discussion comment
4 years ago
I was in Vegas in 2003 at a Family Reunion. I took a late night excursion to a club across the parking lot from my hotel. Went inside, had a couple of drinks this voluptuous Latina with a round soft ass and pretty face enticed me into the VIP. She was wearing form fitting black mesh one-piece that I didn't realize was crotchless until we were in back. She asked if she could ride me. I laughed and said sure. Then before I knew it she pulled me out, slapped on the raincoat and rode me like a rollercoaster. I left totally surprised but satisfied. Been to Vegas many times but never had someone just let loose with wild abandon without discussing terms first. Over the years this club changed hands many times. In one of it's incarnations there used to be a giant champagne glass with a girl dancing inside of it out front. After 3:00 am it became a regular dance club. This spot is out of business now.
discussion comment
4 years ago
To your point, Winex, the Black Panther Party actually originated the Head Start Program that fed as well as commenced early education for children in pre-K in the community. They also did arm themselves as a means of protection against those who would open get violent or hostile with them. There's a famous story about a white police officer who was mistreating a black motorist and a party member with a rifle stepped on the scene. The Officer was a little concerned but the party member said, "I'm just here to make sure this is conducted smoothly." There's been a long history of that not happening. Of course Hoover and the FBI and others labelled them as a subversive group. And the laws of openly being able to carry firearms were changed once it was known that black folk were carrying the weapons. It's interesting that white militia groups, just this year, made their pressence known in a government building without those laws of openly carrying weapons being challenged. I know people who were in the party and their account of how certain events went down differs significantly than what the FBI was pushing at the time. That's not to say mistakes weren't made on all sides of the issue but the whole truth has not received the same amount of coverage as the "official" story and propaganda. There comes a point where a lot of black folk are tired of taking the bullshit. Reactions vary. I always search for "why" a certain thing occurs rather than just get distracted by all the noise.
discussion comment
4 years ago
It's important to distinguish between painting with a broad brush and nuance. I never thought Marxism was a bad word. I never knew that BLM was in anyway connected to that concept. I know there are folk who want desperately to say the movement is about something other than it is. They said that in the '60's too.
discussion comment
4 years ago
My Top TV shows
1)Homicide: Life On The Street
2)All In The Family
3)Kung Fu
4)Frank's Place
5) Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
discussion comment
4 years ago
B, I'm not offended by the "kill the cops" statement because I understand the sentiment. On one hand, it's interesting that a major underground organization has not taken out cops. Could you imagine that outcry even though many in LE are doing it to us? On the other hand, I'm not sure that would get us to the place where we need to be to forge a path to equity. But again, the sentiment is understood and the radical in me (I'm an HU grad from back in the day and many of my mentors were in the movement--globally)feels a certain type of way--like the next time the dog comes to bite me, it gets shot!
discussion comment
4 years ago
Standing up for what is correct doesn't mean putting others down. Some misunderstand this and take offense. But the struggle continues and more are down as enlightenment grows.
discussion comment
4 years ago
So---how have those clubs that remain opened, been fairing? There are a couple I know of that brought the strippers and stages out onto covered patios under an awning type of deal. Technically, it's like eating establishments serving customers outside. Does this work for you?
discussion comment
4 years ago
D.L. Hughley wrote a book about this. Very funny and very informative.
discussion comment
4 years ago
There's so much we don't know. An interesting, reasonable speculation is that whatever vaccine is generated will become an annual/seasonal thing. The other thing that was interesting was the minor mutations that have occurred which weren't huge but that means even after the initial vaccine/vaccines are put in play, on-going work will be done to "update" it. I wonder if the same sense of urgency will be put in play to continue this work after one vaccine reaches the point of mass distribution.
discussion comment
4 years ago
If the woman doesn't fundamentally turn me on then I walk away. If I stay where I am, then I'm open to adventure. I'm very familiar with the stripper handshake. It's usually very easy to discourage anyone who doesn't interest you without it being a big deal. Of course there are outliers. It's more about how you, as a patron, come off that determines, in most cases, how a dancer will approach you.
discussion comment
4 years ago
This reminds me of a time when a woman with a crooked smile and a phat azz sat next to me as I was drinking. She said nothing but looked me in the eyes and slid her hands into my pants. When she knew she had my full attention, she just angled her head toward the booths. I nodded and asked her name and she said, "Naughty." Surreal but real. I willing followed her into the booth for more explicit fun. Always admired her technique and boldness. Only word she spoke to me, pre-booth, was "Naughty." Inside the booth it was just moaning and a little yelping...oh wait, that was me!
discussion comment
4 years ago
I'm one of the few that like them both. One of my friends is a die-hard Pepsi addict. He starts off every morning with a cigarette and a Pepsi. My other friend and his brother are Coke-heads and even went through a Cherry Coke phase. We were in a bar once and a waiter set down a pitcher of brown carbonated liquid. My friend's brother called the waiter over and reminded him he ordered Coke, not Pepsi. The Waiter apologized and switched out the pitcher. I was amazed that this guy could tell just from seeing it from a distance in a pitcher. He assured me the distinction was that pronounced and couldn't understand why I couldn't see the difference. Yes, the taste different but do they really look that different? Guess so.
discussion comment
4 years ago
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IceyI put your ATF on a winning team
BLM is an amorphous group that you try to fit into some preconceived notion. And know I'm not pretending anything. I'm actually being real and moving without fear and not drinking anybody's Kool-Aid. My thought are my own based on my experiences and what I see everyday from all different perspectives. You will not define my reality when you deal from a limited box and refuse to acknowledge what's really happening. All of this Marxist socialist nonsense has nothing to do with folk being sick and tired of being mistreated by the major system of law enforcement as a collective in this country. And all black issues are not part of BLM. It's really more about humanity and lack there of than it is about political parties. I don't really have party loyalties in that respect. I do have loyalty to interests that involve my very existence. You will absolutely not diminish this black man and what he knows to be true. I will listen to other points of view and I do. Can you say the same?
discussion comment
4 years ago
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IceyI put your ATF on a winning team
Where does this ignorant idea that BLM is a hate group come from? Baffles me. I know Pundits who react with fear label it as such but when are people going to take a deep dive and look at others sources outside of Fox News? Staying in your comfort zone stunts your growth. I'm just so amazed at how folk just swallow the soundbytes and drink the Kool-Aid. The way I learn is to start off by asking, "Why?" Then I take a deep look at what the principles of a thing are and then contrast that with how it's practiced. And then I look at who's saying what and what are their motives. Seeking real truth takes a minute and taxes your mental faculties but it's necessary. It's so easy to listen to Tucker Carlson and folks like this with their fear mongering and maybe if I wasn't blessed with curiousity, a brain, and a good education, I might fall for the Oke-Doke.
discussion comment
4 years ago
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IceyI put your ATF on a winning team
I saw Terry Crews being interviewed by both Roland Martin and Don Lemon about the backlash he received about his remarks on his social media. Crews(or Crewes) issued a concern about BLM devolving into a more extreme faction that leans toward Black Supremacy. He has a right to post his opinions on his Social Media. He also knows folk will come for him because of those statements. The Fox Pundits tried to make hay out of this because it supports their fear-mongering narrative that BLM is a terrorist group out to trample the rights of "Good White People." Any reasonable person knows that's silly. Roland asked Terry for an example of how Black Supremacy was being manifested. Terry said not yet but it could happen. Terry told Don that blacks kill blacks everyday and BLM is silent about that. He believes Black Lives Matter is an important mantra and we should call ourselves out as well to keep the movement honest. Don said that BLM was designed to combat police brutality against black folk and that black folk killing each other is a legitimate issue but not the focus of BLM. He said maybe Terry should spearhead a campaign to address the issue of black folk killing each other because it is a serious problem and there are people who are addressing it but every little bit helps. The thing that got me was how many outlets want to portray Terry Vs. Don as some big major beef when it was just a regular interview with both men expressing their opinions. There were differences but it wasn't a shouting match and I didn't get the feeling these guys dislike each other. Don made an interesting point to Terry's extremist concerns. He said MLK was considered an extremist by those who opposed him. I don't dislike Terry. I'm not sure I buy the Black Supremacy concern because to be a Supremicist of any kind you must have enough organized financial resources deployed to make your domination a threat. Kind of makes me chuckle. And it made me think of that Harry Belafonte movie, White Man's Burden where the racial divide was reversed and John Travolta was the radical, angry white man driven to his wit's end. Interesting concept but obviously not written by a black man with any historical awareness because black folk might not necessarily exercise their dominance the way many wealthy white folk with a certain agenda have. Just think about how the Moors handled their dominance of Spain. Besides taking over and running things, they also created major institutions of higher learning. Yes, they were fierce warriors but also had this deep reverance for education and believed that even the conquered people should go to school. I'm not mad at Terry. I just don't think his opinions are that resonant.
discussion comment
4 years ago
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IceyI put your ATF on a winning team
There's also this weird assumption that if black folk were in control, we'd do the things to other folk that are being done to us and that's not necessarily the case. Goes back to my point about me having a better understanding of the dominant culture than they have of me. We've got to stop living in fear. Because that's the key devil behind a majority of the problem.
discussion comment
4 years ago
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IceyI put your ATF on a winning team
We all know this country isn't perfect. Compared to others, some that decide to come here believe it's a better situation. But not everyone had the choice to be here or to leave and that really isn't the point. Wherever you are, there's nothing wrong with trying to make it better. And better for some folks will not be viewed as better by others. But we can at least check out the other and have the courage to consider why does he/she feel that way? ....or not. Some people are too set in their ways. Thank goodness there are those who know they don't know it all and understand there's life outside their bubble.
discussion comment
4 years ago
Clubbing mostly around the L.A. area, it seems other areas in the country are "clipped" in more outrageous ways. But there are some standard grafts like marked up ATM fees, expensive watered down drinks, and maybe higher priced parking. In most L.A. spots you can find free parking close to the club and feel pretty safe about leaving your car. There are a few exceptions. I've only been to one club years ago near DISNEYLAND where the dancers would come offstage after their set and solicit everyone for a tip regardless of whether you were sitting at the stage or somewhere else not paying attention and trying to get with another girl. I thought this was weird and I wasn't going for it so I just politely shook my head, "no." The girl just moved on to the next guy. I've never been pressed to "tip" a bouncer to "look the other way" when doing a VIP in an extra's club. This practice, however, I did encounter in Vegas but I wasn't having it and when I started to walk away the dancer said, "That's okay" and took me back there anyway. So, again, it's informative to hear how some of you guys have to deal with the who shakedown thing in your own neck of the woods.
discussion comment
4 years ago
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IceyI put your ATF on a winning team
IceyLoco, I get it. It's very interesting that people who don't have your experience try to tell you how you should feel. A step in the right direction would be to honestly listen to the people who have had the experience and resist the knee-jerk reactions. There are always people who profit from the pain of others. Those folks are not helping. There is also real "proof" of institutionalized racism. Face it. Admit it. Now we can look for solutions. Decent people don't want to "burn your house down." Decent people want to be able to forge their own path without having to deal with the added barriers of systemic racial roadblocks. A significant number of folk in the younger generation are being brought up in a more inclusive environment than older folks. Maybe part of the solution is that the older folks in power need to die out and let their ideas die out with them. I know, very cynical, but not improbable or impossible. Personally, I prefer enlightenment over tribalism ideas fueled by fear. Trauma is a deep thing and it just doesn't die out as a matter of course. We have to help it along. Some will always be traumatized but we can help reduce the cumulative effect by listening and having the courage to learn. I'm a black man who grew up in California, went to Howard University, lived on the East Coast for years, and returned to the west. I have relatives and ancestors all over the south and in Europe. Because I've lived all my life in this society I understand many things about the dominant culture who likes to "borrow" cool stuff from my culture and that's okay because sharing is supposed to be how we learn about each other. But the dominant (mostly European based) culture doesn't, as a whole, understand me as much as I understand them. And that's problematic. Before you start reacting with anger and dismissal, re-read carefully what I've laid out and think about it. Really think about it.
discussion comment
4 years ago
Now that I think of it, quite a few strippers I've known told me they were nursing students. I always laughed and didn't really take it seriously until one woman excused herself from our table and then came back and showed me her nursing shoes! Then I started thinking about the commonalities of both professions. They are both healers and aim to get you "up" and about.
discussion comment
4 years ago
I think it depends on the club and the culture of the club. I'm a black man and I've gone to many different types of clubs. At one particular high-end club where the majority of dancers were Latinas and white girls, there was a black girl who kept giving me and my friend the evil eye. I approached her and asked her how she was doing and if she would like a drink. She was shocked but accepted the drink and we talked. She said most black men that frequented the club preferred the other dancers over her so she didn't even try. I don't think she was aware of her sour look. I didn't end up getting a dance from her because I felt no joy in her but I understood better her attitude. My buddy danced with her. Conversely the Latinas and thicker white girls were all over me. The "spinners" tended to avoid me. I guess that stereotype of black men liking the phat ass girls plays into this. I must confess, I do like voluptuous women (not fat) and athletic ladies with a cushion. My buddy, who is also black, likes the rail-thin girls that coud be carried off by a strong wind. In some of the 'hood clubs I've been to, I notice that white, older gentlemen seem to get a lot of attention. I'm not hatin.' It's a money game. I'm not ignored in these spots and usually after a comfortable conversation, the more down to earth ladies relax their "hustle" game and get more real with me which encourages me to be more generous. With a lot of the older white guys, it always seems like their playing this role (not all the ladies but quite a few in this particular club) and the guard is never really down. As a rule, most dancers I would be interested in, have personality and curves. I don't think a woman with an overt racial issue would ever approach me and if I got a sense that a dancer had this problem I would move on. I'm there to have a good time and escape from the everyday "blues."
discussion comment
4 years ago
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founderslip a dollar in her g-string for me
I've known about for years. It directly ties with black family reunions, church homecomings, and the homecoming celebrations every year on black college campuses. I went to Howard University, but even before that, I had an awareness about Juneteenth because I read a lot of historical accounts particularly those by Ivan Van Sertima, Lerrone Bennett, Jr., John Hope Franklin etc. Dr. Greg Carr has a very informative, entertaining video that explains the significance of Juneteenth and how it connects to what's going on today. Really worthwhile, insightful information to increase everyone's level of awareness and understanding.
discussion comment
4 years ago
@Yahtzee
So you dated one black girl. She doesn't speak for all of us. And neither do I. Rather there are a variety of experiences. And even though you really want to hold onto the idea that the 21st century is not affected by what came before, that is not the case. I'm not in love with the words "liberal" and "conservative" and a be all and end all to an individual's outlook. Some things I have a more "conservative" viewpoint about and some things I have a more "liberal" viewpoint about. I'm definitely not one to believe I should just sit and wait for my dreams to come to me. I put in sweat equity for my progress. Still I'm not cool with obstacles put in my way that wouldn't be there if there wasn't a pattern created by systematic bias. We will disagree all day long because you don't want to understand what it's like to be me, and that's a fact of life. But what can change and improve is the systemic non-sense in my way. Now I'm not going to stop moving forward. I can chew gum and walk so I will always call folk out on their ignorance and narrow-minded attitudes as well as continue to try to educate folks that there are legitimate reasons for the anger.
discussion comment
4 years ago
Interesting. I'd like to see her debate Roland Martin , Michael Eric Dyson, Harry Belafonte, or Stacey Abrams or even Republican, Tim Scott. Candace has always appeared to me to be political opportunist. I remember when she engaged the NAACP to help her in a racially charged educational lawsuit. Now she seems to be on the opposite end of things. It's this kind of history that has me questioning how intelligent she really is and how sincere she really is.
discussion comment
4 years ago
@Yahtzee
Do you even hear yourself? You keep spouting these stats that occur because of atrocity that happened 400 years ago in this country. Classic not looking at real cause and taking refuge statistical bullshit! And yes the "colonial" mindset is real. Until you deal with the reality, you'll be forever traveling in an echo chamber. But that's who you are. Fortunately there are others who aren't afraid to look at what's real instead just clinging to a hollow knee-jerk reaction.