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The K5 Security Robot

MIT Technology Review: Rise of the Robot Security Guards, Rachel Metz

I like to use the phrases “Thinking within and along the circle; an ever expanding and evolving circle”. I use this instead of “thinking outside the box” because whether it is outside or inside, “the box” is still using someone else paradigm.

With that being said, I want to address Black Sci Fi/Sword and Soul/Steamfunk and making money by appealing to a target audience; a primarily Black one. When we examine the effects of Black culture and creators within the entertainment world and how that translates into money, the purpose of appealing to a Black audience is justified.

The justification comes from the fact that using our cultural creativity throughout history has produced the most relevant forms of modern entertainment in the world and multi-billion dollar industries.

For example, the statistics for album sales in 2012 show how primarily Black originated music overwhelmingly dominates the charts. Modern rock music owes its origins to early rock and roll. Rock and roll was created by Black musicians creating music for Black folks.

It should be expressly noted that there are many such forms of entertainment that Black folks created for a Black audience that was later “taken over” by non Blacks. There are also forms of Black focused music that are still primarily sung by Blacks for a Black audience that have made those Blacks millionaires. Within the Black focused genre there are White artists singing Black focused music and becoming hugely successful. Rock, R&B, Gospel, Hip Hop, Jazz and Dance accounts for over 200 million albums sold.

It is understood that music is a universal medium. By that same logic, then so is writing and other forms of expression.

Success is a relative term that sometimes elicits controversy.

If a Black author or artist makes 6 figures a year doing what they love, in their minds and to many of their peers and community, they are successful. If a Black movie producer, director or film company nets seven figures, they see themselves as successful.

Now, focusing on appealing to a primarily Black audience we have the richest Black actor in the world - as of 2012 - Tyler Perry, with a net worth of 400 million. This beats Will Smith at 200 million and Bill Cosby at 350 million. By 2005, Tyler had made over 100 million with his plays. His plays are primarily aimed at Black audiences. One can also argue that Spike Lee’s earlier movies were targeted towards a primarily Black audience. His net worth is 40 million.

Moreover, the Wayans Bros. created “In Living Color” aimed at a primarily urban audience. The term urban audience brings to mind several points. The gist of the modern entertainment market, be it mainstream(White) or Black, is driven and kept relevant by including urban concepts, language and fashion.

I must add, most emphatically, that it is of a great insult to imply that entertainment targeted to Black audience will not have non-Black viewers and cannot be seen as universal. There are groups, production companies, TV shows etc. that have an entire cast of only Whites and seeing them as universal is rarely if ever called into play.

The entire history of modern music demonstratively weakens that argument. R&B and Rap music has an international following of non Blacks by the millions and is still considered "Black music".

Despite a few additions here and there, Tyler Perry’s movies are still primarily made for Black audiences and has a large White viewership. It is only AFTER these facts are presented, are the addendums and in depth critique of quality come into play.

This article’s focus is about how one can be ‘successful’ and make significant money targeting a Black audience. It is to address years of discussions on how Black artists should go about being ‘successful’ within the entertainment industry. It is one of many avenues, but it is a viable one if a Black individual or company chooses to go that route. Any talk about the quality, morality, socio-political and other such discussions are not within the scope of this topic.

This topic was also written to address the so-called bottom line that a great many Black folks say is the most relevant. If you are not making X number of dollars or if you are targeting a primarily Black audience, you will never be successful is what has been stated over the years.

The Ojays, Martin Lawrence, Patti Labelle, Toni Morrison, Will Smith(the rapper), Anita Baker, Spike Lee, Robert Johnson and legions of other Blacks whose focus was within a primarily Black market are factual proof that we can make significant money in entertainment within a primarily Black market and be seen as and later become universal and mainstream respectively.

I would also argue that the Cosby Show and a Different World would fall into that category. I could give a better argument for a Different World than Cosby, so I would compromise with Cosby. I still choose the Cosby Show because a show that showcased a Black family with the many nuances of Black culture(without pointing them out explicitly as in previous shows or no shows) could not have been made by and would have never been made by anyone else except a Black creator. Picture these shows being made by any White entertainment company and they would be completely different shows.

The affect that Different World had on the Black community was profound. Black student interest in college rose significantly during the years of A Different World and, again was a show that would have never been made except by a Black creator with the influence of a Bill Cosby.

Of special note is Robert Johnson who, when starting BET was told he would never make it because there was no money or future in a channel devoted to a Black audience.

From Wikipedia:

Johnson left NCTA in 1979 to create Black Entertainment Television, the first cable television network aimed at African-Americans. When the network launched in 1980, it only aired for two hours on Friday night. BET first turned a profit in 1985 and it became the first black-controlled company listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1991. In 1998, Johnson and Liberty Media bought all outstanding shares of the company. This purchase gave Johnson 42% of the company. Viacom acquired BET in 2000 for a reported $3 billion. Johnson remained BET CEO until 2006.

In conclusion, Black Sci Fi/Sword and Soul/Steamfunk creators can target Black audiences and be appealing to a wide and diverse audience. The entire world has, from its earliest beginnings been drawn to and inspired by our culture – fashion, science, music, spirituality, comedy and everything else we created within our communities and for ourselves.

IMO there is nothing more universal and edifying.

My short story Awakening is now on podcast at Far Fetched Fables!

And after you listen, if you want more stop bywww.vjeffersandqveal.com :)

European Space Agency: Live Rosetta Updates

Cannon Busters: The Animated Series Pilot on kickstarter has ARRIVED!

From the Creative Producer/Supervising Director (Season 1) & Supervising Director (Season 2) of Black Dynamite: The Animated Series, Storyboard/Production artist on The Legend of Korra (Book 1) & Co-Director/Supervising Character Designer (Season 1) & Supervising Character Designer (Season 2) of Peabody Award-winning "The Boondocks" comes a brand-new adventure series unlike ever seen featuring the talents of some of the industry's top talents in anime/illustration--domestic and abroad!!!

 Let's make Cannon Busters happen TOGETHER!:D Go here to pledge your support !!!!:

GO HERE TO PLEDGE!!!! OR SIGNAL BOOST!!!:  http://kck.st/13ygPZ0 Thank you!!!! :-D

Since a good number of BSFS members couldn't get past the crush of folks watching our Halloween Event online, DEU-TV will present an encore showing of 'HOST' online starting at 8pm CST (US) The film will run all night on 'Friday the 14th!' So if you didn't get the chance to see it the first time or want to go around again, you have another shot at being 'The Next Contestant on HOST!'

(Courtesy: ALMA/ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)

Physics World: 'Spectacular' image shows planet formation in action, Hamish Johnson

Tomorrow: C-Span and Mirrors

Radical New Quantum Theory Says Other Universes Affect Our Own

Parallel universes have long been a staple of science fiction. But according to a radical new theory of quantum mechanics published Oct. 23 in the journal Physical Review X, other universes are real--and they exist in vast numbers.

Click here for the full article

Source: Link below

When voters go to the polls tomorrow (actually, today), there will more than just candidates on the ballot. There are also 146 referenda and initiatives in 41 states and the District of Columbia, including a handful that relate to science, engineering, or the environment. They include questions asking voters to fund a new $21 million genomic medicine research center in Maine, to approve a $125 million bond for a new engineering building at the University of Rhode Island, and to allow terminally ill patients in Arizona to use experimental treatments.

Science: In some states, science on the Election Day ballot, David Shultz

Tomorrow: 1994

A Search Engine That Respects Your Privacy

When Gabriel Weinberg launched a search engine in 2008, plenty of people thought he was insane. How could DuckDuckGo, a tiny, Philadelphia-based startup, go up against Google? One way, he wagered, was by respecting user privacy. Six years later, we're living in the post-Snowden era, and the idea doesn't seem so crazy.

In fact, DuckDuckGo is exploding.

Click here for the full article

P.S. How many times have people been burned by their search history?

We are pleased to announce the revised update of our editing and writing analysis software tool: Kaizenmoto.

The Kaizen text analysis web-app is up at our mother site, in the code section: http://www.moorsgatemedia.com/code/kai/index.html It is still a bit slow, but it works well.

The goal of the app is to help you in the editing process. See what your average sentence lengths clocks in at. We find that what is needed most in the editing process is a way to quantify styles. Is your dialogue to prose ratio in line with the style you are after (hint, first person ratios are different than third person ones). Check out your sentence starters, reading complexity, reading time, word count Coleman reading score, and a bunch more metrics.

Check back often, we are updating and optimizing as we go, but it is publish or perish right.

[editing software, fiction writing software, word editing, readability software]

Moorsgate Media

It is an epic scene of a battle. Grey skies and dark clouds form above. There is nothing but bodies, both human and Reptilian, stacked up on the barren land, while soldiers fight with swords and laser guns in combat. The crows are swarming over the black soil and the smell of putrid flesh is in the air, as well as the smell of steel and sweat.

            Chief Sergeant Major Bryan Orion, or Icee as he is called, wakes up horrified in a real life nightmare. He is lying on the battle field, aching and rigid, starring up at the dark heavens. His face and hands are fresh with blood and scars, and sting like hell. Bryan can faintly hear the grunts, gun fire, and clanging metal of war adjoining him. The explosion from the grenade that scarred his face, the left side of his torso, and hands temporarily made him partially deaf. Orion’s vision began to get blurry while trying to lift his head up to check out his surroundings; his tear ducts are filled with blood and sweat—making it hard to make out what was going on around him. The sounds that he did hear told him that he was still on the battlefield—still alive.

            Orion, struggling, turned his head to the left; where he was face to face with a dead, seven foot, winged Reptilian—a warrior that Icee had killed with his sword before a grenade was thrown close to him, causing the damaging explosion. He took out his dagger, with the faint bit of strength he had, and stabbed the guy in both of his hearts through the cavity which Orion had previously dug into the Reptilian warrior’s chest, to make certain that he was dead.

 It was okay to rest and be vulnerable now, at least for a few moments, so that he could evaluate his wounds and gain his energy back. With the little bit of energy left in his body, Icee touched his face with a shaking hand to discover that his face was covered in blood and his left eye, and the skin surrounding it, was barely attached to his face. He clenched his teeth at the stinging that his dirty, bloody hands gave as he touched his wounds. Bryan was not dead, but he was really messed up. If he was not wearing his Intergalactic Human Federation compression armor suit, he would be dead from the detonation of the grenade. The suit he was wearing is torn and shredded to bits, but it was still functioning enough to bring his vitals back to normal and keep him somewhat stable.

            Bryan started to feel numb. He could not feel anything from the waist down. His lips trembled as he was fighting to stay conscious. Bryan was losing too much blood and was starting to black out again. He was at the end of the road. He had lived a hard life anyway, and part of him just wanted to let go. But Icee had always been a fighter. He was adopted as a baby by Sirian arms dealers, and beaten by his alcoholic father on an almost daily basis. There was never a time of peace in his life, and rarely a chance for him to let his guard down. Growing up hard had left him broken and cold, hence the moniker “Icee,” given to him when he first started out in the family hustle dealing illegal weapons as a twelve year-old.

            Icee’s life was flashing before his eyes as his body began to feel lighter and disembodied. He saw his old neighborhood in the inner city of Tmu, Hutankten Planet, of the Sirius star system. He saw everyone from back home, followed by Lana, is daughter’s mother, and his daughter, Ariya—his heart. And April Moon, the love of his life, it had been almost two years since he had seen her, but not a day has passed by that he hadn’t thought about her. Bryan could not deny that he was still in love with her, and would be forever. She had made him feel again—melted his cold heart. As he lay dying, he prayed that The Source God would let him see her again. Their love was so passionate and brief that it had hardly seemed fair, but that was how Bryan’s life was—unfair.

            Tears started to stream down his face, stinging and burning his torn skin and eyes from the wounds and scars, as he thought about April and his promise that he would come back to her. He was letting her down if he died, pitifully, on the battlefield like this—in a battle that he was not even supposed to be in. It was his love for his daughter and April that was keeping his body animated this long. The pain was beginning to be unbearable and Bryan’s ears were ringing from the laser gunshots whizzing past him from a fight a few yards away. He was holding on, but it was beginning to feel impossible.

            Just when he could not hold on any longer, he could feel a presence—like something was approaching him—and tilted his chin up with every fiber of his being to see what was coming. Bryan could see the glint of gold in the dim, clouded sun and a long, flowing ivory dress. It was the ghostly figure of a woman calmly walking through the battlefield. Her dress was A-line and sheer with white angel wings split down the middle, covering her breast and over her shoulders. Gold was wrapped around her neck and wrists, adorning her beautiful, bronze skin. When he saw the kinky, curly hair blowing in the wind, he knew that it was April.

            Bryan assumed that he was hallucinating before dying. He closed his eyes shut, but for fear of actually dying, he quickly opened them, and she was still there. She strode closer to him and stopped a yard away, looking at him compassionately. “You can’t leave me just yet,” she said. “I need you, my love.” She then walked closer and touched his suit where his heart was. He could feel his cold flesh begin to feel warm. When the pain went away and he could feel his legs again, April kissed his lips, and just as she appeared she walked away.

            Feeling rejuvenated, Bryan jumped up to follow her, reaching out for her hand trailing in the wind, but it went black behind his eyes and his legs gave out as he fainted. He panted consumed by anger, fear, and undying love for his woman. His world stopped. The battle continued around him and soon the field was empty of the living.

_________________________________________________________

Jaaz sat at her desk, pounding away at her holo-computer—her clawed, reptilian fingers moving feverishly. Her advanced studies paper for quantum physics was due in mere hours and of course she had procrastinated so long, as usual, to the point where she was just starting on the paper that morning. She was in advanced studies for medical school to become a doctor in the Darko Army.

            Jaaz was a commander in the Xem Reptilian Army, but as a female that was the highest that she was going to get as an officer. The highest job a female Reptilian could get was a doctor in the Darko army, and being the overachiever that she was, Jaaz was going to reach the top by any means. Once at the top, she then could find a way to break the glass ceiling for females and actually become a Darko warrior—which in all of history have been all male and mostly of the Dragonian race.

            Kitnah, Jaaz’s mother, burst through her bedroom door without knocking. She was panting and covered in red and green blood on her smock. “We’ve got a live one,” she said breathless. Jaaz knew exactly what she meant; Kitnah had found a live human whom was left for dead on the battlefield. Kitnah worked clearing the battlefield and assisting in other types of medical clean-ups for Darko Corporation. She enjoyed her job only when she found the living—Reptilian or Human—with a chance to be helped. It also helped her daughter, Jaaz, practice her medical skills on both Reptilians and humans. Kitnah had always taught her daughters to be tolerant of all life forms, and to shun the racism that the Darko preached. She believed that humans were just like them and deserved to be treated as such, not just as slaves or a source for exotic food. Kitnah had met some nice humans while working as a medical assistant, and believed that The Source would repay her one day for her kindness.

            Jaaz followed Kitnah to the basement were they kept the medical equipment. There was a young man sloppily stretched out on the examiner’s table. Jaaz flipped on a light switch and the man’s brown fingers twitched, yielding animation in the rest of his body. He arched his back and slid up on the table properly. The human grimaced and groaned with every movement, then fell limp.

            Moving the overhead light on the human’s face, Jaaz could see the damage to his left eye. She sighed, “Momma, I need to do surgery to save his eye. Get the restraints.”  

            Hearing this, Bryan opened his good eye and began to struggle to get away. He saw the two tall, terracotta-skinned lizards and screamed in horror. The women were too strong for him and strapped down his arms and legs on both sides. Jaaz pulled out a scalpel, while Kitnah tightened a strap around his forehead.

            “We are not going to eat you, if that’s what you think. We are here to help, human,” Jaaz said flatly. 

Image source: Crystal Graphics

Scientific American: Clock Ticking on Climate Change Prevention, David Biello

After reading more comments in the discussion:

http://blacksciencefictionsociety.com/forum/topics/why-isn-t-black-speculative-fiction-as-big-as-it-should-be-what-c?xg_source=activity

I stand by what I wrote and offer additional commentary. As Terrence and others have suggested, we have to know our target market and how to advertise to them. Who are our consumers? Everyone. Who is our competition? Everything. We can still reach our goal by having a target market and building from there because in ANY target market group you will be competing with any and everything for attention.

The following article is about target groups.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/202334

I will address the youth market or Gen Y and zero in on the Black Gen Y. Here’s an excerpt from the above link

:

Also referred to as millenials or "echo boomers," they are the children of boomers, ages nine to 27. Because of higher costs of living or, in some cases, the over-protective nature of their boomer parents, many are choosing to live at home. University of Michigan economics and public policy professor Bob Schoeni told Time magazine that the percentage of 26-year-olds living with their parents rose from 11 percent to 20 percent between 1970 and 2004. They're 75 million strong and they have disposable income because of their parents' support. Growing up with computers means this generation is especially responsive to internet campaigns. They process information quickly and are especially brand loyal. Gen Yers like innovative marketing approaches and advertising that uses humor or is "outside the box."

Next is an article published in Apr 2004 by Ebony magazine from the google books archives.

http://books.google.com/books?id=jNYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA72&lpg=PA72&dq=viewing+habits+young+Blacks&source=bl&ots=sn9f3y0Ifr&sig=yGGgG-OLY7J76M4RYwdSWjFdDgc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VylWVKzaO8iggwSzl4TwDw&ved=0CE4Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q&f=false

I have some issues with some of the info, but I will ignore them to make my point

 .

The youth market is a 175+ billion dollar market and Black youth are THE major trendsetters of such market. Despite many saying Black youth not valuing education, white colleges and HBCUS would like to differ. No Black youth on a college campus anywhere wants to known to the public as “dumb”. They are also likely to be exposed to a wider variety of info than non college Black youth.

Regardless of income though, Black youth, in general are exposed to a more diversified world via the internet.

How does all of this play into Black Sci Fi/Fantasy? Black owned or focused comic cons are growing and are an obvious choice, but knowing the areas that Black Youth spend the most time and money in, we can target those areas to market our products. It is called product placement in the marketing world.

Black college campuses, Black student unions and Greek organizations on White college campuses are a primary area that should be used. They contain intelligent, creative folks who make up the readers of Sci Fi/Fantasy in general and can be marketed to.

Also, by extension, Black mothers, because she makes up the strongest marketing group of all ethnicities when it comes to influence. She is more likely to share what she likes with family and friends, 62% of Black women believe embracing and supporting her ethnic culture is important, she is typically(like all women) the caretaker and influencer of Gen Z or I(internet generation). 59% of Black women also believe that supporting MBE(Minority Business Enterprises) is important.

Black Beauty salons and barber shop owners 'touch' almost every single Black head in this country. Attending major shows like Bronner Bros in Atlanta and others can be used to build a fan base. A section of many of the hair shows involves “fantasy hair styles”. A creative segue into promoting your product.

In addition, local shops can be used to promote your publications by leaving a few copies at some of the more popular shops and/or putting up posters. If you are customers or friendly with the owners, you can do more.

Anywhere where Black folks congregate that has vendors of any sort can be marketed to. Be it Black film festival, concerts, college homecomings or the many cultural events. We have in SC the Moja Arts festival in Charleston, the Gullah festival in Beaufort, SCSU in Orangeburg and the Black Expo(various cities). There many such venues across the country.

Black youth are the trendsetters and the inspiration for Black youth comes from the communities they live in. They are influenced by creative, daring, humorous and “outside the box” advertising.

As mentioned, they are strongly focused on social media and TV programming.

A Youtube channel devoted to talking about current events in the Black community can be influential. From politically exploitive to rachet, to trendsetting fashions to music. Throwing a blurb in there about the growing and exciting trend of Black Sci Fi/Steamfunk/Sword and Soul and a few spotlighted books, games, shows and such will drop seeds of interest that will be explored as the youth search for the new “thing” to satisfy their active minds. They already have an interest in the genre because they fill the lines of countless movie theatres showing Disney, Marvel, DC and others

There are dozens upon dozens of Youtube channels that cater to Black youth or that Black youth gravitate to. Connecting with the owners of those channels to include your works in their episodes or starting a multi topic channel of your own are ways to generate interest. Have the owners of Black and Sexy TV or some other channel talk about your work by sending them copies.

By focusing on Black youth and getting them hyped and conditioning them to see your product as exciting, hip or the flavor of the month, you can get the attention of White and Asian advertisers and others.

It is not a science, but getting your product out there on something that goes viral can put you in a better marketing position to further sell your brand.

All of the above can be done by extremely hard working individuals or a dedicated group of artists, writers, programmers and support group that is willing to work together to achieve a very achievable goal.

Using BSFS as an example for a collective work model, there already exists local ‘groups’ in major states or cities. That can be expanded to be a local chapter of BSFS( Of course the members and chapters have to be vetted by BSFS management). They can attend local events and be ambassadors for Black Sci Fi/Fantasy in general and doing what BSFS already does, spotlighting. They setup with their works being prominent at the event but having all of BSFS products(the site as well as other members) displayed. This will be different from just the typical one person or company booth, but a promotion of all Black Sci Fi/Fantasy. Contributing a portion of profits back to BSFS which can be used to promote everyone’s products and support an international BSFS brand.

Everything is subject to negotiation, but this can serve as a model to bring all Black Sci Fi/Fantasy to a mass audience AND support local talent and companies.

In closing, this is just one model of promotion and not THE model.

We have to willing to adapt and evolve from our current way of thinking and doing in order to make our genre a mass appeal, 'got to have' hot commodity. Mass appeal applies to both a mass Black audience or diverse audience as your focus.

We do this with elements of our culture that have helped us survive a host of insurmountable obstacles and remain viable to ourselves and our community.

I AM because WE ARE
WE ARE because I AM

Unconditional Love to my Sisters and Brothers always and forever.

What does the future look like?

I was doing an image search to see what was posted by folks of the hue. I used all of the hue denotations and the sci-fi buzz word combos.

Most of the sci-fi pics of hue people were bodies, faces, costume, accessories and hardware. Lots of hardware for fighting, blades, guns, spears. Lots of projected power emanating from heads, hands and belly-buttons. LOL!

Not many ships, not many space stations, not many planet settlements and lots living among the ruins of fallen urban america instead of a built by us city or village. Afro-futurism is not strong enough as a cultural form.

In the pictures what I didn't see is architecture, buildings, rooms. I know we are inspired by say the African Savannah or the edge of the jungle or pictures of tribal villages or at least some traditional building and the stories within them. What about an upgrade. A mega structure which seems to float above the ground, people going about it's base like ants, far off the ruins of tradition, close up new traditions. The structure is the hardware of technology and necessity, be it a house, civic building or a mega city. Viaducts for travel, water management are.... think about it the expanse of Africa and being able to transform a difficult terrain into mega cities. How about up the Mississippi or the Ohio River in America.

Hue people have got to put the ability to transform land into a civilization sustainment into the stories and images. Our supposed history has been one of building for someone else, what if we build for ourselves. Now that is speculative. That story rewrites the script we have been programmed to follow for 2K years. We need to  break the mental confines we have been taught. If you imagine it, put it into the flow of our collective conscience, the kinks are worked out, it soon becomes able to be put it into physical consideration and possibility. That is Sci-fi that has done a good job for us.

ABSTRACT

Science:
EBOLA EPIDEMIOLOGY
Strategies for containing Ebola in West Africa
Abhishek Pandey1,*, Katherine E. Atkins1,*, Jan Medlock2, Natasha Wenzel1, Jeffrey P. Townsend3, James E. Childs4, Tolbert G. Nyenswah5, Martial L. Ndeffo-Mbah1, Alison P. Galvani1,4,†

Tomorrow: Automaton

Courtesy: M M Hussain

Nanotech Web: Silicon Gets Stretched

Source: BBC link below

BBC News: Death Star moon may be 'wonky or watery', Jonathan Webb