Fringe: Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11

"What a miserable future."

Though this quote is taken a bit out of context, I think it's an apt description of future Earth in 2036.

Yes, we are picking up where last season's future episode Letters of Transit left off.

The episode opens with Peter dreaming about the day the Observers invaded Earth. It also turns out to be the day Peter and Olivia lost their daughter Henrietta (who, as we know, Peter has been reconnected with).

Many sequences in this episode were splendid. Walter's interrogation, though difficult to watch, was an amazing to sequence to get into the mindset of the Big Bad Observer (same one who threatened a much aged Broyles in Letter of Transit) as well as the amount of will power Walter had in resisting the torture. Unfortunately, it had dire consequences.

The rescue sequence was executed well. The plan was good (really cool technology, faking the dead thing was). Peter, Olivia, and Etta executed it rather flawlessly. Everybody got out alive and relatively unscathed.

I know some people probably didn't like the reveal of a tumultuous relationship between the wonder couple, but even though an outline of what happened (Peter apparently abandoned the team after Etta's disappearance), the events leading up to it were not explained, which I think leaves us open for some good flashbacks in future episodes.

That last scene with Walter after they figure out the torture has erased chunks of his memory, including the plan to defeat the observers, was immensely powerful. Him sitting in his underwear in that dilapidated taxi listening to the music was fantastic enough. Then he saw that dandelion, a weed most people utterly hate, and I'd like to think those tears were him feeling hope for what may come in the future.

Some quick observations:

1. Marcum proves his overwhelming creepiness with his purchase of Olivia and hoping to be her knight in shining armor like she was Sleeping Beauty. I shuddered.
2. I completely forgot Simon sacrificed himself to free Peter and ended up in the Amber. Hopefully the brown shirt traitor bringing up the recovery of Simon's body means we may get to see more of him to come.
3. Maybe the most important one, I think Etta may not be 100% stable. She seems to have much more of Peter's personality than Olivia's, and I don't think it's any more obvious than in during the rescue sequence when they have the following exchange: "What happened to him?" - P "Occupational hazard." - E "That's my girl." - P. I'd say Etta is somewhere near the point where Peter was during his murder-all-the-shapeshifters phase. She's been fighting this war for likely near as long as her parents have, and she is still quite young (23-24) so her actions are still more influenced by her emotions. This may prove to be problematic in the future for the Fringe team.
4. Glyphs spell out D-O-U-B-T. I have feeling we'll be seeing much of that in future episoded.

Overall, I'd give this episode a 9 out of 10. I liked it. The pacing kept things moving. We had some great scenes. I look forward to seeing if Wyman can keep the story going now that it's serial for these last 12 episodes. If the rest are close to this premiere, I think season 5 is going to come along just fine.

Aliens! Aliens Everywhere!

This today from The Guardian:

Aliens may destroy humanity to protect other civilisations, say scientists

Rising greenhouse emissions could tip off aliens that we are a rapidly expanding threat, warns a report 

It may not rank as the most compelling reason to curb greenhouse gases, but reducing our emissions might just save humanity from a pre-emptive alien attack, scientists claim. 

Watching from afar, extraterrestrial beings might view changes in Earth's atmosphere as symptomatic of a civilisation growing out of control – and take drastic action to keep us from becoming a more serious threat, the researchers explain. 

"A preemptive strike would be particularly likely in the early phases of our expansion because a civilisation may become increasingly difficult to destroy as it continues to expand. Humanity may just now be entering the period in which its rapid civilisational expansion could be detected by an ETI because our expansion is changing the composition of the Earth's atmosphere, via greenhouse gas emissions," the report states.

"Green" aliens might object to the environmental damage humans have caused on Earth and wipe us out to save the planet. "These scenarios give us reason to limit our growth and reduce our impact on global ecosystems. It would be particularly important for us to limit our emissions of greenhouse gases, since atmospheric composition can be observed from other planets," the authors write.

Granted, this is just one of many scenarios that were thought up by NASA affiliated scientists from Penn State University (the same university of the (in)famous Michael Mann, AGW alarmist du jour).

But lest we forget that infamous Paul Krugman rant about needing inflation to stimulate the economy (seriously, how did he win a Nobel). His solution? Why faking a hostile alien invasion, of course.

Video of evidence of a Krugman WTF:

Yep, that's Krugman, Nobel Laureate, saying the US government should fake an alien invasion to "stimulate" the economy.

So we've got on one hand Paul Krugman, heralded economic genius of the mainstream, saying the US should fake an alien invasion, and we have scientists from Penn St, most assuredly working under heralded climatology genius of the mainstream Michael Mann, saying aliens may destroy the human race because of how we've treated the climate.

Now, you can take this with a grain of salt, probably should really) but don't be surprised when in a few years we get the announcement: ZOMG ALIENS R GOIN 2 KEEL US!!!11!1!11!!

US Ambassador To Libya Killed

Via NBC News:

The U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans were killed after protesters angry over a film that ridiculed Islam's Prophet Muhammad stormed the U.S. consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi. 

"I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens," President Barack Obama said Wednesday in a statement. "Right now, the American people have the families of those we lost in our thoughts and prayers." 

Stevens was the first U.S. ambassador killed during an assignment since Adolph Dubs was slain in an exchange of gunfire during a kidnapping attempt in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1979. 

Earlier, three Libyan officials told The Associated Press that Stevens was killed Tuesday night when he and a group of embassy employees went to the consulate to try to evacuate staff. The protesters were firing gunshots and rocket-propelled grenades. 

While some reports (like this one from NBC) are saying these attacks were in response to a film ridiculing Muhammad because the protests outside US embassies Libya and Egypt were to protest the film, I find that as the justification of the attacks to be rather ludicrous. As Reason 24/7 editor Ed Krayewski pointed out on Twitter this morning:

"At the DNC Obama said 'from Burma to Libya to South Sudan, we have advanced the rights and dignity of all human beings.' He said this even though Col. Qaddafi was caught by rebels with U.S. air support, abused, sodomized, then shot in the head. The U.S. laughed at Qaddafi's death, then realized that was not appropriate, and lightly condemned it, but pushed no investigation. Yesterday, the US Ambassador in Libya was killed by militants assaulting the Embassy. What are the chances Libya will bring these killers to justice when it knows the US doesn't really mind extrajudicial killings?"

What Krayewski seems to be implying is that this attack had more to do with retribution for the unlawful killing of former Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, which makes a great deal more sense than outrage over a movie.

There is a lesson to be learned here. It's the same lesson that should have been learned from 9/11 as well as countless of other events in history, and it is one the US government will ignore: The foreign policy of global hegemony the US government employs will always create a level of blow back which will be targeted toward Americans.

Whether it is putting troops in Saudi Arabia, toppling the Shah in Iran, or "installing democracy" in Iraq, Egypt, and Libya, these actions have consequences to them. The US government cannot run roughshod over whomever they want whenever they want, no matter how much they want to.

What Happened In Little Rock?

Courtesy of the Associated Press

34-31. That's probably going to be stuck in my head for a while.

I have to commend ULM for their game plan against Arkansas. It was perfect. Quick hitting passes and misdirection runs kept the Arkansas defense off balance all game. It also didn't hurt that tackling Kolton Browning was like catching a greased pig. Arkansas had three sacks. It could have easily been ten.

Browning had a career night. He was 42 of 67 for 412 yards and 3 TDs. Yes, that's 67 attempts. He also led the Warhawks with 69 yards on 16 carries, including the game winning TD in overtime.

But this game can be boiled down to one thing: Tyler Wilson getting hurt. (Note: It seems to be confirmed that Wilson hurt his collarbone and is out for 3-4 weeks. Yay...)**

Before Wilson didn't come out of the locker room for the 2nd half, Arkansas had the game pretty much in hand. Yes, Browning was still doing his thing, but Arkansas was capable of moving the ball down the field effectively, racking up 288 yards and 3 TDs in only 11:07 of game time. Even though the defense was having an extremely difficult time with Browning (ULM had 257 yards at the half), the team could pretty much count on the offense to be able to score if not keep the time of possession.

Once Wilson went down and Brandon Allen stepped in, this game changed dramatically. Arkansas only held the ball for 9:34 of the 2nd half, almost a third of that (2:59) on the sole scoring possession to start the 3rd quarter. Allen ended up going 6 of 20 with a TD and an INT, but that INT came in a stretch to the end the game where he went 0-13.With Arkansas completely abandoned the running game, gaining only 96 yards on 26 carries, all the pressure was put on Allen's shoulders, and he wasn't ready for it. Because Arkansas couldn't move the ball, the defense had to stay out there longer without getting anymore of a lead.

All of that being said, Arkansas fans can't excuse this loss on the account of Wilson getting hurt, even if it would've changed the game. Paul Petrino shouldn't have abandoned the running game, one featuring a three-headed monster in Davis, Johnson, and Wingo. Paul Haynes should have found a way to contain Browning and stop ULM's dinking  and dunking down the field. John L Smith could have shown a little fire on the sidelines.

It was a collective effort in futility on the part of Arkansas players and coaches, along with the perfect game planning on the part of ULM and a career game from Browning, that pushed the Warhawks over the top in Little Rock on Saturday night.

On a side note, thoughts and prayers go out to Tevin Mitchell and his family. I didn't see him move any body parts after the medics carted him off the field. I truly hope he is okay.

Next week is Alabama without Wilson. I might start drinking heavily.

** Update: According to Josh Bertaccini from ESPN 92.1 The Ticket in Fayetteville, UA officials are denying Wilson has broken his collarbone at this time. Will keep updated.

Three Predictions For The 2012 Presidential Election

I've decided to make some predictions about the 2012 election because why the hell not.

Prediction #1:   After a record turnout in the 2008 election (60+ million), I predict that this election will garner no more than 50 million votes.

Apathy towards voting and the candidates (a good thing, in my opinion) has been very high this year. One can't blame the people for being apathetic toward two nearly identical candidates in Romney and Obama, who both support the continuation of the violent Drug War, the continuous foreign policy of global hegemony, and the ever increasing interference with the market from government forces via regulations and monetary manipulation. A person must be a fool (and there are plenty) to feel any sort of energy to vote for these oligarchic fascists. Sadly, the Cult of Voting will keep the country from completely withdrawing consent from the evil overlords.

Prediction #2: The winner of the 2012 presidential election will do so with 51-52% of the vote.

This election is close, which makes a great deal of sense when you see how close Obama and Romney are on policy issues. They're practically the same men. But the scarier thought in all of this is the amount of people who will be choosing the President of the United States. 52% of 50 million is 26 million people. A nation of 310 million people, and all that will be needed is the consent of 26 million people, if even that, to elect someone to the most powerful position in the history of the world. You should remember that the next time someone tells you the majority elected the president. It's a fat lie.

Prediction #3: Absolutely nothing will change.

Nothing will change. Nothing has changed in nearly 100 years. No matter whether Obama or Romney are elected, we will continue are failed, evil foreign policy, most likely intervening in Syria more than we already are as well as starting a war with Iran for Israel. No matter who gets elected, the Drug War will imprison record numbers of people every year, making a multi-billion dollar industry operate in a violent black market in a time when the economy is dire straits. No matter who gets elected, the Federal Reserve will continue to monetize the debts of Wall Street and manipulate the interest rates, further destroying the wealth of the middle class while creating large profits for all of the financial institutions. No matter who gets elected, the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and Department of Defense will continue to spy on peaceful American citizens who disagree with the usurpation of the citizens' rights by the mighty Leviathan in DC.

The United States are on a destructive path with which there is no way off but to continue over the edge of the cliff. The country, government and all those who suckle on its teets, are doomed. Scary thought.

It is amazing the entire country isn't full of depressed alcoholics.

Greeley School District Bans Jersey Numbers

Via ESPN:

Denver Broncos tight end Joel Dreessen says he isn't bothered by the Greeley school district's ban on his jersey number and others because they're associated with local gangs.

The district bans 13, 14 and 18 and their reverse, 31, 41 and 81. Dreessen wears 81.

The rule is three years old but made headlines this week after a third-grader wearing Peyton Manning's No. 18 was sent home to change.

Dreessen said Thursday the ban doesn't bother him if it prevents trouble.

Eighteen is in the name of the 18th Street gang, while 13 and 14 are associated with other gangs but not used in their names.

What... the... hell?! Really, Greeley?! Really?! You're going to ban kids from wearing jerseys of their favorite players because drug gangs use the numbers?! Really?!

This is a fantastic example of the asinine, one-size-fits-all public school policies these idiots create to "solve problems." Just like the zero-tolerance policy, this doesn't take into consideration the situation and its actors. No two situations are exactly alike. This is weapons-grade stupid.

You cannot set arbitrary rules for places like public schools! It has not, does not, and will not ever work.

And this doesn't even remotely discuss the root cause to this "problem": the War on (some) Drugs being the catalyst for all of these violent drug gangs.

Why do Americans put up this?

Lunch Time Links 8/17

Alabama Authorities Put Real Life Walter White On Most Wanted List

"The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office has placed Walter White on their priority list of the county's most wanted," The Tuscaloosa News reports. "White, 55, was on probation for a 2008 charge of making methamphetamine when he was arrested on similar charges in Bibb County earlier this year." 

Russian Court Imprisons Pussy Riot For Hooliganism

Three members of Russian female punk rock band Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years in prison Friday after they were found guilty of hooliganism for performing a song critical of President Vladimir Putin in a church. 

The five months they have spent in detention since their arrests in March count toward the sentence, Judge Marina Sirovaya said.

More Than 30 Killed In Police Crackdown At South African Mine

Police opened fire on thousands of machete-wielding workers on strike at a South African mine, killing more than 30, authorities said Friday, in one of the bloodiest post-apartheid attacks in the nation. 

South African police said 34 people were killed and 78 others wounded in the attacks Thursday. The National Union of Mineworkers said 36 were killed.

Robin van Persie, Man U Ink 4-Year Deal

Dutch striker Robin van Persie on Friday completed his move to Manchester United in a four-year deal, saying it was an "honor" to sign with the club. 

"I am looking forward to following in the footsteps of so many great strikers, bringing my experience and playing my part to help the team compete for the biggest trophies in the game. I can't wait to get started," he said Friday. 

United confirmed the club had agreed on a fee with Arsenal on Wednesday evening, and the Dutch striker underwent a successful medical exam on Thursday before the final elements of the transfer were wrapped up. The deal, reportedly worth 24 million pounds ($38 million), has been done in time for Van Persie to go straight into Sir Alex Ferguson's squad for Monday's opening Premier League clash at Everton.

Fast And Furious Has Gotten Interesting

Via The Blaze

A high-ranking Mexican drug cartel operative currently in U.S. custody is making startling allegations that the failed federal gun-walking operation known as “Fast and Furious” isn’t what you think it is.

It wasn’t about tracking guns, it was about supplying them — all part of an elaborate agreement between the U.S. government and Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa Cartel to take down rival cartels.

The explosive allegations are being made by Jesus Vicente Zambada-Niebla, known as the Sinaloa Cartel’s “logistics coordinator.” He was extradited to the Chicago last year to face federal drug charges.

Zambada-Niebla claims that under a “divide and conquer” strategy, the U.S. helped finance and arm the Sinaloa Cartel through Operation Fast and Furious in exchange for information that allowed the DEA, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies to take down rival drug cartels. The Sinaloa Cartel was allegedly permitted to traffic massive amounts of drugs across the U.S. border from 2004 to 2009 — during both Fast and Furious and Bush-era gunrunning operations — as long as the intel kept coming.

This is egregious. I would like to see Issa go after Bush administration officials (specifically Alberto Gonzales) to go along with the justifiable pressure on Eric Holder and the Obama administration. And anyone on the left saying "See! This is all Bush's fault!" needs to shut up. The death tolls in the Mexican Drug War went from 9601 from 2006-2008 combined to over 11000 in 2010 alone. Obama took a Bush administration policy and escalated it with fervor. Just like he did with every other policy.

And for some perspective, this is like President Hoover's administration funneling guns to Al Capone's Chicago Outfit for intelligence on its rivals like the North Side Gang and the Genna brothers, and then Roosevelt coming in and ramping it up to an unprecedented level.

If these charges are true (which I don't doubt), it should put new context for those who are in support of the Drug War. It has never been about getting rid of drugs. It's been about controlling them. Looks like they're getting their wish. At least until another cartel decides to make a play for Sinaloa power and violence escalates again. Maybe the Romney administration will supply them if that happens.

Friday Fictioneers: The Blight Cometh: Part Two

© Lura Helms 2012

The Blight Cometh: Part Two

Two weeks passed. Two horrifying weeks as the blight began to spread across the area. Bill and Steve began hearing reports from other parts of the state being overrun. It was relentless.

Ever changing. Ever growing. Ever destroying.

When they met the biologist, Rebekah, in the capital, she insisted on coming with them. That's when they made the harrowing discovery.

"It's just destroying everything in its path," Rebekah said, dazed by the dying landscape.

Steve sighed heavily. "Yeah. This used to be nothing but trees. Now all that's left is the one in the middle."

"Which is peculiar, don't you think?" asked Rebekah.

A loud snort came from behind them. The duo turned to look at an eye-rolling Bill. "This whole thing is peculiar."

Rebekah regarded for a moment, and then turned back to Steve. "Can I borrow your binoculars?" she asked. Steve handed them to her and lit a cigarette. She zoomed in on the solitary tree. "There seems to be an odd growth on it."

"Not surprising," Bill replied. "Oaks like that sometimes have weird branches growing out from crooks."

The binoculars fell from her face, her eyes like saucers. She turned slowly to Bill. "Do they usually move?"

Steve's cigarette hit the ground unnoticed.

Follow me on Twitter @Jake_Collin

Prompt For For This Week's Friday Fictioneers

Here is this week's prompt for Friday Fictioneers, courtesy of Madison Woods. Come join us over at her blog.

It'll be fun fun fun!

My Friday Fictioneers entries.

Local Governments Don't Get It

Via NBC News:

Governments Mull Radical Solution To Underwater Mortgages: Seize Them

Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

With millions of homeowners still "under water," some local governments are considering a novel solution: condemning their mortgages through the power of eminent domain. 

“Federal programs have not been very successful at all, and the private programs have been of limited help,” said Gregory Devereaux, administrator for San Bernardino County, explaining the government's decision to consider eminent domain, a plan the mortgage industry considers the equivalent of the nuclear option. The hard-hit county's board of supervisors is expected to meet Thursday to consider proposals to help homeowners, including the possible use of eminent domain.

This is patently idiotic and dangerous.

1) It's highly illegal and immoral for any government to step in nullify a contract between two parties when there has been no instances of fraud, let alone force one party to accept terms it did not agree to, basically screwing them out of money.

2) This will set a dangerous precedent for future homeowners, giving incentive to not act with responsibility when making the choice on whether or not to purchase a house.

But what can you really expect from people who have zero respect for or knowledge of economic and contract law?

Lunch Time Links 8/16

Here are today's Lunch Time Links:

Diplomatic Fury As Ecuador Grants Asylum To Wikileaks Founder Assange

Ecuador granted asylum to Julian Assange on Thursday, expressing fury at a threat by Britain to seize the WikiLeaks founder at its London embassy.

 Powerball Ticket Worth $337 Million Sold In Michigan

A winning ticket in the $337 million Powerball drawing has been sold in Michigan. 

The winning numbers in the Wednesday night drawing were 6, 27, 46, 51, 56 and Powerball 21.

The Michigan Lottery says the ticket was sold a Sunoco gas station in Lapeer, about 45 miles north of Detroit. 

There was no immediate word about the identity of the buyer.

 Mortgage Rates Up For A Third Straight Week

Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages ticked up for the third straight week, staying slightly above record lows. Cheap mortgages have helped fuel a modest housing recovery this year.

Former Georgia Coach Charged With Running Ponzi Scheme

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has announced that Jim Donnan, a former University of Georgia head coach is being charged with conducting an $80 million Ponzi scheme which includes other coaches and former players among its victims. 

Seven American Soldiers Killed In Afghan Chopper Crash

Seven American soldiers were killed Thursday when the Black Hawk helicopter they were traveling in crashed in southern Afghanistan, U.S. officials told NBC News. 

Three Afghan soldiers and an Afghan interpreter were also killed, bringing the total number of dead to 11, officials said. 

Two Deputies Killed, Two Wounded In Louisiana Shooting

Two law enforcement officers died and two were injured in a series of apparently linked shootings early Thursday in LaPlace, Louisiana, authorities said. 

The first shooting happened in a parking lot at a steel plant, Sheriff Mike Tregre said. The second happened when officers went to a nearby trailer park to investigate the first shooting and were ambushed by a man armed with what the sheriff described as an assault rifle, he said.

And I have some big news myself!

I've Got Big News

Since April, my ever so lovely wife, decided to make the announcement on Facebook (without telling me), I figured I'd make the announcement here.

APRIL IS PREGNANT!!!

Whew! I've been holding that news in for a while. And before anyone starts asking about paternity, let me cut you off there. According to April, only my grape-sized (at the moment) guy(s) and/or gal(s) could cause her this much misery. She does say the sweetest things.

I am extremely excited. Extremely nervous, but also extremely excited. The time of Noah's pregnancy was far from spectacular for us (I was young, stupid, and a complete asshole), so I'm really happy that I get to go through all the pregnancy stuff this time. 

The best thing so far, though (in my opinion at least), is how Noah has taken to his prospective role of Big Brother with gusto. Everything he does that is him "growing up," he attributes to "being a brother." He's even getting a little bit of practice with his new cousin Brinley. He's excited.

"I'm gonna be a brother. Can someone say 'scapegoat?'"

On a somewhat sad side note (say that fast), my office will be transformed into a nursery. I will miss it when it is gone. We had some good times.

And for those who may have noticed my "guy(s) and/or gal(s)" distinction, well, there was a reason. You see, April is a fraternal twin. We all know that this isn't completely uncommon. As of 2009 there were 33.3 twin births for every 1000 births. What makes this fun for us is that April's mother, Merri, is also a fraternal twin. And the cherry on top of the twin cake is that both April and her mother were the second twin. Since it's been scientifically proven that women with family history of fraternal twins have higher chances of producing more fraternal twins, we are preparing for this. Well, we're trying to. The thought of two babies kind of scares me right now.

So that's my big news. April is pregnant, and I can't wait.

Christie To Give Keynote; Rubio To Introduce Romney

"What if they don't have any food carts?"

via Fox News

Mitt Romney chose Paul Ryan for his running mate, but he's making sure to find major convention roles for the other short-listers.  

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, two of Romney's rumored top choices for the job, will have prominent speaking roles at this year's Republican National Convention. Christie has been awarded the coveted keynote address, while Rubio will introduce Romney on the closing night, sources told Fox News.  

Republicans formally announced Tuesday morning that Christie, who considered a 2012 presidential bid of his own before endorsing Romney, would speak in the prime slot in Tampa later this month. Rubio has been tapped to introduce Romney on Thursday night of the convention. GOP officials tell Fox News Rubio is already on a third draft his remarks.

Still no word if Ron Paul will be getting a slot to speak, but I have little hope that it will happen. Looks like there is need for another counter-convention like in St. Paul in 2008.

As for Christie and Rubio, I'm trying to figure out how a gun control supporting governor from New Jersey and a big government representative from Florida are conservative, but then again, the Republicans nominated Mitt Romney, who gets to own this, and he in turn selected Paul Ryan for his VP, who voted for TARP and the auto bailouts.

I guess the Republicans really don't want the libertarian vote.

Friday Fictioneers: Down By The Beach

By Susan Wenzel

Down By The Beach

"You're right," Charlotte said. "I am bored. I think I'll go for a swim."

"But none of us brought our suits," Rose stated.

"I've got knickers and a camisole on. It's not like I'm naked," Charlotte said, eyes rolling.

Rose stood, arms crossed, as her sister, sans the dress she had been wearing, bolted towards the warm water. Patrick wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his chin on her shoulder.

"What?" Rose asked testily.

"I'll give it thirty seconds before you're in that water, too," he replied smiling. Rose glared from the corner of her eye, but her attention was quickly diverted to Charlotte's laughs.

Rose huffed and started taking off her dress. Patrick could only laugh.

"Oh, shut up, will you?" Rose said annoyed. She looked him up and down, eyebrow quirked, before taking off toward the water.

Patrick rolled his eyes and began shedding his shirt. "There is no such thing a quiet day at the beach when the Landy sisters are involved," he said to himself.

30 Days of Flash Fiction: Day 3 "15/08/1998"

"15/08/1998"

It was nothing but chaos. People in the street were screaming for help, for their God, for anything that would bring them peace. He could see the bodies of those fortunate to have died when the Vauxhall exploded. They didn't have to suffer the fate others would.

He felt a wave of nausea and dizziness hit him, but he scrambled to his feet anyway. Making his way through the rubble, he came upon a teen boy, his ginger hair stained dark from the blood.

The boy's eyes radiated the fear his body could no longer show. The man stooped low down, trying to hear the words struggling from the boys crimson stained lips.

"Help," the boy rasped. "Help me please."

The man didn't know what to do. The RUC were running around, coming from the direction of the courthouse.

He started to yell out, but a grip on his arm made him turn back to the boy. Blood coughed up from the boy's mouth, the hemorrhaging in his body becoming too much.

"No," the man said in vain. "No no no. Stay with me, lad. Stay with me." His efforts were of no use. The light fading from his eyes, the boy stopped trembling, finally coming to peace.

The man sat for awhile, staring at the vast emptiness in the boy's orbs. He tried to rationalize the event. All the death and carnage. All that he saw when this poor boy passed. But he could find no fairness. Nothing was just about it. The revelation made nauseated. The pounding in his head increased until he could take it no longer. He turned and heaved onto the pavement.

A medic stooped in front of him. "Sir, I'm going to need you to come with me," he said. The man looked up, his vision hazy and unfocused.

"What of the boy?" the man asked.

"He's passed, sir. There's nothing we can do for him," the medic replied.

"What about his body? Will his family know?" he asked.

"We'll notify any family he has," the medic said.

"Good. Good," replied the man hazily, the medic pulling him away from the street.

Many weeks after, the man thought back to how that boy had fade in his arms, the lighting going out despite his worthless efforts.

They say 29 people died that day in the Omagh marketplace, but if you told that to the man, he would call you a liar. He'd say another life laid next to that ginger headed boy, wishing that there was fairness in this dark world.

30 Days of Flash Fiction: Day 2 "Un Tranquilo Día en la Playa"

"Mad Dogs" Jack Vettriano

"Un Tranqilo Día en la Playa"

It was fun being out on the beach, Rose thought. Even Charlotte wasn't being too much of a bother. If Patrick didn't mind her joining them, Rose saw no reason to be looking for trouble with her eccentric sister.

They started by looking for shells, but hadn't much luck on that front. Patrick had found a hermit crab shell, but the crab still calling it home hadn't been to keen on going into his pocket. Other than their crustacean friend, it was a never ending supply of broken oyster shells and sand dollars.

It was at this point that Charlotte became restless. She heaved a sigh and took languishing steps. Rose held her tongue until Charlotte started twirling her umbrella into the air.

"Are we boring you, Charlotte?" Rose asked lazily.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes at her sister. "Not like it takes much, and why must you always call me that? Everyone but you seems to get that I prefer to be called Charlie," she whined. "I don't see you going by Rosalyn."

"There are plenty of times where she is adamant about being called Rosalyn," Patrick corrected, staring off at some seagulls.

Rose's jaw dropped, and Charlotte's brow furrowed with puzzlement.

"Patrick!" Rose exclaimed, smacking him across the chest. It was then that Charlotte realized the meaning behind Patrick's words.

"Oh I don't need to know about my sister's..." Charlotte waved her hand through the air as if swatting away an unpleasant pest. "I'm sure it's boring anyway."

Rose scoffed. "I assure you, Charlie, our love life is anything but boring," she retorted arrogantly.

"Okay," Charlotte shouted. "I don't need to know." Rose sported a smug look at Charlotte's retreat. A few moments passed before anyone broke the silence.

"You're right," Charlotte said. "I am bored. I think I'll go for a swim."

"But none of us brought our suits," Rose stated.

"I've got knickers and camisole on. It's not like I'm naked," Charlotte said, eyes rolling.

Rose stood, arms crossed, as her sister, sans the dress she had been wearing, bolted towards the warm water. Patrick wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his chin on her shoulder.

"What?" Rose asked testily.

"I'll give it thirty seconds before you're in that water, too," he replied smiling. Rose glared from the corner of her eye, but her attention was quickly diverted to Charlotte's laughs.

Rose huffed and started taking off her dress. Patrick could only laugh.

"Oh, shut up, will you?" Rose said annoyed. She looked him up and down, eyebrow quirked, before taking off toward the water.

Patrick rolled his eyes and began shedding his shirt. "There is no such thing a quiet day at the beach when the Landy sisters are involved," he said to himself.

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Friday Fictioneers: The Blight Cometh

Photo courtesy Madison Woods

"The Blight Cometh"

"Is it moving?"

Bill's voice pulled Steve out of his thoughts. The fungal, oozing thing most definitely looked like it had moved. Or had it, thought Steve. He eyed it warily, not getting too close. 

"Did you hear me?" Bill asked. "Is it moving?"

Steve continued staring as he replied, "No. It's not moving." He hurriedly grabbed his camera and started snapping photos.

"If it isn't moving, then what is it doing?" Impatience laced Bill's question.

Steve lowered the camera from his face, and slowly turned towards his brother. "It's growing," he replied quietly.

Bill could only stand dumbstruck as Steve continued taking pictures.

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30 Days of Flash Fiction

Since I started doing Madison Woods' Friday Fictioneers a few months ago (not as consistently as I'd like), I've been wanting to do a big flash fiction project to push myself to write more often.

And now I'm finally going to do it.

The initial plan was to do the entire month of August, but I got caught up in other, more pressing matters, and I didn't have to time to get to it. Luckily for me, August has 31 days, thus "30 Days of Flash Fiction."

I'm just going to write whatever comes to mind. If I have a prompt for the piece, I'll be sure to post it.

If anyone wants to join in, feel free to post their links in the comments section. Use whatever you want inspire you. No subjects are off limits, but if it is explicit, a warning would be thoughtful.

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30 Days of Flash Fiction: Day 1 "Price"

This is an excerpt from a work in progress...

The heat was starting to become oppressive, but the land didn't care. There was no shade or water in sight. The mules were becoming weary and slowed. All of this happening, but we still plowed ahead. We had to get to California. Had to get to the gold.

"James," one my fellow travelers called out. Jacob was his name. A younger man, near my age, traveling from Georgia. Rumor was his father was the Governor. Why he had decided to go West, let alone travel through Texas and Mexico, was something I had never understood.

"Do you need something, Jacob?" I asked, my irritated brogue rearing its ugly head.

"Is the heat causing you to wilt, my friend?" Jacob was also an educated man, which confused me more. He wasn't like myself or the others, poor immigrants or laborers, some even criminals, looking to find their riches in the mountains.

He dressed well, or at least better than the rest in our group, and was always reading a book when we stopped to camp or rest. And he always seemed to be of the cheerful sort, but if you caught him in a moment when he thought himself alone with his thoughts, you could see a deeper pain that seemed to at his insides.

I looked at him for a moment before answering. "Aye," I replied. "Ireland is nothing like this."

"Do you miss it?" he asked.

"No," I stated. "There was nothing for me there. I was nothing there. Famine and the English killing people everyday, and I was the bottom of the heap." We rode quietly for a moment, just the sound of the horses and mules echoing in the desert. "But America is a new start. A new life," I said. "A man can be anything here. There's no fancy families living of their name to keep me down. I can be as important as I want."

Jacob nodded along, listening. "That's why I'm going to California," I exclaimed, pointing towards the west. "To find my riches, go back to Texas, and get the respect I didn't have in Ireland."

I looked back at Jacob. He was pensive, rubbing his hand across his beard. "That life," he said finally. "All that money and respect you so desperately crave? It comes with a great price."

"I'd pay any price not to have my life in Ireland," I replied adamantly.

"Your resolve is greater than mine then," he said, a distant look on his face.

I mulled over that remark. "Why are you going to California," I asked eventually.

I don't know if it was him measuring his response or if he just hadn't truly thought about it, but Jacob took his time answering. "I'm not going to California," he finally let out. "I'm running away from Georgia."

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"Because, James, sometimes the price is too high to pay." With that, Jacob urged his horse into a trot. He rode on ahead of me, leaving me to ponder his words, and, as he put it, wilt in the heat.

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Friday Fictioneers: Last Cigarette

Amanda Gray "Outside Pecos"

Last Cigarette

I could feel the chipping stucco on my back, still hot from the pounding desert sun. So this was how it was all going to end, I thought. At least I was going out with a bang. Or six bangs, really.

I was warned that this was the likely outcome when I started doing business with Pancho. Too late for regrets now, I supposed. The crunch of soldier started moving away from me.

“Don't I get a last request,” I queried.

“Like what,” the leader asked, his accent worsening the sick thrill in his voice.

“Cigarette,” I replied.

The leader hastily shoved the cigarette in my mouth, lighting it. I took a long, glorious drag, savoring the spicy tobacco taste.

I heard the cocking of six guns. I never heard the shots.

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Friday Fictioneers: Out of Body

This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. They were humans. Boys. There was absolutely no way this was happening.

“Dude! What are we going to do?” Steve looked over at Billy. He couldn't tell his brother was 13. Or that he himself was 15. He still couldn't believe this was happening.

“Steve! What are we going to do?!” Billy was growing frantic. Steve couldn't blame him. If there was a time for frantic panicking, it was now.

“I don't know, Billy.”

“What do you mean you don't know? This is your fault!” This was true, Steve thought. It really was his fault.

Billy puffed, “I should have never let you take me to that Voodoo priestess.”

“Look on the bright side, Billy. At least we're at McDonald's.”

The Federal Reserve Is Killing The Economy

I was watching Good Morning America this morning (blame the wife, I can't stand it), and I noticed they were discussing how the Dow Jones Industrial was nearing 13,000 again while the NASDAQ was closing in on 3,000.

It got me pondering on the current discussion about where the inflation rates currently sit on the CPI (sitting at 2.3% right now). Many of the mainstream economists (Krugman, Baker, Wiesenthal, etc) have touted the line that because of this ~2% inflation rate, inflation isn't happening.

This is true in a sense.

What they fail to realize is for all intents and purposes, the economy should be in a deflationary period but isn't because of the massive amount of monetary expansion by the Federal Reserve.

Since the recession started in 2007, the Federal Reserve has printed $2.7 trillion dollar in two round of quantitative easing (buying US Treasury bonds). On top of that, it has kept the Fed rate (the basis for all interest rates) at  historic 0.5%. These are the same policies which led to the housing & credit bubble in the first place.

And it will have disastrous results in the future.

Because all this money is being pushed into the markets, the economy is incapable of removing the enormous amount of bad money (debt) it has in its system. Almost every aspect of the market is inflated from the deflationary lows they need to be at a sustainable rate. The Fed rate needs to be elevated much higher to discourage the massive debt leveraging the Wall Street banks participated in from 2001 - 2007.

This is why so many among the Austrian School warn about inflation, even though we are currently in a stagnant period. If the economy recovers, the monetary expansion is going to rear its ugly head and create a staggering amount of inflation, which will be nothing but destructive for the average citizen, wiping out any savings in cash and destroying wealth.

The mainstream economists and government policy makers are going to be the end of the middle class if we do not wake up and start protecting our wealth.

This article was originally published 2/21/12.

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Mad Men "Tea Leaves"

Peggy is given new responsibility; Don and Harry indulge a client.

Ozzie Loves Fidel

"I love Fidel Castro. I respect Fidel Castro. You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that son of a bitch is still there." - Ozzie Guillen

Friday Fictioneers: Pot of Gold

Pot of Gold

“Look! A rainbow!”

Steve stopped dribbling the ball to see where is his little brother was pointing. The rainbow stretched across the sky, curving down to settle in a thicket of trees at the back of the field.

“Let's see if there's a pot of gold at the end of it,” his brother said excitedly.

Steve rolled his eyes, “Billy, there ain't gold at the end of a rainbow.” Billy really could be a gullible kid sometimes.

“I'm looking anyway. And if there is, I ain't sharing it with you,” Billy hollered while sprinting across the field.

Steve dashed after him. “Not if I find it first,” he yelled. If anyone was going to find that gold, it was going to be him. He was the older brother, after all.

Flash Fiction: Preserving the Story

 

 

It was banged up. Badly. Faded, too. But it was original, and she just couldn't bring herself to tear it down at the moment. The wall held stories too precious to destroy.

A young couple dancing, celebrating their new wedding bliss. The first day home from the hospital. Her first steps. Celebrating straight A's on the report card. And Junior prom, a bundle of nerves, anxiety, and pure unadulterated joy. The day the acceptance letter came. The day she brought him home, and they knew she had found the one.

When her husband came in later, he found her carefully cutting a large swath of the wall paper. “What are you doing,” he asked.

She just smiled at him and turned back to her work, saying, “Preserving the stories, dear.”
_________________________________________________________

I forgot to add that I was actually really excited when I saw the photo prompt. My wife is addicted to housing rehab (her favorite "housing show" is Rehab Addict), so I was imagining her when I started writing. She loves old houses for the stories, and I can see her using the wall paper as a piece of art to base the room decor.

"Libertarians" In The World

As I've stated before, I call myself libertarian, though to be more specific, I'm an anarcho-capitalist. I believe in non-intervention foreign policy, sound currency, and property rights. I hold the Republican and Democrat parties in complete disdain, and I've been an ardent supporter of Ron Paul since he ran for President in 2008.

But not all libertarians are like me. I wanted to share a recent run in I had online with some of these other "libertarians."

Justified "Slaughterhouse"

Raylan is a man on fire, going after everyone he holds responsible, on the way to a bloody final showdown.

The Firing Of Bobby Petrino

And What It Says About The Public

At 7:15 CDT, University of Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long announced that head football coach Bobby Petrino would be terminated effective immediately. All of this stemming from an improper affair with an employee brought to light after a recent motorcycle crash involving Petrino and the woman.

Petticoats *updated*

So just like with M.D. Pearce, Druggist, Petticoats had to undergo some final revisions.

Just some minor grammar and cast issues. This truly is the final draft.

Also, I have the dates for the two performances for this one as well. It will be performed May 12th and May 19th. This too will be videotaped, so I'll be uploading the performances after some editing.

I'm really excited to see this one in its fruition.

M.D. Pearce, Druggist *updated*

So I had to do some updates to this one.

Isn't surprising.

Not exactly my best work.

Anywho, this is the updated, last, final draft of this short play (unless told otherwise ... again).

Also, the dates have been set. M.D. Pearce, Druggist will be performed May 5th and May 19th. It will be videotaped, so look forward to seeing me put the performances up here sometime shortly after. The cast is volunteer so don't expect Oscar worthy performances. Just a warning.

Justified "Coalition"

Raylan closes in on an ever more unpredictable Quarles; Boyd enters into an alliance with Dickie Bennett in a last ditch attempt to recover Mags' fortune.

Castle "The Limey"

A devilishly handsome detective from Scotland Yard, Colin Hunt, teams up with Castle and Beckett to find the person responsible of his friend's daughter. Meanwhile, Lanie convinces Beckett she needs to make a move on Castle before it's too late.

Fringe "Nothing As It Seems"

The team investigates a case that Peter recognizes from his world. Olivia deals with the fallout of allowing her memories to take over.


The return of Porcubat. This time less crispy.

Petticoats

This is the second of my short plays about Maud Duncan. This is about the "Petticoat Government" of Winslow, AR who held office for two terms from 1925-1927.

Carl Webber is a fictional character. To understand some of the context, Maud wrote in favor of going to war with Imperial Germany during WWI. Carl Webber is a German name, but he fought for the US and the Allies when he was 18-19.

Justified "Measures"

"Raylan squares off with a pair of Detroit hitmen; the battle between Boyd and Quarles comes to a head."

Where It Went Wrong

Yes, I'm breaking out the red pen.

At this juncture in my life, no one is going to confuse me for a successful writer. Outside of two short plays to be performed in the near future, none of my works have ever seen the light of day. I don't have a degree in creative writing. Or literature. Or even English. Some people might think this would disqualify me from passing judgment on others whose writing has been more successful, both commercially and critically. They may even be right.

Castle "47 Seconds"

"When a bomb kills five people at a protest rally, Beckett and Castle try to solve the case by reconstructing the 47 seconds prior to the explosion. Using video and witness accounts, they uncover the shocking truth about who planted the bomb."

Hoodies, Racism, And The Urban Community: My Defense of Geraldo

On February 26, George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin. Martin was unarmed. Zimmerman was carrying a 9mm. After the initial call to the 911 dispatch, Zimmerman was told to stop trailing Martin, whom he thought looked suspicious. He didn't. Shortly after, Martin was dead. Truth is, those are really the only facts we know about the case of a 17 year old unarmed black teenager shot to death by a 28 year old Hispanic neighborhood watch leader. It's a tragedy whether Zimmerman was in the right to shoot or not.

Mad Men 5.1 "A Little Kiss"

"The soulless eyes of capitalist marketing!!!"

A lot of things have changed in the lives (and the world) of our favorite advertising agents in the 17 long months Mad Men has been off the air.