Troy

Ok ABM, I'll conceed that there was no court trial (that I know of) which presented evidence and sworn testimony regarding the beat downs of Denise and on that basis are different. Again, I'm not saying Bill did not change his ways (we don't know). All I saying is that leaving the marriage to Denise and the abuse out of the documentary, given everything esle that was covered, was a mistake and very telling. Again, I saw Michael Jackson's this is it were there was EVIDENCE about his bad behavior with little biys. However I had NO problem with the film because it was a film about his final concernt, and it was positioned as such. Now if they do a documentary about his LIFE and leave out the problems with little boys I would have a problem with such a documenatry. I guess ABM, you would be happy with Jackson 5 video clips, huh?

Cynique, over the last few years your opiion regarding Obama has been consistent and time is showing accurate. As you know I just wanted a brother to get chance at the helm. Even in hindsight I still would not change my opinion. That said, it has become increasingly obvious that the president is beholden to the people who got him in the office. These people should not be confused with the Black folks of modest means (like myself) who contributed their pennies and cast their votes. Obama recieved a ton of money from Wall Street folks (more so than Hillary). So when we learn about a Wall Street bailout it should come as no surprise. Indeed, if we looked at the Wall Street people in high positions in governement it is really a case of the foxes watching the hen house. Liberals and most Black folks are too caught up in having a Black man in the white house to be concerned about the shit that is going down -- at our expense. bunnnie0203, I hear what you are saying, but I think the premise is flawed: True Obama came into a mess. However the idea that Obama's goal is to make it better for all American is untrue. His first priority, are the rich folks that got him in the office. If a few poor folks benefit as a result that is cool, but that is not the prioirty despite how Obama expresses it. Xeon, it does not matter what those rednecks think. They, like us, are disenfranshised, but are too distracted by their own racism to see this...

Ruth-Miriam Garnett I will share this poem on our Lucille Clifon page -- thanks!

I've been locked out of the discussion baords for about a week. I noticed that the window that displays the URL would show the IP address, instead of "aalbc.com". It was one of those things that I said I would get around to fixing when I got a chance (that get aroun to list is very long and is constantly reprioritized). I then noticed that google was indexing the site and showing the IP address which no one would recognize as AALBC.com. Well I decided that I should push fixing the ip address problem higher up in the queue of things to do. So I figured out how to get aalbc.com to persists in the address window, but that broke the connect via faecbook feature. Of course I did not notice the connection right away. Actually I ignored the problem for a few days, retrying preiodically, thinking it would just fix itself or just go away. It did not. I asked one of my real life buddies to try to connect to the site using his facebook account and he exprienced the same problem. Now the new problem is far worse than the orginal problem I was trying to fix! Well I fixed the facebook problem, and it just occurred to me this problem was an interesting metaphor for life in general. Seemingly unrelated things may actually be inextricably connectedProblems ususally don't go away by themselves, you can just ignore them moreYou can't always count on people pointing out something that is obviously wrong, unless you ask

At the end of the day. Obama has demonstrated that he is no different than the rest of 'em. However do you actually think he is worse than Dubya? Health care is ony dead because the gov't (actually we) is so far in the hole there is no money to pay for it. Indications are we will be struggling to maintain health care for our seniors by the time I'm ready for the benefit. The hundred of thousand plus I paid into social security appears to be lost. But none of this is Obama's fault... Besides do you think anyone else would have actually done much better given the financial crisis we are in and the 2 wars we are currently engaged in. It was obvious we could not just pick up and live either theater. So Obama says that is what he will do and you believed him. Come on, it was obvious to a grade schooler than would not happen. I am surprised that Gitmo was not closed (not that I cared too much about that one). I don't think Obama is as clueless as you two say he is. I think he said what needed to say, promising the impossible, to get elected. Now folks are faced with the reality of Obama being no different than any other politician are disappointed. It is just curious how much more disaapointed some folks are, as if to say: see, we gave one of you Negro's a chance and look what happened! The New York cover as on point:

ABM who said anything about serial abuser?! All I'm saying is that I very seriously doubt, given all of the so called "allegations" that Bill did not hit Denise. I doubt it so much so I'd call it a fact. Now you can give homeboy the benefit of the doubt. But I do not. Just as I do not believe all of Michael Jackson's interactions with young boys were appropriate. So since you apparently doubt any of the "allegations" are true, you have not interest in them. Since I believe the allegations to be true I feel the completely ignoring the marriage and the so called alleged abuse was a serious omission from a documentary of that man's life. Besides, even Bill will say that music his not his entire life, so if you only want to watch a documentary of his life that is limited to his "wondrous MUSIC" then you are missing the actually man. It would be like defining you by your wonderous posts on Thumpers corner. Also "if" Bill hit Denise, even once in anger; then Denise WAS injured emotionally, spirtually and probably physcially. It is a very bad thing for a "man" to hit his wife. Cynique: Williams, Nicholas, Richards, we knew what you meant.

Since NOBODY said anything negative about the new format I rolled with it. This board was up for at least 1/2 a year; I solicited feedback and it was all essentially positive. That said, I hear y'all. The biggest issue I find with the new software is that when you first connect it really is not clear what you can do, or even what you should do. There is an implicit assumption that one would have a clue what is going on and is familiar enough with the technology to just jump in an get going. Yeah, it just takes some getting used to.&nbsp; Keep in mind that old software was in use for 8 years and was really showing it's age. Technology years are like dog years! Using any piece of software for 8 years is almost unheard of I did not upgrade the software for the heck of it. I upgraded because I had to. The old software had deficiencies that were addressed by modern software. Even the ability to add new users was hampered by spam bots.&nbsp;&nbsp; The last discussion baord software change,&nbsp;in 2002, was for the same exact reason. Microsoft, the first dicsssion baord software vendor, simply abandoned the application (they are known to do this). The next software vendor Discusware had not upgraded their software in about 4 years and they had essentially no support. This vendor appears to be much better. However I know one day they too may go out of business or abandon this application. At which time I'll be forced look for new software again or implement whatever has taken the place of dicssuon baord software.&nbsp; <BR><BR>It is part of the game and why few even bother to play, for the long haul. Similarly, the main reason for the AALBC.com website upgrade was to change the underlying technology used to build the website. This change would mean nothing to a visitor, but was actually quite significant (actually traumatic for me) The old board had the benefit (at least upon initial inspection) of enabling you to see, very quickly, what was going on:&nbsp; what are&nbsp;new converations, where the new posts were made, who posted last, etc. This new board is actually so feature rich even I discover new things occasionally.&nbsp; But I realize those feature lend to the complexity and subtract from the "intimacy". I also realize some people will never learn to set their VCR clock either.&nbsp; There is a trade off between features and ease of use. Given what I know about most of the users of the old board, they are generally quite technically saavy. I'm was pretty confident they would be able to adapt to the new format. The only question is would they want to...&nbsp; I hope they will. I also hope some new blood would invigorate the conversation as well. Time will tell. Again, once you get used to the new format it is not so bad, you might even realize how much better it is... Actually if you use the Low Fi version you may like that better as it is much more similiar to the old board click here to check it out. No one person make a discussion board but I for one enjoy your voices I hope you two can handle the change and continue to contribute your sage wisdom and nonesense... Seriously if you, or anyone, has specific suggestions for improving the baord -- Maybe there is something I can do. Drop me an email or post your suggestion here. Chris, Cynique let me know what you think about the low-fi version. This is the format I use when I access the boards with my cell phone. Peace, Troy

This is a really good program hosted by ReShonda Tate Billingsley and Pat Tucker -- I'm actually listening to the program's archives as we speak. I was previously interviewed.

Complete List of Titles Sold on AALBC.com in 2009 Purple Panties: An Eroticanoir.com Anthology is the best selling book of any type on AALBC.com<LI>Eric Jerome Dickey's Sleeping With The Enemy the best selling Kindle eBook<LI>2,186 different titles were sold on AALBC.com for the year (all formats are treated equally for the purposes are of counting)<LI>The more than 99% of the titles were written by Black authors<LI>Confessions of a Video Vixen by Karrine Steffans is the best selling non-fiction Book (and has been every year since 2006)<LI>Click to see a list of the bestselling 25 fiction and non-fiction titles for 2009

Shoot Google knows everything about me from what kind of porn I like to what I brought my kids for Christmas. Honestly, I don't have a problem with homeland security recording my movements to PROTECT me. 911 attacked only missed on the order of yards. I do however I get a little antsy when some for profit entity is using the data soley to enrich themselves. Yeah I know our government usually abuses information and Google might be a company out to do great good, but there must be controls over how this data is used. Of course there are things we can do to change this. The question is really; is anyone up to doing what it takes to bring about this change? Of course the answer is no -- assuming the average person was aware or cared enough...

I was using google maps to get driving directions the other day. The directions had little icons that looked like cameras next to each step in the directions. I clicked the one next to my address and saw a crystal clear phot of my house: I the little whte control at the top left hand side of the image allows you to control your perspective. i decided to look around. I turned to my left and saw my car: Again a very sharp photo. Interestingly the license plate was obsured but you can easily determine the make and model. I did an about face and traveled down the block and saw my neighbor with his grandson: Pretty cool huh? I'm not so sure yet. Google will only get better at this as the technology improves and Google continues to garner more wealth. How long will it be before they make real time access to out streets and neighborhoods Would that be cool too? Supposed I did not want anyone to "discover" my car in front of that address? Maybe I don't want a photo of me and my child on-line for anyone with a PC and internet connection to see. Is anyone even thinking about these issues?

As usual the lady from The great prairie state of Illinois speaks with wisdom and clarity. When is this moive gonna be on Netfix I anxious to see if and create a well informed decision. Capree, I'd be very surprised to learn if white folks bother to go see Good Hair in meaningful numbers. Shoot it was tough enough getting Blakc folks to show up. I watched it on DVD, but it did not hold my interest enough for me to watch it to the end...

ABM I would suggest you watch the biography of Bill's life -- oh, wait, my bad they left that part out. Seriously just Google their names or talk to anyone 60 or older. ABM you know technically OJ "allegedly" decaptiated his wife. Again can we despense with the allegedly please, that is a technical term for courts. Besides it does not really impact my arguement. The FACT that he allegation was commonly known by most people of the era (except Carey) and was so high profile it should have been addressed in the film of his life. Also, I don't really make a distinction between someone who beat their wife on the regular or that just did it once. The difference between those two individuals is usually one where one wife left after the first beat down and the did not. Say the song "Who Is He (And What is He to You)?" might help explain the motivation...

Carey we can't have a serious conversation if you are going to equate Bill's kicking Denise's ass to a "little tid bits". You don't see this as significant. I see it as major. We'll agree to disagree. I guess you really need to see the movie. They seemingly traced Bills entire life. They visited where he grew up, spoke to childhood friends -- even dug into his ancestry. Bill stuttering (news to me) was a big part of the film. Bill cried over it in the flick. They interviewed Bill's present wife she spoke about how they met. They seemingly have a strong relationship (at least there were no visible bruises ). One got the sense it was a comprehensive story of the man's life. Again, leaving out the marriage, in this content, was disingenuous at best. Besides it would have been a better documentary had they included it and explained how he over came being a batterer (assuming he has) -- in the same fashion they explained how he overcame stuttering. I still love Bill's music. I even appreciate Bill as the complex human being that he is. However I still have a problem with this aspect of the documentary.

Kam Williams: Hi, Zane, I don’t know whether you remember me, but we met last year in Manhattan at the boat party thrown by Troy Johnson on the Hudson River during the Book Expo America Convention. Zane: Yes, Absolutely! Read the rest of the Zane Interview

OK That was easy. I had been typing this in manuall and it would just show the code I typed... Thanks DT! http://www.youtube.c...h?v=3QDvrI1c1nc

From The Sunday Times July 12, 2009 The 10 best book websites http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6684717.ece On the internet, you can download page after page of free material, post your work online and even catch a publisher's eye by Mike Peake Literature is thriving on the web. It’s not just for sale on mega-sites such as Amazon either, but being swapped, analysed and recommended by fellow bookworms. You can download page after page of free material, post your work online and — dare we say it — even catch the eye of a publisher. 1 DailyLit.com Fancy a daily dose of literature? Just sign up, select a book (the emphasis is on out-of-copyright classics, and most are free), then set aside a few minutes a day to read the pages the site e-mails to you at whatever time you choose. The text is readable on a computer and most mobile devices. 2 Shelfari.com Described as a “social network for people who love books”, this site consists of a lot of people cataloguing the books they have on their shelves then indulging in some lively literary banter. For a similar proposition, check out LibraryThing.com . 3 RareBookRoom.org You’ll probably never get your hands on a first-edition Shakespeare, but this is the next-best thing: 400 priceless literary treasures scanned in ultra high-resolution, now yours to peruse online. 4 FreeBookSpot.com A goldmine of downloadable textbooks, saved as PDFs, meaning that unlike most electronic book formats, the diagrams and illustrations are preserved. Most take less than 60 seconds to download over broadband. 5 Authonomy.com Launched last year by HarperCollins, the publisher, this site allows aspiring authors to upload their novels and have them read — and judged — by fellow members. It has already identified some up-and-coming talent, and the best offerings are now being printed. 6 Books.google.com Also known as Google Book Search, this is a gateway to all manner of free book and magazine content, much of it downloadable. The search function is particularly strong, and is able to pull up specific text buried in any of the umpteen-million pages the company has scanned to date. 7 Blurb.com Got a book in you? Use Blurb’s free software to lay it out, then upload it, and the site will make it into a real paperback, with prices starting at around a fiver. 8 BookCrossing.com BookCrossing is the practice of leaving a book you’ve read for someone else to pick up by following your online directions. Nearly 800,000 people in 130 countries are involved. 9 LibriVox.org This is the home of free, downloadable audiobooks — mainly classics and read by volunteers. It may be the only way you get to hear Dickens read in a Liverpool accent. 10 Goodreads.com Described as “the world’s largest reading room”, the site is home to an active and well-informed community of bookworms

Man Thumper I image what it would be like if you demanded as much from our literature...

hummm I can't find the delete post button. I know I deleted posts before... I just wanted to delete this reply I made by mistake. Looks like I'ma have to break down a read the manual.

The End of Poverty? Globalization Documentary Discusses Paradox of Poverty in Era of Unparalleled Wealth Read Kam Williams Review Check out trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRZnEBFYNS0

Man I just got back calling myself adding your youtube video to your AALBC.com page and I realized you did not have one. Don;t worry I'll take care of that during the next updates in that section. Peace

Very good man. I'll add this video to your page too. I still have not figured out, myself, how to add youtube videos to this board. What you do read the instructions? At any rate if you can post the instructions here I'd, and I'm sure some others, would appreciate it.

I did not know you could do that with Thumb Nails. Hey Carey that was pretty creative. But as the cliche goes if we forget the past we are doomed to repeat it. As the Jews say we must never forget. We can move on but we can not, must not, forget our history, what little we still know... even if you are tired of hearing it.

Carey, you are mincing words. The "lie" was one of omission. It is not an opinion but a statement of fact. If you are going to do a documentary of someone's life you can no more leave out the high profile marriage and spousal abuse than you can leave out the high profile murder trial. Carey your argument is severely flawed. Just because YOU "don't know anything about it" does not mean it is unimportant or should be left out of a documentary. Negro THAT is the POINT of documentaries! To teach you something you don't know. Now if you are content on watching so called documentaries which leave out material information then you go on. I'll demand something a little more.

New York Times Fade to White By ISHMAEL REED Published: February 4, 2010 The blacks who are enraged by “Precious” have probably figured out that this film wasn’t meant for them. It was the enthusiastic response from white audiences and critics that culminated in the film being nominated for six Oscars by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, an outfit whose 43 governors are all white and whose membership in terms of diversity is about 40 years behind Mississippi. In fact, the director, Lee Daniels,said that the honor would bring even more “middle-class white Americans” to his film. Ishmael Reed on AALBC.com http://aalbc.com/authors/ishmael.htm