Troy

Anika99 I fundamentally agree with you. Consider your Obama argument for a moment. Speaking critically about Obama to many, Black folks, as you know, is like speaking critically about Jesus to a Christian. You can't reason with a rabid Obama supporter any more than you can reason with a Christian about their religion. I suspect there is a very high correlation between those who are Black and Christian and those who are fanatical Obama supporters. If this is true I suspect the reason boils down to the individuals ability to think freely -- the ability to question themselves, what they are told, to have an open mind and a willingness to consider various view points and information... I could use your religion argument against your being critical of Obama: "It has become popular to knock Obama and and blame him for everything.We forget about the community organizing, lack of republican support, health care reform, and other necessities that many people of that he provided for less fortunate in every state."

Happy thanksgiving everyone and drink one for me!

Cynique I draw a distinction, perhaps an arbitrary one, between "Demi and Ashton's break-up or JR winning "Dancing with the Stars"." and information that is actually important. The former is simply entertainment -- which is what MOST news is today, entertainment. I think the problem we have when people confuse the two is some folks begin to think whatever a Kim Karadasian is doing is important we and the media treat it as if it is important. Far too many resources go to covering that nonsense, when it could be directed to meaningful things. While trivia may or may not be taken seriously, trivia needs to be truthful -- otherwise is is simply a lie.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE UPCOMING ANTHOLOGY TO EXAMINE BLACK LOVE Where Did Our Love Go? Love & Relationships in the African American Community Submissions Sought for Third Installment of Popular African American Lifestyles Anthology Atlanta, GA (October 24) – Bestselling lifestyle author Gil Robertson has issued a call to authors and storytellers to contribute to his next anthology, Where Did Our Love Go: Personal Essays on Love & Relationships in the African American Community. The highly anticipated follow-up to Roberson’s two previous bestsellers, “Not in My Family: AIDS in the African American Community” and “Family Affair: What It Means to be African American Today,” will seek to find an answer to the growing marriage gag that exists in Black America. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 43.3 percent of black men and 41.9 percent of black women in America have never been married. As with his earlier projects, Robertson will assemble a broad swath of black Americans, including prominent figures from the worlds of politics, entertainment and sports to share their perspectives on the subject. The book will consist of a total of 40 essays divided into 3 lifestyle categories (single, married, and divorced). Selected essayist will also be asked to participate in a cable network documentary that will air alongside the book. “I am specifically looking for writers who are prepared to be completely transparent in sharing their truth on this topic,” says Robertson. “Like my two previous African American lifestyle anthologies, the goal for this new project is to move beyond the surface and explore deep into the why and how of the subject, so that we can identify solutions.” Authors interested in submitting essays should visit www.wheredidrlovego.com for additional background and project guidelines. About the Author Gil Robertson, IV is one of America’s foremost authorities on African-American pop culture. He is the editor of two bestselling books on African American lifestyles, “Not in My Family: AIDS in the African American Community,” “Family Affair: What it Means to be African American Today,” and is the author of “Writing as a Tool of Empowerment” and the forthcoming children’s book, “21st Century African American in Politics”. In the media, Robertson’s byline has also appeared in a long list of publications that includes Essence, Ebony/Jet.com, Billboard, The Source, the Los Angeles Times and the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He also writes the syndicated lifestyle column the Robertson Treatment (RTSC), which is now in its 15th year and appears in over 30 markets across America. About the Publisher Agate was founded on the idea that well-written books that are creatively marketed to the reading public, will always find an audience. The company’s literary works focus on the areas of business, lifestyle, and African-American interest. Agate’s aim will always be to publish books that live up to its motto: “Fine Print.” Contact: Jeaunine Askew: (404)921-0622 ###

Cynique, there is serious reporting going on, but there is, seemingly, much less of it. I don't have hard figures on this, but that has been my observation over the last 10 years. We do know that newspapers, magazines are closing and cutting back. There is also, apparently, much more coverage of the "frivolous and sensationalized". Again I don't have hard numbers but my observations show this to be true -- even more so as the news relates to Black folks. It really is a crying shame how much this has changed on the last decade alone. The crappy news is MUCH easier to find and consume. The serious journalism is more difficult to find and take work to consume. As a result, most people just believe what they are told. They are unwilling or unable to question anything. I guess it is just human nature. btw: Where are you getting your trivia from? It sounds interesting, but I'm not convinced the figure are true. The one about 30% of people are dating sites already being married is fascinating idea to ponder. The reputable sites ask the question and rule you out if you are married or even separated. How then would someone collect the data and arrive at such a scandalous conconclusion?

Cynique, I guess that is the bottom line, whatever floats your boat and gets you through this thing called life. Anika99, how do you feel about Cynique's point, "You can't be a free-thinker if you embrace Christianity"? You can't be a Christian and question the faith's most basic tenets. People who are not Christian would find that to be the exact opposite of "liberating". As an aside, free thinkers recognize the Eddies Longs of the world for what they are. It is the rest of the folks that give me cause for concern...

http://aalbc.it/news_nov2011 AALBC.com eNewsletter has been published! Check out our author profiles, interviews, book reviews, publishing industry information, best selling books list, and more. If you like it, please share this eNewsletter with your contacts. I need your support. It will not come from anyone else -- but us.

If you are trying to change the mind of a Christian you are wasting your time.

Cary are you tryin' to suggest Michael did not have an inappropriate relationship with minor boys? The cat from Penn State said he was just "rough housing"... Would you let your son spend the night at Neverland with Michael Jackson?

Carey a sight for sore eyes. The Huria site is very new -- less than two weeks old, but off to a great start -- it has a LOT of potential of a seemingly simple idea. I've discovered a great number of interesting sites usinlg it myself. Post your favorite Black sites here (including your blog and I'll add them to the search engine's index). If really is a shame regarding the conversations every group on facebook that I've joined or been added to people just post stuff to promote themselves or or something, but rarely interact -- even if you engage them. And the quickest way to piss someone off is to disagree with them. People who share a lot online can be surprisingly thin skinned and sensitive. I guess we are off topic... maybe not.

Cynique I read this on my phone. (yes there is a mobile ap for this discussion board). I was gonna comment right away btut I wanted to think about if for a second. Actually I think G90 make a good point. This is something that has been bugging me lately. Most "news" is crap and it has to adversely impact the way we view the world. Today the so called Black sites (run by majority owned corps) feed us nonsense. The troubling part is that positive and needed content is being generated -- folks just don;t see it. This again is the reason I created Huria Search http://huria.org I think at least in a small way it can help folks find the content of substance that we generate. This country need help -- a lot of help, but it is not nearly as bad as you would be led to believe with the top search results, headline news, or lead stories.

Hey giseph90 read the actually blog post: http://aalbc.it/100bestsites then come back and let me know what you think. Suffice it to say the majority of those site no longer exist, are woefully our of date or have sold out to corporations.

Watch Nikky Finney, 2011 National Book Awards acceptance speech. http://aalbc.it/nikkyspeech "Black people were the only people in the United States ever explicitly, forbidden, to become literate." One industry icon said it best, "I was moved and speechless by Finny's acceptance speech... the woman spoke the truth with such grace and elegance....She done herself, and all of us Damn proud!

http://aalbc.it/nikkyspeech "Black people were the only people in the United States ever explicitly, forbidden, to become literate." If you don't do anything else today, listen Nikky Finney, 2011 National Book Awards acceptance speech. One industry icon said it best, "I was moved and speechless by Finny's acceptance speech... the woman spoke the truth with such grace and elegance....She done herself, and all of us Damn proud!

http://aalbc.it/nikkyspeech "Black people were the only people in the United States ever explicitly, forbidden, to become literate." If you don't do anything else today, listen Nikky Finney, 2011 National Book Awards acceptance speech. One industry icon said it best, "I was moved and speechless by Finny's acceptance speech... the woman spoke the truth with such grace and elegance....She done herself, and all of us Damn proud!

Jesmyn Ward, Salvage the Bones and Nikky Finney, Head Off & Split win national Book awards!

Jesmyn Ward, Salvage the Bones and Nikky Finney, Head Off & Split win national Book awards!

Watch a live webcast of the National Book Awards tonight http://aalbc.it/nationalbookawards2011

Watch the 2011 National Book Award Finalists via a live Webcast. http://www.nationalbook.org In the fiction category, only Tea Obreht's wonderful debut, The Tiger's Wife, hit bestseller lists. The other four nominees — Julie Otsuka's Buddha in the Attic, Andrew Krivak's The Sojourn, Jesmyn Ward's Salvage the Bones, and Edith Pearlman's Binocular Vision — are beautiful pieces of work, but not strong sellers or even part of the mainstream literary conversation. (read full article) Also read Laura Miller's Salon piece, "How the National Book Awards Made Themselves Irrelevant." See how many of the authors AALBC.com tracks: win tonight:

"The 100 best Web Sites for African Americans" http://aalbc.it/100bestsites On April 4, 2003, Earthlink partnered with MOBE (Marketing Opportunities in Business and Entertainment) to present The 100 Best Web Sites for African Americans. I recently reviewed all of these sites to see how they were making out: http://aalbc.it/100bestsites This was really part of much larger effort I've taken on to identify independent Black websites to add to Huria Search http://huria.org I came across this list while looking for sites to add to the the Huria Search index.

boitumelo, I know you like to hit and run with all the controversial Black stuff, but do you believe all the allegations? Do you think this is relevant. Do you ever get tired of the media focusing on all the negative attributes of Black people. Do you think if more attention was payed to the positive things Black people did Black folks and the country would be better off?

New Logo: Still need your support. Test out some queries, suggest sites to be added to the index, and provide feedback. I guarantee you'll discover a new website that you actually like.

Cynique, I'm often confronted with the challenge of not believing most people are just plain stupid. We are even willing to overlook the sexual abuse of a child for reasons I will never understand. Is our over looking Michael Jackson any different, really? Apparently it is diffcult to expose the powerful and famous for the degenerates they are. The victimized children must have felt completely helpless, betrayed, alone...

Cute. Yes, I preffer the 2nd one -- not to imlpy that the first image offended me.

That's messed up Cynqiue