tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158050552024-03-14T09:39:20.499-05:00Observation DeckCheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.comBlogger729125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-69274018270693654572022-08-14T18:31:00.000-05:002022-08-14T18:31:33.146-05:00The Beast That Is Mental Illness<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Z4_AOBGvcfHgmerkDIEMLYa_c7RQkPkfNGMb6Kvzh0wYTelsyJQWs6XHI2ebtf39T8zCEMcNsVCpW7ke1Mewd_e2IKWgCGEzCoMcLgXxThoZ3QpiZ53DueU1xC5-GIbxEwEJhLNqxdP6pDl317gqHgfVOwIn41Y_KpXwM6LecZ9XvNOPig/s982/477C3A2D-7440-4B77-B9E5-5B32757B521B_4_5005_c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="982" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Z4_AOBGvcfHgmerkDIEMLYa_c7RQkPkfNGMb6Kvzh0wYTelsyJQWs6XHI2ebtf39T8zCEMcNsVCpW7ke1Mewd_e2IKWgCGEzCoMcLgXxThoZ3QpiZ53DueU1xC5-GIbxEwEJhLNqxdP6pDl317gqHgfVOwIn41Y_KpXwM6LecZ9XvNOPig/w423-h137/477C3A2D-7440-4B77-B9E5-5B32757B521B_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="423" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">I’m not a doctor. I have no formal education in medicine or psychology or any other doctoral field. However, I do know mental illness from the inside out.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> I am far from an expert so I can only speak to my personal experience with this insidious disease. </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-family: arial;">Which is why t</span><span style="font-family: arial;">he death of Anne Heche prompted me to write this.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mental illness is not something you get by choice. It is not something you ask for. It’s not something you can “head off at the pass.” You cannot will it away and you cannot ever be rid of it. You can sometimes control it with the proper medication and/or counseling but that is not always a guarantee for success.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mental illness runs on both sides of my family. My father’s mental illness was addiction – to sex, to alcohol, to keeping secrets. The threads of mental illness that run through my mother’s side of the family are too many to list. She had 6 sisters and every one of them were mentally ill to certain degrees. Two of my aunts committed suicide, one from carbon monoxide poisoning and the other from starving herself to death. I cannot count how many times my mother threatened to kill herself when I was a child. My mother had several "nervous breakdowns" and was institutionalized twice before I was 25. She grew delusional as we got older. I’m not talking about dementia, which did happen the last year of her life, I’m talking being openly deceitful and taking on other people’s experiences as her own. My mother had a wicked temper so I learned really young it was easier just to do what I needed to do to keep the peace because the term “hell to pay” took on a new meaning when my mom got angry. Tropical storm Betty could become category 5 Hurricane Betty in a nanosecond. And it never seemed to matter who my mother was mad at, I always took the brunt of her wrath. She was never physical but her words were like multiple knives into my heart, soul & psyche. She had me so well trained with my constantly seeking her hard-earned approval, that I would come to “rescue” her whenever she needed me, including to the detriment of my own well-being and work life. My mom was defensive and overly sensitive, especially if anyone suggested she should look into counseling or medications, indicating that she was “crazy.” All her sisters were the same. Along the last 10 years of her life, I was finally able to talk her into asking her doctor about taking an anti-depressant. I had to frame it so that she should take them as to not get excited and have another stroke. I wish it could have helped her manage so that her life wasn’t so distressing for her. But by that time she had been dealing with her own unacknowledged mental health issues for 80 years. Medication this late in her life wasn’t going to change her.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That left me with lifelong issues added to inheriting several aspects of her (and my father’s) mental illness. Still, to this day, even a year after her death, I question everything I do, second guess myself and carry the burden of feeling I’m constantly screwing up, I’m a disappointment and I’m never going to be “good enough.” I have been in counseling and taking anti-depressants for over 35 years. Every day is a fight to maintain some sort of emotional equilibrium. Every day is a fight not to give in to addictions (mine was drinking) just to make the emotional pain stop for a little while. Your subconscious can be your worst enemy when you’re struggling. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Anne Heche, who died on Friday, a week after crashing her Mini Cooper into an apartment complex’s garage, then into a house that caused the deadly damage, had a history of mental illness and addiction issues. Sometimes they go hand in hand. I’m reading and hearing people say “Well, she’s the one who made the decision to get in her car and drive high.” Yes and no. On the surface, yes, that was a choice but when you suffer with mental illness, you grasp for anything that will stop the torment of your own mental demons and that includes self-medicating. And sometimes when you’re self-medicating, you don’t consciously make the best choices for yourself or others. When you’re self-medicating you’re living in the moment of peace alcohol and/or drugs give you and you don’t think of much else except hanging onto that peace. For those moments, you’ve escaped and you’re untethered to the beast that controls you. Is that selfish? Yes but you don’t realize it as that. It’s not that you don’t care that you’re putting yourself or others in danger, you just do not see it at the time. Unfortunately, when you come down from your high or get out of your drunken stupor, you can be twice as hyper or intense as before you self-medicated. Your despair can be so overwhelming it takes practically an out-of-body experience to bring you back to the sane, acceptable you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There certainly are degrees of mental illness and each one comes with its own bogeyman. Not every person who struggles with mental illness face the same obstacles as others. And sometimes medications just don’t work. They alter everything that makes you genuinely you and sometimes that’s harder to deal with than the mental Illness, itself. It doesn’t matter how much people love you. It doesn’t matter how many people support you. Your lifelong demons can overrule all that. And if you have a parent who was mentally ill and never sought any help for it (and abused you because you were their convenient scape goat), like Anne Heche, the scarring lasts a long time after your parent(s) or abuser has passed away. A loving circle of family and friends help but they’re only a crutch and not a solution. Plus it’s easy to get triggered and retreat into your own desperation if someone (related or not) picks up the mantle and pokes at you with the same psychological pointy stick that stabbed you in the past. Whatever milestones or progress you may have made can be easily destroyed by people, either knowingly or not, who stir up your villainous subconscious of doubt and self-worth. And sometimes you just have no control over it, regardless of the tricks or coping skills you learned in therapy. It’s not a choice. You don’t do things you know you should be doing and you do things you know you shouldn’t be doing. The inner ogres can be very convincing. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Am I saying all this to excuse Anne Heche from self-medicating and getting behind the wheel? No. But I do think it’s unfair to condemn her for an action she was may have had no control over. I think it helps to try and understand the dynamics behind it. I have sympathy for the woman whose house went up in flames and lost everything because of the crash. Thankfully, she and all her pets escaped. But now, knowing the circumstances behind the crash, even she has sent her love and support to Anne Heche’s family. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Why aren’t we as a country doing more to help people deal with mental illness? I don’t know. Maybe we should ask our politicians who conveniently scream about mental illness when it suits them and then never do anything but scream again at the next tragedy. One thing we can do as a country is stop sweeping mental illness under the rug. Stop being embarrassed to admit there’s a problem. Stop putting someone who is mentally ill in the same category as angry people who, through some perceived slight, massacre total strangers just for the notoriety. My mother, at times, had uncontrollable anger issues but she never once thought about buying a gun and shooting up an elementary school or parade or places of worship. Stop denying you or someone you love needs help. Don’t be like my mother’s generation who will hide the family secret of mental illness in the same closet with the family child molester.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mental illness can be a cruel mistress even if you’re “managing” it. A mistress that leaves many victims in her wake. And when that happens, everybody involved loses. I’m not one of those people who behaves as though mental illness is something to be ashamed of. I’ll never say, “oh, we don’t talk about that in this family.” That helps no one, least of all me or anyone in my family who might be floundering and don’t understand why.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mental illness is not something you can just “get over.” It’s a complicated affliction and rears its ugly head in different ways. Think about your words before you point fingers and attack. You never know the demons someone (you may love) has just because they don’t look or act “crazy” on the outside. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Educate yourselves and please, be kind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rest in Peace, Anne. I hope you finally found it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhixeX76AplJsfTUkksLXELdK9LXohxf2Rvw8uFjoDvugeVuF2G0ywjEayMPYbUusAHU6M5EHFGLzG6Fvs88GIoyCm2W4f_ZnJ6xLDOcBdKGNGyxbyy5mckWAmxJEL1xeG1mlik9Pk_WHGXH9CcSA59CcdI4VS0vyMVg1ZGQrw46ZEJSXpWyA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhixeX76AplJsfTUkksLXELdK9LXohxf2Rvw8uFjoDvugeVuF2G0ywjEayMPYbUusAHU6M5EHFGLzG6Fvs88GIoyCm2W4f_ZnJ6xLDOcBdKGNGyxbyy5mckWAmxJEL1xeG1mlik9Pk_WHGXH9CcSA59CcdI4VS0vyMVg1ZGQrw46ZEJSXpWyA" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-87917360873361567372019-01-18T16:33:00.000-05:002019-01-18T16:33:04.153-05:00Zombie Brains and Non-Alcoholic Grains<br />
Today is the one year anniversary of my stroke.<br />
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I didn't know at the time that it had been a stroke to cause me to collapse, hit my head, lose consciousness and give me a traumatic brain injury.<br />
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We (Brenda and I) had been out to dinner with friends, discussing a film project that we'd hoped to turn into a mini-series. I started feeling weird before we left the restaurant and I do not remember the ride home. I do recall walking into our kitchen and I remember Brenda handing me the dog bowls to put on the floor for the furkids' dinner. That is the last thing I remember until Brenda was helping me up. I hit my head against something (we still don't know what and the position I ended up in on the floor provided no clues) and lost consciousness briefly. When I came to, the minute Brenda helped me to my feet, I began to violently throw up and I became hyper-emotional. I finally got calmed down and laid down to rest. There was no blood, no visible bruise on my head (barely even a lump - although it sure hurt like there should have been some evidence of the incident) so I did not go to the hospital. I know...stupid and dangerous. But I thought, "I'm tough, it's just a smack on the head, it'll all be over in a few days and I'll be fine." Except it wasn't over in a few days and I wasn't fine.<br />
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At this point, the suspicion was that it may have been vasovagal syncope that possibly caused my blood pressure to suddenly drop and make me lose consciousness. With $500 to $800 out of pocket co-pays for therapy, I was forced to decide to opt out. Now I'm glad I did because it would have been an expensive mistake.<br />
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After 3 months of no improvement with the headaches, the dizziness, the visual disturbances, extreme sensitivity to light, balance issues, pain, cognitive issues, memory loss and word salad, I went to see my Primary Care doc. She sent me to a neurologist who diagnosed me with a Traumatic Brain Injury. She then sent me to a vestibular therapist, a physical therapist and a neuro-opthomologist. I began months of therapy and during my first session with the PT, she believed that I had a hairline fracture in my neck on top of everything else. Brenda had told me I landed on the floor with my neck in a funny position, so clearly, that was from the collapse also. Turns out, after an MRI nine months later, there was no break, just advanced cervical spinal stenosis that was aggravated by the impact.<br />
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While all these physical issues were happening, I discovered that I was also easily overwhelmed in ways I had never been before and also easily over-stimulated because of visual disturbances in my brain. I was negatively affected if I went outside during the day (too bright) or if I was riding in the car at night (too dark to distinguish that trees and light poles were not moving or jumping out in front of the vehicle) and could not handle being around groups of people in public - no grocery or retail stores or anywhere with large crowds and barely able to handle restaurants. I'm a little better with that now but not much.<br />
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Finally, with therapy and determination, I thought I was pretty much improved since January. Then I went to Columbus Pride in June. Not so, Bucko. That day showed just how much further a road I had to travel with this injury.<br />
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Attending the GCLS conference in July also showed me that things were not OK. I love going to the annual conference and visiting with my friends, colleagues and meeting new people. I've always said that the con is like going to a yearly family reunion with people you actually want to see and be around. I could barely leave my hotel room. I couldn't participate in panels and readings, although I did manage karaoke night ok. But then not a lot of people show up to that, just us diehard karaoke-ists so that didn't seem too difficult for me.<br />
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When we returned home, I knew I needed to go back into therapy, so I contacted my primary care doc again and she arranged for more testing. I couldn't get scheduled for another month but, finally, nine months after my collapse, I hoped I'd get some answers.<br />
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The answers were defining and life altering. The MRI determined that a minor stroke had caused me to pass out. The MRI also showed that blood vessels are bursting in my brain, causing me daily mini-strokes. My doc advised me that I am a walking major stroke waiting to happen so I am now on an aspirin a day and a statin, even though my blood pressure is normal and has never been an issue and my cholesterol level was only borderline high. As if that wasn't eye-opening enough, they also discovered that I am experiencing parenchymal volume loss and have cerebral atrophy (https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Cerebral-Atrophy-Information-Page). <br />
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I have been in brain therapy since the diagnosis (3 hours a day, twice a week) to work with this issue, to do what we can to keep the worsening at bay for as long as we can and to give me coping skills for the inevitable. At the end of this month, I'm starting a brain boot camp to try and get me close to where I was before the stroke. Or, at least, close to being a better functioning human being.<br />
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The symptoms and fallout are frustrating and, quite honestly, render me rather depressed. My focus and concentration are seriously affected which is why I have put no new books out in over a year.<br />
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For those waiting on part two of The End trilogy, I can assure you, it is in the final stages of editing and will be released soon. I realize it has been a long time between the first and the sequel and I take full responsibility for that delay. Roselle has been 1000% supportive and helpful and could only do so much to complete the book if I wasn't able to do my part.<br />
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Facebook recently put out something called the 10-year-challenge to show how well or how badly one has aged in 10 years. The top photo is of me in 2009 when I was 53. The bottom photo is me with my grandnephew taken just before Christmas, 2018 at 63. It's amazing how sicknesses that aren't really even outwardly physical can ravage a person.<br />
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On the upside, I now weigh less than I have in nearly 30 years. On the downside, I have voluntarily given up drinking all alcohol (except non-alcoholic beer) as it hastens the worst parts of the atrophy and haven't had a drop since September 5th. Anyone who REALLY knows me knows what a sacrifice that is for me because I really love my beer.<br />
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What the (hopefully distant) future holds for me, I don't know. I've been told it won't be pleasant. But it is what it is and I will fight the onset of dementia as long as I can. Who knows? Maybe when things start to get bad, there will be a fix. One can only hope. On the other hand, maybe I'll be lucky and it will be a long while before I get to the inevitable.<br />
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And if everything started going downhill tomorrow, I wouldn't complain (I would just feel horrible for Brenda). I have lived a magical life and accomplished everything I have ever set out to do, including fulfilling childhood ambitions. I have met, interacted with and worked with the most interesting people. I have been allowed to do extraordinary things of which others can only dream. Even though I don't believe in any type of religious dogma, I will say openly that my life has been blessed and I know it.<br />
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So...I'm ok. Whatever happens, I know it won't be boring. My life has never been nor will ever be boring.<br />
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I still plan to write and put out books as I can complete them on my own timetable. Just be patient with me. I guess first I need to learn to be patient with myself, huh?<br />
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Oh, by the way, Happy New Year, everybody! May 2019 be a better year than last.<br />
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Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-38432821499425949042018-09-13T17:51:00.000-05:002018-09-13T17:51:40.344-05:00Cutting Through The Trump Hurricane Maria BS<br />
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First, even though this is not addressed in these tweets, his supporters are rabidly trying to resurrect the idiocy that Obama did nothing to stop 9/11 and he let New Orleans drown during Katrina. Who TF cares what Obama was doing during 9/11 and Katrina? He wasn't the president; George H. Bush was. Jesus. The chosen ignorance his idiot base continues to display is beyond lunacy.<br />
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Also, Trump supporters are trying to compare Trump's response to Hurricane Maria's destruction in Puerto Rico to Obama's response to the Haitian earthquake six years ago. Remember Haiti is NOT a US Territory and, like Puerto Rico (a US Territory), is an island nation several hundred miles from the U.S. mainland. So, let's compare. After an earthquake devastated Haiti’s capital on Jan. 12, 2010, Obama and his administration mobilized the U.S. military as if it were going to war. That response stands as an example of how quickly relief efforts can be mustered.<br />
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Starting before dawn the next morning, Army units were airborne, on their way to seize control of the main airport in Port-au-Prince. Two days after the earthquake hit, the Pentagon had 8,000 American troops en route. During the next 14 days, 33 U.S. military ships and 22,000 troops had arrived. More than 300 military helicopters were also deployed, delivering millions of pounds of food and water.<br />
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And that was a spur of the moment situation as earthquakes cannot be predicted. Hurricanes can.<br />
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Now let's talk about Mr. Poor Me Victim's "We did an under appreciated, fantastic job in our Puerto Rico response."<br />
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On September 6, 2017, the eye of Hurricane Irma, a powerful Category 5 storm at that time, edged north of San Juan. Puerto Rico experienced monsoon-type rains and 100-mile-per-hour gusts, but it dodged the worst of the storm’s effects. There were 4 immediately known storm-related deaths. Irma cut off power to about 2/3 of the island’s inhabitants, and about 34 percent of its population lost access to clean water.<br />
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This was one of the issues that caused Trump to say that Puerto Rico had power grid problems before Maria hit.<br />
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After Irma came and went, The National Hurricane Center started to track Tropical Storm Maria. The National Weather Service first warned that Maria could strike the island as a “dangerous major hurricane” more than three weeks before the storm made landfall.<br />
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SEVEN days before the predicted landfall, the NHC went on TV and stated the belief that Maria would strengthen in the days to come as there was plenty of ocean heat for the cyclone to suck up, and little wind to tear it apart. <br />
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According to a 2017 article in The Atlantic, Tricia Wachtendorf, a professor of sociology at the University of Delaware, who studies disaster relief, stated that Maria had many elements of a “catastrophic event,” and not just a disaster.<br />
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Catastrophic events are rarer than disasters, and they tend to wipe out infrastructure over a large swath of land. “Most, if not all, of the built environment is destroyed” in a catastrophe, Wachtendorf said. She further stated, days ahead of Maria making landfall, that it was very difficult to navigate the impact zones in catastrophic events—to know which roads are open, and to know what to detour around. It was extremely difficult to pre-position supplies, because if any supplies were pre-positioned they might be destroyed. "You'll have [local] officials that are unable to take their usual roles on,” Wachtendorf said. <br />
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Trump was well aware, 7 days before Maria's landfall, that Puerto Rico was going to be heavily impacted. There was no reason for him not to start putting a relief plan in place.<br />
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But he didn't. And Maria made landfall in all her destructive glory with a strength that surprised no one...except, apparently, Trump and his administration.<br />
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Now, anyone who has any knowledge about disaster response (like the government should) knows the first 72 hours after a catastrophic event are the most critical.<br />
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In a Washington Post article, W. Craig Fugate, who was President Barack Obama’s FEMA director for all eight years of his presidency, said, "In a worst-case scenario, such as a tsunami, the federal government had long contemplated that Puerto Rico could be completely isolated, with its ports destroyed and all food and water needing to be airlifted onto the island or shuttled by Marine units that could land on beaches."<br />
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Fugate added that FEMA did not have to wait for a signal from Puerto Rican authorities before activating more military assets, so there goes the excuse that our government required a request from Puerto Rico before they could help.<br />
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The day before landfall, the Pentagon gave a summary of how it was preparing for Maria. About 500 National Guard members would be called up in Puerto Rico. The Air National Guard was supposed to keep two Black Hawk helicopters and three C-130 transport planes in the area to assist with immediate response.<br />
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And yet...<br />
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The day Maria hit, the power grid was completely knocked out island-wide, there was no cell service or any way to communicate. Parts of Puerto Rico saw 30 inches of rain in one day (equal to the amount that Houston received over three days during Hurricane Harvey), which resulted rampant flooding. The winds caused violent, tornado-like damage over a majority of the island, strong enough to destroy the National Weather Service’s observing sensors in the territory, forcing meteorologists to measure the storm entirely by satellite. The island residents were cut off from clean drinking water, food, supplies, transportation and medical resources.<br />
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Within hours, television news reporters were on the ground, reporting on the havoc and the trauma, so there was no way our government did not know how serious it was.<br />
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Donald Trump’s idle (I'm being kind) response to the hurricane (he did not hold a Situation Room meeting on the disaster until six days after landfall) was immediate. Although he issued a state of emergency for Puerto Rico, he did not set any relief plans in place. Instead, he went to his New Jersey property to golf for the weekend, while citizens of the United States were trying to navigate what was quickly turning into a humanitarian disaster.<br />
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The next day (two days after landfall and the Puerto Rican government begging for help), Trump met with his cabinet officials to discuss his Muslim ban. Nothing about Puerto Rico.<br />
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That night, Trump attended a political rally in Alabama and ranted about the NFL. Said, did nothing about Puerto Rico.<br />
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Three days after landfall, eleven ships arrived at the port of San Juan with, allegedly, 1.6 million gallons of water, 23,000 cots and dozens of generators. Except, because of The Jones Act, they had to just sit there, docked, and not deliver. The Jones Act is a 1920 law that requires ships carrying goods between U.S. ports to fly the American flag, which means they must abide by U.S. laws. It also requires these ships to be built in the United States and owned and operated by American citizens. The government temporarily waived the Jones Act with little fanfare for ports along the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma struck. Trump would not waive The Jones Act until EIGHT days after landfall.<br />
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Two Navy ships, the USS Iwo Jima and the USS New York, that responded to Hurricane Irma earlier in the month off the Florida Keys, could have been used to respond to Maria. Instead, they were sent back to Mayport, Fla., and remained in port there on prepare-to-deploy orders.<br />
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Four days after landfall, the first public call to mobilize the USNS Comfort, the only U.S. Navy hospital ship on the East Coast, came from HILLARY CLINTON, reminding the Trump Administration that the people suffering were America citizens (not that it seemed to make a difference to him because the Comfort was not deployed until Tuesday, September 26, SIX days after landfall). It did not leave port until Thursday, September 28, more than a week after landfall and did not reach Puerto Rico until Tuesday, October 3, ELEVEN days after Maria hit the island. Seventy percent of Puerto Rico’s hospitals were not functioning. <i>Official death tolls did not account for patients who had already died from not receiving dialysis or oxygen or other emergency medical procedures.</i><br />
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The USNS Comfort arrived, two weeks into the disaster, after some of the medical urgency had subsided. Its mission and capabilities were unclear to many doctors on the island. The ship was prepared to support 250 hospital beds, but over its 53-day deployment, which included travel to and from the island, it admitted an average of only 6 patients a day, or 290 in total. It lacked the ability to treat some important areas of need, and the complex referral procedures made little sense on a battered island with scant power or telephone service.<br />
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Five days after landfall, the first Trump administration officials, Brock Long and Tom Bossert, visited Puerto Rico and surveyed the damage.<br />
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On this same day, eight members of the House of Representatives wrote to President Trump, asking him to waive the Jones Act for ports in Puerto Rico for one year. It took TWO more days for Trump to waive the Act but not for a year.<br />
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In the meantime, more than 10,000 shipping containers full of food and supplies were stranded in the Port of San Juan. They couldn’t be shipped to the island’s interior due to a lack of fuel, labor, and working roads. Unprecedented destruction of the storm and logistical limitations severely impeded the flow of resources to most of the island’s communities.<br />
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Which brings us to the Trump supporters screaming about "lazy Puerto Ricans not wanting to help their own situation."<br />
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Trump supporters would like everyone to believe that the trucker's union staged a strike because they wanted "more" money to drive the containers to needed areas. There was no strike, and union truck drivers had been trying to move aid shipments across Puerto Rico but there were multiple logistical problems slowing down transport, not the least of which was that some drivers simply couldn’t get to the port, or drive on impassable roads.<br />
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Governor Roselló said that only about 20 percent of Puerto Rico’s truckers had been able to respond. "They can’t get to work, the infrastructure is destroyed, they can’t get fuel themselves, and they can’t call us for help because there’s no communication. The will of the people of Puerto Rico is off the charts. The truck drivers have families to take care of, many of them have no food or water. They have to take care of their family’s needs before they go off to work, and once they do go, they can’t call home."<br />
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Plus, the containers were housed on restricted US government property and the military wasn't giving access to civilians.<br />
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So, what about the National Guard that the Pentagon said they had ready to go? Well, there were some troops there and more were sent but since no one had been assigned yet to lead them in their mission, they mostly sat idle.<br />
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Seven days after landfall, former Puerto Rico governor, Alejandro García Padilla, warned that “unless we see a dramatic increase in assistance and personnel reaching the island soon, many thousands could die. We need the Army and the National Guard deployed throughout the island, now, today. This cannot wait another day. Despite federal agencies coordinating in San Juan, there is very limited presence of military personnel assisting people in the streets and throughout our communities.”<br />
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Eight days after landfall, Trump finally assigned Lieutenant General Jeffrey Buchanan to leading the military effort in Puerto Rico. He arrived on the island that same day. EIGHT DAYS after the disaster. The deployed troops could, only then, start working on a relief effort.<br />
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NINE days after landfall, The Department of Defense began operating 10 regional supply-distribution centers across the territory, which supplied “food, water, and other commodities.”<br />
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Nine days after landfall is when DHS Secretary Elaine Duke made the statement of “I know it is really a good news story in terms of our ability to reach people and the limited number of deaths that have taken place in such a devastating hurricane."<br />
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To this statement, Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, responded, saying, “Well maybe from where she's standing, it’s a good news story. When you're drinking from a creek, it's not a good news story. When you don't have food for a baby, it’s not a good news story. When you have to pull people down from buildings—I’m sorry, that really upsets me and frustrates me.”<br />
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She added that Duke’s comments were not in line with the support the White House had otherwise offered. At a press conference later that day, Cruz told reporters: “We are dying here. If we don’t get the food and the water into the people’s hands, we are going to see something close to a genocide.” <br />
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Of course that was the statement that moved her to Trumps's enemy list. Her people were dying and Trump's lackadaisical response and the flippancy of Trump administrators who weren't even there, were contributing to the death toll, so she spoke out.<br />
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The Idiot-in-Chief was offended by someone who told the truth so he instantly had to make himself the hero and the victim. Something he is still doing to this day about Puerto Rico. Because he is a cowardly, soulless, piece of shit.<br />
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Shamed into it, eleven days after landfall, Trump ordered more than 1,000 more service members deployed to the island. <br />
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Now that a rescue, recovery and repair program had started to fall into place, someone needed to come in to get the power structure and communications back up on the island. And who got that $300 million contract? Not a reputable company with a small army of technicians who could work as fast and as efficiently as possible. Nope, a small, two man company from Montana, Whitefish Energy Holdings, a business whose finances were in question before the contract. Coincidentally, the company owners were friends of Ryan Zinke, Trump's (questionable) Secretary of the Interior. <br />
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But shady Whitefish wasn't doing the job and their contract was terminated by the Puerto Rican government after it was discovered that the Montana company billed the Puerto Rican public power company, PREPA, $319 an hour for power restoration work by linemen. They also wanted to bill Puerto Rico additional millions of dollars for their "work."<br />
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FEMA administrator Brock Long told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs in October of 2017 that his agency wasn’t aware of the Whitefish contract when it was signed, and FEMA likely wouldn’t have approved it. “We were notified several weeks after the fact,” Long said. “There’s no lawyer inside FEMA that would have ever agreed to the language that was in that contract.”<br />
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By the way, a year after Maria there are still approx 11,000 Puerto Ricans without power.<br />
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As for those 10 containers of rotten food currently making the rounds on the news? Well, elections commission offices were used as a collection center for donations from private entities and nonprofit groups last year. Once they were collected, the donations were then distributed by the National Guard.<br />
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As the severity of the crisis diminished, the donations were then reportedly stored in trailers in the parking lot of the election bureau’s San Juan offices, where they remained despite continued problems in the region. Officials confirmed to the New York Times that the items had been left in trailers for almost a year.<br />
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“It should have been handed out as soon as possible,” Maj. Paul Dahlen, a spokesman for the National Guard said, adding that <i>some</i> of the materials were received after the National Guard ended its mission in May. So, the mission ended in May but the contents of these containers had been donated last year and had been under National Guard control.<br />
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But let's blame the victims. Republicans are good at that.<br />
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Is there any doubt after this careless, indifferent and inept response from the US government that approximately 3,000 people are dead as a direct, even indirect result of Hurricane Maria?<br />
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There shouldn't be.<br />
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No, Trump, you did not do a fantastic job in Puerto Rico. Your response doesn't even come up to the qualification of "failure." Suck it, Trump. Those 3,000 deaths are on you and your administration.<br />
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You lied, people died.<br />
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And the fact that you are trying to claim those people aren't really dead, due to your vapid, unconcerned response, and that YOU are the victim in all this makes you even more of an evil, barbaric, conscienceless monster than I previously believed you were.<br />
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Democrats did not make you look "as bad as possible." You did that, yourself.<br />
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And when are we going to talk about Maria's destruction of The Virgin Islands, another US territory? FEMA didn't even start a response to them until six months after Maria hit.<br />
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<br />Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-75718520095389365182018-08-22T10:25:00.001-05:002018-08-22T12:11:42.485-05:00More Things That Make You Go Hmmmm<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rblSPVSz1pn0rvuD4lDUvlUFh1jmt6ugiHDL5rr2jedIGnwUpc7N__LPu7o4slq6XDQ128hfCUxQzgzVVjECOT5a-MYZozI8zbUAfeXVE1Mc9sz2fZbRMwmFW3HyruDPhZLG/s1600/57630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1165" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rblSPVSz1pn0rvuD4lDUvlUFh1jmt6ugiHDL5rr2jedIGnwUpc7N__LPu7o4slq6XDQ128hfCUxQzgzVVjECOT5a-MYZozI8zbUAfeXVE1Mc9sz2fZbRMwmFW3HyruDPhZLG/s320/57630.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The tragic outcome of missing college student Mollie Tibbets in Iowa is vile. There are no words that will ever bring Mollie back nor comfort her family, who are dealing with such a senseless loss.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What’s even more reprehensible is that Mollie’s death has now become a Republican talking point because Mollie’s confessed murderer is said to be an, in their words, “illegal alien.” This “detail” has rejuvenated the “Build The Wall” war cry, reemphasized Trump’s barbaric border policies and the need for ICE’s Gestapo-like tactics and ramped up attacks on Liberals who, Republicans believe, want open borders to just let everybody in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These are the facts as I know them:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cristhian Bahena Rivera was employed by Yarrabee Farms. This is their statement via spokesperson Dane Lang, in part: “This individual has worked at our farms for four years, was vetted through the government's E-Verify system, and was an employee in good standing. Yarrabee Farms follows all laws related to verifying employees are legal to work in the United States, and we regularly seek outside counsel to ensure we stay up-to-date on employment law matters. We keep records on all employees and have shared that information with authorities.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><a href="https://www.emptrust.com/Products/e-verify.aspx" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">E-Verify</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"> is a United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) website that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: large;">DHS states that, “U.S. law requires companies to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States – either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. This diverse workforce contributes greatly to the vibrancy and strength of our economy, but that same strength also attracts unauthorized employment.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dane Lang and Eric Lang are two of the owners of Yarrabee Farms. Dane, as mentioned above, the spokesperson for Larrabee Farms, is Craig Lang’s son. Eric is Craig Lang’s brother. Craig Lang is the former president of both the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and the Iowa Board of Regents and a 2018 Republican candidate for state secretary of agriculture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So…this “illegal alien,” deemed legally employable in the USA by the Department of Homeland Security, was hired by a Republican-owned farm-business with direct ties to a Republican official. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">None of this negates the actions of Rivera nor does the blame of the murder lie with anyone other than Rivera. On the other hand, Trump supporters can’t have it both ways; they cannot scream about “illegal aliens” while having them electronically vetted and hiring them to work. Either Rivera is undocumented and living and working here illegally, in which case, the DHS and Yarrabee Farms has some explaining to do or he is legally allowed to work in the USA and his actions are equal to any other native born murderer (like the wretched coward who murdered his wife and kids in Colorado).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just my personal observation.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-69032579813002377132018-07-30T11:42:00.000-05:002018-07-30T11:42:04.470-05:00No, You Are Not A Better Patriot Than Someone Who Served<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKM63QsrjUgrf7sEW8Y4_vy1NObN-Jsqr2eygWD-7YSEl5n6K61dl7rwyKjdUoPhlO-3X5a3dtkBmReDum0QjT7n9JVYJL8RFADthT7aE-XG78GtQBiwOSXOrcf8cpbIqsnGZ3/s1600/971742_474910245922657_1639099309_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="943" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKM63QsrjUgrf7sEW8Y4_vy1NObN-Jsqr2eygWD-7YSEl5n6K61dl7rwyKjdUoPhlO-3X5a3dtkBmReDum0QjT7n9JVYJL8RFADthT7aE-XG78GtQBiwOSXOrcf8cpbIqsnGZ3/s320/971742_474910245922657_1639099309_n.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have no problem with anyone who doesn't/didn't serve their country (as long as military service isn't mandatory). My Army service was definitely not a career choice but I served honorably and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That choice is not for everyone and I fully understand that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No, what I do have a problem with is people who, for whatever reason, choose/chose not to serve their country but openly attack, disparage and mock those of us who are serving or<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"> did serve and their reason for dismissing someone's service is nothing but a difference in politics and opinion. </span></span></div>
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If you did not serve and you want to vilify and make fun of my service and tell me it didn't count solely because I'm a liberal or because I'm a female or whatever idiotic reason you want to come up with you better be prepared for some pushback. If you accuse me of lying about being a veteran because you don't believe a liberal or a female "legitimately" serves their country (or only does jobs that won't "break their nails"), you better be prepared to back up your idiocy with some unbiased evidence or I will be all over your cowardly, misogynistic ass.</div>
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If you're going to call yourself a superior patriot over someone who served, it needs to be because of something better than your delusional adoration for the 5-time draft dodging, Russian asset in the oval office. </div>
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How did it get so bad that Trump supporters now perceive they are justified to say and feel they are "better" than other Americans who served their country? How did it get to be, "you're only a REAL soldier or a REAL veteran if you're a Trump supporter"? How did it go back to "if you're a woman serving or has served, you're not a real soldier or a real veteran"? Especially by men who never served?</div>
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We need to call that shit out when it happens, when we hear it and when we read it. </div>
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I have not heard it of this happening on the "left" side (yet) but if anyone on my friends/readers list is behaving the same way toward Trump supporters who served their country, knock it off. There is plenty else to go at them for but not their military service, especially if you've never served.</div>
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Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-64092100167741637152018-07-18T14:29:00.000-05:002018-07-18T14:29:59.908-05:00The Velvet Anthology<br />
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I know a lot of you are still waiting for Book Two of The Sanctuary Series to be released. While I joke around and say, "So am I," I assure you that Roselle and I are finishing up the final 30 or so pages. Then it will go to our editor, Day, and to Karen D. Badger and Bliss for the cover and formatting. After that, Roselle and I will begin the final story of the trilogy.<br />
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The boss (Belladonna Bossy Pants) would like it to be out by October. Hopefully, we can accommodate her. She is a difficult when she is disappointed.<br />
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But - while you wait - I suggest another book to which I contributed, that was recently released. The Velvet Anthology, (Stone Soup Community Press) a collection of short stories whose subject matter revolves around the most enigmatically famous of Lesbian Fiction Reviewers, Velvet Lounger. It was a fun project to be a part of and I am humbled to be included in this potpourri of esteemed authors of lesbian fiction: Erica Abbott, Stefani Deoul, Donna K. Ford, Cheryl Head, Karin Kallmaker, Lee Lynch, Ann McMan, Annette More and MJ Williamz.<br />
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Here is the description:<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 14px;"><i>Into every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will wield the stamina and dashing good looks to stand firm against the vamps, the vixens, and the smokin’ hot damsels in distress; to stop the spread of their yearning and extinguish the swell of their desire. She is the Reviewer. She is Velvet Lounger. Follow the best and brightest authors of our generation as they join forces with Velvet Lounger in this brilliant collection of short stories. From Elvis to Angles and Black Cats to enchanted Caesar Salads, you’ll see the legendary Velvet Lounger as you’ve never seen her before! Featuring smart, sexy, and laugh-out-loud stories from Erica Abbott, Cheyne Curry, Stefani Deoul, Donna K. Ford, Cheryl Head, Karin Kallmaker, Lee Lynch, Ann McMan, Annette Mori and MJ Williams, this uniquely entertaining collection belongs on the bookshelf of every Lesfic aficionado.</i></span></span><br />
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Below is the Amazon link, that also gives you a preview of what's inside. As a bonus, <b><i><u>ALL</u></i></b> proceeds support the (GCLS) Conference Reader Scholarship.<br />
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Get your copy today!<br />
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https://www.amazon.com/Velvet-Anthology-Karin-Kallmaker/dp/0997556994/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1531939252&sr=1-1&keywords=the+velvet+anthology&dpID=418Yc6l9-TL&preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=srch<br />
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<br />Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-10996805921799072902018-07-18T13:38:00.000-05:002018-07-18T13:39:20.386-05:00#TrumpTreason In All Its Glory.<br />
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"...or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason..."<br />
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On July 16, 2018, Donald Trump, the alleged "president" of the United States of America, stood next to an adversarial political foe (whose country - on that tyrant's orders - carried out a cyber attack against the USA's electoral process, resulting in Trump "winning" the election) and sided with Russia AGAINST our own country on live television.</div>
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The entire world saw it and heard the words from his own mouth, as it happened.</div>
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Donald Trump committed treason.</div>
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NOTHING he can say will redeem his words and behavior in Helsinki.</div>
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Nothing.</div>
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He stood with Russia AGAINST the United States.</div>
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He is indefensible.</div>
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Nothing he said 28 hours later, trying to walk back his words, makes any sense in the context of everything else he said the day before. </div>
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Nothing.</div>
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No amount of backtracking on "would/wouldn’t" will change what he did.</div>
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No amount of "But Hillary," no amount of "But Obama," no amount of blaming the Democrats can save him.</div>
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He can't blame Fake News.</div>
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He betrayed his country and his oath to the constitution on live TV in front of the world. </div>
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He is a traitor.</div>
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If our politicians in charge do not treat him as such and hold him accountable, they are also traitors.</div>
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If they do not hold him accountable, we need to hold them accountable. </div>
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We are their bosses, not the other way around.</div>
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We pay their salaries, not the other way around.</div>
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They work for us.</div>
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The United States is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. </div>
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We need to take our country back from a treasonous GOP and the Russian asset in the White House - the PEOPLE'S House.</div>
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This was not Trump's usual habit of just crossing a line; this was him cowering like a whipped dog in acquiescence to a foreign enemy in favor of standing up for his (again, alleged) country. Our country. </div>
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He doesn't need to be impeached. He needs to be indicted, charged and imprisoned, along with his complicit cabinet and administration. </div>
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He sold us out to the Russians. If he is not stopped, he will do it again and again until we are the United States of Soviet Russia.</div>
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Get registered, check your registration status and VOTE. If you do not, you are just as guilty as Trump and the GOP.</div>
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Do not let this attitude prevail:</div>
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Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-83095780224452394502018-06-14T13:19:00.001-05:002018-06-18T10:30:25.205-05:00Let's Compare Misdemeanors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I hear a lot of diehard Trump supporters say, "This policy started with Obama."<br />
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No, The Obama Administration held UNACCOMPANIED minor children for 72 hours until they could place them with family or other homes. The Trump Administration (Sessions and Miller) came up with the law of separating children from their parents to punish them as a deterrent for trying to seek asylum or believing America was a better place for their children.<br />
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I also hear them say,"Their parents broke the law, they should suffer the consequences of their choices."<br />
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Let's talk about that.<br />
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Seeking asylum is not against the law. Crossing the border illegally is a misdemeanor offense. There is no reason to separate mothers and fathers from children who are still weaning, toddlers or older.<br />
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So, if you are the patriot you believe you are and if you feel all should be equal under the law, let's compare misdemeanors.<br />
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Say you get a ticket for blowing/rolling through a stop sign, exceeding the speed limit, talking on your cell phone (or other distracted driving), turning right on red where not allowed...a ticket for anything considered an infraction. Those, individually, don't constitute a misdemeanor, however, not paying the ticket(s) or not showing up for court results in a Failure To Appear, which <i>is</i> a misdemeanor. This misdemeanor can become more complicated if a bench warrant is issued for your arrest because of that FTA. So why shouldn't you be punished the same way as immigrants crossing the border? Why shouldn't you be separated from your children to deter you or others from doing that again?<br />
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Say your employer presses charges against you for stealing office equipment (i.e. pens, paper, stapler, etc., items that, to you, are trivial because the office has an excess supply and won't miss them and you "need" one or more of these items). Petty theft is a misdemeanor. Why shouldn't your children be separated from you as a deterrent to not do it again?<br />
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Say somebody pisses you off and you resort to a shouting match or name calling or throwing things or just being a jackass. It's a one-time thing, someone pushed you beyond your boiling point and you reacted by being disorderly. It matters not your motivation if the police are called. If you are busted for disorderly conduct, that's a misdemeanor offense. Why shouldn't your children be separated from you as a deterrent to not do it again?<br />
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Say you trespass onto private property where signs are posted (whether you see them or not) because there's something there that holds your interest or curiosity (or you're just being an asshole, believing those signs don't pertain to you). If the police are called and you get arrested, that's a misdemeanor. Why shouldn't your children be separated from you as a deterrent to not do it again?<br />
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Say you are responsible for a minor accident that damages property. In your eyes, the damage is insignificant and nobody will notice anyway. No harm, no foul, right? It is still someone's property you damaged and if you don't legally rectify the situation and get caught, that's a misdemeanor offense. Why shouldn't your children be separated from you as a deterrent to not do it again?<br />
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Say you've had a few drinks and get into your car to drive home. You don't feel intoxicated and maybe you are driving just fine, obeying all traffic laws but you get pulled over anyway. Your alcohol tolerance matters not under the law if your breathalyzer reading displays above the legal limit. Why shouldn't you be separated from your children as a deterrent to not do it again?<br />
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Say you go home after a long, exhausting day and fire up a joint. For whatever reason the police show up at your house and you don't have a prescription for medical marijuana. Now you are facing charges of possession, at the very least. That's a misdemeanor. Why shouldn't your children be separated from you as a deterrent to not do it again?<br />
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Now say you live in a country where the safety, rights and welfare of your children are a daily threat. Say you have to go into hiding every damned day because you and your children are running the risk of being raped, bodily harmed or murdered. Say your children are at risk every single day of being kidnapped into a violent gang or a drug ring or a sex trafficking operation. Tell me you wouldn't do whatever desperate measures it would take to keep your children safe and get them away from that element. Do you really think, in this case, your frightened children should be separated from you as a deterrent not to do it again?<br />
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If your answer is still yes, then I can only hope your precious government starts separating your children from you, possibly never to be seen again (or placed in modern day concentration camps), for the misdemeanor crimes I mentioned above. Maybe the only thing that will teach you really<i> is</i> having all things equal under the law.<br />
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If asylum seekers (or immigrants illegally crossing the border) have to be incarcerated, there is NO reason they cannot be housed with their children.<br />
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If you are okay with the zero tolerance Trump Administration law as it currently is, then please do not tell me you are a Christian or you are pro-life. Or that you aren't a racist because if the government was doing this to white children of white parents who break the law, you would have already lit up your tiki torches and would have been marching to the facilities.<br />
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I really hope the UN stops hinting at charging the USA with Human Rights Violations and actually does it.<br />
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Because this is what we've become.<br />
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<br />Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-41445801228054170012018-06-13T13:50:00.001-05:002018-06-18T10:37:01.342-05:00Trump Outrage Fatigue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yes, I have Trump Outrage Fatigue. </div>
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Every night I go to bed and say, "I'm not going to rant about that waste of oxygen on social media tomorrow." And every morning I wake up to find he's done or said something even more outrageous, horrible, destructive, damaging, discriminatory, tyrannical and/or illegal than the day before.</div>
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Every day, he either leads or endorses his administration into engaging in racism, bigotry, xenophobia, homophobia, Islamophobia, misogyny, bullying and treason against the country he allegedly "leads." He performs these acts with no accountability levied at him by a conniving, cowardly congress and senate.</div>
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Every day, he or members of his cabinet/administration gut another rule or law that consign checks and balances on regulations that were put in place for the safety of human beings, not for the corporations that are killing us or for the swelling bank accounts of the lobbyists and colluding politicians. </div>
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Every day, he continues to shrug off human rights violations. </div>
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Every day he fractures another law to which other presidents have had to conform, crippling our democracy just a little more. </div>
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Every day he loses us another ally and aligns with a different dictator's ideals.</div>
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Every day he brokers his own personal and financial gain at the expense of what is beneficial to the American people.</div>
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Every day, he or his administration (under his approval) have either proposed or accomplished another egregious act of dogma that has tried or actually removed rights from some marginalized group of American citizens, all in the name of "religious freedom."</div>
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Every day we learn of more health benefits we've lost and/or of retirement benefits we earned that are threatened and/or of new restrictions that affect the hardest working among us to benefit the rich.</div>
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Every day he unleashes rants and throws tantrums like a spoiled toddler with no boundaries or filters and calls people (like me) who don't agree with him and kiss his ass "enemies" and "losers" or "unpatriotic" and "traitors." And every time, after he does, accounts of more violence against "the other" (which now includes liberals) are reported, done by people riled up, believing they are doing right by their president.</div>
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Every day, more blatant hypocrisy is displayed by an administration, allowed by a congress, that would have been lighting crosses on the lawn of the White House with tiki torches had ANY of what this "president" does been done by the President or previous administration before him.</div>
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Every day is a new lie, a compounded previous lie or an invented "statistic" that lends false credence to the alternative facts this "president" and administration spew on an hourly basis to make his gullible base more loyal to his anti-American agenda under the guise of "patriotism".</div>
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Every day is more exhausting than the last. Every day feels more regressive than the last. Every day feels more oppressive than the last. Every day, with a congress that gleefully enables and champions a fascist regime, feels more hopeless than the last.</div>
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Being silent is just not an option.</div>
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Silence equals complicity and I will not be complicit in the attempted death of my country by people in power who wipe their collective asses on the Constitution of the United States of America.</div>
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White male fragility should never be justification for going to war against your own people.</div>
Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-79465470433864213652018-05-30T13:15:00.003-05:002018-05-30T13:15:54.153-05:00Saying Mean Things About Mean People Is Not The Same As Racism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">"The View needs to be canceled because they say mean things about Trump and his administration!" </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">No. No one on The View ever compared black people to the long-standing racist slur of "looking like apes."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"But they say horrible things about Trump, that he looks like an Orangutan and Whoopi wore a shirt during the Women's March of Trump blowing his brains out."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Oh, where to begin...<br />Trump says horrible thing about EVERYBODY who isn't kissing his ass or making him richer. On a daily basis, he says not just "mean" but appalling things about people in marginalized groups. He uses executive orders or actual bills to do horrible things to people who cannot further his white supremacist agenda or make him richer. They say horrible things about Trump because he is a horrible person who says and does horrible things to American citizens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Trump looking like an orangutan is in no way equal to telling a black person they look like an ape. White people have no history of being demeaned by being told as a racist slur they look like orangutans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whoopi's shirt during the March displayed no such image. That was photoshopped by a RW nut job to further put gas on an already uncontrollable fire.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"But Joy Behar said horrible things about Pence and his religion."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Mike Pence uses his "religion" to pass laws making it legal for his state to electrocute the gay out of people. Pence uses his "religion" to enact laws that control women's healthcare. Joy Behar apologized and she shouldn't have. Pence is using his "religion" to justify his hatred, bigotry and inner homophobia. Mike Pence, in his own way, is worse than Trump because he uses "God" as a guilt mechanism.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"But Kelly Osbourne said racist things about Latinos..."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Kelly Osbourne was shut down instantly by Rosie Perez, admonished by her co-hosts on air and has never been a regular on The View.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"But Meghan McCain said..."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After the horrible things Trump has said about McCain's father, she has every right to call him out however she sees fit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"But what about Michelle Wolf who said horrible things about Sarah Huckabee Sanders?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The worst thing Wolf said about Sanders was that she was a liar. That's true. Sanders lies every single time she does a WH press conference. She never made fun of SHS's looks. Her exact quote was: "She burns FACTS, and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye. Like maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s lies. It’s probably lies." And if you think comparing SHS to Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid's Tale was less about her attitude and more about her looks, then you need to send a letter of apology to Ann Dowd, who plays Aunt Lydia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The White House correspondence dinner is a ROAST. It always has been. Every year they pay a comedian to make jokes about the current administration. Worse things have been said about other presidents, their administrations and their policies at other WH correspondence dinners. It's expected. Michelle Wolf said nothing worse than every other comedian in that environment. Grow the fuck up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"But it was only one tweet..."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Even one racist tweet is too many and no, it wasn't just one. A history of her tweets show her legacy of saying and doing racist, bigoted, inappropriate things and having them normalized by a fan base who believes racism/bigotry is patriotism.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And, no, Roseanne's First Amendment rights have not been infringed. She is still free to say and tweet what she wants (and boy is she tweeting). She is free from government persecution. She is not in jail. Her free speech has not been stifled. She just had to learn the hard way that words have consequences, even for those who believe they are above repercussion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Saying mean things about mean people who place themselves in positions of being criticized will never equate to blatant racism. Ever. Don't. Even. Go. There. Saying Liberals get away with it but Conservatives don't is a crock. How long has the Right, without consequences, been getting away with racism, homophobia, anti-semitism, xenophobia, misogyny, gender inequality and so much else? It's just the Left is starting to fight back using the same tactics. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And the Right doesn't like it one bit.</span></div>
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Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-21661171928337509912018-05-22T12:46:00.001-05:002018-05-22T12:46:35.099-05:00What A Normal White House Would Want You To Know About An Increasing, Violent Demographic in the USA.Yesterday, as I was reading over more deflection from the White House.gov page, I came across this:<br />
<h1 class="page-header__title" style="caret-color: rgb(41, 51, 64); color: #293340; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 2.75rem; line-height: 1.36; margin: 0px;">
What You Need To Know About The Violent Animals Of MS-13</h1>
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https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/need-know-violent-animals-ms-13/<br />
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<b>So I decided I would fix it for them with a few corrections. Using the same verbiage, some words were substituted and some incidents were generalized so that this short read didn't become the next volume of Game of Thrones. This is in no way excusing the gang violence of MS-13 or any other notorious territorial street gang, this is addressing the much more serious, escalating problem of domestic terrorism in the USA.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">What You Need To Know About The Violent Animals Called Angry White Males With Guns</span><br />
May 22, 2018 approximate 3-4 minute read<br />
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<b>WHAT: The violent animals – Angry White Males With Guns - have committed heinous, violent attacks in communities across America.</b><br />
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Too many innocent Americans have fallen victim to the unthinkable violence of Angry White Males With Guns. At the State of the Union in January 2018, “President” Trump completely ignored the innocent people brutally murdered by Angry White Males With Guns all over America. Even when witnesses to these acts stated that the “murders show a level of brutality that is close to unmatched,” the so-called leader of the “free world” will not even say, much less confront the threatening reality of domestic terrorism.<br />
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For example, recently in Santa Fe, TX, an Angry White Male With a Gun was accused of murdering 10 people because a female rightfully spurned his advances. An Angry White Male With a Gun in Parkland, FL is accused of choosing 17 former victims at random, murdering them, because he aspired to be an American Nazi. In Las Vegas, NV, an Angry White Male With a Guns opened fire on an unsuspecting crowd, murdering 58 and wounding 546 because personal decisions he made ruined his life so, before killing himself, he had to take as many strangers as he could with him. On two different occasions (Sutherland Springs, TX and Charleston, SC), Angry White Males With Guns murdered people they did not know in churches and other Angry White Males With Guns committed several shooting at synagogues, while the victims prayed. And, through it all, Trump has pointed fingers elsewhere to avoid placing the blame on where it belongs – Angry White Males With Guns.<br />
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Angry White Males With Guns have rendered formerly safe locations target zones, including elementary schools, churches, movie theaters, parks, concerts, shopping areas, restaurants and places of employment. There used to be areas where people knew not to go because of the danger associated with those places. Now, thanks to Angry White Males With Guns, <i>everywhere</i> is dangerous.<br />
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To add to these statistics, a majority of domestic abuse victims (partners, spouses, family members) who have died, have been murdered by Angry White Males With Guns. Most murderers have already had reports filed against them by their victims but were ignored by other Angry White Males in positions of authority.<br />
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Communities all over the United States have suffered tremendously from the abhorrent violence of Angry White Males With Guns. A predominance of all mass murders committed since Charles Whitman, (who, in 1966, took seven high-powered rifles to the top of the tower at Texas State University and randomly murdered 18 people and wounded 31), have been tied to Angry White Males with Guns.<br />
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There is a subset of Angry White Males (i.e., Eric Rudolph, Timothy McVeigh) who have caused domestic terror using other weapons. Again, most of those who have escalated began as Angry White Males with Guns.<br />
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The one thing these Angry White Males With Guns have in common is that they seem to think everyone who isn’t white, male, heterosexual and “christian” are all conspiring against them and fear if they lose dominance, they will be treated exactly the same way as they have treated others they have deemed “beneath them.” They also consider themselves the chosen race. This belief is fueled and sometimes falsely validated by extreme Right Wing news sources, Evangelical false prophets for profit and, occasionally, the “president”, himself.<br />
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As of May 18, 2018, Angry White Males With Guns are the biggest threat to America, as they have committed the bulk of heinous, shocking acts of violence against their own fellow citizens. The motivation of nearly all is, reportedly, neither mental illness nor being bullied but misogynistic rage at the devastating perceived loss of white privilege, feelings of entitlement, encouraged hatred of “the other” and the availability of guns.<br />
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Some Angry White Males With Guns have even believed their actions would start a race war and that they would be famous and remembered for their accomplishments. Also, Angry White Males With Guns, as a rule, don’t want to die so that they can bask in the glory of their actions, believing they will be hailed as heroes.<br />
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<b>WHY: Angry White Males With Guns follow the motto of “bully, divide and kill” by committing shocking acts of violence in an attempt to instill fear, gain control and maintain their white male supremacy.</b><br />
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Angry White Males With Guns are a dangerous gang that has brought violence, fear, and suffering to American communities. This gang has more members than any other, for example, outnumbering by the thousands, MS-13, in the spreading of violence and suffering in the United States.<br />
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Recent investigations have revealed Angry White Males With Guns’ leaders are based in America and have been sending representatives to pulpits, law enforcement, medical fields, the judiciary, Congress, the Senate and the White House. These domestic terrorist gang leaders direct members to become even more violent in an effort to control more US territory and, possibly, the world.<br />
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"President" Trump’s entire Administration is working tirelessly to ignore bringing these violent animals to justice. This is a dangerous precedent that can only lead to more violence, suffering, loss of life and domestic terrorism...with the "president's" and his administration's blessing.<br />
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Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-19296441261536515422018-05-05T12:44:00.002-05:002018-05-05T12:44:56.084-05:00April 30, 2018<br />
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That’s the date I had originally planned for part two of The Sanctuary Series to be done, out and available. Roselle and I know a lot of people have been patiently waiting for it and it pains me to not have it ready yet.</div>
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I’d also planned on getting Permission To Recover out before the Golden Crown Literary Society conference in July. That book is currently on hold, too.</div>
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Best laid plans and all that.</div>
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In August of last year, my mother was suspected of having lung cancer. A spot on her lung was detected during some unrelated testing while she was in the ER for taking a fall. I was told and given the option to tell or not tell my mom. I kept it to myself (except for telling Brenda) for nearly three months because 1) they weren’t sure and 2) I didn’t want to freak her out before it was confirmed. I know my mother. She would have just worried herself into another stroke as it is a maternal family tradition to have yourself dead and buried before the diagnosis is validated.</div>
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The complications of my mother also having asthma, COPD and emphysema scared us into believing that the shape her lungs were in, if she did have lung cancer, her prognosis would be grim. </div>
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I broke the suspected news to her two days before her appointment with an oncologist. Naturally, she fell apart, which I pointed out to her was why I did not say anything earlier. At the oncology office, the diagnosis was confirmed. That began a litany of meetings, appointments, daily treatments and new routines and of her not being left alone while she went through radiation. It was also an emotional roller coaster of not knowing whether the treatment would work and if I was spending my mom’s last days with her. Fortunately, as of January, she was cancer-free (she’ll have another check up in June), so it was the best possible outcome.</div>
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It took up a lot of what would normally be my writing time and scared away my muse when I had time to write. That affected the progress of the sequel and the editing on Permission To Recover. I’m not saying that in a selfish, complaining way, I’m saying as an explanation as to why no sequel yet.</div>
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Ah, but that was in January, you say. Plenty of time to get back in the saddle and finish Book Two. </div>
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True. Except that in mid-January, I collapsed and hit my head on something and lost consciousness, sustaining what I originally thought was a mild concussion (because I didn’t go to the ER and no, I don’t know why) and now I’m being told that it is, instead, a traumatic brain injury. I still don’t know the details of what happened, how I fell or what my head smacked against. Those memories have not returned. I also don’t know what caused me to collapse. My primary care doc thinks it has something to do with the supply of oxygen to my heart not being signaled correctly from my brain but my one visit with the cardiologist told me nothing.</div>
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The follow-up visits to the cardiologist are a whole other saga that I won’t go into right now.</div>
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I had all the symptoms of a mild concussion, as I researched online, and thought I would recover naturally and, in a couple weeks, all would be fine again.</div>
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After a month of not feeling any better, my PC doc sent a referral to my neurologist for a consult. She pretty much ordered me into concussion therapy and physical therapy (because she said I had sustained whiplash from hitting my head) three times a week for my unrelenting stiff neck. </div>
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Problem was each session is a $40 co-pay and that adds up really quickly. So I still put it off - until I could no longer because I was not improving. I bargained them down to one session a week and the promise that I would do all my exercises at home several times a day.</div>
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My first vestibular therapy session, about 3 months after my collapse, revealed that my eyes were not tracking properly, that there was a delay. Also my left eye was lazier than my right. This would explain some of the dizziness, disorientation, blurred vision, headaches, problems with depth perception, hypersensitivity to light, concentration and focus issues I was experiencing. It is to the point where I have been referred to a neuro-opthamologist, who I will see this month.</div>
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My first PT session revealed that I might have a slight (?) fracture in my neck. Before any further investigation into that can proceed, my neck muscles need to calm down and become looser (the PT claimed last week that I had the tightest, weirdest neck muscles she had ever seen. I told her that was okay because I hated being normal) before they are even more aggravated by any other testing. I should find out more about that next week. The neck issues have also contributed to the dizziness, nausea, disorientation, balance problems (like I needed any more of those) and sleeping patterns (no position is comfortable).</div>
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So...since January, I have been writing very little. Some days I have spurts of really great attentiveness and the screen doesn’t assault my eyes too much and I can sit and write a pretty good amount before my neck starts to hurt and my eyes start to go all googly and I start getting woozy and lose my focus.</div>
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But, you say, I don’t understand. You’re on Facebook and Twitter a LOT. True. But most posts can be made from my iPad or iPhone while I am lying down and resting, as opposed to spending concentrated time typing onto a computer screen that, even at its dimmest setting, makes the words start dancing after about twenty minutes of typing. For example, I’ve been working on this post since last night.</div>
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My life for the past 3 months has been a maelstrom of hypersensitivity to all different moods, wooziness, disorientation, anxiety, memory loss, heightened depression, light sensitivity (that’s been really bad because bright days are almost agony which is reduced only by dark glasses that filter out all light), difficulties with reading and writing (and drawing and composing), physical balance (and, occasionally mental balance), vision issues, headaches, concentration/focus/attention changes, difficulty navigating and intensified ringing in the ears.</div>
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Please understand that I am not posting this to get anyone’s sympathy. I mean, hello, “should’ve gone to the ER and had it addressed immediately” speaking here. I am posting this because I know that readers are wondering where the hell the sequel is.</div>
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It’s almost there. It takes a lot of research and rechecking of facts in a topic like the one The Sanctuary Series covers. A majority of that is done and 3/4 of the sequel is completed. We just need to tie up a few loose ends, get it to the editor and get it to <a class="_2u0z" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=100003206940844" href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003206940844" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">Karen D. Badger</a> and Bliss for the cover and finishing touches. </div>
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I just wanted everyone to know that it is not <a class="_2u0z" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1029443454" href="https://www.facebook.com/roselle.graskey" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">Roselle Graskey</a>’s fault, that she has been a dream to work with as a co-writer and is always prepared and creatively and intellectually committed. She really is a sister from a different mister. No, the big hold up has been me and my issues, which seem like one thing right after another and I take full responsibility for the delay.</div>
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So, please bear with us. Barring any other incidents or emergencies, the goal is to get The Resistance, Book Two of the Sanctuary Series out by the GCLS con and Permission To Recover out, hopefully, before Women’s Week in P-town in October.</div>
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I am scheduled to be on a panel about the Apocalypse in lesbian literature at the conference in July. I need to let everyone know that I am currently having a problem with finding words when I speak and maintaining enough focus where I don’t forget what I am saying or even what the subject is about in the middle of a sentence. As much as I love my beer, I just want it to be known that these anomalies will have nothing to do with alcohol consumption and everything to do with a tantrum throwing tempestuous brain. Hopefully the therapy will help improve all that by then.</div>
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I’m asking that you please hang on just a little bit longer and we will have the sequel out to you soon.</div>
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Thank you in advance, friends.</div>
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You all rock.</div>
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<br />Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-44652109468714196552017-12-08T17:44:00.001-05:002017-12-10T09:21:37.165-05:00Just My Opinion: Al Franken<br />
<span style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Really, Democrats?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We are punishing a man for stupid, sexist, locker room, dick humor behavior when, as a comedian, he was known for his stupid, sexist, locker room, dick humor? We are demanding the resignation of someone who apologized for his stupid, sexist, locker room, dick humor and creepy touchy-feely antics of his past, admitting exactly what he needed to admit, apologizing and calling for an ethics investigation into his own past actions? He did exactly what he should have done until the investigation was completed. We denied him his due process on accusations he admitted - at the least - must have made the accusers uncomfortable with his predictable stupid, sexist, locker room, dick humor. The main accuser accepted his apology and has stated she did not want him to resign, she only wanted an acknowledgement of his unacceptable behavior. The other accusers would have had a chance to prove their stories in an investigation (some of which are just flipping outrageously suspicious) but instead of letting that process take place and really show the Republicans how it's done, we conveniently fall on swords abundantly provided by the GOP to no avail while stomping our feet, with our hands on our hips at actual pedophiles, rapists and abusers who are purposely being placed in power by the Right. </span></span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="2tsgp-0-0"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To my knowledge, no one who thinks calling for Al Franken's resignation is wrong is giving Franken a pass or saying he doesn't deserved to be called out for his actions while he was doing stand-up, SNL or USO shows. No one I know believes that the allegations against Franken should go undisputed just because he's a Democrat. His punishment should fit his crime AFTER the investigation is over, which is not saying anything against his accusers. It's how the law is supposed to work. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="bdgq0-0-0"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">But, say, you disagree, which is fine, it's your right; then by the standards we are setting by railing against Franken, we should go into every (both parties) politician's past. We should demand they resign if they have ever touched a woman inappropriately, forced a kiss on a woman or behaved in a frat boy manner that, until the long, overdue powerful "MeToo" movement got its wings, has always been accepted by the patriarchy we have all grown up in. A societal norm that, until recently, has encouraged teenage boys and men that their inappropriate behavior will be forgiven (and in some places even acceptable) because "boys will be boys and girls will be blamed." Let's demand the same of all those men (and some women) who have anything like that in their past. But, be aware, if we are to judge every man by these standards, they will include our grandfathers, fathers, husbands, brothers, sons and grandsons because until we have been allowed to call out our abusers by finally being taken seriously, screaming "enough!", touching women inappropriately and without their consent was seen as a rite of passage. None of it is acceptable to women who have an ounce of self-respect but our voices have always been silenced in one way or another because men have always held the power.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="372kt-0-0"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We're taking the "high road" to hell. Until the Democrats start demanding of the opposite party what we are now demanding of ourselves, the party will be doomed. If we turn the other cheek with today's GOP, all we're going to get is two bloody and bruised cheeks. Republicans have been systematically setting up the current party platform for decades and our being of "higher moral ground" means absolutely nothing to a party that has lost its morals completely. Our scruples have done nothing stop or even slow what the GOP has now become. What makes anyone think it would make a difference now? Democrats have never held Republicans accountable. We bitch about it but even when we had power, we were too busy taking the "moral high ground" to fight fire with fire. If we had, then maybe we wouldn't need to have to think about getting down and dirty now. Taking the moral high ground is all well and good and noble<i> <b>if the playing field is level</b></i><b>.</b> It's not and hasn't been for a long time.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="5nn7q-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm really beginning to think that if the Democrats continue this "moral high ground" bullshit that the Republicans and the rest of the world laugh at, then we are just as responsible for the state of our country as anyone else. If we are going to eat our own young, we are handing this country over to the very people we want to keep from power. The GOP will not do jack squat about their rapist and pedophile politicians as long as they continue to gain and hold power and we let them do it. Why? Because we hold ourselves to a higher standard? </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="5nn7q-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="5nn7q-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the interim, America burns and is becoming AmeriKKKa and, through ways and means of powerful individuals (who have no respect for our principles), the GOP gains even more momentum to Jim Crow this nation back to the days where the only people who had control of everything were white, male, heterosexual and "christian." They don't even have to be rich as long they are in a position of authority over everyone who isn't the four descriptions mentioned above. And what are we, the Democrats, doing to combat this occurrence? Wringing our political hands and clinging to our higher moral integrity. Bully for us.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="bi8t3-0-0"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We don't need to become immoral to fight them, we just need to get smart </b><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">and realize the rules have changed and we haven't changed with them. We don't want history to repeat itself so we have got to do something about it and choose our battles wisely. If the Democrats want to be taken seriously, we need to grow up and start fighting the war as it is presented to us right here on our own turf and stop playing by rules that no longer exist and start playing by the rules that everyone else is playing by. If we don't, we can kiss our asses goodbye because we will be buried and then at the mercy of an even worse level of patriarchy than we've ever experienced before. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-offset-key="bi8t3-0-0"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span data-offset-key="bi8t3-0-0"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">And, by the way, by acknowledging, apologizing and calling for an ethics investigation into himself, Franken has already taken a higher moral road than anyone on the other side of the aisle accused of much worse. He was owed an investigation.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="bi8t3-0-0"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Al Franken was a wake up call. If we miss it, we have no one to blame but ourselves.</span></span></span></span></div>
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Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-29701943448188545502017-10-17T21:49:00.000-05:002017-10-18T14:23:46.715-05:00Powerful Predators and Being Believed, Part II<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtASy27ih9o8_lo4Suke5bcODe-ZoesAWDMC9uFHvmCapdcSnd5u9OU5JBdQNod6M43b3m7pV_ZXG77prvifRD8HgKYyK7hNgpYnDFPajE7bD0K5azRPDK59Qk1l92BAudA36/s1600/0714092242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtASy27ih9o8_lo4Suke5bcODe-ZoesAWDMC9uFHvmCapdcSnd5u9OU5JBdQNod6M43b3m7pV_ZXG77prvifRD8HgKYyK7hNgpYnDFPajE7bD0K5azRPDK59Qk1l92BAudA36/s320/0714092242.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that lightning never strikes
twice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a lie. And in the realm of my
particular case, this just the second of two major incidents reigning over
several less major incidents in comparison.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you want to read part one, a separate incident, it’s the
blog entry before this one (Powerful Predators and Being Believed). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is long, so get a cup of coffee, a mineral water or a cocktail
of choice and settle in.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 1989, I was working at Warner Bros. Studios as a security
officer. I worked all 3 shifts at different times, did my job and kept any
personal life (which wasn’t much because I worked all the time) I had away from
the studio. I loved my job. What wasn’t to love? I was working at a famous
studio with famous people, some who had been idols from childhood, being able
to combine my love and knowledge of the entertainment industry with my law
enforcement experience and training. I was in heaven.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 1989, I can tell you, without hesitation, that, in the
entertainment industry, the predators were known and spoke about either in
angry, behind-the-hand, whispers or rib-nudging, lascivious snickers. All of
them members of what seemed to be an unspoken insidious boys’ club, knowing
they could say and/or do anything and still be protected by the brotherhood of antecedent
patriarchal rules and regulations. Usually, anything done on studio property or
between studio employees was routinely dealt with on a studio facilities level
(and, depending on the offense or the offender, swept neatly under the rug). My
calling the police the night of this incident was not the norm. I’m sure if the
perpetrator had been anyone of real stock or box-office significance, I would
have received a personal visit from corporate attorneys and reps and the police
report would have been squashed and I might have been wealthy with hush money –
whether I wanted to take that route or not.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We all knew what went on and we all knew who held the power
and, regardless of how famous the actress or female was, no matter who they
were, they were kept on a tight leash (a tether that did not enslave male
actors in the same manner, no matter their status. I’m not saying that there
wasn’t predatory behavior happening with men as victims, I’m saying it wasn’t
nearly as endemic), and the women “acquiesced” if they wanted their careers to
thrive or, in some cases, even continue. This followed on a lower level of
employment, as well. If you wanted to stay employed or be considered for a
promotion, you went along and kept your mouth shut. If you were a female or
employee at a peon level, you had no power to change anything, even if you
spoke up. You weighed your choices and made them wisely.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyone who worked at the studios (yes, plural) in those days
that tell you they didn’t know that there was predatory behavior or sexual quid
pro-quo going on with the most powerful are lying. Or choosing to have
selective amnesia. Who had the control and who did what to whom was an open
secret. If you wanted to keep your job, you kept your mouth shut. And if you
were a female, trying to start your career (and some even in the stride of your
careers), you kept your mouth shut if you wanted to continue to work
successfully in the industry. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Besides…someone was policing their lecherous behavior,
weren’t they? Security certainly wasn’t allowed to. Our job was to keep
employees and guests safe while on the property and enforce the rules and
regulations as written. It wasn’t our job, for example, if we walked into a
producer’s office and he/she/they were burying their heads in a mountain of
cocaine to call the cops. Security’s responsibility was to mark the office as
occupied and come back later to do an official security check. We were not paid
to “tattle” on anyone of high status who may have been caught doing something
against the law while on private property. We acted as agents of the owner. If
we felt strongly about what we witnessed, we would notify our supervisors and
write a report. And that’s usually as far as it went and we were advised that
the issue had been “addressed.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Plus, I was already acutely aware of what happened when you
were taken advantage of by someone of influence, with money.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I started working on the lot in 1987, when it was the
original Burbank Studios and housed Warner Bros., Columbia Pictures Television
and Tri-Star. In 1990, Columbia/Sony moved off the lot and it became Warner
Bros. Studios once again. The studio still housed smaller production companies,
at that time, like Miramax, Guber-Peters, Castle Rock and The Mount Company, to
name a few. There were a plethora of “big names” that frequented the lot for
either employment, for meetings or as guests. The people I encountered on a
daily basis were a veritable who’s who of television and film. The
responsibility at times seemed massive and intimidating. But exciting and
unique, too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXohD2qt6bXBrFEKt1e6wUWNPEZdK1m7AAwRAxnr8bmieZbYHZBuSRtV_xCAl8k0OcTnEMXGbeSJBx9_xcUQN97IGnctz5Qpvj8FKZQQ-Ij1WUxVxwgATijhRHQo63Y3xuisrm/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="399" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXohD2qt6bXBrFEKt1e6wUWNPEZdK1m7AAwRAxnr8bmieZbYHZBuSRtV_xCAl8k0OcTnEMXGbeSJBx9_xcUQN97IGnctz5Qpvj8FKZQQ-Ij1WUxVxwgATijhRHQo63Y3xuisrm/s320/unnamed.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, all of this is just background to hint at the work
atmosphere during this time period.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now let’s get to my second major encounter with a sexual
predator. It did not involve anyone high profile or, really, anyone with a lot
of power – other than him being male. But it does represent the climate of
“rape culture acceptance” then (or…still, to this day).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was private about my personal life but I did occasionally hang
out with some co-workers. We liked to play pool and we liked having a few beers
when we did. One evening after a shift, a friend of mine, her son and I met at her
apartment with the intention of heading to a particular bar/restaurant in
Toluca Lake. I parked in front of her house and we all walked down to this bar
together, which was at the end of the block and across the street. When we got
there, we recognized a group of people in the back. A couple were from WB
security but mostly, it was some guys from the studio transportation department.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyone familiar with playing pool in a bar back then knows
that you either put your quarters up or put your name on a chalkboard to wait
your turn to play. I LOVED pool (and I used to be damned good at it). So, I
thought nothing of placing my 4 quarters on the rail in line. When my turn
came, I won. Then the players wanted to play partners. I chose my friend and
her son, intermittently. Soon, though, she had to leave because she had a date
and then her son had to leave because he had a previous engagement, also. I was
having a good time. I stayed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After they left, I was partnered with one of my co-workers,
who we will call Ramon. Ramon was a sergeant of one of the dedicated factions
of our security department, in essence, a supervisor, even though he wasn’t
directly MY supervisor. We were all off-duty, so, although I didn’t let my
guard down, I figured we were all just regular people having some fun. Ramon
and I held the table for a majority of the evening and, after one particularly
competitive match, I may have given him a side-hug when we won. I enjoyed my
time at the bar, I enjoyed winning, but I had no personal interest in Ramon,
sexually or otherwise. First, he was married and had kids and second, he had a
reputation of being a mean womanizer and getting away with it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(and one of the women he had abused had just
left to meet her date). But, hey, we were just kicking ass on the pool table,
right? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Soon everyone had dispersed, to do whatever it is they do on
a Friday night and it was just Ramon and me left of the people I knew there. I
wasn’t ready to go home yet; I still wanted to play more pool.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, Ramon never, ever previously made any advances toward
me. He never, ever personally showed me any disrespect. He still had a hard on
for the woman (my friend) who had left earlier. I honestly never feared
anything from him but still kept my guard up because of his reputation. He
asked if I wanted to go find another place to play pool and I said sure (it was
still early). So, we got into his Blazer, jacked up really high on the chassis over
huge, wide tires (that was a fad at the time) and off we went.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We played pool, we had a good time (and I do
mean that in the most innocent way), no harm no foul. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until he brought me back to my car at the end of the
evening.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He drove me down the street where my car was parked (it was
night by then) and pulled his Blazer over to the curb in front of The Copper
Penny (a restaurant which is no longer there. Now, in its place, is the Warner
Bros. “triangle” building).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thanked
him for a fun time, was just about to get out of his vehicle when, suddenly, he
climbed over from his bucket seat to mine and trapped me where I was. He pushed
the lever control to my seat and suddenly I was completely horizontal. I knew I
was in trouble. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first thing I thought was, “No. Not again.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I tried talking him out of his determination to have
non-consensual sex with me. That didn’t work and he became aggressive. He
forced my pants and my underpants down while I fought him every step of the
way. I even reached down, grabbed a handful of his scrotum, twisted and
squeezed and all that did was make him angrier and stronger. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was fighting him and yelling, “No,” “Stop!” and “Help!”
and, fortunately, for me, a young man strolling by the vehicle, heard me and
shouted, “Do you need help?” “I answered ‘Yes, call the police!” The young man
outside said, “I’m calling the police now.” Of course, thankfully, his
apartment was behind the restaurant because there were no cellphones back then.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As soon as Ramon heard that, he jumped back to the driver’s
side of the car and attempted to leave the scene. I took that opportunity to
unlock the door and jump out of his car (which was about four feet to the
ground). I landed on my knees on the pavement (thankfully I was younger then),
in front of the full length window of The Copper Penny, got to my feet, yanked
up my pants and ran to my friend’s (from earlier) apartment. I don’t know what
I would have done if she hadn’t been home. But she was. I pounded on her door, yelling,
“Let me in!” and she did. She locked the door behind me, which was good because
it was literally seconds later that Ramon was pounding on her door.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I called Burbank PD and reported what had just happened. In
the meantime, Ramon begged my friend to let him in. She refused. He stayed
around and waited for the police. I think he was so arrogant that he believed
they would blow the incident off. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They almost did.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Approximately ten minutes later two (male) officers from
Burbank PD showed up. They asked me what happened and I told them. They never asked
me if I wanted to speak to a female officer and they never offered to take me
to the hospital to be checked out or to take me back to the station to be
photographed and give a statement. By then, bruises had formed on my knees and
on my hip (from being slammed against the standard stick shift console between
the two front bucket seats). The most telling bruise was a complete handprint
(with four distinct fingers and a thumb mark) on my wrist (from holding me
down). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They asked me if I wanted to press charges and I said I did.
They took him into custody and after I calmed down, I went home. I was numb.
How could this happen to me again? Except that it didn’t happen completely. I
fought him long enough to only have minimal contact and I escaped before he
could do more damage or drive me off to some isolated area and either finish
the job or shut me up permanently. And he did seem stunned that a woman had the
audacity to call the police on him. Most of his activity was done with studio
personnel and his victims were intimidated into staying quiet about it. Even
though, I found out later, not only did a majority of the men in the security
department know about his predatory behavior, they helped hush it up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next day, I went to work and that’s when the “fun”
started.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Word had spread like wildfire that Ramon had been arrested
but no one (except my boss and my friend) knew who the accuser was, apart from
she was a female in security. I was called to the main office to speak with the
Chief of Security. I should have gotten a clue of what was in store for me when
I walked onto the lot and into the outer, dispatch office. The looks I got as I
walked to the security director’s office were not in the least sympathetic;
they were hostile.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was ushered into the chief’s office and the door was
closed. Also in the office, other than the chief and I, were two studio
facility bigwigs from legal and human resources. They asked to hear what
happened (they already had copies of the police report). After we spoke, they
took several instamatic photographs of my bruises. They concluded the meeting
and I went back to work.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Suddenly, except for a select few, I was a pariah. A
majority of my co-workers, even though they were all well aware of Ramon’s
reputation as a womanizing abuser, treated me as though I was a slut, who
“changed her mind” during sex, then screamed rape and wanted to ruin his life. This
was so contradictory to any behavior I had ever exhibited. I was stunned.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Four days later, I called Burbank PD to ask why they had not
contacted me yet to give an official statement. The detective assigned to the
case told me that I had given my statement that night to the two police
officers that took the report. I told him they led me to believe the detective
would be in touch and take my statement. I asked him if I could come down to
the station and read the statement. He said yes. Thankfully, I did.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The statement said that Ramon and I had been out on a date
(not true) and that the date had gone bad. No, I’m not kidding. That is nothing
like what I told these two officers. I informed the detective that’s not what
happened and I had witnesses. He then took a statement and I asked him why they
never took photos of my bruises. He had been told by the responding officers
that I was fine. Four days after the fact, I still had bruises but nothing like
the original. The detective still took photographs but the evidence had begun
to fade by then. The detective told me that it was a good thing I had contacted
him because if they had not heard from me within 5 days of the incident, they
would have automatically closed the case. The responding officers never told me
that, either.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once that task was done, my life became a living hell at work.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A majority of my female colleagues believed me; some had
been a victim of his untoward verbal advances or groping. My friend had even
reported his abusive actions toward her to security but a “report” was taken
and that was all. No reprisals for Ramon, in fact, he was promoted to sergeant.
I knew there were other women, too, not in security, who’d had “encounters”
with him. I’d heard the stories. None of them dared to come forward. They were
afraid of retaliation. It’s not that I didn’t consider retaliation but I was
too flipping angry to care. I didn’t care how they spun the situation, I knew I
was not the person they were painting me to be.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My male co-workers were a different breed, altogether. There
were some who were fine, some just ignored it all (not wanting to get involved),
a few stood by me and then there were the others. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The others like my big boss, the chief of security. He was
never shy about his dislike for Ramon. He was always hoping to nail him on
something. Yet when this opportunity popped up, instead of sharing all he knew
about Ramon and previous accusations against him, he wrote a sworn statement to
the court, in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">favor</i> of Ramon. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like the guy who was the lieutenant of the security
investigations department. He was not a fan of mine because I was never
intimidated by him. He thought all women were opportunistic whores and the ones
who weren’t should have been at home, serving their husbands. I was no
different. I had many times previously heard him joke about the accusations
against Ramon and slut-shame the accusers. He was Ramon’s buddy. He was not
present the night of the incident, yet when asked to write a statement about
his opinion on prior interaction between Ramon and me, you would have thought
the happy Hooker and I were best buds. When he was asked to write a statement
on Ramon’s “character,” from his description, Ramon should have elected the
next pope. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like the guys in the other departments (transportation, for
example) who, when they had to drive through whichever gate I was working, said
outwardly degrading and disgusting things to me. Some spoke threateningly and
some laughed without any humor in their tone. Even some of their supervisors
joined in.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like the WB Fire Department (all male) who were adamant
defenders of Ramon and, because at that time WBFD was under the jurisdiction of
the Protective Services Division, would either separately or band together to
get me in some kind of trouble (either outright lying about some grievous error
I had made in my line of duty or getting me banned from areas of the lot – like
the filming of audience shows where I had been invited there by friends who
worked on those shows). They even convinced one of the security lieutenants
(male, of course…I was the first female security lieutenant/manager in the
history of the studio a few years later) that I was disobeying direct orders
and had “witnessed” me breaking other rules or regulations that nearly got me
written up and suspended. Thankfully, Human Resources were nervous about a lawsuit
and bad publicity, so before I was punished as retaliation, they squashed the
allegations. As they should have. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One guy I worked with at a gate (when I would be the lunch
relief officer) would wait until there wasn’t any inbound/outbound traffic and
no one could hear, kept pressing me for details of exactly what Ramon did to
me/attempted to do to me. When I refused to answer him, telling him I wasn’t
going to discuss the case with anyone but those already involved, he would ask
me pointed questions, usually using sexually explicit terms. I finally reported
him to my immediate supervisor who told him to knock it off. His response? “I
was just kidding around with her. Can’t she take a joke?” I got to a point
where just hearing that phrase made me want to throat punch the person saying
it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our office sergeant, an older female, sided with Ramon. I
suddenly found myself getting less overtime or assigned to fewer special events
as I was getting before. She was smart enough not to snub me completely but she
got her digs in when she could.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our scheduling supervisor also not only started changing my
assignments and my shifts with, sometimes barely a day’s notice. I even had to
drop out of a night course I was taking at Glendale Community College, after I
arranged with this scheduler specifically the evenings I would need off. He
used the schedule as punishment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our union, of course, had to represent him at a studio
meeting to try and save his job. Again, if not for HR, he would have been back
working, as a supervisor, one of MY supervisors, until the trial.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also found out, during that time that the photographs that
were taken by the two studio bigwigs in that first meeting had been handed over
to the investigation supervisor (Ramon’s buddy) for “safe keeping”. I knew
right then that they were gone (and they were instamatic photos so there were
no negatives for copies). When it came time for him to turn over the pictures
to the prosecuting attorney, they had miraculously disappeared. We still had
the police photos but, as I said earlier, the bruises had started to fade and
did not look as menacing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I look back on it now and how I ever got through it, I’ll
never know. I just kept holding my head up, doing my job and going home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of frustrated tears were shed, though.
And when I did go out with friends, my head was constantly on swivel to be
aware of where I was, what I was doing and who was around to see it. I was
angry that I was the one who had to monitor myself when I was the victim but it
was the 80s and that’s what women did (and still, most times, have to do). We took
responsibility for being attacked. I had worked there only 18 months at the
time of the incident; Ramon had been there 14 years. I guess, in the climate of
“boys will be boys and girls will be silent,” I was expected to tow the line of
complicity. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the meantime, while all this was going on, the trial kept
being “continued.” I could wallpaper Stage 16 (largest soundstage on the WB
lot) with the subpoenas and notifications of continuances I got. Quite a few
times, I still had to show up in court and I wouldn’t be told of the
continuance until after I got there. I had many meetings with LA County
attorneys and my case was handed around to several different prosecutors until
it landed in one lawyer’s lap and it stayed. I actually got one of the good
ones who took an interest in my case and studied it, as opposed to the others
who hadn’t bothered to contact me personally and barely read the reports before
appearing in court with me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We did manage to have a hearing in which it would be decided
whether there was enough evidence to go to trial. The judge agreed there was. I
testified for about 45 minutes. Ramon was not in the courtroom that day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When it was time to go to trial (he was charged with sexual
battery), nearly a year later (this is a typical tactic of defense attorneys –
they want you to forget details of the statement you made to police so that
they can twist that around to make you sound like you’re making everything up),
I cannot tell you how many men who saw me around the lot told me that they
hoped Ramon won and to tell Ramon they said Hi. Everyone seemed to know every
time the case was supposed to be heard. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The defense had opted for a bench trial (meaning just a
judge, no jury) and the judge who was assigned was a no-nonsense kind of guy.
He was hard to read, my attorney told me, which I took as meaning they have no
idea which way he would lean. All I was hoping was that the judge would be
fair.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was also advised by my cop friends not to break down on the
stand, that judges hated that. I was told to be respectful, regardless of how
much of an asshole the defense attorney tries to be. I was told to sit on my
hands as judges also hate a lot of gesturing from witnesses. And just FYI, once
a state takes on a litigation from a police report, you are no longer a victim
in the crime, you are a witness for the state’s case against the perpetrator. And
there’s no such thing as a witness being able to drop the case, either. Once
charges are filed, you have no say in whether the case goes forward or gets
dropped. Also, witnesses are not allowed in the courtroom to hear other
witnesses’ testimony, even after one has testified, unlike on TV or movies.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first day of the trial, I testified for about two hours.
It was grueling and Ramon’s attorney was a flamboyant little man who was well
known in Hollywood legal circles. I don’t know who paid for his attorney but
with his reputed price tag, I know for sure it wasn’t coming out of Ramon’s
pocket. The attorney couldn’t have been more stereotypical if he tried (i.e.,
“You wanted it, didn’t you?” “You led my client on and then got embarrassed and
decided to cry rape.” You know, shit like that) and there were a few times I
really wanted to laugh in his face but I didn’t, thankfully. I continued to
call him “sir” and kept my tone of voice as respectful and as neutral as I
could. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was called back to testify the next day and this time, it
took a little over four hours. I was expecting the defense attorney’s line of
questioning and so I prepared by wearing the outfit I wore the night of the
incident. The judge was a little annoyed at me at first because I had not
dressed up (I was in a blue and white hoodie that had San Francisco printed on
it, really baggy pants that snapped at the ankle, making them look like harem
pants – and trust me, I did not have a figure where harem pants were a
flattering look - and my white, high-top fuck me sneakers) but my attorney
advised him that there was a specific reason. So when Ramon’s attorney asked,
“And how were you dressed that night?” I told him I was wearing the exact same
outfit. The judge asked me to stand up. He wrote something down, asked me to be
reseated and then told the defense attorney to proceed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ramon’s attorney then tried to say I accused Ramon because I
was prejudiced against Hispanic men. I replied that was untrue as I was
(casually) dating a Hispanic man, a former co-worker who was an LAPD sergeant
in charge of gang activity in one of the inner city park areas and I had been
seeing him for years. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I kept my responses brief, to the point and the truth. My
“story” had not changed from the official statement I had made to the Burbank
PD detective. The judge asked me a few questions. I answered him, respectfully,
honestly and without hesitation, making sure I looked him in the eyes when I
spoke.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I left the courtroom, I was exhausted. I knew my friend
who was there the night of the incident would be testifying next, not only
about that night but her previous incidents with Ramon were also going to be
admissible. I would have loved to have stayed and heard it but as I said, I
wasn’t allowed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The trial was then over and the waiting started. A couple of
my co-workers who were not witnesses and not involved and knew both Ramon and
me, had attended the entire hearing. I was told in detail of what was said of
me and my “sluttish behavior” that night by Ramon’s buddies who were at the
bar. There were other men who testified who told the judge all kinds of unflattering
stories about me. I didn’t even know these guys and, of course, none of their
stories were true. I was told mutual co-workers testified as character
witnesses for Ramon and made him look like a saint in their descriptions. Same
guys who, a year earlier, wouldn’t stop talking about Ramon’s reputation as a
womanizer who conveniently forgot he had a wife and kids. Same guys, a year
earlier, who spoke openly about Ramon’s anger issues and him not being a nice
guy. Same guys, including my chief.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The waiting continued, as did the rebuke for not keeping my
mouth shut and not just lying back and enjoying it. I had “ruined” Ramon’s
career (he was fired from the studio). He should sue me. I should watch my
back. In fact, after seeing everything I was going through, even some of my
female colleagues shook their heads and wondered out loud why I didn’t just
deal with it and move on. They were clueless. Been there, done that, bought
into the guilt. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally word came down that the judge was ready to call a
verdict. All of Ramon’s buddies were jacked because they just knew he would be
vindicated, get his job back and I would be fired for causing all the problems.
My attorney asked me if I wanted to be in the courtroom for this. I said no. If
the judge decided in his favor, I don’t think I could control myself. So I
stayed at work.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An hour later the call came in. Ramon was guilty of sexual
battery (two counts) and was immediately sentenced to 6 months in jail (of which
he served 3), counseling, ordered to pay me restitution of $300 and for any
medical or counseling expenses for which I paid out of pocket. He had to
register as a sex offender in the state of California. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I almost passed out from relief. I told my attorney to tell
the judge I wanted nothing from him. If he was required to pay by law, he could
donate the money to charity but I absolutely did not want any money or any
contact from him. Or his family. Or his friends. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was called in to Human Resources to talk about possible
studio liability. I said no. It didn’t happen on studio property and despite
the challenges of daily life there for that year, I didn’t want to drag
anything out any further. I wanted to move on. I still loved that job. I wanted
to continue to work there. I did tell them about the harassment I received but
I didn’t name names and I didn’t want retaliation on my behalf. I wanted them
aware of what went on “behind the scenes” when issues like this crossed their
desks again. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After that verdict, life began to finally settle down. I
still got nasty comments and innuendo from a few sources but I just told them
to fuck off and went about my day. His diehard friends were still pissed off at
me but were cautious of anything they said and did, knowing that there was now
a possibility they could actually be held accountable for their words and deeds.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was suddenly getting respect from people who never
bothered with me before, like my big boss, the security chief. I guess they
thought that made up for everything they allowed to happen during that year and
the fact that I didn’t crack and quit. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1HQeFqLCkSgVHyqJhcwOv_6y0WQhula2Lc5efDuKipMHdOPaC-9rANod_nwIsJv3NQbcjE9cMYX0XpcW8Bwew56E89rMI0mKVnrGt3L82kUZQLN1GAA1pZsMQYgmUJcg-Whu/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1fe.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1HQeFqLCkSgVHyqJhcwOv_6y0WQhula2Lc5efDuKipMHdOPaC-9rANod_nwIsJv3NQbcjE9cMYX0XpcW8Bwew56E89rMI0mKVnrGt3L82kUZQLN1GAA1pZsMQYgmUJcg-Whu/s320/fullsizeoutput_1fe.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Soon after that I started moving up the ladder, eventually
to a management position. Don’t think I’m at all fooled that my initial
promotions had anything to do with my prior supervisory experience or
abilities. I was aware there was politics at play and that it looked good to
promote a female to positions in the department for which they had never been
considered before. I was okay with that because I knew I could do the jobs and
I knew (and they knew) I had the temerity and tenacity to fight to keep my
place at the table.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And Ramon? His marriage stayed intact and as far as I know,
they are still married (not that I’ve kept track). Even as a convicted sex
offender, three months later he was back living his life and driving a SCHOOL
BUS for a high school close to where he lived. The district was made aware of his
conviction and didn’t seem to care. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But, let me tell you something…having been through a rape
where I told no one and a sexual battery where I went to the police and pressed
charges, I would never go to the police again if an attack of this magnitude
were to happen. When they say you get raped all over again by the police, by
the justice system, by anyone and everyone who doesn’t believe you (including
your employers), it’s true. When they say your character and reputation gets
dragged through the toxic sludge, it’s true. I can honestly tell you that I
suffered just as much telling as I did not telling. I cannot speak to how law
enforcement treats victims now because this was 28 years ago but I wouldn’t put
myself through that ringer again. Nope, if it happened again, if I lived through
it, I would handle it privately. Take that any way you wish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because seeing the shit that’s still going on, not a lot has
changed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWoIXhVq-FoEKG-20J5SCvlRf7bs2qn_97M-O-_eRk3tSg_vv1dQ3Sb-ltYF5dZqUJ06K7EfLQlPNGyw_5npeSr7uYyT0-ouXPNoxE9g1G79GlbwDG0P8xKXO9rPUvG3-kPX4N/s1600/161007081840-harvey-weinstein-780x439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="780" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWoIXhVq-FoEKG-20J5SCvlRf7bs2qn_97M-O-_eRk3tSg_vv1dQ3Sb-ltYF5dZqUJ06K7EfLQlPNGyw_5npeSr7uYyT0-ouXPNoxE9g1G79GlbwDG0P8xKXO9rPUvG3-kPX4N/s320/161007081840-harvey-weinstein-780x439.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-83648615401751700542017-10-11T16:13:00.000-05:002017-10-13T15:34:43.702-05:00Powerful Predators vs Being Believed<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKES78ohmcK8ng1IEMzCdSZ559Gffn1CLOaiwsqHo1-0DM6AOGg-U4rHy6GxIhsMQDVlY1EFLBJHKJTstAxcxYjlYS9w3MFsDNGjjJNm9lIOmOdLEjwtBggjCjPVUZcw4Z_aHU/s1600/55456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1440" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKES78ohmcK8ng1IEMzCdSZ559Gffn1CLOaiwsqHo1-0DM6AOGg-U4rHy6GxIhsMQDVlY1EFLBJHKJTstAxcxYjlYS9w3MFsDNGjjJNm9lIOmOdLEjwtBggjCjPVUZcw4Z_aHU/s320/55456.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So many people are clueless.
And the clueless ones are always those with the loudest voices and the most to
say, without any experience to back up their judgment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In early 1986, when I was an
aspiring screenwriter, living in Hollywood, trying to break into “the biz” (I
wasn’t doing too horrible for an amateur; I had a telescript optioned by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cagney and Lacey.</i> Unfortunately, it was
slated to be developed for the season after the final one). I was somewhat
naïve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Now, I don’t mean innocent or
unsophisticated because by then I had already been a military police officer, a
correctional officer and was currently working for an armed security company
that protected celebrities, the wealthy and their properties. From that
experience, I quickly learned who were the decent people and who were the
undesirably entitled people. I thought I could read people pretty well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It was also a time when
employers were just barely beginning to hear about these issues called sexual
harassment and sexual discrimination and being told by their corporate lawyers
to start giving classes on them. That was the only requirement at that time,
though - classes to familiarize with what those two phrases allegedly meant but
not have to take any steps (legally or otherwise) when those two actions were
put into play. If any woman had the audacity to make an assertion that she was
an object of either of those two subjects, she was quickly dismissed by accusations
of either lying, looking for attention or having an agenda.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It was worse if you were a
female working in a predominantly male environment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As I said, not being
guileless because as a military police officer in the late 70s, about 97% of
all MPs were male and I also worked in a correctional facility that housed male
offenders with mostly a male staff. I let a LOT roll off my back. I guess I was
just used to being surrounded by unrestrained testosterone and at that point, I
wasn’t easily offended by a lot of the joking and comments; I had become immune
to it. And, arrogantly, I never thought it would personally affect me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Still, at that time, male
employees could get away with pretty much saying and doing anything (unless it
was with someone with wealth and influence) and not have to fear suspension or
termination or any reprisal, whatsoever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It was the same way with the
clientele of the place I worked for – the celebrities and the movers and shakers
– they could get away with saying and doing just about anything to any female
(either known or unknown) and never have to worry about suffering any
consequences of their actions. Why? Money and power. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Powerful men could get away with
pretty much anything back then and, apparently, they still can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Yes, I met Harvey Weinstein
several times during my employment at Warner Bros. Studios. I don’t remember
anything significant about his behavior because, at the time I was there, his
reputation was one of many.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But this post isn’t about
Harvey Weinstein, it’s about what happened to a victim of an influential predator in
1986. That victim/survivor is me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I was living on Sunset
Boulevard in 1986, in a residential hotel across the street from the Roxy and
the Rainbow. It’s now a parking lot from what I understand, but that’s neither
here nor there. I was not working for WB at the time; I was employed at a
company called Bel Air Patrol. I didn’t have a car yet, so before every shift,
a patrol unit would come pick me up for work about 10 miles away (in Bel Air)
and bring me home at night when my shift was over. I walked everywhere else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">One night I was strolling back
to my small apartment (where I felt quite safe, actually) from the corner 7/11
with some necessities and I was stopped by this handsome, well-dressed man
who had just hung up from talking on a pay phone about a half-block from where
I lived. He gave me no indication that there was anything nefarious about him.
He was polite and he stood by what appeared to be a brand new, expensive car. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">He said he was a businessman
who worked for a (now defunct) production company. He told me he liked my
“look” and wanted to know if I would come to his office and talk about a
possible future in films or television. I told him I did not want to act, I
would rather write. He told me he might be able to do something about that,
also. I asked him when he might like to meet and he said that was up to me. If
he had said something like “right now” or “later tonight” my guard would have
instantly gone up. So I took his business card, told him I would think about
it, and he was pleasant in his parting, got in his expensive car and left. I
went back to my place and that was that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But I was intrigued. The next
day, I took his business card to work with me and handed it over to a
supervisor who was an ex-LAPD lieutenant and asked him if he could use his
connections to check this guy out. Three days later, the supervisor handed me
the card back and told me that the guy who gave it to me was perfectly legit. I
found out later, from his secretary, that the business card never left his desk
and he only remembered to give it back to me when she reminded him that it was
there. Had I known that, I never would have made contact.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">After having this guy checked
out (I thought) from LAPD, I called him and set up a meeting with him at his
office in Beverly Hills. I asked specifically if it was an office and not a
personal living space. He assured me it was his office. I made my way to the
address (which took me about a half hour, forty-five minutes to walk to) and rang the bell to be
buzzed into the security gate on the ground floor. On the exterior, it did look
like it could have been a building that held either offices or apartments, so I
still saw no red flags.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Instead of buzzing me in, he
came to the gate and personally escorted me to his door He was soft-spoken and
charming and really seemed professional. I was a little startled, though when I
entered his “office” to discover it was also an apartment. But he led me to the
office area, where we sat opposite each other and he began to ask me legitimate
questions about my goals and expectations. There seemed nothing untoward
regarding this man or the atmosphere I was in. It really did seem like I was
there to discuss the prospects of possibly getting connected to the production
company he represented. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I relaxed. He had a guitar
sitting by his desk and I asked him if he played. He said no, that he kept it
there for people who did like to play. So I picked it up, tuned it, played and
I sang (and whoever knows me knows I HAD to feel secure for me to play and sing
in front of a virtual stranger). He continued to be charming and still seemed
to have my career interests at the forefront. Then he asked me if I would like
a glass of wine. I figured one wouldn’t hurt. I said sure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">No one had heard of date rape
drugs at that time. And I worked in law enforcement, around the rich and
famous, I'd had access to police blotters and I’d never heard of anything like that. Our business interacted with
LAPD, Beverly Hills PD, Santa Monica PD, Hollywood PD and I’d seen no reports
that alleged anything like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not in
1986.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So I drank the glass of wine.
Several moments later, everything started to tingle and then get numb and he
assisted me to the bed so I could lie down. I had no idea what was happening
and I never thought of the wine being drugged. Soon my limbs, my body, felt
totally paralyzed. I was aware of everything going on but I could not move.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I was then raped. I was
helpless to fight back. I won’t go into details of what he did to me. When the
drug (still, to this day, I don’t know what it was) wore off, I was deathly
ill. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My rapist dressed me, then
assisted me to his car in the basement garage and drove me home. On the way
home he told me that I would not report him and I would not tell anyone. I was
so sick and sluggish, I had no choice but to listen to him. He told me that I
went willingly to his apartment (office) and that if I went to the police, they
wouldn’t believe me. He also told me that he was pretty powerful in Hollywood
and that if I ever tried to smear his name, he would ruin me. Not just any
potential career I was looking into but ruin my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">life</i>. He had people on his payroll that would slander me, slut-shame me (it was called something different back then) and make
my life a living hell if I spoke of our “encounter.” Then he blamed me for
believing him and told me that why would I think I was “special” when there
were actually beautiful women trying to break into “the biz.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">(me in 1986)</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2iH6dc79wXITWHhqWwb1KNa91zvcZpp5LY1mNATlGG3EUcMFdSvn1k8DHJmM74_ehliEvNNj_kM0trcFRGhr9Fr7E3OdIF_KabtD3Rs7m46Sohye3DCoOpB5MEbBJOBFDzBG/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2iH6dc79wXITWHhqWwb1KNa91zvcZpp5LY1mNATlGG3EUcMFdSvn1k8DHJmM74_ehliEvNNj_kM0trcFRGhr9Fr7E3OdIF_KabtD3Rs7m46Sohye3DCoOpB5MEbBJOBFDzBG/s1600/unnamed.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">He berated and threatened me
the entire drive, which didn't last all that long but felt like an eternity. Thankfully, he didn’t know exactly where I lived and he let
me out of his car at the same location as he first met me. I finally made it to my
place, shut and barricaded the door, threw up for the next several hours and
called off work for the next two days (for "food poisoning") while my body rid itself of the physical effects of whatever was in my system and the emotional effects of having been violated. Although, that took a lot longer to "wear off."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I left the job soon after, went back to Vermont for six months to get my head together. I never did tell anyone until
nearly a year later. He did a pretty good job convincing me that everything was
my fault. He also knew the system quite well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">He was a powerful man and he
used his power and influence to shut me up. I can only imagine how many others
he broke in his wake. By industry standards, I was a nobody and through the
years, as I have experienced the Hollywood game, I understand how it doesn’t
matter, if you are female and you have a name or not. If a predator wants to
get to you and then silence you, it’s not that difficult, regardless of who you
know, what you know or how famous you are. Influential men still hold an
enormous amount of power, not just in the entertainment industry but in pretty
much all high profile areas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It wasn’t just the threat of
“the police won’t believe you,” either. It was the threat of someone with the
power to destroy you and knowing they can follow through on it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">You wonder why women don’t
come forward? Look what happens when they do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Our president of the United
States is a well-known sexual predator. People in New York and Hollywood have
known it for years, just as they have known about Harvey Weinstein and
countless others. Women have been trying to alert authorities for decades and
no one, even the police when there is audio proof or physical evidence, can’t make
a case when the rich and powerful own the halls of justice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Power walks, money talks and
who the law applies to is rarely about the guilty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially if you’re a wealthy serial abuser.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I speak from experience.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-61945847020341637322017-09-28T13:37:00.000-05:002017-09-28T13:37:10.292-05:00Puerto Rico and the US Military<br />
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Why wasn't the Army Corps of Engineers deployed to Puerto Rico the next morning after Maria hit? If Air Force One can land in Puerto Rico, so can transport and supply planes. The engineers could be on their 6th day of rebuilding roads and bridges. Ospreys and helicopters sitting on air craft carriers off the coast of Puerto Rico could be dropping medicine and water and other supplies to the most needed areas. Supplies/water/medicine could be parachuted in. Military transporta<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">tion could be flown/parachuted in to move that cargo. </span></div>
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Our military is trained for war but they are also trained for disasters just like this. The Comfort won't even be deployed until TOMORROW. Why wasn't it deployed last week? There are allegedly 80,000 boots on the ground that are standing around doing nothing because they have NO ORDERS from the chain of command who has no orders from the White House. </div>
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Don't say the ocean is too big or it is logistically difficult because it's not too difficult to deploy all of the equipment/supplies/necessities to the middle east, which is much farther away than Puerto Rico. They fly supplies and necessities all the time to Guantanamo. </div>
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And deploying the military has NOTHING to do with lifting/not lifting the Jones Act.</div>
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The monster in the WH needs to be held accountable for all of it, including the deaths that result from the intentional neglect.</div>
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He wants to rile the people up with false narratives about disrespecting the vets? His base should be informed that there are so many veterans from and living in Puerto Rico, there are four VA hospitals to accommodate them. How's that for disrespecting the vets?</div>
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If Puerto Rico was filled with wealthy, white Trump donors and supporters, everything in abundance would have started to arrive last Thursday morning.</div>
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Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-58620111044170123622017-09-26T13:12:00.001-05:002017-09-26T13:12:09.898-05:00Taking A Knee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I cannot believe how many people are buying into this manipulated bullshit that taking a knee has ANYTHING to do with our flag, our anthem and/or our soldiers, past and present. </div>
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It's about using your constitutional right for a peaceful protest whenever, wherever and however, regardless of who it makes uncomfortable.</div>
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It's about the using your constitutional right to use your visibility to raise awareness about a systemic issue that continues to be ignored. </div>
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If you want to live in a country that FORCES its citizens to stand for the flag, the anthem or the leader, move to North Korea. </div>
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You can disagree with standing, sitting or kneeling, you can be angry and annoyed all you want but learn the facts and then be honest about why you resent it. </div>
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Turning this into disrespect for the flag, the veterans or those still on active duty is bullshit dog-whistling and I, for one, am tired of politicians (especially those who never served) using the lives, blood, sweat and tears of past and present troops to push their political division/Nationalism and justify their bigotry.</div>
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It's political sleight-of-hand using cherry-picking patriotism at its best. If you want to know how many times YOU (and our politicians) have disrespected the flag, read this:<br /><a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="origin" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fus-flag.net%2Fcode%2F&h=ATP0QdmX336qIG3AQFQnIxJBGDgbH8xkKKsiLC-3fmZ9enP6WTWIUpcBsY6yf-a3eCzckgY7urRlONe62WnjQwgcZiZfZcLpXPPHHYLNhpst9lTYqr0ahZlMuva52JX6nDoRTus2X3Fth5_jxEmtjVCWXg_RjCbJ57MxFNofFuGBsefsv2XG7Lhpb2Qzs2RNOWcrqIku37cbMV96tip4XEMB3szZLbLKFv0jy5udBzSQYn9xp1Esb8_lLGqBdsJ8XOJS27KPSiMhE__phRAY_eLi0Of_iaLdkahxGG29" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://us-flag.net/code/</a></div>
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As a veteran, my oath to protect and defend the constitution of the United States will never expire and right now that precious document is under attack by its so-called political leaders.</div>
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And, by the way, if the master manipulator-in-chief is so enamored of the flag, why did he refuse to serve it FIVE times? </div>
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If you want to be indignant about anything, be angry about a draft-dodging coward using fake patriotism to twist this issue around to divide this country even more, while ignoring actual crises that exist in multiple areas in the world right now, including our own country and territories.</div>
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Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-85926410941895605522017-08-15T12:27:00.000-05:002017-08-15T12:30:51.661-05:00Enough.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiad2sZeFn2q7j5XtiGDS6UwPZYNLlrx9BabTFrFfqjGOCNH8WxnFSEcM6v_HnHo307_zcyN9nRti4Xm65vppd1oL5aKw8UMBFk0Emce6MgLQ8NMB4akHTfWGvyw4YwyzY0sSSj/s1600/11892130_818387101615955_2562997166761853591_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiad2sZeFn2q7j5XtiGDS6UwPZYNLlrx9BabTFrFfqjGOCNH8WxnFSEcM6v_HnHo307_zcyN9nRti4Xm65vppd1oL5aKw8UMBFk0Emce6MgLQ8NMB4akHTfWGvyw4YwyzY0sSSj/s320/11892130_818387101615955_2562997166761853591_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span data-offset-key="870t-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"So much for the tolerant Left."</b></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="870t-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is my declaration:</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="3o975-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is no more tolerant Left. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="di2hi-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We're no longer being tolerant of the intolerant Right and then apologizing because we reacted to the unmitigated crap constantly being heaped upon us by them.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="59t3q-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We're done.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="crdhj-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is our country, too, one many of the Liberal Left proudly served and defended and one that, if necessary, will serve and defend again. So when you and your little wannabe militia groups show up with your body armor, long guns and arsenals, screaming about your AmeriKKKa, don't forget a lot of veterans fought real combatants, have more accurate experience and are better trained. It won't be as easy as you think.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="crdhj-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be careful what you wish for.</span></span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="6sllg" data-offset-key="bh1us-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="bh1us-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;">
<span data-offset-key="bh1us-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are no longer tolerating the vile hatred thrust upon us by the Intolerant. </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="bh1us-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;">
<span data-offset-key="bh1us-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are no longer staying silent at the systematic removal of our civil, equal rights. </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="bh1us-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;">
<span data-offset-key="bh1us-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are not returning to the days of being pushed to the back of the proverbial bus. </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="bh1us-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;">
<span data-offset-key="bh1us-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are no longer going to play nice because you don't understand participation based on the concept of mutual respect. </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="bh1us-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;">
<span data-offset-key="bh1us-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are no longer sitting down and shutting up just so you can be comfortably empowered in your attempted intimidation. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="bh1us-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We will not let you play victim anymore when one of your violent, heavily armed "protests" turn to shit.</span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="bh1us-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;">
<span data-offset-key="bh1us-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are no longer tolerating your "one pure race" bullshit and flying flags of hatred, flags representing enslavement and flags of genocidal massacre. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="1onkn-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is one official flag of the United States of America yet that's not the one you clutch to your breast, at your rallies, when you scream you're a better patriot than anyone else.</span></span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; direction: ltr; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are fine with using your own tactics against you. </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; direction: ltr; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are fine with fighting fire with fire because you don't understand any other way. </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; direction: ltr; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are fine with no longer turning the other cheek, allowing the bullying Right to erase us through tyranny. </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; direction: ltr; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are fine with now being the Intolerant Left. </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; direction: ltr; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can thank yourselves for pushing us over the edge. We are answering you in kind and you liked it so much better when we let you roll right over us. If that makes us intolerant, then so be it.</span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; direction: ltr; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We will not go back to segregation. </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; direction: ltr; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We will not go back into the closet. </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;">
<span data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We will not go back to the kitchen and be </span></span><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">broodmares. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; direction: ltr; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We will not assimilate to one religion (or any religion, for that matter). </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; direction: ltr; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We will no longer allow you to make us feel "lesser than" because we don't look, love or hate exactly like you.</span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We will not be soldiers fighting invisible wars or adversaries of your fantasies because you </span><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">believe your enemy is anything other than male, heterosexual, "christian" and white. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We will fight you in the courts, using the constitution and when that doesn't work, we will fight you in the streets.</span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; direction: ltr; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We will not give up our country to you. </span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; direction: ltr; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6ov3i-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We will not become like you. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="eg3mj-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, no, no more tolerance on my part and boo hoo to those who are now offended by our finally taking a stand. We should have done it years ago.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="eg3mj-0-0"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've had enough.</span></span></div>
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Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-22060401517541079452017-05-14T14:05:00.000-05:002017-05-14T14:05:56.045-05:001977 Blackout Memories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ry00XYPu9wctocrTdyWWFueQAmWOMoQZmTvDTFMcQST9U4orcDCeMczF75r-l-ltG1zgRFPhoMke2FKfMI4qyqGBIFPQ3P7lyT3pfKNT9hUINlOG3YJ1Fa2g2cU7QR_hVJRQ/s1600/09-nyc-blackout.w710.h473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ry00XYPu9wctocrTdyWWFueQAmWOMoQZmTvDTFMcQST9U4orcDCeMczF75r-l-ltG1zgRFPhoMke2FKfMI4qyqGBIFPQ3P7lyT3pfKNT9hUINlOG3YJ1Fa2g2cU7QR_hVJRQ/s400/09-nyc-blackout.w710.h473.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Yesterday I watched a PBS American Experience documentary about the New York City blackout of 1977.<br />
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I remember it because I was 21 and living in midtown Manhattan at the time. Friends had come to town for a dance convention and were staying at the Americana City Squire, also in midtown. My roommate, Tim, and I met them at their hotel and we walked to the theater district and decided on Mama Leone's for dinner.<br />
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We were about halfway through the (most delicious) meal when the lights dimmed, then came back brighter than before, then everything went dark. The diners, including us, were puzzled but not afraid, we thought it was something temporary and we were not about to miss our dessert or let it interfere with our evening.<br />
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On every table was a large candle, probably a foot tall, that was part of the setting. Normally, those candles weren't lit so we knew something was up when the waiters came by and began to light all the candles, giving us updates. First we were told just a few blocks were out, then lower Manhattan, then all of New York City and the boroughs. After we got dessert, we paid our bill and decided to leave. But not before one of the women at our table, extinguished the candle and placed it in her huge purse. They knew they would probably need light when they got back to their room.<br />
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Walking back to the hotel, observing everything that was going on, it was almost exciting to see how people were reacting and coming together in the spirit and confusion of the moment. The only lights in the city were from car headlights and it gave the city a an enigmatic/eerie atmosphere.<br />
<br />
When we got to the hotel, of course the power was out so that meant no elevators and I think our friends were on the 14th floor. So we stood outside for a while chatting with other guests of the hotel. By now, the power had been out for, maybe 2 hours and no word on why it happened or when the power would be restored. We then sat in a circle on the sidewalk, took the tall candle out, put it in the center and lit it. Other than headlights, it seemed to be the only other source of light for blocks. When we looked up, we had a huge crowd circled around us. We stayed there for probably another four hours and then our friends decided, regardless of the climb, it was time to get back to the room. Tim and I followed them up and stayed in the room for a while.<br />
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Once upstairs, in the quiet of the room, we started to hear the sirens and the sounds of glass breaking and alarms. We looked out the window of the room, which faced 8th Avenue and saw the looting. We watched it for a while. It sobered up our frivolity of the situation. Back then there were no cell phones with which to call 911 (or videotape) and it wouldn't have mattered anyway, as we learned the next day that there was so much looting and so many fires that there were literally no police available.<br />
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Tim and I stayed, maybe another hour and then decided to walk home, as it was only a few blocks. On our way, I saw that the streets of midtown Broadway weren't as active as they had been earlier. I think with the violence that was going on, a lot of people returned to their homes or hotels. When we walked into the lobby of our apartment building, we started tripping over bodies of people who had escaped to the lobby for safety from outside and fallen asleep on the floor. We let our eyes adjust and we navigated the path to the stairwell, walked up 5 flights and settled in the apartment. It was hot and terribly muggy and we opened a window for some kind of breeze, if there was any. Turned out the only breeze happened was when a big truck drove by on the street below. At least that seemed to be a whoosh of dry heat. For a second.<br />
<br />
The next morning, Tim and I went back to our friends' hotel to meet them and see if we could find something for breakfast. On the walk to the Americana City Squire, the effects of the night before were clear - there were papers and garbage everywhere, there were broken windows and evidence of looting that we had not seen the night before and the smells from the delicatessens whose refrigerators and freezers had failed were gag-worthy. Every corner had someone standing on it, trying to sell what had been stolen during the looting.<br />
<br />
Finally, around 10:30 that morning, the power came back on. It was a night I will never forget. That was also the summer of Son Of Sam. Still, I love New York City.<br />
<br />
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/blackout/<br />
<br />
http://time.com/3949986/1977-blackout-new-york-history/Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-27661060085368250972017-02-09T16:22:00.000-05:002017-02-09T16:22:55.805-05:00A New Book!<br />
A new book announcement from Bossy Pants Books!<br />
<br />
The End by Roselle Graskey and Cheyne Curry (me) is now available for purchase in print and eBook.<br />
<br />
Approximately 5 year ago, author Roselle Graskey (October Echoes and Life's Little Edge) and I tossed around the idea of working on a book together. We've always thought we had similar writing styles and definitely a comparable twisted sense of humor so we both shrugged and said, "Why not?"<br />
<br />
The original idea was to write a comedy adventure about two friends taking a cross-country trip in the RV from Hell. How, over the years, it transitioned into a dystopian novel about the end of the world is something neither one of us have figured out yet. But here it is.<br />
<br />
It is a timely book about the sudden finality of someone "pushing the button," civilization as we have grown accustomed to is gone and not knowing the who, what, when, why, where or how. The story then becomes how to navigate a post-apocalyptic America, most of which has been rendered uninhabitable.<br />
<br />
Our protagonists are two active duty Army females who but for the grace of being in an underground analysis center, seem to be the sole survivors at Fort Hood, Texas. When it is time to safely leave, they use their training and experience to survive the new world and try to make it to the mountains of Idaho, where the air, ground and water have only been minimally affected.<br />
<br />
Their journey and what they discover along the way is the crux of the story. Not everyone is friendly but not everyone is hostile either and sometimes determining which is which takes every bit of their skill and intuition to decipher.<br />
<br />
Join Baumer and Maguire on their mission to get to sanctuary in the Salmon Mountains and find out what happened to the world as they knew it.<br />
<br />
More details below.<br />
<br />
<br />
The synopsis:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The power flickers, the ground shudders and when the backup system kicks in, Lieutenant Jessica Baumer and Staff Sergeant Branna Maguire do a routine equipment analysis and check the exterior surveillance cameras, where they see an unspeakable horror. Somehow, someway, without warning, the world as they know it has ended. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Originally used as ‘lab rats’ for an isolation experiment they are in their subterranean data center at Fort Hood, expecting another “normal” exercise. It becomes anything but. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">There is little information available, which leads to many questions and no satisfactory answers. What happened and, more importantly, are there other survivors? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">When the air begins to clear, Baumer and Maguire set off on a journey to one of the few areas of the country rumored to be less devastated by the attack. Their mission is to reach sanctuary, a safe compound and shelter run by a woman who has been preparing for a catastrophic event for years. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The law and order of modern day civilization has ceased to exist and the situation has become where only the strong and clever will make it to another day. Others join the two soldiers along the way; some are skilled, some are in need of rescue and others, who will stop at nothing to be masters of this new world order. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Do Baumer and Maguire, even with their military training, have the capability and fortitude to make it to sanctuary? And, if so, what will they find when they get there? Will it be the hope for civilization and America’s future? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Or is this really The End?</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQ02mkn8KFjJy3aJIAVHd-hH0pcXMV2peE7bcZKBXByZDD1om-fjfyDC7a3VnDZN6dOxUIDHp1EESnUuVD0TcyKrwcbXBTqRTUPT8OzimPv1_cyhAnOfsEWVNliMc-ApRaavz/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQ02mkn8KFjJy3aJIAVHd-hH0pcXMV2peE7bcZKBXByZDD1om-fjfyDC7a3VnDZN6dOxUIDHp1EESnUuVD0TcyKrwcbXBTqRTUPT8OzimPv1_cyhAnOfsEWVNliMc-ApRaavz/s320/unnamed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div>
https://www.amazon.com/Cheyne-Curry/e/B004QLC9GW/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=cheyne+curry+kindle&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Acheyne+curry+kindle</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And soon to be available at:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
http://www.bellabooks.com/Author-Cheyne-Curry-cat.html</div>
Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-74727454818996268022016-11-16T14:36:00.000-05:002016-11-16T14:41:43.638-05:00Can't Not<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRA9yD8pDJbW-VraioODpdYBr_P1j8vwCXLj0CPl44SU7Jw_L8XMYua4Cc7VYo8xj71kXjCu8K_mO2WqljVzu3VXZZiuoU7stVkPJKJyZeY4afZZGdCB-9lF227sT56v7ejOx/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2539.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRA9yD8pDJbW-VraioODpdYBr_P1j8vwCXLj0CPl44SU7Jw_L8XMYua4Cc7VYo8xj71kXjCu8K_mO2WqljVzu3VXZZiuoU7stVkPJKJyZeY4afZZGdCB-9lF227sT56v7ejOx/s320/fullsizeoutput_2539.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I had intended to take a break from social media and had successfully stayed away from it for 3 days (which is HUGE for me). But I posted this on my Facebook page this morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I'm back.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Back from my three day
Facebook hiatus to say a few things. First, I allowed what is happening in our
country right now to become so overwhelming that it affected health. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I was transported to the
Emergency Room (and no, it wasn't the VA; I don't have a death wish) via Rescue
Squad, with sharp back pain, minimal chest pain, chest pressure, trouble
breathing, elevated blood pressure and pallid coloring. The suspicion was a
heart attack (and that included the opinion of our next door neighbor, who is a
nurse). I spent hours in the ER, getting tests, giving blood, getting slammed
with saline for hydration, given aspirin, nitro and morphine. Every EKG they
gave me read abnormal. I was admitted and most of the night led to more tests
and no sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">As I have had prior heart
issues and both my mother and father have heart issues, the concern for my
heart was valid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">However...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">After all the tests, we still
have no diagnosis or even solid answers other than knowing what it isn't. But
with the exception of the anomaly of the EKGs, the cardiologists are almost
ready to rule out my heart as the sole reason. They want me to follow up with a
cardiologist referred by my PC doc but they are also ready to hand me off to a
pulmonary specialist. Regardless, it is a general consensus that whatever the
cause, stress was a contributing factor. After the past week, I have to agree.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I should not be so stressed
out about what my immediate future in my own country holds that I end up with
symptoms of a heart attack. I should not be so frightened of a new
administration and the laws they will put forth that I feel the need to flee my
own country or if I stay that I need to arm myself to live here, safely. I, as
a military veteran, should not be concerned and afraid to live in my own
country – not because of the threat of foreign terrorists – because of the
threat of domestic terrorists, groups like the one our president-elect has
empowered with his campaign of hate against “the other.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">And that brings me to another
concern. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The closest hospital – the
one where, if I had actually been having a heart attack, would have been
responsible for saving my life, is a Catholic facility. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although they are staffed with good,
professional employees, they are still a religiously funded medical business.
As it is – as nice as the staff is – this is the second time I have been there
as an outpatient and as an admitted patient and both times, even though I have
informed them that Brenda is my spouse, they will refer to her only as my partner.
When filling out paperwork, they mark her down as my partner. Why is this
important? Because as a partner, they have no legal obligation to share any
information with her or even allow her to see me without my direct request or
consent and if I am incapacitated, they can legally make the decision to keep
her away from me. There are relatives I don’t even speak to who would get
consideration over me before my wife would.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Our next president-elect is
filling his cabinet and administration with individuals who are orgasmic over
the possibility of creating, signing and voting restrictive, discriminatory
“religious freedom” bills into law. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The past couple days really
brought it home to me what that could mean after January. That could mean that
the EMTs who administered first aid and rushed me to the ER could refuse to do
any of that if their “religion” told them I wasn’t worthy of saving. Even if
they choose to do their job and get me to the Emergency Room, a nurse, tech or
doctor on duty could legally refuse to work on me to save my life. The hospital
could turn me away at the door and legally refuse me service and let me die
because of their “religious freedom.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">If none of those issues
occurred, the fact that they won’t acknowledge Brenda as my legal spouse with
all the legitimate protections that go with that, means they can justify not
letting her anywhere near me. Even as a legal medical power of attorney, they
can deny her access to me because of “religious freedom” and deal with the
possible legal consequences later, when it’s too late. And with the next
administration, chances are there wouldn’t be any consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">This “religious freedom” law
would apply to anyone (police, fire, judges, pharmacists, teachers refusing to
teach the children of gay/lesbian parents, techs/companies refusing to do
business, banks, landlords, employers, etc) denying services to anyone they
perceived to be LGBT. They could perceive you to be gay or lesbian (even if you
aren’t) and refuse to be of any assistance to you. And it will all be legal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">And now the supporters of the
president-elect (the ones who weren’t focused on his hateful messages) are
seeing that the candidate they voted for because he allegedly represented their
loathing of the Washington insiders and Wall Street elite and special interest
groups buying our laws is going to fill his administration with the Washington insiders,
Wall Street elite and special interest groups who buy our laws. He has also
already backed down on several of the campaign promise he got elected on and he
isn’t even in office yet. People who voted for him solely for the reasons of
not having the same ol’ same ol’ in Washington just got punked. Even THEY
aren’t getting the “fairness” of what they thought would be a righteous
election. And some of the hate groups are even threatening Mr. Trump if he
doesn’t fulfill every word of what he said he would do once he gets into the
White House. We are all screwed if we stick our heads in the sand and continue
to say, “It’ll all be okay.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">This is our new reality. The
repercussions are already dangerous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">So…I can’t not fight. I can’t
pretend what’s happening in our country isn’t. I can’t feign believing that
legal discrimination against us won’t grow into discrimination against all the
“others.” I can’t act as though it will all be okay when, since the election,
it’s already not okay. I can’t NOT do my part. And I shouldn’t have to ruin my
health to stand up for what is right and just.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I was going to stay away from
social media until things started to calm down. But every new day shows me
nothing is getting calmer; they’re getting worse and more out of control.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I cannot be a bystander and
just watch it happen. So I will continue to fight and hopefully keep my stress
level in perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3e44; font-family: "system font"; font-size: 14.0pt;">If it doesn’t kill me, it
will make me – and everyone else who believes this is still OUR America, too -
stronger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-64852311866934505612016-11-10T14:13:00.000-05:002016-11-10T14:13:34.318-05:00Don't Even<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhh4tIwzTsoaaUBXANFmGPpANqCGKesxJg80daatp39VMoWTTa4lC8DXm0omtTi-Im0vGTBh3a9mslFK4uKxKDkyVFTYnbczXS4QISME2ZLw1YgQ_5wOUyBM_ML88utC3xkCsc/s1600/14368693_1227197753969026_1662583995687817656_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhh4tIwzTsoaaUBXANFmGPpANqCGKesxJg80daatp39VMoWTTa4lC8DXm0omtTi-Im0vGTBh3a9mslFK4uKxKDkyVFTYnbczXS4QISME2ZLw1YgQ_5wOUyBM_ML88utC3xkCsc/s320/14368693_1227197753969026_1662583995687817656_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Donald Trump was elected as our 45th President. The responses to this atrocity by the majority of Trump supporters have been patronizing, insensitive and, in some cases, downright threatening to the "others" who voted for an actual qualified candidate who wasn't chomping at the bit to take the rights and freedoms away from everyone who isn't white, straight, "christian" and male (or women who aren't a "10" on Trump's scale). </span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Tired of the clueless platitudes from people who had no skin in this game, I posted this on my Facebook page.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">**** ****</span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">If you voted for Trump and you are
friends with me:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not gloat on my page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not tell me that this election
was just about a difference of opinions or policies. It stopped being about
that a long time ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not condescend to me and tell me
“the people have spoken” when the popular vote did not go to him and people
from all over the country are walking out of their homes, schools and jobs and
taking to the streets in protest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not tell me I’m being
ridiculous/dramatic/selfish/paranoid because I have a legitimate fear of the
next 4 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not straightsplain/mansplain to
me regarding anything about this election. It is an insult for you to think I
have not done my own research.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not tell me to “get over it” and
I will try not to say, “I told you so” when shit starts hitting the fan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not diminish my concerns,
especially if you are literally clueless as to what they are and why I have
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">If you voted for a Third Party
candidate as a Bernie protest, do not tell me it is my fault that Trump is now
president-elect. That is cry baby blame transference and I see right through
it. We all see right through it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not tell me you, in all good
conscience, couldn’t vote for Hillary and either didn’t vote, voted for a Third
Party or wrote in someone, leaving it up to the rest of us to keep Trump out of
the White House so you could maintain your “purity.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not come at me with the thought
process of just because it will never affect you, I should just chill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not tell me that just because
marriage equality was confirmed as legal by the Supreme Court, I should “not
worry about it.” Between the time Trump appoints another judge where they can
overturn it, the Republican-heavy administration can allow individual states to
pass their own bills making getting married as difficult as they are making
getting a legal abortion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not blow off my concern that
with an extremely anti-gay Vice President who believes in gay conversion
therapy, we will be facing “religious freedom” bills in nearly every state. We
aren’t just talking about cakes or flowers – we are talking about police,
firefighters, EMTs, hospitals – under the guise of “religious freedom” –
legally refusing to do their jobs for/to us on “religious” grounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not tell me - if it comes back
to this - that a civil union is the same as marriage when the more than 1,000
legal protections that come with marriage do not come with civil unions. If you
think civil unions are so awesome, then you get one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not tell me you wouldn’t vote
for Hillary because she is a “warmonger,” when you voted into office a
thin-skinned bully who wants to “bomb the shit” out of people, kill families of
suspected terrorists, bring back water boarding and can’t wait to get his tiny
little hands on nukes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not tell me, as a veteran, that
Trump will be better or even good for our active/retired military. The only
thing he has done for the military is insult it and the only thing he has done
for veterans is screw them out of charitable donations and use them to get
votes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not express to me your relief at
Obamacare finally being dismantled. For some of us, it has saved our lives when
other insurances wouldn’t touch us. And especially don’t rejoice when your
party has not come up with anything with which to replace it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not tell me I need to “unify” or
come together for the next president when you spent the last 8 years dividing
this nation over your hatred of the black man in the White House.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not tell me that I will worry
needlessly about my safety as a woman and as a lesbian, about my LGBTQ/African
American/Hispanic/Muslim/Asian/all the “other” friends’ safety and security now
that Trump has been elected. The escalation in hate crimes has already started
and he isn’t even in office yet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not celebrate the election of a
proven racist, sexist, misogynist, homophobe, Islamophobe, xenophobe on my page
or in my presence. By doing that you are blatantly telling me you do not
respect me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not come to me in despair when
your wife, your daughter, your sister, etc., comes home from work and tells you
her boss or a male co-worker grabbed her by the pussy. You legitimized that
behavior with your vote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Do not accuse me of being
intolerant because I’ve spoken up about your intolerance of anyone not like
you. My intolerance won’t get people killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">If you are straight and white (and
especially male), then you have never walked, will never walk in my shoes so
you don’t get to tell me you know how I feel or it will be all right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">In fact, don’t talk to me about
Trump at all. He will never be my president and starting in January, I will no
longer stand for the National Anthem, I will no longer honor the flag under his
administration and I will no longer pledge allegiance to anything under the
Divided States of Trump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He does not
want to be my president. He will not protect me or my rights. He (and his
administration) will not support me as a tax paying citizen of this country who
will pay their salaries. I owe him no loyalty or respect. He will get from me
just as good as he gives. He will get from me as good as you gave to Barack
Obama.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #16191f; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">So expect me to get pretty nasty.
Or, in this case, even nastier. This is what you wanted. This is what you’ve
got.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-41443450724563486442016-07-15T13:28:00.000-05:002016-07-15T13:28:42.109-05:00Sick and Tired<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjM5GtAR8pmiamgwO22rRsLF3UB3Ir3s3_Fj85Rr_xjrnL-7OVClD2zode_ez9bd9YSVMIIRQeImsThocbJRvJBB4tyvqhXxNf-wxn9ru0A7_MesyyYToW2g3OsObmoX1bGNsG/s1600/1-The-Green-Mile-quotes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjM5GtAR8pmiamgwO22rRsLF3UB3Ir3s3_Fj85Rr_xjrnL-7OVClD2zode_ez9bd9YSVMIIRQeImsThocbJRvJBB4tyvqhXxNf-wxn9ru0A7_MesyyYToW2g3OsObmoX1bGNsG/s320/1-The-Green-Mile-quotes.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m
going to try and cut back on my rants and political posts because it takes too
much out of me to be that disturbed by others’ words and actions. It distracts
from my creativity and devours way too much of my time (time I could spend, doing
much more productive endeavors).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">But (and there's always a but), before I take a hiatus, I will say this:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Thankfully,
I have a LOT of male/straight/white friends who do not now, have never and will
never fit the below descriptions. I cherish them and wish there were more like
them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Because…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
am sick and tired of the condescending mansplaining to women by clueless men.
I’m sick and tired of the patronizing pat on the head rhetoric of “There, there, little
lady, let me do your speaking and thinking for you, you silly female, because
how could you possibly ever know more than I do?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the men who look down their noses at women who try to discuss politics
or discuss guns and gun laws (whether for or against) or any topic that
deserves to be debated by intelligent human beings, regardless of gender
(because gun ownership and gun violence affects us all). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of men who dispute a woman’s rights to autonomy – especially over her own
body – in favor of the misogynist patriarchy that worships the Almighty Penis
and is either openly or secretly disgusted with any human being who doesn’t
have one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I'm sick and tired of men who blatantly treat women as though they should still be submissive and chattel and on Earth only to serve man's every whim. They are everywhere and don't always initially appear as knuckle-dragging cavemen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the men who still perpetuate body shaming of women all shapes and
sizes, even when clearly they have never looked in a mirror. These are the type
of men who believe that our only job, other than bearing “their” children, is
to be aesthetically pleasing to the point that other men covet their property
(us). The kind of men who believe it is their duty to interject themselves into
conversations of women everywhere (usually total strangers to us) and tell us
to smile, that we shouldn’t “eat that/wear that/buy that/drink that/talk
that/think that,” etc. – basically letting us know that we should be wholly affected
by their positive or negative approval/opinion of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of oblivious men disparaging and trivializing harassment and
discrimination a lot of us have experienced, calling us hypersensitive,
overreactive and throwing out the old “that time of month” platitudes when we
don’t get paid as much or recognized or rewarded the same for a good job done. That just
because they haven’t witnessed it themselves or personally experienced it, that
we must be making it up and whining, unprovoked, because, you know, that’s what
women do (according to them).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the men who don’t understand the concept of why they get in trouble at
work or in other situations because they said something of a sexual nature,
either glaringly inappropriate or innuendo and if we take them up on their
suggestion/remark, it’s all good, but if we are offended, they were “only
joking.” Golden rule about sexual harassment: If you wouldn’t say it to or in
front of your grandmother, mother, wife, sister, daughter or granddaughter, DO
NOT say it to anyone you work with. Why is that so hard?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the men (and women) who whine that they can no longer insult, harass, verbally
abuse, slander, slur women, minorities, ethnicities and non-“christians” as
political correctness gone crazy. No, it means if you’re going to be an ignorant
asshole to everyone who isn’t you, you are going to get called on it and
hopefully in a publicly shameful way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
am sick and tired of the straightsplaining from oblivious heterosexuals who have no
personal knowledge or experience of what it’s like to be not only discriminated
against but targeted for the simple element of loving another person of the
same gender. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the indifference and insensitivity from the collective straightwashing
of every incident where a member (or several members) of the LGBTQ community is
(are) beaten up, raped, mutilated or brutally murdered just because of who they
are, not anything criminal they’ve done to warrant any such retribution. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the heteronotion of those who think that because it’s never happened
to them (and probably never will), those of us affected by the hate speech
escalated to violence against us is just a myth that we’re blowing out of
proportion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“christian” (yes, small “c”)
straightsplainers wanting their religious freedom against us, to not have to
serve us in anyway because it offends them and their “morals” to do so, yet
don’t believe they should have to advertise their "christian" discrimination on their
PUBLIC businesses because they know they will lose support from people who
aren’t so religiously myopic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of people whose salaries are paid by ALL tax-payers (yes, even the LGBTQ
tax-payers) not doing the job they were elected to do for ALL the people under
their jurisdiction. If LGBTQ tax-payers’ rights are going to be ignored, then
why should we contribute to the paycheck of people blatantly singling us out and not performing their duties?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of clueless people telling us we want special rights when all we are
asking for is the same legal, civil rights as every other American citizen. If
we are not going to be treated as equal Americans, why are we paying equal
taxes?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the straightsplaining of incidents that involve the deaths of members
of the LGBTQ community, telling us that it’s either our own fault or something
else that isn’t true but fits their narrative better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the cry of “You think it’s bad here? You should live in (name openly
anti-gay country)!” We don’t live there. We live here. We are citizens of this
country where everyone is supposed to have the same rights as others. That
argument is old and invalid and should earn anyone who says it a nice gay pie
in the face. This is OUR America, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the religious leaders who believe we are subhuman and should be jailed
and placed in concentration camps or just executed for the “crime” of not being
exactly like them, who ratchet up their flock with the blind hatred of us, whip
them into a frenzy to do harm against us and then when shit does hit the fan, play
confused and innocent. You know the, “Gee, I never actually ORDERED anyone to
go out and commit a crime…” crowd, knowing that there are insane people who
believe in and hang onto their every word and will do anything for their 15
minutes of fame.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I'm sick and tired of being called a pedophile, a predator, immoral, into bestiality, etc., when, historically, it's the ones who are actually guilty of those </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">predilections doing the name calling.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the whitesplaining from people who, again, have never been targeted or
discriminated against or held back in any manner because of the color of their
skin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the whitewashing of crimes and incidents against people of color,
especially when it’s verbatim myths repeated from predominantly white resources
who have an agenda to push.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the whitesplainers who have never had obstacles placed in their paths because
of their race or heritage or skin color, screaming “I had to work my way up from
the bottom, why can’t they?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the blatant racism, dog whistles, not-so-subtle race baiting, code words and
other apathetic comments by white people who then turn around and transfer
their guilt to anyone who called them out for “playing the race card.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the words “liberal media,” when the media hasn’t been liberal in
years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the words, “libtard” and “Dumbocrat” and other such incomprehensible lack of enlightenment, being
called a taker and a traitor (usually by people who’ve never even considered
serving their country) because I believe that everyone should have equal rights, healthcare and every child should have enough to eat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of being treated as “the other” by people who undervalue anyone who isn’t
white, straight and “christian.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of turning on the TV or opening a print media forum every day and dealing
with another terrorist attack or a new level of violence and, instead of
addressing the real issues, our politicians and press immediately begin to
point fingers and spew vile lies against marginalized groups of people who have
nothing to do with the situation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the poor, the ethnic, the gays, etc., being blamed for the violence
against them. And the outrage at them when they finally say enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of entire demographics of people being demonized for the actions of a
radical few. And that includes Law Enforcement, Christians, Muslims, Black
Lives Matter, Conservatives, Progressives, etc. If we don't want to find ourselves in another (un)civil war, this has to stop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Basically,
I’m just sick and tired of how ugly and horrible we have become as a species. I’m tired
of taking a step outside my house every day and wondering if it will be my last
because someone has been violently influenced to destroy anything/anyone not
like they are for whatever is the excuse of the day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m sick and tired of the hateful ignorance that drives our politics (that’s a whole other rant) and of our citizens who refuse to research anything on their own and just blindly believe whatever they are told.
I’m tired of the ‘Murica! sentiment that permeates the climate today in the USA
(which should be another rant). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">My
feelings pretty much align with this eye-opening, awesome speech from The Newsroom:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTjMqda19wk&feature=player_embedded<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">So,
I won’t exactly be taking a break from Facebook, Twitter or other social media,
but I will do my best - after today - not to engage in the vitriol that ratchets up more hate
and fear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">Enough. I've had, heard and said enough.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
love my family and my friends. I don't want bitterness to part us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">And
Lynn Ames will cuff me in the back of the head if I don’t calm down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">;-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-71558061163692719622016-07-14T17:53:00.000-05:002016-07-14T17:53:00.768-05:00My Experience Working On A 48 Hour Film Project<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzOkWXRTRliFYu4RzZG3dK-WG4ZktKE7PhxjFxUsys-pFWAHp39mzIIxMO5BUFb0v4Ro-apnhKITPvrNh44OL066NL8Ge0fyV7rUPoMZm39UviJFVW2Oz9xfvXsf_oc3NWXrg/s1600/576544_10153172489560615_998344058_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzOkWXRTRliFYu4RzZG3dK-WG4ZktKE7PhxjFxUsys-pFWAHp39mzIIxMO5BUFb0v4Ro-apnhKITPvrNh44OL066NL8Ge0fyV7rUPoMZm39UviJFVW2Oz9xfvXsf_oc3NWXrg/s320/576544_10153172489560615_998344058_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">Last
night, 7/13/2016, I was on a panel to discuss what it’s like working on a 48 Hour
Film Project contest. The other panelists were fellow filmmakers Jason </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">Tostevin, Robert Leitch and John Ondo. The MC was Greater Columbus Film Counsel's John Daugherty.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"> I have four 48 HFPs under my belt, along with many 3
day to 3 week Mid Ohio Filmmakers Association contests. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Unfortunately,
after viewing the 4 films, we ran short on time and didn’t get to ask or answer
all the original questions that were provided to us for preparation, so I
thought I’d just go ahead and answer them anyway and post this, in case my
responses might help someone who has never worked on one of these weekends from
Hell…I mean, 48 Hour Film Project contests before.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMC2ZiXeT9Vd4V2H5Uxfe99ZxkylL2UNiozPKZm1Yq4EaFDYRibhWqQjstB9ecChH82Nn88n2CPHgNXsSMwEMIoje9kFqRIN1K3FAapdo01SbKHa7rfq9NMcOPOaZM1mPct3lU/s1600/IMG_2995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMC2ZiXeT9Vd4V2H5Uxfe99ZxkylL2UNiozPKZm1Yq4EaFDYRibhWqQjstB9ecChH82Nn88n2CPHgNXsSMwEMIoje9kFqRIN1K3FAapdo01SbKHa7rfq9NMcOPOaZM1mPct3lU/s320/IMG_2995.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">These
questions pertain to working on the 2012 48 HFP and our 3 Grunts Productions
entry of “Homecoming,” where I was co-producer, co-writer, AD, PA, crew, composer
and craft services.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Genre:
Drama. Mandatory elements: Pizza box (prop), “I have good news and bad news”
(line of dialogue), Edward or Emma Bulmer (character name) and tourist
(character occupation).<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO8FazhhArA</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Question:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How did you prepare?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Answer:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We (co-producer Brenda Barton director,
co-writer Chris Westfield and I) prepared by having at least three
pre-production meetings with the team we gathered together a couple weeks before
the 48. We had veterans of prior 48’s and novices who had no idea what they
were getting themselves into. We went over who would be assigned to which task
and what their responsibilities would be. We tried to answer any and all
questions that might pop up before the weekend started. We tried to stress that
we were a team: project first, ego last.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Q:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How
much location scouting did you do?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We decided early that we would
work from our production manager’s house and write whatever genre we received around
that setting. We did end up doing a bit of guerilla filming at the school about
a mile away for the second act of the story. We had no idea what other
locations we might need since we only found out our genre and elements the
night before, so we did not get any prior permission.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Q:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How did
you determine the composition of your team, did you feel you had too many or
not enough?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The composition of our team was, initially,
anyone who said, “Yes, I’ll be on your team.” As for actors, with the exception
of two (Eric Hanson and Brent Turner, who had never been in front of the camera
before), we asked people we had worked with previously, knowing they would
deliver. As for crew, we were fortunate to get Greg Greenhaw, a talented DP, one
experienced (Mike Swonger) and one inexperienced (Eric) tech crew team for most
of Saturday. We had a rookie editor, Shawn Hayward for Saturday who got a crash
course in contest filmmaking. Sunday, it was Chris, Brent, Eric, Brenda, Linda,
Greg, Shawn and me. Chris and I knew we were going to co-write whatever genre we
drew and that Chris was going to direct. The composition turned out to be a
pretty cohesive group, so we got pretty lucky regarding that. As for having too
many or not enough, although I think we always wish we had more crew, we worked
successfully with who we had and, as all members of a 48 team multi-task, we
made it enough. We have done films where the entire crew has just been Chris
and me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What went right, what went wrong?</span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Mostly everything went right. We
pretty much stayed on our pre-determined timeline. We were lucky because that’s
not always the case.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>We did lose one
actor (to a family emergency) after we had a first draft completed so we had to
rewrite the script to work with who we had left but those things happen on a
48. You have to be prepared for everything and expect nothing. We also had
wonderful blue skies for the exterior scenes, except that when ever we would
call action, the clouds decided to make their presence known, changing our
light. Again, not much you can do about that so you just go with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What would you do differently?</span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">With this particular project, I
personally would have liked to have been more available to be Chris’ AD. I lost
energy on Saturday night and had to nap on the couch while Chris and the much
younger members of the team pulled an almost all-nighter. Other than that, I
was pleased at how the experience worked out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Q:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What
did you do with your film after the 48 (additional screenings?)?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We put it on YouTube and Vimeo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Q:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What
was your favorite scene to shoot, least favorite and why?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My least favorite scene was the one filmed in
the van with the mom and the kids because either holding the mic or the
lights/reflectors were long and uncomfortable, at times (the positions you had
to get into to get the right shot/sound/illumination). My favorite was the all
the scenes with Linda Turner, who played the mother in the last act.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Q:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What
piece of equipment did you wish you had?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, we were pretty lucky to have
everything we needed for this film. There have been other films where we wish
we had more crew. Not sure they can be considered a piece of equipment, though.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Q:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If you
are comfortable talking about it, what was your budget?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t have much of a budget but we really
didn’t need one. We spent money on registering for the 48 and food, snacks and
drinks (and incidentals) for the cast and crew. We already had insurance from
previous projects. We didn’t have to rent any equipment because we had all the
equipment we needed and everybody’s time and talent was volunteered. If we
spent more than $400, I’d be surprised and even that might be a high estimate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Q:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How did
the required elements impact your creative process?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They didn’t because we wrote around what we
needed. We drew drama as a genre, our prop was a pizza box (no worries, we had
pizza for supper the first night of the process), and the required character
names and occupation was easily written in, as well as the mandatory line of
dialogue. We did have to get clever about how to make the character of Edward a
tourist with the particular story we crafted, so we decided to make him a
pre-college student touring his sister’s campus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Q:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What
was your schedule like? Did you take breaks, or sleep?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The producer and production manager were
physically at the kick-off to draw the genre and get the elements so, as soon
as they called to let us know what we drew and the rest of the details we
needed to know, Chris and I started brainstorming. We tossed a few ideas out there
and one stuck. Then we assembled the premise on that. Chris built the story
structure and I wrote the blocking and dialogue. It was heavy on the part of
one of our actors who couldn’t do it at the last minute, so we started over,
came up with an entirely different story, got that done about 1 AM, emailed the
script to everyone, Chris wrote out a shot list and I settled for a nap at
about 3. I think Chris finally was able to shut his eyes by, possibly, 5. Cast
and crew started showing up at 6:30 to 7. We did make sure everyone had
breakfast and coffee (if they wanted), had a mandatory break for lunch and a
mandatory break for dinner. There were snacks and beverages always available.
We stayed mostly on schedule, in the end running less than an hour behind but still
with enough time for post-production and turning in the film on time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Q:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How did
the time element factor into your shooting schedule and/or script design?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knowing what the time constraints were and
having worked on previous 48s, we knew we had to constantly monitor our time
and make sure we had enough of it to do justice to the three acts of the story.
We were aware that we had to give ourselves a time limit on each scene and not
spend too much time and energy on any particular scene, especially the first
one filmed, which, when you start, you feel like you have all the time in the
world and before you know it ¾ of your day is gone and you still have 20 more
scenes to film. So, it helps – again – when everyone comes prepared and does
what is expected of them. I think, as a producer, my favorite words, throughout
the process are, “Moving on.” As for script design, again, we kept the pages to
a minimum, knowing the finished project could be less than a certain number of
minutes but not more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Film Specific<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Q:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Homecoming – Was it difficult to work with
child actors, knowing you had such a short time frame?</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No. We had worked with these kids before in
previous films. They were disciplined and professional. I found them easier to
work with than some adults on prior projects. Also, we were aware, even though
this was not a union regulated project, that we could only use the kids limited
hours. One mom was constantly on set and the other juvenile was placed in the
supervision of Brenda. I think the kids were on set for approximately 4 hours
on Saturday. They were the same age and got along really well, so that
helped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Q:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
family pictures are a nice touch, were these taken just for the film?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, they were taken by Brent Turner of BLT
Productions. It was at Brent’s and, his wife, Linda’s house where we did the
principle filming. Brent also played the father in the last scene and Linda
played the mother. Linda was also our excellent production manager. Everyone
should have such an efficient proverbial right hand like Linda. Yes, she had
several responsibilities; we all wears multiple hats on a 48.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Q:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How did
you keep everyone focused? Balance the personalities, deal with pressure of a
timed competition and still manage to be productive and have fun?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We try to keep all our sets as drama-free
as possible. We emphasize teamwork and welcome questions and discussions
regarding what we’re doing or anticipate any snags we might hit along the way.
We try to be respectful of everyone and their ideas and needs. We also try to
keep our cast and crew to a minimum and work with people we know in advance are
team players. We usually end up with a production we are satisfied with and
walk away from the experience with good memories of what could have been a
difficult, tense and frustrating weekend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Q:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What one piece of advice would you give to someone doing a 48 for the
first time?</span></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A:</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> There is
no way you can just give one piece of advice on that, so…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Be prepared. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Know your job. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Learn your lines ASAP but understand that they may not be set in stone.
It’s all a work in progress. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If you have questions that can be asked and answered before the time
limit begins, ask and answer them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Work as a team. This is not the contest to think you should be a
break-out star. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Don’t be a prima donna. Regardless of what kind of name or standing you
have in the community, this contest is not about you, individually.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Writer or writing team: You cannot pre-write the script before kick-off
but, usually, a copy of the genres are available on the official contest page. Even though you will not know
your subject matter nor elements until someone in your team draws it, it
sometimes makes it easier if you already have some ideas to bring to the table.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Whatever project you develop, work within your parameters – know your
capabilities and limitations and don’t try to exceed either. At least not on
your first 48.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Be constructive and contribute. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Add to, don’t subtract from the experience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If you are miraculously standing around with nothing to do, if you
aren’t re-learning lines, ask how you can help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Limit the number of shots you do of the same scene – you don’t have time
to reshoot the same scene until you get the perfect shot. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Give yourself enough time for post-production (varying rendering times
have caused too many films to become late turn-ins and ineligible for competition). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Factor in enough time to include how long it will take you to get from
your HQ to the turn in site.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Other than that, try to have fun. My thoughts during my first 48 was,
“What in the 7th layer of fresh Hell have I gotten myself into? This is insane! No way I will ever do
this again.” My thought after Turn In was, “Bring on next year!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15805055.post-86686265473157960602016-06-15T15:56:00.000-05:002016-06-15T15:56:56.160-05:00Stop Placing Blame Where It Never Belonged.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SGMDdCfP786yrY3vwRFUE4xZesITyNqrmBv_nUzosY5koyzmoofph85BJLJ7MeLXPXqMwV0pV9YfBn8v7VE5rhTDJlfBswh3sxmw_alHS7W2TP3VOW7ZwK3qiGKBpKsbTRn6/s1600/homophobia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SGMDdCfP786yrY3vwRFUE4xZesITyNqrmBv_nUzosY5koyzmoofph85BJLJ7MeLXPXqMwV0pV9YfBn8v7VE5rhTDJlfBswh3sxmw_alHS7W2TP3VOW7ZwK3qiGKBpKsbTRn6/s320/homophobia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span data-offset-key="ccgcq-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Okay, so... it's all coming out now about the Orlando mass murderer. His rage and subsequent actions were fueled by anti-gay, inner homophobic, religious hatred of homosexuals. It was not ISIS motivated, not ISIS driven, not ISIS directed, not ISIS inspired. No, this shitbag was an American citizen who was turned rabidly extreme by religion because he wasn't strong enough to accept himself as he really was. Turned rabidly extreme by ANY and ALL religions that preach hatred and violence against the LGBTQI community. The exact same kind of rhetoric the American Christian Reich pontificates from wherever, whenever they find a forum. This was NOT about radical Islam teachings from militant Muslims. This was about indoctrination into the hatred of the "other." Right here. In America.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="971h3-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">And yet, the Right Wing wants to make it about ISIS and "Muslim" extremism. The only fact in this tragedy so far that can be connected as "middle eastern," is the killer's Afghani heritage. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="735ht-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">WE CANNOT LET THIS BECOME SOMETHING IT'S NOT. This is about what happens when someone finally snaps and does the bidding of people who constantly incite violence against us. And usually, those same sky pilots are the ones who are pointing away from themselves to hide their own sexuality or illegal perversions.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="b03k7-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">The political sleight of hand by the Right and their new, chosen leader is doing nothing to try and unite us. He's like the new Bush Administration - Saudi Arabia bred 15 of the 19 alleged hijackers from 9/11...but, hey, let's go invade Iraq. This massacre had everything to do with homegrown American hatred of homosexuals but hey, let's blame all Muslims and radical Islam instead of actually looking at the real issue.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="aps3c-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Also, remember that the day before Orlando. Mr. Trump was meeting with Tony Perkins of the American Family Council, agreeing that "something" needs to be done about the LGBTQI community. Mr. Perkins advocates jail and concentration camps. For nothing other than being gay. The next day, Mr. Trump was sending his "thoughts and prayers." That's when he wasn't patting himself on the back regarding a "prediction" that was wrong.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="esrgn-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">So tired of the dangerously hypocritical bullshit. Trump and his ass-licking politician friends don't care about us. Bodies weren't even claimed from the massacre yet and the Right continued quietly proposing and passing anti-gay discrimination bills, the kind of malignant speech that led to the tragedy in Orlando.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8afn9-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">I don't understand, when the Religious Right and Radical Islam are so close in the things they love and hate and want as laws, why they claim to loathe each other so much. They should really be in bed together, they are so alike. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8afn9-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Don't be fooled by the "thoughts and prayers." Because in the next breath, they are right back to preaching hate and violence against us. And some don't even bother. They continue the same ol', same ol' and praise the shooter, wishing he had killed more of us. All in the name of their bible. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8afn9-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">So the killer was a registered democrat. Big deal. So was Kim Davis. That's a puzzlement to us all because their ideals certainly don't align with any democrat I know. Of course that could be as much bullshit as the "thoughts and prayers" from the mouthpieces who spew hate all other times. That could be as much bullshit as the "ISIS" factor in this massacre.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8afn9-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Like I said, yesterday, if "evidence" suddenly comes out that this homophobe did have any ties to radical Islam, it'll probably be manufactured. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8afn9-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Because the truth will be too damning for the Americans who believe exactly as he did.</span></div>
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Although, this time, if the light is shined on the correct perpetrators, expect them to scatter like the cockroaches they are.</div>
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That's okay. They can run but they can't hide anymore.</div>
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Cheynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141321639822703758noreply@blogger.com0