Month: March 2022

Woke Cancel Culture Is So Corrosive to Democracy


by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

This is an example of if I would sell my soul to the MAGA New Right I could be up there with Jesse Kelly. But for my self-respect, I could be having dinner with Trump, plotting how he is going to win re-election in 2024.

Jesus Christ, fuck that.

I say this because I’m capable of enough empathy to understand why being “canceled” is at the forefront of my conservative Traditionalist relatives’ minds. Even though Blue Check liberals have moved on, the average Traditionalist is still very, very concerned that through some mishap, they will slip up in public because of their conservative sensibles and a recording of the event will go viral. They will then have their life ruined simply for being conservative.

Now, on the face of this, this is bullshit.

The vast majority of people who are “canceled” are malevolent racists, or mysognists or bigots. But my Traditionalists relatives miss that part. Things are far more simplistic for them — if you’re conservative, you risk having your life ruined in a very public manner.

And the reason they think this is the thought leaders of the MAGA New Right know they can use that fear as a bludgeon. They scare the shit of out Traditionalists about being “canceled” in hopes that they won’t really get woke and make common cause against the MAGA New Right and the rise of fascism.

Anyway, the point is — we’re fucked.

The are only so many bolts left on American democracy. There will come a point, no later than 2024 – 2025, when we face the existential choice of autocracy or civil war. I keep telling my Traditionalist relatives that their side is ascendant and they will get everything they want politically if their only patient.

But, lulz, because of the thought leaders of their side being so fucking blood thirsty, we’re fucking doomed.

The Fucking Upside Down Of ‘Florida Man Radio’


by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I pride myself in being empathetic. If I disagree with someone politically, I at least try to walk a mile in their moccasins. Because of a quirk of my personal history, I found myself watching something called “Florida Man Radio.” And, let me tell you, it was, relative to my world view, pretty fucked up.

The episode today that I saw was all about the New World Order and Hunter Biden’s “Laptop From Hell.”

And, let me tell you the show’s hot takes on all of this made me want to say Jesus Fucking Christ.

The chief reason why all of this bothers me is Trump loves, loves, loves this type of media. He takes his talking points from it. Trump has a tendency to take the most fucking surreal fascist idea and run with it as if he thought it up. And, yet, this is yet another example of how Trump is nothing more than an avatar for the structural flaws and rot in America’s body politic.

The people on the show speak with such passion and certainty about issues which are either simply not true or are astonishingly hypocrital given what we’ve gone through with the Trump family over the last six years or so. I mean, Jesus Christ people.

And, yet, here we are. Autocracy or civil war. Either the folks of Florida Man Radio see their vision of America become a reality, or the country collapses and we have a modern day field of blood.

All the imagery will currently see in Ukraine will be in our own backyard. America is careening towards a dark and potentially violent future, starting around 2024 – 2025.

‘Rebound Boyfriend’ –#lyrics to a #pop #song

Rebound Boyfriend
lyrics by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

pull up to your join
see you’re alone
put out my cig with my boot
know what is afoot
you’re waiting for a man
that’s all part of my plan

I wanna be your rebound
I wanna be your rebound
I wanna be your rebound boyfriend
I wanna be your rebound
I wanna be your rebound
I wanna be your rebound boyfriend

put away the kids
get a babysitter
I’n not your baby daddy it’s true
but what are you going to do
now is my turn to make you smile
giving you a twirl
soon you’ll be moaning
knowing the man you made you grone is gone
I’ll be here for a while

I wanna be your rebound
I wanna be your rebound
I wanna be your rebound boyfriend
I wanna be your rebound
I wanna be your rebound
I wanna be your rebound boyfriend

(bridge)
your old boyfriend was a jerk
all he did was flirt
now is our chance to heal
at least, that’s the deal
no more time for tears
the time is right
for a bit of delight

I wanna be your rebound
I wanna be your rebound
I wanna be your rebound boyfriend
I wanna be your rebound
I wanna be your rebound
I wanna be your rebound boyfriend

‘Next Chapter’ — #lyrics to a #Pop #Song

Next Chapter
lyrics by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

we’re over it’s true
all I want is to start a new
with someone new
I lick my thumb
hoping to start a new chapter

a new chapter has begun
a new chapter of life on the run
but I’m not dumb
I’ll start this new chapter with fun
a new chapter
a new chapter
a new chapter

a new chapter has begun
in my life
a new chapter has begun
that’s full of delight
new characters on the stage
because I’ve turned the page

a new chapter has begun
a new chapter of life on the run
but I’m not dumb
I’ll start this new chapter with fun
a new chapter
a new chapter
a new chapter

I’m in need of a new chapter
a new chapter in my life
one with delight and you
out of the story for good
in my heart a chapter has begun

a new chapter has begun
a new chapter of life on the run
but I’m not dumb
I’ll start this new chapter with fun
a new chapter
a new chapter
a new chapter

(bridge)
I look at the book of life
wondering what happened to my delight
the chapters before are full of being adored
then I grow bored
so what is new
but a life without you

a new chapter has begun
a new chapter of life on the run
but I’m not dumb
I’ll start this new chapter with fun
a new chapter
a new chapter
a new chapter

‘Love On The Run’ — #Lyrics to a #Pop #Song

Love On The Run
lyrics by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

you only swing on through
when you think I’m done with you
but I’m in love
I can’t escape your tug
when will this end
this love on the run

love on the run
it’s too much for my heart
but it’s just a start
love on the run
love on the run

lovers come and go
it’s the same old rote
but something in your smile
and the way you cock your eye
that makes me want you to stay
much to my dismay

love on the run
it’s too much for my heart
but it’s just a start
love on the run
love on the run

(bridge)
when you stay
you have to go
when you leave
you make me roar for more
but there’s nothing I can say
but baby I’m here for you
I need to get laid

love on the run
it’s too much for my heart
but it’s just a start
love on the run
love on the run

‘Russian Man’ — #lyrics to a #pop #song

Russian Man
lyrics by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

tanks cross the border
bringing destruction in your path
don’t you have any shame
stop what you’re doing
it’s a crime against humanity

Russian man
stop in the name of peace
Russian man
stop in the name of peace
Russian man
stop before you break the world

children scream in fear
as there’s a tear across the sky
what will we tell them
when the bombs arrive
is peace just a lie
and war is now a fact of life

Russian man
stop in the name of peace
Russian man
stop in the name of peace
Russian man
stop before you break the world

(bridge)
peace will return one day
you heard what I said
but for the time being
we pity the chidden
being fearing being gassed

Russian man
stop in the name of peace
Russian man
stop in the name of peace
Russian man
stop before you break the world

‘You’re A Robot’ — #Lyrics To a #Pop Song

You’re A Robot
lyrics by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

I talk and you won’t listen
we’re at a standstill it’s true
which just makes me blue
rust is showing on your gills
I’m starting to believe
you’re not human but something else

you’re a robot
you’re not human
you’re a robot
you’re not a human it seems
you’re a robot
just out to hurt me

people tell me I’m nuts
that I’m making too much of a fuss
but what can I do when confronted
by people with no soul
all they want to do is control
so let me say once again
I’m thinking there are electronics
under your skin

you’re a robot
you’re not human
you’re a robot
you’re not a human it seems
you’re a robot
just out to hurt me

(bridge)
just a little humanity
on your part
would fix all our problems
but you’re too stiff
while you’re abou to reboot
so fuck you

you’re a robot
you’re not human
you’re a robot
you’re not a human it seems
you’re a robot
just out to hurt me

A High Concept Blog: Buzzfeed Meets Gawker Meets A Site Obsessed With Tik-Tok


by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’m feeling kind of sad about the state of modern online journalism. The late, great Gawker is undead. Buzzfeed continues to cut its news staff. Ugh. Everything sucks.

And, yet, there is a space in the media universe that isn’t being served — Generation Tik-Tok. So, what I would do is start a blog that was a fusion of Buzzfeed, the old Gawker and a site obsessed with Tik-Tok. You generate buzz by really taking seriously the pop culture that Tik-Tok generates on a near moment by moment basis.

Now, there are obviously some problems with this idea. First of all, blogs are demonstrably dead. So, too, are apps. They’re both mature mediums. As such, it’s difficult to establish a new site or app these days without a lot — and I mean A LOT — of investment.

And, given that the metaverse is just around the corner, it’s simply impossible to get the investment necessary to successfully start something as antiquated and gauche as blog.

Nonetheless, I find the concept of such a blog intriguing. It would be fun to have a pop culture obsessed blog that was good enough that I went out of my way to read it instead of just passively learning about its coverage via Twitter. But, I don’t know — am I just being my usual delusional self to think such a thing is possible?

Probably yes.

And, really, I think what’s going on is I’m old and am being nostalgic for things that made me happy when I was a lot more younger. So, lulz. I suppose the era of both blogs and apps is over.

Now, we just wait for Silicon Valley to get around to rolling out the metaverse.

Tik-Tok As A Female ‘Safespace’


by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

One of the more curious developments in social media of late is how Tik-Tok of all things is now a female dominated social media service. Or, put another way, it’s either that or because Tik-Tok is actively reading my mind it knows I’m something of a male lesbian and as such I get a peek into what women are seeing on the app. (wink.)

Julia Fox, Tik-Tok lightening rod.

My “For You Page” is dominated by cats, some politics, a little bit of weird conspiracy theory, hot chicks and women talking about various aspects of being female. I’m very pleased that women, for once, can dominate a corner of the online world.

I just find it curious as to why this happened. I think some of it may be that one, younger women who have grown up with the Internet their entire lives are comfortable with being on camera and, even more importantly, because I’m male a sizable portion of the women I’m seeing are hot. They’re hot social media influencers who are already used to running around being salacious with not a lot of clothes on while on Instagram.

So, in a sense, Tik-Tik is a natural progression from what we’ve seen with photography for years on Instagram. Some of the very-female oriented content I’ve seen on my FYP has been rather eye-opening. Like, at one point, I kept seeing a video where a woman narrated a very detailed graphic illustrated depiction of the female genitalia. I’m all for such stuff, but it was rather unexpected on my FYP otherwise filled with the Green brother explaining this or that unknown part of the scientific world.

Anyway, this development with Tik-Tok is pleasant and unexpected. We’re so used to Incels attacking women for not having sex with them that it’s nice that women can do whatever the fuck they want on a social media planform and not feel like it’s a hostile environment for once.

Of Developing The Other 4 Novels In This Thriller Series


by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Ok. I’ve pretty much figured out the plot of the first novel in what is meant to be a five novel thriller series. (I don’t know if you can really call these novels “thrillers” but that’s the genre that they’re closest too.) Anyway, now to plunge into the other four novels.

The last two novels — which make up the original story I worked on for a few years before Trump choked on me and couldn’t establish Trumplandia — are probably the best thought out. But there was a reason I shelved them for a while — the story was great but also way too packed full of plot.

I’m hoping that went I look at the plot of those last two novels with fresh eyes that the development will zoom a lot quicker because I might be more willing to radically change the story as necessary to actually finish something, anything.

Then there are two novels in the series where I have beginnings and ends but a huge hole where everything else should be. Fleshing out these two novels is going to be a real struggle. At least I know how the start and end. And I have the general conventions of a thriller I can use to help me.

These five novels depict events that take place over the course of a generation. The entire thing is pretty great. The overall arc of the five novels is everyone wants to control my interpolation of the Lisbeth Salander troupe and it’s done in the context of a Oliva Munn-looking woman who loves the Salander-like woman like a daughter over the course of the years.

But really need to stop talking about writing and start writing. Yet, some of all of this is me processing in the back of my mind how I’m going to work out plot points. And letting off steam while drunk.