Oh, Monday, how I hate thee

This morning, one of the first things I saw on social media was a post from an on-line friend half-joking, half-serious about how she had to remind herself she loved her kids. See, they don’t do Mondays well. Of course, my friend admitted she didn’t either, which was part of the reason why she needed the reminder. I completely understand that feeling. Mondays are those days when you have to make the transition back to “work” and, at least for me, I’d much rather still be lazing in bed and taking my time getting going.  Unfortunately, we can’t skip Mondays and that means it is time to get back into the swing of things.

So, what’s been going on? Before we get to the Oscars (C’mon, you knew I’d have to say at least a little about them). I did a lot of reading over the weekend. Some of it was in prep for the next few According to Hoyt posts on the writings of Thomas Sowell. I wrote my first post on his work Friday. I am still amazed at how readable his work is and yet how much he makes me think. I knew he did that with his work on economics but this has been my first foray into his writings on society, history and the issues we face today. If you haven’t read him, do so. I don’t think you will regret it.

On Saturday, I did a post over at Victory Girls as well. This time, I took on the issue of arming teachers and administrators in our schools. With all the calls for stricter gun control laws, reality is often overlooked. Those laws won’t prevent someone from doing something bad if they are determined to do so. If they can’t get their hands on a gun — and don’t fool yourselves, they’ll be able to. There’s this little thing called the black market. If you can’t get something legally, you can get it illegally. Look at the thriving black markets in those countries with restrictive laws for examples — they will find something else to use. They will use knives or bombs, fire or acid. If there is a will, they will find the way. So we need to look at other ways of prevention and arming teachers and administrators is one possibility. 17% of the school districts here in Texas allow teachers and admins to carry concealed. The campuses are posted, warning anyone who might be considering doing something horrible, that their staff may be carrying and will take all necessary steps to protect their charges. I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that the perp would choose to forego that campus and find himself a nice “gun free zone” to do his mayhem.

As for the Oscars — told you I’d get to it. I didn’t watch. I had no desire to. Despite the so-called assurances from the producers that there wouldn’t be too much politics, I knew better. Judging from the coverage it is getting this morning, my definition of “too much” is vastly different from the producers’. It really is a good thing there’s no major news this morning. Hell, who am I kidding, there might be but the media doesn’t care. It is too busy virtue-signaling with its coverage of the ceremonies last night.

Yet, as I watch the clips and listen to the commentary, I find myself shaking my head. From Taraji P. Hensen making it clear she has nothing but disdain for Ryan Seacrest because of the accusations against him (funny, I thought we were supposed to be considered innocent until proven guilty) to the jabs at the President and the NRA to, as I understand it, the way the audience remained silent with Gary Oldman thanked the United States, the show was more about hitting the current political topics du jour than really recognizing the best in the industry.

Tell you what, I’ll start paying attention to the spoiled Hollywood crowd when they all admit they knew what Weinstein and others were doing and turned a blind eye to it because it helped their careers to do so. I’ll pay attention to them on gun control when they do away with their armed security contingents. I’ll pay attention to them on social issues when they really put their money where their mouths are. I don’t mean donating several hundred thousand to a cause. I mean donating all their salary — and royalties earned afterwards — to a cause. I mean spending more than a photo op with those who need help.

In other words, I will give them the notice they think they deserve when they actually do something to earn it.

Moving on.

I did get a little writing done but not much. So it is back to that today — after I go head-to-head with KDP about the print cover for Light Magic. Even though they accepted the cover for the print proof (and printed it), now they say the cover has problems. That is the first bit on the agenda today. Then writing. And more writing.

You guys have a great day and I’ll be back later.