Educating Both Sides About ONE Issue Regarding the Death Penalty

Personally, I do not support capital punishment.  I also do not support lies being told to support an issue because it renders the entire issue to be fraudulent in the eyes of others.  I also have an aunt who was murdered, so I know both sides of the issue. If one is going to oppose capital punishment and go about protesting it publicly, it does no good to blame the governor of ANY state for an offender getting put to death. I am only going to use TX as the example here, but other states also have the same limitations because there was a day when the mob was buying off commutations for their family members who were incarcerated for murders.

First off, in the State of Texas, the governor only has the power to issue a ONE TIME 30 day stay per offender on death row. ONE time only! That’s it! He or she can recommend a sentence commutation but CANNOT order it.  That has to go through the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. 98% of the time, they do not commute depending upon crime which got the offender sent to death row.  This is especially true if there are multiple victims of the same crime. They will not commute a sentence for such offenders.

Many other states have the same power structure in place to avoid the office of governor from becoming corrupted.  Now it is time to re-work the strategy about how to change things. It cannot be done by spreading lies and half-truths.  I strongly urge Hollywood writers to be careful when trying to make a change in any policy. Do your homework on every case. Look at what the juries saw/heard.  Make sure you stick close to the facts of the case even if there is a tendency to get too creative about holes in the story. Make sure the holes are addressed as HOLES!

However in order to even begin to change things, the very corrupt nature of the correctional system when it comes to addressing officer issues must change. One cannot clean  up a nation-wide issue until he/she starts with his/her own state.  There is a huge disparity between how male officers vs. female officers are treated by their employers about disciplinary issues, and I am quite confident that there is at least a 30 year-long paper trail to back that up–in Texas alone.  One will find the male will get a slap on the wrist 9 times out of 10 but the female will lose her job for the same offense.  If people want to talk about a “War on Women” there is where they should start.

…to be continued…

Lie About Who You Are and Where You Came From, Then You’ll Lie About Anything…

I am the first to admit that I am fully aware that from time to time, those seeking to get me to punch their name at the ballot box will omit a few facts or try to hide their voting positions on issues that I care about, but I dig that info up anyhow. That comes with political territory and that’s why people need to do their homework.

However when a person lies about who they are as a person and where they came from, that is a whole new ball of wax. THAT behavior tells me they will lie about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. Both parties should take offense when any candidate does this. I know for a fact many people do. Nobody likes being lied to–especially when those lies make me think this person has gone through something like what I’ve been through.  How can anyone empathize with my own situations when they’ve never been in those situations? They cannot because they have not BEEN in those situations. It is that simple.

I’m really sick about hearing that there is a “war on women” in this country.  Why? If there is, then Wendy Davis sure is not a person that I would want to be on my side in it.  By now everyone has heard about how she lied about her past–particularly the part about her divorces/marriages and being a single parent.  It makes the entire women’s movement look even worse, and it hasn’t looked good in a few years since women cannot seem to unite as a whole on any single issue in this country.  A lack of honesty is hurting the women’s movement more than anything else. As a whole, we have not been honest about what the goals should be or with ourselves. That is why to this day, and for over a hundred + years, the women’s movement remains divided. Until women as a whole can unite behind common goals–the women’s movement will never unite again for any reason, I think.

To that end, the women’s movement must include all women–not just women on the left.  It also has to include both gay and heterosexual women.  Our numbers are too small over this divide as it is.  Until they reach across the table to those on the right, hear their concerns as well and unite behind some common goals then it is pointless to try to claim that we are making any progress in society. My advice would be to leave abortion rights up to 20 weeks if you want to get more women to listen to you though. Most conservative women do not want to hear about it at all, but will work with those who will at least leave it at 20 weeks barring certain medical conditions that might make it necessary–such as hemorrhaging or something severe enough that the mother could die–like complications from eclampsia and such…Yes, people it does happen.

Being the pro-choice darling will not help Ms. Davis in this election in any way because she totally misrepresented who she really is. First off, she was not, and never has been, a single parent. Secondly, she did not “struggle” through law school, her 2nd husband paid her way and she dumped him after he had made the last payment on it. He sold his entire 401K to pay for that school as well.  NO, had she not been able to get away with that one, I am quite confident she would continue in her path of marrying men with money and disposing of them when done.

The real single parent was Mr. Davis since she did not seek or gain custody of their child. In fact he cared for BOTH children while she was off at Harvard. No mother would abandon her kids for anything, but it seems that she thinks being in politics is a higher purpose for her of some sort.

I worked two jobs and went to school at night. At times I lived with family who helped raise my 3 sons, but I would never dream of leaving them for anything. Unlike Ms. Davis, who claims to have lived in a trailer, so what?! It actually turned out to be an apartment–not a trailer as she claimed.  At one time I lived in my vehicle for a bit. No…She hasn’t walked a single mile in my shoes…Sorry.

Where one stands politically is one thing, but to think that someone could so blatantly rearrange the facts of one’s own personal existence, and base one’s  message on a pattern of nothing but lies, and still be worthy of trust from tens of millions people that she would call constituents, is beyond naïve.  This is not a person who can represent women and/or the issues they face honestly–unless she has had an abortion herself, and I somehow doubt that. She tows the party line and that is the only reason she gets any attention. Hell, I’ve never had an abortion. I miscarried enough.  At least I am honest enough to admit that I haven’t had it done, nor would I. However, as I’ve said countless times, it is not MY job to do God’s job.

People have to make their own decisions and decide their own destiny and others should mind their own business about that. I do not have to live with decisions others make for themselves, they do. It is too bad that we do not have a “mind your own business law”.  This country needs one. However, one can rest assured the government would never obey such a law.

The last good democratic governor this state had was Ann Richards. I hate to break the news to you, Ms. Davis, but you are no Ann Richards. She was honest.  You are not. That is why you would never get my vote.

The Pen Continues and Banshee is Totally Cool!

How many of you have watched “Banshee” on Cinemax? If you haven’t you are missing the only show on TV that doesn’t try to force political views down one’s throat, doesn’t force any agendas whatsoever and it definitely doesn’t preach to any side of the moral spectrum. Why? Because nobody is innocent in that town–except a few kids.

You have many characters who have either lost their way–or they deliberately went off on a certain path to escape from someone or something…Take Ana/Carrie Hopewell and Sheriff Hood…Fifteen years prior, she left home, got a new identity and began a new “soccer mom” lifestyle. Prior she was the daughter of a Ukrainian gangster and very involved in her father’s organization.  Evidently when she got pregnant she wanted more than that life for her own child. Who can blame her for running away?

Then there is Sugar, played by Frankie Fayson…He is what I call the “God” character. He knows everything about everyone…Why? He owns the bar. Go figure. However he and a transvestite hacker named Job provide a bit of comic relief at times in this show considering the plots and sub plots…In fact, Job at times is a scene stealer and he totally kicks ass! He really has me cracked up at times. Check out this scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ7mSXN1J4s

At least you now know this is one character that doesn’t put up with BS!

You really need to save a duck and watch Rabbit too…That is Ana/Carrie’s dad…He’s just your average old softie with a bit of a sociopathic twist!  Strangely enough, both he and Ana are characters one ends up having some empathy for…I mean, who wouldn’t be pissed after finding out one is a grandparent of two and they were kept from you?  Rabbit is not without his flaws though. If you watch Banshee: Origins, one learns that years ago he stole his brother’s wife–who is Ana’s mother…AND he killed a few people…Oh–but wait…Alright! He killed a LOT of people! There!

It’s a good thing his brother forgave him and became a priest, but let’s just say they need to keep Julian Sands around because he is bad ass!  The character is likable despite the fact that he does have a dark side to himself. I know if I were him, I’d sleep with a gun nearby being that Rabbit is capable of almost anything.

Then there is Kai Proctor. He is the town mayor and on a bad day, he can make Rabbit look like a bit of a choir boy depending on how pissed off he gets. He is behind almost every criminal enterprise in Banshee.  He is also allowing his niece, Rebecca, to live with him now that she has gotten kicked off of the family farm…Oh by the way, they were raised as Amish.  Proctor has a lot of issues stemming from his relationship with his father, too.  I feel that as Banshee unfolds over time, we will see why it is Proctor chose his path as well.

As one watches this show, it is like watching a novel unfold. The writing is excellent. There is no political crap getting in the way of the story line and definitely nothing preaching to anyone’s morality on this show.  This is exactly the type of show I would watch because I am really tired of prime time TV injecting crap from the political realm into every show. I watch TV to escape that garbage. However, I’d rather not have a TV and watch what I can online.  One needs to be aware that this  is not a show for kids to watch but this is one of the best shows that most of you probably  have not heard of–yet.

I will say this–IF you like Sons of Anarchy, you will probably like this show too because there are times that everything going on is total lawlessness and chaos. There are no motorcycle gangs, but the very nature of the Ukrainian gang and Proctor’s operations make this show intriguing enough. The acting is flawless in this series. Each actor and actress seems to have been carefully picked and plays his/her part to perfection. However, I’d love to see some of the out takes!

The acting ensembles are above and beyond anything you will get on the regular networks. They all know their craft and do an excellent job. All of these characters stand out on their own and their stories work well within the time frame the show is given for each episode.  There is character growth and development as well.  Ana/Carrie is the one I see evolving the most. Her past has come back to haunt her, and her kids are paying the highest price for it. The big question is, will it destroy her entire family, or will they be able to pick up the broken pieces later and put them together into something new.

Rabbit’s character is even understandable in some ways. He is not incapable of love, but his sociopathic nature prevents him from simply letting go of Ana and doing what is best for his grandchildren. He wants vengeance on Hood for “stealing” Ana from him. Being that she left Hood behind and began a new life with a new identity years ago–and married someone else, one might think Rabbit MIGHT have some empathy for Hood…After all, they both got, in essence, “screwed over”.   Hence the reason the entire town of Banshee is now in an uproar. Between Rabbit, Hood and the agendas of Proctor and now the newly introduced Agent Racine, I’m sure this season will be just as explosive as the last, if not even more so.

There is one scene that stands out between Rabbit and Ana/Carrie.  It is where she said, “I will kill you.” and he replies, “You already have.”  At that point one sees pain in Rabbit’s eyes. That is when one knows that Rabbit, for all the evil stuff he has done, does have a heart capable of breaking in that carcass of his someplace.

It would be nice to see a few of these cast members up for prime time Emmy’s in 2015.  So far, Ben Cross, Ulrich Thomsen and Hoon Lee top my list on this show.  It would be nice to see Ivana Millicevic get a nod as well. Not only is Ana/Carrie a strong, surviving character, but her vulnerabilities also come out well on-screen.  Antony Starr is the perfect one to cast opposite her as there is much growth in both characters as the realities of their situations slap them both squarely in the face–and the chemistry between them is great. This growth occurs with casualties though–both living and dead in the series 1 finale.  What will drive this sequence of events to the Series 2 finale? We will have to see but I see endless possibilities for some of the characters on this show.

I hope to see this show last for a VERY long time!

For those of you who are fans of the show and/or fans of the actors/actresses involved, here are some links to their FaceBook pages and most of them can also be followed on twitter! Enjoy! Most of them do answer fan posts and tweets too when they can and have time!

https://www.facebook.com/actorbencross

https://www.facebook.com/banshee

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Antony-Starr-official/119407884769823

https://www.facebook.com/IvanaMilicevicFans

*Hoon Lee is on twitter as @MisterHoonLee    (He’s the actor who gives us that kick ass character of Job!)

Alright…Want Better Pay? A Better Position? READ AND LEARN!

Even in an entry-level job, one can learn skills that will enable them to move up in their own field or they can transfer those skills to another industry once they get them. The key is watching, learning and asking questions. Those who advance take on challenges and other responsibilities. They become leaders. If you want better pay, become a leader. Lead by example and for God’s sake learn how to use some critical thinking skills.

Learning to make snap decisions in a tough situation is often critical and right or wrong, be an adult an accept responsibility for it. Don’t pass the buck to someone else. It’s a good way to lose your job. I can’t even begin to tell you about the times that even though it seemed to be to be something small, I’d call my bosses and say, “Hey I screwed up. This is what happened.” and I’d tell them everything. At least those things could be taken care of because they did turn out to be minor and they helped me to learn to fix those things on duty so I wouldn’t be calling them up with confessionals! However if you pass the buck to the new person, or try to hide it, you’re basically signing your own termination papers in the end. Once you bring your integrity into question, you’re toast. Don’t do it. Don’t even think about it. if you think something is wrong, ask the boss!

For those of you in this dilemma, I am going to suggest a good book for you to read that changed my life. It is a fiction book by Paulo Coelho, but it will really help you if you follow Santiago’s example…That book is called “The Alchemist”…It is for young people but there is so much wisdom packed into it…Check it out!

I Simply Cannot Buy Rolling Stone Magazine…

Since this came out, I have not been able to even bring myself to buy that magazine.

Once upon a time, there was a wonderful magazine that gave us articles about music and the music world–along with artists that were engaging in worthwhile pursuits at times. Then one day, someone decided to throw the very things that those of us who came to that magazine wanted to get away from, which includes depressing news and politics, in our faces.  However a person in charge of this magazine decided it would be appropriate to put a young man’s face on the cover who was the epitome of everything that is wrong in this country.  

“But what could possibly be wrong in this country?” some would think aloud.

“Complacency.” was the word that came to mind of others.

As a society, we have become far to complacent when it comes to what the media wants to subject us as an audience to.  If it were NEWS that would be one thing.  However in recent years, the media likes to bombard us with editorials. It gets really old. If I want someone’s opinion of what is going on in the world, I’ll simply ask them.  HOWEVER, when I want to know what is going on in this world, I only want the facts–and not their opinions of how they think these things should be or should not be.  Evidently the media no longer believes that we can make up our own minds on any issue,  so they try to tell us “how to think”…

We have also become far too complacent as a nation as to our own security.  Why do  I say that? Simple. Look around.  We’ve got teenagers going around targeting elderly people–especially if not of their own race, and yet no one DARES call that a hate crime IF the victim is white. IF the person who does it is white and the victim is black,  you can bet there will be serious jail time involved. This seriously leads me to question what truly is a hate crime if one group of  people who attack ANYONE due to race is not prosecuted while one person manages to get the collar… It is time to change that, people.  One form of racism does not justify another and if hate crime laws are not going to be equally prosecuted, they shouldn’t even be on the books. Justice is supposed to be blind–not subject to the whim of the US Attorney General or his boss. If one is really concerned about these young people getting hurt and killed for pulling such antics, then maybe the parents should step up to the plate and start monitoring who their kids are hanging out with again. Now back to my original topic…

Maybe IF this guy’s parents had done THAT much and kept their sons away from other radicals, they might not have ended up killing 4 people and wounding/maiming plenty of others. However, the mother isn’t too concerned about it given the clip below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqiinOlrc3o

Did you notice where he told her, “Don’t say anything.”  Why would he say that? That statement is out-of-place unless one is hiding something…Nice try. Russia even knew about her fanaticism. I think we know where these two men went wrong and it lies within their own mother. Sorry. She raised them to be as they are/were. She is more upset that they actually got caught in their own game, and if they had not done it, they wouldn’t have hijacked that Chinese boy’s car afterward to get away.  He will get the best defense on American soil money can buy. What I want to know is, who will hear the victims’ cries for justice as the blood calls out from their graves?

And this magazine seems to want to paint an empathetic picture of what is wrong with this guy, or am I mistaken? Sorry…I don’t buy into it and will no longer read Rolling Stone.

Am I the ONLY ONE Weird Who Experiences This WEIRD STUFF?

Have you ever cut yourself putting staples in a stapler?

I did, the other day…Freaky…

Have you ever had all the power go out in the stores when you get to the front of the checkout line after discussing how this weird crap happens to you?

I have…In Wal Mart.

Have you ever broken two bones in your foot and pulled one from the ankle bone tripping on a dog’s tie out?

I have. YEARS ago at another house.

Have you ever cracked 5 ribs tripping over something at work and then have HR try to tell you it was your own fault for not seeing it?

I did–again at Wal-Mart and the person who told me that got fired.  The whole thing was on video and I was working my ass off when it happened. I told the boss (in front of her) that he’d better line her out before I decided to and I guaranteed her (in front of him) that I had not taken my pain meds yet, and I’d royally embarrass her butt in front of everyone if she didn’t shut her trap. He fired her not too long after that since two new hires overheard the whole conversation–violating my right to confidentiality–not to mention the whole event wasn’t any of her damned business and I’d never been hurt on the job–ever.

Thank God I don’t work there anymore.

Let’s see…Pulled up to an intersection and the traffic lights DIED.

Went to get chicken at KFC  and the place was totally OUT of chicken…

Pulled over for a cop and he pulled up behind me, then sped around me and left. I guess I wasn’t who he was looking for…

The list goes on…I’ve had ALL KINDS of weird stuff happen to me over the years. What’s the weirdest thing you ever dealt with?

My First Rant of 2014: CHECK THE LAWS BEFORE BELIEVING THE PUNDITS, TEXAS!

Alright! Welcome to my first RANT of 2014~!  For those of you new to my blog, if there is one thing I detest it is when politicians use deceit to win points with voters. I’ve called both parties on it at one time or another and this year will be NO exception. If people are going to try to impress me, they might start by being HONEST with me and it would help if they would stop trying to insult the intelligence of the voting public…

The subject at hand came to me quite unintentionally when my FaceBook Page got spammed by the Wendy Davis camp. I normally ignore such things, but since I read the voter ID law, THIS made my blood boil…It read “Texas Voter ID Law Makes it Harder for Women to Vote“…

I have two questions: “REALLY?” and “HOW?”

I really do hate it when political candidates intentionally deceive the public to gain brownie points with voters who don’t bother to read the law for themselves.  Well guess what? Here’s a link and I will explain to you how it REALLY WORKS:

http://votetexas.gov/register-to-vote/need-id/

First off, you still get to vote, Texas.  If your name doesn’t match your voter registration card EXACTLY, they are just going to have you take a few seconds of your time to sign an affidavit swearing that you are ONE IN THE SAME PERSON…The biggest lie of 2013 was the story about the “Judge Who Almost Didn’t Get to Vote”…Read that one here and then I’ll reveal why it is a BIG, FAT lie…

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/10/23/2821651/texas-judge-voter/

Do I sound upset? Good…I am upset. I cannot believe that any political camp would stoop so low as to think many of us don’t bother to read the legislation and the fine print–especially after our congress passed that one certain bill into law without reading it…That was  a hard lesson learned and believe me, a lot of us DO read the laws now because of it.

HERE is why this article is ONE BIG FAT LIE…That judge should have been aware of the provisions of the law before setting foot into the polling place. If not, why is she on the bench? Seriously, all she had to do was SIGN THE AFFIDAVIT. She was never going to be denied her right to vote.  When you read the law, you will know why.

When you read the provisions of the voter law, you will make an amazing discovery. YOU CAN REFUSE to show ID and still get to vote on a provisional ballot!  That’s right! Now that this is out in the open I only have one thing left to say about the person’s campaign who decided to put that crap on my wall to try to instill fear into part of the voting public…

Political campaigns based on deceits of this sort are empty and will not win votes. Period. Either straighten up and tell the truth of the matter, or get ready to lose your bid for public office. People are fed up with this crap. It might interest some to know that other states have voter ID laws in place already and so does Mexico. No one has levied a single complaint about other states’ voter ID laws. Why is that, I wonder? Since a lot of you out there in the public want us to be more like “other countries” then this should be mandatory in EVERY state.

Why? Because it will keep all the dead felons from voting…

And now, back to your regularly scheduled New Year‘s Celebration!