Black-Owned Search Engine for Black Americans: Why I Built BASE
Imagine a search engine that gives you results not only based off of relevancy but community votes. Reddit might come to mind. Unlike Reddit, the Black Americans' Search Engine isn't for everybody. One of the first Black-owned search engines per my research, this is for Black Americans serious about building the Black American community, not the African diaspora, "Black and Brown Coalition," or Black and Queer community.
"Black American" means "American Descendants of Slavery" (ADOS), "descendants of freedmen," Foundational Black American (FBA), etc., not melanated people, "people of color," first generation Black Africans, or Black people from the US "minor outlying islands" (colonies) or elsewhere outside the 50 United States of America.
BASE is in its infancy, but I'm serious about this. I'm determined to continue contributing to the solution to the issues affecting Black Americans. Below are deeper reasons I'm building this Black-owned search engine.
6 Reasons to Join the Center of Clayton MO Gym
Attached to Clayton High School, Missouri, is one of the easiest-to-miss gyms in Clayton, MO — the Center of Clayton. It's tucked behind a parking garage just off of where Ladue Rd and Maryland Ave meet. With such a broad name, it's easy to overlook its value not only as a physical fitness center, but as a community wellness center equipped to enhance overall health, not simply fitness goals. Below I'll explain why the Center of Clayton gym might be the best option for you.
5 Reasons Black Americans Should Use More Free Open Source Software (FOSS)
Conversations about Black American history or the "Black dollar" oftentimes merge with the other. Slavery, segregation, redlining, eminent domain, the new Jim Crow. It's easier to rush through these topics in a short emotional conversation. Unfortunately, that oftentimes means not being able to discuss any of them in-depth. And I'm going to do that here.
This blog post is about saving money on tools that can help you make money in today's gig economy. Pro Tools, the Adobe suite, Sony Vegas, and Microsoft Windows obviously have value for their features, popularity, and job demand. But what if you don't have money for a particular paid software, especially ones with a subscription-based model? Some will say "install a pirated copy," but that's dangerous, sometimes blocked by online integrity checks, and illegal. Below are five reasons why I recommend Black Americans specifically to consider reputable free and open-source software (FOSS).
3 Ways to Get the Planet Fitness Military Discount
Planet Fitness does offer military discounts. I say again, you can get a military discount at Planet Fitness gyms. PF gyms do not only offer discounts to first responders. There's no difference between a regular Planet Fitness veteran discount, disabled veteran discount, or active duty discount. Now for the caveats.
There are many invalid promotion codes for discounts available online. Some promo codes are outdated. Many, including the ones below, are only valid at certain gyms. Why? Planet Fitness gyms are predominantly franchise-owned. Each franchise [and gym general manager] can offer or refuse military veteran discounts. Below are three ways new and current customers can obtain a military discount at Planet Fitness.
10+ Best Bulgarian Split Squat Progressions
The Bulgarian split squat is a much-hated, well-respected single-leg exercise. Bulgarian split squats work the quadriceps and hamstrings (upper thighs), glutes, and core muscles to various degrees depending on how you hold the weight. Sometimes simply called the Bulgarian squat, it is one of the hardest leg exercises you can do. Below are various variations to consider based on your fitness goals.
How to Manually Install Gym Bag Digital on Android (Sideloading)
As of now, you can only install Gym Bag Digital on Android via side-loading. That basically means bypassing Google's Play Store to manually install an application. Below I'll explain why this is the only way to use the app and how to sideload Gym Bag Digital on Android.
Why I Built a Privacy-First Workout Tracker (Gym Bag Digital)
Gym Bag Digital is an offline workout tracker for Android, by me. But why? There are a couple reasons I created the Gym Bag Digital Android app.
5 Natural Ways to Increase Energy (Without Coffee)
Starbucks coffee, Monster Energy drinks, Red Bull cans, and various gas station energy shots are all notable options for increasing energy, alertness, and focus. Many of us know someone who drinks one one those daily for their caffeine fix. However, many of these commercial energy drinks have excessive amounts of caffeine, cost a lot, or include known harmful or weakly tested ingredients. Below are a few easier, simpler, and natural ways to increase energy.
6 Ways to Make Eating Healthy Easy
Eating healthy isn't easy for a lot of Americans these days. Healthy food is more expensive, expires quickly, and sometimes requires a lot of research to ensure you're getting what's being marketed. Junk food is more accessible, costs less (debatable post-COVID though), lasts longer, and tastes familiar. Instead of thinking of your diet as good or bad, embrace the gray area journey to eating healthier. Your budget, free time, food preparation skills, culture, and knowledge about nutrition all impact your diet. That sounds overwhelming, but I'm not asking you to deal with any of that directly. Below are five options for how to make eating healthy easy in your life. Inhale peace, exhale stress, and read on.
10+ Online Stores for Norfolk State University Alumni Apparel
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) gained a lot of attention from the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Many HBCUs reported enrollment growth in 2020, reversing the steady decline in total HBCU enrollment throughout the 2010s. Norfolk State University (NSU) alum who were a part of that trend, like me, may have unique pride in their alma mater. Below are 10 websites for NSU alumni apparel.
HBCU Students Should Complete the SFEPD Mind Over Money Skills Financial Literacy Certification
The Society for Financial Education and Professional Development (SFEPD) is a nonprofit organization focused on financial literacy education. Their "four pillars" of focus: colleges, faith-based institutions, workplace financial wellness, and community workshops. In fall 2024, SFEPD created the Mind Over Money Skills Financial Literacy Certification course. This online course was created specifically for Black American students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Below is every reason most Black Americans should complete the Mind Over Money Skills Financial Literacy course.
5 Hardest Leg Exercises for Functional Aging Training
Your legs are part of your "core" muscles and should be trained that way. You should train all core muscles - including leg muscles - for strength, and stabilization. This is why athletes focus on footwork. Its why there are so many types of shoes for various activities. For example, flat shoes with minimal padding like Chuck Taylor's are good leg workout shoes. Want to shake up your leg workout regimen? Below is a sample workout with five of the hardest leg exercises for real-world lower body strength, power, and balance.
5+ Must-Try Black-Owned Restaurants in Saint Louis, Missouri
There's a lot to do in the greater St. Louis area between the 90+ cities in St. Louis, Missouri and East St. Louis, Illinois. Of course I made time to find some Black-owned restaurants in STL. Below are some Black-owned restaurants in St. Louis, Missouri worth checking out.
10+ Great Black-Owned Activewear Brands
I've supported and produced content about a lot of Black-owned businesses in recent years. Many of them are Black-owned fitness apparel businesses. So that you don't need to bounce around my blog to find them, this listacle includes my top Black-owned activewear brands.
Planet Fitness Fenton MO Review — Barbells and Power Racks for Heavy Lifting
Many Planet Fitness members in the greater Saint Louis (STL), Missouri (MO) area have decided to make the Fenton club their home gym for various reasons. For emphasis, this post is about Planet Fitness Fenton, Missouri, not Planet Fitness Fenton, Michigan (MI). Fentonians no longer need to choose between a longer drive to the Festus or South County gyms, the Planet Fitness gyms nearest Fenton, MO. Exercisers from competitor gyms have transferred for the lower price point and better access to the gym. Many just feel more comfortable at the home of the judgment free zone compared to other bodybuilder-oriented gyms and "boxes." Below are a few reasons you might want to join Planet Fitness Fenton, MO.
Exercises to Improve Your Posture
Slouching, hunching, stooping, tech neck, nerd neck - all synonyms for the shoulders forward, chest sunken in, and forward neck posture. We're most likely to do this while using a smartphone or personal computer. Recent studies show that Americans spend an average of 4 hours on phones daily. Many females slouch to make their breast less prominent. Remembering to stand upright with your chest out and neck erect is important. Strengthening the muscles responsible for holding that position with exercises that require good posture at the same time sets you up best for success. Try the exercises below to correct standing posture.
How to Install XCOM: Chimera Squad on Linux
I found Firaxis Games' XCOM from listacles of popular Steam games natively available on Linux. I finished the first story, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and immediately played the XCOM: Enemy Within expansion pack. I did the same with XCOM 2 and XCOM 2: War of the Chosen downloadable content (DLC). I then learned that its sequel, XCOM: Chimera Squad, isn't natively available on Linux operating systems.
After years of hoping for a Linux port, I got curious about how the Steam Proton compatibility software for Linux might support Chimera Squad. To my surprise, the results were great with minor bugs throughout game-play. Below I'll explain how I installed XCOM: Chimera Squad on Linux operating systems (OSes).
Hate Squats? Try these 10 Squat Substitutions
Barbell back squats are known for building overall leg muscle strength, endurance, and mass. That doesn't mean they're essential or necessary for everyone. Below are some back squat alternatives for various goals and medical conditions.
15+ Great Exercises to Reduce Chronic Back Pain
People of all lifestyles can suffer from chronic back pain. People with desk jobs may have neck pain from poor sitting posture, neck forward and shoulders rounded. Someone with prior injuries but no exercise history may need to gain core strength. Weight lifters who deadlift regularly can have muscle imbalances due to lower back muscles being far stronger than surrounding core muscles. Paratroopers can end up with relative stiffness from disproportionately landing on one side. Regardless of your walk of life, the core exercises may improve your core stability and reduce pain.
5 Reasons to Use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Inspection Checklist
Every gym needs an automated external defibrillator (AED) for staff members to respond best to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). All gym staff should hold AED and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certifications from American Red Cross, American Heart Association (AHA), or something similar. No, it doesn't mean they will know or retain all of the information, but it does imply familiarity and putting in the effort. Just like CPR certifications must be renewed, hardware should be audited regularly. Such audits should be standardized to ensure essential functions, in this case being able to defibrillate someone, are tested accurately in an uniform manner. What is the benefit of using an inspection checklist? I'll give you five.
