker, William Holden, Bold Strokes Books LGBT ANTHOLOGY Black Gay Genius: Answering Joseph Beam's Call, Charles Stephens and Steven G. Fullwood, Vintage Entity Press A Family by Any Other Name: Exploring Queer Relationships, Bruce Gillespie, TouchWood Editions Outer Voices Inner Lives, Mark McNease and Stephen Dolainski (co-editors), MadeMark Publishing The Queer South: LGBTQ Writers on the American South, Douglas Ray, Editor, Sibling Rivalry Press Understanding and Teaching US Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History, Leila J. Rupp & Susan K. Freeman, University of Wisconsin Press LGBT CHILDREN'S/YOUNG ADULT Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, Susan Kuklin, Candlewick Press Double Exposure, Bridget Birdsall, Sky Pony Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing Five, Six, Seven, Nate!, Tim Federle, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Forgive Me If I've Told You This Before, Karelia Stetz-Waters, Ooligan Press Lies We Tell Ourselves, Robin Talley, Harlequin Teen Pukawiss the Outcast, Jay Jordan Hawke, Dreamspinner Press/Harmony Ink Press This is Not a Love Story, Suki Fleet, Dreamspinner Press/Harmony Ink Press When Everything Feels like the Movies, Raziel Reid, Arsenal Pulp Press LGBT DRAMA The Beast of Times, Adelina Anthony, Kórima Press Bootycandy, Robert O'Hara, Samuel French A Kid Like Jake, Daniel Pearle, Dramatists Play Service The Whale, Samuel D. Hunter, Samuel French Wolves, Steve Yockey, Samuel French LGBT GRAPHIC NOVELS 100 Crushes, Elisha Lim, Koyama Press Band Vs. Band Comix Volume 1, Kathleen Jacques, Paper Heart Comix Pregnant Butch: Nine Long Months Spent in Drag, A.K. Summers, Soft Skull, an imprint of Counterpoint Second Avenue Caper, Joyce Brabner; Art by Mark Zingarelli, Hill and Wang, a division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux Snackies, Nick Sumida, Youth in Decline LGBT SF/F/HORROR Afterparty, Daryl Gregory, Tor Books Bitter Waters, Chaz Brenchley, Lethe Press Butcher's Road, Lee Thomas, Lethe Press Child of a Hidden Sea, A. M. Dellamonica, Tor Books Full Fathom Five, Max Gladstone, Tor Books FutureDyke, Lea Daley, Bella Books Skin Deep Magic, Craig Laurance Gidney, Rebel Satori Press LGBT STUDIES After Love: Queer Intimacy and Erotic Economies in Post-Soviet Cuba, Noelle M. Stout, Duke University Press Charity & Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America, Rachel Hope Cleves, Oxford University Press Delectable Negro: Human Consumption and Homoeroticism within US Slave Culture, Vincent Woodard, Ed. Justin A. Joyce and Dwight McBride, New York University Press Queen for a Day: Transformistas, Beauty Queens, and the Performance of Femininity in Venezuela, Marcia Ochoa, Duke University Press The Queerness of Native American Literature, Lisa Tatonetti, The University of Minnesota Press Sexual Futures, Queer Gestures, and Other Latina Longings, Juana Maria Rodriguez, New York University Press The Sexuality of History: Modernity and the Sapphic, Susan S. Lanser, University of Chicago Press Under Bright Lights: Gay Manila and the Global Scene, Bobby Benedicto, University of Minnesota Press About Lambda Literary: Lambda Literary believes Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer literature is fundamental to the preservation of our culture, and that LGBTQ lives are affirmed when our stories are written, published and read. LL's programs include: the Lambda Literary Awards, the Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices, LGBTQ Writers in Schools, and our web magazine The Lambda Literary Review at www.LambdaLiterary.org. For more information call (323) 643-4281 or e-mail admin@lambdaliterary.org.

If you are asking yourself how can this question even be debatable; you need to attend, or watch the video when I post it.

Just an hour ago I finished watching the Deepak program on PBS you mentioned. Yes it was interesting and I agree our iron-age concept of God needs a rebooting; God 2.0 as Deepak described it. Pak plays a little fast and loose using Quantum mechanics to validate or assert his spiritualism, but it is a step above what the Europeans gave us. I also believe in the power of meditation, though I don't practice it like I should. But I could add it to a long list of things that I know should do more frequently, but don't. I think if more people meditated the world would be a much better place. Yes you are right I have not clue what you are talking about regarding the Black and blue or gold and white dress, but I'll look it up now... ...This is the original image below. It looks gold and white to me, but apparently it is actually blue. Again our culture's fixation on stuff like this explains why so many of us share so little of America's riches. If social media is ablaze with people sharing this then we all lose while the owners of social media win. I think I'm going to go meditate now.

Deep.

I just read somewhere, it may have been Carter G. Woodon's new book, something to the effect that Christianity was never practiced in Europe. Even if it was it certainly stopped when it crossed the Atlantic. We had our own "Christian State" to worry about for a few hundred years, and are still suffering the repercussions.