Invoking The Insurrection Act Would Not Be The Magic Fascist Pixie Dust That Trump Thinks It Would Be

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I continue to struggle with how, exactly, Trump could go full tyrant in 2025 by just invoking the Insurrection Act while corrupting the levers of power. That’s it? That’s all he’s going to do? And it’s not like all of that is going to happen in a vacuum.

The U.S. Military is not the Nazi SA. It’s a democratic institution to its core. It’s not going to be cool with being seen as MAGA thugs, hell bent on “making America great again” over a bunch of corpses. If anything, if Trump pushes that particular pressure point too much, the military will either implode from internal division on the subject or turn around and topple Trump for being such a dick.

What Trump will need is some sort of national paramilitary group, an American SA. But it would take 18 months to organize and call up the 500,000 bloodthirsty thugs to make up any sort of American SA. That would be plenty of time for a General Strike or Women’s Strike to persuade the U.S. Military to stand down or even help Blues topped Trump. (But even then, all that might do is cause a National Divorce and a civil war, so, lulz?)

Yes, Trump would weaponize the existing ICE infrastructure, but that STILL would not be enough goons for what Trump wants to do. Blues make up about half the population and once it became clear that Trump wasn’t “joking” about becoming a tyrant towards them….anything might happen.

This is not to say that Trump can’t get what he wants, just that maybe there’s more going on than I realize. If there isn’t, early 2025 could be very, very unstable. The key thing about Trump is he’s always been a one-man unpreceded stress test on the American political system.

Maybe Blues need to turn into “Blue Meanies” if Trump is re-elected.

If he uses the U.S. Military on the Blue parts of the U.S. to rule as a military dictator there, while being a more traditional autocrat with his Red State supporters….yikes. Trump could cause the situation in the United States to grow so unstable that many, many people die for no damn reason. The US could be wracked with revolution, counter-revolution, civil war all happening in the context of WW3.

I still believe that MAGA and Trump will soon be as loaded in the global mind as the Nazis and Hitler. Trump could be responsible for at least 1 billion dead if you factor in WW3 happening as a number of nuclear-tipped regional wars turn hot because the USA is too preoccupied with blowing itself up to do being the world’s “indispensable nation.”

But, thankfully, I can’t predict the future. No one can. But it does seem, in general, that if Trump wins re-election that we’re going to the show. That will be it. Either the US turns into a MAGA hellscape, or we somehow manage to destroy MAGA and found a Third Republic.

May God have mercy on our souls.

‘Love You The Most’ — #lyrics to a R&B love ballad

Love You The Most
lyrics by @sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

no matter the weather here on earth
I know you’re the one for me
up in heaven and beyond
with only the Good Lawd
to judge us
we will make all the noise
to wake the angels

love you the most
won’t change no matter what
love you the most
won’t change no matter what
you do
you do
you do

our love can only grow
more powerful and strong
because of the respect
we have for tied fate
ever since our first date
I know you’ll always be with me
even to the end
holding my hand with a grin

love you the most
won’t change no matter what
love you the most
won’t change no matter what
you do
you do
you do

(bridge)
those who hate us
want to break us
don’t realize they’re fools
who have no power over me or you
we will only grow stronger
until our love can go no farther

love you the most
won’t change no matter what
love you the most
won’t change no matter what
you do
you do
you do

‘A Constant Companion’ — #lyrics to a #pop #rock protest song

This one is about how much I fucking hate MAGA. I’m TRYING to write in an oblique manner like Katy Perry in “Chained To The Rhythm.”

A Constant Companion
lyrics by @sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

ignorance is bliss
keeps us all on our feet
it’s no small feat
given how everything is so dumb
as much we want to live
in a land of unicorns
we have to do deal with
a constant companion

(pre chorus)
keep the faith
never let it go
believe in you and me
believe in you and me

chorus
a constant companion
is always leering at us
a constant companion
is going to be our death
a constant companion
makes u all want to fret
constant companion
constant companion
constant companion

the sun is an orange black hole
sucking in all that is true
turning it us into fools
we give up our right to dance
because we are afraid of the night
what are we going to do
when we need the sun to rise
(what a surprise!)

(pre chorus)
keep the faith
never let it go
believe in you and me
believe in you and me

chorus
a constant companion
is always leering at us
a constant companion
is going to be our death
a constant companion
makes u all want to fret
constant companion
constant companion
constant companion

(bridge)
the truth is the truth
an no amount of evil
will change that everyone
everyone wants to be free, free, free

(pre chorus)
keep the faith
never let it go
believe in you and me
believe in you and me

chorus
a constant companion
is always leering at us
a constant companion
is going to be our death
a constant companion
makes u all want to fret
constant companion
constant companion
constant companion

Where Is Phoebe Waller-Bridge?

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Last we heard of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, she was walking away from the Mr. & Mrs. Smith TV show that she was supposed to do with Donald Glover. She was also in the latest Indiana Jones movie (which I largely liked.) But other than that, she’s been pretty quiet.

She has such talent, it’s annoying that she’s decided to go radio silent for such an extended amount of time. The hope is, of course, that she’s hard at work at some really cool movie. I’d like to see her do an Annie Hall-like movie, but seen from a female POV. And have START in LA and END in NYC.

I think it would be amusing to have a Fleabag-like character chase after a guy she met in London. The culture shock of a Fleabag-like character living in LA then NYC would be a real hoot.

I still think she would be great to play Dr. Susan Calvin in an Amazon Prime limited series. She’s would be perfect for the role and the current mass popularity of AI would be a great hook for a bunch of stories about a “robot psychiatrist.”

Anyway. Only time will tell, I suppose.

Things Are Going Really Well With Third Draft Of The Novel

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I YET AGAIN *think* I have a stable first chapter of the third draft done. I hope to now rework the second chapter as needed before methodically going through the rest of the novel.

The president of Hollywood would be proud.

The biggest problem is all the changes I’ve made to the first chapter have a cascading affect on what comes afterwards and that is going to slow me down. I still *believe* I’m on track to wrapping up the third draft of the novel by about April 1st.

Any additional drafts I might do after that will be more technical in nature. That’s the idea at least. While a number of my characterizations have improved DRAMATICALLY since the second draft, I idly think maybe once the third draft is done I may spend some time thinking really hard on how to take the characters I’ve established to the next level.

I’m in awe of anyone who can write 25 treatments of each of their major characters. I discover my characters by actually what is written on the page. But I do that in such a way that I have absolute control over what they do and say. Anyone who babbles on about how they “lost control” of their characters is a fool.

My biggest concern is I’ve just waited too long and no matter how good this novel is, a combination of MAGA destroying the United States and the arrival of AGI will make all my hard work….moot. Anyway, I refuse to wallow in that too much.

Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!

It’s A Mystery

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I continue to get very…mysterious…pings in my Webstats from people poking around deep inside the site out of nowhere. The latest person is using Google Proxy so I have even less information about them than usual.

I can never tell if these mysterious people are interested in my political ranting or my creative ranting. I don’t even know if they’re doing some sort of due diligence on me for this or that reason.

It’s all very curious. I only bring it up because I’m such an anonymous nobody that *any* attention I get from someone trying to hide their domain name, etc is enough to pique my interest. But as “JCal” says, “chaos is a ladder” so, who knows, maybe when the US collapses into civil war, revolution and or tyranny I’ll become someone of note.

What’s more, I got a notification from Facebook telling me I qualified to be a “professional creator” because my content’s high engagement. This makes — on the face of it — no sense. I’ve noticed no additional engagement from my activity on Facebook. This makes me wonder if maybe people are looking at all the Facebook Lives I’ve posted to this site over the years (for some unknown reason) and I have videos with a lot of views and I just don’t know about it.

I continue to believe I have one last hattrick in me. But death be not proud. I could drop dead any day now and never live up to that “potential.”

‘No Joke’ — #lyrics to a #pop #rock protest song

No Joke
lyrics by @sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

you can joke all you like
but we know your kind
with a wink and a nod
you say what you really mean
tyranny is your middle name
if you return to the purple
it will all be no joke.

all your jokes
but no one is laughing
all your jokes
but no one is laughing
all your jokes
but no one is laughing

stand me over my grave
before I give you a grin
for one of your dumb jokes of sin
we will own the streets
and make you feel abroad
with your broad

(bridge)
in all seriouness
you can just fuck off
if you think you can be a king
in the republic of the free
we refuse to submit
to any of your shit

all your jokes
but no one is laughing
all your jokes
but no one is laughing
all your jokes
but no one is laughing

‘No Land For Kings’ — #lyrics to a #pop #rock protest song

Again, just screwing around and venting because I’m intoxicated. Not advocating anything.
No Land For Kings
lyrics by @sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

The walrus said count him out…in
and that’s the state of grace
that this great nation faces
what are we going to do
when men call themselves kings
in the land of freemen

this is no land for kings
this is no land for kings
this is no land for kings

the people may have spoken
but history has other plans
the system is corrupt
not woke
we’ll all meet here when
the coast is clear
knowing that we’ve made it clear
that this is
no land for kings
no land for kings
no land for kings

(bridge)
peace is at hand
if we put our heads in the sand
the tyrant will arrive
to a great deal of sighs
we will live on our knees
rather than die on our feet free

but never forget
that this is
no land for kings
no land for kings
no land for kings

‘All My Heroes Are Dead’ — #lyrics to a #rap -#rock protest song

I’m intoxicated and feel like venting. Not advocating anything. I will note that the angry rap protest songs of the late 1980s and early 1990s are really good!

All My Heroes Are Dead
lyrics by @sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead

2024 is not just a number
history is rushing towards us
crashing down on our heads
the Man wants black and brown
to attack each other
while he rakes in the dough
that’s why

all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead

we need truth not lies
the power of the polls is fading
as we speak
in ways that would make Dr. King scream
we have to take the streets
in November
if the tyrant returns from under his sheet

all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead

(bridge)
listen to the radio
waiting for your sign
to make history come alive
when the Man learns the power
of angry men who want
the truth to rule the land

all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead

‘Little Did I Know’ – #lyrics to a #pop #rock #ballad

Little Did I Know
lyrics by @sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

at the dive bar late one night
I turn to see you with your date
who just happens to leave in haste
I make my move as smooth as can be
you look me up and down
and I know I’ll do

little did I know
you’d be the one
but here I am
holding your hand
holding your hand
holding your hand

making out with you
is out of sight
you’ve got the moves
the kind you just hear about
what can one do
but fall in love with you

little did I know
you’d be the one
but here I am
holding your hand
holding your hand
holding your hand

(bridge)
maybe it was fate
when I met you that night
but I don’t regret my move
and I do what I can
to still be good enough for you

little did I know
you’d be the one
but here I am
holding your hand
holding your hand
holding your hand