*Chris Rock roasted the current state of comedy on Monday night while presenting an award at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards dinner.

The former SNL star took to the stage to present the Best First Film award to “Eighth Grade” director Bo Bunham but it turned into a short stand-up routine with Rock joking, “If it was five years ago, I could say something really offensive and funny right now, but I can’t do that anymore, so … heyyyy!”

The comedian also let the Academy know they shouldn’t call him for the Oscar hosting gig.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:  Critics Choice Awards: ‘Roma,’ ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Vice’ Are Top Winners

“Steve Martin is here. You should host the Oscars. You’re the best. Steve Martin should host the Oscars! Because I’m not doing it, goddammit! You’re not getting me.”

Martin has hosted three ceremonies and Rock has hosted the Oscars on two occasions, in 2005 and 2016. 

Rock also earned big laughs while introducing Burnham’s movie, saying,

“There are lot of movies out right now, but the best one about eighth grade is ‘Eighth Grade.’ It’s a touching tribute to the eighth grade! I never thought I would want to relive the eighth grade until I saw this movie. Bo, I could’ve played that dad, I would’ve fucking killed that part. but we’ll deal with that another time.”

The Academy, meanwhile, still hasn’t confirmed who will host the February 24 ceremony, after controversial jokes made by Kevin Hart forced him to step down as host.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/chris-rock-tells-academy-not-to-call-him-to-host-oscars/

*We hope the discomfort, if not straight up PAIN … was worth it.

A Florida woman is making headlines for all the wrong reasons after she stole Rolex watches valued at $108K and put them in her vagina. The pricey items were discovered during a jailhouse strip search; cops found 4 Rolex watches inside her va-jay-jay and she also urinated on the jail floor.

According to the Miami Herald, Delajurea Brookens was busted after she robbed a businessman in his hotel room on January 8. Brookens, 29, met Ramon Diaz at a club in Miami Beach and they later ended up at a hotel. At some point in the night, Diaz discovered his Crown Royal whiskey bag, containing five watches valued at $108,000, was missing.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Angela Davis, Jemele Hill & Common: Social Justice Royalty Help Make History at UCLA

As reported by SandraRose, Brookens fled the hotel with Diaz in hot pursuit. Once he caught up with her, police say she struck Diaz in the head as he struggled with her to retrieve his belongings. Hotel staff called the police, who caught up with the woman near the hotel. Cops recovered a $22,000 Hublot inside the Crown Royal bag but the other four watches were recovered as Brookens was being processed through jail. Police said she went through a metal detector that “showed items that were in her vaginal area.”

Brookens was charged with grand theft, resisting an officer with violence, battery and possession of cocaine. She was also charged with criminal mischief for urinating on the floor of her holding cell.

She is now freed on bond, and the charge is yet another on her lengthy rap sheet which includes prostitution. Brookens also has the word “whore” tattooed on her arm according to a police report obtained by The Smoking Gun.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/florida-woman-busted-with-four-rolex-watches-inside-her-vaginal-area/

*On Wednesday, Jan. 16, the hosts of The Real talk about the new Gillette ad and if it is offensive to masculinity. Co-host Tamera Mowry-Housley says while she feels the ad is constructive, it’s most important to get positive messages from parents. The ladies also discuss the beauty of getting along with your ex, and co-host Jeannie Mai expresses how glad she is that her ex-husband has found happiness.

Then The Real reaches out to a government employee in Lincoln, IL – a mom with six children who has been affected by the shutdown – and lends her a helping hand. The show will be reaching out to people in similar situations during the rest of the week.

Later, Love & Hip Hop creator and executive producer, media mogul and author Mona Scott-Young visits to talk about her new book, Blurred Lines, as well as Cardi B and whether reality show stars are responsible for their actions!

The Gillette Ad Is a Good Example, But Parents Are The Best Example

Mona Scott-Young Says Reality Shows Aren’t Scripted and Stars Need to Own Up To Their Actions

Loni Love: Reality stars often blame the editors and the producers for the way they are portrayed on TV.

Mona Scott-Young: I know.

Loni: What do you have to say about that?

Mona: Wouldn’t it be great if we could just have someone that we could just say, “They made me do it?”

Loni: Uh-huh.

Mona: As we go through life every single day? We all do things everyday that we think about it, we’re not proud of, we don’t love – wouldn’t it be convenient? If we had somebody we could point to and say it was all their fault? You know, like? But I mean listen, I always say, it’s not a magic box, right? That camera? We all do things that we look back at and we wish we had handled differently and maybe not have done or said that, and it’s easy to point the finger and blame producers for that. But these guys know – none of it is scripted, it’s all them.

Tamera Mowry-Housley: Got it.

Mona: Own up to it!

Loni: Own up to it!

Tamera: Own up to it!

Website: thereal.com

Twitter: @TheRealDaytime

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealdaytime

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/therealdaytime

Instagram: http://instagram.com/therealdaytime

Photo  credit: Robert Voets/Warner Bros. Television

About The Real

Led by bold, diverse and outspoken Emmy Award-winning hosts, Adrienne Houghton, Loni Love, Jeannie Mai and Tamera Mowry-Housley all frankly say what women are actually thinking. THE REAL is a live daily, one-hour NAACP Image Award-winning and Emmy-nominated talk show on Fox Television Stations and in national syndication (check local listings), with a rebroadcast on cable network Bounce. The hosts’ unique perspectives are brought to life through candid conversations about their personal lives, current events, beauty, fashion and relationships (nothing is off limits). Unlike other talk shows, THE REAL hosts are admittedly a “work in progress,” and fearlessly invite viewers to reflect on their own lives and opinions. Fresh points of view, youthful energy and passion have made THE REAL a platform for multicultural women. Produced by Telepictures Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, The Real is led by Executive Producer, Rachel Miskowiec (Good Morning America, Katie, The Tyra Banks Show, Judge Hatchett, The Ricki Lake Show) and shot in Los Angeles, California.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/the-real-helps-out-a-government-worker-and-mona-scott-young-drops-by/

*Chris Rock roasted the current state of comedy on Monday night while presenting an award at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards dinner.

The former SNL star took to the stage to present the Best First Film award to “Eighth Grade” director Bo Bunham but it turned into a short stand-up routine with Rock joking, “If it was five years ago, I could say something really offensive and funny right now, but I can’t do that anymore, so … heyyyy!”

The comedian also let the Academy know they shouldn’t call him for the Oscar hosting gig.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:  Critics Choice Awards: ‘Roma,’ ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Vice’ Are Top Winners

“Steve Martin is here. You should host the Oscars. You’re the best. Steve Martin should host the Oscars! Because I’m not doing it, goddammit! You’re not getting me.”

Martin has hosted three ceremonies and Rock has hosted the Oscars on two occasions, in 2005 and 2016. 

Rock also earned big laughs while introducing Burnham’s movie, saying,

“There are lot of movies out right now, but the best one about eighth grade is ‘Eighth Grade.’ It’s a touching tribute to the eighth grade! I never thought I would want to relive the eighth grade until I saw this movie. Bo, I could’ve played that dad, I would’ve fucking killed that part. but we’ll deal with that another time.”

The Academy, meanwhile, still hasn’t confirmed who will host the February 24 ceremony, after controversial jokes made by Kevin Hart forced him to step down as host.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/chris-rock-tells-academy-not-to-call-him-to-host-oscars/

*There’s a new “Ghostbusters” movie in the works that will reportedly be set in the same universe as the two original films, with Jason Reitman at the helm and also serving as co-writer.

Reitman’s father, Ivan Reitman, directed the original 1984 movie which starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, the lateHarold Ramis and Ernie Hudson as ghost-catchers in New York City. The original film grossed $242 million in the U.S. and more than $295 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing comedy film of its time. At the 57th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Visual Effects and Best Original Song (for the theme).

The “Ghostbusters” franchise includes a 1989 sequel, two animated television series (“The Real Ghostbusters” and “Extreme Ghostbusters”), video games, and a 2016 female-led remake.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: 2.5 Million African American Men Are in the Upper Class!

“I’ve always thought of myself as the first Ghostbusters fan, when I was a 6-year-old visiting the set. I wanted to make a movie for all the other fans,” Jason Reitman tells Entertainment Weekly. “This is the next chapter in the original franchise. It is not a reboot. What happened in the ‘80s happened in the ‘80s, and this is set in the present day.”

There’s long been talk of a return to the Ghostbusters universe, with Aykroyd teasing fans as early as last year.

“This is very early, and I want the film to unwrap like a present. We have a lot of wonderful surprises and new characters for the audience to meet,” Ramis continued. “I’ve thought about this franchise and it has occupied a piece of my heart for basically as long as I can remember.”

Aykroyd and Hudson have responded to the news of the sequel on Twitter – although neither confirmed if they would be reprising their original roles.

As reported by NME.com, back in November, Aykroyd confirmed that a ‘secret’ sequel was in the works.

“I think we have a story that’s going to work and it’s being written right now by really good filmmakers. I can’t say their names,” the actor told host Dan Rather. “They’re a good team and they are making an effort to bring back all the emotion and spirit of the first two movies and then take it into the 21st century with a vernacular that’s needed today to get it across.”

Bill Murray is the only original Ghostbuster to not publicly comment on the sequel.

Sony says the movie will drop in the summer of 2020. Watch the teaser below.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/ghostbusters-sequel-confirmed-ernie-hudson-responds-watch-first-trailer/

*Soulja Boy hit up “The Breakfast Club” this week where he popped off about why Meek Mill is receiving all the praise for having the biggest comeback of the year rather than himself. The conversation became quite amusing when he also accused Drake of ripping him off, claiming he taught the Canadian singer/rapper “everything he knows.”

Watch his hilarious reaction in the clip above.

When Soulja is told Drake is “the biggest rapper in the world”, he jumps up from his chair and rants about how he is responsible for Drake’s success.

“Draaake?” he says in disbelief. “The n**** that got bodied by Pusha T? The n**** that’s hiding his kid from the world, but the world won’t hide from the kid. Aubrey Graham in the wheelchair?

“Drake?! Y’all n****s better stop playing with me in here. Y’all talking about the light-skinned n**** from [Degrassi]?

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Chris Rock Tells Academy Not to Call Him to Host Oscars

*You’d think that a pastor’s life would entail living the quiet life which is devoid of all lavish possessions. All they’d do is spread the word of the Bible and hold sermons for those who would love to hear the Word of God.

In Nigeria, however, pastors may be doing all of the above – except they have quite the lavish life. Let’s not ask why, but dig into how. Pastors in Nigeria take 10 percent of the earnings from their entire congregations. How large is this percentage? Well, these pastors have fleets of yellow cars which have their own tailored license plates and are flanked with their entourage at all times. Some would even say that these pastors are coming to be known as nationwide celebrities.

All of this is only possible if you are a “prosperity preacher.” These pastors, if you didn’t already know, believe that their growth in spirituality can only be brought forward with the help of material prosperity. How though? By focusing their sermons on buying a Bentley instead of helping their neighbor, of course!

Prosperity preaching was a huge deal in America in the ‘50s through the 80s, and this is exactly where Nigeria got its inspiration. Somewhere in the early 1990s, prosperity preaching seemed like a great idea in Nigeria but there is one main difference among the two. The churches here are much more charismatic, colorful, and louder as opposed to America. Well, why wouldn’t they? The Word of God seems to be a huge deal in Nigeria.

Since the Nigerian society is fairly conservative and tight-knit, nobody has ever questioned the pastors. In Nigeria, the men of God work in a manner of hierarchies, where those on top of the hierarchy command the greatest respect. Alongside this respect, prosperity preaching involves wearing the most expensive clothes, having a garage-full of nice cars, roaming around with an entourage of well-dressed body guards, and enjoying all the perks of a 21^st century millionaire.

That being said, no one can be entirely be sure whether the followers of these millionaire pastors achieve prosperity. One thing is for sure though, until they can make people believe in the link between money and being looked after by God, the prosperity of these pastors is definite. So if you visit Nigeria, don’t be surprised by pastors rolling in a fleet of yellow hummers on a Sunday!

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/nigerias-many-mega-millionaire-prosperity-preachers-video/

*Now, we have to state up front that we don’t know the full story of what happened before we saw this big ass white man reach across the counter and assault a small black female McDonald’s worker, but we do know we saw him strike her first.

The video post above shows a McDonald’s employee, Yasmine James,  in St. Petersburg, Florida being assaulted by a customer – Daniel Willis Taylor, 40, of Clearwater, Florida – over what appears to be an order that went left.

Check out the video above. You see Taylor reaching across the counter and grabbing James who had taken his order. After he pulls her down on the counter, she fights back and attempts to break free from his grip.

“I am sick of seeing footage of men assault Women (often Black Women) and no one does anything about it. This conditioning contributes to the narrative that we are undeserving of protection and mark my words: it’s reaching a peak and turning into an invitation for our abuse,” reads one top Twitter response.

We’re not sure what the other (male) workers were thinking as they didn’t immediately come to the female worker’s aid. Finally, however, one of the males did step up and intervene and separate the two. However, it should be noted that the white guy/customer was allowed to stay in the restaurant as if he did nothing. Meanwhile, the young female was sent home. and later fired.

What’s also noticeable is that someone who might be the manager proceeded to walk over to the customer and checks his order to see what might have gone wrong. When the employee involved in the encounter, walked back over in the direction of the counter, the customer points to her and tells the manager  “I want her ass fired, right now!”

“No, you’re going to jail!” the Black woman yells back.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/big-ass-white-man-attacks-small-black-female-mcdonalds-worker-manager-watches-look/

*The world can see how the black community in America tends to fail from time to time. Even though the black community has faced oppression in the past, they have significant opportunities in modern times. Despite these opportunities, they keep finding ways to squander their possibilities and liberties- things for which their forefathers gave up their lives.

Some cycles and stereotypes the African-American community needs to change include the following.

1.     Sexual Promiscuity

The black community has come to be known as the leader in terms of existing and new kinds of HIV infections. Whether we are speaking about homosexuals or heterosexuals in the community, these individuals need to be educated to become more responsible.

2.     Children Out of Wedlock

Even though this claim is brash, but this particular concern was found to statistically account for about 70% of children in the black community. Even if this concern could be lived with, single-parenthood is not something a community should be aspiring for.

3.     Fear of Commitment

Very closely linked to the previous problem, the fear of commitment is also quite common in the black community. If you really think about it, it is quite impossible to revitalize the community without commitment and setting a standard for family structure.

4.

Fear of Commitment

Education has been known to be an element that unlocks endless doors. This is why education is something that should be valued above all else in the black community. People in the community need to set themselves in a manner to build a whole career instead of simply holding a menial job.

5.     Excessive Cursing

Cursing excessively is a sign of the inability to articulate. If an individual uses curse words to simply prove their point, they seem ignorant and dimwitted. People in the black community should, therefore, look into this issue and use real words in order to be heard.

6.     Adornment of Ignorance

There is absolutely nothing wrong with speaking the correct form of English, having high levels of self-respect, and getting good grades. This does not mean that someone is ‘acting white.’ In fact, this should be the new ‘acting black!’

7.     Intra-Racial Discrimination

Our community also consists of a broad spectrum of colors, which is why we should also be careful about the placement of one color over the other. If we get rid of divisiveness, we are a force to be reckoned with.

It will take a combination of behavioral changes and renewed thinking in order to beautifully reshape our community. Yes, some of our brother, sisters, fathers, or mothers perpetuated these cycles. But you know what they say – a change starts with just one.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/7-unacceptable-cycles-black-people-have-to-change-to-move-forward-video/

*Here’s the jobs report from December. U.S. employers added 312,000 positions last month and in the process, extremely out paced Wall Street’s expectations of an increase of “only” 177,000 jobs. The low expectation came on the heels of a tumultuous month for the markets that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 post their worst performance since the Great Depression.

The unemployment rate rose to 3.9 percent, while the labor force participation rate also rose slightly to 63.1 percent from 62.9 percent during the month. Average hourly earnings meanwhile rose by 11 cents to $27.48. Over the year, average hourly earnings have increased by a total of 84 cents, or about 3.2 percent.

Although experts categorized the gains as unsustainable, they also said it meant an economic recession may not occur as soon as once believed.

“The U.S. economy will eventually fall into recession, maybe as soon as next year, but the December employment report indicates that this isn’t going to happen anytime soon,” said David Berson, the chief economist at Nationwide.

*The name Solomon ‘RC’ Ali might seem obscure to you right now, but if you’re at the high end of technology and use your phone as a means to lock or unlock the door to your house, his name should ring a bell. Pun intended. You’ve seen the commercials: A FEDEX, UPS, or Amazon delivery person rings your doorbell. You’re not home, but your phone, and its camera, alerts you that someone is there. “May I help you?” you ask. “I have a delivery,” is the response. At this point you can unlock your door, allow them to place the package inside, and lock the door when they leave.

Thing is: you’re in Tahiti. Something they will never know!

What about this scenario: Porch pirates! Someone rolls up on a bike and decides to help themselves to the packages left on your porch. Having the right technology would at least allow you to see who the culprit was.

Revolutionary Concepts, one of Solomon Ali’s two companies, owns the intellectual property as well as the patents to this technology. In fact, Ali, who has been listed multiple times in Black Enterprise Magazine’s “Top 100 Black American Entrepreneurs” currently holds sixteen live and active patents that his company licenses out to retailers including Amazon, Livewatch Security LLC, Alarmforce NC Inc. and SkyBell.

…and that’s just to name a few.

FUNK LEGEND BOOTSY COLLINS REVEALS REASON WHY HE CAN NO LONGER PLAY LIVE CONCERTS

In a telephone interview with EURweb publisher, Lee Bailey, Mr. Ali talks about his journey and his desire to help African American entrepreneurs and business owners bring their ideas and concepts to fruition.

“Revolutionary Concepts is just a company that I manage…I’m the CEO. The Intellectual Properties that it holds is 2-way audio/video locking and unlocking of the doors. That’s the technology. We hold a bunch of different patents for that particular technology. We license that technology out to all types of companies… a bunch of different licensees (and) sub-licensees.”

So that’s one company.

Ali also heads the company Universal Bio Energy, an independent diversified energy company incorporated in August 2004. Reuters states the company’s primary business is the production, marketing, and sales of natural gas, propane, coal, petroleum, (Bonnie Light Crude Oil), liquefied natural gas (LNG), refined petroleum products, including jet fuel (JP-54 and Jet A-1), D2 Gas Oil/Diesel Fuel, and electricity. Through its subsidiary, NDR Energy Group LLC, it has contracts to sell natural gas to around 31 public utilities, electric power producers and local gas distribution companies that serve commercial, industrial, and residential customers throughout the United States.

“I raised and arranged lots of financing for that company to grow its business,” Ali tells Lee Bailey when speaking of UBE. “It’s a $60-70 million dollar energy company. That’s approximately what we did in sales last year.

…and check this:

A panel on the popular investment TV show, Shark Tank, had denied the video-doorbell when it was pitched to them in 2013. You know they are kicking themselves…still.

But I am getting ahead of myself here. Let’s backup a minute, shall we?

Sure Solomon Ali holds major degrees from esteemed universities. But from his conversation with Mr. Bailey, it’s easy to sense his most valuable and appreciated lessons came from The School of Hard Knocks; where one particular hard knock inspired him to make two drastic, personal changes. One: shed his birth name (Richard Carter) like a layer of old skin, and two: change his ways — from a self-titled “dictator” to a more peaceful and compassionate person.

He explains…“Well, I was running a fairly large business. We had just under 500 employees and we were doing quite a bit in revenue. All of a sudden, after many years of being in business, I had some regulatory issues which later they stated, ‘Well, we’re sorry. That was a mistake. And those mistakes are very costly to one in business because they don’t pay you for those mistakes. All they can say is ‘we’re sorry’ and turn around and tell you that you have the right to sue them. Well it’s kind of hard to sue a government agency and it takes a lot to sue one, and it also takes a lot of time….So the apology was enough, since I really didn’t have the resources to go after them.”

Ouch!

Mr. Ali believes the problems came about because, as he puts it, “some people wanted more money and a bigger stake in the company.”

ELLEN DEGENERES GETTING FIERCE BACKLASH AFTER DEFENDING KEVIN HART DURING INTERVIEW – VIDEO

Cut to the chase: He lost the business — a chain of successful nursing homes, with assets valued at $100M dollars, and subsequently spiraled into a spell of depression, which forced him to self-reflect. A man of deep Christian faith he started to entertain thoughts such as, when I was on top running my multi-million-dollar business, how did I treat my employees? What kind of boss was I?

 He wasn’t pleased with what he saw. In his eyes it didn’t reflect the Christian way. He realized these people have families. They have their own lives.

“After I lost that I turned around and walked on some barges. I didn’t want anything to do with business whatsoever. At all! Under no circumstances because I felt like, “Wow, I did everything right. I did everything I was supposed to do. I’d worked 7 days a week, 15, 16 hours a day for 8, 9 years only to have that to be the outcome through no fault of my own.”

Fortunately, and thanks to friends who had witnessed his business savvy up close, Ali didn’t have the “luxury” of remaining depressed. Business needed him! Friends started asking for his help to raise money for their ventures. They wanted him to share his expertise on how to go about taking their idea(s) to the monetizing stage.

After a bit of resistance, he agreed to negotiate with lenders on their behalf and share his expertise on building a presentable package, but made sure they knew that they would have to do the heavy lifting.

He tells Lee Bailey:

“So I guess what we’re talking about is how do I help other entrepreneurs or business owners take their idea from where it is and take it through the different stages to developing a true business that’s scalable. How do we take it to a business that they can live on, with employees, and have it benefit our society?”

“I think the best way to go into that is to state that when I look into a business or anything, I look at what service or problem have they solved? Take it from a biblical standpoint,” he adds.

Clearly, Solomon Ali’s vision going in is not only how the business will benefit a particular company, but what does it do to benefit society. This is how he assists minorities in particular and all business owners in general, in upgrading their business models. With his expertise businesses are now able to secure their intellectual properties, raise funding, form strategic alliances, bring their products to market and make them scalable.

At the end of the day, Solomon ‘RC’ Ali wants entrepreneurs and business owners out there to know this: “You would find me when you are looking to grow your business. How do you strategically grow your business within the marketplace? And then second, you would look for me to help you arrange financing through either banks or different investors. Bringing them to the table and sharing with them why they should invest and things of that nature.

Ali states further, something extremely important; and something this writer and many of you have cringe-watched on Shark Tank pitches time and again. “A lot of business owners have no idea of what they should give up. Whether they should do what’s called an Equity deal with investors, whether they should do a Debt deal with banks or investors? Some that think they may know, they realize they have no idea what they should give up.”

Ali lays out an all-too-familiar scenario…

“You go to a venture capital company and what do they do? They want to take controlling interest in everything because it’s their capital. So, I’m kind of that buffer,” he says. “One: You have to respect the money, because they bring great value to the table, and if you respect the money you’ll have access to more money down the road. And two, you have to understand what the money is looking to get in your deal, but also as their exit out of your deal. So, they are looking for a particular return on capital, they’re also looking for that return on investment. Things of that nature. So let’s break it down”: They are looking to the net present value…how long do they have to be ‘in’ before they see a return, and how do they get out? Is this a safe venture for them? How is their money protected?”

It is precisely this kind of expertise that Solomon ‘RC’ Ali uses to bridge the gap. With his assist, the entrepreneur is educated on how to build an all-around package that can be presented to a bank or investor with confidence.

For more information on Solomon ‘RC’ Ali, his companies Revolutionary Concepts and Universal Bio Energy, go to at https://www.solomonrcali.info/

About writer DeBorah B. Pryor:

Former personal assistant to funk legend, Sly Stone, DeBorah B. Pryor began her journalism career backstage at the Apollo in New York City 45 years ago. She has been a writer with the Electronic Urban Report (EURweb) since 2003. As a senior editor with the site, she has written hundreds of articles including theatre reviews, features, profiles and even served as editor of the publications’ blog site, EURThisNthat, writing daily news articles. In May 2018 her first nonfiction book, AREN’T YOU SCARED: Lessons from a Lady Rideshare Driver was published. Learn more about her at lessonsfromaladyridesharedriver.com or on social media sites Facebook: DeBorah B. Pryor, Instagram: deborah.b.pryor and Twitter: @pryor_deborah

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/solomon-rc-ali-biz-wiz-helps-entrepreneurs-and-business-owners-get-a-seat-at-the-table/

*We know R. Kelly is straight up dog, but he ain’t got nothing on this POS. His name is Nicholas Deon Trash er, Thrash. Nicholas Deon Thrash. He reportedly got a 10-year old girl pregnant after molesting her multiple times. Yes, you read that right. He impregnated a 10-year-old girl  after molesting her numerous times!  The good news, which is how we choose to look at it, is that he’s been sentenced to over 100 years in prison. Thrash, 34, will live the rest of his life behind bars.

Thrash, who is from Marion, Indiana, was sentenced to 160 years with a minimum service of 132 years, as per the Grant County prosecutor. During his trial in late August, Thrash was found guilty on 10 counts of child molestation.

LA CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS CALL FOR STEVIE WONDER’S KJLH/102.3FM TO BOYCOTT R. KELLY MUSIC!

Thrash initially told the jury that the victim lied and had other “sex cases,” but a paternity test proved that there was a 99.9999 percent probability that Thrash was the father of the baby the victim gave birth in September 2017 at the age of 11. Later on, he claimed that he never molested the girl and it was the girl’s mother, his girlfriend Jennifer Lynn Hand, who inseminated the girl using his sperm.

(What?! This creep actually thought someone was going to believe that?)

Meanwhile, the unidentified victim, testified that Thrash molested her at least 15 times over many months in 2016 and 2017. The jury believed her testimony.

That’s not all. Thrash’s girlfriend is also facing charges in connection with the case, which includes neglect, aiding in child molesting, and assisting a criminal. She allegedly knew that her daughter was pregnant when she was trying on dresses for school dance but she did not report it to the authorities and made false claims that it was a classmate who impregnated her.

Source Link: hhttps://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/nicholas-deon-thrash-sentenced-to-160-years-for-impregnating-10-yr-old-girl/

*Are white people capable of understanding the plight of the African-American community? This question usually revolves around in the mind of well-meaning white people,  but they never know what to do next. Naturally, this is a difficult stance given the 200 years of oppression the African-American community had to endure.

Well, any black person will advise white people to form an authentic connection or an understanding with them first. This could also mean empathizing with them to the extent that white people can see the world through the eyes of a black person.

That being said, it is also important to understand why so many among the white community are completely oblivious to the black experience. Imagine yourself in the place of a white person who has a black friend, coworker, or neighbor. These people will find no problem in sitting together and kicking back a few beers, but bringing out the piñata of multiculturism can be really awkward. They will never talk about how they can’t find a dermatologist who advertises his/her expertise in terms of brown skin. Nor will they ever mention their last experience of discrimination.

Talking about race issues makes everyone uncomfortable – not just well-meaning white people. Most will launch into political rants, some will bristle and some may simply nod along, while others will be stunned into silence or just change the subject. This is exactly why almost every individual in the black community has learned not to bring up race issues in a social circle. The typical message they receive upon doing so is that they should never do so again.

So we’re back to our very first point. How can a white person really understand what a black person goes through? Naturally, social distance isn’t an option as it clearly perpetuates withdrawal, suspicion, and a broken system of pain. The good news, however, is that white and black people can always learn to understand one another. It will take an amount of care, effort, and patience on both ends. It won’t be easy, but it will definitely be worth it.

What should a white person expect from such a relationship? What do black people really want? We want you to understand all the harm that is caused by discrimination. We want you to embrace all the cultural differences and simply tolerate them. We want you to celebrate our strengths and beauty. We want you to cry with us whenever hatred and racism wins.

We want to be able to connect with you as both – different and the same.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/can-a-white-person-understand-the-black-experience-watch/

*We hear constantly, that the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is upon us. It can often seem all around us: Siri, Alexa, Google Home, Alpha Go. And yes there’s a lot of hyperbole, noise, in the air. A close observer, however, is compelled to acknowledge that there is also a clear signal in the air and that signal is rapidly growing in intensity.

Let’s quickly cover some basics. There’s Machine Learning (ML) and then there’s Artificial Intelligence (AI). ML is often referred to as supervised learning, which requires significant human involvement. More of the former exist in the world today, than the latter. A ML agent, or algorithm, has to be fed hordes of data and not in any mish-mash way. It then essentially scours through the mountains in search of insightful patterns, and needles in the haystack. Cynics are quick to point out that ML doesn’t have the wit of a toddler, in figuring out nuances and unspoken rules.

The quest is not only for magnificent data crunchers, but also for ‘reasoners’ who can form knowledge synapses on their own. Who, with less data, can begin to see and understand more on their own. (The Latin root ‘intelligere’ does means to understand.) The ‘on their own’ part is serious business and unveils a state of existence never before known; only imagined.

Along The Way

Though we are not ‘there’, one would be wise to understand that where we are can itself be breathtaking. If we fully grasp our now, we realize the very fabric of society is being rewoven. Consider this example.

There is a reservoir of information, experience, processes that give foundation to the practice of medicine. Though it is a dynamic body of knowledge, it shifts slowly as it is moved from one generation of humans to the next. This fact defines both it’s strengths and limitations.

What if what is known by 105,000 physicians, who had treated hundreds of millions of patients, was to be distilled; that is copied from human gray matter into digital matter? Would less be known? Would the veracity of it be somehow diminished? The answers are no and

1. Moving further: would the helpfulness of the knowledge be as dependable and effective? Via digital matter, would it be more readily (and cost effectively) accessible? The answers are yes and yes.

The above scenario does indeed exists, as Dr. AI; created by Silicon Valley based HealthTap. The implications are clear, aren’t they? Humans are no longer the sole holders of knowledge. As the saying goes: “if you didn’t know, now you know.”

Many Minds, Along With Digital Minds, Are Better

It’s been a long held human notion, that many minds are better than one. Look at where that has actually brought us. 105,000 physician-minds are surely better than one. Imagine if, and when, that number doubles or triples. And yes, add in the eventual digital mind (AI) into the mix and we’ll be squarely within a new model of knowing and leveraging what is known.

Envision the above model being duplicated and pointed toward addressing cancer and initially more specifically cancer among African Americans.

Disease in general, and cancer in particular, can often be a ‘head in the sand’ phenomenon. Something that is more easily put to the back of the mind, or sidestepped with wishful thinking. For example, about not being one of the 198 persons each and every hour who are diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. alone.

One thing that is known though, is that individuals will-in the privacy of their own home or phone-seek “Dr. Google”. More than 10 billion symptom related searches are conducted each year via Google. So significant is this matter, that it has helped birth a new discipline (Information Epidemiology or Infodemiology). In a digital age, people will seek health insight through a keyboard, and increasingly an actual verbal query (think Alexa, Google Home, Siri). This is a multi-faceted public health opportunity. On one hand, what people are thinking, feeling and wanting to know in reference to cancer can be examined. On the other hand, qualitative, peer-reviewed, experience driven information can be made available to a searching public.

We Need You, Yes You

If you’re reading this 1,000 Word segment, most likely you’re a medical professional in the field of oncology, a cancer researcher or cancer public advocate. You can help us in our quest to build an Oncology Virtual Expert Resource (OVER) for the African American community. Every day, in the midst of what you do, you hear, see and learn about how cancer affects humans and their response to the same. That is knowledge that can help drive better public awareness, address understandable fears of alienation and being overwhelmed and help us bridge persons and families to solid, trustworthy information on cancer.

Building OVER isn’t the work of a small circle. It’s a call for many minds, bolstered by best of breed knowledge-technology. Think Wikipedia meets AI. We need mind-hands that will help us aggregate the following (with proper citations and/or attribution):

• the most frequently asked questions raised by those with cancer, or family members and friends with loved ones fighting cancer
• the most essential ‘should know’ facts / insights for African Am’s facing/fighting cancer
• insight nuggets from the field (i.e., research, treatment, therapies, public policy)
• support strategies for friends, families, co-workers, neighbors, service providers

This list is not definitive. We’re open to suggestions. What does the most robust, intelligent knowledge-base on African Americans and cancer look like? Your thoughts?

To get started, this is what we need you to know and to do:

<> We use What’s App as our primary communication channel. If you’re already on it, add 312-982-9779 (1000 Words) to your phone’s contact base and ping us w/ What’s App (Identify yourself, your profession and who referred you to this project.)

<> If you’re not on What’s App, please download / install it and follow the above instructions.

We look forward to your spirited involvement.

Respond to Rafiki Cai: rafikicai@gmail.com

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/1000-words-melding-of-mind-and-machine-segment-2/

*January 15, 1929: In the Sweet Auburn community of Atlanta, GA, at 501 Auburn Ave, the second child of Rev. Martin L. King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King made his way into this life. The world would come to know him as Martin L. King, Jr, the Nobel Prize winning Drum Major for Peace.

It is well documented that MLK packed high achievements into his short 39 years. Even so, there is so much that is not known and appreciated about his mind, his work and his life. This lapse indeed represents a significant social loss. To know the deeper depths, and finer points, of King’s social philosophy and the challenges he faced is an education in and of itself. It is one that may go a long way, in helping to cultivate an ongoing public conversation about collective values and their inherent call to civic engagement and activism if necessary.

King In An Instagram World

One of the most difficult-yet critical- of all human endeavors, is the baton passing from one generation to the next; of beacons holding the greatest capacity for lighting the way forward. Part of this social. Part of this is technical. Each generation does not always see through the glass in the same way. Tastes can change. Sensitivities can shift. Virtues can be rewritten.

Atop of that, though it’s not always obvious, mediums and interfaces can change; limiting access to facts, accounts, lessons and insights. How much information is trapped in the tombs of crumpling paper, or microfilm, reel-to-reel tape or VHS? Unsearchable. Unknowable.

Though our age has put the fossil-medium conundrum behind, hurdles of our own still exist. We have an unified medium (the Internet), and it may produced zettabytes of data, but that in and of itself represents an accessible and unfathomable forest. One result is that varying demographic groups encamp in particular sub-divisions of this cyberverse. One population in Facebook. Another in Twitter. Yet another in Instagram. One in Drudge and Fox Land.

Another in Guardian and Viceville. Each with clear preferences and distinct methods for consuming information. When there is something of common importance to all of these, how does one go about reaching the whole? 120 characters? Photo or video clips? Live stream?

Expressed another way: how can we speak, substantively, of Martin L. King, Jr. to all?

Questions And Voice..

Achieving the complex can often require leveraging the simple.

Case in point: questions engage and hook the mind. Period. This is reflected in the age old popularity of trivia, in its various forms: Jeopardy, HQ Trivia, Trivia Night events. Questions create opportunities for learning. When that process is gamified, the learning all the better; driven by an opportunity compete, to shine, to win.

Next point: voice is the easiest interface. In times past, the primitive level of our computer technology framed how we interacted with them and the power they represent. Very few will remember punch cards, but in fact they were the method for expressing commands to computer systems. A big step forward was the arrival of simple command line entry. Then the wondrous mouse and Graphic User Interface (GUI): “click the icon on the screen”. The next plateau on the horizon is the Voice User Interface. No need to move a finger, just speak.

Yes, Alexa, Cortana, Google Home and Siri represent the first born of this era.

When you think about it, it makes sense. A voice web requires no screen and frees you up from having to focus on a keyboard. “Just speak.” Now let’s connect our two points together and we get Voice Trivia. An ability to hear questions spoken and speak your answers in return, a form of conversational learning if you will. So, interesting and compelling questions about the mind, work and life of MLK gamified, as a means to cultivating interest in his importance then and now. The latest in technology meets an age old human proclivity.

And The Hive

The arrival of the voice web does not remove the human mind from the heart of the trivia enterprise. (At least not yet.) Though it is now easier to create and play subject trivia, the heavy lift of creating the questions still rest on human shoulders. For now. The power of the collective homo sapien intellect, the Swarm, the Hive, yet reigns.

Which brings us finally to what we’re up to.

In honor of 90 years since Dr. King’s birth, we want to compile 90 of the most magnetic questions and answer sets about him. Points of engagement that will show us how little we may really know, about one of the most iconic lives of the 20th century and the movement that it helped to catalyze.

Here’s a quick sample (No cheating by looking on the web, or asking Google Home):

<> What was the first book Dr. King authored?

<> What was the last book that he authored?

<> How many books in total did he, himself pen?

Ah, you’ve caught a taste of it. Is your mind hooked? Do you not only want to know the answers (if you already didn’t), but did other questions rush to mind on their own?

We need you to in The Hive. That simply means you will:

1. research and craft (with proper citation- web URLs are fine) 1-3 question and answer sets on the mind, work and life of Dr. Martin L. King,
2. you will submit the question(s) to us via What’s App (1,000 Words: 312-982-9779)
3. you will recruit one to three other persons, to the same as you have done

As We Lift

The light of what is best among us shines, to the degree that we amplify it by lifting up. We can do this in creative and engaging ways, such as MLK Voice Trivia.

Respond to Rafiki Cai: rafikicai@gmail.com

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/1000-words-mlk-jr-would-be-90-years-old-segment-3/

*During an appearance on the “Tonight Show” Tuesday, Michelle Obama spoke about going to marriage counseling to “fix” her husband, former President Barack Obama — but the experience turned out to be a personal eye-opener.

The forever first lady also noted the importance of her sharing the story in her new memoir “Becoming” because she wants “young people to know that marriage is work.”

Hear her explain it via the clip above.

*Meghan Markle reportedly held a secret “power meeting” with Michelle Obama to discuss  “shared” causes, including promoting girls education around the world.

The dynamic duo met Monday night in London, while the former First Lady was in town to promote her new memoir, “Becoming.”

Per the Standard:

A friend who was also at the event said Meghan “had a long private audience with Michelle. They spoke at length about the importance of supporting and empowering women across all cultures and communities. They also talked about shared experiences of pregnancy and raising children, plus shared causes including girls’ education.”

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This encounter comes fresh off the advice the forever FLOTUS publicly shared with the newest member of the Royal Family.

“Like me, Meghan probably never dreamt that she’d have a life like this, and the pressure you feel — from yourself and from others — can sometimes feel like a lot,” Obama said in Good Housekeeping’s January issue. “So my biggest piece of advice would be to take some time and don’t be in a hurry to do anything.”

Obama previously recalled the protocol that she was told to follow when she and Barack Obama made their last official visit to Windsor Castle in 2016. The couple was told they were going to land at the castle in Marine One and then be driven by the Queen, according to the British Press Association.

*Michelle Obama spoke about her style choices as first lady during a sold-out sit-down with “Sex and the City” star Sarah Jessica Parker as part of her “Becoming” book tour Wednesday night.

But it wasn’t what she said that’s got folks blowing up social media, it’s the $4,000 sequin Balenciaga thigh-high boots she slayed in to close out the tour at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn.

“All other boots are cancelled,” Cosmopolitan magazine declared.

“Naturally, Michelle dressed up for the occasion, and when I say ‘dressed up’ I mean she rendered all other lewks irrelevant thanks to a pair of sparkly gold thigh-high boots worth almost $4,000,” wrote Mehera Bonner.

“RIP my shoe collection because all other boots are dead to me.”

Mrs. Obama paired the jaw-dropping over-the-knee boots with a striking yellow Balenciago dress. One Twitter user wrote: “Michelle Obama got my social media feeds ablaze with those fire ass thigh high boots. She inspires women on so many levels and I’m here for this kind.”

Another said: “When I die, please project these blessed images of Michelle Obama’s boots on my tombstone”

Michelle explained to SJP that, as first lady, she knew the clothes she wore would be discussed.

Leave it to the orange a-hole in the White House to screw up a child’s belief in Santa Claus. Yep, the words that came out of President Trump‘s mouth challenged a 7-year-old child who apparently dares to still believe in Santa Claus.

On Christmas Eve, Dump, er Trump and FLOTUS  Melania were on the phone taking NORAD (North American Air Defense Command) calls Trump asked the youngster if he still believed in Santa. It seems the kid said he did, and Trump responded, “At 7 it’s marginal, right?”

It was just the other day that Trump was sitting in the White House … alone after the government shut down over the budget crisis. He had planned to spend the holiday at Mar-a-Lago.

Oh waell. Guess who’s fault that is. No Christmas in Mar-A-Lago for you!

If you’re keeping track, this is the first time Trump has appeared in public since the shutdown (he ordered) began 3 days ago.

Meanwhile, onthe other side of the country, Sean Diddy Combs and his twin daughters posed for a sweet Christmas pic, showing the strength of their family bond in the wake of the terrible tragedy that befell them, reports TMZ.

Diddy and 12-year-old twins Jessie James and D’Lila Star mugged for the camera. Diddy’s words … “L O V E MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS.”

As you no doubt recall, the twins’ mom, 47-year-old Kim Porter, died last month at her L.A. home. She had been battling the flu, although cause of death is still pending.

Also last month, the family held an elaborate funeral in Columbus, Georgia, where hundreds of people showed up to mourn and support the family.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/trumps-response-to-child-saying-he-still-believes-in-santa-is-trumpian-watch/

*Kanye West has recently decided to bring his fashion to the world of controversial politics – even though no one really asked him to do so. He still went ahead and designed some t-shirts which were meant to urge African-Americans to go ahead and leave the Democratic Party by branding them with the words, “Blexit.”

As far as the brand name of this ‘campaign’ goes, it brings about something very horrible to our minds. The New York Post covered the launch of these shirts as they appeared at the Young Black Leadership Conference’s Turning Point that was held in Washington D.C. This is where the Communications Director at Turning Point was quoted as saying that he was blessed to be a part of Blexit and the renaissance that it brought forward.

The Director of Talking Point also came forward to say that Kanye West has taken some very bold steps to take America into a conversation that was much needed. That being said, the Blexit website has also notified its readers that it aims to impact all the freethinkers in the country so they could release themselves from all kinds of political orthodoxy.

Even though Blexit sounds more like the sounds a dying sheep may make, you may relate this word to a completely different type of renaissance – a more abominable one! As many users on the Breitbart website found, Blexit is apparently a national movement of sorts that wants people to awaken to the truth. It is a movement which is aimed at targeting those people who support leftist political parties and candidates. Now this movement asks them the question, “What does this allegiance have to show for it?”

Apparently the ‘explanation’ of the campaign was received well, but the designs were what really got people riled up. As some tweets suggested, people called the campaign designs horrendous, and that it portrayed something very wrong at first glance. But why were people confused?

The shirts in this ‘Yeezy’ special collection have the words ‘Blexit’ emblazoned across the chest. The campaign website says that Kanye is involved in the campaign directly, but Kanye refused to comment on these views complete. We supposed the cellular reception in his tree house may be a little weak, or maybe he’s just being his usual self.