| Author | Message | ||
     Troy "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Troy Post Number: 163 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
Original Email: Advertise all/more books of men who died for our current successes and lives, and the women that sacrificed for them, than the books you do of a gossipy, hearsay, dramamatic nature. No race of the 'poor' has ever been rescued and blessed for the writing and publication of such insignificant, fictional literature. This is today why, so many of our people are seeking exterior means of feel goods, and our youths are lost in our ancestor's lap of sacrifices. We will always be exterior minded, until we become a more soul searching, spiritually inclined, paying our respects kind of readers. Grocery store love novels are why our women are so used to making bad choices with men, now. Also, they refuse to care for their bodies (exercise, eating) the way 'real men' like their women to. | ||
| Troy "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Troy Post Number: 164 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
Troy's Note:This is also a common theme in emails that I recieve and a frequent topic of discussion on these boards. One thing that people probably don't realize is that the writers of these "grocery store" novels are doing more hustling to hawk their books than the authors of a more "respectable" genre. This more aggressive self promotion is reflected on our best seller's lists, and the advertising that is sold on our homepage. While there are a many good, new books out there that speak about the men (and women) that died and sacrificed for our benefit today. However, the publishers of these books rarely agressively promote these books or advertise on this web site. When you see books like these promoted on AALBC.com; 99 times out of 100 we are promoting it for free. Take a book like The Angel of Harlem by Kuwana Haulsey (Sept 2004); you will find it on our homepage. This is a novel about Dr. May Edward Chinn the first African-American female doctor in New York  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375508708/aalbccom-20/ Randomhouse did not pay to advertise this book on the site. Sure we were sent a copy of it; Thumper loved, and I thought it was important to get the word out about this book. The author was a finalist for the Hurston/Wright Award for her first novel The Red Moon. Haulsey is a brilliant, though relatively obscure talent, that people need to know about. Take an author like, Relentless Aaron (http://authors.aalbc.com/relentless.htm): Relentless will get more attention and sell more books than Kuwana Haulsey because Relentess is a better promoter than of his work than Randonhouse is of Haulsey's. What gets advertised of driven by the author/publisher. Publishers need to do a better job of promoting there important works (read: spend more money adverstising one AALBC.com -- seriously) The books will sell provided people know about them. By the way; don't think, for a split second, I agree with the emailer's assessment of the consequence of reading "grocery store novels". I'm just giving a little insight how advertising of titles work on the web site. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 2076 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
Troy, What's interesting is as I am reading your thread, I also just finished listening to a panel of WHITE professors/intellectuals on C-SPAN II's Book TV complain of the VERY thing that your emailer assails. This is just a BLACK problem...it's an AMERICAN one. | ||
| Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 801 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A |
I don't think it is a problem. One of the illusions that intellectuals entertain is that everyone would read Joyce's Ulysees if only they were exposed to it-- Everybody is exposed to it or can be exposed to it and they reject it. People want to read for escape and they want grocery store novels to do it. Even intellectuals sneak and read these books. Furthermore they are subidizing the publishing of so called "good" works. The people who keep this argument alive are naive at best and intellectual and culturan facists at worst. And there is nothing they can do but carp on the sidelines from their ivory towers and cluttered little attic rooms. | ||
| A_womon "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: A_womon Post Number: 1156 Registered: 05-2004 Rating: N/A |
Chris, Now you know you have told the truth. Because when people weren't reading before "grocery store" novels were written, what was the reason that so called "literary" works weren't being read then? Fact is those who want to read and are true lovers of the written word won't care a fig about whether something is literary or not. They only care if a book is a good read! All of this other stuff is just snobbery and certain people wanting to feel that they are better than others based upon the book they crack open to read... | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 2098 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
Chris/A_womon, I agree that reading (outside of the primary/secondary educational level) should be mostly democratic, that we should be free to read whatever suits us. However, we are living in a world that is shrinking, and in the process, appears to be growing ever more perilous. And as our interests merge/conflict/clash with those of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Far East, I think it behooves us all to expand our sphere of reference, which is often best achieved via reading. So I don't advocate reading literature just for the sake of such. But if that which some might deemed 'literary' allows us to better understand and react to what's going on, it should be included within our reading repertoire, along with the "grocery store novels". Because I think one could effectively argue the troubles we are currently suffering, particularly with respect the war/terrorism and the presidential election, are largely the product of lazy/myopic thinking, which is partly due to what we are, and are not, reading. | ||
| Rustang Regular Poster Username: Rustang Post Number: 43 Registered: 04-2005 Rating: N/A |
I don't think that it would be fair to blame all of the problems in society on books that are shallow and poorly written.I would agree with Abm that many of the problems we face are the direct result of the intellectual laziness which permeates our society.When the president of the united states says on nation-wide television "I don't read" and nobody even blinks we have a problem.Classical literature is never going to have the same draw as Harlequin romances because because the former places far more demands on the reader than the latter.My daughter never did get around to reading The Scarlet Letter even though,by the time she graduated from college she had written three papers on it,all of which received an A.I do think that the intellegentsia could make their works a little more attractive to the general public without having the content suffer,though.When I see in the reviews things like "a scholarly work" I read "difficult reading purely for the sake of being a difficult read". A perfect example of this would be Bertrand Russell's The Problems of Philosophy.The concepts expressed in the book are just not that complicated but it is written is such a ponderous and verbose style that it will put a person to sleep quicker than a shot to the head with a shovel.He was clearly a brilliant man,one of the twentieth century's truly great thinkers,but in this book he seemed to take his cue from Kant as far style goes.I'm not saying that writers should dumb it down for the herd,but I see no reason why even the most complicated of subjects,drawing the subtlest of distinctions,can't flow smoothly and have a little more snap to them.I've always felt that the best way to get a kid to read A Tale of Two Cities is to rip the first 150 pages out of it.While it is not very manly to be seen reading Wuthering Heights,I do think that many kids can easily relate to living in a house where everybody in it has their own special blend of crazy as hell.The point of all of this being that,if we as parents are a little more selective about our recommendations for reading,we might be able to get our kids to turn the idiot box off for a little while and actually read a book with some merit.Remind them that they can always tivo The Apprentice and catch it later.Don't you just love hearing some gasbag harangue you with how to solve the ills of the world?  | ||
| Kola_boof "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Kola_boof Post Number: 286 Registered: 02-2005 Rating: |
Rustang, I thought your post made HUGE sense, and you're right. I also agree with both Chris and ABM. Although my own books are literary fiction--I make a conscious effort to have them READ like Pop Fiction books, mainly because I myself can't stand to be BORED when I'm writing it. I have a rule that if you're not hooked by the first page and a half...then you're not going to talk about my book----and if the EDITOR doesn't like the book by PAGE 3, they're not going to publish it (this was an unspoken rule for books by black editors Pre-Terry McMillan days, I learned of the rule by reading Robert Wright and James Baldwin's fued, I still go by this Page 3 rule). "MY PROBLEM" is more the one about readers being lazy and refusing to know new worlds---my subject matter, while engrossing, can be heavy and more difficult than many wish to get wrapped up in. People don't like heavy stuff unless it's ESCAPIST or "romanticized". They don't like it to hit too close to home. We do have a culture in the U.S. where because of VIDEO GAMES and the Remote Control and Music Video---the attention span has been dramatically reduced. People don't like to "work" or "think" too hard. They want instant stimulation, flat out entertainment and to get on to the next thing. Women readers DO prefer to wallow in books that feed their delusional fantasies and mentalities, ie. the Harlequin romance or sex filled page turner. They fully believe in and crave the social prescriptions that expel them, personally. Note: Because my last name comes out with a small "b", I will soon be posting as SNAKE GIRL once again. | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 2267 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
One of the reasons, I try to keep my expository writing short and tight is because I want to make it easy to read, keeping in mind that old rule about words that advises "don't use 2, if one will do." I also appreciate what has been said about brevity being the soul of wit. When it comes to writing fiction, I try to avoid sinking into the pool of "purple prose" a term contemptously applied to long pretensions passages of writing that dengerate into trite cliches. Of course, this is not to put down geniunely talented authors whose gift for using the English language makes reading their work a wonderous excursion into the world of words. Toni Morrison once said something to the effect that being able to navigate the course of convoluted prose is what reading is all about. Easy for her to say, because she has mastered the art of using words to mesmerize. In any case, I can't help but wonder if the days of the printed word are numbered. Does our only hope lie in the future of audio books? | ||
| Kola Moderator Username: Kola Post Number: 1168 Registered: 02-2005 Rating: N/A |
EXCELLENT question, Cynique. These lazy folks and school kids could really get over with AUDIO BOOKS....although I was greatly disappointed by the AUDIO for Morrison's "Song of Solomon", because it left out my FAVE parts of the printed book. I don't like how they leave stuff out. Morrison has SUCH a sexy, beautiful voice. It's so full of flavor and reminds me of the women in my adopted family. Very comforting. I just love to hear her talk! | ||
| Rustang Regular Poster Username: Rustang Post Number: 44 Registered: 04-2005 Rating: N/A |
It's been my experience that if I want my kid to read on a regular basis,I need to get caught reading on a regular basis.People these days seem to view reading as some sort of chore to be avoided at any cost.Kind of sad,really.I could not even begin to explain how thoroughly and profoundly reading has enriched every aspect of my life.I count my raggedy little library as a treasure trove,to which I make additions at every opportunity.This is preaching to the choir here,given the nature of this site,but it's just that I am so very grateful for having been able to share in the experience of someone I've never met because they live on the other side of the planet or have been dead for a thousand years that I do start to preach about it to any and all that will listen. | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 2269 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
Boy, it really shows that I was in a hurry when I posted by on this subject. Sorry for the typos. | ||
| Rustang Regular Poster Username: Rustang Post Number: 45 Registered: 04-2005 Rating: N/A |
Frequently my mind outruns my hands.I hate it when that happens. | ||
| Yvettep "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Yvettep Post Number: 358 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
I love reading, fell in love with reading at an early age. I have different books for different moods. Sometimes I don't mind reading a very difficult book with a big thick dictionary ready at hand. Other times, I can't be bothered. But what I really love more recently are audiobooks. Again, different audiobooks for different moods--and I have not given up on the printed word. But sometimes it is nice, especially the older I get, to be able to close my tired eyes and sit back and allow someone to read to me. Kola, especially if you get digital versions (not tapes or CDs) you can oftn find the full, unabridged versions. There is something especially thrilling and personal about being read to by the author of the book. Having said that, though, it is hard to find a wide variety of digital audio by Black authors. Audible.com is one of my favoritre sites, for example, but it seems they are just all Walter Mosely all the time. There should be nothing stopping writers who own the rights to their works (or who can arrange deals from their sympathetic publishers) from obtaining simple and widely available recording software, recording their own audiobooks, making them available for download on a website, and setting up a payment system through PayPal or something. Slightly related, the Chicago Defender is now offering a weekly audio program as a "podcast"--The first one is on sexual abuse in the Black family and is worth checking out. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 3098 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
While I agree there is a lot of convoluted, verbose literature/writing, there are also a lot of inadequate readers. Thus, although I think literary writers should attempt to pen clear, cogent stories/concepts; I also believe certain issues require the reader to prepare him/herself for a challenge. Audio book will assume greater proportions of certain book genres. But the audio book cannot supplant most of print because it is not as effect a pedagogical tool. Print requires one to be more actively involved than audio, thus the result of traditional reading will be more retainable. | ||
| Yvettep "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Yvettep Post Number: 360 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
ABM, I disagree that print requires more active participation. I think listening carefully requires a different kind of active involvement, one not tapped by reading the written word. I do agree about some genres being more amenable to audio formats than others. One genre I love is what I guess you'd call "popular science." Not being a scholar in the hard sciences myself, I do much better with printed stuff that I can pause, go back over again and again, selectively consult footnotes and other notations, and preferably that also contains drawings and other illustrative material. | ||
| Kola Moderator Username: Kola Post Number: 1190 Registered: 02-2005 Rating: N/A |
Thanks for the INFO Yvette. Actually, I hate listening to a book. I have to turn the pages, laying on my bed with sunlight spilling over my fingers....to really enjoy a book. I love to read. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 3105 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
'Vette, I find what you say about using tapes to study “popular science” interesting. Because I dare you to find a credible professor who would rely primarily upon audiotapes to teach Differential Equations and Thermodynamics. | ||
| Kola Moderator Username: Kola Post Number: 1191 Registered: 02-2005 Rating: N/A |
I agree with ABM. I don't think that the IMPACT I felt reading "Beloved" one night in total peace and quiet---the studying of the pages over and over again; the inhaling of the paragraphs---could be achieved by mere listening to it on tape. You can't play the same sentence over with a tape. Reading "The Bluest Eye" and "The Invisible Man" were so emotional and LIFE-changing....it couldn't have been achieved by mere listening. The problem with listening is that you don't listen.....so that like in Africa, they have to tell you the story OVER and OVER again, for YEARS. I do however LOVE listening to the "spices" in Toni Morrison's voice. She has my Nana's voice, but also a sexy woman's voice. Her voice just captivates me. | ||
| Kola Moderator Username: Kola Post Number: 1192 Registered: 02-2005 Rating: N/A |
And note: Morrison's voice in "interviews" is vastly different from the animated one she dons for READING. | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 2273 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
But we are dealing with the "Virtual Reality" generation, a group used to instant gratification. Young people today have grown up in a world of computers, video games, Ipods, palm pilots, text-messaging cell phones, etc. Audio books fit right into their mind-set, and if they don't read the printed word in the first place, they don't realize what they are missing by opting for the heard word. Along these lines it's also troubling to me what a lost art the mastery of cursive writing is becoming. Nowadays, so many computer-oriented kids print what they put down on paper, doing so in what has been referred to as an Italics style. And my 8-year old grandson cannot immediately tell what time it is on a regular clock because he is so used to a digital one. We are becoming an increasingly mechanized society and the future will undoubtedly reflect this. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 3109 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
Kola, I think the problem with audiotapes is you're more inclined to become distracted be other things than via print reading that by it nature demands more focus and attention. And it is via the focus/attention, the mind is transported to such enthralling, magic places (which is why people seldom enjoy TV/movie versions of their favorite books). I do, think that audiotapes have the potential to be a great complement/aides learning/reading. But I doubt they will ever wholly supplant print reading. | ||
| Yvettep "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Yvettep Post Number: 363 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
I dare you to find a credible professor who would rely primarily upon audiotapes to teach Differential Equations and Thermodynamics. That was my point, exactly. I have to be able to read this stuff. Tho, most prof's still rely primarily on lectures--"live audio"--and many note that young people are unable to pay attention, listen actively, pick out what is important and what is not. Cynique, yes, that is such a trip about cursive and analog clocks! You are so right about that! And I would add lacing shoes, too (velcro). | ||
| Yvettep "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Yvettep Post Number: 364 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
BTW, speaking of audio, I wrote recently about my memories of making "mixtapes"--Anybody old enough to remember those? *wistfully tripping down memory lane* | ||
| Rustang Regular Poster Username: Rustang Post Number: 46 Registered: 04-2005 Rating: N/A |
I would view a math or physics textbook as an entirely different animal from literature,and,consequently,hold them to a different set of standards.Difficult subject matter unavoidably makes for difficult reading and even more difficult,in my case anyway,comprehension.Fictional literature is an artistic expression.I assess that by a very simple set of standards.Was I moved or inspired by it? A work of philosophy by yet another set of standards.Are the premises valid?Is the reasoning sound? Do the conclusions actually follow as the end of the chain of reason.A non-fictional work of a political or social nature is intended,primarily, to inform as many as possible.If the style or language is too difficult for the average person to follow,who is not amazingly bright to begin with,since,by definition,he or she is average,that sort of defeats the whole purpose of writting such a book,doesn't it?Personally,if I go blind,I will learn braille.If my fingertips then go numb,I'll start reading with my elbows.When I no longer have any feeling anywhere,then I will go with audio books.But that's just me. | ||
| Yvettep "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Yvettep Post Number: 372 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
Too bad we also seemed to have lost an appreciation for the art of oral storytelling. Every once in a while I will download one of King's speeches and have it playing in the background while my daughters are playing. It never fails that they stop what they are doing--on their own--and come over to listen for a few minutes when a particular turn of phrase or word rhythm catches their ear. Also, even though they are just 5, I have started reading aloud some long books to them, a chapter or so at bedtime. We just finished "Alice in Wonderland." Lots in it is difficult for them to understand--not just because of the advanced language but because of the British English and language from an earlier time period. But hearing the words, even when they don't understand totally, is absolutely thrilling to them. | ||
| Snakegirl Newbie Poster Username: Snakegirl Post Number: 9 Registered: 05-2005 Rating: N/A |
Yvette----you brought tears to my eyes! That is so wonderful. Kola | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 2276 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
Rustang says: "Personally,if I go blind,I will learn braille.If my fingertips then go numb,I'll start reading with my elbows.When I no longer have any feeling anywhere,then I will go with audio books.But that's just me." Cynique chuckles: Love that analogy! It really conjures up an amusing image; a blind, numb-fingered booklover, indulging in his favorite pass time by reading a braille book with his elbows. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 3114 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
Rustang, Somewhere, out there, Helen Keller is smiling and giggling. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 3115 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
'Vette: "...and many note that young people are unable to pay attention, listen actively, pick out what is important and what is not." ABM: And THAT, My Dear, is why print will prevail over audio...Audio allows the mind to wonder while concurrently deluding it into thinking it's absorbing data. Though one can be distracted while consuming print, the more active/deliberate nature of opening a book and wading through words forces the reader to shun distraction to a greater degree. And THAT's why certain subjects, especially the most difficult sort, are more effectively taught via print. The best lectures introduce, explain, contextualize and provide anecdotal support for what's in print. | ||
| Yvettep "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Yvettep Post Number: 375 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
I came across this: "How to enjoy audiobooks" http://www.lifehacker.com/software/entertainment/how-to-enjoy-audiobooks-105903. php It's worth a read. ABM, I think you may be thinking I am saying I enjoy audiobooks OVER printed books. I do not intend to say that. My first choice is still reading the printed word, on fine paper, preferably in between a nice leather or cloth cover. But I had found that a lot of my reading had slacked off due to me being tired, too busy with family duties, etc. There is nothing like putting on earphones and listening to a good mystery while I am doing drudgery housework. I also was brought up steeped in the oral storytelling tradition, and I love the way the best audiobooks maintain that element. There is also a certain degree of intimacy to hearing authors read their own books--Like I was telling Kola a while back, one book I am listening to is "Graceland" and I could just curl up to Abani's accent and live there: "...He who brrrings ko-laah, brrrings liiiife..." LOL! | ||
| Kola Moderator Username: Kola Post Number: 1209 Registered: 02-2005 Rating: N/A |
Wow Yvette. I loooooove that book of Abani's just because of his explanation of the significance of the "Kolanut" to African peoples. KOLA is our communion on the continent. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 3121 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
I would say that I too would enjoy have a "Kolanut" explained to me. But that would probably be misconstrued. | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 2277 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
Nowadays, college kids all bring along their little tape recorders to lecture halls and rather than taking notes, they record what their professors are expounding on. | ||
| Kola Moderator Username: Kola Post Number: 1215 Registered: 02-2005 Rating: N/A |
HERE ABM: The Jamaica Handook Guide: Kolanut is the seed of a 20 feet high tree that grows in Africa, Jamaica and Brasil (grows 60 to 70 feet in Africa).  Kolanut was the main ingredient in Coca-Cola after cocaine became illegal. If it is still in Coca-Cola is a secret, for sure it's in Pepsi cola. In Jamaica and Brasil kolanut is consumed as a sexual stimulant similar to cocaine.  Kolanut can be chewed before meals to promote digestion and to enhance the taste. Because of the high energy expenditure in the body, Kolanut is used as a way of losing weight. EFFECTS: Kolanut is a strong stimulant. Like coffee, kolanut works stimulating and non-soporific (it keeps you awake). The psychoactive effect however is stronger and different. The power of endurance increases, while it dispels hunger. It also increases concentration, clears the brain, works as a light aphrodisiac and it can raise a 'high'. It boosts your normal capabilities at for instance work, sports, dance and sex.  Because kolanut withdraws energy from the body in many ways, it's also used as a way to lose weight. USAGE: One teaspoon mixed with coffee, tea or hot chocolate gives you a little more spirit. For a real energy kick use 2 teaspoons. With higher doses you won't be able to sit still. You might want to add some honey, because it tastes quite calcereous. Kolanut can be chewed. Adding it to a cold soft drink will also ease up on the taste. You can combine kolanut with guarana . Guarana has almost the same effect, but is milder and less activating. Kolanut enhances the effect of ephedra in a positive way. WARNINGS: The side-effects are similar to those of coffee; restlessness and sleeplessness. Taking kolanut late in the evening might result in not being able to sleep. Long and intensive use can lead to addiction, sleepnessness, nervousness and increased blood pressure. ____________ African people love Kola Nuts. AS CHILDREN--we are given sugared kola nuts as a "snack" to chew and even buy things with. In every part of African culture, all over the continent---the Kola Nut is used as an INTRODUCTION OFFERING---a gesture of welcome and friendship. AFRICANS have a saying: "When you bring the people Kola...you bring the people life." They take very seriously. | ||
| Jmho "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Jmho Post Number: 137 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A |
ABM, I agree with you. The very few times, I tried listening to the audiotapes, of a fiction book, I found my mind wandering, and I actually had to rewind the tape. Then, I also think it's like cheating -- to listen to a "book" rather than read it, especially since more of them are abridged versions. (But then again, an unabridged version can on 10 to 20 cassette tapes!) So, you are missing a good portion of the story, which to me, misses the entire point. The same with those who buy the cliff notes instead of actually reading. And, yea Cynique ,I totally agree with you, too. It's to the point, that people are typing like this in e-mail -- how R U? This fast pace is killing nearly everything. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 3130 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
Kola, THANKS! That Kolanut sounds tasty. And even it's side-effects aren't too bad. ("Actually, they seem akin those of sexual addiction...but I digress."). Hey! Considering your kindred name and 'persona', maybe you should pursue some kind of endorsement deal with major Kolanut processors and distributors. | ||
| Yvettep "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Yvettep Post Number: 379 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
Well, Jmho, I take offense at your "cliff notes" comment! LOL! Like I said, too bad too many of us have lost the ability to LISTEN attentively. It is part of our vast heritage of oral storytelling--much more ancient in every culture than printed words. I think you will find if you get the right selection with the right narrator, and if you make an effort to learn to listen to a story again--then you will find an occassional audiobook to be a very rich experience. And Kola, thanks for the nut info! | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 2278 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
How quickly we forget. Kola, I have been calling you Kola-Nut from day one. It was the first thing I thought of when I saw your name. It later gained significance as you proved yourself to be -ah, well, you know, - crazy! | ||
| Kola Moderator Username: Kola Post Number: 1218 Registered: 02-2005 Rating: N/A |
No, I haven't forgotten Cynique. You DID call me that from years back. LOL | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 2279 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
Well, you know what the say: "Clothes make the man." And, of course, there's a lot of support for the idea that women dress for each other. Personally, I tend to cast a leery eye at men who are overly concerned with their sartorial splendor. I like the understated look. As for women, I love to miff label-conscious clothes horses by telling them I got what they've complimented me on, on sale at the 50% off table at some department store. (And I usually ain't lying.) | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 2280 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
Oops, I posted my last comment under the wrong thread. Should've gone under the "stereotyping black men" one. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 3147 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
Kola, Hey. Didjah hear? Some company's about to start mass distributing Kola nut softdrinks throughout the US! I hear they'll come in the following tasty flavors: Orange, grape, lemon and - what is sure to be a HIT - Black Cherry Surprise! <salivating> | ||
| Kola Moderator Username: Kola Post Number: 1236 Registered: 02-2005 Rating: N/A |
ABM, you're incorrigable. LOL | ||
| Kola Moderator Username: Kola Post Number: 1237 Registered: 02-2005 Rating: N/A |
The "Colas" were originally named such because they were kola nut drinks. Those Orange, grape, lemon you just mentioned will taste like PEPSI COLA and RC and KING KOLA. But yes---I am planning (because of you) to someday market my own KOLA product. Perhaps a bag of the Powdered kind and call it QUEEN KOLA'S KOLA NUT POWDER. Or if I can persuade someone to do a soft drink with my picture on the can---I will. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 3151 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
Kola: "But yes---I am planning (because of you) to someday market my own KOLA product." ABM: Sure. Blame that $#*+ on ME. Kola: "Perhaps a bag of the Powdered kind and call it QUEEN KOLA'S KOLA NUT POWDER." ABM: And your moto: "Whether you drink, smoke or freebase it, the Kola Nut Powder is guarenteed to get dat @$$ SKY HIGH!"? Kola: "Or if I can persuade someone to do a soft drink with my picture on the can---I will." ABM: Oh...You'll just try ANY scheme at your disposal to flash your boobies. And you call ME "incorrigable". HAHA! | ||
| Igbogirl Veteran Poster Username: Igbogirl Post Number: 741 Registered: 09-2006 Rating: N/A |
Three Headed Hydra/Dragon |
