The Supernatural Bounty Hunter File: I Smell Smoke Book 2 by Craig Halloran

The second book in this series was an entertaining story, but I felt the story lost a bit of ground. FBI Agent Sidney Shaw has been assigned to a new case after the debacle of the Black Slate case and the disappearance of Adam Vaughn AKA AV. On the personal side of Agent Shaw's life, her sister Allison moves in with her parents; due to Allison's wild ways, this causes her father to have a health crisis. This health crisis seemed to be brewing for quite some time giving the stress of dealing with an addict.

In a strange turn of events, Agent Shaw is assigned to the Black Slate again, and her partner John Smoke has been released to help her with the case. Due to their close involvement in the case, Agent Shaw begins to develop some feelings for Smoke which she tries to deny. On the other hand, Smoke does not reveal any feelings towards Agent Shaw. 

The Black Slate case takes a radical turn since the author introduces a new character named Angi Harlow AKA Night Bird. Agent Shaw and John Smoke discover Angi Harlow can turn herself into a huge bird, and she seems to be immortal. I not sure of how Night Bird is connected to the Black Slate case...Agent Shaw's superior's keep her out of the loop of what's really going on....The author does not give a resolution to the disappearance of AV. I don't know, does Night Bird somehow relate to the Black Slate case in the same way that AV is connected? Is it because these are supernatural beings that make the connection between the two villains? I will continue to read the next book in the series to see where the author takes us.

Smoke Rising(Supernatural Bounty Hunter Book 1) by Craig Halloran

     This is my second series I have read by Craig Halloran. The first of which was called The Chronicles of Dragon; his development of characters are really good. You get a very good feel for them throughout the story. Alas, we come to FBI Agent Sidney Shaw who has been assigned to capture the most elusive criminal on the FBI's list Adam Vaughn AKA AV. To help her hunt down this criminal, she enlist the help of ex-navy seal and current prisoner at the Huntsville Detention Center in Alabama named John Smoke. It is an unlikely pairing of partners since Agent Shaw is a by the book field agent, whereas John Smoke is a get it done at any cost kind of person; this partnership makes for a very entertaining adventure into the supernatural world of monsters....On the other hand, the story introduces you to the softer side of Agent Shaw's character.... It is her devotion to her niece Megan. Megan is the daughter of Sidney's drug addicted sister Allison whom she has bailed out of trouble many times. Agent Shaw will do whatever she has to do to keep her niece safe even if that means using her skills to track down Allison for Megan's sake. All in all, I like the story so far. I can't wait to read book two to see how the story the develops.

Birth of a Nation and White Supremacy

     Here we are, as a nation, debating the relevancy of a Nate Parker's "Birth of a Nation.  It is currently getting mentioned as a probable Oscar nomination, but here's the trouble which comes with this issue.  Nate Park was arrested, tried, and acquitted in a 1999 rape case.  It should be enough for a person to be innocent until proven guilty or acquitted on all charges. This nation has shown a propensity to undue this belief when it comes to a men of color; it does not matter that Nate Parker is married with four children, and he has led an exemplary life after said event...It does not matter that he was acquitted of all charges....The goal here is obvious.  Men of color have been tagged with the notion of being sexual animals and lust to violate white women; the movie The Birth of a Nation by D.W. Griffith depicts white men in black face being sexually aggressive towards white women. Because of this movie, the second era of the KKK was spawned which led to innocent men of color to being lynched for the supposed protection of the white women's virtue. It has always been a fallacy that men of color would like to sexually assault white women. In fact, statistics show white women are more likely to be raped by white men. This isn't to say that men of color have not raped white women, but the statistics show a higher rate of incidents of rape and/or attempted raped by white men against white women; yet, the overwhelming response from white men and women alike is that white women will be attacked by men of color specifically black men. What does this have to do with Nate Parker? In his case, he was accused by a white women of rape; the history of white women shows they have used the accusation of rape to hide their consensual sexual unions with black men. Nate Parker's case is no different. I took the liberty of reading about the case and to my surprise(sarcasm), this was a consensual act between these two individuals prior to the night in question and on the night in question. Jean Celestin, co-writer and friend, was convicted of sexual assault, but the charges were over turned.

     The reason Nate Parker's rape accusation has been put forward is to deflect from the content of his movie Birth of a Nation; this movie tells about the slave rebellion of Nat Turner....You know that scary revolutionary that most white people wish not to discuss because in most of their minds, the slaves were happy an content with their lot in life; however, there is no truth to this sentiment since their were over 250 slave revolts in the colonies. Yes, 250 slave revolts which are never covered as part of American History. How can it not be covered? It is part of American history, but White Supremacy ensures the narrative built will be of docile slaves happy with being slaves. Nate Parker a violent sexual psychopath, even though he was acquitted. There is a concerted effort to minimize the very real content of the movie. The feign half-activist white people purporting to be angry because Parker's movie is considered relevant and generating wealth for the two men involved in the rape case in 1999. Say what you will, this movie will be impactful, and it is a welcome addition to the normal slave movie genre.

     

A Century of Dishonor by Helen Jackson

     This is one of the best books I've read on the subject matter. Helen Jackson does a great job of recounting how the US Government reneged on every treaty it signed with the Native American People.
     In reading this book for a second time, there were some issues which caught my eye this time around. The theory of right of occupancy in itself shows the arrogance of the interlopers from Europe.
The idea you would recognize the Native American people right to occupy said land because Europeans felt the legitimacy of their recognition would legalize the Native people to occupy land they lived on for thousands of years in which the foreigners conspired to steal through a plethora of treaties.
     I found it interesting Native Americans were considered unsaved because some of them rejected the foreigners religion of Christianity.  In all truthfulness, the Native American people were more Christian than the Europeans without the title of Christianity. Chief Joseph of the Nez Perces people stated once, he did not want the missionaries to bring schools and churches to the Wallowa Reservation because they would be taught how to quarrel about God the way Protestants and Catholics do; they did not want to learn that behavior because the Nez Perces people already understood there is no place to quarrel about God.
     This book is worth the time spent reading and studying; it is one of my favorites, so I had to purchase it to be part of my personal library.

   

Mr Mercedes by Stephen King

One of my favorite authors. Stephen King has done it again; he is the master at creating a suspenseful thriller. The story begins as Retired Detective Bill Hodges receives a letter from the Mr. Mercedes(Brady Hartfield) who admits to killing eight people and injuring 15 people; the killer taunts Hodges with getting away with the murders, and he would never be caught because he does not plan on doing it again. Being the intelligent detective he is, Hodges goads Mr. Mercedes into committing more crimes through the social site "Under Debbie's Blue Umbrella," he was invited to by Mr. Mercedes. The story develops into a chess match between killer vs detective. It is an extremely well written story with many surprises along the way. It is worth the time spent reading.

Bogus Police Brutality Claim

     In the recent months, there has been several cases of legitimate police brutality cases; however, the case involving Earledreka White is not a case of police brutality or even excessive force. The problem with her claim is simple; she was pulled over for committing an alleged traffic violation. When you are stopped by the police as a person of color, your first priority is to get home safely...This requires you to do whatever is necessary to ensure your safety....Ms. White clearly did not think nor exercise wisdom in her encounter with the police officer. This incident could have ended badly for her, but the officer show a tremendous amount of restraint in light of dealing with a person who seemed to escalate this situation. Her first mistake was getting out of the vehicle; under no circumstance, she should have exited her vehicle after being stopped by the police. She should have had her driver license and insurance on the dashboard with her hands on the steering where they can be seen. By exited the vehicle, she put the officer on alert.  Staying in the vehicle, keeps her safe and the officer safe. Even if she did not commit the alleged traffic infraction, she needed to shut her mouth and not argue with the officer about the violation. Respond by saying Yes sir and No sir. This isn't the time to argue with the police about the traffic violation.  It is much safer to take the citation from the officer and refute it in court.  Because she tried this victimization garbage, she got arrested for resisting arrest and spending two days in jail. As a result of her stupidity, she has to go to court to answer for the resisting arrest charge. Here's an excellent video on how to conduct yourself when you are pulled over by an officer.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpcxN9JsoN8

What Real Men Do!

     When a man is in love, he will give his significant other a title.  Ladies, if your man does not refer to you as his boo, girl, fiance, or wife, you are just a casual fling to him.

My Soul To Take by Tananarive Due

The last book in the African Immortals saga, and it has come to a climatic end. Our story begins with Fana continuing her healing campaign and enlisting the help of a retired singer Phoenix Harris. Fana was suppose to return to her fiance Michael, another Immortal, who is intent on cleansing the world according to a long ago prophecy; however, Fana abhors his interpretation of the prophecy, but she agrees to marry him if it would save her family and friends.  She was suppose to return to Michael in 10 years, but due to a plague he creates, this forces Fana to return to Michael in one year agreeing to marry him with the hopes of preventing the cleansing; she enlisted the help her father Dawit, her mother Jessica, her teacher Tera, and Phoenix to accompany her back to the city of Nogales. Meanwhile, her true love, Johnny Wright, whom she gives her blood to make him immortal, plots to kill Michael and save Fana.  It all makes for an exciting adventure I enjoyed a great deal. Tananarive does an excellent job of wrapping up this saga and bring life to an amazing story.

Chill of Fear by Kay Hooper

I enjoyed this story.  Kay Hooper's ability to keep the story moving with suspense is phenomenal.  Psychic FBI agent Quentin Hayes returns each year to the Lodge to revisit a 25 year ago murder of Missy Turner; he combs through the files over and over looking for anything he may have missed before. The case is important to him because he was at the lodge 25 years ago as a 12 year old boy who befriended Missy.  Meanwhile, Diana Brisco has struggled to put her life together after being heavily sedated for the better part of her life because of terrible dreams, vision, voices, and blackouts; she finally breaks free of her father's influence, and the medication used to dull her senses.  With her head clear, she meets Quentin who helps her to accept she is not mentally ill but she is very special; he helps her come to terms with the fact that she is a medium and all this time, the dreams, visions, and the blackouts would lead her to the lodge where she finally uncovers the truth regarding her childhood; she discovers Missy was a her sister.  With the help of Missy and the restless souls living in hotel, she finally uncovers the truth about Missy murder and a very evil entity that has terrorized the lodge for many years.  The book is worth the time invested to enjoy a real good thriller.

The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

     The second book in the Inheritance trilogy from N.K. Jemisin loss a bit of momentum from the first book. It's storyline seemed to be indirectly related to the first but still a new story altogether. This book introduces the reader to a new character Oree Shoth; she happens to be blind woman with magical gifts concealed in her painting and magical blood. Later in the story, it is revealed Oree is a demon. I didn't fully understand how and why she was made a demon; nevertheless, this was not much of a surprise since the story deals with Gods and Goddesses.
     In addition to the story about Oree, the fallen God Lord Itempas has been living his life as a human; this curse is a result of the punishment he received from Yeine, the Goddess of Life and Death at the end of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms from the crimes he inflicted upon the Gods.
     Also, the Order of the New Lights is a rival cult to the Itempan order; each group is fighting for supremacy in the city of Shadow(formerly known as Sky). As backdrop to this, godling Role is murdered, and Itempan order seeks to blame Oree; meanwhile, Detah, one of the leaders of the New Lights, kidnaps Oree in hopes of using her magic blood as a weapon against the godlings.
Overall, it was a pretty good book. I just felt the story kind of lost its way in relationship to the first book.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

     I just finished reading this book, and I enjoyed it immensely. N.K. Jemisin does a wonderful job of created a new world full of interesting characters.

     The story begins as Yeine is called to the city of Sky by her grandfather King Dekarta to be announced as one of three heirs to the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.  The other two heirs to the kingdom are Yeine's twin cousins Scimina and Relad Arameri.  As Yeine soon finds out, both Scinima and Relad, are truly ambitious; they are ready to kill anyone for the kingdom.  Yeine does not care much for her family and the kingdom, but she is much more concerned with finding out the truth behind her mother's murder; her relentless search for the truth allows her to meet some very interesting characters....She becomes acquainted with Sieh the trickster, Nahadoth the Nightlord, Viraine and a host of other characters....Her journey is filled with lies and deceit; she doesn't know whom to trust.  In the process, she learns about her mother--the person she comes to know about is not consistent with the woman she knew as her mother--furthermore, she discovers her mother sold her to be a vessel for the Goddess Enefa. While she grapples with having another entity inside of her, she learns a very troubling secret which she is unable to avoid. Her destiny to be the sacrifice and emancipator of the godlings troubles her but yet she accepts her true destiny.  This story is worth the time invested to discover what ultimately happens to Yeine in her journey.

John 1:1-5

     Due to tradition, many believers accept the words of their respective churches and pastors concerning this Bible verse. There is the belief the Holy Bible is literal history, but I have written in a previous blog the Bible is not literal history but metaphysical.  In other words, nothing in the bible happened literally but does happen metaphysically.  Through my many hours of study, the metaphysical understanding of these Bible verses begin to make sense. Since the New Testament was written in Greek, the explanation of these verses will follow per it's translation of the language. With this in mind, follow me on this journey to see where it leads.

    1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. According to Strong's concordance the Greek word used for Word is Logos which means a word embodying an idea, thoughts and/or divine thought. The Greek word for God is Theos which means God, the creator and owner of all things.  Since the Word(idea, thoughts, and/or divine thought) was God as the verse states then the idea, thoughts, and/or vine thought is God.  In other words, the thoughts emanating from the mind is God the creator.
     
   2 He was with God in the beginning.  He is referencing back to the word Word which in Greek Logos is used in the masculine term; therefore, this is why the word He is used to denote the masculine form of the word. In essence, the express idea, thought, and/or divine thought  was with God(idea, thoughts, and/or divine thought) in the beginning.

  3 Through Him(idea, thoughts, and/or divine thought) all things were made; without Him(idea, thoughts, and/or divine thought) nothing was made that has been made.  

 4  In Him(idea, thoughts, and/or divine thought) was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The Greek word for life is Zoe which is physical(present) and of spiritual(particularly future) existence. The idea, thoughts, and/or divine thought can exist in the here and now, and the power of the idea, thoughts, and/or divine thought can empower the spiritual being(subconscious mind).  The light in Greek is Phos which means illumination, and the word used for mankind is Anthropos which includes male and female; in this case mankind(male/female) is synonymous with conscious mind(male) and subconscious mind(female)

5  The light(illumination) shines in the darkness(ignorance), and the darkness(ignorance) has not overcome it.  It refers to light(illumination). The Greek word for darkness is Skotos which means obscurity i.e. ignorance.

     I hope the explanation of these verses clears up any misunderstanding; after studying these things, it has made a difference for me in understanding the spiritual journey the soul must take to enlightenment. There is so much more to discuss, but I hope to delve into other Bible verses at a later time.

Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor

     I just finish reading this book yesterday, and I enjoyed this read a great deal. This story is about the main character Onyesonwu who is the product of a brutal rape. Ms. Okorafor gives voice to the issues women face surrounding being violated. Onyesonwu was born in the desert, but her mother moved the two of them to Jwahir.  In this town, both mother and daughter, are a shame since a child was born through a violent act.  Onyesonwu is ewu because she is daughter of a brutal Nuru general, and her mother is from the Okeke people.  In addition, ewu are children of rape who will live a life of violence due to the nature of their birth.  There is a long standing strife between Nuru and Okeke people. Nuru consider Okeke to be slaves and worthy of the abuse they suffer.
  As a result of her lineage, Onyesonwu is a sorcerer by birth since her abilities were handed down to her by her father Daib.  Her abilities begin to show themselves by certain events that happen to her without her knowledge until she relentlessly convinces Aro to teach her how to control her abilities and teach her the Mystic Points.  Aro, at first refuses, he refuses because she is a girl; this is another issue Ms. Okorafor reveals how girls and women are viewed as non-important and treated as slaves. One of Onyesonwu abilities she taps into a great deal is shape shifting into a vulture; the symbolism in the vulture dealing with the element of air; in addition, it is the symbolism of the mind, thoughts, and intelligence.
    Another important issue Ms. Okorafor deals with the concerning young girls is circumcision.  In the town of Jwahir, Onyesonwu befriends Binti, Diti, & Luyu....Even though she does not have to, she decides to take part in the Eleventh Rite along with Binti, Diti, & Luyu....She takes part of the Eleven Rite primarily to remove the shame from her and her mother Najeeba because she was a product of rape. The Eleventh Rite is a process were young girls have a part of their clitoris removed to prevent them from deriving pleasure from sexual intercourse--as a result, this causes extreme pain during sexual intercourse--it is truly a barbaric act inflicted upon young girls.
     In order to exact revenge on her father for his terrible deeds, Onyesonwu envision she must face death to right the wrongs inaugurated by Daib.

What Are The Meaning Of Words?

     Throughout our lifetime, we use many words; we use them to express ourselves....We use them to convey a message....Words are used to construct this blog.  I have always being interested in the meaning of words.  As a practical guide, I always look up the etymology of a word; etymology means the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history.

     For example, the word contract in the early 14th century meant to make an agreement; when you separate the word and find out the true meaning of word, it may surprise some people--the first part of the word is con means to swindle or defraud, and the second part of the word tract means little book or treatise.  When you put these words together, it forms the meaning fraudulent treatise. There are other words which I find very interesting; these are husband and family. The etymology of the word husband is male head of household or master of the house then you take the word family, the etymology of this word is servants of the household or slaves if will.  Since the spouse and the children make up the family, this would mean then the family are servants or slaves to the master of the house which would be the husband.  When I found this out, I can say I was really shocked by it's original meaning. Let's take a look at another word which is Church; the word church means a place of worship today, but the word comes from circe which upon further examination relates to the Greek Goddess of sorcery, magic, transmutation, and necromancy.  In essence, the word church means, when put together, is place of worship to the Goddess Circe. The sorcery relates to witchcraft, magic, and enchantment, but the word sorcery comes from the Greek word pharmakeia means the use of medicine, drugs, or spells which is where we get the word pharmacy we use today.  This are just some words that have interesting meanings and connections to one another.

All Lives Matter

     If there was not a more nauseating term than "All Lives Matter," I would say this is an understatement.  People of color have been subjected to the most humiliating circumstances here in America; yet, the disrespect continues without thought. Black Lives Matter is indicative of the harassment people of color have felt since being bought to this country against their will; people of color know instinctively that all lives matter, so it isn't something that needs to be voiced; however, the same cannot be true of the dominant culture here in America.  All Lives Matter seek to denigrate and minimize the injustice dispense towards people of color from the hands of the dominant culture; this dominant culture is the system of white supremacy.  For all of those screaming All Lives Matter, where were you when Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, Eric Garner, etc. where killed in cold blood. If indeed All Lives Matter, these young men would be alive today; these young men are dead because of the color of their skin...Irrespective of what their flaws may have been, there is no justification to act with such deadly force upon these young men....If All Lives Matter, there would be no need for Black Lives Matter, but the truth is for more a reality to all people of color.  Those who scream and chant All Lives Matter have the privilege to mock and dehumanize people of color; it is a special right called white privilege. In order for someone to say "All Lives Matter," you have to be purposely living in a vacuum not to notice other human beings of different skin tone having the right to exist without the worry of being gunned down in the streets by those who protect and serve which are the employees of the tax payor.  The phrase is certainly racist at it's core since it seeks to define what lives(white) are more important.  Truth is self evident for those who can acknowledge it "Black Lives Matter Too."

The Five HeartBeats

     Ever wonder what happen to Eddie King Jr?  Five years after reunited with the original members of the Five Heartbeats; he resurrects his singer career as a gospel singer.  With the help of Duck Matthews, they wrote and produced two successful Gospel Albums entitled "For the Love of Jesus & Here I Come Lord."  Both albums went double platinum and earned both Matthews and King Jr Grammy's.  After touring for five years, he decided to retire for good....He finally received the fame and fortune he sought after with the Five Heartbeats but was denied due to personal reasons....He now runs Paid In Full records along with his wife Baby Doll.  He gives advice to his son Eddie King III, who is aspiring to be a HIP HOP artist and goes by the name EKIII and currently managed by Donald “Duck” Matthews.

     I think you all remember Anthony Stone AKA “Choir Boy”. In 1996, Choir Boy becomes the pastor of his father's church after his father passes away. In 2006, he releases his first and only book “Seize The Time with Jesus.” The book becomes a best seller and stays number one for 18 weeks. As a result, he is a very popular lecturer and preacher visiting churches in the United States and other countries.

     

     After being convicted of the murder of Jimmy Potter in 1966, Big Red Davis sells the Five Heartbeats and many other artist catalogue on his lable to Epic Records which netted him a cool $15 million.  After serving 20 years in prison for murder, he is released and now comes out to a bank account of $75 million due to smart investments while inside the joint.  Meanwhile, Duck Matthews learns of the money Big Red has accumulated over the years and convinces the other members to file a class action law suit again Big Red and Epic records to collect the royalties they were never paid.  Duck Matthews lived off the royalties he received from writing all the Heartbeats songs; he copyrighted all of his songs he wrote even though the masters were own by Big Red and then sold to Epic Records.  Initially, Choir Boy did not want to be part of the lawsuit because he had already established himself as very popular preacher.  But with much prodding from Matthews, Choir Boy enters the lawsuit realizing he should be paid as a founding member of the Heartbeats.  Since Epic Records had used the Five Heartbeats songs in movie soundtracks, commercials, and R&B and hip hop artist sampled their songs, Epic records made $200 million.  The Five HeartBeats sued Epic Records for $200 million and won.  After legal fees and court cost, each of the five members walk away $20 million each.