The Topic Cafe

The Topic Cafe The Evolution of Social Engagement. Established 1995 in Buffalo, NY


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A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Buffalo City Mission to help the homeless.

09/10/2025

Another school shooting. Four students dead. One of them just had his death confirmed.

I’ve never aligned with Charlie Kirk’s politics or rhetoric—but violence isn’t the answer. This tragedy isn’t about ideology. It’s about lives cut short, families shattered, and a system that keeps failing to protect our kids.

We need accountability. We need change. My heart is with the families tonight.

“Just One Damned Super Bowl”  A Spoken Word Sermon for the Faithful of the 716When people ask me,  “Why do you take Buff...
09/09/2025

“Just One Damned Super Bowl”
A Spoken Word Sermon for the Faithful of the 716

When people ask me,
“Why do you take Buffalo Bills football so seriously?”
I don’t answer.
I testify.

Because this isn’t just a game.
It’s a generational ritual.
It’s trauma therapy with wings and Labatt.
It’s Sunday night football scripted into our lives
like an episode of Roseanne—
only colder, louder, and with more broken remotes.

We were raised on heartbreak.
The Music City Miracle wasn’t just a bad beat—
it was a cosmic betrayal.
January 8, 2000:
We took the lead,
and fate took the ball.
A lateral that still feels illegal,
a return that rewrote our DNA.
That play didn’t just end a game—
it ended trust.

And still, we showed up.
Because we’re Buffalo.
We shovel out our driveways in blizzards
to tailgate in parking lots that smell like diesel and devotion.
We baptize our children in blue cheese and hot sauce.
We believe in miracles—
because we have to.

We watched Buffalo '66
and saw ourselves in every frame.
Vincent Gallo didn’t make a movie—
he made a mirror.
The bowling alleys, the diners,
the aching need to be seen and forgiven.
It hit harder than Trainspotting
because it wasn’t just cinema—
it was home.

And those Sundays?
They weren’t just about football.
They were about faith.
In the same breath we prayed for our brothers and sisters overseas,
we prayed for the safety on the roster.
In the name of the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit of the 12th Man,
Rich Stadium became a 60,000-person Baptist Revival.
We didn’t just cheer—
we believed.

“Just one damned Super Bowl before I die.”
It’s not hyperbole.
It’s a mantra.
A blessing to some,
a curse to others.
It’s the whispered wish of every fan
who’s buried heartbreak beneath layers of Zubaz and hope.
It’s the rallying cry of a city
that’s been counted out
and keeps showing up.
Resurrected every spring
for training camp.

So when someone asks,
“Why do you take Bills football so seriously?”
I say:

It’s memory.
It’s identity.
It’s old-time religious faith
in miracles and the impossible.
It’s wings and Labatt,
snow and sacrifice,
love and dysfunction.

It’s a Buffalo thing.
You wouldn’t understand.

09/02/2025
09/02/2025

⚠️ Workplace PSA: Beware the Cult of Chaos ⚠️
“We don’t train—we test loyalty through confusion.”

In today’s thrilling episode of How Not to Run a Business, we spotlight a growing trend among certain employers: the art of hiring with enthusiasm, onboarding with silence, and firing with indignation.

These organizations pride themselves on “fast-paced environments,” which is code for “no structure, no support, and no idea what they’re doing.” New hires are expected to perform flawlessly with minimal training, zero supervision, and a daily dose of passive-aggressive micromanagement. If you ask questions, you’re labeled “not a good fit.” If you succeed despite the chaos, you’re resented for making others look bad.

And just when you think it’s over, management might call you at home to ask if you accidentally stole something—because nothing says “professionalism” like post-termination paranoia.

Red Flags to Watch For:

• Vague job descriptions that promise “growth” but deliver burnout
• Managers who disappear during onboarding but reappear for blame
• A culture that confuses confusion with character-building
• Exit interviews that sound like therapy sessions

If you’re job hunting, remember: a paycheck isn’t worth your peace. Seek out workplaces that value clarity, mentorship, and mutual respect—not ones that treat employees like disposable test subjects in their latest experiment in dysfunction.

What we’ve got here isn’t just a generational gripe—it’s Lex Luthor-level misdirection. Group-blaming over shared fears ...
07/14/2025

What we’ve got here isn’t just a generational gripe—it’s Lex Luthor-level misdirection. Group-blaming over shared fears is how division gets sown. The truth? Every generation passes down agency, wisdom, and community. That’s not weakness—it’s survival.

Superman isn’t just a cape and curl—he’s the idea of rising above, of protecting those who can’t. Even Guy Gardner, loudmouth extraordinaire, gets it. Redemption doesn’t come by tearing others down—it comes when ego meets empathy and chooses humanity.

And yes, spoiler alert: Supergirl’s older but emotionally out of sync. Her arc’s a reminder that growth isn’t just age—it’s experience.

Mr. Terrific gets the MVP.

And ElfQuest’s Wendy Pini’s storytelling proves the power of passing knowledge forward.

Books are meant to be read, movies are meant to be reinvented. Don’t burn what doesn’t speak to you.

Happy St Brigid’s Day.. the beginning of spring!
02/03/2025

Happy St Brigid’s Day.. the beginning of spring!

Happy Black History Month! This is a time to celebrate the rich and diverse history of the Black community, including th...
02/01/2025

Happy Black History Month! This is a time to celebrate the rich and diverse history of the Black community, including the incredible contributions of Black men and women to music, ingenuity, and public service. From the soulful melodies of gospel to the energetic beats of hip-hop, Black musicians have shaped the soundtrack of our nation and the world. Black inventors and innovators have pushed the boundaries of technology and science, leaving their mark on fields like medicine, engineering, and mathematics. And Black leaders and activists have fought tirelessly for justice and equality, inspiring generations to come. Let us honor the past, celebrate the present, and look forward to a future where the contributions of the Black community are fully recognized and appreciated.

Here are some specific examples of Black contributions to music, ingenuity, and public service:

Music:

Gospel: Mahalia Jackson, Thomas Dorsey, and the Clark Sisters
Jazz: Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Miles Davis
Blues: Bessie Smith, B.B. King, and Muddy Waters
Soul: Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Stevie Wonder
Hip-hop: Public Enemy, Tupac Shakur, and Beyoncé
Ingenuity:

Invention: Garrett Morgan (traffic light), Madam C.J. Walker (hair care products), and George Washington Carver (agricultural products)
Science: Katherine Johnson (NASA mathematician), Neil deGrasse Tyson (astrophysicist), and Kizzmekia Corbett (vaccine researcher)
Technology: Mark Dean (co-inventor of the first 1-gigahertz computer chip), Otis Boykin (inventor of electronic resistors), and Lonnie Johnson (inventor of the Super Soaker water gun)
Public service:

Civil rights: Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X
Politics: Shirley Chisholm (first Black woman elected to Congress), Barack Obama (first Black president of the United States), and Kamala Harris (first Black and South Asian vice president of the United States)
Military: Colin Powell (first Black Secretary of State), Charles Young (first Black national park superintendent), and Hazel Johnson-Brown (first Black four-star admiral)

I posted on Instagram who were remarking about this couple who adopted two girls from Ghana and Nigeria and everyone exp...
09/03/2024

I posted on Instagram who were remarking about this couple who adopted two girls from Ghana and Nigeria and everyone exploded by telling me how to feel about adoption. I spent most of my life being told how I should feel about being adopted, and I'll be damned if I'll let strangers online tell me now.

To everyone trying to tell me that my deceased adoptive parents profited over my adoption and that I "need to learn", "need to get educated", etc,,, over my post about adoption...considering what I went through with my adoptive parents... I would have gladly asked several families I grew up with to adopt me, or someone else overseas in Africa, Europe or Asia who would have a lifechanging experience to offer even as a foster child. I was not commenting on anything else, except that her mother seemed to have knowledge of her daughter's tribal customs. And of course she had, she spent 590 Days in Ghana to learn the customs.

But my history and culture was hidden from me as a child of closed adoption in the 1970s. These girls are learning and being taught by, to know their roots and go back to them with what they learned while in adoption. Maybe they're getting money from the government to take care of them, I don't know, my parents didn't.

"I did not come here to debate you. I have spent all of my adult life studying this subject. I only debate with my equals."
-John Henrik Clarke

https://delightinthejourney.com/
Adoption Reunion Search & Support

The rate of interest and success of international adoptions has declined due to the added restrictions and perceivable hurdles which families must overcome. 

Help the National Parks Foundation and donate to help save our forests in America.  When you donate, you also help my ch...
08/28/2024

Help the National Parks Foundation and donate to help save our forests in America. When you donate, you also help my chances of winning the Ultimate Explorer Contest so I can get back out to the forest in Chautauqua Gorge, and I'll be selecting two winners to go camping overnight Saturday, bass fishing at night with a tour of the Chautauqua Midway Park Nearby.

Vote now! And make your donations count! Thank you!

One adventure enthusiast will win $10,000, embark on a personalized national park expedition in a Winnebago RV, and appear in Outside Magazine.

“One Family”
08/24/2024

“One Family”

TLDR; "Project 2025 is Scary AF - If you're not worried, you should be"Well...1. I'm on the side of government that has ...
07/13/2024

TLDR; "Project 2025 is Scary AF - If you're not worried, you should be"

Well...
1. I'm on the side of government that has the troops that also know what the laws and due process are, not the ones who carry pitchforks and torches screaming "Blood and Soil".
2. What are we talking about with blood? There will be blood no matter what. They've already got plenty of bad blood with the corpses lined up in refrigeration trucks in 2020 from the Trump administration. We saw what happened when nobody listened to Black Lives Matter and the riots that keep breaking out. IS this a threat of more violence? And from WHOSE side? The way I see it, there's been violence on three sides of this, the extreme conservative right who act like they're the only ones who carry guns, the extreme to moderate liberal left who armed to defend themselves, and law enforcement stuck in the middle of a class war.

Let's look at their own words on their page...

"With the Biden administration half over and with the immediate dangers inherent to one-party rule in Washington behind us for now, it’s past time to lay the groundwork for a White House more friendly to the right. For decades, as the left has continued its march through America’s institutions, conservatives have been outgunned and outmatched when it comes to the art of government."

There is part of what they are afraid of - America's Leftists and Liberals have defined what the learning institutions will tell children. They want to take us back to the 1950s where we can live with a focus on God, stop adultifying children and take sexual innocence back to a period that never existed in time...a period of mass hypnosis with three broadcasting channels on TV all putting out the same National Message approved by government directive. They don't want small government anymore... they want government micromanaging us again. They said so in their next statement.

"One reason is because the Republican establishment never moved on from the 1980s. Beltway conservatives still prioritize supply-side economics and a bellicose foreign policy above all else. Belief in small government, strangely enough, has manifested itself in a belief among some conservatives that we should lead by example and not fill all political appointments. Belief in the primacy of the national security state has caused conservative administrations to defer political decisions to the generals and the intelligence community."

There it is... a move from the 1980s to fill all political appointments (on a Local, State and Federal Level) with conservatives and not defer all National Security decisions to the FBI, CIA, the Pentagon and US armed Forces, and political decisions going to whomever can fight them locally. Forget the rule of law and balance of power. Forget how we treat our own citizens, continue to march troops out to s***f out the flames of dissent before they can ignite more riots... that was the playbook for the "War on Drugs", by controlling the black, brown and white people who got "out of line".

But what are they really leaning after? They want to define what the President does from day one in office.

1. "The first pillar, the upcoming production of the policy book Mandate for Leadership, represents the work of more than 350 leading conservatives and outlines a vision of conservative success at each federal agency during the next administration. Presidential candidates won’t be able to ignore what the conservative movement demands in this book."

So, Authoritarianism and "Dictator on Day One".. Executive
Branch Rules over the other two. Their words are aligning with their actions.. pay attention.

2. "The second is our online personnel database. This “Conservative LinkedIn” will launch in March and will provide an opportunity for rock-solid conservatives to place themselves in contention for roles in the next administration. This pillar will bring Mr. (and Mrs.) Smith to Washington."

Okay, so Truth Social is going to be the next Conservatives LinkedIn... A PRIVATE company doing Government Affairs. (That doesn't sound "preloaded" at all.) They REALLY don't like women being in power either? Pelosi, Kamala Harris, Hillary, Kathy Governor Kathy Hochul, it doesn't matter who they are.. it's still war against the Va**na. Interestingly enough, Ms. Jenner is still on great terms with The Donald... I imagine it's because he can look at Her and still fantasize without guilt.

3. "The third is our Presidential Administration Academy. When conservatives do finally make it into an administration, they often don’t know what to do or how to seize the gears of power effectively. Through their action, inaction, and their encyclopedic knowledge of volumes of technicalities about the federal workforce, certain career federal employees are masterful in tripping us up. Our interactive, on-demand training sessions will change that. They will turn future conservative political appointees into experts in governmental effectiveness."

If there's anything more reliable than a handshake from Donald Trump, it's a website designed on Angelfire by a Conservative Thinktank.

4. "The fourth and final pillar of Project 2025 is our Playbook, which will take the policy ideas expressed in Mandate for Leadership and transform them into an implementation plan for each agency to advocate to the incoming administration. What regulations and executive orders must be signed on Day One? Where are the greatest needs for more political appointees? How can we effectively use the mechanisms of government to face our most challenging problems? Our Playbook will put our movement to work answering questions like these."

Pretty much, do everything we tell you, and nobody gets hurt, even Jesus.

07/02/2024

I got involved in a discussion on TikTok this morning where a bunch of men were acting very un-Dudelike and telling the women in the panel that Pro-Choice means that women are using abortion as a means of birth control and that Pro-Life means that women don't have the ability to make an informed decision about continuance of pregnancy in cases of r**e, in**st and abandonment.

The men in the room who were offended by the littlest details, couldn't be bothered to listen to the women of the room who suffer the most consequences of pregnancy, not could they listen to the other point of view and concerns.. which is how unwanted pregnancies happen in the first place... men just don't listen to women.

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