Georgia on my Mind

 

If we have learned anything from the past four years, it is that the Mainstream Media cannot be trusted to report honestly and factually on almost any subject. I started to say any subject related to politics, but the reality is that the MSM makes everything about politics. Lately all we have heard from the media is the news on the awful, terrible, racist, Jim Crow, new Georgia election law.

As bad as their obviously biased coverage has been, how much worse is it when the President of the United States blatantly lies about the new law? We know that the media will spin and selectively cover the story, but Biden has openly stated facts about the law that are untrue. And as always, we get to hear the celebrities and the activists from across the country screaming about this new law and including all the misinformation that has been spread by the MSM and the POTUS.

Cancel Culture rears its ugly head, and we get to see MLB overreact and move the All-Star game, as if anyone cares about pro sports anymore, now that they have become less about sports and more about social justice. I wonder who or what they’ll find to cancel next? (Maybe the Pope. I hear he’s against same sex marriage.)

So, let’s consider the truth about the new Georgia law. You know, the stuff you’ll never hear from the MSM. Facts and stuff. Here are the main points.

1.       Early voting expands in most Georgia counties

2.       ID is now required not just for in-person voting, but also for mail-in voting

3.       New rules regulate drop boxes and change time frames for requesting and returning mail-in ballots

4.       Restrictions placed on food and drink distribution by non-poll workers

5.       Changes made to in-person voting to address long lines and reduce provisional voting

6.       New powers established for the state election board which won’t be chaired by the secretary of state

7.       Results are to be reported faster

8.       New hotline provided for voters to call to report voter intimidation or illegal activity

9.       Runoff election period will be five weeks shorter

(From https://www.cbsnews.com/news/georgia-voting-law-9-facts/)

So, where is the racism and the voter suppression? President Biden said the new law was “Un-American,” a “blatant attack on the Constitution,” and “Jim Crow on steroids.” Elizabeth Warren called it “a despicable voter suppression bill.” Stacey Abrams says it is “racist” and “a redux of Jim Crow in a suit and tie.” You know what I think is racist? The way Democrats constantly imply that minorities are too stupid to obtain an ID. How is that not deeply offensive?

And if the new Georgia law is so racist, how about all the other states that already have laws with similar provisions? (Including Biden’s own state of Delaware) Here’s an interesting article on the subject. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/how-georgias-new-voting-law-compares-to-other-states But we’re supposed to believe that Georgia’s new election law is somehow new and different.

One final thought. What’s wrong with the elected representatives and legislators in Georgia enacting a law that applies to their own state? Don’t they have the right to do what they believe is best for their own citizens? Why should anyone outside the state feel the need to criticize? Or maybe more importantly, should the citizens of Georgia actually care what Washington (or Hollywood) liberals think about their new law? Those of us in Texas don’t really care what they think of us!

If you are interested in seeing how the media has covered this issue, here are a few articles on the new law from some different sources.

USA Today gave a somewhat neutral summary. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/04/10/georgia-new-voting-law-explained/7133587002/

The New York Times presented a decidedly Left view. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/02/us/politics/georgia-voting-law-annotated.html

And the BBC, a foreign source, provided a fairly balanced look. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56650565

Biden’s America - Show Me Your Papers

 

So, I know I’ve asked this before, but how are you Liberals liking this new/old socialism? Is Biden’s America everything you’d hoped for? Sadly, many people (on the extreme Left) are actually very pleased with what they have seen thus far. The real question is are there any Moderate Democrats remaining in this country (who are willing to stand with Conservatives to preserve our nation) or are they just going to keep going along with the Radical agenda of those in charge?

After four years of Democrats and the Mainstream Media throwing around the “Nazi” label, I wonder if the irony of the new regime’s actions are hitting home yet (with all the censorship and government mandates). Think about how often the Liberal media used the term and how wildly inaccurate the comparisons usually were. Now, consider our current situation.

When I was growing up, I remember watching all those old WWII movies and seeing all the checkpoints where the guards were always saying, “Show me your papers!” I never thought I would see that kind of thing in the USA, but when the first Lockdowns and Stay Home Orders were issued, I was given an official document to show that I was an Essential Employee. (Many of you could say the same.) These were my “papers” to show the authorities when I got stopped! (If my memory is correct we had very few, if any, reported cases in the county at that time, and I was never stopped, although my work schedule had me out after curfew several times.)

Now, we’re gearing up for even more Gestapo tactics. Get ready for the Vaccine Passport, more “papers” to show the authorities you have a right to be out in public. If you think I’m kidding, here are a couple of recent articles on the subject: “Vaccine Passports are on the Way” https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/03/28/vaccine-passports-for-work/ and “Biden Administration Helping Develop Standards to Prove Vaccination” https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/28/politics/biden-administration-vaccination-passport/index.html

Don’t be fooled by the denials from Jen (Circle Back) Psaki and other administration officials when they downplay the significance of these measures. Think about the “mask mandates” and just imagine when they replace “mask” with “vaccine passport.” How many stores and restaurants are going to post signs telling you that you can’t enter without a vaccine passport? How long till the airlines decide you can’t board without a vaccine passport? How long till videos start going viral showing the police dragging people out of public places for refusing to produce a valid vaccine passport? (“Show me your papers!”)

What’s going on in our country? Exercise your First Amendment rights, such as freedom of speech, and you risk getting cancelled, losing your job, your career, or worse. And freedom of religion or peaceful assembly? How long will we allow the government to restrict those basic rights? If you exercise your Second Amendment rights, how long will it be before the government comes knocking on your door demanding you hand over your property. (Go back and listen to their campaign promises to do that very thing!) How many constitutional rights are you prepared to give up?

But don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll still be able to vote without showing any papers. Welcome to Biden’s America.

The Reddy Cab Company – Preview

 

Heavy work schedule again this week, so I thought I’d share a bit from my WIP (Work In Progress, not to be confused with WAP, which is short for SPTBM, Smut Pretending To Be Music). Sorry, couldn’t resist, even though I’ve been warned about being too sarcastic lately!

Anyway, here’s a short excerpt from the newest novel and also a look at the early draft of the cover. Feel free to comment on either (or both).

Link and his friends had gone bowling often since picking up the game in high school. His parents had bowled in leagues for years and had a shelf full of trophies proudly displayed in the den. Link wondered what had happened to the pink and blue, nine pound ball that his mother had always used. He supposed it was still in the bedroom closet in the old plaid bowling bag she had carried for years.

Although his parents had given up the game long ago, Link and his friends continued to make the trip across the lake to the Northlake Lanes as often as they could. Each of the three had developed his own unique style/approach to the sport. Because of his size, Link was obviously the power bowler of the group. He employed a huge backswing and threw the ball with such force that contact anywhere near the pocket would produce a strike with pins flying violently in all directions. The sound produced was enough to draw the attention of anyone near their particular lane, and of course, he loved the attention it brought.

The most competitive of the group, David threw a wicked little hook that either struck the pocket squarely or glided completely across the lane hitting little or nothing as it headed for the left hand gutter. Sometimes, he would drop the ball a bit too far to the outside resulting in the ball falling immediately into the right hand gutter. This was routinely followed by cursing (from David) and laughter from Kenny. On a good day, he could rival Link, and he had actually outscored him on a small handful of occasions, though not very often.

Kenny was the most colorful of the three. He tended to hold onto the ball too long usually throwing the ball halfway down the lane in the air. As the ball bounced toward the pins, he would burst with laughter as his friends hid their faces and pretended not to know him. Maybe once or twice a year, he would actually break a hundred on the scorecard, but regardless of his final tally, he never failed to have a wonderful time.

Extra credit and a free copy of the novel when it is finished to the first person who can correctly identify the three actual bowlers who inspired the trio described above! And if you grew up in Waco, you can probably name the particular bowling alley we frequented.

Look for The Reddy Cab Company to be out sometime in early 2022!

WandaVision vs. Zack Snyder’s Justice League

 

I confess to being a big Superhero fan, and I try to catch most, if not all of the movies, and many of the TV shows as well. As a youngster, I read mostly the DC comics, but I knew who the Marvel heroes were and occasionally read those too. I have always loved seeing my heroes portrayed on screen (even the cartoons!) From the old Batman TV series in the sixties to the current crop of blockbusters, I have remained a fan, so I couldn’t resist checking out these shows. Even if you’re not a fan of the genre, you’ve probably been bombarded by ads for the two most recent releases. Having seen both, here are my reviews.

I’ve seen all the Avengers movies, and although Vision and the Scarlet Witch are not particularly favorites, I was intrigued by the trailers of WandaVision. (Or at least until I had seen the exact same trailer on FB about 157 times!) After 2 episodes, I was convinced that this was the dumbest thing I had ever seen on television (which is saying a lot considering some of the current shows on network TV). I almost quit, but there were a few commentators on social media who insisted that the show would get better, so I decided to stick with it for at least a few more episodes. I’m glad I did.

By the end of the next two, I was hooked. It did get better. A lot better. Without spoiling too much, it is a very different kind of Superhero show. Primarily, it’s about grief and losing someone you love. It seems even superheroes have to deal with that sort of thing. (Spiderman: Far From Home also shares this theme to a degree.) Beginning with a somewhat silly sit-com premise, the show evolves into a complex multi-layered narrative that I found fascinating. And in true superhero form, it builds toward a big showdown where our hero must defeat the villain, in this case one you may not have seen coming.

Overall, the series was very well done, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Marvel fans should definitely check this one out. (As for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, I will let you know.)

As a DC guy, I was somewhat disappointed in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the theatrical release of Justice League. I enjoyed both, but like most fans, felt they could have been better. The extended version of Batman v Superman was a vast improvement over the original version and did manage to fill in some of the obvious plot holes, and if you’ve read my previous blogs, you may remember I had high praise for Ben Affleck’s Batman. With that in mind, I was very much looking forward to the release of the Snyder cut of Justice League. I was hoping for a more cohesive narrative and a more serious tone. I was not disappointed!

Again, without spoilers, the Snyder Cut is well worth the four hours viewing time. Every character gets a more complete backstory, especially Cyborg, and we get the true villain who was missing from the original. Superman gets his story arc restored (and gets to wear the cool black suit), and we get another, much longer look at the Knightmare scenario to come. (Sadly, we may never get the third Justice League movie which would have continued this storyline.)

Overall, the movie is very different than the theatrical version. The tone is darker, the situation more grim, and the battle more epic. This version is also more emotional. Barry and his father, Barry and Iris, Victor and his father, Clark and his mother, Clark and Lois, etc. We get to see a more personal side of each hero, and it make us love them even more. DC fans especially should not miss this one!

Weekly Thoughts (or Weak Thoughts)

 

Just a few random thoughts bouncing around in my head this week.

We have a crisis on the border! What a shocker! Don’t know if there is anyone dumb enough (even among the Liberals) to not recognize this as a direct result of the Biden administration. Of course, the caravans are back. Once again, we have signaled that the borders are open. And we have all but promised full amnesty and citizenship. Sad, but true.

***

Came across this quote recently from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (one of the most banned books of all time incidentally).

“Hain’t we got all the fools in town on our side? And hain’t that a big enough majority in any town?”

For some reason, it made me think of the Democratic Party. Maybe they should adopt it as their new motto.

***

$1.9 Trillion. I can’t even comprehend a number that large. I can comprehend that $1400 is a tiny, tiny fraction of that amount. We’re back to the usual politics again where a “COVID” Relief Bill contains just a small amount of money to help with the pandemic and tons of money for tons of things with no connection whatsoever to the stated purpose of the bill. But go ahead and spend an extra trillion or so on those pork projects you’ve been dreaming about. Those Obama Democrats still know to “never let a crisis go to waste.”

***

And this week’s Colin Kaepernick Oppression Award goes to Meghan Markle for reminding us that even Princesses need our sympathy. And good job, Harry, for showing us how easy it is to throw your entire (Royal) family under the bus.

It’s only fair, I suppose. Why limit the Media-induced race war to just our country? Let’s share with Great Britain and the rest of Europe. I wonder if all those white people over there know what terrible racists they are? Maybe we can help them learn to be less white as well. Send them some Cokes or something.

***

Admittedly, I am a diehard Dallas Cowboy Hater, but seriously, does anyone really believe Dak Prescott is worth $40 million a year? He’s a fine quarterback, but no one could honestly build a case that he deserves to be the second highest paid at the position.

And speaking of QBs, as a Houston Texans fan (or at least I was until they decided to tear down the entire franchise with stupid decisions), I love Deshaun Watson. BUT isn’t it time for players to just shut up and play and stop trying to tell the owners and GMs how to do their jobs? And demanding to be traded when they don’t get their way?

I guess it could be worse. If Bill O’Brien were still the Coach/GM, I suppose we would be trading Watson for a couple of second rounders and some magic beans.

***

So, Barack Obama spent 8 years blaming the economy on George W. Bush, and another 4 years trying to get credit for the Trump economy (by claiming his policies had finally kicked in). Now, Joe Biden is working as hard as he can to take credit for the COVID vaccine. And people wonder why nobody trusts politicians.

***

Amazed to see top Democrats actually calling on Andrew Cuomo to resign! Truly rare to see them hold each other accountable. Meanwhile, Dr. Seuss is cancelled, but WAP is appropriate for prime time TV. Wow!

***

What do I have to do to get a decent internet signal in Livingston, Texas, USA?

The Stand (2020) – A Review

 

Several months ago, I went back to read again an old favorite, The Stand, by Stephen King. In the middle of our so-called pandemic, I thought I’d revisit this classic about a serious pandemic! Unlike COVID, the book’s super-flu (nicknamed Captain Trips) is extremely contagious and has a near 99 percent fatality rate. As I said, a serious pandemic.

Anyway, having read the book a few times and seen the original TV miniseries at least twice, I was excited to hear that a new remake was coming. It is available only on CBS All Access (because the world needs five million different streaming services begging for your money). I finally got the chance to finish it this week and decided I’d share my thoughts.

But first, I few general comments on remakes/reboots. I am generally in favor of remakes as long as certain conditions are met. Just my opinion, but here goes. First, don’t remake a movie or show that was crap in the first place. If it wasn’t any good to start with, why waste time making it again? Second, don’t remake something that is still relatively new. Give it some time already. And third, don’t remake the thing if you’re just going to change actors and make the exact same movie or show. I mean, change something!

So getting back to The Stand. I love the book. I love the original miniseries. And since this new production meets all three of my conditions stated above, I was pleased and excited at the prospect of seeing this one. I watched a couple of the trailers and it looked great. But then, I read some of the reviews and I began to worry.

Apparently, a large majority of the early viewers hate this one. Most of their complaints are in regard to the non-linear order of events and the casting. Some of the reviews were so brutal that I almost decided to skip it completely. I’m glad I didn’t. I actually liked it myself.

Yes, the story is told somewhat out of order. It’s a fairly common practice these days, so I was surprised at how many people were upset by it. Maybe it’s just that I am familiar with the story and the characters, but honestly, I didn’t find it that hard to follow. Come on people, just because it’s TV doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have to think a little bit. Besides, that is one of my prior conditions. They tried something different. Maybe it worked for you or maybe it didn’t, but at least they did more than just update the actors and the sets and make the same movie we’ve already seen!

As far as the casting, I was generally pleased. In this age of political correctness and diversity, I am frequently amazed at some bizarre casting choices (where the actor is completely different than how they are described in the book), but in this case, only a few characters seemed off to me. (And I don’t care about Amber Heard’s personal life or misdeeds.) Most notably, Rita who should have been an older lady, if I remember the book correctly, and Nick, who just seemed strange and mysterious. Again, maybe it’s my memory, but I thought of him as being more sweet, innocent, and naïve. Finally, the actor playing Flagg just didn’t seem scary enough. (Neither did the one in the 1994 version.) Even though the movie wasn’t very good, Matthew McConaughey was great as the character in The Dark Tower.

Honestly, my biggest issue was with the final episode, which Stephen King apparently wrote just for the new production. I applaud the effort, but it was a little weird. And the story was pretty much done at that point and it seemed like a tacked-on bonus chapter or something. No spoilers, but you could quit after the first fifteen minutes of the episode and skip to the very end if you wanted to stick to the book.

So, in conclusion, I liked it and I thought it was an interesting take on the story. If you are a Stephen King fan, I would recommend it and if you’re not, try it anyway. Or better yet, read the book. As a former English teacher, I’m compelled to say, “The book is always better!”

The Hypocrisy of the Average Liberal

I’ve seen quite a few memes over the last week or so wondering where all the Biden voters have gone. (Unlike all the crude, nasty, vicious attacks of the last four years, Conservatives can be funny without being hateful.) Yes, we got jokes, too.

It is true that after the flurry of executive orders, and the rapid swing to the extreme Left, a great many Biden supporters have virtually disappeared from social media. Although they do still occasionally pop up to trash the former President, or make one of their weak calls for unity (while doing everything they can to divide us), but mostly, they’re pretty silent. Maybe they’re embarrassed. They should be.

Or maybe guilty would be more accurate. They should certainly be feeling that! I suppose the average Liberal isn’t as accomplished as the “professional” politicians when it comes to open hypocrisy. So, they just hide. It’s probably their best option.

Here’s a good example of an average citizen trying to play both sides. I saw a post on Facebook recently promoting a very clear Pro-Life (Anti-abortion) message. One of the replies (from a particularly vocal Liberal) expressed her Christian beliefs and her agreement with the post. Apparently someone pointed out her hypocrisy (after supporting and voting for every Pro-Choice candidate on the ballot). She was so offended that she felt the need to post a long, rambling reply explaining her stance.

Sorry, but I call BS! On her and all of the others who have done the same. If you openly and proudly supported Biden/Harris and celebrated their victory as the greatest thing that has ever happened to our country, then don’t be ashamed to stand up and take a bow. Abortion wins! Open borders win! Tons of free stuff (paid for by higher taxes on everybody else) wins! Meanwhile, the oil and gas industry loses, USA energy independence loses. Gun rights, border security, free speech, lose, lose, lose. And you made that happen. Let me repeat myself. YOU made that happen!

If you helped these people get elected and assume power, then you are responsible (guilty) for everything they now do. They didn’t “sneak one past you” or break their campaign promises, (or lie, cheat, and steal an election). They told you exactly what they intended to do and you chose them, over a man who proudly proclaimed his intentions to always put “America First.”

And by doing so, you willingly chose to support all the things that are happening now. So, when your friends and neighbors lose their jobs, or their businesses, or can’t pay their new higher taxes, or suffer in any way from government over-reach, don’t be embarrassed. Don’t feel guilty. Own it.

Just don’t try to convince the rest of us that you are really, sincerely, deep in your heart, Pro-Life, or that you still believe in the Second Amendment, or the First Amendment, or any of those other Conservative (or Christian) values that are now under near constant attack. Your choices have betrayed your true priorities.

Now to be clear, there are plenty of Liberals who believe fully in the Progressive agenda being pursued by the current administration. They are proudly Pro-Choice, Anti-guns, Pro-Amnesty/Open borders, all for Government-run Healthcare, a higher minimum wage, etc, etc, etc. And although I disagree wholeheartedly with their political views, I can at least respect that they are supporting candidates and voting based on their honest beliefs.

For the others, the hypocrites (including the RINOS and Never-Trumpers who gave away their own Party), I have zero respect. Your consent and your votes have allowed those very things to happen that you claim to oppose. For that, I blame you. And I have no interest in hearing your lame justifications while our freedoms are taken from us by the people you chose to support and elect.

(Sorry, if that sounds harsh, but I’m just tired of hearing people make excuses.)