auguy86: Blog

Anyone who's read my stories knows my love of all things Star Wars. Today, we lost a true icon, the first of the core trio of Star Wars heroes to pass, Carrie Fisher. Though she may be best remembered for the unforgettable metal bikini from Return of the Jedi, don't forget everything before that. To get to that point, we had to go through over two movies of Princess Leia staring down Darth Vader, watching her home planet destroyed before her very eyes, grabbing the gun from Han Solo and blasting a group of stormtroopers with it, calling Chewbacca a "walking carpet" to his face and living to tell about it, being the last evacuee from the rebel base on Hoth, and disguising herself as a bounty hunter to rescue her future husband from the hideout of his hated enemy, Jabba the Hutt. Princess Leia was a princess you did not want to mess with. She was not just beautiful, she was tough as nails. You piss her off, you've made yourself a terrible enemy. But once she's in your corner, she'll fight to the death for you. Metal bikini? Memorable, to be sure. But there was so much more to her than that.

Just the same, there was much more to Carrie Fisher than Star Wars. She had her struggles in life, particularly with mental illness. And she had film successes outside the Star Wars realm. "When Harry met Sally," and of course her most insanely fun role in "The Blue Brothers." I mean the woman got to use a flamethrower AND an assault rifle in that film! Just sick! But what you may not know is that she nearly died during the filming of "The Blues Brothers," choking on food. Were it not for the timely intervention of Dan Akroyd performing the Heimlich maneuver, she would not have been able to reprise her role as Princess Leia. Though she is gone too soon, learning of this occurrence made me very glad to know we were blessed to get as much of her work as we did. And, to paraphrase Yoda, mourn her we should not. Miss her we should not. Instead, celebrate the things she did right in her life. Wishing she was alive again accomplishes nothing. Focusing on her shortcomings accomplishes nothing. Death is a natural part of life, and life is always something to be celebrated.

So it's become apparent from the recent blog entries that the Clitoride awards are coming up. I know I'm new around here, but I'd be honored for any nominations readers felt my stories worthy of. Perhaps if there is an award category for best newcomers? Anyhow, shameless plug has been delivered. Thanks!

-auguy86

Chapter 2 has been submitted for mod approval, and should be up in the morning. I wanted to extend a shout out of personal thanks to lichtyd. He gave me some great advice that I feel has helped improve my writing style in a very shot period of time. Thanks so much! Please continue to vote and provide feedback; any and all commentary is welcome. The third and final chapter will follow in a few days.

I am truly embarrassed at the American voting public. I have been for most of this campaign season, but now in particular. Here we sit, less than a month from a presidential election, and neither major candidate is fit to hold the office of President of the United States... yet one of them will. This campaign brought about so many individuals that could have competently and effectively led our country into the future, yet after hearing all of them, we end up with this... Clinton and Trump. Utterly disappointing.

On the one hand, we have a career politician who consistently behaves as if she is above the law. The fact of the matter is, were her last name not Clinton, she would currently be under indictment, possibly in prison. On the other hand, we have an immoral blowhard, caught on tape as saying that, as a celebrity, he can pretty much do whatever he wants. For me personally, as a Christian and a conservative, I can never support or vote for a man who, first, does not even remotely believe in Republican, let alone conservative principles, and second, claims that he's never had to ask for forgiveness for anything.

I also weep for the state of American churches, as many religious leaders have decided to forfeit their souls in exchange for the world, or at least for the White House. Regardless of political positions, Donald Trump is not a good person. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God, but this is a man who boasts about and revels in his sins. Claiming to be proud of trying to seduce a married woman, then attempting to get her fired when she rebuffed him is indefensible since, as he said, he's never had to ask for forgiveness for anything. Politics aside, nobody who believes themselves a Christian should defend or excuse this kind of behavior. And yes, Bill Clinton is no better than Trump, but most of the people defending Trump wouldn't vote for Bill in any case. If someone believes that their side of the political spectrum has the best ideas to lead their country into the future, then that someone must hold their own side to the same, if not higher standards of behavior. Trump's nomination harms not only the Republican party, but also the credibility of many Christian churches the nation over.

Now, some may pause to ask, "But auguy, why is this the last straw? Why is this so bad and all the things Trump has said up until now are OK?" They're not. Anyone who knows me knows that, from the beginning of the primaries, I said I would likely vote for any of the Republican candidates, but not for Trump. I have been very consistent in my views on Trump, that he is not a fit leader and, most importantly of all, I feel he would be no better than Hillary Clinton. Yes, I think they would both be equally bad. That is why, for the first time ever, I will be writing in my Presidential vote when I go to the polls. I know it's nothing but a protest vote, but I refuse to, as South Park so eloquently put, choose between a giant douche and a turd sandwich.

Please understand that this is simply my feelings in regards to me personally, and not meant to sway anyone away or towards a candidate, or even tell them they are wrong for supporting their candidate. If you truly believe Trump to be a better leader than Clinton, feel he would make better Supreme Court nominations, etc, that is your prerogative. If you likewise believe that Clinton has the better temperament and ability to lead, that is also your prerogative. All I would say to such individuals is this: have no delusions about who and what you are voting for. If you vote for Trump, know going into it that you are voting for an immoral blowhard with zero respect for women and who may change what he believes politically with the changing of the wind. If you vote for Clinton, know going into it that you are voting for a career politician who's every movement for the last two decades has been devoted to her own self-preservation and success, and who is probably the least trustworthy member of either major political party in the United States right now. I'm not telling you to change your vote, just encouraging you to go in with your eyes wide open.

For all others, please join me in my quest. Write in Peyton Manning! That, at the very least, is a vote for a person that will not embarrass me or my country.

After much thought and consideration, I decided to create a universe to place my first two stories in. Both "An Unforgettable Melody" and "A Bridge Between Worlds" are now in the official Brollyverse. I did not make this decision lightly, as I in no way claim ownership of the original concept of genie servants that Joe Brolly so eloquently brought to life in his "Genie Chronicles." I have nothing but tremendous respect for his writings, and owe much to him as an inspiration for my own works. While both his story and 800ibgorrila's story remain incomplete and thus cannot be added to the Brollyverse universe, I have nonetheless made this universe a public universe, as there will surely be other authors to come wanting to give their take on the concept Joe originally created. One can also hope that the creation of an official Brollyverse universe will bring Joe Brolly and 800ibgorrila out of retirement to finish their stories after all these years. A pipe-dream, to be sure, but one never knows...