Troy

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.

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History just published Carter G. Woodson’s Appeal: A Lost Manuscript, this past December. This interesting thing is that I was unfamiliar with this organization and this book before this morning. An authors I recently profiled on AALBC.com Casey Curry mention she was doing the ASALH event in D.C. this weekend. I try to keep track of all the big event related to Black books, so I looked up the event, learned about the organization and discovered this book. Because I heard absolutely nothing about this apparently recently discovered book from anyone. I began to doubt if it was even a new discovery, or if it was even significant. Important this are discussed, talking about and mention in the media, right? We I do not have time right now to determine if this is indeed a new revelation; so I’m sharing it as if it is new and obviously terrific news. A new book from Carter G Woodson!

31st Annual Celebration of Black Writing http://artsanctuary.org/cbw2015/ Art Sanctuary’s Celebration of Black Writing (CBW) is one of the most prominent African-American literary events in the nation putting the spotlight on black literary, visual and performing arts. Larry Robin of Robin’s Bookstore originally founded the event as a one-day gathering of literary scholars and authors over 30 years ago. After taking over, Art Sanctuary has spent over a decade transforming the CBW into a month long festival showcasing the talents of African Americans of all ages, background and interests. This May, black art and culture will fill the city of Philadelphia with a month-long exhibit, community literary and performance events, author readings, and workshops for emerging writers and artists. This year is sure to be the biggest celebration yet! IN THE GALLERY - Throughout the entire month of May, we will feature a month-long exhibition as the centerpiece of the our festival: ‘Barkley L. Hendricks: Oh Snap!’ STORYTELLING CIRCLE - A fun-filled Storytelling Circle on Friday, May 1, 10-11 am at the Art Sanctuary gallery will inspire a life-long love of art in children as they listen to great stories followed by art making. To learn more about our Storytelling Circle programmin. OUTDOOR SPRING FESTIVAL - Once again, we will kick off the festival with a fun-filled day in partnership with the South Street Spring Fest on May 2nd! Click here for more information. IN THE SANCTUARY, sponsored by PECO – Every Wednesday in May, starting May 6th, enjoy a series of live interviews and author readings featuring four of the nations most well-known authors of color sharing their gifts, secrets and talents at the Art Sanctuary gallery. More information coming soon! BLACK PROFESSIONALS GOT TALENT - On Friday, May 8, some of the region’s most talented professionals will replace their memo pads and brief cases with a mic during Black Professionals Got Talent at the Arts Bank at the University of the Arts (601 South Broad Street). Stay tuned for more information, and our star-studded lineup of professionals! More information coming soon! HIP H’OPERA & NORTH STARS SHOWCASE – On Friday, May 15th, we will feature the youth we work with in schools and community centers, including our collaborative partnership with Opera Philadelphia, Hip H’opera, and North Stars, our in-school and after school programs. Through our programs, we use art to help youth connect history to present-day issues and help them find their own voices to express themselves. SANCTUARY LIVE! - Our monthly live-music showcase, will feature an emerging musical act as well as local musical and spoken-word artists during an open-mic on Friday, May 15 starting at 7 pm at the Art Sanctuary gallery. More information coming soon! LITERARY & ARTS CONFERENCE - The Celebration of Black Writing Literary & Arts Conference will take place on Saturday, May 23, beginning at 10am, featuring some of Philadelphia’s most notable authors and artists conducting and participating in workshops, performances, panel discussions and live In the Sanctuary pod casts. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS CEREMONY & SHOW - On Friday, May 29 at 7pm is the festival’s biggest highlight, the 2015 Celebration of Black Writing Lifetime Achievement Awards Ceremony & Show at Temple Performing Arts Center. Our Month-long set of activities culminates with what we the “Oscars of Black Writing”.

Yeah after the 3.5 hour Saturday night live show, I could not image watching 4+ hours of the Academy Awards. The only clip from the show I've seen is the one I shared above. While looking at Oprah and David Oyelowo's reaction to Common's acceptance speech, in the clip above, I could not help but think, "Oh Brother." As pro-Black as I am, I just can't be as moved as they appear to be by these things. I guess that is what they call "hate." But this really is not about hate, it is more complex than that. It just irks me that our validation must come from folks that have continuously demonstrated that they could give less about our creative output. We get all bent out of shape because Ava and David did not get a nomination--I say, so what! We know those who vote on the Awards are predominantly middle aged/old white men--what do you expect?! I have no patience for those who express outrage over this. I have even less patience for the same individuals who do not value the acclaim that they get from their own community. Do you know there are Black actors who will not grant indie black platforms interviews but will to white platforms. As you might image I have personal experience with this and that names of these actors would surprise you. One of things that made Muhammad Ali great was they he would make sure Black journalist had access to him. That type of consciousness is essentially dead today. How many people have I worked with and supported early in their careers that I lost access to after they "blew up." It is very sad. Of course this is all about money. I get that, and maybe that is what makes all of this so frustrating as well as sad... Cynique, you know I was thinking the same thing about Eddie Murphy after seeing him on the Saturday night live special--to the point of wondering if anything was wrong with him. That is too bad Del, March Madness can be quite lucrative ;-)

Del I'm the wrong one to ask about awards shows. Kam emails me information on these things. Think about it, if it were not for the film Selma I would have no reason to cover the Academy Awards at all. I have been covering the film's director, Ava DuVernay since her first film. Now where I do need some help. Is for the NAACP Basketball tournament, more commonly known as March Madness. Many people bet on this. There are 67 games and it is single elimination, which makes it very difficult for anyone to pick them all correctly. In fact many so called basketball experts picks are often worse than people you rarely watch.

Exactly Chris. Further, If you are someone who actually watches TV for 30 hours, but you believe everyone else watches for 50, you don't feel so bad. You may think if it is OK to watch even more, since you are not watching as much as everyone else, and we know all know who this enriches.

The following is Kam's recap, of the Oscars. As you might image I had zero interest in this broadcast. Far and away the most interesting thing to me is how Del's picks compared to Kam's ----------------------- Oscar Recap 2015 by Kam Williams Birdman Soars over the Competition! Evening Marked by a Profusion of Political Acceptance Speeches Birdman won Best Picture at the 87th annual Academy Awards on a night periodically punctuated by politically-conscious acceptance speeches. That film and The Grand Budapest Hotel tied for the most wins, 4, followed by Whiplash with 3, and Boyhood with 2. There weren’t any upsets in terms of the major categories, with Julianne Moore (Still Alice) and Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) prevailing in the lead acting categories, as expected, as well as J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) and Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) in supporting roles. The evening was emceed by Neil Patrick Harris, who went out of his way to draw attention to the diversity among the celebrities in attendance, but only after joking that “Tonight we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest, I mean brightest.” This was obviously in response to complaints about Selma being snubbed and all the acting nominees being white. Ostensibly to make amends, Neil awkwardly enlisted the assistance of Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo and Octavia Spencer to perform as his straight men, even returning to Octavia again and again as the butt of a running joke which unfortunately fell flat every time. The Academy took a posthumous potshot at the late Joan Rivers, getting the last laugh by leaving her out of the “In Memoriam” montage featuring photos of recently-deceased showbiz legends. The veteran comedienne might not have had much of a career as an actress, but she certainly established herself later in life on the red carpet where she would flourish as a sharp-tongued, fashion critic. From the very first acceptance speech by J.K. Simmons who suggested people pick up the phone and call their parents and tell them you love them, it seemed that every winner had a political agenda, with causes ranging from suicide prevention (Graham Moore) to equal pay for women (Arquette) to immigration reform (Alejandro González Iñárritu) to Lou Gehrig’s disease (Redmayne) to Alzheimer’s (Moore) to privacy (Citizenfour director Laura Poitras) to the African-American incarceration rate (John Legend). A galvanizing moment arrived during rapper/actor’s Common’s heartfelt remarks delivered while accepting the award for Best Song, “Glory,” with John Legend. Common eloquently put a universal spin on the legacy of the historic Selma march, stating: “I’d like to thank God that lives in us all. Recently, John and I got to go to Selma and perform ‘Glory’ on the same bridge that Dr. King and the people of the civil rights movement marched on 50 years ago. This bridge was once a landmark of a divided nation, but now is a symbol for change. The spirit of this bridge transcends race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and social status. The spirit of this bridge connects the kid from the South side of Chicago, dreaming of a better life to those in France standing up for their freedom of expression to the people in Hong Kong protesting for democracy. This bridge was built on hope, welded with compassion, and elevated by love for all human beings.” To hear Common & John Legend’s acceptance speech, visit: PS: As far this critic’s Oscar predictions, I got 18 of 21 correct, including all the major categories. Not quite the perfect score of a year ago, but pretty impressive nevertheless, if I must say so myself. Complete List of Oscar Winners Picture: Birdman Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman) Actor: Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) Actress: Julianne Moore (Still Alice) Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) Adapted Screenplay: The Imitation Game (Graham Moore) Original Screenplay: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo (Birdman) Foreign Language Feature: Ida Animated Feature: Big Hero 6 Documentary Feature: Citizenfour Original Score: The Grand Budapest Hotel Original Song: “Glory” (Selma) Costume Design: The Grand Budapest Hotel Makeup and Hairstyling: The Grand Budapest Hotel Sound Mixing: Whiplash Sound Editing: American Sniper Film Editing: Whiplash Visual Effects: Interstellar Production Design: The Grand Budapest Hotel Cinematography: Birdman Live Action Short Film: The Phone Call — Matt Kirkby and James Lucas Animated Short Film: Feast Documentary Short Film: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

According to an article published by Nielsen. African Americans also. Listen to the radio for more than 48 hours 56 hours using apps or mobile Internet browsers on their smartphones two and a half hours watching videos on their smartphones Presumably some of these Black folks work a 40 hour week (160 hrs per month), which is a bold assumption given the economy. I would also assume these folks sleep for 7 hours a day or (roughly 210 hours a month), a luxury to be sure. Maybe an hour of eating, and an hour of caring care of personal things (bathing, and other bathroom related activities). Assuming a 30 day month, we have 720 hours to work with. Taking the information from Nielsen's report, and combining it with conservative estimates of things most people have to do we have; 160 hours work 210 hours sleep 48 hours radio 56 hours mobile aps 200 hours TV 30 hours eating 30 hours (bathroom related activities) That is 734 hours 14 more than are available. Now I know not everyone fits into every category, and people can do more than one thing at a time (watch TV and eat), but 200 hours of TV a month just seems extreme. I watched 6 hours of TV on day last week and I felt like a complete slob afterwards, and viewed never to do that again. According to this report Black people watch more than 8 hours of TV a day! I simply don't believe it. But why would they lie, or report numbers that don't make sense? Does anyone reading this believe those figures and their conclusions: African-Americans watch the most television of any group, watching nearly 200 hours per month—roughly 60 more hours than the total audience! While blacks watch more real-time (i.e., live) television than other groups, levels of time-shifted and video-on-demand viewing are increasing as well, furthering the notion this group of consumers is multifaceted in their approach to viewing their favorite broadcast and cable programs. I don't.

My Buddy Gwen was nice enough to share her experience at the NAACP Literature Awards:

Kam is pretty really good at picking which films will win. Last year he correctly picked all 21 films in the categories above. So if your picks come to pass you may be on to something.

Interesting Divination versus Pragmatism which will prove more accurate

Well we know who shot Malcolm. Indeed one of the trigger men who was interviewed by Gil Nobel, truly believed he was doing the right thing at the time, but later regretted his actions. There were no shortage of people who wanted Malcolm dead during the time. Of course the FBI had it out for Malcolm as well. We also know there were agent provocateurs stirring up things within the Nation of Islam, further fueling tensions. We also know an attempt was made on Malcolm's life when he was in Africa. Too bad we no longer have programs like Gil Noble's Like It Is perhaps we would not be so ignorant.

Yeah Lawrence Hill's award-winning bestseller was republished last month If I had time I would get into this book. I visited Nova Scotia a few years ago. Blacks have a rich history in the area.

Yeah but those b-ballers are not going to risk injury (nor should they) or really bust their humps to win this game; not the way they would (or should) for a championship ring. I'm sure you would agree with that. For me the basketball season does not really start until the playoffs. Watching the Knicks play, what are essentially meaningless games (they are not going to the post season), without there start player is not interesting to me at all--especially with the prices they wanna charge. In fact one sports commentator pointed out that the Knicks really do not wanna win too many games as it would impact the their draft picks. I just read Demitra died of breast cancer, at just 35 years of age. Sad. I was unable to find a video of her on youtube. I'm not sure I remember her.