Thoughts on Amazon and Missed Opportunities

Congratulations, New York! You jackass Amazon naysayers really did it this time. You had a chance to partake of a wonderful opportunity to enrich NY with thousands of good-paying jobs, and you blew it. Now, New Jersey's Governor Phil Murphy wants to entice Amazon to set up shop in Newark. I hope he succeeds. At least then we'll still have a chance to work there, although with a considerable commute. One of these days, you jackasses will wake up to the missed opportunity, and say, "Holy $#1T, what did we do?!" And to think, you only represent 30% of the population. That's not the way democracy is supposed to work. This is how knuckleheads with no vision keep the rest of us from moving forward. Many people could have benefited from this opportunity--including the naysayers. Good luck, Long Island City. You'll need it. So will we all. And BTW? Here's the hypocrisy: I'll bet that many of the naysayers have Amazon accounts. They should all be cancelled! One more thing: you naysayers have poisoned the well in New York. Now, no one will want to do business here. You've given NYC a reputation for having a toxic atmosphere. Future business prospects will avoid this city like the plague. Great job, folks.

Governor Cuomo is Right about the MTA

People are criticizing Governor Andrew Cuomo for calling the MTA a Frankenstein? Guess what, folks: that's exactly what it is. Does anyone remember when the MTA raised the fare from $1.50 to $2.00? It had claimed a deficit that turned out to be a 600 million dollar surplus. The municipal Court ruled that the MTA had cooked the books, and ordered the MTA to roll the fare back to $1.50. It was supposed to happen within 2 weeks of the fare increase. Instead, the MTA declared that it wasn't subject to the court's jurisdiction, because it's an "authority." We never heard anymore about the subject after that. People should have gone to jail! Fraud was committed. What the city or the state should have done at that point was to take the fight to a higher court--as far as the Supreme Court, if necessary. Instead, the MTA got away with crimes that should have put the people responsible in prison for years. Is the MTA a Frankenstein's monster? Damn straight!

The Case for Trump's Impeachment

Now he's done it, folks. President Trump has handed us a legitimate reason to impeach him. He said that he is willing to let the government shutdown go on for months, or even years, in order to get his wall built. That's worse than extortion. That's downright dictatorial. That gives us more than enough reason to initiate impeachment proceedings against him.

About the Phenomenon Called "Blackfishing"

Unfortunately, although this is a new phenomenon for social media, this is not new. White people have been appropriating black people's style and culture for about a century. Blackface was one aspect of it, and the most egregious. However, they have co-opted jazz, and appropriated rock to the point that lots of black people think of rock as "white boy music", and don't even realize that black people started it. Forget Elvis Presley. What about Chuck Berry? If you want to hear what rock can sound like when modern-day black artists get really soulful with it, listen to Living Colour. Let's consider the tanning craze that's currently in vogue. What do you think all those white people are risking skin cancer for? To look more like black people. In the 1970s, they found ways to curl their hair into pseudo-Afros. It used to be that black people's slang would find its way into white culture in five or ten years. That was before the Internet. Now it takes only five minutes. Speech, fashion, slang, appearance--it all finds its way into white culture. It wouldn't be so bad if so many of them didn't continue to treat black people like dirt. Why don't white people just admit that they admire black people, and let the racism die a natural death? The American nation would become a much better place--and so would the world.

The Supernatural Undergound Book Giveaway

I came across an exciting giveaway on a site called the Supernatural
Underground. There are two prizes, consisting of twelve books each. If you like fanstasy, urban fantasy, dark fantasy, or paranormal romance, this is the contest for you. Two of the books among the prizes offered are "Cheat the Grave" and "The Neon Graveyard", both by Vicki Pettersson, one of my favorite authors, who I had the immense pleasure of meeting recently. I will have more to say about her books shortly, in a future blog. To enter the contest, click on the link listed below, and post a comment about where and how you learn about the books that you buy. To maximize your chances of winning, tweet about it, mention it on facebook, and blog about it, making sure, in each case, to post a link to the website. Happy hunting!

http://supernaturalunderground.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-release-round-up-and-giveaway.html?spref=fb

MythOS: An Imaginative, Funny, Entertaining Mash of Fantasy, Mythology, and Computer Technology

Kelly McCullough is an imaginative genius. He has written a series of novels that deftly combine the concepts of magic and computer technology--and mixed them together with elements of mythology, no less. Webmage, Cybermancy, and Codespell are the three previous offerings in this series. I will focus on MythOS, the fourth book, which was the one that attracted my attention.

Get this: Ravirn--aka Raven--is a sorcerer, a computer hacker extraordinaire, and a relative of the gods--specifically, the umpteenth great-grandson of one of the Greek goddesses known as the Fates. He's also a wiseass whose mouth gets him into frequent trouble. Necessity, a goddess/sentient computer that controls and manages the fates of everything in the universe, has a virus. An attempt to fix this problem accidentally sends Ravirn to another universe, which functions on a different operating system. Whereas his home universe is run by the Greek gods, this new universe is presided over by the Norse gods; here, the Greek gods are considered to be only myths. And Norse magic functions on a completely different operating system, which Raven must hack if he's to have any hope of surviving--let alone returning home. In McCullough's universes, spells are codified and digitized, and utilized with the aid of familiars such as webgoblins and webtrolls, some of which can change into laptops and back again, as needed. There are action and humor aplenty, as Raven struggles to acclimate himself, and recall what he had learned about the Norse gods in school (where he came from, the Norse gods were the myths, and he hadn't paid too much attention in class), while trying not to fatally piss off any Asgardian that he happens to run into. McCullough showcases his knowledge of magic, myth, and computer-tech with a sense of humor and irony that make it clear that he is equally at home in all three worlds. For example, he portrays Loki, the Norse god of mischief, as essentially, a rival hacker from an alternate universe, who's not averse to purloining Raven's trade secrets, while Raven attempts to do the same. Ravirn then faces the daunting task of hacking into Asgard's computer, which is presided over by All-Father Odin--from whose notice nothing escapes. For added flavor and sexual tension, there's Raven's colleague/assistant/lover, Tisiphone, a fiery, generally ruthless Fury who, on any given day of the week, could kiss him, mount him, or kill him--depending upon her mood. All the while, he tries to stay in one piece by keeping his mouth shut. It's a little bit like trying to walk and chew gum at the same time--on a tightrope.

For the confirmed science fiction/fantasy fan, mythology buff, and tech aficionado, MythOS is a literary smorgasbord. For the novices in those areas, it's an inspiration to want to know more about them. No matter what your area of experience and expertise, it's a worthwhile journey off the beaten path. Happy Trails!

Didn't You Know? Oscar Doesn't Like Sci-Fi Blockbusters

Before everyone gets in a huff about the fact that a comparatively unseen, small film like "The Hurt Locker" could beat a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut like "Avatar", let me remind everyone of a salient fact that is usually lost on no one, but, somehow, this year, got lost in the shuffle: Oscar, generally and traditionally, does not like blockbusters. Especially sci-fi blockbusters. Remember "Star Wars"? "Spider-Man"? "Harry Potter"? I could go on and on, but the fact is this: If a film is a commercial success, it's likely to be an Oscar failure. "Titanic" and "Lord of the Rings" are notable exceptions. Oh, the Academy may recognize technical achievements like cinematography and special effects, but Best Picture? For a sci-fi, fantasy, action/adventure, or animated movie? There's a better chance of a black man being elected President. Oh, wait--that already happened. Well, you get my point. The bottom line, for all you science fiction/fantasy/action/animation fans--and believe me, I'm right there with you--is that you should consider yourselves lucky that "Avatar"--and "District 9"! (not to mention, "Up")--were even nominated. That's only ever happened twice before ("Star Wars" and "E.T.").