‘Lodestar’ — #Lyrics To A Pop-Rock Song

Just screwing around with lyrics. Lodestar sounds like a Radiohead song title.

Lodestar
lyrics by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
please give credit if you produce or perform

the world’s falling down it seems
at least from I can glean
twirl you around for a better view
what are we going to
we need a lodestar

lodestar brighten my way
lodestar what will we do
when we’re done with you
lodestar
lodestar
lodestar

people in the streets scream for change
hoping this is all a nightmare
but when it’s over I fear
there won’t be much left for us to love
stealing papers from a desk
hoping nothing will blow up

lodestar brighten my way
lodestar what will we do
when we’re done with you
lodestar
lodestar
lodestar

[bridge]
when we’re at least free
no more need to flee
running towards victory
this will be in the past
eventually, eventually, eventually

lodestar brighten my way
lodestar what will we do
when we’re done with you
lodestar
lodestar
lodestar

Idle Rambling On Why It Might Be Mike Pence Who Wrote The NYT Op-Ed

by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls

Let me be clear — I don’t think it was Mike Pence who wrote the NYT’s op-ed released today. There are any number of reasons why this is the case, one of them being the actual document itself says the person wanted anonymity because they might lose their job. Who is the only person the president can’t fire in his cabinet?

Mike Pence.

Having said that, lets wander through tinfoil hat town and break down why it MIGHT be Pence.

1. The Mid-Terms Are Fast Approaching
Pence is the only person who might want to hurry things up a little bit with Trump and attempt to bring things to a head before November. What better way to do that than to slice the boil just as the political silly season is heating up? What’s the best way to get Trump to quit before November, making you president?

Write an op-ed in the NYT that you know will eventually, inevitably lead to you.

Because we know we’re going to find out who wrote it sooner rather than later.

2. “Loadstar”
The use of this otherwise rarely used word is either a really dumb mistake by someone who writes for a living, or the mistake of politician who isn’t thinking that clearly about how to hide their tracks. That’s why I think it’s more likely to be someone like Pence than, say, a high level staffer such as a speech writer.

3. Pence Would Become President
This would be pretty extraordinary. If Pence wrote the op-ed knowing damn well he would be outed nearly immediately, then this would be a Constitutional Crisis of the highest order. Of all thing things that might force Trump from power before the 2018 mid-terms, this would be it. Pence has been a water carrier for Trump since his selection and for him to turn on Trump in such a manner would shake the nation to its core. I have read the piece in Pence’s voice in my head and it definitely fits his speaking cadence at times. But at other times, it doesn’t.

Having said all that, the only person I can think of of note besides Pence would bet Mattis. If Mattis wrote the piece, then, that, too, would be of historical significance. Anyone else on the Trump team simply doesn’t have the respect and gravitas necessary to strike a mortal political blow to Trump

The State Of The #Scifi #Novel I’m #Writing As Of Sept. 5th, 2018

by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls

This is about the point where I usually quit when it comes to writing a novel, but I’ve taken the idea of “know when to rest, not quit” to heart and so I’m hoping to use the time I’ve taken off writing to recharge my batteries. I think that’s the key issue to writing a novel — you have to appreciate that it’s marathon, not a sprint. There will be times when you maybe don’t go as fast as you have been going.

Part of the reason I’ve slowed down the last few days is not only is summer over and I realize I have some serious life-issues to address, but I’ve come to a point in the novel where it really has hit me that there will be people who poo-poo the entire conceit of the novel because of where it’s set. If was set somewhere sexy like LA or NYC, then a lot of the media elite would get off on seeing the infrastructural of places they actually knew being used for something dramatically different. And, yet, once you get into the universe I’ve built, it doesn’t make any sense that places like that would be used. There’s a very specific point to where I’ve set the vast majority of the novel, not just in its own way its my own personal historic geography that I know really well.

Meanwhile, I keep thinking up all these other great novel concepts that would distract me but for the reason that I can’t think of a plot for them. So, my attention comes back to what I’ve been working on the last few months. The story has changed so dramatically from what I thought it was going to be originally that it’s quite something. But the point is to just keep going. I have a really strong concept and a plot for once, so I need to buckle down and keep going.

Only time will tell, I guess.

V-Log: Trump & Being On The Right Side Of History #Resist

by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls

Some thoughts.

‘9/10th’ — A Brief (Fictional?) Story Of The Possible Coming Trump Apocalypse

9/10ths
a story fragment of a possible near future
by Shelton Bumgarner

April, 2019

The eyes of the world were on the White House.

Just moments before, President Donald J. Trump, 45th president of the United States, had been convicted by 67 members of the Senate for a whole list of high crimes and misdemeanors. Trump had for weeks now been ranting on Gab about his case in the Senate, bouncing back and forth between threats to start a war with Iran or the DPRK and not-so-subtle hints that he might take his own life should he be convicted by the Senate.

And, now, at last, the moment of truth had arrived.

Trump legally, at least, was no longer president, but he had been oddly silent since the verdict had been announced with great fanfare from the well of the Senate. Trump’s conviction had come after months of investigations on the part of the now Democratic Congress. The length and breath of Trump’s malfeasance discovered by these hearings had rocked the nation to its very core. On more than one occasion, MAGA talking heads on cable news had been interrupted by astonishing breaking news that left them, for once, unable or unwilling to defend the president.

The hearings had ground on for months to such an extent that Trump’s approval had slowly drifted to the 20s and stayed there consistently. Trump’s support was now made up of the very rich and the very poor. Oddly, despite Trump’s near constant demands on Twitter for violence on the part of his supporters, little, if any was reported. Trump had grown so frustrated that he had all but abandoned Twitter at one point for the more receptive Gab social media platform. Though on more than one occasion Rudy Giuliani had made it very clear it was within the rights of the president to declare martial law if he deemed it in the best interests of the nation. More than one delegation of Senate Republicans had gone to the White House to explain to Trump that he was going to be convicted, no avail. Trump made it clear to them, in not so many words that his simply living in the White House made him president, a sentiment best expressed by the legal saw that, “Possession is 9/10ths of the law.”

Finally, a post to Gab came out: “My so-called ‘conviction’ is the work of the Deep State and as such illegitimate. I remain president.”

This set off a chain of events, the likes of which Americans had never seen. Suddenly, everyone on Twitter became a Constitutional scholar as everyone studied the exact wording of the Constitution as to what happens if the president is removed from office by the Senate. The wording is quite clear: he or she is no longer president and that’s it.

Nowhere in the Constitution did it explain what to do if the president simply decided to ignore the Senate. What’s more, nowhere in the Constitution did it state what to do with the nuclear launch codes should a president be removed from office and he refuse to accept the decision of the Senate.

The next few hours were chilling as they were surreal for millions of people not just in the United States but around the globe. The issue of Trump’s physical access to America’s nuclear launch codes was suddenly at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Though it was finally announced that while the nuclear football remained in Trump’s possession, Sec. of Defense Mattis had ordered the American armed forces to stand down for the duration of the crisis.

Trump, on Twitter, was as defiant and unhinged as usual.He threatened to kill himself. He threatened to start a nuclear war. He vowed to declare martial law.

The usual suspects on cable news did their best to spin all of this for Trump. As an anxious nation waited for the now former president to leave the White House, a cavalcade of former Republican Senators and Trump White House staffers attempted to make the former president’s case. Their final argument was that for the good of the country, Trump should be allowed to remain president, despite his lawful conviction by the Senate.

Things began to move rapidly at this point.

Vice President Pence was sworn in but Chief Justice Roberts in a dark, somber event in the Old Executive Building. Meanwhile, it was learned Trump had quietly replaced his Secret Service detail with a private security force that made it clear it was prepared to defend Trump until the bloody end.

At this point, two things happened. A final bipartisan delegation of Congressional leaders came to the White House grounds under the flag of truce. During the course of an hour-long meeting, Trump screamed at them that they had never supported him and the world would be better off if it just ended instead of allowed the forces of the Deep State to ruin America. He made it absolutely clear that he would never leave the Oval Office willingly.

With that, they left.

Next, a surreal, bizarre event, the FBI slowly began to surround the White House. There was much debate online and on TV about how long the nation should wait for Trump to leave the White House. CNN went so far as to do a deep dive into the exact amount of food the White House grounds might have available at any one moment.

Finally, shots rang out from the White House as the battle was joined. It took several hours but in the end, the FBI was finally able to secure the facility. Nearly a dozen personnel on both sides died during the course of the Battle of The White House.

In what would become ionic footage, Trump was quietly escorted from the White House grounds. He spent the remainder of his days ranting on Twitter and Gab that he was the rightful president.

The End.

       

 

‘Bite My Lip’ — #Lyrics To A Pop Song

This is my attempt at a Taylor Swift smack-dab-in-the-middle of pop music song. Say what you will about her, she can write a pop song.

Bite My Lip
lyrics by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
please give credit if you produce or perform

our eyes locked before I entered the bar
saw you through the patio on my way in
knew from the moment you were in my life
things were going to change
when I look back at that moment
I can’t help but bite my lip

bite my lip
every time I recall
bite my lip
knowing our love is true
bite my lip
bite my lip
bite my lip

you make me bite my lip with desire
thinking of how we’re going to take it higher
how’s it all going to end
you tell don’t you worry
we’re all going to succeed
in our desires given the light of the midnight sun
we’ll be on the run between the sheets
no one will know what hit them
when we arrive late to the party
knowing smiles on our faces
I’ll turn to you and bite my lip
bite my lip
bite my lip

bite my lip
every time I recall
bite my lip
knowing our love is true
bite my lip
bite my lip
bite my lip

[bridge]
our eyes will lock
our lips will touch
close your eyes with a sigh
knowing I’m always yours
no matter what

bite my lip
every time I recall
bite my lip
knowing our love is true
bite my lip
bite my lip
bite my lip

‘Love After Life’ — #Lyrics To A Pop-Rock Ballad

This is meant to be an ode to middle aged love, but I don’t know if anyone would figure that out unless I told them.

Love After Life
lyrics by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
please give credit if you produce or perform

things seem dire
like we can’t get much higher
but the ring of my phone
makes me emit one last moan
liars come and go
but your love shows
after life seems over
I can get a do-over

love after life
feels just right
love after light
fills my heart with delight

when the game seems at and end
there’s no more room for the midnight sun
the need for a little sin is over
life is fading in my heart
don’t think anything can get it to jump start
you come into my life with a grin
making me want to sing

what more could I ask for at this time
but someone to help think up my rhymes
you’re here for my overtime
long after it seems no one cares
you give me reason to believe again

love after life
feels just right
love after light
fills my heart with delight

[bridge]
maybe life’s not over just yet
I’m willing to play that bet
roll over and let me see
the joys you want to bring to me

love after life
love after life
love after life
love after life

‘Starburst’ — #Lyrics To A Pop Country Song

These lyrics are inspired by Kacey Musgraves’ Slow Burn.

Starburst
lyrics by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
please give credit if you produce or perform

we’re all made of stardust they say
I, for one, wouldn’t want it any other way
all I know is when you’re near me
I feel the stars above explode
leaving me feeling like a starburst

starburst of joy
that’s my love for you
starburst of joy
more than just a moment’s mood
starburst
starburst
starburst

feeling the sun shine down on my face
realizing we’re not in a race
one day this will all be over
lace will touch skin
we’ll dabble in a bit of sin
you’ll feel my starburst with your hand
and it’ll begin again

starburst of joy
that’s my love for you
starburst of joy
more than just a moment’s mood
starburst
starburst
starburst

[bridge]
when the sun sets its still there
just like when you’re gone
my love for you holds true
what else am I going to do

starburst of joy
that’s my love for you
starburst of joy
more than just a moment’s mood
starburst
starburst
starburst

‘Be The Power’ — #Lyrics To An Old School Rap Song

These lyrics are meant to up a homage, a spiritual successor to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power.

Be The Power
lyrics by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
please give credit if you produce or perform

they told us long ago
to fight the power
well it’s a new century
the power we want to be is within
no need to fight it be it

be the power
be the power
make the change you want
be the power
be the power

we’re run by the Russians
the tweeting tyrant tells us no
hit the streets if you want to hear yes
don’t be afraid to express your views
just expect to be in the news
they want to keep us down
out of the people’s house with their lies
but we’re going to bring the down

be the power
be the power
make the change you want
be the power
be the power

[bridge]
don’t expect me to be quiet
now while the they grow rich
as the population grows poor
they’re going to hear us roar

I don’t expect it to be easy
we’re ready to do what it takes
getting their attention will be tough
but we got to make it so they can’t ignore us
be the power
be the power
be the power
be the power

The Apocalyptic Rock Fight: Why I Doubt Trump Will Ever Be Removed From Office

by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls

Here are some scenarios explaining why I think Trump is never going to leave office until (hopefully) he’s forced to leave by the constraints of the Constitution.

1. There’s No Blue Wave
In this case, Trump pardon’s everyone, fires everyone and the United States goes full autocracy. There’s no free and fair election for the rest of my life — at least — with the Russians being given free reign to do whatever necessary to throw elections if dark money, voter suppression and gerrymandering doesn’t do it first.

2. The Election Is Thrown By The Russians
In this case, the end result will be exactly the same as the above. The Republican Party is no better than the Vichy French at this point and we will officially enter a surreal dystopia where there is a complete disconnect between the will of the people and who actually runs the country. Either there will be a revolution (of sorts) or people will be so fed up that they will give up and the Republicans will gut the social safety net, eliminate taxes for everyone but the poor, outlaw abortion and end gay rights. You know, the usual.

3. There’s A Blue Wave…But…

a. But The Republicans Refuse To Honor The Results
I honestly think half the reason the Republicans are so unwilling to protect elections is doing so gives them the ability to question any result they don’t like. They’ll hold hearings during the lame duck session and do everything in their power to question the legitimacy of the results as Trump eggs them on on Twitter. In fact, they may simply refuse to certify any vote they don’t like and the American Republic will, in effect, be dead.

b. Trump Whips Up The Base On Twitter
Trump could very well actively encourage his supporters to start killing people between election night and when the new Congress is sworn in. This might be the excuse he might need to declare martial law “until things are sorted out” and we’re exactly where we would be had the Republicans won in the first place.

c. Trump Starts A War
I could very well see Trump pick a fight with either Iran or the DPRK — or both — at any point between now and whenever the actual vote in the Senate is held to remove him from office, should that actually ever occur (I doubt it.) Throw him Trump also beginning to mull in an extremely passive-aggressive on manner on Twitter about how everyone seems to want him dead and things could grow pretty surreal, pretty quick.

d. Trump Is Impeached But Not Convicted
Getting this far, having said everything above it, is a real longshot. But if there is a Blue Wave and we do manage to get the House to impeach Trump, there’s pretty much no endgame I can think of where you can get 67 Senators to vote to convict Trump. So, in essence, Trump for political reasons is a tyrant. A king. An elected dictator. You only get one shot to convict a sitting president and so should Trump be impeached but not convicted, he will be only emboldened and his supporters will have their final argument: so what if he’s this or that thing, the Senate didn’t convict him now shut up and watch while we cut taxes, gut the “administrative state” and outlaw abortion. Of course, there is a very slim possibility that what would happen is from the point Trump isn’t convicted to whenever he should happen to leave office (hint Jan. 20 2025) we will have a situation similar to the Andrew Johnson Administration where the legislative branch essentially ran the country because of the political power of the Radical Republicans. There is a very small chance that the political frustration associated with the inability to convict Trump will lead to the rise of the Radical Resistance. Trump will tweet all the time how he’d going to declare war or martial law but it’s all bluff and we suffer through a surreal political siege in Washington for years.

dA. The Republicans Intentionally Botch A Snap Lame Duck Impeachment
Should the election be a true Blue Wave and the Republicans get shellacked despite all the headwinds (which I doubt will be overcome, but still) there is a small possibility that soon after the election, the Republicans will do a last ditch effort to save things by impeaching Trump themselves for two reasons. 1) They would have control of the narrative. 2) They would have the absolute ability to pick Pence’s successor should Trump miraculously leave office or be somehow accidentally convicted. Waiting the shadows, of course, is Ivanka Trump. What better way to grease Trump’s decision to leave office but to assure him he’d get a full presidential pardon — as would his family — and Ivanka would be cued up to have a national political career of her own as veep? This is pretty unlikely for various reasons, but it is within the realm of possibility given the sneaky motherfuckers we’re dealing with.

e. Trump Is Convicted By The Senate, But Goes Nuts
This is, by far, the least likely scenario. This is 1 in 100 (or 1,000) territory. But here goes — after Mueller releases his report and after months and months of Congressional hearings, Trump’s poll numbers finally edge down towards 20% or less and Republicans actively begin to talk about the merits of a President Pence. The sheer scope of incriminating material dug up about Trump will be so extensive and damning that somehow, someway 67 Senators conclude that Trump has to go.

eA. Trump Refuses To Accept The Conviction
There’s a decent chance that should this extremely unlikely scenario occurs, that Trump will flip the fuck out and do any number of active counter measures. He could start a war or wars. He could unilaterally declare martial law. We would be in the murky, surreal world of not quite knowing who was running the country as Trump used all his political power to rally his supporters to the White House to fend off his actual physical eviction from the Oval Office. We could very well slide into the unprecedented territory of the military making the final call on all of this. The Constitution is pretty clear about it all, but this will be a political decision to the very, very, very, very end and while if we actually get this far I suspect Trump will be gotten out of the White House for no other reason than this would mean a President Pence, things could get extremely hairy as we all worry about who, exactly, has the nuclear launch codes and what would happen if Trump decided to take the world down with him.

eB. Trump Leaves Office, But At A Price
It seems pretty obvious that Trump might, as suggested above, be forced out of office only if Ivanka was named Pence’s successor. But this, in a way, is the murkiest, most extreme scenario because it would suggest that the only way we physically get Trump out of the Oval Office is one last bending to his craven insane reality TV star political needs.

So, there you go. As of right now, I think it’s over. The bad guys are going to win, no matter what for economic, demographic and generally fucked up legal reasons and we’re doomed to a surreal dystopia where plutocrats and the deporables run the country into the ground and within 20 years the United States will be a quasi-theocratic fascist state that has completely receded from the global stage and that, as they say, will be that.

But it’s up to you to prove me wrong.

Vote!

Shelton Bumgarner is a writer and photographer living in Richmond, Va. He is working on his first novel. He may be reached at migukin (at) gmail (dot) com.