Troy

This was cute

See that is just it Cynique, I don't think the sex and violence in the HBO shows actually mimic life--at least not the life the vast majority of us live the vast majority of the time. I believe the probability is very high that I will never have to kill anyone in my entire life. The probability is even lower that I will not engage in sex with a man. Even the majority of police officers never fire their weapons in the line of duty in their entire careers. Despite the hype we are just not that violent. I will check out the Harrelson and McConaughey series--one episode at a time ;-)

Yes today is my birthday and thanks for the well wishes. There are a lot of ideas that could be exploited. If there are any VC folks out their drop me a line. Just don't expect the next Facebook from me. I'm more interested in something a bit more serious and practical, you know for adults.

Thanks Del and Cynique! Del you are as old as you feel :-) Honestly the age thing, I presume you got from Facebook. I made up the year of my birth, like much of my Facebook profile information. And facebook is still beating my site on a query on my name.

Cynique, sorry I missed explaining what the discovery is. Hey Del it was actually such big news I thought everyone was aware of it. Maybe it did not quite as much press as the Higgs Particle, but The Theory of Inflation by most accounts is one of the most profound discoveries in the history of cosmology. It will likely earn Andrei Linde, the founder of Inflation, a Nobel Prize. Astronomers have found evidence to support the Theory of Inflation which explains how the universe expanded so uniformly and faster that the speed, one light one trillion, trillion, trillionth of a second after the Big Bang almost 14 billion years ago. I don't pretend to understand any of this but the cats who do seem to think it is a big deal.

HIP HOP GIVES READING A GOOD RAP Saddleback Educational Publishing Receives Young Adult Literature Award from Street Lit Book Award Medal Committee April 7, 2014 (Costa Mesa, CA) - Saddleback Educational Publishing, the leading content creator and publisher of high-interest, low-readability educational materials for struggling learners, has been awarded with the Young Adult Literature Award for its Hip Hop Biography Series by the Street Lit Book Award Medal Committee (SLBAM). The 10-volume series, written at a fourth grade reading level, engages reluctant teen readers with biographies of hip-hop success stories including Jay-Z, Rihanna and Pitbull. “Saddleback is thrilled to receive the Young Adult Literature Award for our hip-hop biography series,” says Arianne McHugh, president of Saddleback Educational Publishing. “We believe the first step is to engage struggling readers with content that interests them and this award validates our success in doing so.” According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s report card, 70 percent of 8th graders, and 65 percent of 12th graders do not read at grade level, translating to approximately 6 million struggling readers in grades seven through twelve. For over 30-years, Saddleback has been working to reduce these staggering numbers by producing fresh, culturally relevant teaching materials, like the Hip Hop Biography Series. Most recently, Saddleback has launched a new line of books called, Teen Emergent Reader Libraries (TERL). Designed to attract teenage readers, these highly engaging fiction and nonfiction books feature mature, relevant topics teens want to read, including racism, bullying, friendship, history, culture, sports and romance but are written at the pre-k level. Each book is a substantial publication ranging from 48-64 pages in length, supported on every page by full-color, riveting photographs and grouped in three levels: emerge, engage and excel, with five genres per level. The TERL books offer middle school and high school teachers solutions for differentiating instruction, while still teaching grade-level content and meeting common Core Standards. About Saddleback Educational Publishing For more than 30 years, Saddleback has been the nation’s leading educational publisher producing high-interest, low readability solutions for middle school and high school struggling learners. Saddleback publishes more than a thousand titles including urban fiction, hi-lo chapter books, nonfiction, graphic novels, interactive Smartboard lessons, low-level supplemental curriculum and more. Saddleback Educational Publishing is headquartered in Costa Mesa, CA. For more information, visit www.sdlback.com. Press Contacts: Tracy Mallozzi The Rose Group tracy@therosegrp.com 310.280.3710 Elizabeth Davis The Rose Group elizabeth@therosegrp.com 310.280.3710

Chris the problem they are attempting to address is real. Who reads Amazon's reviews and expects an honest, informed critique? I don't think the solution they described will work either--especially not for Black books. We already know the best book recommendations frequently come from someone you know. It really is not that complicated. Indeed the old Thumper's Corner Discussion forum was great for that a few years ago. The conversation around books was lively and interesting. That in conjunction with the reading list made AALBC.com a better platform for discovering good books than it is today. Today my eNewsletter and Blog is a good source of information about good books. But the lack of conversation about books here is a loss. AALBC.com is not immune to this I cruise the net from time-to-time have not discovered any alternatives. I recently broke down and checked Goodreads, but those environments are too restrictive. I tried to share information that was on my site that was relevant to a conversation I was having and was prevented from doing so. It is just as well, I'm not really down for supporting the corporate sites anyway...

Yeah I liked Game of Thrones. I like many of the HBO programs. The ones I have watched, all or most of the episodes, are Six Feet Under, The Wire, The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Games of Thrones, and True Blood. Over that last decade or some these have been the only series that I made an effort to watch--at least since they stopped making new episodes of Star Trek. I think the writing and character development on the series is excellent. But the challenge of HBO is consistency. True Blood and The Sopranos for example simply fell apart in the later seasons. I watched the last two seasons of The Sopranos and felt like I completely wasted my time. The same goes for the past season of True Blood--what a waste. I will probably not watch it again next season. The Wire was good until the last season indeed it improved each season I watched the first 2 seasons over the course of a week and I was hooked (I interviewed Snoop once), I was sorry to see it go off the air. Six Feet Under was excellent until the end, culminating in the best season finale of anything I've ever seen-save the final season of Mash, which I seem to remember being very good. HBO seems to really focus on a lot on sex particularly on homosexual sex. Both of these are really a turn off for me. I'm sure I sound like a prude, by today's standards, but some things really need to be left to the imagination. I'm just not interested in seeing to people go at it; that is what pornography is for. HBO's programs introduces too many scenes which are simply pornographic. HBO's shows are also over the top in the violence department. This past year I started to consider whether I'm being adversely effected by watching so much gratuitous violence on HBO. I mean it can't be good for you; can it? Somehow, I can't help believe that my spirit is being adversely impacted. I think I need to either avoid all the graphic violence HBO loves to display or at least balance it out with more positive or beautiful images. I find myself spending a great deal of time in nature. It helps. Now Game of Thrones is full of violence and sex. But I have watched every episode. Typically watching them in clips of 2 or 3 at a clip. Perhaps I need to restrict my viewing to just one episode a week ;-) I did not watch the season opener yet. But I will. I get older I find myself questioning not only what I put into my body, but also what I put into my mind. This does not bode well for future HBO programs. I'll wean myself off rather than going cold turkey.

CMC PRESENTS THE PAYBACK READ-A-THON! ENTER TO WIN A KINDLE FIRE OR, THE GRAND PRIZE - A TRIP TO NYC TO DINE WITH WAHIDA CLARK! Wahida Clark, the Official Queen of Street Lit, pens the final chapter to her New York Times Bestselling Payback Series! To celebrate the finale, Blood, Sweat & Payback, Cash Money Content will be hosting a fan appreciation "Payback Read -A-Thon" throughout the month of April 2014. The Read-A-Thon will feature all four books; (Payback is a Mutha, Payback with Ya Life, Payback Ain't Enough and the finale - Blood, Sweat & Payback!) Each Tuesday in April - beginning April 1st through April 22nd, CMC will release the weekly - "Payback Question of the week." The "Payback Question of the week." will feature a trivia question from one (1) of the four "PAYBACK" books. Participating fans must complete a video response by the deadline each week and email their video link to CMC's contest email: CMCBOOKSCONTEST@GMAIL.COM (Please note - Questions from Blood, Sweat & Payback will not appear until after 4/22.) Fans will have until Saturday midnight of that week to email their video link to CMC! (Videos cannot contain curses or nudity. ) The fan with the correct and most entertaining video response sent in by the weekly deadline becomes eligible to become the weekly winner! Wahida Clark will choose the weekly winner! Weekly Winners will be announced on CMC's Website and social media pages on Monday Morning the following week! (4/7; 4/14; 4/21; 4/28) Weekly Prize One Winner will be chosen each week to win the weekly CMC Prize Pack including: (1) A New Kindle Fire (2) New music from Cash Money Records! (3) A gifted Kindle copy Blood, Sweat & Payback on 4/22! Ultimate Fan Grand Prize: All entrants will also become eligible for the "Ultimate Fan Grand Prize" - A trip to New York City where one fan and their guest will have dinner on the town with The Queen of Street Lit - Wahida Clark herself! Wahida Clark will choose from all of the videos submitted during the contest month. The Ultimate Fan Grand Prize winner will be announced via video from Wahida Clark on April 30th and spotlightedon CMC's website and social media pages! FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT www.CashMoneyContent.com Please note, All video submissions may be featured on CMC's website and social media pages. Videos that contain curses or nudity will not be considered. (Submitted videos may be featured on Cash Money Contents social media pages including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram). #PaybackReadAThon #BloodSweatPayback BLOOD, SWEAT & PAYBACK COMING 4/22/2014 www.bloodsweatandpayback.com

"Is McDonald's so bad that the guy shouldn't advertise it?" That question is really not easy to answer. People do a wide variety of things for money. Some women turn tricks in strip clubs, while others would look at that behavior and be aghast, If you are an overweight, plain looking woman with a good job it is easy to turn your nose up at someone who is dirt poor, has a banging body, a face to go with it, that decides to pull in a grand or two a night grinding on random dudes. I try not to judge other folks behavior using my sensibilities. The only time I really care is when that behavior effects me. Generally the behavior of a multinational corporate effects us all--even if we personally do not use their products. Cigarettes are a good example. There are about seven McDonalds on Harlem's 125th Street. I don't think there is a single soul restaurant on the street. There is a Red Lobster, a Burger Kings, two Starbucks, a couple of Dunkin Donuts... you get my drift. McDonald's enjoys tax credits that indie restaurants didn't. The small unique business (often Black owned) has been crowded out, along with the soul of the street in fact they never really had a chance. McDonald provides a cheap alternative, but the food taken daily or in large quantities is poison. I suspect most people are not opting for the "healthy" choices, they instead are opting fr items on the dollar menu. I've read numerous articles that says there current generation will be the first to have shorter life spans than the previous one. The McDonalds of the worlds are a contributor to this, in my opinion. Advertising is a tricky thing. I have a friend, who started a book website. Their personal taste is literary, that was to be the focus of their site. Unfortunately the person was never able to secure significant advertising from literary authors or their publishers. Most of the advertising came from self-published authors, primarily in the street genre. Over the years I looked at the site and one day I was surprised, because if you looked at the site you would think is was an hard core urban fiction site. See the site reflected the advertisers, not what the owner thought was was good or important. The owner took any ad that came their way, and the site actually offered as a result. The site will close this year, but if they did not take the advertising if would have closed years ago and never having the opportunity to do anything. The advertising I get from self-published and urban authors subsidizes my promotion of the literary authors, from who I get very little support. This was one of the reasons I disliked the way the literary snobs turned eschewed and disparaged urban fiction and their authors. The literary authors failed to recognize that the urban fiction authors are part of what I call the "Black Book Ecosystem" a system which literary author benefit. Now that this system is crumbling they are suffering too--and they probably still don't get it. So, if McDonalds offered to buy an advertisement I would take it, at least today I would. But here is the thing, McDonalds is not likely to offer me an advertisement. Think about the places you see McDonalds advertising and what that demographics of that audience is like. Then compare that to this one.

I did not know Memphis was a chocolate city 65% Black. I did not get that impression the last time I was there. I wonder if you could sell sneakers and books in the same store? Seriously. Chris do you know this store: Urban Expressions Bookstore – Memphis, TN Was it one of Carl's? Is it actually closed? If so the count is 53.

The following article is printed with permission from the author. Putinism vs. The Global Obama, or Clash of the Titans Dinesh Sharma, Institute for Global Cultural Studies, SUNY-Binghamton When President Obama was elected in 2008, his approval ratings around the world were extremely high, in part due to the Bush-fatigue from the Iraq war, and his approval has remained relatively high through 2013, except in the Muslim majority nations in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. President Obama clearly does not lack vision and audacity. “By his own account, Obama sought nothing less than to bend history’s arc in the direction of justice and a more peaceful, stable world,” according to Martin Indyk of Brookings Institution. The question now is: How has Obama’s America fared abroad in the past five years and is he in a position to bend the global arc of history? In the aftermath of the Syrian genocide and Ukrainian crisis, the foreign policy challenges have put Obama in the hot seat against a traditional Cold-War adversary. Recently, two former presidential candidates McCain and Romney have claimed that President Obama has looked weak against Putin’s apparently strong arm tactics in trying to reconstruct his motherland and some semblance of an emerging Eurasian union. In fact, conservative neocons may want Obama to behave more like the Russian leader Vladimir Putin, display authoritarian leadership, and possibly start another military excursion, Peter Beinart has recently suggested. Even though the president was elected to end the two long wars and congenitally prefers peacemaking, an American president who does not enter into a war may invariably be seen as a cultural wimp. After the NSA scandal, the Drones controversy, and the sputtering “Pivot to Asia”, the sheen was beginning to wear off the Obama world till Putin invaded Crimea and blamed the West for orchestrating a coup in Ukraine. While the Obama administration has been trying to pull-off a big foreign policy victory in the remaining years -- whether it is the Iranian nuclear deal, the Mideast peace process, ending the impasse on Climate Change debate, or the Immigration reform act – with Putin’s annexation of Crimea their task just became exponentially harder. With the Russian bear on the prowl, making the former Soviet states nervous, will Obama reclaim the trust in the American ideals and values around the world? It is appropriate to muse openly as Ali Mazrui, the legendary African post-colonial intellectual of Obama’s father’s generation, has boldly predicted that Obama will go down as “a great man in history.” However, will Obama become one of “the great presidents” with the passage of time? The elevation of Obama has been completed twice over by American voters of diverse backgrounds and, at least in spirit, by people around the world. Yet, many have been waiting with considerable, though cautious optimism for “the second act” of the Obama presidency. This may be it. The Crimean conflict may have created ‘the perfect storm’ for Obama to show strong global leadership. The paradigmatic moment of the American presidency, with the re-election of the first Black president taking a quantum leap into the future has receded into our collective consciousness, to be rudely awakened by the specter of cyber-spying networks and the over-arching security state. Suddenly, Putin seems to have pulled the world back into the 19th century, as Secretary Kerry said, and revived Huntington’s “clash of civilizations,” reminiscent of an earlier more sinister Cold War era. Huntington argued that the primary axis of conflict in the future will be along century old cultural and religious lines: “The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural.… The clash of civilizations will dominate global politics. The fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future.” As we try to grasp Obama’s evolving leadership style, it is instructive to compare him with Vladimir Putin. While Obama is a ‘consensus-builder’, with a fiercely competitive and ‘hawkish’ streak, Putin is a statist, who exercises centralized power, with an authoritarian personality style. Obama was a Harvard-trained legal pragmatist, with great professorial and oratory skills, before he developed into an inspiring politician. Putin was a case-officer in the KGB before he became a political operator and the president of Russia. Both were virtual outsiders before they joined their ranks. As a Rorschach test, Obama elicits fantastical and unbelievable projections from adoring masses as well as his detractors; yet on a whole host of social and cultural issues he has revealed himself to be an unreconstructed liberal. Putin as his biographers have described is a “man without a face,” with a media constructed mythic persona, and nationalistic views about the Russian motherland, otherwise called Putinism. Obama believes in American exceptionalism, especially, through the “soft power” of development and diplomacy. Putin too believes in Russian exceptionalism, which he sees as antithetical to the Western hegemony, responsible for the defeat and humiliation of the Soviet empire. Obama has repeatedly claimed America is not declining, even though emerging economies in the Asia-Pacific region may be catching up with the developed economies in US and EU. Putin clearly believes, with the silent support of China and other BRICS economies, America and the West are declining. Obama’s critics argue that the president is a champion of “leading from behind”, as if that is the cornerstone of the Obama doctrine, while his proponents have put their stakes in “nation-building at home.” Thus, Putin may have rudely awakened Obama to “the return of history” by showing disregard for the rules of international law, raising the specter of previous World Wars. The U.S. may have been caught flat-footed due to their mixed response in Syria, tightening budgets, congressional opposition, and an incomplete pivot towards Asia. However, Obama can no longer avoid the clash of the titans. If he is unable to contain and engage Putin, with verbal threats and mounting sanctions, it will redefine his second term and the presidency. Dinesh Sharma’s new book “The Global Obama: Crossroads of Leadership in the 21st Century” is published by Routledge Press (2014); his previous book “Barack Obama in Hawaii and Indonesia: The Making of a Global President” was rated as the Top Ten Black History Book for 2012.

I hear you about conversations on Facebook :-) even when explicitly asking folks to comment on my site they still post on Facebook. At any rate as a graduate of one of the country's top business schools you are absolutely right about the role of a corporation's management. Their role is to maximize shareholder wealth. But often maximizing shareholder wealth goes counter to our collective interests. We enslave people, destroy the planet, sell cancer sticks, poisonous food all in the name of increasing revenue. Man were it up to corporations we'd still be in the fields! In many ways most if us still are effectively in the fields. Now what you and I do is relatively innocuous but some if the things corporations do is pretty foul. The Lebron James argument does not work for me because Lebron James us firmly in the 1% at what point does anyone need more money? Is the extra mill or two he get for pushing that garbage food really worth it? I could see him doing it if he had Troy Johnson money. But when does it stop? But I also understand. It is McDonald's giving LeBron the deals not Whole Foods.

Hey man check out my article: I included a clip from the most recent National Black Writers Conference Also do you know if those location were part of Carl Weber's stores. I thought there were about 7 of them nationally. I could never reach anyone from those store or even Carl for that matter. I became aware of them before I created my book store database http://huria.org/bookstores but I was never able to get anyone on the phone, find a website or even get Carl to call me back, so I never added the stores to my database -- it is just as well they all appears to be closed anyway.

Almost half of the stores open in March of 2012 are now closed A & B Distributors — Brooklyn, NY A New Quality Book and Boutique — Plainfield, NJ Africa Enterprises — W. Memphis, AR African & Islamic Books Plus — Cleveland, OH African American Books and Publishing — Baltimore, MD African American Gift Gallery — Knoxville, TN African American Gifts & Books — Wichita, KS African American Heritage Book — West Palm Beach, FL African Artisans — Baldwin, NY African Book Store — Fort Lauderdale, FL African Heritage Books & Gifts — San Francisco, CA African House Institute of Learning — Jersey City, NJ African Marketplace — Los Angeles, CA Afro Books — Atlanta, GA Afrocentric Book Store — Chicago, IL Afrocentric Books & Cafe — St. Louis, MO Agape Christian Books Gifts and Music — Baltimore, MD Alkebulan Books — Berkeley, CA Alkebu-Lan Images Bookstore & Gift Shop — Nashville, TN Amen-Ra’s Bookstore and Gallery — Tallahassee, FL Arawak Books — Hyattsville, MD Ascension Books — Columbia, MD Asiatic the Soul of Black Folks — Toronto, ON Atlantic Bookpost — Reston, VA B.T.S. Unlimited Books — Detroit, MI Baruti-Ba Books — Dayton, OH Basic Black Books — Philadelphia, PA Bishari Urban Books, Phoenix Crossing Shopping Center — ayetteville, NC Black Book Discounters — Houston, TX Black Books Galore, Inc. — Stamford, CT Black By Popular Demand — Hyattsville, MD Black Classics Books & Gifts — Mobile, AL Black Images Book Bazaar — Dallas, TX Black Mind Book Boutique — Brooklyn, NY Black Orchid Books — Maiden, MA Black Spring Books — Vallejo, CA Black Swan Books & Coffee — Kohler, WI Blacknificent Books & More — Raleigh, NC Blackprint Heritage Gallery — New Haven, CT Book House Cafe & Gifts — Benton Harbor, MI Books and Beignets Bookstore — Ridgeland, MS Books In Color — North Highlands, CA Books in the Black — Columbia, SC Books 'n Things, Cross Keys Plaza — Wichita, KS Books-In-The-Hood — Bronx, NY Bright Lights Children’s Bookstore — Inglewood, CA Brighter Day Books & Gifts — Cincinnati, OH Brother’s Books — Seattle, WA Carol’s Essentials Ethnic Gifts and Books — Seattle, WA Carol's Books & Things — Sacramento, CA Celebrate — Peachtree City, GA Creative Impressions — Newark, NJ Crescent Office Store — East Orange, NJ Cultural Bookstore — Chicago, IL Cultural Collections — Brockton, MA Cultural Expression — Newport News, VA Cultural Expressions Bookstore — Clarksville, TN CushCity — Houston, TX D & J Book Distributors — Laurelton, NY Da Book Joint — Chicago, IL DARE Books & Educational Supplies — Brooklyn, NY DeesBookNook Distributors — So. Richmond Hills, NY Deja Vu Book Lounge — New York, NY Dorothea’s African-American Books and Gifts — Columbia, SC Drum and Spear Books — Washington, DC Dygnyti Books — Hamden, CT Dynasty Bookstore, Eastland Mall — Charlotte, NC EDEN Books — Hartford, CT Education 2000+ Bookstore — Long Beach, CA Ethnic Elegance — Jacksonville, FL Ethnic Image Books & More — Nashville, TN Ethnic Notions Bookstore — Benicia, CA Exhale African American Books & Gifts — Sugar Land, TX Expansion Books — Huntsville, AL Faith To Faith Books — Minneapolis, MN Forewords Books & Gifts, Located in Originations Gallery — Ann Arbor, MI Freedom Now Bookstore — Decatur, GA Gateway Bookstore — Jacksonville, FL Gene’s Books — King of Prussia, PA Global Greetings International Gift Gallery — Lafayette, IN Haneef’s Bookstore and Mosi Art Gallery — Wilmington, DE Hanna's Ethnic Bookseller — Claremont, CA Heritage Bookstore and More — Rancho Cucamonga, CA Heritage House — Charlotte, NC Hue-Man Bookstore & Cafe — New York, NY Imagine This! Books Etc. — Memphis, TN Imagine This! Books Etc. — Memphis, TN Imoya Treasures, Inc — Rahway, NJ IronWood Corner — Pasadena, CA Jamaicaway Books & Gifts — Boston, MA Jokae's African-American Books — Dallas, TX Kana CDs & Books — Columbus, OH Karibu Books (6 Locations) — Hyattsville, MD King Solomon's Children's Enterprise — Winston-Salem, NC Know Thyself, Bookstore and Cultural Development Center — Philadelphia, PA Kongo Square Gallery — Los Angeles, CA Kujichagulia Book Store — Paterson, NJ LaCeter’s Book Service — Southfield, MI Liberation Bookstore — New York, NY Ligorius Bookstore Inc. — Philadelphia, PA Literary Sweets, Bookstore and Chocolate Shoppe — Columbia, SC Living Room Book & Pastry — Greensboro, NC Lodestar Books — Birmingham, AL Love Christian Book Store — Orlando, FL Magnolia Tree Books — Laurel, MS Mahogany Books — Detroit, MI Mahogany Books & Cafe — West Palm Beach, FL Mahogany Books & Gifts — Fairfield, AL MasterWorks Books — Adelphi, MD Matais Books Cards & Art — Long Beach, CA Mind & Soul Bookstore, Inc. — Trenton, NJ MochaReaders — Dayton, OH Montsho BookFairs, Etc., Inc. — Orlando, FL Mt. Zion Kid’s Village, Little Angels Children’s Bookstore — Jonesboro, GA Mutana Afrikan Warehouse — Atlanta, GA Nefertiti’s Books and Gifts — Jacksonville, FL Netu Khisa Books and Gifts — South Orange, NJ Nimde Books — Louisville, KY Not Just a Bookstore — St. Louis, MO Nu World of Books — Beaumont, TX Off The Shelf African American Books — Columbia, SC One Force Books — Richmond, VA Our Black Heritage — New York, NY Out of Africa, Windsor Park Mall — San Antonio, TX Paperback Connection — Oklahoma City, OK Paradise Book Store — Peoria, AZ Peek-A-Boo Books II, Wheaton Mall — Wheaton, MD People’s Books & Gifts — Springfield, OH Phenix Information Center — San Bernardino, CA PowerHouse Books — Hopkins, SC Precious Memories Reading and Collectibles — Richmond, VA Rainbow Books & Blooms — Yorktown Heights, NY Reading Room Bookstore — Chicago, IL Roots & Wings: A Cultural Bookplace — Montgomery, AL Sacred Thoughts Bookstore — Jersey City, NJ Sensational Minds — Savannah, GA Sepia, Sand, & Sable — Baltimore, MD Serengeti Plains — Montclair, NJ Shades of Sienna — Oakland, CA Shrine of the Black Madonna — Houston, TX Sibayne — Baltimore, MD Sidewalk University — Memphis, TN Sisterspace and Books — Washington, DC Smiley's, The Mecca of Information — Carson, CA Soul Source Bookstore — Atlanta, GA Special Occasions — Winston-Salem, NC Spirits Embodied — Pittsburgh, PA Stouffville Book Connection Inc — Stouffville, ON Sweet Spirit Bookstore & Gift Shop — Oklahoma City, OK TDIR Books — Columbia, SC Tenaj Books & Gift Gallery — Orlando, FL Tenaj Books & Gift Gallery — Fort Pierce, FL The African Book Shelf — Cleveland, OH The Black Bookworm — Fort Worth, TX The Black Bookworm — Fort Worth, TX The Black Library — Boston, MA The Book House Café, LGBT Books — Oakland, CA The Book Lovers Lounge — Lauderdale Lakes, FL The Book Suite — Columbus, OH The Crowning Seat of Wisdom, Inc. — Madison, GA The Cultural Connection Bookstore — Milwaukee, WI The Epicenter Bookshop-UIC — Chicago, IL The Heritage Center — Vicksburg, MS The Know Bookstore — Durham, NC The Living Word Bookstore — Chicago, IL The Presence of Africans In the Bible Book Center — Minneapolis, MN The Reading Room Bookstore — Atlanta, GA The Roots Book Store, Inside of Tapers Hair Care — Baton Rouge, LA The Tree of Life Bookstore of Harlem — Atlanta, GA Timbuktu — Cleveland, OH Timbuktu Bookstore — Norfolk, VA TLJ Bookstore - Prince George's Plaza — Hyattsville, MD TLJ Bookstore - Security Square Mall — Windsor Mill, MD TLJ Bookstore - The Centre at Forestville — Forestville, MD Too-No Books Etc. — Moss Point, MS Treasures of the Mind Bookstore — St. Louis, MO Tricia’s Books N’ Things — Houston, TX True South Bookstore — Brooklyn, NY Truth Boutique & Bookstore, Eastland Mall #823 — Harper Woods, MI Tunde Dada House of Africa — Orange, NJ Tunde Dada House of Africa, Green Acres Mall — Valley Stream, NY Tunde Dada House of Africa, Woodbridge Mall — Woodbridge, NJ Two Friends Bookstore — Atlanta, GA Uhuru Books — Saint Paul, MN Uhuru Books — Minneapolis, MN Ujamaa Maktaba — St. Louis, MO Under One Roof Afrikan American Bookstore — Killeen, TX Underground Railroad Reading Station Bookstore & Giftshop — Detroit, MI Urban Books On Wheels — Pleasantville, NJ W&W African American Art, Specializing in Books & Gift Items, Etc. — Fayetteville, NC X-pression Bookstore & Gallery — Indianapolis, IN Yawa Books — Washington, DC Yehudah Inc. — Teaneck, NJ Yoruba Book Center — Brooklyn, NY Zambezi Bazaar — Los Angeles, CA Zawadi Gift Shop — Brooklyn, NY Zoe Christian Bookstore — New York, NY

Chris you are bringing back memories and things that I have not thought about in years. But in my neck of the woods, in the 70's, the light skinned, straight haired, slim, dudes (think El Debarge) were definitely in. Cynique I suspe3ct this was true in your era as well. I think around the time of Jordan rise to prominence and gansta rap the ladies seemed to begin preferring the more thuggish dudes. You know the bald headed, more muscular, browner complexioned Brothers. You know the kinda negro that would make a white woman cross the street or the one likely to get stopped and frisked (think Suge Knight). I remember even in my college days women saying they want a "little thug" in their men. Men began wearing Timberlands rather than dress shoes, jeans took over for slacks, tattoos exploded and brother strove to be "ruffnecks." Of course education and literacy was replaced by "street smarts." Needless to say the thuggish behavior was glorified in our popular music.... you all know the story. I have to say the video off all those Black people running over each other to buy a pair of expensive sneakers was sad and even distressing. My God! It is one thing to conform to style but a completely different thing for adults to rip the door off a store for some sneakers. You can blame the people, but culturally this is our making. Chris when tobacco companies created a product that was highly addictive and lethal. They sold it by creating an illusion of being cool. So while they were killing people they were making billions. What they did was wrong. Sure we can blame the people who purchased the cigarettes, but that would be ignoring the addictive nature of the product and the powerful psychological assault (advertising) that when into getting people to buy the product. This is no different that the behavior of a drug dealer. When I was younger doing drugs was what cool people did. But you could be addicted to Heroin and still hold down a job. Then this new version heroin came along, followed by crack that was more potent, more addictive and offered a shorter high and once you got hooked it it was a wrap--your life was over and belonged to the drug dealer. Hookers in my neighborhood were tuning tricks for pocket change! The drug dealers became rich but left a neighborhoods in shambles. Even if you did not do drugs you were effected by the crime and the destruction of families and neighborhoods. This was wrong too. Ultimately, like drug dealers, corporations have to assume some responsibility and be punished for their actions. Financial gain can not be one's sole motivation. This is America's problem.

Gabrielle David, Publisher of 2Leaf Press, Announces Seven New Titles for Spring 2014 2Leaf Press Publishes Fresh New Faces and Exciting New Books in April 2014 During National Poetry Month New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2014 -- Gabrielle David is pleased to announce the publication of 2Leaf Press titles during National Poetry Month in April 2014. Featured poets include Abiodun Oyewole, Samuel Diaz Carrion, J.L. Torres, with bilingual editions by Odi Gonzales and Ana Rossetti. Rounding out the poetry collections is Lisa Sánchez González’ long-awaited bilingual edition, PUERTO RICAN FOLKTALES/CUENTOS FOLCLÓRICOS PUERTORRIQUEÑOS, the first offering in nearly 50 years of traditional Puerto Rican folktales and legends presented in book form. 2Leaf Press Fall 2013 releases will be available as eBooks this April as well, with books by Brandi Dawn Henderson, A. Robert Lee, Not4Prophet and Sean Frederick Forbes. Readers and reviewers are encouraged to download 2Leaf Press’ first book catalog to find out more information, and get a “sneak peak” at our Fall 2014 lineup. 2Leaf Press catalogs are available online at ISSUU.COM Says David, “We’re very excited about our first Spring releases and releasing our Fall 2013 print books as eBooks. In a sense, we’re also celebrating our first two years of survival. What started out as a few writers has blossomed into a press that many people want to be affiliated with. In fact, by the end of the year, we will have published 22 books. Along the way, we’re developing a reputation of publishing high quality books and giving writers the attention they need to grow and develop their craft. By the same token, as we continue to organically build our audience, like most small presses we struggle with money and marketing. But on the upside, we have a small group of dedicated folks who donate their time and energy developing 2Leaf Press because they believe in our mission and, they are passionate about the written word. In that regard, we are truly blessed.” 2Leaf Press’ Spring titles will become available around April 15 and available for sale online at Amazon.com and other online outlets. Books are distributed through Ingram and 2LP Distribution Direct. All 2Leaf Press authors are available for readings and interviews, and reviewers are encouraged to request 2Leaf Press digital review copies at bookreviewer@2leafpress.org. According to David, “Small presses play an important role as an alternative to the big publishing houses because we’re willing to take on authors that are often overlooked in the mainstream market. 2Leaf Press’ niche is to publish offbeat, innovative multicultural writers who produce high quality work. We’re also building a reputation for publishing translations, and a willingness to reissue out-of-print books. This super-charged Spring schedule is just one of many exciting options for readers as we continue to promote our backlist as well as our forthcoming books for Fall 2014. We're having a great time publishing some really exciting writers.” About 2Leaf Press Launched in 2012 with a vision of publishing extraordinary culturally diverse writers, 2Leaf Press is an imprint of The Intercultural Alliance of Artists & Scholars, Inc. (IAAS), a NY-based nonprofit organization that promotes multicultural literature and literacy. Its founding was made possible with funding by a group of poets, writers, scholars, artists and activists, with profits ploughed back into future publishing. To learn more about a “small press with big ideas,” visit 2Leaf Press online at http://www.2leafpress.org. For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/gabrielle-david-publisher-of-2leaf-press-announces-seven-new-titles-for-spring-2014-481479.htm Press Release Contact: Gabrielle David Publisher 2Leaf Press 646-801-4227 gdavid@2leafpress.org http://2leafpress.org/online/

Interesting interview Hickson thanks for sharing it here. Please post a link where the book may be purchased.

Converse's All Stars, or "Cons," as well called them came after the PF Flyers they were popular my my hood as well. I've actually never owned a pair, but they were popular. While they have waned in popularity over the years I'm not sure people ever stopped wearing Cons. http://aalbc.com/tc/index.php?/topic/2602-skippies-bo-bos-and-rejects/. Hopefully Chris can chime in with the economics of the sneaker industry.

Cynique, Converse's All Stars, or "Cons," as well called them came after the PF Flyers. Cons were popular in my hood as well. I've actually never owned a pair, but they were very popular. While Cons have waned in popularity over the years I'm not sure people ever stopped wearing Cons. I've heard the term "Bo-Bo" before but we never used it. Our analogous term for no-name brand sneakers was "Skippies" or "Rejects." There was a rhyme we use to tease people when they were busted rockin' a pair of skippies; Skippies, the make your feet fine, Skippies, they cost a dollar ninety-nine. I don't recall they rest of the lines. Fortunately I never had the misfortune of having to actually don a pair of Skippies--or worse having to wear a pair of worn out Skippies! In hindsight, we were pretty insensitive and cruel to people less fortunate. None of us were rich, but some of wore Skippies with holes in them and others could afford to get a new pair of Cons every September for school. It is not surprising the desire to have some nice sneakers led some to stealing shoes off some kid's feet while they are wearing them. March 14, 1990 Issue Chris a quote from the article supports , "With their million-dollar advertising campaigns, superstar spokesmen, over-designed, high-priced products, aimed at impressionable young people they are creating status out of thin air for those starving for self-esteem." But even deeper is the bit about the sales rep encouraging a retailer to "hook up" the drug dealers to help introduce the product to the community! Now that I think about it there was a period when stepping one someones shoes--even accidentally--could lead to a fight. I believe people have been killed over stepping on the wrong person's sneakers. Apparently this type of thing still happens. Today, I guess, no one would bat an eye at paying $150 for a pair of sneakers for a child. I can't even bring myself to buy spend that much on myself. When I do buy sneakers it is at an outlet store--last year's model is fine for me 'cause be wearing the shoes for years.

I agree with Chris, I'm not even sure why people care -- plus what I've seen so far is not very funny. Nick Cannon is mixed in here with someone else trying to get views on Youtube You can see Nick's actual photos on Instagram (a facebook property) http://instagram.com/nickcannon

Please start a new thread or carry it over to your site it it is on sneakers (provide a link). Of I KNOW about the Jews who sold sneakers and clothing to poor Black kids -- TRUST me. I did not know they had a lock on merchandise though, but it does not surprise me. I just wish all the right wingers who complain about what Black businesses do not do would factor this in and I wish left wingers would actually do something about these things. It was a big deal "back in the day" to go to Delancy Street (NY Cities predominately Jewish lower east side) and buy clothing from the Jewish business owners there. They were in East Harlem too of course, but "D Street" was the Mecca (is that a bad analogy). I remember once paying $40 for a cheap (I realize now) leather coat. No prices were labelled you bargained for everything. I literally spend all my money and had to beat the fair (35 cents) to get back home. Of course we boasted about how we were able to "Jew-them-down" on the price not realizing we were the ones being beat each time. Whenever I hear Richard Pryor tell that joke when he says, "I tried to warn 'im: 'Boy, don't you go down there fuckin' with those Jews without no money!'" it makes me smile. For from his day, to mine, to now it is still the truth. Of course, I agree we make a conscious decision not to support each other, because we value what is not Black. I don't care if it is a school, a neighborhood, a business or even a publication. We do not feel validated unless a white entity does it. It changed in the 60's because we were now legally allowed to integrate. Look I'm all for integration. The only problem I have is when we are treated, by other Black folks, as less valuable than those in the majority. Of course this leads to a self-fulling prophesy as whatever is Black, suffering from lack of support, does indeed become less valuable. By the way, I've been known to get a manicure and pedicure from time to time. You just won't see me in orange shoes, sporting earrings or those tight jeans

"...Scandal and I wear my colorful Cole Haan shoes" LOL! Hey man I'm a New Yorker, I'm accustomed to you "metrosexuals" Seriously, while I know a lot of people derive a great deal of pleasure from a fine suit, or a nice pair of heals or I can't help but feel like we are being victimized--our vanity stoked then used against us. I remember the transition of things like sneakers and jeans from utility garments to fashion statements. The only ones benefiting, were those selling the products. When we were kids we used to "snap" (tease) the kids that wore the no-name-brand sneakers. You had to have Keds or PK Flyers, otherwise everyone knew you were a sucker (very uncool, lame) or your family was too poor to be able to afford the extra $5 a pair of Keds may have cost. Within the next 10 years a pair of "the right sneakers" sneakers when up in price by a factor of 10. PF Flyers were out. A pair of suede Clydes were in, to be quickly replaced by the $100+ Air Jordans. It was not uncommon, back then, for a kid to get their sneakers stolen right off of their feet! We used to laugh at each other back then when it happened. It just dawned on me why... and it is so sad. But I digress, what does this have to do with Jewish men scooping the Sistas? Hey wait... I bet Jewish boys never stole expensive sneaks from each other. I bet they never made fun of those who could score a par of Nike or Addias, or wasted limited resources paying for them. I guess they were too busy learning what it meant to be a man and studying their religion and culture. PF Flyers the Bob Cousy joints. I see the ultra-throwbacks are now a fashion statement-they used to be inexpensive footwear.

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This THIS the real reason we should give a crap of what is happening in Russia and Ukraine. It is interesting Obama says this US does not feel the need to invade foreign countries like Russia, that is deep.