Troy

It took 2 seconds to find this on Google's Youtube. Now if I was looking for something more positive I'd need a flashlight an a search team: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIUpvtIqgKw Now Google gets bent out of shape with an excerpt from one of Hickson's novels and stops me from serving advertising, but Black people acting crazy 100,000 views a week. Sadly Harry there are countless videos on youtube depicting violent behavior by Black children...

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lissa Woodson or Raine Bradley Tel: 281-214-3787 lissa@browngirlspublishing.com raine@browngirlspublishing.com NATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHORS LAUNCH A MEGA-POWERHOUSE COMPANY THAT WILL TAKE THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY BY STORM Fresno, Texas—February 3, 2014—Brown Girls Publishing, the brainchild of Simon & Schuster’s national bestselling authors, Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley, launched their new boutique publishing outfit on February 3, 2014. Brown Girls Publishing will focus primarily on digital content, while still providing printed books and other outlets. The founders, aptly named, the publishing industry’s “dynamic duo,” have more than two million books in print between them. This new endeavor is something near and dear to their hearts—helping to build the next generation of writers, while at the same time, spotlighting some fan favorites such as national bestselling authors: Naleighna Kai and Dwayne Joseph, both former Simon & Schuster authors who have the first titles releasing with Brown Girls Publishing. Kai’s Open Door Marriage, a provocative novel that plumbs the depths of an impossible love triangle, and Joseph’s mystery thriller, In Strict Confidence, are sure to blaze up the industry trails and set the stage for even more success to come. Fans and media alike will recognize names on their roster: media darling and Tom Joyner Morning Show producer, Nikki Woods, bestselling authors, Virginia DeBerry, Nina Foxx, and a host of debut and seasoned authors from different ethnic backgrounds who write in a variety of genres. Victoria, a former successful entrepreneur, also holds an MBA from New York University. ReShonda is a former Television journalist and marketing professional with over 20 years of experience. In addition to their successful solo careers, they combined their respective talents in a highly popular series, which not only gives them an edge on choosing quality works to present to the reading public, but also the marketing and promotion savvy to create and produce the type of work that hits the national bestsellers lists. Contact Lissa Woodson at 281-214-3787 or lissa@browngirlspublishing.com for Brown Girls Publishing media kits or interview requests. Visit Brown Girls Publishing on the web at www.browngirlspublishing. # # #

Join the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Celebration of International Women’s History Month Saturday, March 8, 2014, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Enoch Pratt Free Library 400 Cathedral St. Baltimore MD 21201 410-396-5494 Misty Copeland – Life In Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina (Touchstone; March 4, 2014) Deborah Johnson – The Secret of Magic (Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam; January 21, 2014) Sujata Massey – The Sleeping Dictionary (Gallery Books; August 20, 2013) Lauren Francis-Sharma – ‘Til The Well Runs Dry (Henry Holt and Co.; April 22, 2014)

An Evening with Poets Honoring the Lives of Poets Jayne Cortez & Amiri Baraka - Hosted by Rashidah Ismaili and Walter Mosley - Check the line up! Sandra Esteves ● Linton Kwesi Johnson ● Felipe Luciano ● Haki Madhubuti ● Arthur Pfister ● Sonia Sanchez ● Askia Toure ● Quincy Troupe ● Ted Wilson ● Marvin X

Our January eNewsletter is out: http://aalbc.it/booksjan2014 full of information on books, authors, film, events, articles & more.

I actually stumbled across this on Facebook. One of the things I used to enjoy about this discussion forum, when there was more participation was having my opinions challenged or challenging those of others. Actually it is not a matter of having more people, but having the right people. Not everyone can have their opinions or world views challenged without getting bend out of shape and taking it personally. The problem with Facebook is that it strokes the ego and fosters a false sense of self-worth. Also what appears on your wall is designed to display what Facebook believes you will want to see. As a result, diversity of opinion is loss and the site becomes one big echo chamber of the same ideas. There isn't even a dislike button. Having your casual musings reinforced, with a click of a like button, is very addictive, having it done scores of times is an opiate. I remember the first year my birthday came after joining Facebook, scores of people wished me happy birthday. I was quite pleased and happy about it. I thanked everyone individually for being so thoughtful. By the second year it was several hundred folks, by then I noticed Facebook prompts you to wish folks a happen birthday. Again, it is still a nice gesture, but requires no more effort than clicking the like button. By the 3rd year, it was well over a thousand happy birthdays and Facebook now prompts you to buy gift for folks with the convenient advertisement, for flowers or gift cards. I've never received a gift, but at this point I've removed my birthday date, so any one who wishes me a happy birthday is someone that actually remembers it. I'd rather get one sincere birthday than 1,000 provided by a Facebook prompt.

Walking down 125th Street in Harlem I ran into "ALL CAPS" Hickson

Book Reviewing, African-American Style by Wanda Coleman. This article appeared in the 9/16/02 edition of The Nation. Read this for a historical perspective on the Black book scene. You'll discover we have not come very far. If you ask me we have regressed since then. What do you think?

Kam interviewed Alice Walker last week. I think this is one of his more interesting interviews. I was rather struck by Alice's response to his question about her estrangement with her daughter. Her answer caught me, as a father of two girls as somewhat too accepting, maybe a tad bit cold. But hey if you get anything from the interview it is that Alice does and say what she wants. Of course I was with her on her opinion of Obama, not so much as an personal thing against Obama, but just the realization that, as Alice puts it, "I think I’ve actually returned to a kind of realism about how the world works. That’s helpful. Because in a way, no matter who’s in charge of the corporation that the United States is, the direction in which it is taken seems to be inexorable. So, you just get the job of being the front man for four or eight years. Now, most people realize that’s what you are."

Oh yeah if you don't want to register for a Scientific American account, or are unable to as I was, you can read or download the full article from Goolge who make a pdf of the article available here

Richard just send me troy@aalbc.com) a link to the article you want deleted troy@aalbc.com . The system is setup to allow authors to delete articles, I'm not sure why this is not working. If I had hundreds of active participants I would sort it out, but right now it is just easier for me to delete the errant posts. I have to look up email alerts. It is not a feature I really take advantage of. You caught me at a really busy time too. So I apologize for the delayed and in this case not very helpful response.

Hi Richard I ran a search using your comment The statistics say Google+ is overtaking facebook there were a bunch of articles, all saying the same thing. After skimming a few of them one referenced a source, this article: A bunch of other sites are referencing an article using this graph saying Google+ will take over Facebook by 2016. However during this search I stumbled across an article: Long Live the Web: A Call for Continued Open Standards and Neutrality The Web is critical not merely to the digital revolution but to our continued prosperity—and even our liberty. Like democracy itself, it needs defending By Tim Berners-Lee Sir Tim Berners-Lee, invented the world wide web by in 1990 starting with a web site and a browser on the same computer. His article resonated deeply. I've been active on the web for 20 years and what is cautions is happening and is a serious problem. Tim's article is worth reading.

Publishing expert, Valerie J. Lewis Coleman, presents an informative and entertaining workshop that will motivate you to start or complete your writing project! Saturday, March 22, 2014 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM Community Room at Audio, Etc. 551 Congress Park Drive Dayton, Ohio 45459 Your investment includes Continental breakfast and lunch Self-Publishing Made Easy Passionate Writing Journal Writing exercises Volumes of information about the publishing business Click here to register! Space is limited, so serious writers only. All for just $67! through March 15, then $87 thereafter. Walk-up registrations welcome; however, we do not guarantee that conference materials and meals will be available. Comments from Self-Publishing Made Easy attendees... "One of the best sessions that I attended was by Valerie J. Lewis Coleman who is an author, editor and publisher. Valerie's session, Self-Publishing Made Easy Cash Machine, was fast paced and delved into many of the aspects of self-publishing. Valerie was funny, informative and a 'trial by fire' expert in the area of self-publishing." ~ Jackie Harper of Free is My Life "I'm motivated to finish my book!" "The presenters were great, funny and lively!" "I expected a miracle and got one!" "Thank you! I now have an outline, a working title, a pen name and a publisher, editor and publicist for my second book!" "The Write On! Workshop changed my life!" "Great conference. Excellent, knowledgeable speaker, lots of content!" "Great menu and hospitality!" "The speakers provided an enormous reality check as they unwrapped the pretty package of publishing!" "The book stand was a unique and inspirational touch!" "I'm coming back for the next one!" Click here to register! The day starts with registration and continental breakfast at 8:30 AM. Promptly at 9:00 AM, we’re going to delve into the mechanics of writing. Bring your manuscript, ideas and an open mind to create, expand and modify concepts for your book. A glimpse at the sessions is noted below: Writing 101 So you have a book in you that you want to share with the world. How do you put pen to paper to develop an award-winning manuscript? You will learn how to organize your thoughts and write from an editor's perspective. Avoid the top eleven writing mistakes made by new writers. Understand techniques to engage your readers and keep them wanting more. Follow these easy steps to make your book a national treasure. What Are My Publishing Options? With polished manuscript in-hand, what's next? Self-publish? Vanity press? Print-on-Demand? Obtain clear and concise instructions on how to establish your publishing company. Get the inside scoop on the four must-have components of a quality cover. Determine the best price for your book. Master self-publishing to make money!

The Power List, the quarterly compilation of best-selling books written or read by African Americans, released its winter 2014 list today. The Power List is a joint project of AALBC.com, Cushcity.com and Mosaicbooks.com, three Web sites which have promoted African-American literature for more than fifteen years. Read the press release.

Harry you don't want to talk to any teachers. Anecdotally, most kids do not live with their biological fathers, many don't even know him. This is not to say that these kids don;t have a man in the home, the guy just does not happen to be the father. The day of the married mother and father living with the children born of that union is a thing of the past. I'm not confident it is possible to go back to those days. So many people, have lived for generations, doing something completely different the concept of the traditional family unit is an anachronism, or something squares do. It is too bad cause society is still optimized for the traditional model, so life is just a little bit harder when you don;t conform..

Funny thing about the Grammys I have less than zero interest in watching the broadcast. I used to watch it to discover new music, but now even the potential to find some new good music is not even worth the effort sitting through the broadcast. I spend the evening updating the Power List database with the new best-selling titles. There was a time the Gammys would to interest me. Sometimes, it was just the opportunity for me to see a Black artist I would rarely see on TV. I remember feeling good to see rap artist being recognized for the first time... The folks at Jet send me some publicity . Honestly, I did not know who Kendrick was, but figured since Jet is pumping him he must be someone popular. The promotional copy indicated he was up for a Grammy. I got my youngest to give me the run down on Kendrick, she played some music, I had previously hear some of it but would never have tied it to his name. My daughter said she liked his music and thought he would probably win a Grammy. She performed at her school recently, word is that is is a nice young man -- even worked out with the student in the gym. I hope the issue did well for Jet. Though an article one Kendrick does not interest me at all ether.

2014 Grammys Recap by Kam Williams A Royal Night to Remember! From Queen B’s Wardrobe Malfunction to Queen Latifah’s Mass Wedding Although the Grammys were dominated by the French robot duo Daft Punk, rapper/producer team Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and New Zealand teen singing sensation Lorde, their wins were easily upstaged by memorable appearances by two black queens, namely, Queen B and Queen Latifah. For, the night to remember’s highlights featured a wardrobe malfunction during Beyoncé’s performance of “Drunk in Love” and Reverend Latifah’s officiating the wedding of 33 couples (with the power vested in her by the State of California) following Macklemore’s spirited rendition of the gay anthem “Same Love.” Did anybody think about Nas’ pronouncement that “Hip-hop is dead!” on a night when the genre’s artists netting the most accolades were no longer black gangsta rappers but white gay rights advocates preaching tolerance of sexual preferences? Talk about jumping the shark! The only other jaw-dropper was the sight of Pharrell in that oversized, Canadian Mountie hat. Complete List of 2014 Grammy Winners Record of the Year “Get Lucky,” Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers Album of the Year “Random Access Memories,” Daft Punk Song of the Year Joel Little and Ella Yelich-O’Connor (“Royals,” Lorde) New Artist Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Pop Solo Performance “Royals,” Lorde Pop Performance, Duo or Group “Get Lucky,” Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers Pop Instrumental Album “Steppin’ Out,” Herb Alpert Pop Vocal Album “Unorthodox Jukebox,” Bruno Mars Dance Recording “Clarity,” Zedd and Foxes Dance/Electronica Album “Random Access Memories,” Daft Punk Traditional Pop Vocal Album “To Be Loved,” Michael Bublé Rock Performance “Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons Metal Performance “God Is Dead?,” Black Sabbath Rock Song Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear (“Cut Me Some Slack,” Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear) Rock Album “Celebration Day,” Led Zeppelin Alternative Music Album “Modern Vampires of the City,” Vampire Weekend R&B Performance “Something,” Snarky Puppy and Lalah Hathaway Traditional R&B Performance “Please Come Home,” Gary Clark Jr. R&B Song James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley and Justin Timberlake (“Pusher Love Girl,” Justin Timberlake) R&B Album “Girl on Fire,” Alicia Keys Rap Performance “Thrift Shop,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Wanz Rap/Sung Collaboration “Holy Grail,” Jay Z and Justin Timberlake Rap Song Ben Haggerty and Ryan Lewis (“Thrift Shop,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Wanz) Rap Album “The Heist,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Urban Contemporary Album “Unapologetic,” Rihanna Country Solo Performance “Wagon Wheel,” Darius Rucker Country Performance, Duo or Group “From This Valley,” the Civil Wars Country Song Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves and Josh Osborne (“Merry Go ’Round,” Kacey Musgraves) Country Album “Same Trailer Different Park,” Kacey Musgraves New Age Album “Love’s River,” Laura Sullivan Improvised Jazz Solo “Orbits,” Wayne Shorter Jazz Vocal Album “Liquid Spirit,” Gregory Porter Jazz Instrumental Album “Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue,” Terri Lyne Carrington Large Jazz Ensemble Album “Night in Calisia,” Randy Brecker, Wlodek Pawlik Trio and Kalisz Philharmonic Latin Jazz Album “Song for Maura,” Paquito D’Rivera and Trio Corrente Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance “Break Every Chain (Live),” Tasha Cobbs Gospel Song Tye Tribbett (“If He Did It Before ... Same God (Live),” Tye Tribbett) Contemporary Christian Music Song David Garcia, Ben Glover and Christopher Stevens (“Overcomer,” Mandisa) Gospel Album “Greater Than (Live),” Tye Tribbett Contemporary Christian Music Album “Overcomer,” Mandisa Latin Pop Album “Vida,” Draco Rosa Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album “Treinta Días,” la Santa Cecilia Regional Mexican or Tejano Album “A Mi Manera,” Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea Tropical Latin Album “Pacific Mambo Orchestra,” Pacific Mambo Orchestra American Roots Song Edie Brickell and Steve Martin (“Love Has Come for You,” Steve Martin and Edie Brickell) Americana Album “Old Yellow Moon,” Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell Bluegrass Album “The Streets of Baltimore,” Del McCoury Band Blues Album “Get Up!,” Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite Folk Album “My Favorite Picture of You,” Guy Clark Regional Roots Music Album “Dockside Sessions,” Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience Reggae Album “Ziggy Marley in Concert,” Ziggy Marley World Music Album “Savor Flamenco,” Gipsy Kings “Live: Singing for Peace Around the World,” Ladysmith Black Mambazo (tie) Children’s Album “Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well,” Jennifer Gasoi Spoken Word Album “America Again: Re-Becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t,” Stephen Colbert Comedy Album “Calm Down Gurrl,” Kathy Griffin Musical Theater Album “Kinky Boots,” Billy Porter and Stark Sands, artists; Sammy James Jr., Cyndi Lauper, Stephen Oremus and William Wittman, producers; Cyndi Lauper, composer/lyricist Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media “Sound City: Real to Reel,” Butch Vig, compilation producer Score Soundtrack for Visual Media “Skyfall,” Thomas Newman, composer Song Written for Visual Media Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth, “Skyfall,” from “Skyfall” (Adele) Instrumental Composition “Pensamientos for Solo Alto Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra,” Clare Fischer (the Clare Fischer Orchestra) Instrumental Arrangement “On Green Dolphin Street,” Gordon Goodwin (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band) Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) “Swing Low,” Gil Goldstein (Bobby McFerrin and Esperanza Spalding) Producer of the Year, Nonclassical Pharrell Williams Producer of the Year, Classical David Frost Remixed Recording, Nonclassical “Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix),” Cedric Gervais, remixer Orchestral Performance “Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 4,” Osmo Vänskä, conductor (Minnesota Orchestra) Opera Recording “Adès: The Tempest,” Thomas Adès, conductor; Simon Keenlyside, Isabel Leonard, Audrey Luna and Alan Oke; Jay David Saks, producer (the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; the Metropolitan Opera Chorus) Choral Performance “Pärt: Adam’s Lament,” Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor (Tui Hirv and Rainer Vilu, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Sinfonietta Riga and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Latvian Radio Choir and Vox Clamantis) Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance “Roomful of Teeth,” Brad Wells and Roomful of Teeth Classical Instrumental Solo “Corigliano: Conjurer — Concerto for Percussionist and String Orchestra,” Evelyn Glennie Classical Vocal Solo “Winter Morning Walks,” Dawn Upshaw (Maria Schneider; Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough and Scott Robinson; Australian Chamber Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra) Classical Compendium “Hindemith: Violinkonzert; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik,” Christoph Eschenbach, conductor Contemporary Classical Composition “Schneider, Maria: Winter Morning Walks,” Maria Schneider (Dawn Upshaw, Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough, Scott Robinson and Australian Chamber Orchestra) Music Video “Suit & Tie,” Justin Timberlake and Jay Z Music Film “Live Kisses,” Paul McCartney Recording Package “Long Night Moon,” Sarah Dodds and Shauna Dodds, art directors (Reckless Kelly) Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package “Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition),” Simon Earith and James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney and Wings) Album Notes “Afro Blue Impressions (Remastered & Expanded),” Neil Tesser (John Coltrane) Historical Album “Charlie Is My Darling — Ireland 1965,” Teri Landi, Andrew Loog Oldham & Steve Rosenthal, compilation producers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (the Rolling Stones) “The Complete Sussex and Columbia Albums,” Leo Sacks, compilation producer; Joseph M. Palmaccio, Tom Ruff and Mark Wilder, mastering engineers (Bill Withers) (tie) Engineered Album, Nonclassical “Random Access Memories,” Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta and Daniel Lerner, engineers; Antoine Chabert and Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Daft Punk) Surround Sound Album “Live Kisses,” Al Schmitt, surround mix engineer; Tommy LiPuma, surround producer (Paul McCartney) Best Engineered Album, Classical “Winter Morning Walks,” David Frost, Brian Losch and Tim Martyn, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Dawn Upshaw, Maria Schneider, Australian Chamber Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)

Kendrick Lamar Ushers in a New Audience for JET Magazine Hip-Hop’s new super star covers annual Black History issue FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CHICAGO, Ill. (January 24, 2013) — Award season is in full swing. In celebration of the new direction, JET magazine breaks with tradition to feature the young, talented and critically acclaimed rap artist Kendrick Lamar — who has seven Grammy nominations for his latest album Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City — on the cover for the Black History issue. “I always seen [JET magazine] every time I walked into the house,” said Lamar. “It was always there. So I already knew that it had to hold some type of weight. Being a young cat, I had to know, since this magazine is right here all the time, it must be a powerful magazine. So it’s a privilege just to be a part of it, and for Black History Month, it’s a beautiful thing.” The artist, renowned for delivering thought-provoking lyrics that center around social issues, shares the ways in which his passionate storytelling is impacting lives. In JET magazine’s exclusive interview, the hip-hop star reveals everything from his social responsibility to why the music industry needs more than good hooks and catchy tracks. “Hip-hop plays a huge part in Black history,” says Lamar. “It’s bigger than music. Entertainers are actually leading a generation today as role models, whether they want to or not.” Acknowledging that his fans are deeply influenced by what he says, Lamar also discusses being conscious of the messages he delivers in his music. “The songs aren’t for me,” he says. “They are for that person who needs to hear them. People who live their lives to this music. So I take it a little further than just coming up with a clever line.” Additionally, the rapper opens up about the array of Black men — including iconic figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and those closer to home, such as his father — who molded his character. “My earliest role model is my father, then my uncles Lil Man and Bobby,” Lamar shared. “These are the cats who I felt handled their business and took care of their family.” He also talks about how hip-hop’s business savvy moguls have chiseled his ambition. “People forget that Jay Z is from the projects – but that inspires me,” continued Lamar. “If this guy can go from the streets to the corporate world, that lets me know I’m open for anything.” Readers can read the article in its entirety and more in the February 17issue of JET magazine, on newsstands January 27. -###-

These kids, from Bed-Stuy and Brownsville, deliver a powerful protest about race relations in America. The children are introduced by Roxie Roker (Mrs. Willis from The Jefferson's. Lenny Kavitz's mom) On "Inside Bedford-Stuyvesant", Charles Hobson captured his neighborhood in black and white — local celebrities, activists, musicians, and regular residents all made appearances on the weekly show. The program ran for two years, and Hobson moved on to produce shows like "Black Journal" and "Like It Is". Described by Inside Bedford-Stuyvesant producer Charles Hobson as one of the program's "most-requested pieces", this video features the Leroi Jones Young Spirit House Movers and Players delivering a jaw-droppingly powerful spoken-word performance.

I was thinking about you yesterday Harry--missing the controversial posts. I saw this post on Twitter as soon as I saw the ALL CAPS I knew it was you. Agreed. Dennis friendship with the North Koren leader does not bother me in the least bit. All those cats hobnobbing with corporate criminals but dogging Dennis are hypocrites. They are probably jealous Kim is not hooking them up with lavish trips to North Korea. The US sent athletes to perform in front of Hitler for Christ's sake?!. Of course I could go on forever with our hypocracy. As far as I'm considered, Dennis' friendship with Kim Jong-Un is not even newsworthy. Now if Dennis gets into trouble over there he better understand he is probably ob his own... but he is a Brother in America and already accustomed to that.

Here are Kam WIlliam's annual list of the 100 Best Films of 2013 While 2013 may be remembered for black-themed films like 42, The Butler, Fruitvale Station and early Oscar favorite 12 Years a Slave, there were plenty of other excellent offerings released over the course of the year. The summer season alone featured a trio of outstanding horror flicks in The Conjuring, You’re Next and The Purge. And fright fans were even treated to a fascinating documentary deconstructing the making of Night of the Living Dead entitled Birth of the Living Dead. The profusion of cinematic treats once again made it impossible to limit my favorites to just the 10 best. So, as per usual, this critic’s annual list features 100 entries in order to honor as many deserving films as possible. 10 Best Big Budget Films 1. The Butler 2. Prisoners 3. 42 4. You’re Next 5. Gravity 6. The Purge 7. 12 Years a Slave 8. This Is the End 9. Inside Llewyn Davis 10. American Hustle Big Budgets Honorable Mention 11. The Heat 12. The Best Man Holiday 13. Philomena 14. Gangster Squad 15. Black Nativity 16. Fast & Furious 6 17. Jack the Giant Slayer 18. August: Osage County 19. Rush 20. The Great Gatsby 21. Olympus Has Fallen 22. Bullet to the Head 23. Saving Mr. Banks 24. Dead Man Down 25. The Conjuring 10 Best Foreign Films 1. The Hunt (Denmark) 2. Hannah Arendt (Germany) 3. Paradise: Love (Kenya) 4. Kon-Tiki (Norway) 5. Aliyah (Israel) 6. 2+2 (Argentina) 7. The Price of Sex (Bulgaria) 8. S#x Acts (Israel) 9. A Hijacking (Denmark) 10. The Broken Circle Breakdown (Germany) Foreign Films Honorable Mention 11. Three Worlds (France) 12. Sweet Dreams (Rwanda) 13. Hava Nagila (Israel) 14. Paradise: Faith (Austria) 15. The Grandmaster (China) 16. The Iran Job (Iran) 17. Pad Yatra: A Green Odyssey (Nepal) 18. War Witch (Congo) 19. Paradise: Hope (Austria) 20. Rising from Ashes (Rwanda) 21. The Act of Killing (Indonesia) 22. Reality (Italy) 23. The Pirogue (Senegal) 24. Garifuna in Peril (Honduras) 25. Israel: A Home Movie (Israel) 10 Best Independent Films 1. Fruitvale Station 2. The Kings of Summer 3. Nebraska 4. Mud 5. Drinking Buddies 6. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom 7. The Sapphires 8. I Used to Be Darker 9. The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete 10. Enough Said Independent Films Honorable Mention 11. In a World… 12. Short Term 12 13. All Is Lost 14. Go for Sisters 15. Touchy Feely 16. Shadow Dancer 17. Lucky Bastard 18. Big Words 19. King’s Faith 20. Four 21. A Teacher 22. The Happy Sad 23. Mother of George 24. I’m in Love with a Church Girl 25. Finding Happiness 10 Best Documentaries 1. Stories We Tell 2. Dear Mr. Watterson 3. Best Kept Secret 4. A Place at the Table 5. Muscle Shoals 6. Unmade in China 7. 20 Feet from Stardom 8. Schooled: The Price of College Sports 9. Evocateur: The Morton Downey, Jr. Movie 10.Linsanity Documentaries Honorable Mention 11.The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia 12.When Comedy Went to School 13.Venus & Serena 14. Liv & Ingmar 15.Call Me Kuchu 16.No Place on Earth 17.Red Obsession 18.Cutie & the Boxer 19.Inequality for All 20.Spark: A Burning Man Story 21.Bidder 70 22.Men at Lunch 23.Aroused 24.When I Walk 25.Herman’s House

VIEWS FROM LATINO AMERICA: NEW POLL MEASURES EXPERIENCES, AND ILLUMINATES DIFFERENCES, OF SIX LATINO GROUPS NPR News Series Begins Today, Based on Poll from NPR, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health Poll Identifies Diabetes as Top Health Concern January 21, 2014; Washington, D.C. – By 2040, Latinos are predicted to be the largest ethnic population in the United States. A new poll of the views and experiences of Latino Americans, released today from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health, shows that this community is actually several communities based on heritage and home country – and with viewpoints as varied as the group’s diversity. The poll parsed responses from six separate Latino groups, and also compared the experiences of Latinos born in the U.S. with immigrants. NPR News explores the findings of this poll in a series, Views from Latino America, beginning today. Pieces are being reported by Code Switch, the NPR team covering race, ethnicity and culture, along with reporters from the Science and National desks. Coverage will air all week on both Morning Edition and All Things Considered, with additional perspective at NPR’s Code Switch blog. Follow the conversations @nprcodeswitch and #LatinoViews. The poll surveyed the life and experiences of nearly 1500 Latino Americans. Results are focused on the entire group, as well as six distinct subgroups: those of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central American or South American heritage. The poll also examined the views of Latinos born in the United States and those born in other countries. NPR’s series will cover some of the most revealing aspects of the poll. All reports will be at NPR.org, where there are full poll results in both English and Spanish. Among the findings and reports: Personal Lives Self-identification: Karen Grigsby Bates, of Code Switch, unearths information about how Latinos self-identify – from political perspective to country of origin to racially. Respondents indicated a preference for Hispanic over Latino, although the vast majority (52%) indicated no preference. Language: The poll found that Puerto Ricans on the mainland are less likely to speak Spanish in the home (only 20%), compared to other subgroups. On the island, Spanish prevails. 78% of Puerto Ricans participated in the poll in English, more than all the other groups by a significant amount. Shereen Marisol Meraji reports on how this impacts they way they view themselves culturally. Economics: Cuban-Americans, who for decades have outpaced other subgroups economically, report greater concerns about their finances and unemployment in this poll. One reason appears to be their concentration in South Florida, which was especially hard-hit in the recession and collapse of the housing market, as Greg Allen reports. Sexuality: Jasmine Garsd, host of NPR Music’s Alt.Latino, explores differences in attitudes about sexuality between U.S.-born Latinos and their immigrant parents. In this poll, some 15% of immigrants declined to reveal their sexual orientation, compared with just one percent of U.S.-born Latinos. Healthcare Nearly one in five (19%) Latinos said diabetes is the biggest health problem facing their families. NPR’s Patti Neighmond looks at dietary changes once people immigrate – and how the overall diet of Latinos is less healthy in the U.S. that it is in their countries of origin. Quality of Life When asked to rate aspects of their communities, significant numbers of total Latinos give low ratings in several areas. Four in ten Latinos (40%) report that the quality of available housing in the area where they live is fair or poor. Over a third of all Latinos rate the public transportation system (36%), availability of recreational facilities for exercise and sports (36%), and safety from crime (34%) in their communities as fair or poor. Three in ten rate the cleanliness of the streets and maintenance of public areas as fair or poor (30%), and about one in four rate the availability of preventive services (27%) and the quality of emergency services, such as police, fire, and ambulance (23%), as fair or poor. The poll is part of an ongoing series of surveys conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health. -NPR-

Cynique there remains the very distinct possibility that the Black films were simply the best products this year. Now I would not put The Bulter out front, but I certainly enjoyed it more than I did Gravity, sure Gravity should win some technical awards but as an enjoyable film, 12 Years, Mandela, and 42 knocks Gravity out the park. Shoot I enjoyed the 2nd installment of the Star Trek reboot MUCH more than I did Gravity. I wouldn't even strongly recommend Gravity. I'm not sure recognizing Idris performance in the Mandela film, would require special treatment, to be nominated he deserves the recognition. But you are right there are only a handful of slots and many fine performances will not be recognized. And of course if our efforts are to be recognized we will have to do the recognizing. I'm sure the NAACP will not overlook the Mandela, Fruitvale, Mister & Pete and all the other terrific films, featuring Black characters, that came out this year. Maybe with a little recognition these film can generate additional revenue via DVD and on-demand viewers.

Facebook will continue to grow beyond the US and exert its control over the internet. Sure kids may flock over to sites like Snap Chat where there is a perception that your activity can't come back to bite you, while at the same time being too silly for any self-respecting adult to join. Meanwhile marketers are dreaming up ways to sell shit to shatchatters or whatever they are called.