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Wednesday, August 3rd 2016
Paul Hair
Hollywood loves portraying bad guys as protagonists but there are certain people it would never make into heroes.
Posted Wed Aug 3 2016 00:00
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Suicide Squad reviews might not be positive but current assessments forecast the movie to have a strong financial opening. And this film about a group of lawbreakers is a reminder that Hollywood loves portraying bad guysas protagonists. Meanwhile, I've flipped this concept on Hollywood by taking a type of person itabsolutely hates and making him into the hero of my fiction.
Read my column at Hollywood in Toto on Mortal Gods: Ignition and Preacher in case you're worried this is going to be a diatribe against Hollywood. Like I write in my HiT column about Preacher, I'm not endorsing Suicide Squad but if you want to watch it go ahead.
At the same time, I'm writing stories I want to see and the focus of this column is on how my likes differ from Hollywood. So I encourage you to read my fiction, regardless of what you think about what Hollywood produces. . . .
Making criminals and murderers protagonists, or at least likable characters, is a rather common occurrence in the entertainment industry. For instance, think of Pulp Fiction (or every other gangster movie ever made), the TV series Dexter, anything with Hannibal Lecter in it, and even horror movies. (Sure, Hannibal Lecter and the title monsters of horror movies are at times portrayed as the antagonists, but they end up being the characters audiences pay--and often cheer--to see.)
So I've taken this concept and turned it on its ear. I'm creating characters based on people that Hollywood hates--that you would not see portrayed positively--and I am making them into heroes, or sympathetic characters, in my fiction. . . .
Visit Liberate Liberty to read the entire post.
Monday, August 1st 2016
Audie Cockings
Pride and Predjudice
Posted Mon Aug 1 2016 19:08
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Reuters Photo
Just to recap today's headlines--Anyone voting for Trump is a racist, bigoted, backward, fascist, woman-hating war monger who seeks to ruin everything our nation has accomplished since WWII. Oh, and of course, the world collectively hates Trump and we should really take that into consideration when voting for the next king of the free world.
This manner of thinking was recently illustrated by a friend who was in New Zealand, in a bar, in the men's room, and witnessed a "Trump" figurine sitting in the communal urine trough, getting a golden shower of love. "Why?" I asked. "Global economy" he replied. As if every corner of the earth should get to weigh in on what's best for them, not those of us who will actually live with our decision.
The reasons for the "Anyone But Trump" crowd may be more about personal pride and prejudices than concern for our nation. They want change, but not too much. They want a leader, but an impotent one.
They are the spoiled popular kids in high school who feel personally jilted when a newbie moves into town, steals their thunder, and beds the pom squad. And in 2016, Trump is the new kid, righties are the pom squad, and centrists are pissed about being cold at night.
In case you haven't heard, if the race in Florida gets tight, Sally Bradshaw, Jeb Bush's top advisor, disclosed that she will vote for Hillary Clinton. Today CNN reported that Bradshaw has officially left the GOP and cites Trump as the catalyst:
"As much as I don't want another four years of (President Barack) Obama's policies, I can't look my children in the eye and tell them I voted for Donald Trump. I can't tell them to love their neighbor and treat others the way they wanted to be treated, and then vote for Donald Trump. I won't do it."
Well here's a thought, Sally. You say you are pro-life and support the Second Amendment? Look your children in the eye and tell them you endorsed Hillary, a candidate who supports selling the body parts of aborted babies and that Hillary has an endless supply of armed body guards that we pay for yet she does not think commoners deserve to protect themselves in a similar fashion.
Tell your kids that you'd rather have a temper tantrum than put conservatives on the Supreme Court. Then explain how Hillary plans to absorb 65,000 Syrians refugees when our government can't even manage the care of our Vets. Because Hillary has no problem leaving them behind.
In voting for Hillary, you agree to increasing government corruption, regulations that cripple businesses and local economies, yoking our kids with insurmountable debt, no privacy, and a state supervised marketplace.
Hillary is a liar. She cannot stop lying. That is not a character trait, it is a character flaw. Even our enemies are better at telling the truth.
I don't like Trump either. I'm old enough to remember his extramarital extracurricular activities gracing the cover of People Magazine in the 90's. Trump dumped a smart, beautiful, business savvy wife, for an anatomically perfect but water-balloon for brains Georgia peach and former showgirl. I can't imagine how Ivana must have felt seeing this in the check-out line shortly after. Trump was a jerk and may still be a jerk.
But how is what Trump has said or done worse than the Clintons/Obama?
Bill Clinton was good at something, but it wasn't making good trade deals or catching Bin Laden...Hillary armed Syria through Libya without our permission...innocent civilians in the Middle East were accidentally killed by Obama's drones...John Kerry believes the environment is the most pressing concern to our national security... and Obama claimed ISIS was"contained" the day before 130 were killed by terrorists in Paris. They haven't a clue. And that's worse than anything, even Trump.
So, Sally Bradshaw. From one mom to another, whatever you decide to do, your kids will still love you. That's what makes being a mom so great. So don't make this about being true to your kids and conscience because if you vote for Hillary, you're screwing both your kids and mine.
Put your big-girl pants on and stop whining.
Or better yet, just be honest and admit you're a liberal.
Sunday, July 31st 2016
Here is the third of three parts that preview upcoming fiction from Liberty Island creator Paul Hair.
Posted Sun Jul 31 2016 00:20
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Read Parts 1 and 2
Liberate Liberty has heavily promotedMortal Gods: Ignition, but now it is time to start talking about what comes next. I am working on multiple, original stories. Here is the third of three parts of what you might eventually see.
--Warrior: Now: The title is a play on how the U.S. Department of Defense likes to create terms such as the"Army After Next"or the"Future Soldier 2030."And for this series, the term, "Warrior: Now," refers to how a warrior once only dreamed of might become a reality.
This is a series of international intrigue and globetrotting, with the first episode showing two private military contractors trying to complete a dangerous mission to retrieve a mysterious package in a war-torn nation. Things become even more dangerous when they encounter foreign troops who are wearing highly advanced gear.
Who are the troops and how did they get such high-tech gear? And what is in the mysterious package? Do the contractors successfully retrieve it? The episode only answers one of those questions because the plan is for the series to answer the other two over the course of time. . . .
Read the rest at Liberate Liberty.
Friday, July 29th 2016
Here is the second of three parts that preview upcoming fiction from Liberty Island creator Paul Hair.
Posted Fri Jul 29 2016 13:11
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Read Part 1
Liberate Liberty has heavily promoted Mortal Gods: Ignition, but now it is time to start talking about what comes next. I am working on multiple, original stories. Here is the second of three parts of what you might eventually see.
--The Most Powerful Soldier in the World: I might be the most excited about this real-world-based series that will feature political and national security intrigue.
I don't want to give too much away about the story so I'll only say this: a Pennsylvania Army National Guard soldier observes stupidity of the highest order at the highest level of his chain-of-command while he's deployed in a war zone. The stupidity is so great that it leads him to do something drastic in his civilian life.
And this drastic action sets up the series to tell a lot of interesting and unique tales.
I'm not aware of anyone having used what will be the underlying premise of this series. . . .
Read the rest at Liberate Liberty.
Thursday, July 28th 2016
Here is the first of three parts that previews upcoming fiction from Liberty Island creator Paul Hair.
Posted Thu Jul 28 2016 15:33
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Liberate Liberty has heavily promoted Mortal Gods: Ignition, but now it is time to start talking about what comes next. I am working on multiple, original stories. Here is the first of three parts of what you might eventually see along with the venues where you likely will see them.
My new fiction likely will appear at the following three places: here, Liberty Liberty, and as books for sale at Amazon. This is all subject to change. But anticipate for the time being to see new fiction at these three places.
And when fiction appears at Liberate Liberty or at Liberty Island, much of it likely will be published for free and in full. (Although donations at Liberty Island or purchases of my books on sale at Amazon are always welcome.)
Other fiction might only be introduced for free at LL or LI, with the remaining story (or stories) being published for sale.
So what types of stories are coming? Like the venues, they are subject to change (I might even choose not to go through with some of these ideas at all).
But here is the first of three parts of a quick look at some story (and even series) ideas I have developed. Some are more developed than others. This part mostly focuses on planned Mortal Gods stories, but the next two parts will focus on other planned stories that take place outside the MG universe. . . .
Read the rest at Liberate Liberty.
Thursday, July 21st 2016
Josh Lieblein
History repeats itself....
Posted Thu Jul 21 2016 23:25
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Stop me if you've heard this one before:
A loud-mouthed vulgarian and inheritor of his daddy's fortune, possessing questionable ethics, business sense, and a baffling reputation as an "outsider" amongst the common folk, launches a bid for political office that captures the attention of the nation.
His exploits and statements are legendary. His gaffes are staggering. The political establishment alternately loathes and is awed by him. The media climb over each other to report his every word. One by one his political opponents fall before him.
Donald Trump? Nope, I'm talking about Rob Ford, the recently deceased former Mayor of Toronto.
You might have never heard of him, but up here in Canada, Ford's appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Jon Stewart's associated Daily Show segment are etched in our nation's collective memory.
That's why Donald Trump's rampage to the Republican nomination and consistent dominance of the news cycle feels like watching a sequel- or perhaps an adaptation.
Ford drove under the influence, got videotaped using drugs, regularly used profanity and racial slurs, threatened and occasionally used violence against his critics- once running right over a city councillor who got in his way- but he had a bumbling, stumbling quality about him that made him almost endearing. He was often compared to Chris Farley.
Say what you will about The Donald, but he would never deny rumours of an affair by saying he "had enough to eat at home." He would never order food at a Jamaican restaurant speaking actual patois. If the cops have ever been to Trump's home to investigate a domestic dispute, I've never heard of it. Without his handlers to keep him under control, Ford detonated PR bombs on the daily.
But on the campaign trail, Ford was focused and disciplined. His campaign slogan- "Stop The Gravy Train" -resonated with Torontonians who were frustrated with the entrenched culture of waste at City Hall. He dominated debates, raised a ton of cash and won over immigrant enclaves ringing the city.
What accounted for this turnaround? Who was guiding him through those months?
Could Ford have been a Trump prototype?
One instance stands out in my memory. Canada- and especially Ontario, the province where I live- brags all the time about how proud it is of its open borders and relaxed immigration policy.
So, when Ford said, apropos of nothing, that Toronto lacked the infrastructure to handle with more people, I was dumbfounded.
Granted, it was no, "Let's build a wall," but talking about limits on immigration at all in Canada hadn't been done before or since.
Did this hurt Ford's standing with Canadian immigrants? Quite the opposite.
Then there were the whispers about Ford's connections to powerful Chicago Republicans.Dialing his campaign office sometimes got you a call back from a 773 area code. Then there was the fact that the Ford family business did have a branch office in Chicago.
But all this is mere speculation. The clearest evidence of a link between Trump and Ford was an utterance made by the Donald on May 5th during a rally in West Virginia.
Can you guess what Trump vowed to do as President?
That's right. He promised to "stop the gravy train....."
Friday, July 15th 2016
It is what it is, eh?
Posted Fri Jul 15 2016 23:25
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Canada. A quirky, perky and very cold country full of overly polite hockey players who like maple syrup, brightly coloured money, Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, and Drake?
Or a frozen wasteland where entrepreneurship is stifled, creativity is stunted, corruption is pervasive, and all are subject to the whims of the terrifying and invisible Consensus?
Maybe both?
Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Josh Lieblein, pharmacist, political activist, and teller of tales. I was recruited to Liberty Island by a man you all know and respect- Mr. Dave Swindle- who answered a call for assistance when a new Canadian conservative website - Rebel Media- was looking for writers to contribute to its community blog, The Megaphone.
For a year, Dave and I dialogued about the commonalities and differences between Canadian and American politics, the future of conservatism in a world beset by Trumpism, and how to inspire conservatives to create and take back the culture from the left.
Now the Megaphone has been shut down, scrubbed from the Internet, due to lack of traffic- or was that the work of the Consensus again? Hmmmm.....
Luckily, Dave and I have been working together to bring an epic fantasy trilogy based on the strange and darkly funny world of Canadian politics to life. I'll be sharing chapters from the rewritten version of the first volume- Obsidian- as they come to life with you, as well as some insights from up north that you might find interesting.
For example...what if I told you that we already have a government run by President Hillary Clinton....and it's in Canada?
And what if I told you that there was a Canadian prototype for Donald Trump?
In my next post, I'll be revealing more about these mysteries.
Until then.....I'm Josh Lieblein, and just like we say up in Canada all the time...It is what it is.
David Dubrow
Embrace the transformation of escape into message fiction or be damned a hater.
Posted Fri Jul 15 2016 08:27
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I saw the original Ghostbusters in the theater as a teenager and loved it, the way most kids did. Watching it wasn't a defining moment of childhood or anything like that, but I found the movie imaginative, scary, and funny. My favorite parts, I remember, were the short bits discussing ancient civilizations, the portal to another dimension/time in the fridge, and the EPA guy Peck getting splattered with marshmallow fluff. Science versus magic, with the fate of the world in the balance: great stuff.
The less said about the sequel, the better.
When I learned that a reboot/remake/reimagining of Ghostbusters was in the works, I knew that it would probably be awful. Hollywood tends to sacrifice imagination for cash, embodied in unnecessary remakes like this one. Once it was announced that this reboot would include an all-female cast of Ghostbusters, everyone with the dimmest awareness of current events knew that it would definitely be awful, because the only reason to switch the cast's sex was to pay homage to a social justice/grrrl power/21st century feminist agenda. Sony was turning a loved franchise into a message film. Message films, particularly message films made today, are entirely unwatchable.
Fans of the original (referred to near-universally as "fanboys," with as much contempt as can be invested in such a term) weren't upset that women would be in the cast; rather, they were justifiably angry that the entire theme of the franchise was altered, and not for the better. Yet another beloved thing had become politicized and ruined by social justice warriors.
In reply the filmmakers, beholden to a social justice message rather than a desire to entertain, hurled invective at the potential audience, calling anyone who didn't enthusiastically embrace their message film sexist, misogynistic Neanderthals and haters. That's not the reaction of a studio attempting to put as many butts into movie seats as possible; it's the reaction of a social justice warrior faced with the appalling notion that someone disagrees with her/him/xer. Remember, social justice warriors hate you simply for disagreeing with them. Your difference of opinion is hate.
The movie has just been released, so let's take a look at the reviews. One could assume from the 76% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes that the awful trailers didn't do the movie proper justice. Here's a representative sample of reviews from major media outlets:
- Steven Rea of the Philadelphia Inquirer liked it, and headlined his review with, "Sorry haters, but it's really funny." He also said of it, "Girl power and ghoul power - it's a winning combination." So it's clear that his review was heavily influenced by the social justice message, of which he approves. Go grrrl power, and all you sexist, misogynistic Neanderthal haters are WRONG.
- MTV's Amy Nicholson characterized the movie as "a middle finger to the screaming brobabiez". Not that Amy Nicholson is to be taken seriously by anyone with intellectual heft, but she's exposed herself as a social justice warrior out to make a point, not a film critic honestly reviewing a movie. How else are we supposed to take this statement: "Still, the big CG sequences are less captivating than simply watching the four ladies kick it with a pizza." Nicholson doesn't even like movies like this. If you prefer watching movies about women eating pizza, why review Ghostbusters? To stick it to the sexist, misogynistic Neanderthal brobabiez, that's why. (You need to create terms like "brobabiez" when your loathing of people who disagree with you is so fundamental that "fanboys" just doesn't cut it. Half-wits like Nicholson find invective to be their favorite rhetorical outlet.)
- Salon's Andrew O'Hehir said in his review, "Feig's 'Ghostbusters' is a goofy, free-floating romp with an anarchic spirit of its own, a fresh set of scares and laffs and a moderate dose of girl power that is unlikely to seem confrontational to anyone beyond the most confirmed basement-dwelling Gamergate troll." Noticing a pattern?
- We'll round out our roundup of reviews with Justin Chang at the Los Angeles Times: "After months of being trashed online by some of the nastier basement dwellers in the fanboy universe, Sony's female-powered "Ghostbusters" update certainly represents progress of a sort, if not necessarily the kind its makers were aiming for." You're not just a sexist, misogynistic Neanderthal brobaby for not wanting Sony to transform the Ghostbusters franchise into social justice message fiction, but you're also a nasty basement dweller. Chang also says, "Forced to choose between another viewing of one of Ivan Reitman's two 'Ghostbusters' movies or Paul Feig's feminist reboot, I'd opt for the latter in a heartbeat[.]"
These aren't reviews. They're hate-letters to anyone who disagrees with the transformation of entertainment into message fiction. Doesn't this put a stake in the heart of the notion that these film critics are pure arbiters of quality, more qualified than you to determine what's good from what isn't? Why should you take their word on anything? They've shifted from movie reviewers to political activists, and should be treated (contemned) as such.
Obviously, the controversy surrounding the movie (wholly instigated by decisions the studio made to promote a message rather than put together an entertaining film) needs to be acknowledged in a review. It would be silly not to. However, this was not the way to broach the subject. Just as the movie's main focus is the social justice message of grrrl power, the reviews' main focus is supporting that message. Do you really think these reviewers liked the movie on its merits? It's long past time we turned our backs to these haranguing, tiresome show business disasters and the faux-reviewers who promote them.
No, Sony: we don't dislike the new Ghostbusters because there are women in the cast. We dislike it because you've politicized the franchise. You've turned it into something it wasn't meant to be, and you did a horrible job of it.
(Cross-posted from my awesome blog.)
(Cross-posted from my awesome blog.)
Monday, July 11th 2016
Women as mysterious creatures is an age-old concept and with good reason: it's true. And taking advantage of this truth in literature makes for better characters and better stories.
Posted Mon Jul 11 2016 12:53
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Women as mysterious creatures is an age-old concept and with good reason: it's true. And taking advantage of this truth in literature makes for better characters and better stories.
There are two prominent female characters in Mortal Gods: Ignition: Victoria and Amanda. Victoria plays important parts in the first two stories while Amanda only appears in the second one. And while the stories spend significant portions on both women the reader doesn't learn a whole lot about them. This is intentional. This makes them mysterious and thus makes the reader want to know more about them. In other words, this quality helps sustain the reader's interest. . . .
Read the entire post at Liberate Liberty.
Friday, July 8th 2016
Kill your owner and get instant street cred with "Revolutionary" thug strays.
Posted Fri Jul 8 2016 18:53
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It is possible that I'm overly sensitive today after twelve police officers were shot in Dallas by Black Lives Matter snipers last night. It seems that these folks have just crossed the line--a guerrilla style self-initiation that launched them into the radical militant group universe. Authorities are saying that the sniper was a lone wolf, but how many others wished they'd pulled the trigger?
Why aren't Black Lives Matter members up in arms about blacks lives in general? For every one black man killed by a cop, justifiably or not, forty more black men are killed by other black men.
Why aren't Black Lives Matter members up in arms about blacks lives in general? For every one black man killed by a cop, justifiably or not, forty more black men are killed by other black men.
I generally can't entertain an entire Rush Limbaugh live broadcast, but today's was timely and gripping. Limbaugh interviewed Heather MacDonald, a highly-matriculated white female attorney who recently penned a book about the leftist demonization of our police. I highly recommend reading the transcript or streaming the interview to get the facts. For instance, how white cops are 18 times more likely to be killed by a black man than a black man is to likely to be killed by a white cop. The statistics are staggering.
Yes, they have far fewer opportunities, but that is no excuse for murder. Our nation needs healing, and the government can't force that. Neither will a thousand liberals marching in black t-shirts who won't admit that criminal behavior is partly to blame for the problems black men face. Black men need to be part of the solution. Instead of celebrating thugs, celebrate the millions of black men who use their brains for good and the strong black families in our nation who are raising leaders, academics, and productive citizens!
But it seems to me that the current government and liberals in general are only interested in fueling the fire. It's a power play that no one can win. Here in Baltimore, a year after the tragic death of Freddie Gray that was so highly publicized, the city's murder rate has only increased. And as I sit here and write, Black Lives Matter are illegally marching up the interstate towards us and through major arteries downtown. The city police have been ordered to stand down.
My kids have been looking forward to seeing "The Secret Life Of Pets" ever since the cute and cuddly previews began to air. The idea is brilliant, although I secretly know that my dogs lay on my sofa all day when I'm gone because there are warm indents full of dog hair on the couches when I get home.
I hate wasting money. Maybe because I am a staunch conservative or maybe because I'm cheap. Not sure which, but that's irrelevant. I spent $50 for myself and our four kids for half a violent, scary, left leaning movie today. We spent the other half of the movie in my truck discussing how discarded pets wanting to kill humans in retaliation was just in poor taste. Never mind the sadistic animal control people.
Has killing become such an accepted topic that a theatre full of young families laugh as a thug bunny anxiously prods two dogs for details on exactly how they killed their owners? We got up and left, and I was happy to notice about five other families doing the same.
Shame on Hollywood for goading kids with cute and cuddly pets doing hilarious things just to get them to the movies to push that trash. The website for the film mentions nothing of the vicious death of one of the animals, a bulldog sporting a Hannibal Lector-esque facemask, or the murderous raptor who can't help killing other animals because deep down he's just really lonely and in need of a best friend.
Zero stars. Not for intended audience.