Threads is the new Twitter (X)
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Media News Sources Blocked
Instagram joins the latest media news outlets that is being blocked by Russia. Damn. Yep, they can only hear/see what Russia wants them to see. Did you know that they are telling Russians that the Ukraine is full of NAZI’s and they are taking back what is theirs. They also bombed a maternity ward hospital. Fucking bastards. I am pretty sure that my site isn’t banned, and in fact, I have more and more international readers than I do readers from the United States. Crazy huh? And if you haven’t been watching the news or can’t … McDonalds, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and even Paypal have shut down operations or will be shortly. Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, … yeah, all are now history for Russians.
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While the people have nothing to do with the war, it is the citizens who are being punished. When Trump bombs with a drone, we the people in the U.S. didn’t get punished … other than having to hear/see his obnoxious voice/face. I think I saw over 2 million refugees have fled, although if you aren’t white you aren’t going to be admitted. Even in the U.S., white Ukrainians were refused asylum. So, don’t try to enter the U.S. from Mexico, where they are still racists. Last I checked there was still a war in Afghanistan, but I don’t see anything in the news about that 20+ year war. Why? Brown skinned people.
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And here is the latest coronavirus number for the U.S.
| DAILY AVG. ON MAR. 11 | 14-DAY CHANGE | TOTAL REPORTED | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cases | 35,036 | –49% | 79,400,847 |
| Tests | 973,360 | –12% | — |
| Hospitalized | 31,323 | –43% | — |
| In I.C.U.s | 5,725 | –46% | — |
| Deaths | 1,272 | –33% | 965,746 |
It appears that “most” of the U.S. has done away with masks as most people have gotten the shot and booster. In Colorado we are at a 90% vaccination rate.
Okay … many of you are wondering if I watched the new Batman. And yes, as a matter of fact, I watched it twice and then had to watch the YouTube spoiler review since evidently I missed a ton of shit since I don’t read the comic book or keep up with any of the “Easter eggs” they put in the show. It is NOT a superhero movie. Go in thinking … this is the DARK Knight who is going kick the shit out of a lot of people. There are a lot of long, boring scenes. This is NOT your DC Avengers movie. This is also not Oscar worthy. He wears a costume most of the movie. It is him or a stunt guy? Right. Would I recommend you spend the extra cash to see it? No. It will come to HBOmax. It will come to blu-ray/dvd one day. Instead you should watch the Amazon Jack Reacher. It has a real plot, with real people characters, not a comic book rebooted, reboot. Technically Batman should be dead. He’s just a man, not an immortal.
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FAKEBOOK
If you remove the “C” from Facebook and put something else, … what do you have? I like the “K” as Fakebook certainly sound about right. But what about … say, FaVebook? Fatebook. Farebook. Famebook. If you didn’t know, Facebook is not just a friends update website/company. They steal your data, your personal messages, your likes, your dislikes, your groups, your interests and they sell it. To whom? IDK, maybe China? Maybe Russia. General Mills? Monsanto/Bayer?
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Money talks and bullshit walks. You know what also talks? People who delete their fake Facebook accounts. You aren’t supposed to have 2 accounts anyway, so send a message to Facebook. If Facebook lost millions of users for no apparent reason, it would cause a ruckus. Facebook has a lot of power as it can easily influence your decision making abilities. You see a meme or a video that has been altered and all of the sudden you are motivated … maybe in a bad way. Facebook has influenced wars in other countries, aided in underground drugs and sex trafficking. I know that years ago there was a secret Facebook group where you could easily buy/sell drugs. True story.
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Do it. Delete that fake account and tell all your friends to do the same. Delete it from your smartphone and tablet and only access it from a computer for a specific amount of time with a specific reason for being on Fakebook. You aren’t bored. You are brainwashed. Pick up an actual book and read it. Turn those pages. Create a fun reading sanctuary that is your new zen reading spot. Unplug and meditate.
I watched a YouTube documentary on Princess Diana, which I thought was going to be more what Spencer was about. Diana didn’t whisper, she talked softly. You can watch it here. Or copy and paste https://youtu.be/Ym–qzQBGug
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Oh No!
So I am sad to report that one of my favorite YouTube beauty bloggers/reviewers has contracted COVID from her vaccinated husband. She did not get the vaccine for her own personal reasons, and now she is struggling to breathe, possibly live. You know how you spend a lot of time with your favorite personality, and after awhile you really feel like you know him/her? This is very common when someone binge watches their favorite show, or in my case, watched a ton of videos from one particular artist. This actually happens with a lot of my own readers who have been reading the blogs for years. Every now and then a fan/reader will approach me and tell me they know who I am and they read my blogs. I had one person once say she knew me because I write how she thinks. Some people even think like I think because they change or modify their own behaviors and ways of thinking.
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So rather than being negative, find a positive opportunity. As much I as I try to find something good from my YouTuber getting the virus, I just haven’t been able to come up with anything and it is just sad. SHE was careful. SHE didn’t go out in public, and yet, she had it personally delivered to her front door. So the only thing I can say is please be diligent in washing your hands, use those cleaning wipes everywhere and try not to go out in public. I don’t know about you, but I would be devastated if any of my little pups or kitty accidentally caught COVID and died.
Open those doors with your butt and stop touching door handles and stop touching your face. Especially if you aren’t wearing a mask. If you have the shot you are not immune to it, you are only “safer” that you won’t die from it. There are people who have the shot and are still getting the virus. Like that dipshit politician who I can’t care enough to repeat his name.
The new, Suicide Squad came out Friday. I’ll just say that it is NOT safe for kids and it is kind of bloody gruesome for a DC movie. Harley Quinn of course stars in it, alongside some military guy from the last movie. I can’t remember his name, but he played Officer Murphy in the Robocop reboot. So if you are headed to the theater you are really only there for the loud subs, big screen and popcorn. Don’t get too invested in this sad, but action packed killer. Jungle Cruise is actually a little more believable and quite a bit more entertaining.
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More New Content!
You would think that with every artist and writer locked up at home, alone, that there would have been some really cool masterpieces created. Right? New award winning grammy songs, new plays, and of course, new books from your favorite authors. Don’t look at me, I update the blog WEEKLY. Some writers haven’t written a tweet, let alone an actual blog. Although, I think that more celebrities and authors SHOULD write more. I think reading the thoughts, hopes and dreams of some well known stars would be fun. If you can talk, you can write. While some authors may not be the best at writing, at least they were trying. Some people write differently than how they talk. As I have instructed many aspiring writers, … are you “telling” me what happened, or am I experiencing it using all my senses? Do I “feel” what you feel? Can you smell the fresh baked bread in gramma’s kitchen as the amber sunlight slowly creeps in her flower box window? So I am taking a short break from the job search blogs, today. Yes I know they are entertaining and informative, but they are actually really boring for me. My days were filled with looking at bad resumes from students for years. I could quickly scan a resume and find at least one error … every time. But it takes a trained eye. Some HR recruiters might not even notice some errors. I think I covered most of the bases. Y’all should be able to get a job on your own now.
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So let’s flip over to talking about social media training. I know there are thousands of readers that would love to have a huge social media following. First ask yourself, why do you want that following? Maybe it is so you can build a platform so you can get publishers to notice you and print/publish your book? Your ability to prove to a publisher that you will sell future books is monumental. They claim it costs a lot to print books. Wrong. It costs a lot to print unsellable books. Just think how many stores Barnes & Nobles has, and how many books have to stock each store. Some readers want a following so they can monetize their content. Right. So if you get enough views on YouTube, then advertisers will pay money to put their stupid ad on your video. But you get paid. You might have a big “voice” that other people want to hear. Maybe you have a different take or perspective on a particular issue, and your platform shares those concerns? If you are in the spotlight, your personal lifestyle choices might be “reviewed” and if not deemed appropriate, YouTube can/will demonetize your channel and you get paid nothing. I can think of a certain individual who not only got banned but also lost monetary abilities.
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So if you own a website it may or may not have a blog incorporated into it. Believe it or not, that is something that is extra. If it is a WordPress website it is super simple to use the blog feature. If you didn’t know, WordPress allows additional software, called plugins to be installed to enhance your website. I think this is what has made their platform so successful. One thing that I would encourage website owners (you) to do, is use the Jetpack plugin which has all kind of cool features. If you have subscribed to the site, then you know you don’t have to visit it daily to check if a new blog has been posted. Super convenient for you, and also gives the site a rest from getting too many hits. That is a Jetpack feature. I don’t own my server, so if it gets overloaded, it causes it to stall or get a 503 error. You refresh and it is fixed. But imagine if you were say, Lady Gaga, who has millions of fans. Everyone’s website is different and has different reasons/usage. Some sites actually sell products, and when they launch a new product, … it crashes.
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So if you are a normal person, you probably won’t get millions of hits. But when you do, you can upgrade your site with your hosting server. Just so you know, there will be fans that love you so much they will actually set your website as one of their start up tabs. From the back-end you will know this happens as the same IP address is registering daily in your logs. Everyone has some interesting “hobby” that they are sort of an expert. You can write about it, or YouTube about it, and someone will like it and be a new fan. If you create interesting, new, fun content then you will start your social media following. What are you known for? Then brand yourself that way. Or what do you WANT to be known for? If you knew you were going to die next year, what do you want your legacy to be known for? Or do you have a secret recipe that you really should share with the world? Pin it. Instagram it. Write about it. Do all of the above.
Maybe you don’t want a huge social media fan base, but you can still start a free blog and document/write your thoughts that you want shared to your family and friends one day. I know you’re just bored, so do it out of sheer boredom. Writing out your thoughts can really help your mental health.
June. Teenth. What a stupid name for a federal holiday. Wow congress really has their priorities don’t they? May 4th should be a federal star wars holiday. I am sure there are lot of other “groups” that say “Where’s my fucking holiday?” Just saying, since no one else will. Evil is now streaming on the Paramount app instead of CBS. It is like $5 a month. So $1.25 an episode as they launch now every Sunday. I saw it, and it’s worth it. You do get a free trial.
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Entertainment Subscription Websites
How many websites do you pay a monthly fee? Yes, some are for entertainment, like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, cable, … all of these are things the occupy your time and feed your need for entertainment. I think “most” people are okay with paying for music or video, but when it comes to reading content, they just simply refuse. How many times have you visited Wikipedia and seen the “help us, and donate anything you can” banner? Web hosts and services aren’t free but yet every day people use that website and don’t pay a dime. Why? Surely if you were accessing some information you found valuable you could easily justify the expense. So this is a teaching article, and mostly I am targeting any artist who is self employed, such as myself. So, if you get a 1099, or you send invoices, then this might be you. If you create something that someone can buy, this also might be you. Your customer base/fans love and support you. I watch as “collectors” go crazy when a limited edition anything is released. So maybe things are a little slow for you now. COVID sucks for everyone and networking and art shows, festivals, and other performances are extremely limited. I am willing to bet if you asked your fans/customers for donations, they just might do it. I saw Billy Gilman doing a livestream on Facebook, and just like me, he is an artist that can’t make an income, so he listed his Venmo “tip jar”, and believe it or not, people gave him money. If you aren’t familiar with Venmo, it is an app that you link to your bank account that allows you to transfer money to friends easily and for free. We literally live in a cashless society. Some of us, rely upon customers to make our rent/mortgage. I’ll admit it, I’m one of them. Things are tough for everyone. So if you have a website, or a Facebook page, go to your Venmo app, take a screenshot of your QR code and post it so your fans/supporters can donate to your cause. Here is mine. 
If you are a long time reader and found one of my articles/blogs helpful, handy, inspiring or just entertained you and took you away from this nasty world for a few moments, then do me a favor and help me out. Did I help you out with a job issue? HR situation? WordPress or website ah ha? Btw, if you are running WordPress there is a new core out and you need to upgrade. Did you close a sale, get a new job, new customer, or negotiate a better salary because of something you learned from this site? Is that worth the equivalent of buying me a drink or a dinner? For my fans/readers who have already told me they want to support me, this blog is for you. And if you are also an artist, you should be putting your Venmo code out there too. People generally are good heart-caring people. So put your code out there, and maybe if you get a donation, you can share the information with your circle to do the same, and then hit me up with a donation for teaching you something new and creating some income for you.
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When I was in college, I was the VP of Finance for the American Marketing Association for the University chapter. Fancy title huh? Yeah, it actually came in very handy when I interviewed for jobs years later. A lot of interviewers wanted to know what all that big fancy title entailed, and of course I was happy to talk, and talk, and talk. I partnered with dozens businesses amassing thousands of dollars in “door prizes”. I was amazed how easy it was to ask for gift certificates, prizes, food … and businesses gave it without hesitancy. I called it active fundraising and partnership affiliate marketing. I also had check signing rights, and held a pretty heft budget for college organization. Little did I know that simply asking for money was a real job in the real world. Some places call it grant writing … again asking for money. Later in life I used that valuable skill to get companies to pay for something called “Sponsorships”, so their name would be advertised prominently to a captive audience. Gold, Silver, Bronze levels … honestly was the biggest con ever. Oh yay, your name is on all the ____ at the event. You get a table and a banner (that you provide).
A thousand thank you’s for my long time readers/supporters. Post your Venmo code. Start your fairy garden today. YouTube has fairy music that you can play to attract fairies.
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Negative Ghost Rider …
… the pattern is full. Say what? Oh, I am just quoting one of my favorite lines from the movie Top Gun. Remember when Maverick wanted to do a fly by? Request denied. So, good ole DJ Trump was not able to bypass the Twitter security. So I am guessing that if you try to tweet one of his posts, you too will get suspended. You know, part of the fame and glory of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram is being able to brag about your follower/fan number. So for someone like DJ, he was super giddy when he kept getting new followers when he was first elected. He even tweeted about the number of new followers he got. Sadly with his website, he can’t do that. No one will know if he has 1 follower or 1 billion. His webmaster might have a clue, but then again, we looked at his code and that might not be the case. In fact, he is kind of an idiot, due to the fact that he is encouraging people to tweet his blog posts, which WILL result in accounts being suspended. I know a lot of people who use the big 3 as their only source of information and entertainment. I don’t do a lot of scrolling, and mostly just post something and then log off. In fact, now that I think about it, I don’t really post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram as much as I thought I did. I do post on my website on a semi-regular basis. And that is what is important. I think we can all agree that fresh new content is what people really want.
So, while we are all still confined to our homes, I think we all need to start a fairy garden movement. Daylight is abundant and not only will it spice up the decorations outside your home, it will also attract fairies and give them a place to call home. I wrote about fairies in my book, so I think there is some divine spiritual energy trying to send me a message to get started on book 2. I just got some solar fairy lights for my garden. So now the fairies can see at night. Go watch the Spiderwick Chronicles, it is a cute little movie about monsters and mystical creatures. You can rent it on Amazon. Fairy garden. Weekend project. The kids will love it. And you could use a little fairy magic in your life.
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Trump’s New Blog (desk)
Twice impeached former US President Donald J. Trump has “launched” his blog. He calls it a new social media platform. Uh huh. I’m a webmaster and I read code. I can see right through it. And technically it is no different than my own blog. Instead of calling it blog he simply renamed the location as “desk”. Unlike my own meandering thoughts and far fetched ideas, displayed in a huge font for us visually challenged folks, his “tweets” or posts I should say, need improvement. They are too small to read and due to his highly formal background in the English language, are nothing compared to our former President Obama, a former attorney and politician. I didn’t subscribe to his website and I did not donate either. He’s a “billionaire” and he is asking for money. I actually have been saying all along he should just use his own domain and website to post his thoughts, … just like Ben Shapiro and myself. You have a target audience that actually wants to hear what you have to say, and like my site, he does not allow you to comment on the site. You can actually comment on mine, I just don’t publish them on the site. Whomever is doing his site really should do some upgrades. Trump is still technically banned on all social media, including Facebook and Twitter, so I am not sure they will allow users to post his “tweets”/posts to their own newsfeed/timeline. When Ivanka did an interview with daddy and put it on Instagram it was immediately removed from her page and every user that shared it. It is no big surprise Trump is still obsessed with spouting lies. I will agree, the election WAS stolen, when he got elected the first time. When you know, the Russians hacked our system and forced the US to have paper ballots as backup/proof. Hillary did not once pull a temper tantrum like Donald. She didn’t tell hundreds of democrats to storm the capital. I think he still thinks he is innocent and the fact that lives were lost due to his immaturity is not his fault. I’m still waiting for New York to find him guilty of all kinds of shit. Tax evasion, racketeering, and not to mention the egregious abuse of power. He made millions charging guests (secret service) at his hotels. And let’s not forget every one of those damn hotels charge … you got it, a resort fee. Which we know is a bullshit fee since we all have internet on our phones. Ironic how those hotels are remaining unoccupied, mostly due to COVID, which he said would magically go away the day after elections.
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And in other news, I read that the Biden Administration is looking to increase the number of years that a public student would need to graduate, to an additional 4 years. So if you can’t make college free for everyone, then simply change the rules for public education and give them the 4 years for free. I see this could be a good thing, or a bad thing. What if the kids say “F” this and they all start dropping out after the 12 years are up? I don’t know about you, but I was ready for college. High school was … confining. I don’t personally agree with all the things they make kids do to graduate. If I was in charge of education, I would make some serious curriculum changes. How to change a tire, jump start a car, cooking for dummies … you know, real life skills. As a member of the InstantPot group on Facebook, I have come to the conclusion that millions of people do not know how to cook, and they think their new magic InstApot is a replacement microwave. Every day, every minute, somewhere, someone is making a 3000 calorie cheesecake and dumping another 2000 calories in chocolate and toppings. I drink my calories, in those delicious Arby’s orange creamsicle shakes. If you haven’t had one you really should try one as they are for a limited time only. A large is a whopping 950 calories. Yep, that was my lunch and dinner that day.
Did you get your mom a gift yet? Time is running out.
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What Does “Aaron” Think?
The first time I can remember someone wanting to know MY opinion on a topic was back when I was a product manager in a marketing group working in Boulder Colorado. It was for a company you might know, GE. General Electric. Yep, the light bulb company. “We bring good things to life.” Cute little slogan right? I was only there for a year or so but it taught me everything I needed to know about the distribution chain and logistics. The year was 1999, and if you all remember, everyone thought the world would go into chaos with Y2K. What a joke that was.
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Anyway, I was in a marketing group of about a dozen people, and crazy thing I was the highest paid of them all. I found that out years later how my director had to go to bat to justify my salary. Hey, the power of negotiation is huge. In one of the many meetings I was required to participate in, my counterpart, the other product manager was not doing so hot, so the director asked what were my thoughts on the situation. I looked up from my Palm pilot (I know right?) and said they wouldn’t like my answer as I have a totally different take and perspective as a former IT, Windows NT network administrator. I was the guy who usually sat in silence listening to everyone else argue. Why join a pointless discussion if no one really listened? Well, my director listened, and for the first time in my life, someone actually took my recommendation and did something with it. Yep, it was me who started new marketing initiatives generating new revenue. When you prove you can make a company money, save them money, OR prevent potential litigation, you get noticed.
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In many positions I would spearhead a newsletter. I’ve always been a writer, and sending out communications on a timely basis has always been my thing. It’s funny, a lot of my readers actually know me personally. Many of them say they can actually hear my voice in their head when they read my words. Like in a movie … a letter on the screen is all of the sudden thoughts and sentences in your ear. When Sex and the City was on air I thought how cool would was Carrie Bradshaw? She had a sex column in New York City that made her semi-famous. I always wondered what writers were paid at a newspaper. Well, we all know that newspapers don’t really exist anymore. Most newspapers are all online subscription websites now. My blog/website is sort of like that but without the monthly cost. I did have a reader tell me he would be pissed if I started charging for articles/blogs. Don’t worry, I’m not going to do that. There are other starving artists who need your money before I do. Just like Ben Shapiro, I’m just another news commentary out in the big world wide web. But actually I’m mostly on people’s smartphones, … in their email. If you’ve been a long time subscriber then you should have over 90 different blogs that I have written. And since most blogs are at least 500 words or more, it would take hours and hours to read them all. I personally have only written some, and never read them. I have only read my book once, and that was when it was written. Many parents have read it so many times they can quote lines from it. Crazy right? I will have to sit down and read it before I can write a sequel. I was contemplating recording it and putting each chapter online on YouTube. I can’t be sued for reading my own book. But if I read say, Harry Potter, I think Warner Brothers would be after me for copyright. I actually had a reader ask/request that I read the book since it is easier to listen than to read. Most of my readers/fans get their info from me via the blog and not my other social media outlets. Facebook and Instagram are a joke with their stupid algorithms. Back in the day when the business page was new, I would post a picture or something and thousands of people would like it. Now, … nothing. Seriously if you go and look at the really old posts and the current ones you would be disgusted at the lack of likes. So it is better to just use my platform where I know people are reading my thoughts. I am willing to bet there are a lot of kids who would love to see/hear me read my book. I’ll think it over and we will see what happens. I’ll ask my nephews and see what they think.
Mortal Kombat released on HBO Max and at the theaters yesterday, and I have to say I really liked it. I loved the final kill scenes … flawless victory. If you ever watched any of the movies you will like this one. But if you are not into fantasy fighting and killing you won’t like it. It is Aaron Approved!
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Self Defense
So let me ask you this question, “If you were attacked, by one person, like a fist fight, how or what would you do to defend yourself?” Do you carry any weapons? Keys? Mace? Perhaps even a pocket knife or even maybe a gun? Most people don’t carry a weapon, but with the way things are going these days it might be more than we think. When I was a kid my parents enrolled my twin brother and myself into a dojo to learn karate. They thought that we might get picked on since we were Asian and smaller than kids our own age. Yep, they were right. Fortunately for us, 2 against 1 usually wins. They did not anticipate us using it on each other. Remember the movie “The Karate Kid”? Super old movie, but a good one. I think there was even a spin off that is on Netflix. One swift punch in the bread basket will shut someone up real fast. And then while he is bent over gasping for breath, a knee to the chin will finish him off. Remember that when you are confronted in a fight.
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Depending on that situation, … the one where you were attacked, what would you do? Pull out your gun? Run? Whip out your Swiss Army knife and prepare for battle? Oh wait… some people might pull out their smartphone and record it or go LIVE. If you are being attacked by a police officer I am pretty sure I would do a livestream, on my business page, YouTube app, SnapChat, Instagram AND TikTok all at the same time. I think that if you say “Hey Siri I am being pulled over” it actually activates the video recorder. As we all know, you can be pulled over for almost anything and be doing nothing wrong and die for it. Scary world we live in. Or should I say, scary world we die in. So if you weren’t online or connected yesterday, then you wouldn’t have been dominated by the George Floyd murder trial. All jurors voted guilty and the world celebrated. Yay. One down a thousand more to go. We still have to see what the sentence will be. Will the “system” slap him on the wrists and let him out in 5 for good behavior? Remember in 13 Reasons Why, when the rapist got off easy because he was white and rich? As long as the world sees us as colored people, we have to do things to ensure our safety. When I am pulled over I always tell the officer I am a children’s author. If they are going to stereotype me, do it right.
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On a side note, Vudu.com is having a sale on television series in HDX. I scored Nikita (a assassin show like Point of No Return) and Glee. The entire series for Glee was only $35! It is normally like, $375, so that is a no brainer. Hey I was in the swing choir in high school so I can totally relate to all the high school drama. I still think the first season was the best. And sometimes the cover artist does it better than the original. [Not sponsored by anyone so no endorsements from any company]
AND I saw nothing on the Columbine shooting yesterday. Sometimes people forget. Loving thoughts prayers and healing to those affected by a mass shooting. I use Reiki, so I am sending those healing energies as well.
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