Plans for Local Flagger Group in the Works

Upon learning (at Levin's flog) of my intention to organize a flagger group as a response to the Escambia County's removal of the area's historic flags from the civic center, which sits on county land, Simpson posts,

"We’ll be disappointed if we don’t see a website, a FaceBook page, a Twitter account, and five dust jacket designs up within a week, followed in a year by the dedication of a new really big CBF along the interstate."

Well, duh, yes, of course we will have a presence in social media. But you'll be disappointed, Simp, because setting up the website (plus blog), Facebook page, and Twitter feed will take longer than a week. I'm also looking into having a graphic artist design a logo for the group. But first, there is research -- sidewalk ordinances and other legalities -- to be done, hand-out literature to print up, banners and signs to create....

So you're just gonna have to wait, Simp. Maybe you can deal with your disappointment by directing some of your usual bilious denigration, harassment and persecution toward people who haven't done a thing to you.

I originally thought West Florida Flaggers would be an appropriate name, but after speaking with some other heritage folks here, we think Gulf Coast Flaggers will work even better.

Also, I don't do dust jackets. I do book covers. And while I expect to do five (and more) in the future, it won't be within a week, and they won't have anything to do with the GC Flaggers. They will be for my novels, novellas, novelettes and short stories, and for Word Slinger Boutique customers.

I've already thought of some great places for a giant CBF in or near Pensacola -- seven of them, to be exact, but I have no idea whether there is land to lease in those areas, how much it would cost, and how long it will take to raise the funds. I've never done anything like this before, so I'm learning OJT.

I expect to get a lot of valuable assistance from existing flagger organizations.

Curious Patrick

There's quite a discussion at Levin's flog about the recent action by the Escambia County (Florida) County Commission to remove the Five Flags displays on county property and fly only the American (sic) flag and maybe the Florida flag. 

A lot of the discussion is about ... MOI!

Imagine that.

I may get around to blogging about that thread (and about the county's action), but I've got too many irons in too many other fires to give it much time right now.

Until then, here's  a comment posted by Mr. Young at Levin's flog:

 Pat Young Dec 14, 2014

Yesterday I submitted a comment on her blog asking her to explain her inaction. Although she has posted a couple of things there subsequently, she has posted neither an explanation nor even my question.

Perhaps this reminder will spur her to action.

And here's my reply:

Mr. Young, first, what bizarre thought processes cause you to imagine I owe you, or any other flogger or floggerette, any explanation ... about anything?

Second, I have received no comment from you. It is not in the Awaiting Moderation queue. It's not in Spam.

Blogger notifies me by e-mail when comments are received, so just to be sure, I double checked the in-box and spam filter of my e-mail account. Nothing there, either.

If you like, you can try to submit it again, but of course, there is no guarantee I will allow it through, or answer it. However, if I receive it, I will acknowledge that, regardless of whether I respond or not.

Mousy Tongue's Taste Buds Find Truth, Facts and Reality Unpalatable

When I find ignorant (or dishonest) people on comment threads equating the Confederacy with the Third Reich, there's a pretty good chance I'll acquaint them with the stark differences between the two, thusly:

There were nine million Jews in Europe before the Third Reich -- three million afterward. By contrast, the black population in the United States, before the war, during it, and afterward -- both during slavery and after emancipation -- grew at basically the same rate as the USA's white population.

There were no concentration camps that slaves were herded into in the Confederate states. Inmates in death camps were worked to death and/or given rations scientifically calculated to starve them in three months. By constrast, American slaves ate much the same thing white people ate -- at least, in the South. What they ate is called "soul food" today and it's viewed very positively -- tasty and nutritious, if rather high in starch.

Laws in various states mandated that slaveowners support aged slaves who were no longer able to work and that pregnant slaves be given lighter duties.

Apparently Mousy follows me to these threads and reports back to her buddies at Simpson's flog.  If memory serves, she has mentioned this twice. "American slaves ate much the same thing white people ate -- at least, in the South. What they ate is called "soul food" today and it's viewed very positively -- tasty and nutritious, if rather high in starch."
Apparently she has a problem with the claim, although I don't know why. Maybe she doesn't believe it, or doesn't want to believe it. But the information certainly doesn't originate with me.

Some tidbits from the entry on Soul Food at Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_food

The term soul food became popular in the 1960s. The origins of soul food, however, are much older and can be traced back to Africa....Foods such as rice, sorghum (known by some Europeans as "guinea corn"), and okra — all common elements of West African cuisine — were introduced to the Americas as a result of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. They became dietary staples among enslaved Africans. They also comprise an important part of the cuisine of the American south, in general.

Southern Native American culture is the cornerstone of the south's cuisine. From their cultures came one of the main staples of the Southern diet: corn (maize)...

Impoverished whites and blacks in the South prepared many of the same dishes stemming from the soul tradition, but styles of preparation sometimes varied. Traditionally-prepared soul foods tend to be very high in starch, fat, sodium, cholesterol, and calories.

Isolated ingredients of a soul food diet do have pronounced health benefits. Collard and other greens are rich sources of several vitamins , minerals fiber, and small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.  Peas, rice, and legumes are excellent, inexpensive sources of protein; they also contain important vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Sweet potatoes are a tremendous source of beta carotene and trace minerals.

Of course, maybe she'll reject this information since it came from Wikipedia ... although the article is abundantly footnoted, if she's interested in sources. In any case, the article validates what I said.

Who Killed Jessica Chambers? Will We Ever Know?

The horrific report of the burning death of a Mississippi teenager on December 6 made a small splash in the media for a while, but has been overtaken by other news. Though I haven't followed it closely, I have read some of the reports, and it is both horrifying and mystifying. Who would commit such an atrocity? Why hasn't law enforcement made more progress in identifying and apprehending the murderer (or murderers)?

Some of my growing-up years were spent in small towns and rural communities in the South. They weren't the sort of places were horrifying murders happened, and I was shocked that such a crime occurred in rural Panola County, Mississippi.

Yesterday and today, I followed links on Facebook to a conservative blog titled The Last Refuge.  Among other news, they are reporting on the Chambers murder investigation day by day, and what they are reporting points out how very different our country and culture (including small towns and rural counties) are now than they were when I was growing up.

 Mississippi Burning – Day #6 – The Murder of Jessica Lane Chambers Exposes Massive Problems In Panola County Mississippi… reveals a number of shocking revelations -- that Jessica was in a shelter for battered women until a few months before her murder ... that the video footage of her at the convenience store where she stopped before she was murdered is not the raw footage, but is edited and shown on a monitor which was then recorded with another camera ...

Also learned that the convenience store is a front for drug trafficking by a gang likely imported to Panola County from Memphis ... and that the store is owned by a 19-year-old Muslim from Yemen who apparently supplies the gang with drugs.  We also learn that law enforcement in Panola County is pretty much paralyzed. And we -- or at least I -- am left with the suspicion that if this crime is to be solved, it won't be by the proper authorities ...

Flagger Veterans and a Beautiful Gift

Check the Virginia Flaggers blog for the full story behind these wonderful photos.  The Flaggers donated a U.S. flag to the Virginia War Memorial in memory of Sgt. Cliff Troutman, and in honor of the Veterans in in the Flagger organization, pictured below.

Check out more of Judy Smith's photos of the beautiful Virginia War Memorial at the Virginia Flaggers blog, here.

Thanks to the Flaggers for making such a beautiful gift to the memorial, and thank you, Veterans, for your service.

RIP. Sgt. Troutman....

Remember This From Kevin Levin?

Is This Image Really Controversial?

Generated quite a comment thread at his blog.

Since he is so, so, so focused on slavery (at least, as it is connected to the Confederacy and the South), I wonder if he'll blog about this.

‘New Age of Slavery’painting by Patrick Campbell

Nah. What a silly question. Of course he won't. First, although floggers can make nearly anything civil-war related, I suspect they won't try too hard with this. "It's not civil war related so we ain't touchin' it."

After all, it puts the flag of the floggers' glorious union in a really bad light.

It's a striking image but I suspect it won't resonate with floggers.

At all.

Just a Reminder....

The Things You Can Find on the Internet....

Some posts on an online forum/group....

Brooks D. Simpson --  FWIW, Ray O'Hara (who commented a great deal on Connie's blog and FB page after I booted him BEFORE those revelations, was arrested, but I have no record that he was convicted. Carl, of course, dabbles in kiddie porn ... as a writer.

(1) To the best of my memory,Ray O'Hara never commented on any of my blogs.
(2) Ray O'Hara was removed from my Facebook Group Due South at the request of several other members. I did a search of the group to pinpoint the date that I announced to the group that, due to their requests, he was being removed.  It's March 7, 2012. (This screenshot is of the search index; it does not show the entire post.)

(3) Several weeks after O'Hara was removed from Due South, I received a PM from a group member with a link to the news report of O'Hara's arrest for trafficking in child pornography, after it appeared in a Massachusetts newspaper http://patch.com/massachusetts/dedham/dedham-man-pleads-not-guilty-to-child-porn-charges. That was the first I'd heard of it. Here's a screenshot of the PM, dated 5/3/2012.

(4) Carl, of course, does not "dabble in kiddie porn ... as a writer." And we shall see why, so keep reading.

Brooks D. Simpson -- Meanwhile, the Flaggers once celebrated someone who was later revealed as a sex offender as a gift from God. We chose not to highlight the details.

If it was "revealed later," how were the Flaggers supposed to know about it earlier?

(Simpson continues) -- Carl's a liddle sick puppy.

Well, no, he's not...keep reading.

Kat McNeal -- Wait, why are they mad that you kicked someone out because of kiddie porn? That is one of the most morally unimpeachable reasons to boot someone. Frankly you should be fucking applauded.

If this is about O'Hara and Confoy, after his arrest in Massachusetts for trafficking in child pornography, O'Hara was prohibited from using the Internet. Besides, Simpson says he booted O'Hara "before those revelations" so he can't take credit for booting O'Hara because of kiddie porn.

Confoy, on the other hand, enjoyed continued access to Simpson's blog comments until *I* posted a link to this: http://patch.com/virginia/chantilly/three-men-arrested-after-attempting-to-solicit-minors

So, Ms. McNeal, you can effing applaud ME since Simpson kicked that someone out because of information *I* posted here: http://mybacksass.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-crossroads-carnival-of-malice-part.html 

Reluctantly kicked out, I might add. He wasn't real happy about having to boot Confoy (see http://mybacksass.blogspot.com/2013/12/sad-simpson-and-schadenfreude.html  and https://cwcrossroads.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/some-sad-stories/#more-6930

Corey Meyer -- He is a walking piece of shit.

Brooks D. Simpson -- I think he staggers and waddles.

Kristen Schroeder Konaté -- Heavens...

I wonder how many of these hedonists who are impersonating self-righteous fundamentalists have even read Carl's fanfic. I have. That's how I know it's not "kiddie porn" -- not even close. It's not even erotica. It's not even "warm" or "spicy" romance.

You see, many firms that publish romances, and sites that review them, have heat ratings, and Carl's story falls at the "sweet" end on all the following:

Long and Short Romance Reviews
Review Heat Level Descriptions
http://www.longandshortreviews.com/

SWEET: no visual love scenes and no descriptive kissing; (Carl's story would be compatible with SWEET.)
SENSUAL: Contains a high degree of sexual tension, steamy kisses and passionate clinches, but all fully consummated love scenes will be implied, not described, and with the bedroom door firmly closed.
SPICY: Contains actual love scenes and may include detailed descriptions of foreplay and consummation.
HOT: Contains sizzling and very detailed love scenes throughout and graphic, explicit content which may be offensive to some.

All About Romance
http://www.likesbooks.com/kissburn.html
(Carl's story would be "kisses" or "subtle") 

 Romcon
http://www.romcon.com/romcon-romance-heat-scale
According to RomCon's heat scale, Carl's story would be "Sweet" (No sex or scenes of physical intimacy except kissing. No profanity. No graphic violence. (e.g., Christian Fiction, Sweet Romance, Young Adult Romance...) The remaining levels --
3) Mild
4) Hot
5) Wild Ride
6) Blood Thirsty

Desert Breeze Publishing
These folks published my novel, Storm Surge. Here is their list of heat ratings.
http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/shop-by-sensuality-rating/

Carl's would fall somewhere between Sweet/Blush and Warm

Sweet/Blush: Nothing more physical described in the book than handholding, brief kisses and embraces. Limited displays of affection. No discussion of arousal. If the characters are intimate, it is within the vows of marriage and only implied behind closed doors.

Warm: A step up from blush. Prolonged, sensual contact. Long, deep kisses. Touching. "Making Out." Sexual intimacy may occur, but description goes 'to the door' and stops. No details.
(They gave Storm Surge a "warm" rating.)

Carl's story can't be pornography because it has no sex scenes. Even if it did, it could not be child pornography because a child has to experience abuse in the making of it for it to be kiddie porn, which is what occurs when the abuse is photographed, filmed, videotaped, etc. Writing about underage sex doesn't qualify as it is not a visual depiction of actual child abuse...

"According to the Supreme Court case Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition (535 U.S. 234 (2002)), text alone is not illegal because it does not visually depict actual child sexual abuse." http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/are-written-words-considered-child-pornography-und-1191402.html

These floggers and floggerettes are truly amazing -- addicted to denigration, dedicated to harassment and persecution, getting off on hurting people (or at least trying to), embracing the smear, the put-down, the lying -- all because somebody sees history differently than they do.

___________________
Carl knows that my only criticism of his fanfic story is that the characters are not married to each other, not that they are minors.

Kevin Levin's Ludicrous Blog Post

Titled "Same Flag: From Selma to Ferguson"

He doesn't say much in the blog post -- just puts up two photos, one of somebody holding a Confederate flag as the Selma marchers go by, and another one showing somebody in camo with his face covered, and a CBF nearby, on the protesters' route from Ferguson to Jefferson City, Missouri.

He's attempting to equate Ferguson riots with the Selma March. I lived in Alabama when that happened, and as far as I can remember, the Selma marchers didn't burn any towns or loot any stores...

But because somebody waved a Confederate flag at each event, that makes them the same in his mind, I guess.

Anyway, my blog post is in response to one of Levin's commenters as much as to Levin himself. Said the commenter:

I’m sure all of the southern heritage groups and flagger organizations will rush to denounce this racially charged abuse of the same Confederate flag which they all are so devoted to; or should I rephrase that as a question.

My comment, which I'm sure he will not let through:

Interesting  to see what disturbs you enough to focus on it on your blog, and what you are apparently comfortable disregarding. So you zoom in on one guy and the CBF, but you don't show the Ferguson rioters burning several US flags...  Am I to assume burning U.S. flags does not bother you enough to blog about it?  Shouldn't it? After all, it can fall under the rubric of "civil war memory" since the US was one side of that war, and the same flag being burned in Ferguson (with fewer stars) led the US armies into battle then...

Personally, seeing the CBF used this way galls me, but then, I'm still enough of an American that burning the US flag galls me, too. And I'm doing as much about the misuse of the CBF as you Confederacy haters are doing about the extreme dishonor frequently shown to the US flag. I also note that said dishonor to the US flag is a violation of federal law, while abusing  the CBF is simply an affront to the memory of Confederate soldiers.

Ferguson protesters burning US flags

 I would just ask Mr. J--- H----- what he imagines denunciation by heritage groups would accomplish.  Would the fellow in the photo, should he discover such denunciation, suddenly have a change of heart, acknowledge the error of his ways, and work atonement for his misdeed?

The difference between most heritage folks and most civil war memory/era/other stuff blogger-folks is the affinity for controlling others. The liberal mentality is all about controlling what other people say or do (that is the purpose of political correctness, to control speech); it's about silencing what you disagree with and stopping behavior you don't like, even if it is not unlawful.  OTOH, while not universal in the heritage community, the prevailing attitude of heritage folks is that people are free to say what they wish, even if we don't like it. That's why I may argue with what you bloggers say, but I've never advocated that you take down your blogs the way Levin ordered Ann Dewitt to take hers down.

See? He will never let that through moderation.  Regardless....

Obama's Black Skin Privilege

Bill Whittle nails it again....