New Mayor, New Outlook

First, congratulations to former State Senator David Holt for his victory yesterday.  He is a young face who claims to have new ideas but also wants to ensure that the projects for the city that Mayor Mick started are seen through to fruition.  Basically, that means for the first couple years, he's going to be another Chamber lap dog.  But right now, there is a legitimate argument that it may not be a bad thing.  Sure, we are missing out on a lot of concerts to Tulsa because of the supposed "Thunder game conflict," but Holt may be the cat to change that.  He won with a significant percentage of the one (79%) and that is, to me, a mandate.  He has a lot of work ahead of him and while we all wish him the best, we'll still be watching.

While at the hospital yesterday going through the initial screening process for transplant eligibility, I had an interested political conversation with someone who was genuinely concerned for the immediate future of the country with a guy like Donald Trump as our POTUS.  I listened intently as I found myself agreeing with her on many levels.  First, I agree that the pro-Trump movement was just as much an anti-Hillary movement.  People in this country were terrified of what Hillary could have brought to the table and the Benghazi disaster still looms large in the minds of veterans and those who are currently serving in the armed forces.  Second, Hillary came off as shrill and cunning whereas Trump just comes across as arrogant and not intelligent enough to truly be cunning.  Lastly, the fear of Trump's ego is becoming a reality whether we want to believe it to be so or not.  He's a loose cannon and has pushed the envelope where international diplomacy is concerned.  He needs lessons on being a statesman, not a blowhard.

I began the process of transplant eligibility yesterday and while the meetings were long and informative, I felt a bit overwhelmed.  I'm not jumping the proverbial shark here, but I consider it to be a huge blessing to even be considered for transplant.  It's a long and strikingly action-packed process.  Liver transplants are particularly weird because you only have one and if your liver fails, everything shuts down.  The counselors at Baptist were kind, caring, and I am in good hands with them and with my wife as my primary caregiver.  It's going to be a long process, as I have said, and it could take weeks or even months to get on the list and with the amount of testing that is still left to be done, it's very possible I could be disqualified from the list.  One never knows, but I suppose this is where faith comes in handy.

I'll keep you posted.

Ron "Gorilla" Black

Long Weekend Recovery

Independence Day weekend saw thousands of Oklahoma families hit the lake and campgrounds to enjoy a celebration of our nation's independence.  Some had fireworks, others had copious amounts of  alcohol to accompany said fireworks.  For yet others of us, we gathered with friends and family at the house; having a much more quiet and intimate celebration.  Either way, it was awesome to see people out and about enjoying the holiday.  

The long weekend came after what was decidedly a long week that was frustrating, shocking, disappointing, and it was capped off with a revelation that an Oklahoma City "icon" would be leaving.  The weeping and gnashing of teeth could be heard as far north as Nebraska as Oklahoma sportscasters announced with tears in their eyes that Kevin Durant was heading to San Francisco to play for Golden State.  

First, we had the weird results of the GOP primary, and then the news about Durant.  I suppose I was surprised at the sadness and mourning experienced by Oklahomans at the announcement that Durant was to take a two-year deal for around $50 million.  Two years; $50 million.  Oklahoma City is a good media market but there is no way we can compete with San Francisco; regardless of how many ferris wheels Kirk Humphries puts by the river.  We probably could have handled the salary, and there is no doubt whatsoever that the legislature would have made available even more tax breaks to the Thunder to keep him here.  But alas, his departure has caused great dismay.  

Take a breather for a moment and think about how Seattleites like myself felt when Clay Bennett and his band of boys took the Sonics from Seattle and moved them to Oklahoma City.  Perhaps now some Thunder fans will get an inkling of how we felt.  

Just remember OKC Thunder fans: The team could have been moved to Denton, Texas.

To top it all off, the FBI Director said that Hillary was careless with classified information but did not recommend that she be prosecuted.  In essence, they found plenty, but because her intent was not untoward, she should be allowed to go about her business.  To me, it's tantamount to letting a drunk driver off because he/she didn't intend to kill the innocent family, but rather it was nothing more than an accident and shouldn't be prosecuted.

We live in some seriously jacked up times.

When I was in the Navy, there was no way in hell that intent had anything to do with whether or not you were prosecuted for the mishandling of classified materials.  I suppose times have changed, but you can rest assured that if it were you and me under investigation for what Hillary did, our asses would be tried and hung long before it became public knowledge.  This once again proves that there are two sets of justice in this country:  One for the rich, one for the rest of us.  It's time to tip the scales and change things by almost any means necessary.

We will have a long time to recover from the events of the previous seven days and in November, it's time to take no prisoners.

Of course, this is just my opinion and I could be wrong, but I seriously doubt it.

Ron "Gorilla" Black

What A Week!

It's been a fun, exciting, and challenging week and I thought I would take a few moments to share some of the excitement with you!

First, Signal 8 Band (my band) is starting to really come together with the new members.  We are pumped up and looking forward to our maiden voyage at the Blowout Club in Guthrie, July 15.  We have an intense set list, great entertainment, and a group of guys who are chomping at the bit to perform for you.  If you can clear your schedule, you're invited to come out and watch us jam the night away with classic rock, contemporary country, and even some pop tunes by folks like the Gin Blossoms.  

Second, you have no doubt seen the Fox 25 report about the County Clerk's race wherein the incumbent Carolynn Caudill had former Governor Frank Keating on a mailer endorsing her.  The truth of the matter is that she did not, in fact, have Governor Keating's endorsement or anything like it.  She also listed endorsements from a couple folks who are actually deceased.  Of course, this isn't the first time that she's run into trouble; she was arrested for DUI and leaving the scene of an accident and had most recently tried to get the record expunged.  In my not-so-humble opinion, she has become the poster child for everything that is wrong with politics.  This is not an ad hominem attack, but rather stating the facts.  One can only hope that the taxpayers and voters of Oklahoma County realize that it's time for a change and will vote for someone with private sector and public sector experience who won't be an embarrassment to Oklahoma County.  Which is why I support Charlie Phillips whole heartedly.  She is the real deal and I don't toss that kind of a statement around.  There is more to the story about some of Caudill's shenanigans and will be reported on Monday on Fox 25.  Phil Cross is the only television reporter with the stones to report this stuff.

Third, floods on the east coast have cost people their lives and then, the news of the Duncan boy with autism came out that his body was recovered and that he is deceased.  It's tragic and horrifying and to hear of a young child losing his life is nothing short of heartbreaking.  Seeing his picture on the news brought forth images of grieving parents, friends, and supporters and it makes one wonder just what in the heck is happening to us as a nation and as human beings.  We can only hope that the boy is now with the Father and that his parents will somehow find a way scratch and claw their way back.

Fourth, I don't know if you know about this cool little place by downtown where there is music on the weekends, food trucks and a light atmosphere.  We saw a friend perform some folk music there and it was absolutely amazing.  It's located just north/behind the OKC Farmer's Market and it is most assuredly a family-friendly environment; some people even brought their dogs.  Highly recommend it to you and the family.   These types of places are popping up all over Central Oklahoma and in my estimation, it is a good thing for the City.  There is an added element of culture that one comes to expect from much larger metropolitan areas.

Lastly, do yourself a favor and shake the hand of a veteran and tell him or her thank you.  We have so much hero worship in this country and have a disgusting propensity to forget the ones who lay down their lives for our freedoms.  There are a lot of idiots in politics, but it's because of our veterans that we can even have idiots in politics.

These are just my opinions and I could be wrong, but I seriously doubt it.

Ron "Gorilla" Black

What Did You Expect?

To lighten the mood a bit, I've decided to take tidbits from the news and from social media and ask one of the most profound questions in all of history:  What did you expect?  These are morsels of truth that no one really likes to swallow but are as necessary for survival as oxygen; and we need to laugh at and with ourselves once in a while.  

Journalist Who Profiled Melania Trump Files Police Report After Getting Threats:  What did this journalist expect?  She pulls no punches in a story about the wife of a bombastic and incendiary POTUS candidate and she gets threats.  This should be under the "profound grasp of the obvious" file because there is no doubt she knew (Julia Ioffe) that it was inviting trouble.  You can't jump into a pit of vipers and then bitch about the fact that your dumb little butt got bit.  I'm not saying that threats are a good thing and neither am I justifying them.  I'm just saying that when you're in the media and you stir up some poop, you have to expect to get some poop on you yourself.  

Raising Taxes to Solve Revenue Problem:  Our legislature in Oklahoma as well as the Governor herself have considered that one way to solve the "problem" of an income crisis is to raise taxes on citizens, but to leave in place countless incentives for the richest among us.  For example, the Thunder organization is not required to pay payroll taxes on their massive payroll.  This benefits the multi-million dollar players and the millionaire owners, but doesn't do a damned thing for the average working Joe in Oklahoma.  Yes, I know that the Thunder has become a sacred cow in Oklahoma City, but the truth is what it is.  They receive a ridiculous incentive that they just don't need.  Yet, it is not just limited to the Thunder, but rather extends to the rich and famous in Oklahoma.  Instead, they are planning to raise taxes on cigarettes (again) because Medicaid needs the money and they want to toss some by way of the education infrastructure.  But what did we expect when we elected this particularly raw group of narcissists?  We knew that it was fame and fortune for them and for most of them in office, it's the best job they will ever have.  What did we expect, really?

American Ninja Warrior at the Capitol:  ANW is filming in Oklahoma and they are filming in the parking lot of the methane gas filled dome.  Seriously?  What did we expect?  It's the perfect location for horseplay such as that.

Axl Rose Singing for AC/DC:  The response has been tepid at best where the Guns-N-Roses front man heading up AC/DC is concerned and really, we shouldn't be surprised.  Live performances when Rose was in his prime were always a crap-shoot, and now that he is forced to sit on a throne because of a broken leg and screech out what we thought were AC/DC tunes, he sounds like a cat that needs to be put down with impunity.   

Hillary Targets Female Voters, Attacking Trump's Standing With Women:  Hillary has most meat-eating conservatives on the right chomping at the bit to see her in jail and most of the Hillary-haters are men so, it should not be a surprise at all when we see Hillary trying to cuddle up to the female voters in the attempt to make Trump look like a big meanie who hates girls.  Trump doesn't have the greatest family values record, to be sure, and admittedly, neither do I.  But there are a ton of Americans who have grown tired of the chest-thumping of the dominionists who want to run the country (and state) like a theocracy.  They want efficacy and a no-holds barred approach to problem solving; not a bunch of hand-wringing bed-wetters who are strong only on religious issues, but are sissies where issues of Constitutional import are concerned.  It was predicted that this would be the way she would steer her strategy.

These were just a few issues and problems that were just too funny not to mention and do so with a sense of humor.  We live in wickedly weird times, my friends and it's only going to get more strange.

Of course, these are just my not-so-humble opinions and I could be wrong.  But, no.  I'm not.

Gorilla

13 Hours Stuff

I had the privilege of seeing the movie, "13 Hours" over the past weekend and it was probably one of the most challenging movies I've seen in a long time.  Some of the scenes are graphic and there are times when I wonder whether or not the graphic nature of a film is necessary; this movie was based real life and in real life, people were killed and in a gruesome manner and more people need to see just how brutal some people can be.  Overall, I thought the movie was exceptional, and the garbage flying out of people's mouths who haven't seen the movie who are saying that it is a political propaganda piece are, well, full of it.  It's not like that at all.

Even the depiction of the Ambassador being dragged through the streets was missing from the screen; there was dialog, but no visuals.  There was no reference to the Secretary of State, so the Hillary supporters are full of crap.  There was no dialog about the Administration.  What it does, however, is point out some serious problems with rules of engagement and the communications infrastructure within the CIA.  Which should tell us something because it has been an issue for many years now.

John Krasinski ("Jim" from the television show The Office) puts in a top notch performance that is serious, compelling, and where appropriate, a great sense of humor. His character "Jack" is a troubled fellow; constantly evaluating the value of his presence there as a contractor.  Jack misses his family and feels a twinge of guilt for leaving them once again for a potentially dangerous situation to generate revenue for his family.  

"Roy" from The Office (David Denman) is in the movie as well, however, he plays a quiet and focused sniper and he does it splendidly.  David Costabile (was in Breaking Bad) plays the role of "The Chief" and from the very beginning of the movie, you learn to despise the character and by the end of the

movie, it becomes very clear that his unwillingness to act early when his security forces suggested ended up costing lives.  The character shows a bit of remorse at the end of the movie, but when his face pops on screen, your blood begins to boil.  

This movie is based on a true story that really happened.  People really did lose their lives at the hands of brutal beasts who have no sense of humanity at all and they were more then willing to urinate on the rules of engagement.  You do get to see how our men were able to drop significant numbers of the enemy and that is important to the film.  The men who lost their lives in defense of something deserve our honor and our admiration for their sacrifice. 

Forget what both sides of the aisle are saying about the movie and go watch it for yourself.  Make your own decisions about the movie and put aside the rhetoric about the political nature of the movie because it just doesn't exist.  There are critics who are saying the movie isn't a blockbuster and neither should it be; just remember who those critics are, generally speaking.  They are men and women who review movies and have never gotten off their asses to stand a post. 

Of course, this is just my opinion and I could be wrong, but I seriously doubt it.

Gorilla