Kiawah Island, S.C.
Category: Guest Contributors
Guest Contributor – Jason M – A Plug for a Friend’s Book – The Body Man by Eric Bishop
Hi Photog…
Here is a link to a website for a friend of mine from college…
http://www.ericpbishop.com/about-eric.html
His debut novel, “The Body Man,” will go on sale beginning on November 11, 2021.
You can either post this or not, I just wanted to get you the link since it sort of lines up with the crime dramas you mention.
Jason M
Guest Contributor – TomD – The Whichness of What
That presumes the universe can be comprehended by us. I suspect that the ultimate reality is buried beneath increasingly bewildering layers far beyond our comprehension.
We made it past Newtonian physics to Einsteinian relativity and are still wandering around in Quantum. Who says it ends there. With the colliders, every time we think we are at the base of things, entirely new classes of “fundamental’ particles are found. They are now looking for the building blocks of quarks. We’ve made it to Planck scale and declared it to be the finish line. Yeah?
I remember the quote but not where it came from. A maybe fictional religion hypothesized that the world was on the back of a turtle. A priestess (I think) was questioned as to what the turtle was standing on. Her reply was something like, “I see where you’re going with this young man but it’s turtles all the way down.”
Now there is talk that we are 3 dimensional shadows on a 5 dimensional brane. (as in membrane, not brain). Or maybe the universe is an infinite computer running a program. Or maybe every point in spacetime exists simultaneously and forever like a slide in an infinite stack illuminated occasionally by consciousness.
I think that not only do we not have a clue but aren’t capable of having a clue. So shut up and have a beer.
Guest Contributor – Jason M – How We Should React to the Left’s Attacks
I’m almost of the opinion that since they don’t want to do anything more than threaten (I agree with you on that), then we should use the sable-rattling as an excuse to escalate things. Call their bluff, so to speak. The problem is that it has to be coordinated and purposefully and resolutely led. An individual would simply be prosecuted (ie Jan 6 investigations).
Otherwise, without getting into legality, the “easiest” answer to me is a new nation. Let them have what they want and let us have what we want. In the 1860s, the northern states acdtually needed the agriculture of the southern states so it made sense to fight over secession. That’s not true any longer.
Presumably, any nation is just a collective of “similarly-minded” people (Or at least, similar on key, fundamental issues). That being the case, what is the argument from the left AGAINST forming 2 nations within our area of the continent? One nation for “them” and another for “us”?
“It’s illegal!!” Prove it! And even if you can prove it, so what? Make it legal, then.
“But the Constituion…!!” So? The Constitution was written, endorsed, and signed by men who forcibly declared their independence from their sovereign nation!
Seriously, what is left? What argument can possibly stand up to the logic of simply forming a second nation? (I say “simply” because it is the thought process that is simple here, not the actual forming of a new nation.) The “sides” here are so diametrically opposed to one another that “one nation” is no longer logical.
Actually, now that I think of it, the national debt is a big problem with this thought. How does it get split? Then that leads to other things like Social Security… while these things are issues that stand in the way, if we truly wanted to, we could find equitable solutions to anything if people were willing to work in good faith toward those solutions. And therein lies the problem in my cynical mind. I don’t trust “them” to work in that good faith.
Now I’ve succeeded in depressing myself… thanks brain… thanks Photog.
Guest Contributor – Chemist – Hollywood Hates Us
I recently wrote the below to a friend and they are seeing the same thing:
It seems that the mega entertainment corporations hate their customers so much that they are happy to commit suicide just to hurt their customers.
A crazy statement? Hear me out:
The latest Star Wars trilogy featured all female leads (The poor black dude who featured large in the first movie was a tertiary character at best in the second two.)
“OK, fine,” I thought. “The force can be used by male and female. No big deal. On with the story.” And I’m sure lots of people like myself felt the same way.
But Disney went further. It wasn’t enough to have STRONG FEMALE LEADS (TM) they had to destroy the male leads that came before. Luke wasn’t just a Jedi who was past his prime, he was a coward, a loser and a child murderer. It’s like Disney was saying: “Take that! All you losers who loved the original movies and characters. We’ll wreck them for you.”
Yes, the movies made money – lots of it, but only about a third of what they should have made. Did you hear of anyone standing in line to see those movies 4 times? 3? even twice?
OK, that’s a single example. . . .
The latest Marvel movie – Black Widow – has a scene consisting of women discussing their menstruation issues. I am told that Disney put that in the movie “Just to make men uncomfortable”.
Who watches comic book movies starring sexy women wearing tiny tight costumes? Is it pre-teen girls? Is it soccer moms? Is it the local Karen group of wine and whine?
No! Its men! Men and adolescent boys are your target audience. Why would you put in a scene just to make them uncomfortable?
Because Disney / Marvel hates their audience.
Black Widow is going to be the lowest grossing Marvel movie ever and may not even break even.
But it’s worth it, because they hate their audience and want to hurt them.
OK, that’s 2 examples, but they are both from the same company.
Let’s talk about Dr. Who. (Do we have to?) The BBC recently introduced a female Doctor Who. Not a female Gallifreyan – that had been seen before – but a female Dr. Who – the title character. OK, Its Sci-Fi, anything is possible. The fans will still watch as long as the writing is good. . .
But the writing was horrible. Every single plot revolved around social justice and other Woke topics. The fans stopped watching in droves. Remember that this is the longest running series in the history of television – almost 60 years of fans. There are people who grew up watching the show who are now collecting social security who have turned it off. The ratings are so bad that the BBC is considering cancelling the show.
But it’s worth it because they hate their fans.
The thing is that these companies are hurting themselves. The fans will go elsewhere – Japanese Manga is a big winner. They still feature male characters defeating bad guys and saving the day. (For now.) But the dollars the fans of Star Wars, Marvel, and Dr. Who would have spent on the movies, and products won’t be going to those mega corporations.
This is insanity. This is mental illness. And in the case of a publicly traded company, this might well be criminal.
Guest Contributor – War Pig – When War Pig Met Karen
I agree about the movies for the most part. Until yesterday that last two movies I have watched in the cinema were Godzilla King of The Monsters and Godzilla vs King Kong. I happen to be a big Godzilla fan since childhood.
I don’t care for Disney’s Marvel Universe movies. I did, however, go see the new Disney movie Jungle Cruise. yesterday in the cinema. My nice wanted to see it so I took her as she hates to go alone. More on that in a minute.
It wasn’t a bad movie, in fact I rather enjoyed it. The Rock was better than usual in acting, Emily Blunt pretty much stole every scene and the special effects and action sequences were what you’d expect from Disney. A good time and I bonded a bit with my niece
My niece is a tall, attractive woman of twenty-one but she looks like sixteen. This frustrates her now but I told her in twenty years she’ll appreciate her youthful looks. At any rate, she went to the ladies’ room after the movie and I stood by to ensure no one with a penis entered the ladies’ room while she was in there. When she exited, we were walking to the entrance/exit and a very liberal Karen stopped us, told my niece she did not have to go anywhere with me and made noises about human trafficking. I told her just because an older man has a young woman by his side it is not always by force. That she was my niece and to kindly get out of the way. She kept it up and I told the kids at the concession stand to call the police.
The local gendarmeri4e arrived and Karen was still fuming. I greeted one officer by name and told him what was going on. Karen said we exhibited classic human trafficking patterns. The cop laughed in her face and told her to go home or he’d run her in for being a public nuisance. Then she accused him of being part of the trafficking gang. That was too much so off she went to the hoosegow to cool off.
My niece (adopted by my brother) is a tall, brown hair, blue eyed pale girl. Being half Blackfoot, my complexion, especially in the summer, is somewhat darker, My facial features also bespeak my (and my brother’s) heritage. My niece is QUITE attractive, which is why she asks me to stand outside the ladies’ room when she goes inside, in case she has to yell for help. But still, we were both laughing and talking about the movie. She was giggly but that is her nature. She likes her uncle and we have some good times together. I have taken her with me to Sandusky then onto one of the islands there where you can see evidence of the last ice age’s glaciers as they scraped the rock. She wanted some literature and photos of it for a school report.
I normally applaud any real attempt to end human trafficking, but this Karen went overboard and assumed she was right (a liberal fault). Heck, it could have been a sugar daddy/sugar baby relationship, or a grandfather/grandchild situation. I am old enough to be her grandfather.
So be careful, people in what you ASSUME to be happening. Assume makes an ass out of you and me, remember.
Guest Contributor – War Pig – East Berlin and Breaking Bread with Ivan – Part 2
Guest Contributor – War Pig – East Berlin and Breaking Bread with Ivan
(photog) – War Pig, what would an American serviceman have to do to enter East Berlin? Just a frontier checkpoint to inspect identification papers?
(War Pig) – Back then, you had to have a pass, and you had to be in uniform. Military from America, Brits, French, etc. were nothing unusual in visiting East Berlin. They were rather inclined to allow you in as you brought western currency with you. Your papers were inspected at the checkpoint but I don’t remember anyone being denied entry with the paperwork correct. You could even bring in a camera as long as you obeyed the “do not photograph” signs. You were overcharged but even at that it was cheaper than West Berlin prices. As I recall, we had black beer, & roast or corned beef sandwiches on dark bread. Hearty and satisfying. Must have been corned beef as I now remember I mentioned to the Russian that the corning spices in German corned beef were different than the Irish style used in America. That led to a side discussion about our favorite foods. He was surprised that I actually like borscht. I said I liked it some ways as I had had it about a dozen different ways and I only liked two or three.
I wish I could meet him again if he still lives. I’d like to see how he got along. It really would have been a pity if we’d had to fight each other.
Guest Contributor – War Pig – East Berlin and Breaking Bread with Ivan
When I worked in counter-intel I often went to West Berlin. There about every other person you met was a spy for one side or the other. Great parties, though.
I got into uniform and went into East Berlin all according to Hoyle. I had a camera and took some neat pictures of the architecture. Of course, the polizei had to come and harass me. I told them to piss off and get a Russian officer, which was according to the treaty. The polizei weren’t squat in East Berlin if you were an American in uniform. I kept walking about and a Russian officer approached me and was polite. GRU, naturally. We chatted and sat in a bistro and had beer and sandwiches, which I paid for. We talked and both agreed it would be sad if we ever had to go to war against each other as we had more in common than with most of our allies. Rather charming fellow. We played it according to the rules and he asked what I was photographing, I told him the buildings and that I wasn’t stupid enough to photograph military things out in the open with the polizei watching me like a hawk. We both laughed. I left him with a spare Zippo lighter with a naked woman on it and two packs of unfiltered Camel cigarettes. I had already gotten the message I went in to get. He walked me to the checkpoint and had them wave me through without issues. All gentlemen and friends.
Guest Contributor – War Pig – East Berlin and Breaking Bread with Ivan – Part 2
Guest Contributor – War Pig – BLM/Antifa vs Veterans
A friend on the Old Boy network sent me this today:
“I was once willing to give my life for what this country stood for. Today, I’d give my life to protect my family from what this country has become.”
Right on, brother.
The left loves chaos. They thrive on it like ants on honey. Chaos and unlawfulness and lack of common sense is a part of their grand design. Then they put up a strong man (NOT Biden) and we have Germany, 1933, all over again. Fascism. As much as the left claims Trump is a fascist, they are the true fascists. They sic their brown-shirt militias (BLM, Antifa) on any area that does not kowtow to their plan, except for areas such as Texas who can hold them at bay.
They have said repeatedly they are coming for our guns, and they mean it. An armed citizenry is the best protection from them and they know it. Having been around the world a few times, I have seen what historically happens to a disarmed populace. It ain’t pretty. Our founders were wise beyond measure in enacting the 2nd Amendment. An armed citizenry not only guarantees failure of an invasion from without, but prevents a takeover from within. Yamamoto and the Soviet generals alike disregarded trying to invade and occupy the USA as we had “a gun behind every blade of grass”. 100 million armed Americans as guerilla fighters makes every land force look weak by comparison. 24 million of those Americans are veterans, fully schooled in guerilla tactics and IEDs. Over 350 million guns just in legal hands that are known. Depending on whom you ask, Americans have between 4 TRILLION and 14 TRILLION rounds of ammo for those guns.
Nobody wants to try that force on for size. The US military decimated both the Viet Cong and the NVA Army. We only lost because of gutless politicians who started the war, then chickened out. Militarily, Vietnam was a great victory for us. Politically, we were undone by cowardly and bought politicians and a US media who even then was coopted by the Marxists.
Color Out of Space (2019) – A Science Fiction and Fantasy Movie Review
Tyler Cook of the Portly Politico and I have decided to cross link on our reviews for this movie. We both thought this movie was awful but we thought that readers should see nuanced differences. Actually what you’ll see is our two styles. Tyler is a witty and intelligent writer and I like to rant. So here’s the link to his review and below is mine.
This is a cinematic version of Lovecraft’s story about a meteor that lands in a rural Massachusetts farmyard and infects the soil and the water with an entity that subtly alters the plants and animals and then sucks the vitality and finally the life out of every living thing around it before shooting back into space leaving a dead landscape behind. But let us say the movie takes liberties with this plot.
How do I hate this movie? Let me count the ways.
First off, I despised all the characters in this story. I even despised the seven-year-old who was the youngest kid in the family. They are stereotypical yuppie transplants to the countryside and all of them have extremely annoying personalities. The father is Nicholas Cage and he spends his time milking alpacas and raising heirloom tomatoes. The mother is a financial advisor who has neglected her kids to the point that older son is a useless pothead, the daughter is a bitter Wiccan wannabe and the younger son appears to be a doofus. Tommy Chong is the forest dwelling pot grower who supplies the son with his weed and also seems to be acquainted with alien invasions. Then there is the hydrologist who is taking water samples for a new reservoir that will be covering the property that Nick Cage’s family currently inhabits. He walks around warning everyone about the dangers of meteorites and contaminated water but achieves nothing other than somehow surviving the apocalypse.
Next is the plot. In the original Lovecraft story, the baleful influence of the entity slightly modifies the appearance of plants and animals but its most powerful effect is the sapping of the life force and eventually even the structural integrity of organic materials. By the end of the book the whole farm where the meteor lands, the house, the trees, the animals and people, the wagons and the fences crumble to dust. Only stone and metal remain.
In this version of the story the entity is able to fuse groups of animals together into hideous many-headed monsters. It can disable all communication devices and even alter time, making days and nights shorter as needed. So, they’ve revved up the monster’s power quite a bit. But the use they put this to is horrendous. In one scene the mother and the seven-year-old kid are walking in the dark near the barn when the creature zaps the both of them with its potent “light.” Next, we see that the mother and the little boy have been fused together. His head is attached to her shoulder, their torsos are fused and both of them are writhing in agony. And the older son characterizes what’s happening to them as the younger son being re-absorbed into the mother’s body. Even the thought is horrifying to consider. And later on, the fused creature starts taking on a preying mantis like shape and Nick Cage’s character shoots both of them in the head to end this nightmare. Okay sure, this is a horror movie and it’s no more disgusting than the scenes in John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” but he didn’t use a mother and a little boy as the victims of this abomination. To my mind this is awful.
Finally, the acting. The only cast members I’ve heard of are Nick Cage and Tommy Chong. I’m guessing the rest of the cast is unknown and they should stay that way. They were awful and so were the two better known actors. The script was awful. The plot was tedious and the resolution seemed pointless and annoying. I will say some of the special effects were interesting looking and well done. But not the fused animals and people. Those were hideous and depressing.
I would avoid this movie. Nick Cage has descended indeed from the time when he was a pretty good actor. He should be ashamed that he was in this crap. Seeing this movie has ruined a perfectly good day out of my life. Not recommended.