There are a lot of things. A lot of things, A LOT of things, that bother me about this election. I could easily post blog after blog about my feelings on a great number of issues. I'll spare you though. I'll refrain from sharing my thoughts and feelings on all of those other topics, but I can't this one.

The topic I'm going to address in this blog, I cannot be quiet about it. I feel too strongly about it. Too passionate.

I hate being controlled by fear. I hate fear manipulating, controlling and owning its environment. I hate how weak and pathetic hope was in this election. I became utterly disgusted with the Republican party 10 years ago and while I'm not as disgusted with the Democratic party, I became pretty disgusted with them over the past two years. Avarice is God in a war for power wrapped up in disingenuous insincerity and lies.

I know people who voted for Trump and I know people who voted for Hillary. I know a lot more people who voted AGAINST Hillary or AGAINST Trump.

I watched friends and family who were passionate about Gary Johnson, had signs in their yards for Gary Johnson, posted meme after meme on their facebook/twitter in support of Gary Johnson, who would have loved Gary Johnson over Trump....Vote for Donald Trump because they feared a Hillary Clinton presidency that much.

I watched friends and family who were passionate about Jill Stein, had signs in their yards for Jill Stein, posted meme after meme on their facebook/twitter in support of Jill Stein, who would have loved Jill Stein over Hillary.....Vote for Hillary Clinton because they feared a Donald Trump presidency that much.

And I hate that.

I HATE IT.

It has turned me off from politics so much that I am done. I've been an avid follower, I've studied politics since I was old enough to vote. Even a little before then. I care about people. I care about issues. I care about liberty. I care about rights. I care about equality. I have not become apathetic to these issues.  However, I cannot waste precious time or energy if efforts are as much moot from the very beginning as they are they are in the finish. If the Miss America judges have already decided weeks in advance who will get the crown, and who will be the queen, then I see no point in the speech, the make up or even walking out their in the first place.

Only one thing is going to make me care about the 2020 election or any election after that.

Can a third party member, some one that may be sincere and genuine, or at least different from the manure we call Republicans and Democrats actually stand a chance?

Gary Johnson - Jill Stein - Why didn't they this time?

Fear? Without a doubt yes. I'd say that makes up 80% of it or more.

Apathy? This most certainly has a lot to do with it. Republicans would find that they have a lot in common with Johnson and other Libertarians. Yet, they have been voting Republican for years and they know where Republican candidates stand on the issues. It doesn't require any research or studying. Getting to know Johnson would take work and they're too lazy to do that.

Democrats would find that they have a lot in common with Stein and other Green Party members. Yet, they have been voting Democrat for years and they know where Democratic candidates stand on the issues. It doesn't require any research or studying. Getting to know Stein would take work and they're too lazy to do that.

Yet can fear and doubt solely take the blame for why a Johnson or Stein presidency stood no chance?

What do Republicans stand to lose by voting for Johnson? (Libertarian)

What do Democrats stand to lose by voting for Stein?  (Green Party)

Now I'm not saying that I cannot find fault in Libertarians. I do not view them as perfect or impeccable. I don't agree with where they stand on the retirement age, corporations, or their strong belief in the privatization of schools.

HOWEVER....

In many ways Libertarians are everything I like about conservatives and they are minus a lot of what I hate about conservatives.  Like conservatives they have similar ideas on balancing the budget, opening up the market, and staying out of your wallet and your bank account as much as possible. They believe in a person's right to own and bear arms and that healthcare is better controlled if not in the hands of the federal government. Their ideas on national security, more similar to conservative than they are to liberal.

So that's why a conservative might vote Libertarian.

And here's why they wouldn't...

Libertarians believe strongly in personal liberty. They do not favor Christianity over any other religions. To them a Muslim man who abides by the laws of the country and contributes, is as every bit as good as a Christian man who does the same. They believe in equality, rights and liberty for homosexuals. Gay marriage and gay adoption would remain and remain protected under a Libertarian administration. They oppose the death penalty and they think the war on drugs and the fact that marijuana is illegal to be even more asinine and ridiculous than many liberals do. While they oppose the government providing money for abortions, they do support a woman's right to choose.

So is it plausible to see conservatives become more and more libertarian as the years go by? The issue of abortion I think will be the biggest obstacle. However, young conservatives aren't nearly as staunch about religion as are the older ones. Younger conservatives resemble the paragraph I wrote earlier on comparisons to libertarians. They care about those issues and they aren't all hung up on being anti-anyone who isn't Christian, anti-homosexuals or the "let's demonize marijuana" band wagon.

So I'm not holding my breath, but I think that there may be hope.


As for the Green Party, I think it will take more education and exposure for Democrats step off the Donkey and into the grass.

Why would a Democrat vote Green Party?

Because the similarities are pretty big. They believe in a woman's right to choose an abortion. They're against the abuses distributed by Wall Street, Wal-Mart and other multi-billion dollar organizations. They oppose the power of the 1%. They are anti death penalty and they oppose the war on drugs. They believe strongly in education and the fight against poverty. They are friends of the LGBT community. They oppose NAFTA. They want to strengthen social security.

Why a Democrat would not vote Green Party?

They are not as strict on their gun control policies as Democrats. They opposed Obamacare and are proponents of single payer healthcare. And most of all, the Democratic party as much as they try and fool you into believing otherwise, loves money and power every bit as much as the Republicans do. And they'll do their best to convince you that Green Party ideas are Utopian, unrealistic and that there is no way a Green Party member could ever win.

So is their hope? Again not holding my breath but I think the possibility remains. It would require letting go of the security blanket that fear provides and taking a risk. It would require getting out of the comfort zone of what you already know, and having to go out and study and discover uncharted lands and unfamiliar territory.

Most likely in 2020, Libertarians, Green Party Members and other third party candidates will stand no more of a chance in the presidential election than they did last night.  However, as disengaged as I am at the moment, I can't help but be optimistic to at least hope.

Hoping for hope.

Now that's a slogan.

My Favorite ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK EPISODES

Growing up, one of my favorite television shows was ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? A Canadian  anthology series about a group of friends known as "The Midnight Society" who would meet up every Saturday night to tell scary stories to each other. Each episode was a half hour long, depicting a protagonist or set of protagonists against an antagonist(s), with the antagonist being some sort of monster, alien, ghost, or demon. Some of the episodes were pure horror, as others deemed more suspense and mystery. Some even tackled inner battles on a more psychological level. Nevertheless, for what it was, a horror show geared towards pre-teens, teens and young adults, it produced a lot of quality television with well written scripts, decent to phenomenal acting, good directing and musical scores that enhanced each episode's mood and atmosphere.

Were there some turds among the episodes? Absolutely there were. "The Tale of the Hatching", "The Tale of Old Man Cocoran", "The Tale of the Crimson Clown" and "The Tale of the Sourcer's Apprentice" in particularly stick out in my mind as some of the weaker episodes. To be fair, I should also admit that while many episodes had a strong exposition and rising action, the climax could sometimes disappoint and some of the resolutions were absolutely ridiculous.

Year's later, as a wanna be professional story teller, I have to cringe whenever I think of an episode that ends with the antagonist yelling, "Don't touch that!"  As those who have been held prisoner for 100's of years by an evil presence are suddenly set free by doing the simplest task that any two year old could complete.

So yes, I am well aware that not every episode of ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK gets a 5/5 star rating.  BUT, there are some episodes among the original series that ran from 1992-1996 that both as a huge fan of horror, a huge fan of anthology series and as a wanna be writer I absolutely cherish.

Before I begin my top 10 listing, let me say that it was hard to leave some off the list. Therefore I have to include those that made honorable mention.

HONORABLE MENTION

"The Tale of the Dangerous Soup" - Guest appearance by SCREAM's Nev Campbell and the part with the Uncle coming back still gives me the willies!

"The Tale of The Final Wish" - Sorta corny all these years later, but fun concept and who doesn't love Bobcat Goldthwait? Well, other than the late Sam Kinison.

"The Tale of the Lonely Ghost" - Sticks out in my mind because my sister let me stay up with her friends and watch it with them. Look this episode up and tell me that the little girl isn't as every bit creepy as Samara from THE RING.

"The Tale of the Quicksilver" - This was a rather dark episode and I used to carry a piece of silver in my pocket in case a damn demon came out of my wall one night.

"The Tale of the Prom Queen" - Have to admit this episode has 1,000 plot holes, and the ending is extremely lazy and convenient (which is what keeps it off the top 10 list) but the characters were fun and well developed. I sort of loathe the internet at times for making the microfiche outdated.


NOW FOR MY TOP 10!!!

10: The Tale of the Pinball Wizard

On a personal note I enjoy horror films that have a touch of action to them. This episode about a young man that gets caught up in a never ending pinball game was as fast paced, exciting and energetic as it was scary. The ending of being trapped in the game for all eternity was quite frightening as well.

9. The Tale of the Super Specs 

So yes, this was a blatant rip off of John Carpenter's THEY LIVE, but in my opinion it was way freakier! My good friend Jason Janes is not the only person to tell me that this episode legit makes them uncomfortable. The idea that there could be an alien species out to eliminate us is quite unnerving. And Richard Dumont as Sardo was always fun!

8. The Tale of the Doll Maker

Dolls and doll houses have always frightened me. So this episode about a doll house that lures people and slowly turns them into dolls is quite creepy. Where exactly the door in the attic leads to once the doll house is burnt is something I've been questioning for years.

7. The Tale of the Dark Music

An online poll rated this episode to be the most popular among fans. It is certainly one of my favorites and without question the darkest episode of the series. Although it is off screen, a character is actually killed, which was very rare for the show to do. I'm sure I'm not the only one who imagines what it would be like to have a demon (or whatever it was) living in my basement that would give me anything I wanted as long as I fed it. "Hey Paul Ryan, what are you doing tonight? I'd like to show you my basement."

6. The Tale of The Dead Man's Float 

If I had to pick the scariest episode of ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK, it would be this episode. A vengeful and vindictive spirit drowning kids in a pool is something that freaks me out as much as a 31 one year old as it did when I was 10. It also stars Kaj-Erik Erikson from THE COMMISH. Lastly I'll say I appreciated how the main characters got together in the end. The first time I ever scored with a pretty girl, I actually thought about this episode.

5. The Tale of the Vacant Lot 

In a way this episode is a great metaphor for being weary of con artists and clever schemes that seem to good to be true. It also stars Jean Marie Barnwell who to this day I consider to be the most gorgeous Hollywood actress along with Moira Kelly.

4. The Tale of the Shiny Red Bicycle 

Structure wise, this may be the best episode that ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK PRODUCED. It sets a tone and attitude that delivers with the excellence of execution. Even though I've seen the episode numerous times, and I know that Ricky is a good, friendly, helpful spirit, a chill of terror still runs down my spine when I see a picture of him. Twist are overdone to death, and most of the time they fail. This one may be simple, but it is quite effective. Thinking that Ricky is out for revenge because Mike failed to save him, to suddenly realize that Ricky is actually back to help Mike because he feels he owes it to him since Mike tried to save him, is quite clever.

3. The Tale of the Long Ago Locket 

I love stories of friendship and comradery. Especially when they're wrapped up in a historical fiction story full of drama, suspense and action. Starring BOY MEETS WORLD's Will Friedle (in what I consider to be his greatest role) this episode is one I never grow tired of.

2. The Tale of Jake and The Leprechaun 

Ironically enough, this is one of the least favorite episodes among fans in the internet poll taken a few years back. Others didn't seem to like it, but it is my second favorite of all the episodes. And yes, if you are wondering, I have seen every episode. I've seen every episode at least twice. Some only twice, and some ten or more times. I enjoy this episode, because I value friendship and helping people. If a Banshee were trying to harm me, I'd like to think that a Leprechaun exist somewhere that would help me. I'd like to think that I was someone's Leprechaun that would help them. To me this episode is fun and exhilarating. I am glued to the seat every time I watch it.

1. The Tale of the Dream Girl

To give you an idea of how inspirational this episode is, M Night Shyamalan said it was the inspiration for THE SIXTH SENSE. This episode has it all. A flawless script, excellent directing, musical score and the lighting in particularly sticks out. The performance of Fab Filippo should have won him an award. He was beyond fantastic.


There are mine. What are your's?