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One of the projects that I have been working is a fictional story:
Survivors of the Virus
It is a post-apocalyptic novel heavily inspired by the fictional worlds created by Richard Matheson (I am Legend), Steven King (The Stand), Terry Hayes (Mad Max series), among others.
I am still working through some of the technical issues with Wordpress, advertizing engines, and the layouts. (It is meant to be read as a story in a weblog format but the oldest entries appear at the bottom.) I am correcting these issues while posting the story.
My release schedule for entries tentatively is Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Anyone interested should read the entries in the following order:
Author’s Note
Narrator’s Note
The Worst Call
Bags
He’s Still Not Here
No title
Worldly Possessions
I will link them when I have the permalinks working. In the mean time, they can be read by going to http://www.survivorsofthevirus.com/wp_app/
The oldest is at the bottom. To read them as intended, you will need to scroll down then up as you finish each entry.
Cheers,
Shawn McManus
I have been “gently reminded” that not everyone may know or appreciate my sense of humor. I was told that those people may be slightly shocked that I would compare the DNC with Al Qaeda. For those that do not know my humor, please know that was a joke. For those who do not appreciate my humor, PTHPTHPTHPTHPTHPTHTPHT!
Here is one for you then:
Q: What is the difference between a Republican and a Democrat?
A: A Republican will, to your face, bribe you with your own money. A Democrat will, behind your back, bribe everyone else with your money.
Question: What is the difference between the Democratic National Committee and Al Qaeda?Answer: One is a secretive organization Hell bent on destroying the United States and our way of life and conducting coordinated attacks against us costing trillions of dollars. The other is Al Qaeda.
I know it has been too long since I have posted. I have been busy and it looks like it is only going to get busier. Since I do not have any me clones lying around, I shall continue the sucking of it up.
Too many things have been happening as of late though to not make at least cursory mention.
The first: Many conservatives I know have stated that they harbor no ill-will toward Obama and that they wish him success.
If the measure of “success” is how much of his agenda is implemented as was enumerated on barackobama.com or change.gov, then I do not. I wish him little success at all. Outside of pursuing Al Qaeda, I cannot think of anything on his agenda I would like to see implemented. In fact, I wish him to be the failure that we have been told George W. Bush was/is by every TLA news agency for the last eight years.
The second: I do not much buy into the conspiracy theories around the oath of office being repeated. I have heard that the second oath was not taken with a Bible.
I am of the opinion that anyone who has as little regard of the Constitution as Obama has (see barackobama.com or change.gov for evidence of this) is not going to be bothered in the least by violating his oath of office.
It will probably be sometime before anyone finds a Bible in the White House now as well.
The third: Hey Republicans in Congress! Lock arms! We lost because we, as a party, are not conservative and you did not fight for our principles.
It is impossible to out-liberal democrats and we should not even try anyway.
One audacious hope that I have is that enough of you have discovered how this game is being played. Only allow those items that are solidly based in our Constitution to be made law. Block everything else. Even if it is for “the good of the country”, block it. Do not let the Democrats in Congress or the President receive credit for anything. Do not do anything about social security. Do not do anything about infrastructure.
This means sub-trillion annual budgets. This means states and local governments will have to take action during emergencies. This means you will finally be playing by the same rules as Democrats and for once, that might actually be good.
The fourth: Late night comedians, Pelosi, Reid, et. al. Give It Up! George W. Bush may well have fouled a great many things as President. However, he is more and will always be more like Abraham Lincoln than Obama.
Lincoln was extremely unpopular but held the nation together despite incredible difficulties.
George W. Bush has been berated and ridiculed globally by every media form imaginable. Yet, the United States has not been attacked* since 9/11 and has not become a police state. Many may argue the latter but the freedoms we still enjoy are undeniable.
I can only see both the United States being attacked as well as gross abridgements of our freedoms under an Obama administration.
Additionally, for the comedians… The “W” jokes are amusing at best but have long since lost their humor. At least try to develop some original material. Failing the latter, please choose a different mark.
George W. Bush deserves a lot of criticism but for entirely different reasons.
*I realize that the United States embassy in Yemen was attacked in September of last year and that the embassy is considered U.S. soil. When I say “has not been attacked” I am primarily referring to States and the Capitol. I should also be noted here that the organizer of the attacked was released from the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center in 2007.
I have been busy working on a number of things that have been consuming my time.
That said, I would like to say – more late than never – that Kim du Toit has retired. His writings were one of the motivators that prompted my blog. Of course, there is no pension for blogging nor are there retirement benefits. If you have not already done so, please see his gun essays. After having read them, if you feel compelled to do so, please consider a tip for his “gold watch”.
I am still working on a number of projects that are going to eat most of my time. One of them is (distantly) related to this blog. When it is ready for “prime time”, I will make the announcement here.
Barack Obama told Joe the Plumber that we are all better when we “spread around the wealth.”
I have often stated that I generally believe that people are capable of spending their own money more wisely than politicians spending that same money.
Unless the wealthy are burying their money in mason jars in their backyards though, they are spreading the wealth around. Even if they put their money in a bank, that money is being spread.
I will engage in a bit of projection for a moment. It is another logical fallacy but, at least in this instance, is “safe” to use. Obama would take from those making more and give it to those who would not invest it but simply consume it. There will likely be the rare exception but most would spend it on bread and circuses.
If we look at what he literally said, “We are all better off…” we see that it is immediately false. Certainly, the five percent that had their taxes increased are not in any improved state. If you will pardon a cliché, it is all too often the case that those who have been given a nickel demand a dime. Most people whom are given a tax “break”, i.e. given money though they have not paid any taxes, come to expect it. That terrible five-percent crowd is losing more than money at this point.
Even if we disregard those evil, vile five-percent people, it serves people no good to reward bad behavior. We are free to make our own choices. We are not free to choose our own consequences. If we give any credence to Darwin, trying to modify this core tenet is self destructive.
Taking from those who have saved and invested, who have bettered their minds and their bodies, and who have made intelligence decisions to give to those who ignored prudence, shirked responsibility, and failed to make sacrifices, is repugnant and immoral.
This is not the treatment of free people who may succeed or fail in accordance with their own actions and abilities.
A government of free people should do for people what they cannot do for themselves. A government of free people should not do for people what they will not do for themselves.
What kind of reaction do you think you would get if you approached any police officer and tried to take his sidearm?
What reaction would you expect from police if you told them that you were going to require them to carry their pistols in their trunks and unloaded?
What would the police say if you told them they are not allowed to have a black rifle, or a rifle with a pistol grip, or a rifle with picatinny rails and flashlight?
With some exceptions, policemen are civilians. They deserve our gratitude and respect for doing the jobs many of us care not to do. They regularly face the worst that humanity has to offer. They are not, collectively, the lone recipients of society’s transgressions, though.
This is not a post advocating disarming police. This is a post against disarming the public.
I am a strong advocate for police. (Note: This is different from being an advocate for strong police – though I certainly see the need for them to maintain heavy arms and S.W.A.T.) When police – or “police chiefs” – start to lay claim to my rights, they quickly lose my respect, my gratitude, and my advocacy.
Policemen are integral parts of our communities. They are our neighbors, relatives, and friends. Police should not be a protected class of people. When they are, a police state naturally follows.
Saying people do not need “assault weapons” is as irrelevant as it is incorrect. When facing an armed mob, even so called assault weapons are inadequate.
I view with much disgust the “presidential position” of endorsing an assault weapons ban. I use the term “presidential position” because the current president and the president-elect both support it.
Saying “the police support it” is, if you will pardon the expression, a copout.
I will make a statement that is guilty of a logical fallacy but is very likely true all then same: Policemen are generally decent people who do not get violent without good reason.
Try to approach a policeman and take his sidearm from him and he will get violent very quickly. Try to approach the American population to take their weapons and the result will be very much the same.
