Troy

I'll play devil's advocate from time to time just to vet ideas as I hope people will do with things I suggest. Chris I was not aware of Media before you mentioned it. I just joined and posted an excerpt from one of my more popular blog posts: https://medium.com/@aalbc/only-54-black-owned-bookstores-remain-in-america-9ac086de43bc Of course I'm down with anything that leverages our own platforms over anything else. Organized we could use Medium in a way that benefits us. For example if everyone reading this would like or share the article I just posted, on Medium, that platform could be far more beneficial to all of us. Patricia, I think I see what you are saying. Technically speaking, a canonical URL is just a way to tell search engines which is the prefered URL for a page. I handle this on my own site by using redirects. A simple example would be my preference for aalbc.com (without the "www") so if you broswe to www.aalbc.com you would be sent to aalbc.com. Now as far as using a canonical URL on other websites (cross domain) to boost SEO that is great if you can get other sites to do it. There would be a learning curve involved, becuase I doubt most blogger are that sophisticated. For example Patricia, if I gave you permission to post, a book review that is already on my site. How would you, specifically, change the canonical element on the page where you posted my book review?

Using the word Niggers make white folks rich. Dr. Dre and be a billionaire soon, while Mellie Mel, is obscure, a relative unknown. Maybe the VA Battle flag is indeed a racist symbol, as it is on the KKK's membership application. The American flag is on the application as well. Perhaps it too is a racist a symbol....

I stumbled across this 2015 documentary on Public Enemy (really just a recording of a concert they gave in London), on Showtime, while looking for a movie to watch last night. The flick was about 1 hour long and was "OK." I watched it in about 20 minutes, skipping through much of the music, while my wife dozed next to me. I always liked PE's music, but their performances are not much better than listening to the music alone. Apparently Terminator X was replaced by DJ Lord (I winder when that happened). They closed the show with a song I was unfamiliar with and liked. I will look it up a buy it. Chuck D said their music was appreciated more in London than in the US. Here the BBC made a documentary of Public Enemy, "Prophets of Rage" as part of their Black Music Legends of the 1980s series. I have not watched this documentary yet, but I'm confident I will enjoy this one more. It has Professor Griff in it. Who wasn't even mentioned in Showtime's so called "documentary." Still no major motion picture. I'd see that happening anytime soon. Maybe a Flavor Flav bio pic would get greenlighted 'cause Flav is dysfunctional enough to appeal to a broad white audience.

Oh, OK I did not realize were were one of the previous "guests." I know what canonical URLs are but it is not clear what you mean in the context of driving traffic. Would you elaborate? Congrats on the paid gig.

Hi Patrica, please share the URL of your blog. Would you mind sharing this effort with your African American Boomer Bloggers friends. Have you considered using your blog, rather than Facebook, to manage your community? That would certainly drive more traffic (and revenue if you are into that) to your website. Surely the boomers in your community, would understand why, this makes sense.

OK I see why I was not with you; I was still focused on the family. What you are really describing Chris is the culture; which families reflect. You do have families today doing all the right things, but those efforts are thwarted, or at best best diminished by a culture that works against everything we need for a stable and strong family. So while we can debate about which generation had it easier than the other, the one constant is that we always operated in a hostile environment. What is indeed different is the culture which results in many families ill equipped to deal with the environment--I'm with you on that. Lack of education and a low class mentality would cripple anyone in a the environment we are in today. The folks running around today would never have survived the Jim Crow era... Cynique made a good point about a teen aged girl getting pregnant. I remember when that was embarrassing, people were ashamed of it. The pregnant teen would be sent down south. Today it is baby showers galore, but the crazy thing is that the public school system facilitates the behavior by providing free onsite childcare in some of the school public schools! While we made fun of the brainiacs, or kids who "talked white," but God help you if you got left back! The ridicule would be relentless, No one wanted to repeat a grade. That meant you were stupid. Today there are schools where the majority of students flunk, not just a few classes, but and entire grade--and it is no big deal; because it has become par for the course. I could go on and on with examples but our culture is screwed and trust me rich white folks know it. I believe that is why they are hoarding wealth.

You don't have to be an academic to be an intellectual, and common sense does not automatically come with age. You are creative, curious, observant, self-aware and a critical thinker with a fine sense of humor. That combined with a talent for self expression makes you a terrific intellect. Some of your throw-away comments are as profound as anything I've read by the celebrity intellectuals we may be more familiar with. You are a gift to us all, and I feel fortunate be able to regularly read what you have to say. Thanks for continuing to share your thoughts here. I know you could be doing anything else. Much love to you, and here is to many more happy birthdays!

Thanks Cynique. It seems I'm just old enough to remember the things you are talking about. Shame, respect for elders, romantic music, etc. I really wish we could bring back shame, it seems we live in a world where pretty much anything is tolerated, save shooting a lion. Thank God child molestation is still frowned upon, if you are not too big a celebrity. Speaking about good conversations I was at a wedding last Saturday and you could easily spot the different generations. Younger folks (under 40) were buried in their cell phones the whole evening. When one woman's battery died, she found an outlet and every few minutes or so went back to her phone. As far as I could tell, they enjoyed the wedding by sharing photos and engaging with folks that were not there. They also laughed and shared unrelated photos and jokes, (all via facebook). I would have prefered we all were truly present with each other, but I guess younger folks find that boring... On a related issue, I've noticed how couples don't dance together as much anymore. I've been to three big events in the last two weekends and at all the events either the women danced in groups, or everyone (women mostly) did a line dance. Will the Electric Slide ever die? I've also noticed in many events, whether it is a wedding, publishing event, whatever, women outnumber men. Perhaps that is why women have taken to dancing with each other. I know that is a serious digression, but feels somewhat related... Chris, what specifically is wrong with the family that you would like to fix?

Chris that is a good idea and requires no coordination, just a desire to support. Many of the websites in the database already link to other websites. Some have a long lists. I'd like to see the links but also like increase the number of times those links are seen by readers. Traffic is the fundamental problem. Popular sites can can help the less popular sites here but this kind of thing is hard to get very popular sites to do. Right now we have 4 bloggers interested let see how the list of interested bloggers grow over the next few weeks. In the meantime, everyone, spread the word.

Cynique would you care to elaborate on the things that you feel were better in you day than today and vice-versa. It would be interesting to know how typically your life is. I'd be willing to bet it is more typical that and certainly nicer than someone growing up in a modern day ghetto. I have dealt with overt racism on many occasions including being called nigger and having rocks thrown at me by white people because I walking in the the wrong neighborhood. Whether it was interactions with police or in corporate America; I experienced overt racism first hand. But I have also experienced generosity from white folks too, On the other side of the coin I have been robbed (as a kid with my mom) by gunpoint, knifepoint, have had my car stolen and broken into numerous times, and I have had a place I was living broken into, I've been jumped by gangs as a kid (narrowly escaping both times by running). Relatively speaking I was pretty lucky compared to some of my peers fared much worse. All of these crimes were done against me by other Black people (the car stuff I can't be certain about, but white folks don't generally come into the hood to break into cars). In my day there were more jobs and the schools were better. People coming out of da 'hood had a fighting chance. Today, looking around, it appears to be much more difficult for the kids coming behind me, despite technology, despite a Black president, despite Black Twitter, and despite a lack of Jim Crow laws.

Ok, I'll buy that argument, but only to a point. Because in reality it is not either or but a combination. Now NY City has is home to over 2 million Black people. Someone making $30K would have to spend ALL of that salary to have a decent place to live. Throw in a 2nd person and a couple of kids and you are living in POVERTY--I don't care how frugal you are. If you double that by sending the 2nd parent to work you are better off but not not twice as better; cause now you're in a different tax bracket and qualify for less aid, have the additional expense of child care, commuting, etc, you see my point. But using your logic every Black person living in NY City, making under 30 grand a year ,needs to go to someplace to live like Mississippi. Of course the devil is in the details and this is much easy to say that to do. First you need car outside major cities and second you need a job. The last time I looked job prospects in many of these lower cost of living locales were not looking too bright especially for brown folks. Also people are sacrificing now. There are millions of people who will never travel abroad (the majority of American's have not even bothered to get a passport), stay in a fancy hotel, or even eat a fine restaurant. Their kids are at the mercy of the shitty public schools. The best part of the day may be watching TV or goofing around on social media with a beer or a joint... Man you are I are smart and have decent educations, plus you have the added benefit of being fiscally responsible, but the vast majority of folks in this country will never know what it means to make more than $100k a year or even have the capacity to enjoy Toni Morrison's Beloved. Shoot I wish less people had smart phones. They are not used as tools to enlighten they are used by corporation to generate revenue. People spend the majority of time using facebook. Some folks are--even folks of modest means are spending well over $100 every month to a damn smart phone and "upgrading" them every year or two. And don't get me started on computers in the public schools. Man I'm beginning to rant, but this is serious stuff and it pisses me off to see us in this condition What more do we need? Man I don't even know where to begin. Maybe I just need to spend more time in FL... I did not get to go this summer.

To one of the finest intellectuals I know. Happy Birthday!

Hi Patricia and Missy if you create an account (upper right hand side of the page) you won't have to posts as "guests" and say who you are each time you reply. Patricia, a webring was basically group of sites linking one to another is such a way that a reader could visit each site by clicking on a link to go to the next website, and the next ,and ultimately return to the first site in the virtual ring of website; hence the name. At any rate, it was a 90's solution. We could probably come up with some better ideas. Here are a few of my own: ------------- 1 - Free Banner Advertising I was thinking about having each blog create a banner ad which would display an advertisement for each blog. The ad could be placed on web website every time the website's page is loaded a different banner for a website could appear. Of course some Blogs are more suitable for banner advertisements than others, but that is a detail that can be worked out it people are interested in the idea. Some Blogs only have a few inbound links. This idea would create 195 more, which would raise everyone's profile. In would perform better than a paid ad--because it could be done at no cost to the participants. ------------- 2 - Share and Comment Another idea that comes to mind is the we could all commit to commenting or sharing infor a direct Blog or a regular basis, monthly weekly or even daily. Some of us are on social media everyday, why not invest in our own properties. The idea is not to force people to comment just to be commenting, but to find an article that truly interests you share it with other likely to appreciate it and make a comment. ------------ 3 - Aggregated Feed I was thinking about creating an aggregated feed of everyone's Blog, publishing it on Huria, and making it available to others. Maybe the feed could be segmented by category so that readers can customize what the read. This could actually be monetized, converted into a mobile ap, and more. ----------- These are just a few ideas off the top of my head. The first two could be done tomorrow. The effectiveness of each is really dependent upon participation--the more the better. Two sites working together can help we each--imagine if it were 100 or even 200. In some of these scenarios the larger, more established Blogs, will not benefit has much and the smaller newer blogs--but they will benefit. I mention this because often the larger blogs/websites (I include my own in this category), are reluctant to participant in these activities. The general feeling, as expressed to me, is that the larger sites have worked hard to get where they are and that the smaller websites will just benefit without putting the work in. I understand this sentiment. But I also understand that it is highly inefficient (unprofitable) for each and every website to have to learn everything on their own or pay a corporation. This only impoverishes indie Black Blogs, which weakens Black voices on the web. It also takes resources away from creating great content and redirects that energy into things like social media marketing, which for a content provider just cannibalizes your site's content and enriches whatever social media platform you are using Finally, if there is indeed enough interest to pursue these collaborative efforts. I'm happy to create a secret group here where we can honestly flesh out ideas and strategies. I think the effort will be worth it--when is investing in yourself not?

Editor's Note: I just created a forum called: Bloggers Helping Bloggers: http://aalbc.it/bloggershelpingbloggers To continue the sharing of ideas over the long term. The goal of the Blogging database on Huria Search is to help readers discover a Blog they will enjoy. I just emailed all of the bloggers (well 127 out of 195) in the database to solicit ideas on ways we can collaborate and provide mutual support and improve of Blog's readership, revenue, or any factor we deem to be an important measure of success. If you are a Blogger and did not get my message you may read it here. If you would like to add your Blog to our database you may enter it here: http://www.huria.org/blogs/addnewblogform.html So, how can bloggers support each other? Let us know by replying.

Agreed, but I don't make a distinction between Hollywood and their tools (the rappers themselves).

Chris the reason why aren't we doing better, "with so much more available to us", is simple, we don't have much more available. There is the illusion that we have more available, but the data tell a completely different story. Plus, don't for one second think that kids are loved less today than in Cynique's time or before. Most parents love their children. They may be ill suited to raise them properly, and must navigate a hostile environment, but the problem is not a lack of love. Man the game is rigged. Perhaps in a much more profound way than it was in Cynique's day. Do you realize that our parents generation could, with a high school diploma earn enough with a single salary to raise a family. Today two college educated parents with two jobs struggle to do the same thing--especially in our larger cities like New York. Do you know that college in our parents day was relatively inexpensive or even free--and the quality of the education was better! Do you know that kids who manage to go to college often come out with crippling debt and that a private school education is $200K or more?! I know you know we lock up more Black men and women today as a percentage of our population than ever before! Police are killing us at a rate higher than all than any period after slavery. Chris, I would not be so convinced that we have so much at our disposal than Cyniques generation. I would argue than things are far worse today. Bringing back granny into the home will not change a thing. Cynique, would you have preferred to raise your family in 2015?

I'm glad and honored Cynique still shares her words and wisdom on this site. Chris I guess it is my technical self that feels nothing is simple and that the world is complex. Raising a family, maintaining this website, navigating this world in such a way that one's life is fulfilling are all complex endeavors. Sure there are aspects that one can not control, there are even factors we are unaware of, but all of this adds to the complexity. Is ending racism simple Chris? If so, what is the simple solution? I know West works at the grassroots level. I also know he often speaks for free. As Ish Reed suggested, West indeed be out because he is not making white folks happy, by embracing Minister Farrakhan, criticizing President Obama and the like. In the old days they assassinated you today they just marginalize you.. Check out Michelle Alexander's review in the Aug. 17, 2015 New York Times Book Review I had to read “Between the World and Me” twice before I was able to decide whether Coates actually did what I expected and hoped he would. He did not. Maybe that’s a good thing. It seems Michelle is effectively saying Coates Between the World and Me is no The Fire Next Time; stopping short of saying he is no Baldwin.

Kam just reviewed the New N.W.A. flick he gave it ★★☆☆ As I was publishing the review I discovered a ton of interviews where Easy-E was dissing Dr. Dre calling him gay and a cross dresser. Easy-E also said Ice Cube was a fake gangster. There was a lot of publically shared animosity going both ways. I even saw a clip of Suge Knight, on Jimmy Kimmel no less, joking about how to kill someone by injecting them with AIDS infected blood (Easy died of AIDS). The whole thing was a deadly mess... Suge, Biggie, Easy, Tupac and on.... I'm not sure if any of this is depicted in the film, but given the recent interviews I've seen of Ice Cube praising Easy-E, I'd bet the controversy has been played down. And given how people today view movies as if they were documentaries, it looks like there will be ample opportunity for some revisionist history as it concerns the negative impact of Gansta Rap. I will definitely check out the flick when I can stream it at home. Truth be told, NWA were my boys, back in the day, I still listen to the straight outta compton music to this day. Folks like to say NAS's Illmatic is the best rap rap album. In my book straight outta compton was far better. Maybe it is generational thing, maybe an anger thing, but the cats from the CPT, really spoke to me.

Cynique, I'd be willing to bet that you and Toni would get along quite well. Most book blurbs are not taken this seriously, especially by anyone who has written one. However, the market places a great value on a high profile cosign. A Toni Morrison surely recognizes the impact of her words can have on a prospective author's career. It is not like Toni goes around willy-nilly, calling every halfway decent writer the next Jimmy Baldwin. I have to believe she understood the power of what she wrote. This makes her blurb a big deal, and worth taking seriously. The book I posted above is really very fascinating and will lead me to read other books on the subject of philosophy. It was published in the late 1990's; at the time there were only three tenured Black female philosophy professors in the U.S.. Two of them are interviewed in this book.

Wow. It is fascinating to learn how one is perceived and how radically different that can sometimes differ from one's intent. Here I thought I was encouraging someone to be more direct and open about what they were trying ask and it was perceived as sarcasm. It simply never occurred to me that anyone with full access to the web could not find the meaning of any word. I was unfamiliar with both words, and actually looked them up yesterday. I did not take the time to post the definitions yesterday because, again, I assumed the anyone could easily find these definitions. At the risk of further irritating Janice, I normally would not provide definition of words here. That never was the purpose of this forum or any other discussion forum I can think of. Now if you want to discuss Eric's treatment of symphorophilia or autonepiophilia, in his novel, that would be interesting. A conversation about the practice of autonepiophilia might be fun too autonepiophilia: Paraphilic condition in which sexuoerotic arousal is dependent on impersonating a baby in diapers and being treated as a baby .(from http://www.sex-lexis.com/) symphorophilia

Hi Janice (welcome to the forums) given your ability to post here, I presume you could have also looked up the words to learn their definitions. Is there something else you really want to say? "Eye brow raised" (stealing a line from Thumper). At any rate, Dickey (pardon the pun) must have dreamed up some really freaky stuff to have those two words appear on the same page One Night is actually a Power List Bestselling book, debuting at #7 on the hardcover fiction list.

If you are into history I think you find this book fascinating. It tells the story of one HBCU's struggle to survive. Somehow Amazon is selling the book for $17.61 (it lists for $30) which is a steal for this impressive volume* I just discovered that Nnamdi Azikiwe (Nigeria's first president), attended went to Storer college An American Phoenix: A History of Storer College from Slavery to Desegregation 1865-1955 In the first book-length study of Storer College, Dawne Raines Burke tells the story of the historically black institution from its Reconstruction origins to its demise in 1955. Established by Northern Baptists in the abolitionist flashpoint of Harpers Ferry, Storer was the first college open to African Americans in West Virginia, and it played a central role in regional and national history. In addition to educating generations of students of all races, genders, and creeds, Storer served as the second meeting place (and the first on U.S. soil) for the Niagara Movement, a precursor to the NAACP. An American Phoenix provides a comprehensive and extensively illustrated history of this historically black college, bringing to life not just the institution but many of the individuals who taught or were educated there. It fills a significant gap in our knowledge of African American history and the struggle for rights in West Virginia and the wider world. -------------------- * looking below the surface: Amazon appears to be selling the book at an apparent loss to get more prime members. Amazon's practice of selling products at such low prices (effectively dumping) has concentrated a great deal of power in Amazon hands and has contributed to the decimation of indie stores. So while I recommend the book, if you have the wherewithal to buy it from an indie store consider it. Given the price differential (essentially paying more than double with shipping and sales tax), I appreciate than may be asking too much. If you do buy it from Amazon, at least this website will earn a commission.

I started reading this book recently, African-American Philosophers: 17 Conversations, it made me think about another conversation on this discussion forum, “Who's filled the intellectual void after James Baldwin?,” which I initiated in reaction to the Toni Morrison blurb of Ta-Nehisi Coates new book, the Power List Best seller, Between the World an Me ; “I’ve been wondering who might fill the intellectual void that plagued me after James Baldwin died…clearly it is Ta-Nehisi Coates.” While this is a bold statement I did not initially take it seriously, as authors typically exaggerate when endorsing another author's book. But given that it was Toni Morrison making the statement, some folks, most notably, Cornel West, took issue with the statement; going overboard, in my opinion, in his reaction. If it were a more obscure author making the same statement, I'd be willing to bet Cornel would have overlooked it. I've become more concerned with the idea that Baldwin's passing left an "intellectual void" for the past 30 years. There are a great many Black intellectuals which is one of the reason I've started reading African-American Philosophers. The book was published in 1998 among the philosophers interviewed include Anita L. Allen, Robert E. Birt, Bernard R. Boxhill, Joyce Mitchell Cook, Angela Y. Davis, Lewis R. Gordon, Leonard Harris, Joy Ann James, Tommy L. Lott, Hoard McGary, Jr., Michele M. Moody-Adams, Albert Mosley, Lucius T. Outlaw, Jr., Adrian M. S. Piper, Laurence Thomas, Cornell West, and Naomi Zack. With the exception of Davis and West, I'd imagine most of these thinkers are unknown to the general population. "intellectual void"...Puhleese!

We have not written the press release or started to promote the list yet, so you are getting the list first! There are a wide variety of titles on our list of 40 of the most popular books read by African Americans over the last few months. Check out all of these titles, I've pulled together videos, reviews and more. Looking below the surface: Here is a list of the conglomerates publishing the most popular books we are reading (This view is not shared on the menu of the powerlist website). As I continue to collect data an interesting story emerges. For example, more than 2/3's of the most popular books read by African American readers are published by just 3 conglomerates! The top company publishing the books we read is based in Germany. Another, in the top three, also owns Fox News; any surprise which book is at the top of that list? Does this matter?

I think a film about Public Enemy could be as commercially successful as one about N.W.A., but of course white folks in charge will choose to perpetuate all the negative Black stereotype they can find. I think it is all they know how to do... maybe it is all they want to do.