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Book Publishing A-Z

February 20, 2021 by Eric Johnson Leave a Comment

If you’re reading this, it’s likely you are interested in having a book published or know someone who is—or, you are at least curious about the process. Maybe you’ve done some research on “self” publishing, but it all seems a bit confusing.

Not to worry. By the time you’re finished reading this, you should have a much better understanding as to the process of becoming a published author.

Indeed, that process is far different today than it was just a few years ago. Many of the changes are largely due to ever-evolving technology, as every step in the “author to reader” experience has changed due to those advancements.

Authors of fiction and non-fiction alike have far greater access to information, as well as tools to help in writing process. Spelling and grammar-check programs are common for example, as is voice-to-type/dictation software, and the steady growth and sophistication of the internet and search algorithms make research easy. Together, these changes help free the author of some of the labor and mundane aspects traditionally involved in the creative process of “writing” a book.

How printed books are manufactured today is far different than it was in years past, as advancements in this aspect of the publishing process continues at an ever-increasing pace. Print-on-demand (POD) technology allows one-off, single-book printing to be accomplished at very-low cost, within minutes of an order. This means authors and publishers no longer need order large quantities of books in order to keep unit costs low.

Alongside POD, the process in printing bulk-volume orders has also progressed. Our company, ALIVE Book Publishing, recently placed an order for one of our authors for 5,000 copies of his book. Within five days of the order, all 5,000 copies of his book were en route—printed, bound, boxed, and shipped. Just a few years ago, the printing process alone in this case would have required several weeks at least.

The advent of e-books is of course another change. An e-book is simply a device-friendly PDF (Portable Document File) version that one can read on a mobile device or computer. While not appropriate for all books (better than 80% of book-buyers still prefer the tactile experience of printed books), e-books are an attractive alternative for some books, like the “quick read” while you’re at the beach on your vacation.

Then, there is marketing and distribution. The gorilla in the room here of course, is Amazon. This behemoth is doing its best to dominate the entire book universe. Currently, they list about 33 million books for sale. While responsible for the demise of countless small, independent booksellers—a shame, however you look at it—they are not the “be all end all” in books and publishing for many reasons.

In terms of marketing for example, someone must know about your book before they search for it online. And here, nothing beats good old-fashioned advertising. After all, you came to this article by way of ALIVE’s cover, or the ad on the back cover, am I right? Traditional advertising methods and human-driven public relations are critical elements in the sales process that Amazon does not and cannot provide. At ALIVE Book Publishing, we have re-published several titles for authors who at first tried Amazon’s in-house publishing service. Did you know that most independent, local booksellers won’t list or sell books created through Amazon’s publishing service? Those authors didn’t either.

The fact is, while Amazon is terrific at warehousing and order fulfillment, when it comes to the more specialized aspects of book publishing, marketing, and sales, their automation-algorithm model is no match for the human touch.

New vs Old World of Publishing

“I have a manuscript but would NEVER pay to have my book published.” Those were the words of a young author in response to my mentioning to him that in addition to publishing this magazine, ALIVE publishes books too, but in most cases the author pays the front-end cost to have their work published.

While we sometimes hear the sentiment expressed by this young author, it is a throwback from a bygone era when a handful of large publishing houses served as gatekeepers of the industry. Today, largely due to those technological advancements I mentioned before, this is no longer the case, as independent publishing houses like ALIVE now compete, toe to toe, with better-known publishers like Random House.

In fact, had that author chosen to submit his manuscript to us at ALIVE Books, assuming we approved his work, in as little as 60-90 days his book would have been in front of the same book buyers throughout the world as the current best-selling authors’.

The Three Paths of Book Publishing

There are three ways to have one’s book published: traditional, subsidy, and self-publishing. All have advantages and disadvantages, and the path one takes largely depends upon the reason(s) for wanting to see one’s book in print. Some authors simply want to see their work bound in a book format with the intention of sharing it with family and friends; some have a desire to share their story or communicate an idea, and some have commercial success in mind, even if as only a “side benefit” of reason number two.

Path #1: Traditional Publishing

In the past, the traditional route was considered the only path. This is where an author begins the process by sending query letters—essentially a “sales pitch,” intended to capture the attention of a literary agent or publisher. The query letter includes a description of the work and the intended audience for it, along with some information about the author (a bio). In this case, if the author’s pitch is compelling, they may be afforded an opportunity to have a publisher review the author’s manuscript, and if it is “good enough,” the publishing house may agree to publish the author’s work. If one hopes to have their work considered by publishing houses like Random House or Harper Collins, it is essential that the author be represented by an experienced agent.

Unfortunately for most, this path is a long, unfulfilling process. Few authors “make the cut,” as most agents and large publishing companies are so inundated with queries that they reject all submissions they are unable to classify with 100% certainty as “marketable.”

The most likely candidates to have their work represented by established agents and considered by “Madison Avenue” publishing houses are celebrities and personalities with well-recognized names (the Clintons, Trumps, Kaepernicks, and Kardashians) or authors who have already demonstrated—through previous subsidy or self-publishing success—that their work sells. Publishing is, first and foremost, a business and the days of “speculating” on unknown authors are long gone. The onlyrelevant question publishers ask about an author’s manuscript is: “How many books will sell upon release?”

For example, prior to January 2009, ALIVE Magazine’s fitness columnist was Lorrie Sullenberger, the wife of the now famous pilot, Sully. Prior to his successful landing in the Hudson River, had Sully approached the major publishing houses with a query letter about his experiences as an airline pilot, it’s likely he would have received the typical response—a rejection letter.

However, after a flock of geese collided with his plane and his subsequent artful skill in landing that plane, Sully became an instant celebrity—and a marketable commodity. The result? He was offered a two-book deal by a major publishing house, and eventually a motion picture was produced about the “Miracle on the Hudson.”

While traditional publishing provides advantages—namely brand recognition and the ability to have books placed onto the shelves of major book retailers, the profit margin for authors on each book sold can be miniscule. Publishers are betting on mega-sales—preferably millions of books—so they are looking for authors that fall into just a few, select categories. First, they look for “proven” authors; ones who can re-produce work that will be eagerly snatched-up by fans (the Grishams, Kings, Steels, Pattersons and Rowlings). Next, they are happy to publish the works of someone well known and currently popular; actors, sports stars and politicians for example; or anyone making news, like Sully, right after his remarkable landing.

In all these cases, if all goes as hoped, an author might earn thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. And the publishing houses, of course, enjoy significant returns in all these scenarios too.

But what if you are chosen by a major publishing house and your book doesn’t sell in the thousands? In that case there are challenges associated with traditional publishing. First off, major publishing houses will remove a book from circulation—designate it as “out of print”—if it fails to sell in significant quantities. Worse still, if a book fails to meet the publisher’s sales expectations, they will often demand that any “advances” paid to an author be returned. Ouch!

Unless one has already sold thousands of copies of his work, or has the last name Kardashian or Clinton, authors like the young man mentioned previously will likely never see their book published. The only reasonable—and wisest—route open to this young author is self or subsidy publishing.

Path #2: Self Publishing

It is possible to self-publish your book. The main advantage to self-publishing is that you control 100% of the process. The main disadvantage is… you control 100% of the process!

You will earn the highest margin of profit this way, but that is because you will be doing all the work yourself. The steps involved are numerous, and if your plan is to produce a quality product (your book) that sells well and sells enough copies to be commercially successful, you need a very large tool-box of skill sets.

Self-publishing means that you will not only write your book, you’ll need to edit it, design and create the cover, design and format the interior pages, obtain the necessary ISBN and bar code, file your copyright, and obtain your Library of Congress Control Number. And then you’ll need to know where and how to have your book printed.

Then assuming you want to sell your book with a hope of making money, you’ll need to market it. And even though your profit per book can be higher by doing all the work yourself, you still need to sell a lot of books to make very much. To do that, you’ll need to know how to make your book available through large online resellers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and to thousands of ancillary online wholesalers and retailers. Will you know how and where to make your book available to independent bookstores and libraries throughout the country and worldwide? Will you know how to re-format your book as an e-book and make it available that way in the marketplace, or if it even makes sense to do that? Will you be able to create your own website, promotional materials, and press releases? In short, do you already have the knowledge, technical and artistic skills, connections and resources to truly “publish” and market your book?

Self-publishing is an option if you’ve written a book. . . and then again so is building your own car if you want to travel. . . but sometimes just being the driver—or author—is a more logical choice.

Path #3: Subsidy Publishing

The final path of publishing is subsidy publishing. Years ago this was considered a second rate method, supposedly used only by desperate authors whose work was not “good enough” or had been rejected by traditional publishers. It was implied that authors who chose this route were having their work published merely for the sake of “bragging rights,” as in, “Hello, my name is Joe Smith, and I am an author.”

The fact is, however, many highly successful writers got their start this way, and in light of the realities of traditional and self-publishing, this is the most logical, effective, and affordable way for any author to have their work published.

To be sure, there are a plethora of subsidy publishing companies to be found online, most of which offering a menu of various services designed to get your book published. Most have low cost options to start, but just like in self-publishing, the more they do for you, the more it costs.

One of the major disadvantages of online subsidy publishing companies is their absence of personalized service. Looking at it from their perspective, because they function and compete solely in the very crowded online universe, they have designed their services with that in mind, so they often limit authors to “A, B or C” cover template options for example, or “Gold, Silver and Platinum” packages, each with narrowly defined options. And in most cases, these services are automated, whereby the author’s work is pushed into a pre-existing format—otherwise known as a “cookie cutter process.”

Another important consideration with online subsidy or self-publishing companies is their ability—or, more accurately, lack of—to market and promote an author’s book. While most of these publishers offer a variety of services, they are usually limited to very basic, simple things, like providing the author with a stack of postcards, or to writing up a press release. Some will even claim to include a website, which is often just a page on the web displaying the author’s book, with no functionality included.

The fact is, while web-only, cloud-based publishing services can publish an author’s book, they are limited in what that entails. You won’t be meeting with their art director or designer, for example, to discuss one of the most important marketing elements of any book —the cover; nor will you be able to select a font style from a vast collection of options for the text of your book. And while these online companies claim to offer marketing services, the fact is, they only offer a thin veneer of “marketing-like” resources at best.

Lastly, there is one other type of service to be aware of—authors who have self-published their own book(s) who now advertise themselves as a “publishing company.” While these individuals may have navigated their way through the maze of requirements listed previously so as to get their own book(s) listed on Amazon, this type of service is often akin to someone who wins a case in traffic court marketing themselves as a lawyer. If the first book they published was their own, they may be qualified to guide an author in the self-publishing process, but they are hardly a publishing “company.”

Are There Any Other Options?

Does all this sound a bit hopeless? Are you beginning to wonder if there are any viable options available to the author who wants to have their book not just published, but effectively and successfully marketed as well?

Yes, Option #4: ALIVE Book Publishing!

Let’s get something out of the way right now: Regardless of the reason that an author has for wanting to have their book published, the only reason any publisher will agree to publish an author’s work is if they believe it will be a profitable venture; plainly stated, the goal is to make money—period. Large commercial publishers are banking on a proven track record or an author’s celebrity status, while online subsidy publishers offer only a cookie-cutter process and are ill-equipped for little more.

After thinking about this dilemma, it occurred to us that with our vast experience in magazine publishing, we could create a kind of “hybrid” publishing company that not only publishes an author’s work but does so in ways that meet authors’ unique needs and situations.

Enter, ALIVE Book Publishing, where we provide what no online publishing company can—a one-on-one, face-to-face relationship, every step of the way. We consider every publishing project to be a partnership, so we work with our authors and their projects in a hands-on, individual way.One size does not fit all with ALIVE, so we don’t have set formulas for the projects we accept. We sometimes invest more in a project than the author because our goal is for the author’s book to sell successfully over the long term.

And, ALIVE is uniquely equipped to market and advertise an author’s book because we are the only publisher with multi-media marketing and advertising tools, and the expertise required to put real power into a local national, and international book launch.

What Can ALIVE Publishing do for the Author?

The typical services we provide for all authors includes personal advice as to the overall concept of the book project; a custom cover design; layout and formatting of the book’s interior pages; the determination of the best price for the book; obtaining the required ISBN and bar code for the book; filing for a Library of Congress Control Number; Copyright filing; and POD (print on demand) set-up of every book.

We then advertise all our authors’ books in the Ingram Book Catalog, reaching every bookstore and library in the country. This is THE catalog book retailer use to choose what books they will sell in their stores. We also list all our authors’ books through major online distribution channels like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target.com, and Walmart.com, as well as throughout an established network of booksellers worldwide. ALIVE Books’ direct print book markets include the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, India, China, Japan, and South Korean. Additionally, ALIVE Books reaches over 100 countries and territories through a vast network of over 40,000 wholesale and retail distribution channels in a relationship with Ingram Books.

We are also able to provide comprehensive editing and formatting in all e-book formats, and we offer a wide variety of marketing and advertising options. We create and run display ads in ALIVE Magazine; create professional, fully-functional order-fulfillment-capable websites, and can produce professional videos for online and TV, and can conduct local or national public relations campaigns.

Putting it All Together: What Does it All Mean?

While advances in technology have radically changed the publishing landscape to the point where anyone with a computer and a credit card can become a published author, as I noted earlier, this is not going to be enough if an author wants to successfully break into the book market.

If everyone on the planet already knows who you are, you might consider having your book published via the traditional path. If you have all the skills and resources to go it alone, self-publishing may work, and if you’re only interested in a short-lived yet expensive ego boost, go ahead and send your manuscript into “the cloud,” and hope for the best.

But if your goal is to be serious about your book project and its chances for success, I suggest you elicit the aid of and partnership with a local publishing company that will be as serious and careful about your project as you are—ALIVE Book Publishing.

Email or call me today at 925-837-7303 for a free, confidential, one-on-one appointment, and tomorrow you may be well on your way toward having your book published!

“Rotics” & Friendship

February 20, 2021 by Stacey Hallissey Leave a Comment

My writing assignment was to write about relationships. As I write this, we are T- minus twenty days from the mother of all relationship days—Valentine’s. Whether you are pro or con this holiday, if Hallmark, 1-800-Flowers, and See’s Candies have anything to do with it, it is here to stay. There have been countless poems, books and ROMCOMS dedicated to the “romantic” relationship so I will leave that to others who are far more qualified. I will spend my time on the “Rotic” relationship. Quite simply, Rotic is “romantic without the man.”

This is in no way a “man bashing” commentary, it is simply meant to focus on the beauty of the friendship and sisterhood amongst girls and women. I am sure there are similar relationships amongst men, but we would need a man to tap into that perspective. I can only comment on my Rotic relationships.

Anyone want to go on a little trip? Let’s go way back to September 1979; Fresno State University, Homan Hall, second floor, dorm cafeteria. It was a freshman orientation “get acquainted” dance. There was also a pair of white painter’s pants—no, not on me, on a super-cute guy at the dorm dance—along with nine girls sitting on the sidelines of a room that smelled of French Fries and nervousness.

While we were mainly “observing,” we were also “leaning in”—before “leaning in” was a thing—and that was only to get a better look at the hunky white painter’s pants dancing machine right in front of us. At some point, when painter’s pants boy never asks you to dance, you decide it’s time to go. Yeah, the other nine girls join in and decide to call it a night too.

How random is it when we all walk back to not only the same dorm, oh my gosh, the same floor! Sitting in the corridor junction the questions start to fly. What’s your room number? Who is your roommate? What’s your major? Where are you from? Do you have a boyfriend? What did you think of the butt on the painter’s pants guy? Why does it smell so weird in Fresno? We don’t realize it yet, because we are too young to understand, but something special is happening. We all think it’s fun in the dorms; we’re totally cool, and how lucky we are to have just met a new group of friends.

As time goes by, it is the typical college experiences that bind us: first loves, first breakups, firsts that you don’t want to talk about including, parents divorcing, fake IDs, good grades, bad grades, stolen (borrowed) cars, risky road trips, and broken hearts.

Our group grows when we meet some of the boys on the other side of the junction. Thick as thieves, we travel in a pack (much to the dismay of everyone else around us) but we feel safe, invincible, and loved without needing to explain it to others; it just is and we know it to be true.

The next phase in life includes graduations (some take longer than others), marriages (some have more than others), moves out of state, etc., and yet we all feel the need to stay connected because it doesn’t seem to take any effort at all. Since we are young, gainfully employed, and each of us has more than fifty dollars in the bank, we decide to try and get together once a year.

Initially it doesn’t take any effort at all and if you are counting, we are now at about forty-one years of getting together—that is until COVID messed up our perfect record.

We still have the same core group of nine girls and now have two more; both added when the boys we were closest to from across the junction met their wives. Forty-one years and countless pinky-swear private bathroom conversations later, our experiences now include more than just the fun stuff: divorces, affairs, Alzheimer’s, arrests, drug addiction, suicide, should we continue to do this, money concerns, cancer, and death just to name a few. With this girl group, we can spill our guts or say nothing. We can talk every day or go months without speaking. We can see each other throughout the year or only at the annual party. We are Christians and agnostics. We are Democrats and Republicans. We are sports nuts and lovers of the theater. We agree and we fight. We are pro-gun and advocates for gun control. We are 49ers and Raider Nation. We may or may not be friends if we were to meet today, but I’d like to think we would be.

I am not sure what the next 20 years will bring, but I know for sure we will still get together. Who knows if we will all be able to fit in the bathroom with the addition of raised toilet seats, canes and walkers, but I can assure you we will try and the conversations will be just as lively and real as they always have been.

If Cupid had shown up and asked me what would I like as my Valentine’s Day wish and I had to choose between a romantic evening with George Clooney or a Rotic evening with my girl group, I can assure you I am picking Clooney. The primary reason? They would want me to. They would never forgive me if I didn’t. However, they would insist on a “bathroom talk” and want me to share every detail, no matter how big or how small.

Side Bar: “You can do it,” he said. “It will be easy,” he said. “I’ll help you through it,” he said.

“Here goes nothing,” I said, while under my breath, I was taking his name in vain. Not the capital “HIS”, but the lower case “his” as in one of your favorite contributors to this magazine—Mike Copeland.

I have known Mike for many years, and he has always encouraged me to try my hand at writing. I am not a writer nor never intended to become a writer. I am a healthcare professional who writes in medical charts which automatically makes my writing illegible and based off some language with roots in the always popular, Latin. In full disclosure, the only writing of mine that Mike has ever read has been my annual Christmas letter, which he always seems to enjoy. I’m only assuming, but he must have been given an assignment by his editor to find new blood and someone willing to write an ALIVE article for free.

After what I can assume was a resounding no from everyone in his Rolodex (yes, I said Rolodex), he tapped me and eventually I acquiesced, so don’t judge him too harshly if this turns out to be a flop.

Successful Authors

February 20, 2021 by Eric Johnson Leave a Comment

When I meet with authors who are considering working with us to have their book published, I am sometimes asked, “What is your most successful book?” Generally, what they really want to know is, have we –ALIVE Book Publishing—published any books that have become commercially successful? Are there some “best sellers” amongst the many titles ALIVE Books has released over the years?

While I suppose it’s a fair question, this exchange is always a bit awkward because I know my answer is likely to be, for lack of a better word, unfulfilling.

“It depends,” is what I tell them, “upon what you mean by ‘successful.’”

The awkwardness comes precisely at that moment when the author rightfully realizes that the potential for commercial success (or failure) for his or her book has absolutely zero relation to that of other books we have published.

The question is asked innocently enough—the author wants to know if we “know what we’re doing.” Is ALIVE a reputable publishing company? Does ALIVE have the marketing and distribution capabilities to get their book into the market? But that’s not all. They also want to know if we can “make” their book become a bestseller. Do we have the “secret sauce” that will put them on the New York Times list?

We’ve had authors break down and cry when we handed them the first published copy of their book—the fulfillment of a lifelong goal, realized. That was “success.” I have heard countless accounts of how lives have been touched and even healed, not by anything we did, but by the heartfelt labor of one author’s investment in a 25+ year project, now realized in a four-volume history of the Vietnam War. This is “success.”

Secret sauce? No such thing exists—a fact that applies to everyone in every area of life. If no one has ever told you, I am telling you now: Success can mean many different things. Don’t ever judge yourself or your potential, based upon what others have done.

To my knowledge, every book we have ever published has been a smashing success, albeit none having yet been noticed by anyone at the New York Times.

Market Mania Momentum

February 20, 2021 by John Gardner Leave a Comment

Momentum is defined by Websters as: “strength or force gained by motion or by a series of events.” There is certainly momentum in the stock market now. I’ll get to mania below….

Where is the market now and how did it get here?? The simple answer is the stock market it at record highs because there are more buyers than sellers. Simple is not always better. Yes, the U.S. major stock market indexes are at the highest in history (as of today, February 19, 2021), but a better answer to how it got here is much more insightful than “more buyers than sellers”. Sure, the basic law of supply and demand determines price. But it is the factors driving demand for stocks over the last near-year that explain the higher price momentum and has fueled what some say is a stock market mania now. Okay, time for a reminder on “mania”. Oxford Languages defines mania as “an excessive enthusiasm or desire; an obsession.” What the world witnessed in GameStop stock recently is an excellent example. There are many examples besides GameStop. Speculation in cryptocurrencies, EV’s, marijuana, clean energy and other headline-grabbing “disrupters” are making mania-like moves.

In this month’s Investor’s Edge column, I want to shed a bright light (think of a yellow traffic signal light) on the stock market’s level today, the catalysts that got it here and what you as an investor should consider. So, with signs of a market mania and what is realistically unsustainable price momentum in many stocks, I think is helpful to understand the major factors fueling a seemingly insatiable appetite for quick, short-term profits. What you should consider for your own benefit will be discussed below.

There are numerous factors that have led to mania investing in high-risk segments of the stock market (as I noted above). Here are a few I think have fed the frenzy the most. What has been happening in the stock market has been extraordinary. Looking back over my near 37-year career as an investment advisor, only the 1999/2000 climactic run-up in the market resembles the market now.

* * SPACS – These are the new IPO’s. SPAC’s (Special Purpose Acquisition Corporations) are created and issued to public investors by their “promotors”. In my experience, anytime investments are promoted they rarely end well. SPAC’s have had incredible growth. Last year the number of new SPAC issues was 4 times 2019’s offerings – and that was the previous high. The $70 billion raised by SPAC’s last year was 5 times the 2019 amount.

* * Social Media – Reddit and “subreddit” WallStreetBets, Twitter and message boards throughout the internet have had a massive impact on specific stocks. The likes of Reddit and Robinhood’s trading platform have made stock speculation a cultural phenomenon.

* * Margin – Investment leverage is achieved through investing borrowed money. This is called margin. Like other aggressive investment techniques, margin investing adds another element of risk. Sure, margin trading can result in higher profit potential than traditional investing. Investors use of margin has soared in recent months.

* * Options – Stock options, especially buying “call” options, have seen volumes explode to the upside recently. This is a classic sign of stock speculators gambling on specific stocks going up. Buying options is another form of stock leverage and usually best used by investment professionals. In the last 9 months, they have been used my many million relatively new investors. Like all gambling, option trading is a zero-sum game. The few winners win what the many losers lose.

* * Short Squeezes – While generally reserved for experienced investors, short selling in some stocks has back-fired. Short selling stock basically involves selling borrowed stock. The short seller hopes to sell the borrowed stock at a high price and then buy it back lower later to return the shares to the lender. If, instead, the borrowed stock goes up, the short seller then is likely to buy the stock back quickly to minimize the loss of paying more than it was sold for initially. A short squeeze is an attack on short sellers and occurs when great demand all at once to buy a specific stock forces the short seller to buy the stock to “cover his shorts”. This was at the epicenter of the GameStop stock craze.

All the above, and more, have led to the…

* * FOMO – Fear of missing out is at full force during a mania. Too many people know too many people making too much “easy” money. It is the great human condition, emotional. This speaks to the psychology of investing and is typical of investor behavior. Fight it! Avoid the temptation.

Now, what might you do. First, have an investment plan. Secondly, stick to it. As a SCUBA diver, I respect the mantra, “Plan your dive, and dive your plan.” All investors should plan their investments and invest with their plan. Yes, the FOMO feeling is hard to resist. But if your long-term, reasonable risk investment plan doesn’t allow for speculation – then don’t do it. Investing and gambling are quite different. You know that. And remember, the stock market is not a casino. Also remember, “what goes up, must come down”. After a remarkable advance since last April, the stock market at some time will go down. Before that happens, ask yourself how you feel if the value of your stock investments dropped 25 or 30 or 40 percent. What would you do? Know those answers before it happens. The opposite of FOMO is GMON (Get Me Out Now). Avoid reacting emotionally to a falling market. Have an exit strategy in your plan.

I hope this helps make some sense of what appears to be a market mania and more importantly, what you might do now.

Invest wisely!

Margarita March

February 20, 2021 by Elizabeth Kate Leave a Comment

Income taxes are due at the normal time this year – April 15! No quarantine extensions for 2021. That officially makes March “Tax Season,” which means we probably need a stiff drink right about now. Why not sip everyone’s favorite south-of-the-border specialty – the margarita!

Nothing quenches your thirst and lights up your palate better than a margarita. The tang of fresh limes, the fiery bite of good tequila, a hint of orange, and the zip of salt crystals all work together to create a little piece of heaven on earth. But what’s the secret to a good margarita? The ingredients, of course!

The base of a top-notch margarita is tequila. Go quality or go home! Don’t bother with the cheap stuff. It’s filled with artificial coloring and who knows what else. All of those additives are responsible for the very worst hangovers. If you choose a fine tequila, not only will the taste be pure, but your body won’t suffer for your questionable choices the morning after.

When purchasing tequila, look for the words “100% Blue Weber Agave” on the label. Any tequila worth its salt is crafted exclusively from this succulent plant. The blue weber agave is native to our southern neighbor, Mexico, known for its hot climate, beautiful beaches, delicious food, and the actual town of Tequila, in the state of Jalisco, the birthplace of the spirit.

Tequila is divided into five categories: gold, blanco, reposado, anejo, and extra anejo. Gold tequila is simply a low-quality “mixto” – a blend of tequila and neutral cane spirit with colors, flavors, and thickeners thrown in. It’s easy on the wallet but hard on the gut. Avoid it at all costs!

A margarita can be made with any of the remaining categories depending on the preference of the drinker. Blanco (also called “silver”) tequila offers a fresh, citrusy taste and a savory pepper bite. Pungent in nature, blanco tequila carries the true essence of the blue weber agave plant, unaffected by wood or age.

But some prefer their tequila aged! The aging process allows the spirit to mature and develop fine secondary aromas and flavors of vanilla, spice, and wood. Reposado or “rested” tequila is aged in barrel for three to twelve months. Pale amber in color, a reposado tequila has a more mellow taste than a blanco but still offers up plenty of that notorious tequila fire. Anejo or “aged” tequila is aged one to three years in old Kentucky bourbon barrels. Anejo tequila is deep amber in color and full-bodied, with sweet notes of vanilla and toffee rounded off by that classic peppery agave. Extra anejo is the most expensive tequila and aged three to four years in old bourbon barrels. Always made with a distillery’s finest spirits, extra anejo is best served neat or splashed onto the top of a margarita for added intrigue.

For something decidedly different, a margarita can be made with mezcal in the place of tequila. Whereas tequila must be crafted with the weber blue agave, mezcal can be made with any agave plant. Tequila’s clean, fresh flavor is created by steaming the heart of the agave plant while mezcal’s strong, smoky notes comes from roasting this heart with lava rocks. Although some love it and some love to hate it, mezcal added to any cocktail contributes a distinctly earthy flavor and ashy aroma.

A classic margarita is made with tequila, an abundance of fresh lime juice, and a citrus liqueur. In a pinch, triple sec can be used, but for a truly divine margarita, Cointreau or Grand Marnier is preferred. Both liqueurs are of French origin, but Cointreau possesses a bright, zesty orange flavor while Grand Marnier boasts an orange essence with lofty notes of vanilla and oak. Cointreau is a little sassier while Grand Marnier is richer, heavier, and a bit sweeter than Cointreau. Sample them both and choose your favorite!

When you’ve assembled the finest ingredients – 2 oz. tequila, 2 oz. liqueur, 2 oz fresh lime juice – add them to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until well-chilled. For authenticity, don’t forget to salt the rim of the glass with coarse salt! Pour over fresh ice and serve.

The margarita has arrived. Salud!

Questions or comments can be sent to 4elizabethkate@gmail.com. Follow Elizabeth Kate on Instagram at @ielizabethkate!

Gods & Generals

February 20, 2021 by Carolyn Hastings 1 Comment

Vote the Bums Out! We’re living in interesting times. But, maybe not the most interesting times. Gods and Generals is part of a trilogy. The Civil War had just begun. Many of the same issues we are having today are bubbling up. Freedom. Slavery. While that may have been the trigger, the real issue, in my opinion, was that they had different States of the Union that were very diverse. Diverse in where their people settled from, diverse in how they believed government should be handled. Diverse in the power of the Union versus the States of that Union. The state lines had definitely started to blur. Moving from one state to another was happening. Although a century had passed, our Nation was still in infancy.

Gods and Generals was based on Jeffrey M. Shaara’s bestseller, and recounts the fierce allegiances and combat of the early Civil War. This American Period piece war drama was written and directed by Ronald F. Maxwell. A strong cast of Stephen Lang as Stonewall Jackson, Jeff Daniels as Lt. Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, and Robert Duvall as General Robert E. Lee, all delivering amazing performances. When in character Duvall actually looks like Lee!

Abraham Lincoln had just taken office after running on an anti-slavery ticket. In 1861 there were 34 U.S. States, seven of those seceded, all southern, forming the Confederate States of America. That number grew to 11 plus Kentucky and Missouri. Yes, it was about slaves, but it was also about money and access to a labor force. It’s interesting that the 1860 Census showed 31,429,891 people living in the United States at that time. Of that number, 3,952,838 were slaves. A work force. One hundred and sixty years have passed.

We have moved past owning humans but, as a nation, the scars are still with us. It’s estimated that 750,000 soldiers, plus unknown number of civilians died during the Civil War—more than all wars combined until Vietnam. Four million slaves were freed. Yes, you just have to look backwards at our history to know that the trajectory of the United States of America was changed forever.

We aren’t talking about robots or drones used as delivers of doom, we are talking hand to hand combat, human lives, for the most part white, who gave their lives for their fellow human beings in the quest for a better world.

As you may have guessed, I’m a student of history, or I strive to be. In the last year I have taken three Constitution Classes. Don’t laugh, I still don’t know what I should know about it to be a good citizen even though these classes are taught by Constitutional scholars. But every time I take another one, I learn a little more. Maybe one day, I will learn enough to be worthy to be called a citizen of the United States of America. What a gift from the many men and women who have given their last ounce of courage to give me this incredible place to live. Our forefathers, in my humble opinion, were ordained by God to design and build the structure for a country that has lasted for nearly two hundred and fifty years.

Now, I’m going to continue to learn and teach. I will be a Constitutional Coach (facilitator actually) to help educate those who choose to be educated. Therein, lies the problem, preserving our form of government is not a choice. Classes are free, we don’t get paid and we don’t charge. We do it for our “love of country.” Watching Gods and Generals is a good start!

They carried the same Bible

They believed in the same God

One side fought for God’s Glory

The other for His Kingdom on Earth

But for the duration of the War

God Refused to Take Sides

As always if you have any comments or questions, contact me at carolyn@carolynhastings.com

Dwarf Peaches & Whiteflies

February 20, 2021 by Buzz Bertolero Leave a Comment

Q. Sitting on my deck is a Genetic Dwarf Peach in a container that I planted last spring. How do I go about pruning it since it’s a compact and bushy grower?

A. The popularity of genetic dwarf fruit trees increases as gardeners with small yards look to pick homegrown fruit. Their bushy and compact growth habit comes from the space between two leaves, also called internodes, which is very short. They’re also desirable, as you don’t need a tall ladder to manage them; although, some varieties can grow to ten feet if left unpruned. Genetic dwarf peaches and nectarines are excellent container plants on decks, patios, and balconies. They’re often used as a substitute for citrus and make handsome landscape shrubs, and require little pruning each year. Pruning involves thinning the branches to open up the canopy to maintain the tree’s height and spread. You also strengthen limbs by removing entire branches instead of reducing their length. It would help if you had strong branches to support the weight of the fruit. Fruit production occurs on the higher branches’ extremities, so removing this growth is not a severe problem. Besides, you should remove any of the rubbing and crossing branches keeping those branches that best add to the plant’s overall shape. This improves the air circulation, which is essential for controlling disease and allows more sunlight to reach the ripening fruits in the trees’ center. The dead or dying twigs and branches are also removed. This dieback tends to occur in the lower section due to the shading from the dense growth. You remove any unwanted growth and or suckers on an as-needed basis during the balance of the year. And finally, genetic dwarf peaches and nectarines are susceptible to Peach Leaf Curl. You apply a Copper Fungicide starting in late November. Right now. I’d make two applications, with the last one occurring just as the buds are swelling and showing color. This is called ‘the pink bud’ stage.

Q. What is the best spray plan for peach and other fruit trees? What if rain prohibits on scheduled dates?

A. Peach Leaf Curl is the primary concern with Peaches and Nectarines, with a Copper Fungicide being the dormant spray. I suggest you apply a Copper Fungicide dormant spray. You need to start with one application in the late fall after fifty percent of the leaves have dropped off. The next application is around mid-February. You want to wait until the buds are about to open. This is called the pink bud stage or popcorn stage. Rain is a big problem as it will wash the Peach Leaf Curl spores into the open buds and infect them. Hence, you want clear dry conditions when the trees are in bloom. You can spray now, but your first application is best made in the fall. With the other fruit trees except for citrus, one application of a Copper Fungicide made in January-February is sufficient.

Q. I had a severe infestation of Whiteflies last year. Can I spray a dormant spray to prevent them from returning?

A. Whitefly is a summer, pest problem that plagues vegetable gardens, evergreen shrubs, and herbicides plants such as Escallonias, Pyracantha, Geraniums, and Fuchsias. It’s beneficial to make one application of an oil spray to evergreen shrubs during the winter months. It will clean up the over-wintering Whiteflies; however, it will not eradicate the problem from returning. Whiteflies are mobile so that they can migrate in from other yards. Whiteflies are a severe problem on tomatoes, squash, peppers, eggplant, melons, and pumpkins. The population starts slowly, and they build up rapidly when the temperatures warm up. When the temperatures are over eighty-five degrees, whiteflies can complete a generation in as little as eighteen days. You must be proactive before this happens. It very difficult to control the Whiteflies once the population explodes. The first thing you need to do is to be diligent in looking for them early on. In April, I’d place several yellow sticky traps in the area where they were a problem last year. The adults are attracted to the color yellow and are then caught when they land in the clear sticky resin. The traps monitor the activity and level of adult Whiteflies in your garden. Once I see Whiteflies in the traps, I then start looking at the underside of the host plants’ leaves. Early on, you can just pick the infected leaves off and discard them. When the population starts to build up, you spray with an oil product. The best time of the day to spray is in the early evening, just before the sunset. Your goal is to keep the population at a manageable level, so you need to be pro-active all summer long. The biggest mistake in a vegetable garden is waiting to do something. By mid-summer, when the population is huge, your best alternative is to dig the vegetable plants up and discard them.

Be a Light

January 27, 2021 by Michael Copeland Leave a Comment

Last year, one of my favorite country music artists, Thomas Rhett, came out with a song entitled Be A Light. Contrary to popular belief, the song was not about proper illumination, but more an anthem of initiating a positive change in attitude and action. The chorus lyrics go a little something like this:

In a world full of hate, be a light
When you do somebody wrong, make it right
Don’t hide in the dark, you were born to shine
In a world full of hate, be a light

Given the current climate in our country, truer words have never been spoken or sung. I want to be a light. If I was going to be an actual “light,” would I be a flashlight or a light bulb? I like the thought of being a spotlight, search light, night light or lighthouse. I have always enjoyed how fireworks light up the sky. Props go out to both Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison for their contributions to light.

I joke, or pitifully attempt to, when obviously, Mr. Rhett is trying to musically inspire a nation of people to be a ray of light with the hope of bringing us out of this somewhat dark time in history. He is essentially saying that it’s time we put aside our partisan agenda and focus on bringing the citizens of our neighborhoods, cities, states, and nation together again for the greater good and prosperity of our entire country.

Thomas and I truly believe if we don’t start turning darkness into light, we’re destined for a Hunger Games type future. The Hunger Games were very impactful books, pretty good movies, but a really distressing vision of the future. My guess is none of us want our grandkids to be tributes chosen to fight to the death for the betterment of the capital. To ensure that isn’t the path we’re headed down, we’re going to need a reckoning and perhaps that reckoning starts with a song.

I grew up on a military base with the children of Navy and Marine officers and enlisted men. We were a small and diverse nation of every race, religion, ethnicity and GPA. To probably no one’s surprise, I was on the lower end of the GPA scale. That said, growing up together from the time we were infants and toddlers through high school, I’m comfortable saying we didn’t see color or political preference in our friends.

Our military base gang were often lightning rods for mischief and mayhem, but those kids went on to become teachers, policeman, firemen, software engineers, real estate and insurance agents, business owners—and one poor sole even thinks he’s a writer.

As children of military men and women, we were all raised to respect each other and our country. We played, learned, traveled, fought, dated, and competed against each other in a healthy and productive environment. That appears to be a concept that has slipped between the cracks, however, it’s not inconceivable that it could be brought back if we all tried to be a light.

Ironically, I remember chasing Fireflies as a child. What better way to exemplify being a light than having your butt actually light up? I wish my bottom could light up just for the sake of this article.

A few people that I think exemplify being “lights” in society today include:

Tom Brady, who, as a 43 year old NFL quarterback, headed to his 10^th Super Bowl, lights up the NFL with every victory.

Amanda Gorman shone brightly when the 22-year-old American Poet graced the stage at President Biden’s inauguration.

John Krasinski (formerly a cast member on The Office) shows us the lighter side of life with his “Some Good News” Show.

The health care workers throughout the country who deal with COVID-19 are truly bright lights in the pandemic darkness.

Lights that were recently extinguished include:

Eddie Van Halen whose guitar licks loved the spotlight.
The same could be said for Hank Aaron as he lit up Major League Baseball when he broke Babe Ruth’s home run record back in the day.
And then there’s Larry King, who truly seemed to love the limelight as he conducted over 50,000 interviews.

On a “lighter” note, I find those Progressive Insurance commercials where Dr. Rick, the Parental Life Coach, helps people from turning into their parents. Those spots are incredibly enlightening. They are so me. I do virtually all the things pointed out in that entertaining series of 30 second TV ads, including introducing myself to my waiter at a restaurant, groaning when I get up from sitting in a chair, offering advice to other customers at Home Depot, and being intimidated by technology—just like my dad used to do.

Finally, it’s a beautiful sight seeing the sun light warm the I-680 hillside, between Stone Valley Road and El Pintado in Alamo, where a zebra, camel, llamas, Shetland Ponies and other animals roam.

If you’re interested, the entirety of Rhett’s song goes a little something like this:

In a time full of war, be peace
In a time full of doubt, just believe
Yeah, there ain’t that much difference between you and me
In a time full of war, be peace

In a place that needs change, make a difference
In a time full of noise, just listen
‘Cause life is but a breeze, better live it
In a place that needs a change, make a difference

In a race that you can’t win, slow it down
Yeah, you only get one go around
‘Cause the finish line is six feet in the ground
In a race you can’t win, just slow it down

In a world full of hate, be a light (oh)
When you do somebody wrong, make it right (make it right)
Don’t hide in the dark (don’t hide in the dark), you were born to shine
In a world full of hate, be a light

Yeah, it’s hard to live in color, when you just see black and white
In a world full of hate, be a light

I look forward to seeing and meeting more lights in and around town. Let’s turn our high beams on and move forth into the New Year. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, and collectively we can illuminate the future.

Freedom of Speech?

January 21, 2021 by Eric Johnson Leave a Comment

In mid-October 2020, the New York Post, one of the longest-running, largest circulation newspapers in the country, published a story about our new president’s son, Hunter Biden. The story contained information that had been obtained from a laptop that once belonged to Hunter. The information included volumes of documents, emails, and saved copies of text messages regarding Hunter’s business dealings in a number of foreign countries, as well as less-than-flattering personal images and videos.

The story was largely ignored or dismissed by every other news outlet in the country, except Fox News. It was censored entirely by Twitter and severely restricted by Facebook—essentially hidden from the American public. Why?

If anyone bothered to inquire, the reasons given seemed to change by the minute. “The story is false,” became, “The material was ‘hacked’,” became “This matter has already been covered, and Hunter didn’t do anything illegal.” Whatever the reason, it didn’t seem to matter to anyone.

The important thing was, by being ignored or hidden by the media, the message being communicated to the public—that is, the voting citizens of America—was that this story was of no value or importance, deserving no scrutiny whatsoever.

But was that true? What if this story was important? What if it was so important, it might even have the power to sway the opinions of the American people enough to change the outcome of an election?

Heart of the Story

Contrary to past statements by Joe Biden regarding Hunter’s foreign business dealings, some of the emails and text messages on the laptop suggested that not only did Joe have knowledge of Hunter’s activity, but he was directly involved to some degree. If this was true it meant the Democrat candidate for president had been and was continuing to lie about the matter.

Direct involvement by Joe Biden could create the potential for foreign influence or coercion by foreign actors, should Biden win the presidency in the 2020 election. And it would have been illegal if he was, in fact, actively involved while serving as Vice President in the Obama Administration.

When a slim number of legitimate journalists did muster the courage to poke their noses out from behind their “Covid and truth-filtering masks” to ask then-candidate Joe Biden about the story, he bristled and scolded them for asking, parroting the narratives being sold to Americans by the mainstream media. The question that had been and was again being asked of Joe Biden was, “Did you know of, and if so, what did you know, about your son’s business dealings in Ukraine and elsewhere?” Repeatedly, Joseph Biden’s answer was that he was not involved in, and was unaware of, the details of Hunter’s business activity.

Upon publication of the Post article, the few questions that reporters did ask Biden or his handlers were all met with flat-out denials, coupled with the narrative that the story was fake—a “hit piece” or conspiracy theory—likely concocted by Trump with help from Vladimir Putin.

Then, an inconvenient truth emerged that changed the dynamics of the story in an important way. Many of the emails and texts on the laptop included conversations Hunter Biden had with one of his business partners, Tony Bobulinski.

Upon learning of Joe Biden’s flippant characterizations of the story and hearing him repeatedly deny knowledge of or involvement in Hunter’s business affairs, Bobulinski, was incensed.

In a very public way, Joe Biden was not only calling Tony Bobulinski a liar, he stayed silent when California Congressman Adam Schiff said the story was just Kremlin-created disinformation. Then, by choosing to ignore, bury, or censor the story, a corrupt media happily advanced that narrative—that Bobulinski was merely part of a Russian “disinformation campaign.” Even so-called “intelligence experts” weighed in on this, adding to the Kremlin connection lie.

Up until the time it became apparent that Joe Biden was willing to lie about the matter and by so doing, disparage Bobulinski’s reputation and honor, Bobulinski had no desire to expose what he knew about the “Biden Backroom Business Cabal.” But he had no choice. He had to set the record straight, clear his family name, and, feeling a patriotic duty, Bobulinski announced that he would hold a news conference. He assumed the media would want to hear his first-hand account about the Biden family’s business dealings in Ukraine, China, and elsewhere.

So, on October 22, 2020, Bobulinski appeared before a small gathering of reporters—none from any of the major networks, however—to tell what he knew about Joe Biden’s involvement with Hunter’s businesses. He had direct, first-hand knowledge about everything claimed in the Post story and said it was all true, and in an hour-long interview with Tucker Carlson of Fox News conducted a week later, he said Joe Biden was lying about the matter.

Some of what Bobulinski revealed in the interview were saved conversations that included an exchange between Tony Bobulinski and Hunter, where Tony was instructed to never refer to Hunter’s father by name. Subsequently, Joe Biden was referred to in numerous texts and emails as “the Big Guy,” and specifically by Hunter Biden as “My Chairman.” Part of Hunter’s conversations regarding one particular deal with a company operated by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) specifically mentions that “Ten percent be put aside for the ‘Big Guy’.”

But the unequivocal “bombshell” revealed in the Carlson interview was that Bobulinski had personally met with Joe Biden for no other reason than to establish Biden’s direct involvement in the business partnership. Hunter wanted to reassure Bobulinski that their business ventures would be successful, precisely because of the credibility and clout of the Biden name, since the ex-vice president was Hunter’s “Chairman,” serving as the figurehead of the enterprise.

So, on May 2, 2017, Hunter Biden introduced Tony Bobulinski to the ex-vice president and his brother, Jim Biden, at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel, where Joe Biden was attending the Milken Conference. They had a cordial meeting, where it was clearly established and understood that a new corporate entity would be established—whose partners would include Hunter Biden, Jim Biden (Joe’s brother and advisor), James Gilliar, Rob Walker, Tony Bobulinski (as CEO), and Joe Biden as a kind of “silent partner”—that would operate as part of the Biden family business.

Soon after this meeting, Bobulinski had a private meeting with Joe Biden’s brother and personal advisor, Jim Biden. Realizing that this proposed business arrangement with the man who might well become the next president of the United States could lead not only to considerable scrutiny but also great legal risk, Bobulinski asked Jim Biden a pointed question: “How are you guys getting away with this? Aren’t you concerned?”

Jim Biden’s answer was, “Plausible deniability.”

All of Bobulinski’s claims, and more, were later verified as being legitimate in an investigation conducted in the United States Senate.

So, What Does All This Mean?

Why does any of this matter? Americans have become weary of “October Surprises”—the scandals and character assassinations that always pop up just before a major election. Is this in anyway different? Why should anyone care?

Soon after all this broke, I released a podcast about it, pleading that people pay attention and that everyone should be “scared to death” about the danger in all of this. I spoke with friends and relatives about it, most of them completely unaware of the story—a fact that makes my point to anyone thinking clearly.

And for some, after I made them aware of the story, they essentially replied making the point, “So what; all politicians lie and use their power to enrich themselves.” Sadly, I fear these well-meaning friends and relatives either miss the larger point, or have given up on the importance of truth, fairness, and free and fair elections.

Yet, as bad as the facts are in this case, there looms a greater issue here that threatens our liberty and the very survival of our Republic—an issue that vast numbers of Americans are either unaware of, or don’t care about.

The Greatest Threat to Our Freedom Is Upon Us

If I ask you, “Is censorship a good or bad thing,” what would be your answer? I imagine you would say, “bad.” Then I would ask, “Why is it bad?” Do you know?

Right now, many Americans seem unclear or confused about this. Some Americans apparently believe certain words or expressions are so “wrong,” that if they are not already “illegal,” perhaps they should be. “After all,” they say, “even the word ‘fire’ is wrong, if you yell it out in a crowded theater.”

In fact, using that particular word, in that manner, under those circumstances, is a crime; one worthy of possible imprisonment. But it’s not the word itself that is wrong, it is how it is used—in what context and under what circumstances—that determines whether a crime has been committed.

The same thing applies to speech that incites violence. In both cases, the point is, in America, where the right to speak, write, and otherwise express ourselves freely—a sacred right guaranteed by the First Amendment—circumstances determine when and why words might be “regulated,” and those circumstances are defined within the guidelines of existing law. So even so-called “hate speech” isn’t illegal, nor is using the dreaded “N” word, depending upon the circumstances in which it is used.

Adding to Americans’ confusion about freedom of speech is the fact that outside the realm of criminal law, our freedom of expression is impacted by civil law, politics, and the now-blurred intersections of traditional media, social media and “big tech,” journalism, entertainment, and big business.

For example, take politically motivated speech by entertainers. When Madonna said to a crowd, “Yes, I have thought, an awful lot, about blowing up the White House,” she wasn’t charged with inciteful speech. Neither was Johnny Depp accused of possibly threatening the President when he asked “When was the last time an actor assassinated a president? I want to clarify. I’m not an actor. I lie for a living. However, it’s been a while, and maybe it’s time.”

In both these cases, the actors probably didn’t realize how close they came to having an FBI agent knock on their door. Yet, as I recall, here was no media frenzy over these remarks, which would seem to indicate that “hate speech” is in the ear of the beholder. Because Donald Trump wasn’t popular to many powerful and influential people in the media, entertainment, and big-tech industries—those who essentially control the flow of information—this was no big deal, so it was ignored.

On the other side of the “Trump Spectrum” however, the simple words used in a single sentence, in a friendly, private conversation with the President of Ukraine, nearly caused a duly elected president to be removed from office. “I’d like you to do us a favor though…” was the phrase that a “whistleblower” found so troubling, he filed a report that led to the impeachment of President Trump, largely because the story was repeated and amplified by that same powerful and influential group that chose to ignore Madonna and Depp.

Enter Censorship

The concepts and notions of “hate speech,” “potentially dangerous speech,” “hurtful speech,” and the like, now define and determine what and how Americans think about communication. While we once talked peripherally about being too “PC” (politically correct), in a purely academic way, people now have a legitimate fear that saying the “wrong thing” might cost them dearly. And their fear isn’t without good reason, as people are being punished for saying words or promoting ideas, simply because others don’t agree with those words or ideas.

I realize this is a long article and the point I am trying to make may be unclear, so I will get to the point: America is in grave danger because too many citizens don’t seem to be aware of or aren’t speaking out against censorship and media bias. And some people have either forgotten how or have never learned to think rationally and critically.

The reason I explained the Tony Bobulinski story in such detail is that you may not have even been aware of it. So what was the overall impact of the media blackout of this story? Polls conducted after the election indicated that 45% of democrats were completely unaware of the story, and 9.5% of democrats who voted for Biden said they would not have done so, had they known the about it.

By virtue of this issue alone then, independent of or excluding any claims of voter irregularities, potential fraud, or vote-flipping software, we can accurately state that the 2020 presidential election was not a “free and fair,” expression of democracy. And while you may be happy with the end result this time, by allowing this, we are ceding our judgment to others, giving license to a tyranny of the worst sort.

Permitting unelected, biased individuals to regulate what we can and cannot know must be stopped. What we are seeing come to power in America today is the ideology of oppression that we see in full bloom in Communist China and North Korea, and we must put a stop to it without delay before it is too late.

Sidebar

As of this writing, just one day after the inauguration of Joe Biden, a massive purge is underway. Many tech and media giants are censoring speech and companies are punishing people and groups throughout the United States. Whether you agree with people or not isn’t the point. You are safe now, only so long as you agree with or submit to the point of view of those in power. That’s a frightening place.

For example, consider the past president of the United States. Regardless of how you feel about Trump, Twitter, which as everyone knew, was the president’s most reliable communication tool, first blocked then permanently banned him—while he was still the commander in chief. In so many words, they claimed they had a “duty to prevent further inciteful speech,” so they censored him completely, effectively denying him use of his favored means of communicating with Americans.

Why is it that communication companies like Twitter and Facebook, which are currently protected from lawsuits under Section 230 of the Communications Decency act, which states that “no provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as a publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.”

Translated, that means they CANNOT be sued for the content people post on their platforms. So why are they monitoring content and making judgements about what can or cannot be shared? Could it be they are more concerned about shaping thinking and policy than they are about liability?

On the flip side, the New York Post, being a publisher, does not enjoy the same Section 230 protection, so they can be sued for liable. They had every reason to make sure the Bobulinski story was factual and 100% accurate.

Can you grasp the irony here? Twitter and Facebook, who had zero risk in sharing the Bonulinski story, blocked it. Then 95% of traditional media also chose to hide it, even after knowing that it was likely true, since The New York Post had already published it!

Notable censoring and PC corporate and political punishment currently underway includes:

Donald Trump banned from Twitter
Donald Trump blocked on Facebook
Parler site de-platformed by Google
Parler site dropped by Apple
Parler site hosting cancelled by Amazon
Youtube is removing any content claiming “election fraud”
Youtube may cancel accounts held by any with “election fraud” content
Facebook is removing accounts of “Walkaway Movement” members
Twitter banned Lt. General Michael Flynn
Twitter banned Trump’s attorneys Sydney Powell and Lin Wood
Some Senators suggest removing Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz from the Senate
Simon & Schuster cancelled a previously agreed-upon publishing deal to publish “Tyranny of Big Tech” by Senator Josh Hawley (How ironic!)
The popular “My Pillow” product line is dropped by several major retailers
Payment processors Stripe, GoFundMe and others drop Trump-related commerce
Many major corporations drop donations to Republicans who objected to Biden’s electoral certification

This list is growing, day by day. You could be added to it at any time, should your words or ideas place you on the “wrong side” in the future.

America and Americans must always lean toward, and be on the side of, freedom and liberty, and away from control and tyranny.

Which side are you on?

Network, AKA Back to The Future

January 19, 2021 by Carolyn Hastings Leave a Comment

I watched a movie last night that I don’t believe I ever actually saw before. Why? Because it was a huge hit in 1976 and I was busy having babies, raising kids and kicking butt in business. Network won a boatload of Oscars, but I can’t remember watching it. If I had seen it, I think I would have remembered.

I say I would have remembered it, but maybe I wouldn’t have. Network is a prophetic movie. Fast forward forty-four years with me. We are sheltering in place for weeks. The world as we know it has slowed to a snail’s pace. Why? Because of a pandemic that shot around the world before we even realized it was happening. There have been many theories floating around by our governments, our media, and yes, our self-proclaimed prophets of how it happened. Most agree that it started in China. We will survive this, but the scary part is how we are getting our news coverage. Yes, my friends, Network is alive and well and being revealed today.

Network is about a fictional television network that’s ratings keep plummeting. The News Anchor, Howard Beale (Peter Finch), is a veteran newsman whose wife has died, and he knows his professional days are numbered. The local stations are being taken over by the networks and the networks are being sold to major corporations. The major corporations are being bought up by foreign entities. Things are changing and competition is fierce. The News division has always been kept separate from the programming executives. All that is changing and the monster of commercial amorality is surfacing.

Howard Beale has a breakdown on camera and Max (William Holden), his old friend at the network, wants to remove him and get him help. The new programming Executive, Diane (Faye Dunaway), sees an opportunity for ratings and sets the wheels in motion to capitalize on his insanity. “Americans want someone to articulate their rage,” she says, and a new star is born; Howard Beale the anchorman who thinks he speaks for God. When insane Howard Beale asks the head of the network why they want him, the answer is, “Because you’re on television, Dummy!”

If you think the media is biased today, it’s been a long time coming. “It’s time,” in the words of Howard Beale to go to our window, open it, and yell, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.” Maybe another way of expressing that sentiment is to not take every word that is said or written by the media as the “gospel truth.” Just maybe we should start verifying the stories. Everything is moving so fast today, it’s gotten too easy to feed us unverified information and when it’s proven wrong nothing happens—no retraction, no clarification, no apology, just on to the next spewing of hearsay.

I’m stopping just short of calling the whole media bunch a pack of liars, and lying is not acceptable! They follow the politics and the politics follows the money. The Big Money. The Global Money.

Watching Network is seeing the future with a most disturbing clarity. We see, quite literally, the “Takers being Taken.” Back in 1976, Network was entertainment, even satire; today it is truth, and it is alarming.

This brilliant film won four Oscars. Best Lead Actress and Actor went to Peter Finch and Faye Dunaway. Best Writing went to the amazing Paddy Chayefsky. There were also six Oscar nominations including Best Picture (Oscar went to Rocky).

This is not necessarily a “sit the family down with a bowl of popcorn” kind of movie. It is rated R. An R rating in 1976 isn’t quite the same today, but your younger children wouldn’t enjoy it anyway. So save it for after the kids are in bed and prepare to become illuminated.

Let me know what you think and even if you’re “mad as hell and you’re not going to take it anymore!” at Carolyn@carolynhastings.com