Black Culture- The question and answer thread


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I have more video so far and will edit them together-

1. the rest of the above ride (the opposing neighborhood)

2. a video taking you from the Burned out CVS shown during the riots, to the Inner Harbor

Moving forward, I was going to add in text to announce the different neighborhoods and any historic locations, such as Woodrow Wilson's house or the first Catholic Basilica in America, but should I just voice narrate the journey? (in-between gasps for air!)

Also I'll need to change the placement of the camera somehow to get the helmet out of there.

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Great idea for a thread, Derek. Thank you for starting it and thanks to your wife for participating.

Here's a question. When I was pregnant, black men would approach me in just about any kind of situation or setting - the grocery store, the library, the bank, in the doctor's office waiting room - sometimes to blatantly hit on me, others just to say hello or offer a compliment. It was the strangest thing, like my huge belly was some sort of attraction, almost an aphrodisiac. I've always wondered what that was about?

Sorry, DL, I havent ignored your question, I've been trying to get my wife to give her perspective along with mine since I don't have much to say on the subject.

I personally haven't felt extra attracted to pregnant females. A few of them are quite cute while pregnant but I feel that they would probably be cute to me if I saw them and they weren't. None of the guys I've been friends with have mentioned being attracted to them, at least not verbally.

I've seen pregnant girls from teenage to adulthood and ..... I don't know, maybe you had some physical changes? Breasts, hips, etc?

I did have sex once with a pregnant girl but it surely wasn't because she was pregnant.....

My experience as pregnant woman was that ALL men where more attracted to me regardless of ethnic background. I figured it had something to do with pheromones and curvature. In general it has been my experience that Black men are attracted to curves and the more severe the curves the better. When you were pregnant did your breast and any other body parts swell along with your belly.

Oh yes, my entire body "swelled!" LOL! I think that's mostly why I was so surprised by the attention. My pregnancy experience was kinda miserable, to be perfectly honest. Even though I was emotionally very happy, I was physically sick the entire time. I felt huge, ill, and unattractive, and so I was taken aback when these men would compliment me. I have to say, though, that in every instance, it brightened my day.

Thanks again!

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I'd start with higher camera placement with more of a down bias to get rid of what's on the very bottom of the screen and the way too much sky.

The camera mount needs to be better buffered with some sort of shock absorber to get rid of the bumpiness. You'd likely do better with a motorcycle this way than a bicycle.

--Brant

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Great stuff, Derek. From Madison Avenue to Eutaw Place. My favourite part among many is the Francis Scott Key fountain.

That city -- or these neighbourhoods you showed -- show relative good shape for the urban fabric, well-treed, kept up. It's no wonder you are a real estate tycoon.

wait, how did you know street names?

but when I post part 2 of this ride then it wont be as clean (notice more trees adds a lot to the clean feel) since you were looking for possible segregation

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Great stuff, Derek. From Madison Avenue to Eutaw Place. My favourite part among many is the Francis Scott Key fountain.

That city -- or these neighbourhoods you showed -- show relative good shape for the urban fabric, well-treed, kept up. It's no wonder you are a real estate tycoon.

wait, how did you know street names?

but when I post part 2 of this ride then it wont be as clean (notice more trees adds a lot to the clean feel) since you were looking for possible segregation

I used Google Streetview and the Google Maps 3D overview to figure out where the neighbourhood was, via landmarks and a street sign at one corner in the video. I started with the boulevard Adam likened to the Ocean Parkway, and worked my way back, comparing. I know, I know, I am a nerd. I love urban form and I love to use Streetview to immerse myself in a place. (I also am a bit of a hack at geo-location from my studies of the Syria war).

What my first impression was how like Montreal's were the Baltimore streetscapes. See here, for example.

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William read The Power Broker and The Great Bridge

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I'd start with higher camera placement with more of a down bias to get rid of what's on the very bottom of the screen and the way too much sky.

The camera mount needs to be better buffered with some sort of shock absorber to get rid of the bumpiness. You'd likely do better with a motorcycle this way than a bicycle.

--Brant

Ill follow your first point to a tee

your second point, I have no idea how to isolate it from the bumpiness. It would have been worse if I mounted the camera to the handle bars. Also, I don't have a motorcycle

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Great stuff, Derek. From Madison Avenue to Eutaw Place. My favourite part among many is the Francis Scott Key fountain.

That city -- or these neighbourhoods you showed -- show relative good shape for the urban fabric, well-treed, kept up. It's no wonder you are a real estate tycoon.

wait, how did you know street names?

but when I post part 2 of this ride then it wont be as clean (notice more trees adds a lot to the clean feel) since you were looking for possible segregation

I used Google Streetview and the Google Maps 3D overview to figure out where the neighbourhood was, via landmarks and a street sign at one corner in the video. I started with the boulevard Adam likened to the Ocean Parkway, and worked my way back, comparing. I know, I know, I am a nerd. I love urban form and I love to use Streetview to immerse myself in a place. (I also am a bit of a hack at geo-location from my studies of the Syria war).

What my first impression was how like Montreal's were the Baltimore streetscapes. See here, for example.

I actually did madison avenue, which I live on, over to Eutaw, then Park (the street with the fountains) Bolton street and finally Mount Royal where I passed that group of students on the sidewalk. That ends (besides the cross streets) the Bolton Hill community.

The video I will post today (the second half) is the adjacent community, Druid Hill, McCulloh, and Division. Also Pennsylvania Avenue is in that community but I have that street in a another video

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William read The Power Broker and The Great Bridge

Thanks for the recommend. I will order the Power Broker -- it has superb reviews. Have you ever read any of the work of Jane Jacobs? Her The Death and Life of Great American Cities is a touchstone for Canadian urban planners and wonks.

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Second part

https://youtu.be/CoQdPcwSoWI

Be aware that this and the next video I post are still using the camera placement as the first video. They were all recorded same day but it takes a while to convert and process them.

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William read The Power Broker and The Great Bridge

Thanks for the recommend. I will order the Power Broker -- it has superb reviews. Have you ever read any of the work of Jane Jacobs? Her The Death and Life of Great American Cities is a touchstone for Canadian urban planners and wonks.

Canada has several great American cities: Vancouver, Toronto and Detroit.

--Brant

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Canada has several great American cities: Vancouver, Toronto and Detroit.

When was the last time you visited any of the these places? I figure people best understand Canada when they spend time in Montreal. Vancouver has a lovely setting, is rich, and full of expensive real estate and full-spectrum humanity, A lot like Seattle. Toronto is rich, flat and muggy and full-spectrum humanity, a minor-league Chicago. Montreal has extra human superstructure on top of the spectrum, a French-speaking majority, like a very large New Orleans with more immigrants and circuses and aerospace and snow.

Detroit, meh. I would only go there for a heart transplant.

You have all seen my pix of Vancouver. I will give you a rolling travelogue like Derek's but from a train, along the Chicago-ish waterfront of Toronto, and a street view link to a sweet spot in Montreal, which Derek's Baltimore neighbourhood video made me homesick for.

Saint Louis Square.

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You have all seen my pix of Vancouver. I will give you a rolling travelogue like Derek's but from a train, along the Chicago-ish waterfront of Toronto, and a street view link to a sweet spot in Montreal, which Derek's Baltimore neighbourhood video made me homesick for.

Saint Louis Square.

Bill, let's remember that Derek is attempting to keep this thread to personal stories that have the common nexus of the "racial" issues.

A...

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William, I've been to Windsor, Toronto and Montreal with an 18-wheeler. Interesting, especially the people in Quebec who cannot speak English. Never been to Vancouver. My Mother lived there as a girl for a while. She was a Girl Guide, I believe they called them. My grandfather was especially fond of the Pacific Northwest and was responsible for the boundaries of the Olympic National Park.

--Brant

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Final Video of that first day's run. It is much longer but it takes you passed the burned out CVS shown during the riots

https://youtu.be/1DTTkWW906A

Hopefully a much better camera angle on this weekends run

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  • 2 weeks later...

Not quite professional, but a bit better than before. Better camera angel AND now with narration!

https://youtu.be/aOoX9_a6reY

I recorded this video 2 weeks ago, just narrated it and edited it an hour ago. Why? Because I'm lazy!

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Derek, I watched the 'to mom's house' video. Great stuff.

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Wire , best series ever in my opinion . Also very accurate .

Ok , hip hop culture . I love hip hop , I love rap . I love the rap artists and I most of all , love their sense and understanding of capitalism . I love how inspirational hip hop artists are . Nicki Minaj has used hiphop to get into the mainstream and is launching perfumes , clothes lines , will be in her second movie . Besides that , she is inspirational to young woman .

I find so many have such a poor view of the hip hop culture which is really redefining America , and beyond .

Guys and gals like JayZ , 50 cent , Nicki Minaj , have come up literally from the bottom to tremendous wealth .

The message that some spread about getting wealth , I love it

No question , just saying

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  • 4 weeks later...

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