Trump Blind

How can Trump supporters not see Trump for who he is? It took some very gullible misinformed, disinformed, low information people to elect him and now, to still listen to him. to be fair, many of us are low information people. Today's life is all about lots of information at very shallow degrees of dissemination. We are today, the most educated, best informed, and yet most ignorant people in human history.

Whether it's a massive need to switch to vote by mail-in ballot, or to social distance while some protest it, America is a morass of confusion, aided by Pres. Donald Trump.

Let me share this incredibly well-stated article I heard of from one of my favorite actors for decades now, John Cusack, from Fintan O'Toole from The Irish Times:

THE WORLD HAS LOVED, HATED AND ENVIED THE US, NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE PITY IT. - Fintan O'Toole: Irish Times 25/04/2020

Filters. Trump is adept at getting people to use filters of his own sad design.

Conman. Mesmer. Donald Trump.A new American disease brought on by a longer-term conservative and Republican disease.

Do NOT get me wrong. We NEED a Republican party. We need a representative for the conservative voices in America. But we do NOT need THIS defective faux democratic lobbyist's dream for big money and power-grabbing at any and all costs to not just America but their own base. A base mostly of middle and lower economic classes, but seen to the party as the big and rich and powerful. The party is there to support business, big business because that's where they see the money and power are.

I'm really now seeing it as Trumpblindness. We have heard Trump cult followers label anyone shoving facts, reality, or truth about Trump in their faces as victims of TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome), which does not exist.

Which actually is Trump Delusional Syndrome in never seeing Trump do anything wrong and any facts about him showering light and truth about him as "Fake News". TDS does not exist on Trump opponent's side, but the other TDS most assuredly does. We've all seen it.

As for Trump Derangement Syndrome, it could really be referred to as Trump Dissemination Syndrome as people angered justly about how Trump acts, try very hard, and passionately to share the facts about Trump, which his supporters turn a blind set of eyes and ears and mind into the darkness. Yes, when people do that, and it's dire, it's frustrating and angry invoking, but in a deranged fashion but in a rational and justified fashion.

It's as if someone is attacking your neighborhood, lying about it, claiming those trying to stop it are actually doing it, and those who are trying to stop the attacks are being called deranged, and liars, as at they watch more and more damage and irrational behaviors. That SHOULD make you angry, that should invoke action! But how is it deranged? And how are those ignoring reality NOT deranged?

This is a religious near-cult style belief system. Why is this happening? What is going on?

Trump has been supported by some church organizations. Trump has paid them back for their support. Their foolish and yet productive support. Why has he turned so Christian when he is obviously not, even by his own supposed "Paster's" comments.

What is all that about? No one has known. I have however talked about this kind of thing before. I've talked about many of these things involved with American Evangelical Christianity and Mega Churches and the Republican party and the past few years, Donald Trump. But I never quite put them all together as well as one person has in her book.

I highly recommend anyone interested in this, in what's been going on, WATCH this video interview from C-SPAN 2 with Katherine Stewart. It's a real eye-opener.

Katherine Stewart

The Power Worshippers

Journalist Katherine Stewart argued that religious nationalists are waging political war on American democracy and institutions. This was a virtual author program.

This information may well stun and shock you. It's a real eye-opener, It's not conspiracy theories. It's not Fake News. It's not TDS. It's reality. I'll also bet many who watch this will also have a feeling of epiphany. "This makes so much sense! Finally!"

 Like I said, I've been sharing this information for years. I just never put it together like this until now. My first blog on this Christian connection goes all the way back to 2015! It actually goes back even further to I think 2011. I started this blog in 2010 and I know I was talking about it even before that.

There is a video with Trump and Acosta which is pretty much a Trump training film. You can see the good questions. You can see how Trump answered them in such a way so as to give his believers, and this is a near-religious belief, offering them just the basics of plausible deniability so they can go wait, what? OH, OK, we're good and yeah, Jim, what kind of question was that. Why are you the creep? ETC.

NOTE how Trump in this video never answers the question, he deflects, he blames, he bullies and turns things around. But doesn't face his own reality.

It's really a good study in this kind of delusion, forced delusion, desired delusion, evangelical power implementation. Confidence work (as in conman). I really wouldn't say Trump's a pro, but an Adept. Trump really isn't a genius, but is very functional as a one-trick pony of sorts.

It's an interesting confluence of disorders and abuse. Trump uses his natural propensity as a bully, along with his narcissism which sucks people into a kind of Trump reality bubble. If you've ever been around those people, ti's amazing and disturbing. At times, frightening.

You become delusional with the person. Until you walk away leaving their realm of influence and you wonder, what were you thinking? With Trump as president remotely manipulating... some people never get that chance to walk away.

Plus, it's simply the Republican culture. The conservative culture. That bubble where, when the needle approaches to prick that manufactured reality, to deflate it, those inside the bubble simply say their mantra of "Fake News" and move on feeling catharsis and having neutralized the reality invading their dream.

And we're dealing with the syndrome of victims of the authoritarian personality.

Others bang their head on the wall because in talking to Trump supporters it's like talking to someone who is drugged, insane, or completely unaware of reality. Or simply incapable of seeing anything Trump did wrong. You see, Trump never does anything wrong. For one thing, he tells you he never does anything wrong. How can he say that and it not be true? Right?

Here's a book by a retired professor of psychology that is very interesting. It may help YOU from going nuts too, albeit in a completely different way.

Why do Trump’s supporters stand by him, no matter what? Read, The Authoritarians, by Bob Altemeyer, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Trump offers things people want, lies, or not. Trump lies are easier and massive, and as has been documented, very well used and abused. Desperate people cling to them. Something that, thanks to the GOP who for years now, has built up an environment that was ripe for a Donald Trump.

For a conman who took over their party and forced it to devolved ever further, ever faster into whatever Trump wanted, and needed. In Republican efforts to slow down, and kill progress, ni our not having the advancements and money we need, people have become desperate. In the "frog in a boiling pot" way then haven't really noticed, until so far underwater, they see no hope.

The lies from a Republican party, The "Grand Old Party' who people once trusted. A party that people used to be able to trust. But no longer.

We've been completely set up for this.

I don't think it's a conspiracy. I think it's a lot of greedy, self-interested people following a questionable faux conservative ideology, who came together and set the stage, one step at a time, never looking much forward, for a leader, unknowingly for a conman, a Donald Trump if you will, who would be attracted to this situation, so very obvious to the right person.

"OMG," Trump said, "there are all these 'marks', a country full of easily fleeced people, begging to be ripped off, and they would be so damn easy to fleece. AND they would THANK me for ripping them off!"

And so we have and are seeing it, daily, right before our eyes. So obviously none of his supporters can believe it, or anything like it is happening...TO THEM. While the rest of us watch in wonder and disbelief and it happens again, and again and again. Then they turn to us and say, "You are really so very stupid. Ignorant. Low Information people." Really? We are? I'm so glad to know that finally. Thank you, so very much.

Just as some bad guys are attracted to certain women, and those women to them who life has pushed them into being victims who then become victimized. It's not unique, it's not a surprise. Only to those involved. Yet, not always. And yet, they become victimized again.

Welcome to Trump America, today.

I'm serious here, there will be white papers and doctorate thesis about this situation for many decades to come. Hindsight consideration about this time in American history will be exemplified by a very serious disbelief that any of this could ever have happened. And yet it has. We''re living in it right now.

And it has happened before. It most likely will again.

We are human beings, you see.

Strange Angel... and the rest

So. kind of...SPOILER.Strange series, so...strange blog today.

I watched the last episode of Strange Angel. It's been an interesting two seasons that went in a direction I didn't see coming at first. Hard to believe how much I know about so much of this and entirely somehow missed some of the most interesting aspects of it. And then some.

I wasn't sure about this show until I realized that one of my lifetime favorite film directors, Ridley Scott was involved. So, I checked it out. It's certainly, well done, entertaining, disturbing, challenging at times and unusual. I first learned of Ridley as many did, with his release of maybe my favorite sci-fi film, Blade Runner. Because of that great film (and on the controversy of the two versions of the film, I love them both for different reasons),

I started following the late great actor Rutger Hauer after that film, too. Eventually, I got to interact with him online years later. At one point I was selected to be in a special book of fiction stories after he chose one of mine he said "had heart" (which was why I chose it) an said that was how he chose his film roles also.

There is more to that story but not for here. Besides, I've addressed it elsewhere. I looked back into Rutger's filmography and watched all his first films. Which led me to his first film, Turkish Delight, and another favorite director and friend of his, Paul Verhoeven (who eventually got to Hollywood to do Robocop and other top films). Which led mt to Paul's film, The 4th Man. Which led mt to actor, Jeroen Krabbé. And so it goes on.

I also went back to Ridley's first film, one of my top favorite period piece, The Duellists, with some great actors, Keith Carridine, Harvey Keitel, and others. Love that film. And now apparently Ridley's new project, "Blade Runner: Black Lotus", an anime TV series. Sadly, I'm not a fan of anime or cartoons as much as say, my adult children are.

All that being said now, and I'm trying to drag this out considering the spoiler so there's some text at the top here before it hits...

I did not know that sci fi author and founder of a ridiculous "religious" that has evolved into a monster... L Ron Hubbard. I read him as a child. I had no idea he had anything to do with Aleister Crowely's Thelema or Jack Parsons. Or that L Ron got his idea for starting a "religion" from Crowely. I remember reading I think it was his contemporary, Isaac Asimov saying when he and other Golden Age sci fi writers heard L Ron was going into the religion business, they all had to laugh about it. It's no joke now. A joke morphed into a ridiculous problem today.

But that explains so very damn much about the blight that is Scientology. Not that it's any more ridiculous than the conman Joeseph Smith founded and ridiculously named, Church of Latter-Day Saints, the Mormons.

I first read L Ron in the 1960s as a kid. I had to laugh, as I said, as many of his sci-fi author contemporaries did when I discovered years ago he had founded a ridiculous faux "religion" who eventually blackmailed their way into being a registered, "legitimate" US Government recognized religion and thus, tax-exempt.

Ludicrous. As are most churches in general, in being tax-exempt anymore. Especially with those who get into politics, who abuse our politics, who push politics when they are supposed to be focused on non-material issues of the mind and spirit. Which mostly is untrue and we have far better ways to deal with reality in these ethereal issues than make-believe pie in the sky anachronistic models from ancient and more ignorant times. But that is another matter for another time and one I've addressed many times before.

Scientology uses some pretty basic psychological principles and can be useful... up to a point. The point at which it turns into a ridiculous con, or a cult, or a money-making machine like many religions or churches and mega-churches, and even more so under recent Scientology leadership.

Like charleton and conman, David Miscavige, in the best sense of a Donald Trump, conman. If Trump goes into religion, we're screwed. At least his followers would be, much as they are now in a political sense. But again, another matter for another time that I've addressed many times before.

As with religion in general, you can always do far better using tried and true established psychological principals. Not to be fair that there are any set up in a church, congregant format to fully replace much of what a church would give you in the social aspects. So perhaps it is a moot point. But the far better potential is still there.

And anyone putting themselves between a person and an ethereal power is subject to abuse and being corrupted as power tends to do. More easily with some than others, more easily in some organizational formats than others.

But if you get the right therapist, and they are to be sure difficult to land on one who matches up with what you need they are far more useful to a human being. Applying therapy as a therapist, after the basics in helping a client, really is an art to apply. Too many practice it as rote and mechanical, when in reality it should be and is a fine art of psychological enhancement and self-actualization.

Getting back to old L. Ron Hubbard:
From Thelemapedia
"Lafayette Ron Hubbard was born in Tilden, Nebraska on 13 March 1911. He is better known as L. Ron Hubbard (and often referred to by his followers as LRH), was an American pulp fiction author and the founder of the Church of Scientology."

"While being discharged from the Navy, Hubbard met up with Jack Parsons in Pasadena, California. He started to read the works and writings of Aleister Crowley and started to engage with Parsons in various magickal practices.

"L. Ron Hubbard died in 1986. The autopsy revealed that he had Vistaril, a prescription anti-psychotic drug, injected into his butt. Before the coroner could do a more complete autopsy, the Church of Scientology took possession of his body, cremated him and buried him at sea."

About that last:

Hubbard suffered further ill-health, including chronic pancreatitis, during his residence at Whispering Winds. He suffered a stroke on January 17, 1986, and died a week later.[263][276] His body was cremated and the ashes were scattered at sea.[277] Scientology leaders announced that his body had become an impediment to his work and that he had decided to "drop his body" to continue his research on another planet,[278] having "learned how to do it without a body".[279]

Who should not take Vistaril?
low amount of magnesium in the blood.
low amount of potassium in the blood.
wide-angle glaucoma.
closed angle glaucoma.
a heart attack.
prolonged QT interval on EKG.
chronic heart failure.
abnormal EKG with QT changes from birth.

So...was Hubbard murdered? Probably.

Who would have done it?

Pretty obvious really...

As for Strange Angel? Watch it yourself.

It is if nothing else, still a Ridley Scott production.

Path to Sanity Again in America

Conservatives have no place whatsoever being in control of America. Really, it's a worst-case scenario. Their death grip on the throat of America, cannot be allowed ever again. The tools they use for the management of their people is fear. Their policies are regressive. Isolationist. Backward.

They deregulate regulations in place to protect all American citizens, and our environment, our water, and air. They which to protect the corporations who gather more profit if they can give little thought to those things so important to the perpetuation of the human species overall.

Let me be clear though. Progressives, liberals also shouldn't be in control of America. Because America was designed to have both sides work in tandem, to come to a middle ground, to compromises, and that is the honing of the sharp knife that is our government.

But as it is, we are defective. Back in the 1990s after the loss to Bill Clinton for the presidency, Republicans took stock. Newt Gingrich started subverting how Congress worked, unintentionally with the aide of the new cable network C-SPAN. He saw it, how it worked and weaponized it against the Democratic party of America. 

People like this, professional politicians and lobbyists, are very close to what they do. It becomes a game, or more serious and a belief that, "Our ideology has to beat your ideology!" It morphs into a competition, which it always is, to be sure. But an all-out cold war-style competition.

And that is where everything went seriously awry.

If one party needs ever to be more powerful than the other, it is not necessarily the democratic party, as parties sway and change, but the more progressive party, the more, we could say, liberal party But really the party with the most correct judgment of reality, the best ability for risk assessment, the best sense of moving the country forward, staying on top of global changes in relations, technologies, and yes, climate.

What is so wrong with conservatives in control? As mentioned, you do not lead with fear as a focal point. It is effective, yes. that is why tyrants, dictators, despots, and strongmen types use it to abuse their citizens. For power. "You shut up, let me do as I will because only I know best!" We heard our current POTUS Donald Trump say that, clearly, and repeatedly.

I just noticed something. It's amazing how Donald Trump is such the antithesis of President Harry S Truman. Seriously. Check out some of his quotes on that link, it will blow you away.

Interesting that is so much more me, and so NOT Donald Trump

If you think that's an odd comment that I don't seek or want attention, I don't. Becoming a writer demanded you seek attention and it took me years to get functional and somewhat comfortable with it. But I still have to grit my teeth and make myself do it, and of course, attempt to make it appear effortless. Trust me. It's not.

I used to help my now ex-wife with her volunteer work but only on the condition no one knew. It wasn't until years later I realized it wasn't so much about me as her being proud of her husband. My problem with that was, she was so much the attention seeker and sure, she earned it. For me, it wasn't so much her being directly proud of me, but her being proud in that others appreciated that her husband helped.

If you see what I mean. It was her wanting the attention, again. Besides, she knew I helped her anyway. I get that knowing others respect you and all that, but this was different. Trust me. I just grew up believing you help others, and that's all you need as reward, no attention, no medals, not applause.

It's really about orientation and priorities in life.

Conservatism is best used as a constraint, a governor on an engine, but only when you NEED a conservative approach to change and progress. As in disaster situations, be they physical or economical. But Republicans act like we're always in a financial disaster in that sense. And we are, but mostly due to their beliefs and actions.

It's a very detrimental way to lead a nation over time. It leads to anxiety, fear, austerity, fearing risk, and fearmongering leading to fascism or at least authoritarian and fascist actions. It's really best for emergencies, or during wartime. And therein lay another problem. America has been at war for decades. But that is not a reason to remain conservative through all that. One, or the other, or both need to be ended. 

I would argue sanely, rationally, wisely...both.

Donald Trump has been boasting he's now a wartime president as this coronavirus is a war situation. Naw, Wrong. It is a socioeconomic medical and scientific time. Not a war. Besides, he's not acting like a wartime president at all anyway. He's refusing to take responsibility. He's refusing to lead, or use the Federal Government to help the states and leaving them to fend for themselves for the most part.

It's led to capitalistic price gouging and states being outbid for equipment by other states, other nations, and the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. Who said their stockpiles are theirs. Who do they think they are? They re OUR employees. They seem to think it's the other way around. 

Anyway, all that being said, what we need, is for both parties to functionally work together again.

To stop the WINNER TAKE ALL NONSENSE! Because therein leaves us only those in power as the winners and all the rest of America, except those wealthy enough to survive the nuances of a very bumpy ride, as losers Over time their cost of living only continues to rise, while their income decreases.

As we've seen now for years. But that isn't just conservatives being in control. It's also our SCOTUS. Our greatest court has been subsidizing corporations with the most ridiculous of things, Like Citizens United. Bizarre, but understandable and if one is aware and informed, inevitab.e

Still, it was the conservative base who led us there, albeit that of one from the very richest among them. And then they convinced the majority of their base that what was best for them, was best for all. They invented now ridiculous economic policies like "Trickle-down economics" or "voodoo economics". Economics by magic never meant to enrich the economic majority but the minority wealthy.

We can get back to sanity in America. But it is very complicated to see all the moving parts that led us here and how to rectify the situation. 

The most obvious way is to only vote for smart people, regardless. To not vote for ideologists but rationalists. To vote for progressive and liberal agendas for a while. Though conservatives started this mess, progressives then joined in. We need to right the boat, first. Smack the conservative power block in the head, finally wake them up. And then when they start to see reality, start to bring sanity back into the mix.

Working together Compromising for the best situation.

Sounds great! Right?

Except when you are compromising with some about certain issues, there is no common ground. Corporations who want to use our public lands, to pollute them for profit? You cannot allow that.

So what's the answer? This brings us back to voting only for smart people. We also need to remove the new old dogs who are stuck in their Winner Take All mentality. Mitch McConnell is perhaps the biggest one. Those who constantly bow to Donald Trump, when they know, we all can see, they need to go up against him. They have to go. 

No more weaklings. But also, no more pretend "strongmen" like Donald Trump. A one-trick pony who is useless for much of what any nation like America needs, requires from its leadership.

This is going to take time. But remember, this isn't just for you, this is for all of us. We have the time. As long as we don't let this country go down hard, once and fr all.

Of late, we've been close. All we have to do is all want it together and persevere.

We have a strong country. We just have to slice off the chaff and let it breathe. 

The Exception That Proves The Rule

First up, I'm on a podcast about the making of my new film, "Gumdrop", a short horror. Now...

"Exceptio probat regulam in casibus non exceptis." That is: The Exception That Proves The Rule.

I've seen this misused so many times, it's embarrassing. Typically I hear it used to rationalize and justify a thing that is patently incorrect.

SOMETIMES it is used to show that something nearly always one thing can actually be another, typically the opposite, under present constraints or conditions. That is to say, they agree with you that what they are saying is usually wrong, but in this case, as they see it, with how things are, they are correct in their assumptions about it.

How that typically is used however is as a logical fallacy to justify their foolish contentions, because so many get lost in the phrasing.

Or as rational wiki puts it:
"You are most likely to encounter this phrase when somebody is speaking in generalisations or stereotypes and somebody else points out an example that clearly contradicts their comments. Retorting with the platitude that this is just the "exception that proves the rule" is an easy way of handwaving away this inconsistency."

But that all require a sense of understanding where one has a greater sense of reality and extenuating issues we seldom see when applied today, especially as regards politics.

Trump is the exception that proves the rule, that all conservatives are stupid."

I'm not even going to bother disassembling that one. But we do see this frequently among those not as educated or aware as they wish to project they are. Frequently we see this in conservative's arguments in support of ridiculous doctrines, policies, or politicians (see above).

"The exception that proves the rule."

As the grammarist.com puts it:
"A proverb often quoted, but many find confusing. A proverb is a short, common saying or phrase that particularly gives advice or shares a universal truth. We will examine the true meaning of the phrase the exception that proves the rule, its ancient origin, and some examples of its use in sentences.

"...often used to justify something that seems to contradict a rule. However, the term the exception that proves the rule actually means this exception, under these parameters, proves that the rule works in all other circumstances. In this case, the word proves is used in a semi-scientific sense to mean test."

For instance,

If a sign at a bakery states “Doughnuts available Sunday morning”, this is the exception that proves the rule that doughnuts are not available at the bakery at any other time.

This is not how most people seem to use it.

The term, "the exception that proves the rule", is derived from a Latin phrase first used by Cicero, "exceptio probat regulam in casibus non exceptis", which means the exception confirms the rule in cases not excepted.

This is typically beyond the mentality of most who attempt to use this phrase.

Is THAT the exception that proves the rule?

We Need to be Smarter in America

First of, let me say I hope everyone is doing well during this global pandemic. Leadership in something like this, something somewhat unprecedented for this generation, is always going to be difficult.

Some do better than others, some countires having a tough time of it than others. But being smart about it, learning, going to your best minds and information, will ALWAYS win out over the opposite end of the spectrum.

All the best to all of you and everyone, everywhere! Moving on...

First up, this just in...today, after this blog went live, I did a Kelly Hughes podcast. Now also on Apple. It ended up being about the production of my new film, "Gumdrop", a short horror. He has others that are all actually pretty interesting. He has two, a podcast on cult figures and indie filmmaking. Our last podcast together was a fun with about one of our favorite actors, Steve Buscemi.

So, if you're looking for something different and especially if you're into indie filmmaking...well, there you go!

Also, if you're into ebooks, all my ebooks on Smashwords are free for the next couple of weeks in their sale, asked for by the authors because of the coronavirus situation. Many good authors on there besides myself are offering their books at a discount, or free.

Moving along now...

I graduated from Western Washington University in 1984 with my second degree, one in Psychology in the Awareness and Reasoning Division of that department. Realizing I could have gotten yet another degree, I went instead with just getting a minor in creative writing. That ended up going into fiction writing, screenplays and team scriptwriting (an amazing series of classes I was chosen for along with seven incredible other theatre department students, from our Playwriting 101 class).

Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA

I learned there that what I had been doing all my life and in college was pursuing life as an "intellectual". ALL that really means is that my focus in life was to exercise my mind in the most effective and efficient ways possible and seeking the best available information, updating it always.

Please bear with me, because this is not going to end up where you may think it is, from where it is starting. I'm trying to lay down a very important point. And you may find something useful unrelated to the primary reason for this blog today.

Once I found the label for what I was, I owned it. I was proud of it. And rightly so. As anyone like that should. Do you see football players going around hiding their chosen orientation or professional in life? No. Typically they are praised for it. Not always the same for those in the Arts or intellectual fields.

I've come to learn there isn't a lot of awareness and reasoning in America. Our current president Donald Trump is a case in point. But this is not a new thing. I was surprised while at my university, to discover just how much that was true in those outside of higher education. Also, just how many viewed an educated mind with suspicion. I was at times, stunned by it.

I knew that was true of my family as my parents, who weren't highly educated. I was the first to get a college degree. My mother had a sharp mind, but it was unfocused and to be sure she had some emotional issues.

Although a few after I graduated had great respect for someone with a higher education, I was very surprised at how many people (or any, as I saw it) outside that protected life at university, looked down on those who had a higher education and could think to an exceptional degree and depth.

And I literally have a degree in that.

After decades of considering all that, I began to say that "Ignorance, is noble."

We are all ignorant of something. Stupidity however has no nobility in itt. "Selective ignorance", as I understand stupidity, is not noble and should be seen as anathema. That seems to be a central tenet however of some political parties. Of the conservative GOP for one, or at least some of their more easily swayed, and apparently ignorant, believers. I tend to lean as many do, to a more enlightened party. Inclusive. Aware of exigencies in life, repercussions, and the future. These things do not seem to be of great consideration with Republicans. Here, now, profit does.

If you take offense to that, I suppose you may be one. That's fine. We're all people. Here, we're all Americans and that earns you something. By birth, or choice. I don't have anything against Republicans anymore than I'm not really a Democrat. I'm for the best idea, the best action, being better. I just don't see that much with Republicans. They can't seem to see the forest for the trees too often.

Look. I'm not offended by being called, ignorant. IF I am actually ignorant about something. I would then review to find if either they are the ignorant one and merely lashing out at me, ignorantly and immaturely (which I see a lot of anymore). Or I have to change my condition, my orientation, my view on whatever the topic at hand, is.

I don't have a problem when I met someone smarter than me, more educated. I actually find it kind of an honor to be allowed around them. Unless they are jerks about it, or just jerks period. Either way, I gleam from them whatever I can. And if they are decent people I offer them whatever I have to offer. I try to understand or learn the way they think. Is it better than mine? Cool! Awesome! Do they know things I don't? Even better.

Sometimes they already know most of what I know. Or they are so much smarter than me I can't really learn that much from them. It's another level beyond me. And that is also awesome. Because I met that person. Any action you have like that, betters you. But it's you doing the bettering.

I have some sayings I like. Even a village idiot has his story. Meaning you can learn from anyone. You can learn sitting in front of a blank wall. You can learn talking to your self. Try carrying on a debate or conversation with your self. Play both parts. I first tried that in junior high and was shocked to learn, I learned something.

Life is amazing, if you let it be. Be positive. Try to be around people better than you think you are. Don't let it increase your lack of self-esteem. Allow it to build it to reasonable and accurate levels. We have resources surrounding us daily. Most people don't' see or use most of them.

Can I think like a genius? Maybe not but then, good for them and I wish I could do what they can do. I sure as hell don't hold it against them, or feel bad because of them. It's a gift to meet a Van Gogh, an Einstein, an Aristotle, a Michio Kaku. But you don't have to meet a genius to be impressed or feel you've elevated yourself. It could be anyone, even people you know now.

I have repeatedly felt awed by my children, even when they were four years old. I learned from them. All it takes to self educate yourself is to start doing it. Pay attention, think of the connections, the relative issues and things involved with whatever you are thinking about. Stretch yourself. Expand your mind.

That's what that means. It's what being "Enlightened" is. When you eat an apple, you "see" the seeds inside, the store or tree you got it from. The box it was transported to the store in or perhaps the tree it came off half way around the planet.The people who picked it, the ground it grew in, the sun above it, that is the same sun now above you. And so on.

You don't have to see everything, you just have to try to. And when you hit a wall, find the next connection, the next associated route or pathway or thing, Strive, enhance, build, rebuild, add, synthesize, repeat. Alter. Combine. Invent.

When you are around a muscle builder, or a professional athlete, you may be able to learn knowledge from them, but you cannot gain their body and form through osmosis. The wondering things about thinking, how one things, methods or even tricks to increase brain horsepower...ANYONE can gain that through osmosis. That's how learning works. ,

Yet oddly enough, many people take a negative orientation to smarter people, the more educated.My grandmother had a lot to do with how I am today. She was self educated. Read the dictionary. Always said to try to be around people smarter than you, professionals.And I have, and I've been around a lot of them.

I would learn to end my ignorance. It's NOT that hard to do. Though apparently it is for some, for too many. For too many today, in this era of instant communication and a vast wealth of knowledge at our fingertips. It's a truly curious phenomenon. Apparently, on a daily basis we survey much, but only to a shallow degree.

I've discussed all this before. I used to say and to be proud of it, that I was an intellectual. I still ama and always will be, it's merely a definition I fit. Just as I am caucasian. Something I used to adamantly disagree with. "White"? Sure. Caucasian? No. My father was Irish, as were his parents, my grandparents, and so I am. I lean more to the Irish side of my heritage going back to my first months in high school

My mother was Czechoslovakian, as were her parents, and so I am. But :"Caucasian: means, from the Caucus Mountains, which are in eastern Europe. So one day I looked it up and to my surprise, yes indeed, I am Caucasian. The map dictated my reality. So I changed my long time orientation.And that is what an intellectual would do. So if you've done such a thing, you too many be an intellectual. However you have to live in that way, make that you life. Update.

What I see in the world around me today are people who retain their beliefs over and against realty. They would see the map and say, "I don't care, I'm not Caucasian!" They would rationalize around it so they could believe whatever it is they wish to believe.

That seems apparent and rampant in the Republican party of Donald Trump today. Trump isn't presidential material and they believe he is. Many were climate change deniers, then climate change by human means deniers. See how that progresses and rationalized as they find necessary?

Friends finally warned me years ago to stop saying I was an "intellectual". I rally was surprised by it. I was proud of it. I had worked really, really hard in college at it. I had earned the title, not even considering I had simply led me life like that since childhood. How would you like to be a football player with all the bangs and bruises and workouts and games only to be told you are being looked down on for it. It's a shock to the system. Violence is rewarded. Intellectuality, like sexuality in many cases, is not.

It's why historically we have seen so much violence in films but not sex to the same degree. And why there are more war films than films about intellectuals and artists.

That the basis of my entire life was taken wrong...I was shocked, frankly. I thought everyone should be an intellectual, at least to some degree. Doesn't that just make sense? But that was not the case and some are proud of being just the opposite.

So I stopped using that world. I saw it as merely saying, I'm into sports, or into movies and so I was cinephile. What's the big deal? Yet, some, too many, were offended by it? Weird. Right?

Look at it as a bodybuilder who exercises their body with all the same oriented at their physical form and health. It's no different, only for the mind. I wasn't elitist about it, I wasn't being superior, or lording over others with it. It was just my orientation and seemed to be the best way for me to exist.

But then, people do look down on bodybuilders, I guess and some on sports types, there there are a lot of sports types in this country. Following sports teams. Betting on games. Fantasy Football leagues. But I came to realize that in just exercising one's mind among others, they took it as lording over them. In sharing knowledge, it was seen as being superior, even when going to great lengths to avoid that.

I was very proud of what I had learned. NOT that I WAS learned. But that I had had, had taken, the opportunity to learn and achieve the level I had. And it took me four years in the USAF to get college paid for so I could get a four year degree in eight years, essentially. It was hard, and long work. To be sure the military work was physically demanding for me in my career field. I earned my position in life! As much as or more so than many.

I had believed it was a human being's highest goal, to be as smart and educated as possible. So pushing the limits with the most accurate, cutting edge info/knowledge made even more sense. Right? To achieve, Wisdom. Intellect combined with experience and knowledge. I worked hard at that, and for that.

Late nights at the library, studying not partying, talking to my professors after classes. Even getting to know them outside of school. Finally being told by my department advisor, my main professor that I was in the top 10% of the top 10% of all psychology students nationwide.

Something to be proud of, right/ Although, I found I had to hide that, keep it to myself. I honestly cannot remember if he said 2% or 10%. It feels like he said 2 but it seems like he might have said 10. So, best to err on the side of discretion and not eqo. Now, consider by comparison, if I were Donald Trump. Then I would have said the top 1%.. Or more accurately, "the number one student!" And then gone on more about it.

Then after I gradated, it did me little good in finding a job. Though eventually it paid off rather well.

After receiving my university degree, I discovered in public there was a trend against education. Maybe it had always been there, but I was now acutely aware of it. I heard terms, I now realize from conservatives, people I was not aware of yet back then, who "joked" about things that don't exist. Like how college graduates are "college stupid". An obvious contradiction in terms and oxymoron.

Here now, today,decades later, we hear things spoken aloud, like, "Fake News". A natural extension of all that animosity toward knowledge. And ever more so, those who actually buy wholeheartedly into it, and believe it, with a degree of glee, some of them.

They now have a US president in Donald Trump, a failed TV reality star and businessman, a self proclaimed "King of debt" (a warning sign for one who wishes to be POTUS, President of the United States), who perpetuates that mindset. A man who relies on it, who avoids responsibilities and honesty through it, in order to free himself up to achieve even further power, while diluting our democracy all for the purposes of more wealth and autonomy to fo even further. This does not bode well for the future of the presidency in America.

There is even an entire news network in Fox News who are dedicated to it. Russia has also pushed it. They developed the covert paradigm of REAL fake news as disinformation. Using their word for it, dezinformatsiya. Which took the UK to teach American intelligence agencies about during WWII. We're new to it. But eventually it seeped into our right wing political party and they have now made it mainstream. Much to our, all of our, detriment.

Donald Trump supports it. As does the conservative right-wing. Their, "MSM", Fox News, their mainstream media, their Trump State TV, also supports it. Fox News has become the American version of Russian Pravda newspaper, or Sputnik or RT (Russian TV), all State branches of the Russian government, the Kremlin, all run remotely by Vladimir Putin.

In dealing with Russia over the years, their criminality has seeped into America. The Soviet Union was massively corrupt. Russia today is also. They have fake democracy. Putin is situating himself as President for life now. The Russian government, their intelligence services, the Russian mafia and crime syndicates, are all dynamically joined. But America remains ignorant of it all. Even while our intelligence agencies try to warn us. And our POTUS denies it, trusts Putin over our own intelligence people.

There is really no way to avoid it. Trump has had massive dealings with Russian in business, in enriching himself.

But his supporters are incapable of seeing it. The harden themselves against believing it.

It's amazing really. Truly amazing.

We have a subculture who have bought into this old Chinese belief during their "Cultural Revolution" that had set THEM back 50 years. They murdered their intellectuals, their scientists, their doctors.

The Chinese Comrades looked down on their educated because most of them were not. And because it served the purpose of their new Communist Party. When all it really serviced was those in power. The ignorant are far easier to manipulate. To control. To abuse.

And here we are today, in America. We elevate not the old, not the wise, but the young. We elevate not the intellectual but in many cases the very dumbest among us. Those who know how to pander, to divide, to separate and weaken for their own strength.

And so we see...Donald Trump as POTUS. Finally now, during a global pandemic everyone is beginning to see his weakness, his ignorance and how he has gathered his power. Trump's lies now, kill. And it is becoming quite clear to all.

To be sure, we need to be "America Strong".But strong should no longer also mean dumb. Or uneducated. Selectively ignorant. Stupid.

We now need no longer to be, "America the Stupid".

Because in the end? All our lives depend upon it.

The Rapping, My Short Horror Film Released

We just got notified, My first narrative, eight-minute short B/W horror film, "The Rapping", was not selected by its last film festival that it was submitted to.

We can now lay "The Rapping"...to rest. Sort of. If any film is ever truly laid to rest. And this one, actually lives on...

It was selected twice, in the, Once a Week Online Film Festival where you can now see its trailer, and selected and shown in, The Midnight Film Festival, in New York.

Brief parts of it have now been used as background in my current film -"Gumdrop", a short horror.

Thanks again to lead actor, Nikolas Hayes, for working on it with me, it was a good time and I learned a lot from it. 🙂 And it led to my current film.

So...on to..."Gumdrop", a short horror (trailer), and its run on the film festival circuit! 

March 31, 2020, is next up for it...if it is open or they are judging yet, or still. I already had one film festival cancel in Tennesse, Far Out Film Fest, due to the pandemic and their recent tornado. All the best to them and their state.

Since "The Rapping' is finished with the film festival circuit, I can now display it on my Youtube channel... in full. 

It's just a trifle and was only ever supposed to be one. It was only meant to prove I could complete a film, use the film equipment and editing software, and is basically a one-trick pony. 

But still, it is kind of fun. And we got a kick out of doing it. 

It is also very effective in, Gumdrop! I hope you get a kick out of it too. For what it's worth.

A brief aside and a shout out to another director:

Just for fun, after I Tweeted out about The Rapping today, I received a link to this video, "The Amulet of Fear" from the filmmaker, Andrea Ricca

I enjoyed it so much. In part for the first few minutes that freaked me out a little because it was like we both had the same script but shot it in our own different ways.

Only I used a guy. And the director Ricca has the same first name as my "Gumdrop", a short horror, music composer, Andrea Fioravanti! Both, Italian obviously.

Where Andrea had a woman actor reading a horror book by Stephen King, I had my lead read a book I wrote, Death of heaven. Hey, why not, right?

I thought it was a very enjoyable short film! Glad I got to see it!
Thanks, Andrea!

Moving on...

Wishing you all, all the best in this current global trial and effort to get back to normal.
Stay safe!
Stay healthy!
Keep yourselves busy and entertained. 

Cheers! Sláinte!

IS Fake News the Problem? Not Really.

It occurs to me, who cries all the time about the MSM and Fake News? It's from the right, right? I don't seem to have that problem, fewer progressives seem to have that problem.
What's up?

Education? Ted Cruz went to Harvard. but a college education doesn't make you smart or aware or educated. I've met those types. Also, you can pick up an agenda, filters, limited considerations, closed minds. Sounds pretty conservative oriented.

What got me thinking about this just was, just, thinking about it. Wondering, how can conservatives have such a tough time getting accurate news from the MSM? Why does so much to them seem fake?

Well, they've been told to think that way. They have a news network hammering them about it. A POTUS who hammers them about it. Their culture buys into it. And they seek it out and call it out.

Problem that occurred to me was this. When I used to study international Sate covert activities, espionage, and how that world works, they don't have such a difficult time of it.

Honestly, if I was able to research spies and their lies and find the truth, you can't watch MSM and garner reality from it? REALLY? Look, our intelligence community does this on a daily basis almost without thinking. JUST think about how they must view all this whining about fake news. Not to mention the hard-working journalists who acutely do a good job, work so very hard to do so and then you simply lump them into, Fake News? That's just....embarrassing.

Why do conservatives? Or progressives who do for that matter.

DON'T watch a single news source dummy! Main Stream Media are Fake in your opinion, so you only watch Fox News? What? WHO does that? No, not watch Fox News, but finds something distasteful so locks themselves in an intellectual closest and ignores the rest of reality! Sure you should check the MSM for validity. Yes, they are wrong at times. Yes, they may even tell lies. Fox News doesn't?

Please. But you take the time, make the effort to see if it's true, or if your people are wrong. THAT'S what an educated person does. But they don't just cry FAKE NEWS unless they have a marked agenda. And that's what we have here with an entire political party following it. The left rebels against it, the right is offended and the Russians join in and voila! Polarized society and a breaking down of America.

Great job guys!

It appears to me to be a limitation on their parts. I like Rachel Maddow. She will set you up with a history of an issue, then tell you the issue, and you can see what's up and the surrounding issues. Yes, she can go a tad liberal at times. But I can see that clearly when she does it and she usually makes it clear. If you're paying attention.

Times like that, I note it and move on. But she's not fake news. Now, much of Fox News is fake. But conservatives don't see them as fake news. Why? Well, their culture, their president, and their belief system (cognitive dissonance).

The problem is that people don't pay attention, don't take the time to think, don't survey news, NEVER listen to one source. ALWAYS vet your info, it's not even that hard. SEE/HEAR when your sources go off track.

In researching covert ops that aren't available to the public, many of them are. By getting disparate sources, you can even when one source lies, uncover the truth.

It's not THAT hard, but it takes getting used to it. TO be sure it's easier and cathartic to yell, Fake News, move on, listen to YOUR pundits, and claim... KNOWLEDGE!

Uh-huh. Right pal.

My point? FAKE NEWS isn't the issue. People who scream fake news are. The facts are there. You just have to be able to recognize them, without cognitive dissonance, without buying into lies, especially when they so well and pleasantly fit YOUR agenda. Or when your leaders or pundits are telling you what to believe.

TRUST BUT VERIFY. There is NO need to be paranoid. But you have to put some effort into your assimilation of the facts and know facts from opinions, and lies.

And? When you find YOUR team is lying most of the time?

Stop being a Republican. Stop having a conservative mind. Those are generally speaking, closed off forms of thought, by definition, and by design.. Add in religion, it's like fuel to the fire. Conservatism is a form of government to limit things, not expand. To retard, not grow. By it's nature it is about austerity and isolationism, not wealth (for all, stop being so limited) and openness.

“In the social and civil context as well, I appeal not to create walls, but to build bridges," Pope Francis.

It's far more conducive to acquiring wealth and power, also. But in good ways, by being inclusive, where the strength is. 

Pope Francis also said: "In every religion there is always an integralist group that does not want to move ahead and lives from bitter memories, past conflicts, and seeks even more war and sows fear." @americamag

Same goes for political parties. And the one most closely resembling what he refers to here is the Republican party with their confused evangelical Christians. 

Open your mind. Learn. Expend effort. Survey information and news. Never use ONE news source. Talk or listen to your opponents. Pay attention to your pundits and heroes and question when they go off track.

Perhaps the current forms of progressiveness aren't perfect either. But they are in part a reaction to conservatism, which has led the way in many cases in pushing agendas out of fear and a dislike for change, a love of status quos. Which, status quos, require change even to maintain. So much of that is counter intuitive, which is frustrating to the conservative mind.

Overall, we just have to pay attention. And if we can't. Well, then Republican party is waiting with open arms, and you can go on whining disingenuously about Fake News with all your new friends.

Fake News is not the problem. We are.