Troy

Someone posted cartoon in reaction to an article on The Guardian's website: Cornel West and Tavis Smiley do a disservice to African Americans This links to the video interview with West on Democracy Now! where he called Obama a "global George Zimmerman

The world wide web really is controlled by big web sites. Perhaps I should just give up complaining about everything we have all lost as a result of the corporate take over of the internet and do something else -- for real. Twitter "gave" me $100 of "free" advertising. It was one of those deals where you give them a credit card number and they make money because they know you will end up not cancelling your campaign when the $100 is used up. Well in a few days I used up $340 in extra charges. I fought the charges but PayPal, unlike AMEX, is useless against another corporation. Need ess to say I will never ever use Twitter for advertising. I would ditch PayPal too if there was a substitute. Today Twitter has the balls to send me an email with this image. Apparently I was supposed to be so impressed by my "investment" that I would throw away more money on advertising with them. Twitter clearly does not use their Big Data to check advertiser satisfaction 'cause they would know I they think their advertising sucks. First, the worst advertisement on AALBC.com performs better than what is shown on this graphic below. Second, I got 24 followers at 2 bucks a pop. I can tell you right now I can get 24 followers just by asking a few hundred people (there is software that does this for you) or I can follow a bunch of people and a reasonable percentage will follow me back. There is software that does this too, but I generally do use this stuff any more. $2 per follower is outrageous! Third, I don't understand how 24 users saw my tweets 1.1K times that just does not make sense as I don't tweet THAT much. Finally, 26 engagements does not mean 26 visits to my website and it certainly does not mean a transaction here. I don't care about retweets, or having my tweets favorited if these do not result is visitors coming back to my website. I can tell you from all the data that I've collected compared to FaceBook (which I'm not in love with either) Twitter is far worse in actually redirecting people to my website. Ads are a waste of money for me, as my posts on social media attract as many people as a paid ads -- for now. The problem is that social media sites control who sees your posts. In much the same way Google controls who discovers your website. So Twitter and Facebook can very easily throttle back on who sees my posts and create a need for me to buy advertising to maintain the same effectiveness. Unfortunately besides social media and Google there really are not very many on-line adverting option for me.

Congratulations man. I'll mention your milestone in my next eNewsletter! In today's environment this is a great accomplishment.

James Baldwin Tells Us All How to Cool It This Summer Is it too late, now, to put out the fire this time? An interview, forty-five years later. By The Editors In Esquire's July 1968 issue, published just after the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., the magazine talked to James Baldwin about the state of race relations in the country. In light of the Trayvon Martin case, we've republished the interview in full below. Q. How can we get the black people to cool it? BALDWIN: It is not for us to cool it. Q. But aren't you the ones who are getting hurt the most? BALDWIN: No, we are only the ones who are dying fastest. Q. Can we still cool it? BALDWIN: That depends on a great many factors. It's a very serious question in my mind whether or not the people of this country, the bulk of population of this country, have enough sense of what is really happening to their black co-citizens to understand why they're in the streets. I know of this moment they maybe don't know it, and this is proved by the reaction to the civil disorders.It came as no revelation to me or to any other black cat that white racism is at the bottom of the civil disorders. It came as a great shock apparently to a great many other people, including the President of the United States. And now you ask me if we can cool it. I think the President goofed by not telling the nation what the civil-disorders report was all about. And I accuse him and the entire administration, in fact, of being largely responsible for this tremendous waste and damage. It was up to him and the Vice-President to interpret that report and tell the American people what it meant and what the American people should now begin to think of it. Now!It is already, very very late even to begin to think of it. What causes the eruptions, the riots, the revolts- whatever you want to call them- is the despair of being in a static position, absolutely static, of watching your father, your brother, your uncle, or your cousin- no matter how old the black cat is or how young- who has no future. And when the summer comes, both fathers and sons are in the streets- they can't stay in the houses. I was born in those houses and I know. And it's not their fault. Read the complete interview at Esquire Magazine

Pioneer look at it this way, Black men are; arrested and stopped at much higher rates than whites and given much harsher sentences when convicted. So the probability of any Black man in ANY situation will have a higher likelihood of having a history with the criminal justice system. There are PLENTY of cases of Black people being gunned down just here in NYC who were COMPLETELY innocent. One famous was that of Amadou Diallo. Amadou was killed after Midnight on February 4, 1999, by four New York City police officers from the Street Crime Unit. Amadou had come home from work to his apartment at 1157 Wheeler Avenue in the Soundview Section of the Bronx and decided to go back out to get something to eat. Upon his return, he encountered the police officers who ultimately fired a fuselage of 41 shots, 19 of which riddled his body. Amadou was unarmed and did not threaten the officers in any way. Diallo’s death sparked massive public demonstrations against police brutality and racial profiling. The po-po claimed, of course, that Amadou brandished a weapon. I guess Five-0 don't watch movies 'cause they could have planted one. I met Amadou's mother on couple of occasions, including this event where you can read more about the case, she is an impressive woman. Man I've been stopped by the police more times than I can remember -- seriously. One at least three occasions I was concerned about my own safety. I could have easily -- EASILY behaved in a manner to make the situation much worse, but I kept my cool. In those situations I had done absolutely nothing wrong. I'm not suggesting that the police are all bad. But the are working class folks, often in tough, sometimes life threatening situations, and under pressure from everyone. Officers are modern day overseers or "officeseers" as KRS-1 once described.

They are talking points for the right wing. They should be talking point for the left wing as well. Of course that is all they are is talking points neither side really care enough to actually do something about the situation. The article says While perpetrate violent crimes at a rate of 2 to 1 compared to Black but this is a weak and misleading argument because White out number Black in this country by 6 to 1!

Sounds like a very interesting story Alon. Thanks for sharing it here I will mention it in my next enewsletter.

Del do you understand given my example of the athetist who understand the bible but does not believe it? That is to say understanding something is completely separate from believing it. I made the statement in contrast to the statement you made to Pioneer, "I would say that it is hard to understand something if you initially do not believe in it.". The implication being that you have to believe something to understand it, which I disagree with. I don't believe in predicting the future because I don't believe it is immutable. Perhaps there are many futures unique to each of us, perhaps even controlled by us? Maybe in my existence no one can predict the future -- at least not mine ;-) Del why do you want to know the future anyway?

Del to answer you question yes I believe what I wrote. "Understanding" a thing and "believing" in a thing are mutually exclusive. Plenty of people have a tremendous understanding of a subject without believing it to be true. Some of the most profound atheists understand the Bible better than most Christians. Indeed it is perhaps the deeper understanding that explains their atheism. But to your point, I used to dismiss astrology as utter nonsense. My opinion was based upon the garbage you read in the newspapers. I took a course in astrology I have cast charts for folks going back before we even met Del -- without the use of a computer program. Ultimately I did cast charts with a program. The last program was written by a guy named Halloran called Astro97. I was never great an interpreting them. After taking the course I realized there was much more to astrology than the sun signs described in the paper -- indeed knowledge one's sun sign can be very misleading in understanding both a person's outward and inward characteristics. In other words I would not dismiss Astrology so quickly, but y the same token I don't give it that much weight either particularly when it comes to predicting the future (which is what I thought we were talking about in the context of divination").

Hey Waterstar missed you. I doubt there has ever been a magician to grace this planet that can part the Red Sea and perform countless other tasks in the Holy book you described. Indeed it would be sacrilegious to call these acts "tricks" or even "magic". They are called miracles and ones belief in them is based upon faith 'cause they certainly can't be proved in a scientific way So either you believe them or you don't. But that is a whole 'nother conversation.

This film, “Fruitvale Station” http://aalbc.it/fruitvalestation is going into wide release this Friday,thanks in part to the attention the movie is getting because of its similarity to the Trayvon Martin case.

That is actually a good question. Because I generally tend to think of magic as pulling a rabbit out of a hat, sleight of hand and other tricks used to fool people. If one can indeed predict the future then it is no more magical that than describing the past. However we know virtually all people claiming the ability to divine the future are charlatans using magic and tricks to fool others (perhaps themselves even) into believing they have an ability that they do not possess.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Troy Johnson: troy@aalbc.com Gwen Richardson: grichardson@cushcity.com Ron Kavanaugh: ron@mosaicbooks.com Power List of Best-Selling African-American Books Releases Summer 2013 List (July 22, 2013 — New York, NY) — The Power List, the quarterly compilation of best-selling books written or read by African Americans, released its Summer 2013 list today. The Power List is a joint project of AALBC.com, Cushcity.com and Mosaicbooks.com, three Web sites which have promoted African-American literature for more than a decade. Ashley & Jaquavis, the urban fiction duo whose Cartel series has collectively sold more than a million copies, continue to dominate the paperback fiction bestsellers list with four titles among the top ten: Cartel 4, Murderville 2, The Prada Plan 2 and Murderville. Urban fiction author Wahida Clark also had two titles among the paperback fiction bestsellers, Payback Ain’t Enough and Justify My Thug, as well as one, Honor Thy Thug, among the hardcover fiction bestsellers. A number of authors who have consistently released best-selling books for at least a decade also had one or more titles on the Summer 2013 list. Those authors include: Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Walter Mosley, Kimberla Lawson Roby, Eric Jerome Dickey, Carl Weber, Sister Souljah, Mary B. Morrison and Mary Monroe. Other notable information about the Summer 2013 list: Oprah book pick, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis, has shown solid sales since its release in December 2012, and was #2 among hardcover fiction bestsellers. Several non-fiction paperback titles that were published two or more years ago continue to be bestsellers, including The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. Books by celebrity authors Steve Harvey, Wendy Williams and Tyrese Gibson were also included on the list. Game Over, a memoir by Winter Ramos of “Love and Hip Hop,” was #8 among paperback non-fiction bestsellers. Game Over is published by Life Changing Books whose CEO, Azarel, had this to say about the Power List: “I’m just so excited about having a list now that we can have some confidence in and a new list that we can be proud of.” The Power List is compiled by collecting data from online book sellers, random samples on relevant Facebook pages, and a quarterly survey of 1,200 African-American book clubs. The list is released on the fourth Monday in the month following each calendar quarter. The Summer 2013 lists may be viewed at the Power List web site: www.powerlist.info. Updates are included on the Power List Facebook and Twitter pages. For more information, contact one of the individuals listed above. -END-

Please forward all over. An evening with EDWIDGE DANTICAT "Hidden Lives, Human Possibilities" Authors Present to Save Revolution Books Wednesday, July 24, 7:00pm Edwidge Danticat will be the first in a series of extraordinary authors appearing at Revolution Books -- as part of an emergency battle to save this unique bookstore. Edwidge Danticat was born in Haiti in 1969 and came to the United States when she was twelve years old. She is the author of Breath, Eyes, Memory (Oprah's Book Club); Krik? Krak! (National Book Award nomination), Brother I'm Dying (National Book Critics Circle award); Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work; The Farming of Bones (American Book Award winner), The Dew Breaker, and other works. "With terrifying wit and flowered pungency, Edwidge Danticat has managed over the past 10 years to portray the torment of the Haitian people..." - The New York Times Book Review This will be the first of several intimate evenings with writers who open windows on the hidden lives of those cast off by this system. Edwidge will present her work, including a preview from her new novel Claire of the Sea Light (coming out in August), followed by a conversation with Andy Zee, spokesperson for Revolution Books, and the audience. Revolution Books must raise $30,000 by September 30. Donate, and come hear Edwidge Danticat this coming Wednesday. Limited seating. Reserve now. Tickets here, or contact bookstore 212-691-3345, revbooksnyc@yahoo.com  * General admission: $35 * Benefit premium ticket (with book signed by author): $100 * "Hidden Lives" Benefit series ticket (for these 3 authors, plus 3 more TBA): $150 (We have a very few $15 student/unemployed tickets- call 212-691-3345) If ever there was a time when Revolution Books is needed, it's now! This killing Amerikkkan system has again declared open season on Black youth with the Zimmerman verdict, but people are finally saying no, not this time, and taking to the streets. And around the world from Turkey to Brazil youth are refusing to live quietly under the crushing weight of U.S. imperialism. But where will this all go? Only revolution-- nothing less-- can end this nightmare. Revolution Books is essential as a center of the movement for revolution- a place where people can find the books and engagement about why the world is the way it is and how a different, better future for humanity is possible. But Revolution Books is in peril. Our lease has expired; $30,000 in donations and 50 new monthly sustainers are needed by September 30 to keep this not-for-profit bookstore open in Manhattan. This is possible, you are needed. Join the battle for Revolution Books. The future depends on it. Get your tickets now for the author series. Become one of 50 new sustainer/donors needed by September 30. Next in the "Hidden Lives, Human Possibilities" author series: Wednesday, August 21, 7:00pm Walter Mosley Author of more than 40 books including Little Green: An Easy Rawlins Mystery, Devil with a Blue Dress; Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned. His books have been translated into 20 languages; he's won an O. Henry Award, a Grammy, and PEN America's Lifetime Achievement Award. "Money means freedom; that was what people in the white America thought then. Citizens like me knew that whatever you had could be taken away in an instant..." - Little Green * * * MORE AUTHORS IN THIS SERIES WILL BE ANNOUNCED Humanity needs revolution. Revolution needs Revolution Books. Revolution Books needs you. Revolution Books / Libros Revolución 212-691-3345 www.revolutionbooksnyc.org 146 W. 26th Street (Between 6th and 7th Ave.) New York, NY 10001 Revolution Books is open Monday - Saturday noon to 7pm

Chaz Bono! Perfect

Del I feel pretty confident that you do judge people at least you judge me. For example, what promoted you make the statement, "Troy - I don't judge people."? There was nothing I wrote (or thought even) that indicated that I thought you were judging someone. This is not the first time that you ascribed a sentiment to me that I did not hold or express. The only thing that I can conclude is that you are reacting to judgments or pre-judgment you have made about me. That said I think it is natural for people to make judgments. Indeed I think there would be anarchy if we did not judge each other. How do you keep law and order, how to you select a mate? Good, bad or indifferent we all make judgments of others all the time.

Barack is less than a year older than me, so if I had his ear I would probably be less sympathetic. I did not listen to the speech indeed I did not know he had made one until someone emailed me asking what I thought about Tavis and Cornel's response. I looked at my Facebook wall and of course there were multiple posts express either fawning praise over Obama's statements or outrage over what Tavis said. At this point I've not heard statement from either man. I'm simply not interested in what either has to say. I responded to the women who asked about my opinion as follows: "OK I just looked at my FB wall and see what you are talking about. I'm tired about complaining about Tavis -- my efforts are better directed toward uplifting those I agree with and trying to contribute in a positive way myself." Cynique I'm glad you posted these sentiments here. FaceBook just presents the same opinions to me. I really dislike that. I think Facebook must see that I'm a Black splitting his time between Harlem and Florida and therefore I must want nothing but positive opinions about Obama.

See all the photos on my Blog

NEW - The #1 Power List best-selling books for the fiction and nonfiction categories in 2013 will be come automatic nominees for the 2014 Phillis Wheatley Book Awards!

The Wheatley Awards were presented last night here are the winners Learn more about these books. Book Awards 2013 Wheatley Award Finalists First Fiction The Last Warner Woman by Kei Miller Antebellum by R. K. Thomas (WINNER) Sweet Lullaby by DaWitt The Magnificent Life of Gravvy Brown by DeVaughn Lilly The Garvey Protocol by Eric Christopher Webb Fiction Love In A Carry-on Bag by Sadeqa Johnson (WINNER) A Gathering of Water by Bernice L. McFadden The Warlord of Willow Ridge by Gary Phillips Silent Cry by Dywane Birch Sinners & Saints by ReShonda Tate Billingsley and Victoria Christopher Murray Nonfiction / Biography & Memoir Floyd Patterson: The Fighting Life of Boxing's Invisible Champion by W. K. Stratton The One: The Life and Music of James Brown by R L Smith The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss A Mission From God by James Meredith Gather at the Table by Sharon Leslie Morgan and Thomas Morgan DeWolf (WINNER) Nonfiction / History & Politics Guest of Honor: Booker T. Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and the White House Dinner That Shocked a Nation by Deborah Davis (WINNER) Out from the Shadow: The Story of Charles L. Gittens Who Broke the Color Barrier in the United States Secret Service by Maurice A. Butler This Fragile Life: A Mother's Story of a Bipolar Son by Charlotte Pierce-Baker Power Concedes Nothing: One Woman's Quest for Social Justice in America, from the Courtroom to the Kill Zones by Connie Rice The Courage To Hope: How I Stood Up to the Politics of Fear by Shirley Sherrod Poetry Here I Throw Down My Heart by Coleen J. McElroy Shouda Been Jimi Savannah by Patricia Smith (WINNER) Thrall by Natasha Trethewey Hurrah’s Nest by Arisa White Speak Water by Truth Thomas Young Adult Readers The Diary of BB Bright: Possible Princess by Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams, Illustrated by Shadra Strickland (WINNER) Like a Tree Without Roots by Teresa Ann Willis Obama Talks Back: Global Lessons - A Dialogue With America's Young Leaders by Gregory Reed Pinned by Sharon G. Flake Ship of Souls by Zetta Elliott Young Readers Tea Cakes for Tosh by Kelly Starling Lyons, Illustrated by E. B. Lewis (WINNER) Squeak! Rumble! Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! by Wynton Marsalis, Illustrated by Paul Rogers What Color is My World? by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Raymond Obstfeld, Illustrated by Ben Boos and A. G. Ford Twice as Good: The Story of William Powell and Clearview by Richard Michelson, Illustrated by Eric Velazquez Ellen's Broom by Kelly Starling Lyons, Illustrated by Daniel Minter Learn more about these books.

Del what kind of bar were you in and the heck were you drinking ?

As long as they keep The Beauty of the Week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JET’s August 12th Issue Reveals a Newly Revamped Look The publication’s first cover-to-cover redesign CHICAGO, Ill. (July 19, 2013) — Johnson Publishing Company is announcing the first cover-to-cover redesign of JET magazine in the history of the publication along with the re-launch of the JETmag.com website. Led by Editor-in-Chief Mitzi Miller, readers can expect an overall modern and engaging feel that makes each section easy to read. “I’m very excited to debut the new look of the JET brand,” said Miller. “I'm proud to say that my team has created a product that strikes the perfect balance between freshness and familiarity. The new JET combines what our readers have always loved, with a modern look and vibe. I look forward to the continued support from our loyal readers and embracing a new generation of JET subscribers." The cover of the new issue features Oscar winner Octavia Spencer and NBC’s Friday Night Lights actor Michael B. Jordan, who both star in the critically acclaimed film Fruitvale Station. Spencer and Jordan gave JET the details on preparing for the roles and their emotions that were sparked while reenacting the tragic story of Oscar Grant, a young Black man who was killed by a police officer in 2009. Jordan, disclosed his impression of the media’s criminalization of Oscar Grant: “The way media spins Black men... Once this happened, Oscar is all of a sudden a criminal, a degenerate.” On the contrast between the media’s treatment of Adam Lanza, Spencer noted: “When Adam Lanza went into Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed those children, news outlets painted him with empathy… They don’t do that when dealing with a young man of color— even if they are killed for no reason.” The film hits theaters nationwide on July 26. -###- About JET JET is the No. 1 African-American newsweekly and has more than seven million readers. The publication was initially billed as “The Weekly Negro News Magazine,” and is noted for its role in chronicling the early days of the American Civil Rights movement from its earliest years -- including coverage of the Emmett Till murder, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and Martin Luther King, Jr. The magazine has been a staple in homes and businesses of Black Americans since 1951, bringing life to its popular catchphrase: “If it isn’t in JET, it didn’t happen.” JET is the beloved bible of African-Americans and ranks No. 4 in reader engagement.

The article did not address the on camera professionals, but they are such a small percentage of the total I doubt they would have an impact one way or the other. I see similar trends in publishing. I would be nice to read an article on that subject. This was one of the things Black Issues Book Review could have writen about -- if they were still around. I know Random House lost several key Black professionals including, Janet Hill a vice-president and executive editor who ran the Harlem Moon (Doubleday's Blakc imprint). We also know that Penguin Publishers fired Marilyn Ducksworth who was the director of corporate communications for Penguin Group (Marilyn filed an age discrimination lawsuit). Do we think the combined Penguin Random House will have more senior Black professional or less? I'll give you one guess. Again this trend is newsworthy. We just don't have the platforms to share this information and help us understand why this is important. You won't discover this stuff on the uninformed-opinion-driven-echo-chamber that is social media. But that is where you will find us... I read somewhere that Black folks, despite the "digital divide", make up 25% of Twitter's user,s apparently because we are so desirous of celebrity information.

Yep I'll take a broken-caps-lock-key-poster who sparks debate over a lurker anytime :-) Thanks HB