tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30185498648478123772024-03-15T21:10:06.216-04:00Council of PeacocksOfficial Blog of M Joseph Murphy, writer, director and host of Alien Brain Fog
M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.comBlogger163125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-39191350100159892002024-02-29T13:40:00.002-05:002024-02-29T13:47:52.262-05:00Open Letter to Lisa Gretzky and the NDP on the issue of Antiblack Racism Inside the Ontario Public Service<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IaGaAXQlHm8PUXWhCs_VOG-bxuX-0RbVig_clcbYGBqa9xwku8gcSPCYkH4ChaWK6DNaJl0ASD9OcFdoE9dfbjP0WbZD6MDreH3dN1tV2MEhzOJuCyUYWxhbwSBXk6GiGgMVAXCSmb1T7lRxfmYPMBGvXsh638hmE-5h83tHl_98ZIjdi7J7gaslRNRG/s1472/Support%20for%20Mental%20Health.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1390" data-original-width="1472" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IaGaAXQlHm8PUXWhCs_VOG-bxuX-0RbVig_clcbYGBqa9xwku8gcSPCYkH4ChaWK6DNaJl0ASD9OcFdoE9dfbjP0WbZD6MDreH3dN1tV2MEhzOJuCyUYWxhbwSBXk6GiGgMVAXCSmb1T7lRxfmYPMBGvXsh638hmE-5h83tHl_98ZIjdi7J7gaslRNRG/w400-h378/Support%20for%20Mental%20Health.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today is the last day of Black History month, an extra day because of leap year. I’m using this unusual day to bring attention to something else unusual – the absolute silence from the NDP on the issue of racism inside the Ontario Public Service.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Why does the Ontario NDP no longer care about black workers? This is the party of Howard McCurdy. I’m a Windsor guy, but only had the pleasure of meeting McCurdy once. When I was a child, I played piano at an Emancipation Day talent show in Amherstburg. It showed me how important the area is for black history and helped me believe there was a place for black people in politics. McCurdy fought for us.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_McCurdy" target="_blank">Howard McCurdy - Wikipedia Page</a></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Which is why, Lisa, I’ve been so confused by your lack of support. <span style="text-align: center;">Why doesn’t the current NDP have the same passion for dismantling anti-black racism?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Only this morning I read about your plea for the children on Ontario. You stated:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;">"When will the premier act to ensure that children and youth with complex needs in Windsor have the mental health supports they need in Windsor?"</span></blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/lisa-gretzky-qp-young-mental-health-1.7128452" target="_blank">Windsor MPP demands answers on mental health supports for high-needs youth</a></span></div></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I ask you the same question. When will the NDP act to ensure that black workers inside the OPS have a safe work environment, free from harassment, free from the fear they will be terminated if they speak out.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The issue with mental health supports is messy and will take a great deal of time and resources to fix. Ensuring the safety of black workers inside the province of Ontario, however, could be solved with a single news conference. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Help me be the last black worker fired from the province of Ontario for speaking out about antiblack racism.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h1 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">WHO AM I?</span></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In brief, my name is Joseph Murphy. I am a writer, director and former publisher. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7201221793821084934" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy - Why I Left Publishing</a></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am a witch who worships the divine as Mother. I am currently directing a feminist horror movie (Devil’s Mountain - where no women die and the killer only targets abusive men). I’m also the host of <a href="https://mjosephmurphy.info/alien-brain-fog" target="_blank">Alien Brain Fog</a>, a podcast on dismantling systems of oppression. It focuses on systemic racism and patriarchy, discussing how oppression has physical effects on physiology and mental health.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7216316765356313862" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy - Don't Trust Men. Trust Your Gut</a></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://councilofpeacocks.blogspot.com/2023/04/announcement-trailer-alien-brain-fog.html" target="_blank">Announcement Trailer for Alien Brain Fog</a></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Latest Episode: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYYbaQZUwQ4" target="_blank">What is the Rule of Law? How does it Affect Your Identity?</a></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">During the last election, I canvassed for Gemma Grey-Hall, the NDP candidate in my area. I asked her how one becomes a leader and she gave me a whole masterclass in realness. She told me: "If you want to lead, lead. Don’t wait for others to give you permission." She also told me to learn as much as I can about governance, which I continue to do.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Since there is little money in the arts, I also had a day job. I was a caseworker at ODSP - Windsor, a union steward and co-head of Tomorrow’s Ontario Public Service (TOPS) – an organization focused on training future leaders. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I was also being harassed by Rachel Cohen-Kusmiercyzk, manager at ODSP – Windsor. It was previously my belief that she was related to Member of Parliament, Irek Kusmierczyk, and that was the reason she was being protected. I’ve since realized the problem is deeper than that.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7174246727497649413" target="_blank">The Province is Repressing Reports of Racism</a></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7207470609826123013" target="_blank">Quick Summary of Harassment Allegations and Suppression of Evidence</a></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7210451599481785606" target="_blank">The Story of One of My Black Sisters</a></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7210839678365289733" target="_blank">Racism Story Part 2</a></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7208654044070448389" target="_blank">Apology to My Black Sisters</a></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Within only a few years, two black caseworkers left the OPS under mysterious circumstances. Even as a union steward, I was not privy to the details of their leaving. When the harassment against me started (in email form), I filed a grievance. This was back in 2021, three years ago. I informed Rachel’s manager, Melissa Kersey, there was a problem. Then I waited for my grievance date to arrive. It was scheduled for January 2022. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In 2023, I learned two black women at work were also being harassed, after I had already informed Melissa Kersey of the problem. Nothing was being done to protect black workers. I was fired without cause and without notice just before my scheduled grievance date. I am certain this will scare the other black employees in the office into silence. Which is appauling.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Only the managers are protected.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You do not have to take my word for it. You simply need to look at the evidence.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">FOLLOW THE MONEY</span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am concerned about the province using public funds to supress reports of antiblack racism. A private company has limited resources. Fines for wrongful dismissal could be a disincentive. The province, however, has seemingly bottomless pockets. This explains the cavalier attitude of the union (OPSEU) and the callous behaviours of the civil service. They believe they can buy off anyone that complains with a small amount of money.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But they could not buy my silence. Because of the harassment and the termination, I had to sell my house. That means I have a certain amount of disposable income right now. I am in the perfect position to see this grievance through to the end. I am 100% convinced that anyone who looks at the evidence will see I am telling the truth.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Which may be why the Province of Ontario keeps pushing my arbitration dates further and further into the future. I have checked with my lawyers and the union. None of them have the power to hold our government to account. But you do.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">WHY ALIENS</span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When I stated I was physically unable to attend an allegation meeting, the province called the police on me. The told the union they were concerned I was violent threat, but told the police it was a wellness check. In my mental state at the time, I perceived this as a threat on my life. You can see my response in the video below.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.murphy3/videos/467658648881859" target="_blank">Policed Called on Black Man for Not Attending Meeting</a></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7217502874165726469" target="_blank">Reporting incidents or racism is often treated as a mental illness</a></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Later, the province accused me in writing of sending inappropriate videos to underage girls. The truth? A former coworker at ODSP told me one of the manager’s daughter’s found my videos’ on TikTok. It was framed in a way to imply I was grooming a minor. The letter stated they had contacted the police to file a report. I contacted the police and verified no such report had been made.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It felt like the province was weaponizing the police department, implying I would be charged with a crime and/or imprisoned if my behaviour didn’t stop. Unfortunately for the province, I taught business law and human resources for over a decade. I know my rights.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But my boyfriend got scared. He wanted them to stop calling the police on me. I knew the best way to do that is to act crazy. So I thought about aliens. Everyone knows if you believe in aliens you’re crazy, right? So in March 2023, I came up with the concept for Alien Brain Fog – a science-based program focused on gaslighting and how to tell fact from fiction. And it seems to have worked. Ever since I started talking about aliens, the province stopped using the police to threaten me. You can see in the videos below the effect this had on my wellbeing.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7210463793548168454" target="_blank">The Effect Racism Had on Me</a></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7210593168566340869" target="_blank">Province Accuses Gay Whistleblow of Inappropriate Behaviour</a></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7210834127640104198" target="_blank">Joseph Murphy Response to Allegations</a></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7210793389376195846" target="_blank">Another Effect of Systemic Racism - Losing Your House</a></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Then in July 2023, the United States held a congressional hearing that presented evidence aliens might actually be real after all. It seems they have been gaslighting the public about aliens the same way they have been gaslighting us about racism. Making it more important than ever for me to speak up.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://councilofpeacocks.blogspot.com/2023/07/so-maybe-i-was-abducted-by-aliens-after.html" target="_blank">GOVERNMENT GASLIGHTING - ALIEN ABDUCTION AND RACISM</a></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">WHAT I CAN GIVE YOU</span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is likely, Lisa, you do not remember officiating my wedding. Maybe it was not you who stated you couldn’t help me back on Aug 10, 2023. Perhaps it was only an automatic response from an aide. You have little reason to trust me, but the black workers of Ontario need your help.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So let me prove my case. If you review the following, you can see I am who I say I am.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjosephmurphy/" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on LinkedIn</a></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.murphy3/" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Facebook</a></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Author Website: <a href="http://mjosephmurphy.info">mjosephmurphy.info</a></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Below is a link with a video showing who I am and why I spoke out. </span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://councilofpeacocks.blogspot.com/2023/03/is-ontario-public-service-suppressing.html" target="_blank">IS THE ONTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE SUPPRESSING REPORTS OF ANTIBLACK RACISM? EMAIL THREAD</a></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It also has the email string showing how the WDHP actively works to suppress evidence of racism. They altered reports after I signed them. Every time I have tried to present my evidence, they have delayed the hearings. It has been going on for years.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It happened again just a few weeks ago. The Ford government keeps changing my grievance dates and refuses to release my employment file because they want the evidence to go away. If you stay silent on this, they win.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://councilofpeacocks.blogspot.com/2024/02/how-reports-of-antiblack-racism-are.html" target="_blank">How Reports of Antiblack Racism Are Suppressed in Ontario</a></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">WHAT YOU CAN DO</span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Review the evidence. As a sign of good faith, I have agreed not to publish the items revealed through disclosure until the grievance has finished. I have sent you copies of my performance reviews as well as the letter I sent the arbitrator. Please do no make this public. Reviewing these will mean you don’t have to take my word for it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is a problem at ODSP Windsor. A manager is harassing black workers and having them fired when they speak up. I was the third. I fear I will not be the last.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is within your power to ensure no other black workers are fired from the OPS. All it needs is your voice. Bring the same passion to my evidence as you did for the mental health of children in Windsor and help expose how the civil services is suppressing black workers.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I ask you to either:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Review my case. Look at the evidence I’ve provided. Decide if I’m telling the truth or not. And if I am telling the truth, if the civil service is truly suppressing evidence of antiblack racism, what is the NDP going to do about it?<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Bring up the issue of anti-black racism and the suppression of evidence the same way you brought up the lack of funding for mental health resources. On the floor. Show the black workers on Ontario that their health and safety is important to the NDP<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Use me as a resource. Recent polling suggests the Ford government is still leading in the polls. This is ludicrous because the people of Ontario are begging for a change. They are desperate for a leader to step up and hold the powerful to account. By showing the people of Ontario how the civil service is altering reports to “fudge” numbers, you could bring the entire government down. I have the evidence. All I need is someone with the power to make change.</span></li></ol></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link: <a href="https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ford-s-pc-party-has-eight-point-lead-over-liberals-but-crombie-gaining-ground-in-some-areas-poll-1.6757851" target="_blank">Ford's PC Party has eight-point lead over Liberals but Crombie gaining ground in some areas: poll</a></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></h2><h1 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">IN CLOSING</span></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I’ve been in Windsor a long time and have met several leaders of the NPD. If memory serves me right, Rick Limoge was my neighbour for a few years in the Villages of Windsor, before he joined city council. I met Joe Comartin through a mutual acquaintance (Adrian Jones – sadly now deceased). You were the officiant at my wedding and, as I’ve stated previously, I campaigned for Gemma Grey-Hall during the last election.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Many problems in the world today are complex. The health and safety of black workers is not one of them. If black workers are not safe working INSIDE the government, how can they expect the government to protect them at private industries? By shining on a light on what has happened to me and others, you can ensure it stops happening. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">All it takes is an act of courage.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">P.S.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For Janelle Brady - The best part of writing this letter was learning about your work. I will be watching your "Learning About Racism" series tomorrow. It lines up nicely with the work I hope to do on Alien Brain Fog. Thank you for leading the way.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:</b><br /><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s1600/5+books.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s640/5+books.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a></span></p></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a></span></p></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a></span></p></div></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><p></p>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-19788368015530645212024-02-19T15:07:00.002-05:002024-02-19T15:51:06.484-05:00Alien Brain Fog - Episode 003 - What is The Rule of Law?<p> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="316" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IYYbaQZUwQ4" width="502" youtube-src-id="IYYbaQZUwQ4"></iframe></div><p><br /></p><p>Transcript of Episode</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">OPENING</h2><p>If an alien shows up at the mall and robs your store, can you charge him with theft?</p><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSxyDQ892QtZgSOwIpj_UThmhUZVBkEzRRWMCBNccIEDsqq54Gm4D8ZnqPEjMCIkWytjMhOHvx9Rfb94-Db42adpT4YCL36cNu7tYdmKqbXHrTlhufDwxLAg12W5V4lA_K9XjZRiCWEOp23yEUTNJqAqLrmTldJuE2TelTP9WPRnUEi_zLd0Ng-9kCBqT/s490/Miami%20Mall%20Aliens%20001.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="490" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSxyDQ892QtZgSOwIpj_UThmhUZVBkEzRRWMCBNccIEDsqq54Gm4D8ZnqPEjMCIkWytjMhOHvx9Rfb94-Db42adpT4YCL36cNu7tYdmKqbXHrTlhufDwxLAg12W5V4lA_K9XjZRiCWEOp23yEUTNJqAqLrmTldJuE2TelTP9WPRnUEi_zLd0Ng-9kCBqT/w320-h264/Miami%20Mall%20Aliens%20001.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Are certain people like Donald Trump really above the law or fooling themselves? </p><p>Both of these questions can be answered by looking at the Rule of Law. What is it and who does it apply to? And more importantly, do we currently live under the Rule of Law or are WE fooling ourselves?</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">WHAT IS THE RULE OF LAW?</h2><div>Recently, Donald had a court case postponed while the courts determined if he has immunity. Immunity to what you may ask? The law. It is Donald Trump’s belief that he is above the law and can face no consequences for his actions.</div><p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/02/politics/trump-trial-date-postponed/index.html" target="_blank">Federal judge postpones trial in Trump’s DC election interference case</a><br /></p><div>So is this true?</div><div><p class="MsoNormal">Fair warning, this does involve a little history. But I believe it’s important to remember your past. That’s why our brains have memory. It helps you predict the future.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Which may be why certain groups of people want to ban books. And tell you people educated in history are the enemy.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Our history in the Western world is complex. We have not always been run by rule of law even when we claimed to be. In the past the rich and those of certain bloodlines were held above the law. Almost like you’re a hockey player in Canada.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Your degree of economic power determined whether or not the law applied to you. </p><p class="MsoNormal">So a very brief history of western law.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I know some people are obsessed with the Roman empire. So let’s start there. It was understood during roman times that without the law, people would be at the mercy of violent men. Romans believed without the law, civilization would collapse. So they codified the law, meaning put in writing and, at least in theory, made sure everyone followed the rules.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Game of Thrones was fiction, but the behaviour of the rulers was pretty historically accurate. At one point, the people were led to believe that their leaders were chosen by god. To question the leader was to question God. Which meant you were a demon and should be unalived. </p><p class="MsoNormal">In 1215, England made the bold move to putting in writing that maybe the king was not above the law. That maybe no one was above the law. This is what we mean when we say Rule of Law. That the law is supreme. The law applies to everyone. </p><p class="MsoNormal">The Magna Carta also gave us other rights. For example, it prevented unlawful imprisonment. Prior to that, you could just be arrested and thrown in jail without charges or trial. Kind of like the Patriot Act.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> The English Bill of Rights was passed in 1689. It allowed the election of representatives without the royal approval and prevented royals from interfering with the law. Because your leadership is not supposed to sway the way you vote. Like in Gerrymandering.</p></div><div><div>. In Canada, we have the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that was included in our Constitution Act of 1982. This gave the courts the power to strike down laws that were unconstitutional. So what does that mean?</div><div><br /></div><div>In Canada, no law can be passed that contradicts your human rights. The rights you have because you were born a human. In emergency cases, like war, the government can ignore some civilian rights. But there is also something called the notwithstanding clause. This allows law makers to break the law and ignore constitutional freedoms, but only for a limited timed time. In Canada, the government can limit our rights, but it has to PROVE there was a need to do so. </div><div><br /></div><div>Because the law has more power than people.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">TRUMP vs. TRUDEAU</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_TAoaYamsbvoUjKEJiAWvvSwzRkWgR3vMIJiZPcqNdzzyXOQuPY9Gx-Q9Jr2v2jBBGw6WAQGleiyh9xvRx0wP_ukaLHKd5KKZ-t8EKbw6tl5693NXLRFK-0mJBXdOoZ8CKj4nEb3UZeUMuVH-63cV4tlfLJHP05ek19zCyxNK3RYPl6nmjidHGN8ATbd/s862/TELEVISION%20-%20Trump%20Vs.%20Trudeau%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="862" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_TAoaYamsbvoUjKEJiAWvvSwzRkWgR3vMIJiZPcqNdzzyXOQuPY9Gx-Q9Jr2v2jBBGw6WAQGleiyh9xvRx0wP_ukaLHKd5KKZ-t8EKbw6tl5693NXLRFK-0mJBXdOoZ8CKj4nEb3UZeUMuVH-63cV4tlfLJHP05ek19zCyxNK3RYPl6nmjidHGN8ATbd/s320/TELEVISION%20-%20Trump%20Vs.%20Trudeau%20copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Both of these men are loved by few, hated by many. But are they the same? Trump incites an insurrection, found guilty of sexual assault, found guilty of fraud, took money from foreign leaders while in office, and is currently telling the world how he will become a dictator and turn America fully a Christian Theocracy ruled by him, the second coming of Christ. And because a certain group of people believe he has been sent by God, it appears they also have decided he is above the law. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have a friend with a DUI who can’t cross the border. Trump gets to run for office and command armies.</div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile in Canada, Trudeau used the Emergency Measure’s Act to break up a disruptive event in Ottawa that began as a protest but turned into a circus. </div><div><br /></div><div>The courts here ruled the government exceeded their authority. Leaders in Canada do not have the right to do whatever they want.</div><div><br /></div><div>This would give the appearance that the rule of Law is more in effect in Canada than it currently is in the United States. Because a growing number of Americans seem to believe the law does not apply equally to everyone.</div><div><br /></div><div>So who does the rule of law apply to?</div></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">WHO DOES THE RULE OF LAW APPLY TO?</h2><div><div>The easy answer is everyone. Well, every human. Every human is seen as equal under the law meaning that no one has more or less rights than the other. No person is more or less protected by the law than others. </div><div><br /></div><div>So why would any government agree to this? Why would the rulers be willing to give so much freedom to their citizens. The answer is history. We know what happens when they don’t. To understand that better, lets look at France 1789-1799. A period we now call the French Revolution.</div><div><br /></div><div>Prior to the revolution, the people of France lived under a system called Feudalism. You can read the Wikipedia page about feudalism but it boils down to this. It was a system in which all the land was owned by a few people, called Lords. All the work was done by peasants who were given a place to live in exchange for their work.</div><div><br /></div><div>The peasants grew to believe the lords of the land, or landlords, had more rights than they, the peasants, did. Which was a problem. One of many. Let’s look at a few of the key reasons behind the French Revolution.</div><div><br /></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Poverty </b>- The feudal system had created unsustainable income inequality. This led to widespread famine, death and starvation. The average person was not sure where their next meal was coming from. At the same time, the upper class lived a lavish lifestyle. <br /><br /></li><li><b>Royal Absolutism</b> – Those in power, the royals, could overrule any law. In effect, a crime was not a crime if the royals said it was not a crime. Which meant that members of the royal family could do anything they wanted. While peasants were held accountable for minor infractions. Like stealing food to live.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Noble Privilege </b>– Social preference was given to those of high birth rather than to those who worked hard. It didn’t matter how hard you worked, only who your parents were. No amount of hard work would bring you wealth.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Clerical Privilege</b> – We forget now the POWER the Church once held over people. The fear of eternal damnation and/or torture can be persuasive. During the revolution, the church was essentially taken over by the government, and made accountable to the people, not the Vatican. Once upon a time, the church was above the law. If you were a priest you could do anything you wanted and face no consequences. Thankfully that’s different now. <br /><br /></li><li><b>Bifurcation</b> - The final straw was a bifurcation – humans were placed into one of two groups. You were either the working class, a peasant, or the ruling class, a landlord. This created two levels of person-hood. While the rule of law applied to all persons, maybe some humans weren’t people. Because if you can convince enough peasants that a certain group of humans are not “people”, well then you don’t have to follow the rule of law. </li></ol></div><div>Faced with the evidence of their eyes and ears, the peasants realized the wealthy had taken advantage of them. And if they didn’t act, the peasant’s children had no future. They rose up. It was messy. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Messy.</div><p>This is why it is so important for civilizations to follow the rule of law. If the general population believes those in power are not following the rule of law, they stop following the rule of law too. It is essential for the stability of democracy that everyone BELIEVES the rule of law is in effect.</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">HISTORICAL EXEMPTIONS TO THE RULE OF LAW</h2><p>Earlier, I asked if an alien robbed your store, could you charge him with robbery? The answer is no. Our laws currently only apply to humans. For the same reason, if a squirrel eats the apples in your backyard, you don’t call the police. You take the law into your own hands. You throw a rock at it.</p><p>Historically, there have been other groups, aside from aliens, that were seen as not human and therefore not protected by the rule of law. Let’s look at a few examples.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Indigenous People</h3><p>How could followers of Christ take children from their homes, assault them and neglect them all while believing they were doing God’s work. If they children were seen as human, this would never have happened. Instead they were labeled “savages”, a dehumanizing word. Literally a word that makes a human into a non-human.</p><p>When we teach our society that a group of people, like Indigenous people around the world, are less than us, less educated, less civilized, less worthy, it sends a message to certain people. Certain people hear that since this group is not-quite-human, they are fair game. </p><p>It is against the law to unalive a human. The racial background of that human should have zero impact on the degree to which the crime is investigated. And yet Canada has a problem. Indigenous people, especially indigenous women are not statistically safe in Canada. That’s not a judgement call. That is looking at reality. Because the way Canadian society reacts when an indigenous person is unalived is very different than when a non-indigenous person is unalived. We can all see that. The evidence is right there. So maybe instead of pretending it’s not, we should be doing something about that.</p><p>Let’s look at another group that the law historically did not protect.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Women</h3><p>October 18, 1928. That is the day women in Canada were finally considered “persons”. We celebrate that it’s been less than 100 years that we men have acknowledge that women are also sentient beings. </p><p>This is not something to celebrate. Math states women make up roughly 50% of humanity. Sometimes they are the majority. Which means for most of written history, more than half of humanity was not fully protected by the rule of law. </p><p>It was not until 1960 that all women could vote? The last group of women given the right to vote? Indigenous women. I know. Shocking.</p><div><div>In 1971, we passed a law in Canada guaranteeing women the right to equal pay for equal work. That’s the year I was born in so I can tell you it has 52 years and women as STILL not paid equally for equal work. It’s almost like the law isn’t being followed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Much of the reason for the subjugation of women was the Church. Society deemed them not equal to men because the bible said it was true. And if you disagree with the bible, you are demon. Men were doing nothing wrong. They were only following God’s will. Remember, this podcast deals with gaslighting. Phew.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, let’s look at another group of humans historically not seen as people.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">African Americans/Canadians</h3><div><br /></div><div>Me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Me as a black person, with one black parent and one white parent. There are many people in the world who do not see me as human. I am abomination, and not just because I’m gay. Many believe that people with my colour of skin are not human, that having a relationship with a black person is like having a relationship with a dog.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, for many if they had to choose between saving the life of a black stranger or a dog they’ve never met, they would save the dog. And see nothing wrong with that choice. Because the dog, to them, is more human.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lynching only became a federal crime in March 2022. It hasn’t even been two years. Mostly this was symbolic. But think for a second. Until a few years ago, some states would not publicly concede that lynching should be a crime.</div><div><br /></div><div>And ya’all expect black people to believe they are truly protected by the rule of law? </div><div><br /></div><div>You expect women to believe they will be fully recognized and compensated for their work when Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie are still in the news?</div><div><br /></div><div>Here’s where it starts to play with your sense of who you are and what you are. If a group of people is not protected by the rule of law, why would they follow the rule of law? Let’s say that a different way.</div><div><br /></div><div>An alien walks into the Miami Mall and buys a dress. As soon as he leaves the store, you say he stole it. The law sees you as a human and alien is not. Therefore, the human must always be right. The alien must be lying. The alien goes to jail. </div><div><br /></div></div><p>After his, why would the alien try buying from the store again? He might as well steal it if you’re going to be blamed for stealing anyway.</p><p>Why do people ignore the rule of law? Almost always – Greed. Sadly, there are standard ways around the rule of law. They are often very effective. </p><p>For example, let’s say you are person in power and you want something. Say, land. If a group of people has something you want, you can’t just go take it. That’s against the law. But, and hear me out, what if you can convince enough followers that one group of people aren’t people after all? They are “savages” who must be saved and brought into the light. You’re doing them a favour by stealing their children. God’s work.</p><p>Or you say women can’t decide what to do with their bodies because they are women. You know how women are. Overly emotional. They need a man to come in and take charge with his big logical brain. It says so in the Bible. God’s work.</p><p>Historically, when people come together to overturn the rule of law, it has not been good. Especially for minorities. Imagine if everyone came together tomorrow and said lefthanded people are evil. Only right-handed people are allowed to accumulate wealth. Maybe the majority would say yes. Lefthanded people would be condemned to poverty because of the will of the majority.</p><p>Let’s take it further. The church gives Lefthanded people a name. Sinisters. Did you know the term sinister comes from the latin word for left? And did you know that darkest form of magic is called the Lefthanded path? What are left-handed people hiding? </p><p>Do I need to continue? We can laugh a bit today because we know it’s silly to believe there is a difference between right and left handed people. But it wasn’t that long ago humans felt very different. There are many alive today who remember the ruler across the fingers for trying to write with their left hand.</p><p>There are also many are alive today who remember a time when women could not open a bank account or get a credit card. Many old grey men remember they could assault their wives and children without consequence. They could smack the uppity boy with the dark skin and everyone would understand. Those men are still here. They are still in power.</p><p>And that needs to change. But I’ll move on.</p><p>The second you see one group dehumanizing another, stop. Ask yourself why. Why are they are making the other group appear less than human.</p><p>Because they can’t call them what they really are:</p><p>An inconvenient obstacle in their attempt to ignore the rule of law.</p><p>The most important thing for the stability of a civilization is the appearance that the rule of law is in effect. Because once enough people believe that the system is rigged, that the system doesn’t protect them, when enough people believe THAT … we have problems with social stability. A reminder of the events that caused the French Revolution.</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Poverty</li><li>Royal Absolutism</li><li>Noble Privilege </li><li>Clerical Privilege</li><li>People vs. The Rulers</li></ol><p></p><p>I’m not trying to predict the future here. Just pointing out historical events. You can draw your own conclusions.</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">ALTERNATIVES TO THE RULE OF LAW</h2><p>The rule of Law is not the only way to organize society. Let’s look at a few other options.</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>ANARCHY </b>– every person for themselves. Without the rule of law the world could devolve into a post-apocalyptic nightmare. If you’ve seen or played The Last of Us, this would be life outside of a protected city. The law is what the strong say it is.<br /><br /></li><li><b>DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS</b> – In this case, a ruler or group of rulers, convinces peasants that he has been chosen by god. Everything they say and do is interpreted as the will of the divine. To challenge the king is to challenge God, making you under the influence of demons. Because only a demon would question the will of God.<br /><br />Speaking of men who abuse women and believe they speak for God, Trump. FFS. History is very clear what happens to a society when a man like Trump gets unlimited power. Can we seriously not let that happen? But I’ll move on.<br /><br /></li><li><b>PLUTOCRACY</b> – It has nothing to do with the planet and everything to do with money. Pluto is another name for the god of the underworld. Also called Hades. Hades is the more common name now, but in ancient times people grew afraid to say his name. Like Voldermort. So they called him Pluto, the wealthy one. <br /><br />Under Plutocracy, the law and those that enforce it treat you differently depending on how much money you have. The more money you have, the more you can ignore the law. That means that with enough money, the rule of law does not apply to you.<br /><br /></li><li><b>MOB RULE</b> –A group of people decides to take the law into their own hands. The law is whatever the group says is the law. It can change at any time.</li></ol><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">WHAT SYSTEM DO WE CURRENTLY LIVE UNDER?</h2><div>So, do we currently live under the rule of law? The answer depends on where you live. And who you are. Which means, no. We do not currently live under the rule of law. In my opinion, we live in a plutocracy where those with the most money can do whatever they want. They do not have to follow the law. Even if they are caught, they will be forced to pay a fine. But they have so much money, they fine is not a disincentive. No matter what the powerful do, they do not have to go to jail. Jail is only for poor people.</div><p></p><div><div><br /></div><div>I would love to proven wrong. But I can see reality. We all can. </div><div><br /></div><div>We need to stop pretending everything is okay.</div><div><br /></div><div>So what do we do about it? We fix it. How? Simple. Hold the powerful to account. That’s it. We need at least the appearance of fair play. Because if the powerful stop pretending the rule of law is in effect, my fear is so will the rest of the country. And that won’t be good for anyone.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>We do not currently live under the rule of law but we STRIVE TO. The law is not perfect but it is the best tool we have to ensure a safe, stable democracy.</div><div><br /></div><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">RULE OF LAW AND YOUR IDENTITY</h2><p></p><div><div>So what does all of this have to do with you? You have grown up in a system which clearly demonstrates some people have more rights than others. Our educational system, our political system, and especially our religious systems have all created a world in which certain people are closer to god than others. If you grew up here, those thoughts are in your brain, influencing the way you think and they things you do. </div><div><br /></div><div>In many ways, you are who you THINK you are. And some of the things you think about yourself are not really you. Some of your personality is based on your culture and your upbringing. You may not see the difference but it can show up in your biology. Oppression and trauma show up in our bodies, even if we are not conscious of it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3Y_Ecvabtir06ozotLhQd6ptjIho54gP-vVg0vPdYBcOc-1SbO8DH82vav8HpjvBxsH7KwD9ivVfL6v9EeitM0s8PEUs6o7sJbf3yH82q4Su1Odt1OzUB77sc1srEKA6kFkFSIjL9AFNgJCSH6ziMtVa8nGSpcjOBlupXkwqBhXQWk0g4zpqs251zyXa/s1048/hierarch%20of%20needs%20-%20maslow.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1048" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3Y_Ecvabtir06ozotLhQd6ptjIho54gP-vVg0vPdYBcOc-1SbO8DH82vav8HpjvBxsH7KwD9ivVfL6v9EeitM0s8PEUs6o7sJbf3yH82q4Su1Odt1OzUB77sc1srEKA6kFkFSIjL9AFNgJCSH6ziMtVa8nGSpcjOBlupXkwqBhXQWk0g4zpqs251zyXa/w400-h239/hierarch%20of%20needs%20-%20maslow.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Some of you may have seen this image. It represents the order in which we secure a health environment. Meaning before you can manifest your biggest dreams, you have to make sure you have food and shelter. If you can’t eat, you can’t start a business. Similarly, before you gain a sense of connection, you have to feel safe in your environment. You need stable employment which gives you the power to create all the other steps.</div><div><br /></div><div>So what if you don’t feel safe? If you are constantly worried about your physiological and economic safety, kind of hard for you to reach self esteem.</div><div><br /></div><div>That is what we have done to indigenous people, to women, to visible minorities. And, as we’ll discuss later, those with disabilities. And IT IS intentional. Because the people running the plutocracy know this. As soon as the peasants come together, it’s all over for them. Which is why they want the peasants to keep fighting amongst themselves. But I’ll move on.</div><div><br /></div><div>How does this fear show up in your body? I’m going to show you a graphic that will annoy some people. But stay with me. Remember, not everything can currently be explained by science. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m1ZtPyp9FRc" width="320" youtube-src-id="m1ZtPyp9FRc"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Chakra work is magic, not science. Remember, with science, something is true whether you believe it or not. Magic needs you to believe it before work.</div><div><br /></div><div>In my experience, chakras in the body tend to align with the hierarchy of needs. Anxiety is a first chakra issue. Anxiety is often tied to trauma related to unfulfilled security needs. If people can’t secure housing and food, you can expect anxiety rates to increase. Anxiety can be reduced by ensuring all physical needs are met.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you’re experiencing lower back pain, look at your money situation. </div><div><br /></div><div>Science says chakras do not exist because we don’t have the technology to test if they exist or not. Our currently technology can’t see them. But maybe our bodies can. </div><div><br /></div><div>Unless you’ve done a lot of self-analysis, you probably don’t realize why you feel the way you feel. That’s who you are. An anxious person. Maybe you feel guilty because of your anxiety, even though anxiety is a perfectly normal reaction when you’re living through the times we’re in. Maybe you are not the problem. </div><div><br /></div><div>I’ll end with this. The most revolutionary act you can do is not taking to the streets or arguing on social media. If you want to change the world, start by changing yourself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sit in a quiet room by yourself. Meditate. Think about the things you do and the things you believe and the things you don’t believe. Get to know yourself.</div><div><br /></div><div>The more you understand who YOU are, the real you, the most clearly you will see what you should be doing. And once you know yourself, it’s impossible for other people to manipulate you.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">NEXT TIME</h2><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA">Next Time on Alien Brain Fog we look at Tribalism.
Why do we feel the need to attach ourselves to a collective? Why and how do our
brains assign people we meet into groups? And more importantly, how can we
determine if our actions and beliefs are based on our own individual sense of
right and wrong or a desire to remain part of the collective.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you for joining me. Be kind. The world
is a little messed up out there.</p></div><div><p><br /><b>BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:</b><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s1600/5+books.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s640/5+books.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p><br />Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a></p><p><br /></p></div><div><br /></div>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-78348878852570515062024-02-18T16:16:00.001-05:002024-02-18T16:16:55.768-05:00Alien Brain Fog - Episode 002 - What is an Ontological Crisis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="406" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FW95z_fzBrE" width="508" youtube-src-id="FW95z_fzBrE"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>Transcript of Episode<br /><p>Hi. I’m Joseph Murphy and welcome to Alien Brain Fog, a science-focused podcast on memory, identity and the systems of oppression that effect both. How do you know who you really are?</p><p>In the last episode, I gave you my hypothesis. The reason everyone in the world is a little big crazy right now is we are all undergoing an ontological crisis. So the heck is an <b>Ontological Crisis </b>and how do we get out of it?</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Opening</h2><p>I’m a word nerd. I love etymology, which is the study of how words evolve over time. Whenever you see this part (ology) it means “study of.” Sociology is the study of how societies work. Psychology is the study of how the mind works. And so on.</p><p>Ont comes from the Greek “on” or “ont”, and means “being” or “existence.” So ontology is the study of what it means to exist. The Wikipedia page says this:</p><p>An Ontological Crisis occurs when the nature of reality is very different than you thought it was. You’re shown evidence that is so fundamentally against the world you believed you lived in that you don’t know what to believe any more.</p><p>It’s a metaphysical crisis. Like Barbie leaving BarbieLand.</p><p>Or realizing that aliens are real.</p><p>In laymans’ terms, it’s a crisis of faith. We have faith we understand the world around us. We do not what is real.</p><p>My ontological crisis began when I systemic racism was real. I learned we don’t have a capitalist democracy. We live in not in a neo-feudalistic state ruled by a plutocracy. Slavery never ended. We just traded in chattel slavery wage slavery. We are not as free as we think we are. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPE1CZRx2C2ElTu9BCXDyM80PffCNyQ0YjPOGEtYoF7zAamKOpkgYPUU-3sZHU4eVqS4U5LeGDoBH8_rob6iRMP30SkInWmIFJQurqN4N6ElG86ow56v0og8JhVmXJhwQdd9yo_LUHoNZePrInDFroXu63aZZ9-1dGER0z09_tG_oXd6Qdj_FtmZAhN7nD/s707/ontological%20crisis.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="707" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPE1CZRx2C2ElTu9BCXDyM80PffCNyQ0YjPOGEtYoF7zAamKOpkgYPUU-3sZHU4eVqS4U5LeGDoBH8_rob6iRMP30SkInWmIFJQurqN4N6ElG86ow56v0og8JhVmXJhwQdd9yo_LUHoNZePrInDFroXu63aZZ9-1dGER0z09_tG_oXd6Qdj_FtmZAhN7nD/w470-h198/ontological%20crisis.png" width="470" /></a></div><p>Source: LessWrong.com</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">What does Ontological Stability Look Like?</h2><p>This paper speaks specifically to the impact home ownership has on sense of self. Extrapolate. Does the world still feel like your home? Or do you no longer recognize the world you’re living in. </p><p>Dupuis and Thorns’ four traditional markers of ontological security. Those markers are to have a place: </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>of social and material constancy;</li><li>where daily routines can be enacted and carried out; </li><li>“where people feel most in control in their lives because they are free from surveillance;” </li><li>“around which identities are constructed” <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7643905/#R9" target="_blank">(Dupuis and Thorns, 1998: 29</a>). </li></ol><p></p><p>Source: Home, Home Ownership and the Search for Ontological Security (Ann Dupuis, David C. Thorns</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">So what could cause an Ontological Crisis?</h2><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Home Ownership </b>– do you have a place in this world? Is your home secure? Do you constantly worry you might lose your home and be unable to find another? Unprecedented inflation has eroded perceived wealth.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Crisis of faith</b> – your religion is not what you thought it was. Or elements of your religion are at odds with established science (otherwise known as reality).<br /><br /></li><li><b>Robots and Artificial Intelligence</b> – have you lost your job because of a robot or AI?<br /><br /></li><li><b>Covid and the governments response to it</b> – Misinformation spread faster than the government could control it. People expected to be safe. They no longer feel safe. Death rates were higher compounding the grief.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Lockdown</b> - Endless months of Lockdown forced us to re-examine our freedoms.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Long Covid</b> – increased physical and mental illness around the world. The World Health Organization estimates 771, 191, 203 infections. 700 million. What percentage will develop long term symptoms? Around 10-20. That is a lot of newly disabled people all at once. Covid can also lead to mental health problems like anxiety, depression, derealization and depersonalization. Cognitive disfunction.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Me Too Movement </b> - The movement clearly showed we are living in a patriarchy where large numbers of women do not feel safe.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Gender Studies</b> - the existence of trans men and woman, the existence of non-binary people does not fit into the established worldviews of many people. Rather than integrate new evidence they reject it and say it can’t be real. They truly believe trans people can’t exist so they must be mentally ill. Or demons.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Aliens</b> – the existence of UFOS, or UAPs and If non-humans are real and there there goes all of our specialness. How are we any different than squirrels?<br /><br /></li><li><b>War between Russia and the Ukraine </b>have shown us the world is not as safe as we thought.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Donald Trump </b>showed us any idiot with a following can get in power. And we started looking at all our leaders.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Climate Change</b> and the idea that human race could go extinct within a century</li></ul><p></p><p>All combined, the world we live in is not the world we thought we lived in.</p><p>And now we have to integrate the fact we’re not alone? It’s too much for the brain and the mind to take. So we disassociate. Get a little crazy</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.</h2><p>How do you solve an ontological crisis? The answer is simple to explain but hard to do. All you have to do is change your mind. Changing your mind is not easy. That’s where all your programming is. Everything you believe to be real. The hardest part is realizing our brain may be lying to you.</p><p>Here are four steps to solve any problem.</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Admit Reality – Acknowledge the Problem</li><li>Evaluate and Consider Solutions</li><li>Choose the Best & Implement Option</li><li>Evaluate the Outcome</li></ol><p></p><p>The first step to overcoming an ontological crisis is to acknowledge it. If it seems like the world is not what you thought it was, it’s time to act like Bo Burnham and go inside. That’s where all the work has to take place.</p><p>See in an ontological crisis, the main problem is the way your brain processes information. It is not equiped the world no longer functions. Our brains run on algorithm. The old algorithms can’t process the new data. Which is why we need new ones. </p><p>Source:<a href="Ontological Crisis in Humans" target="_blank"> https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/KLaJjNdENsHhKhG5m/ontological-crisis-in-humans </a></p><p>Since the first step to solving any problem is acknowledging it, it’s time to break through all the lies. Deal with reality as it is instead of how we wish it was. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">CLOSING</h2><p>Join me next time on Alien Brain Fog as we take a closer look at reality. What is the Rule of Law? And do we currently live under the rule of law? Or are we fooling ourselves.</p><p><br />BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s1600/5+books.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s640/5+books.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p><br />Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a></p><p><br /></p><div><br /></div>
<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p></p>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-87536621042725573392024-02-18T16:01:00.001-05:002024-02-18T16:17:14.047-05:00Alien Brain Fog - Episode 001 - Are We All Crazy?<p> </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="316" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_pkRVKOApFo" width="729" youtube-src-id="_pkRVKOApFo"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">OPENING</h2><p>I’m Joseph Murphy. Welcome to Alien Brain Fog, a science-focused podcast on memory, identity and the systems of oppression that affect both. How do you know who you really are?</p><p>For our first episode, we’re asking the most important question. How can you tell if you’ve lost your mind?</p><p>Is it just me, or does everyone seem a little crazy right now. Everywhere I look, I see the same expression on people’s face. Shock and anger, like no one can believe what’s happening is really happening.</p><p>The government announced aliens are real. No one cares. More and more angry young white men are taking out their rage on innocent people. People are looking for the Loch Ness monster again. There were even protests in China last year</p><p>Trump talks about shooting his political rivals and it’s just a normal news cycle.</p><p><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/ufo-hearing-online-reactions-twitter-tiktok-rcna96664">Are aliens real? People online don't seem to care either way.</a></p><p>Compare this to what we expected about a year ago</p><p><a href="https://www.space.com/contact-intelligent-alien-life-humanity-reaction">Contact with ET: How would humanity react?</a></p><p>If there’s one thing I’m an expert on, it’s conspiracy theories. I’ve been interested in UFOS since I was child. I have a clear memory of the first time I saw an object in the sky that didn’t make sense. I was five. We lived in Owen Sound at the time. Dad drove us to gramma’s house (my mom’s mom). I looked over the treelines and saw a black shape in the air. I asked my dad what it was. Without looking he said it was a weather balloon. I accepted his answer and decided to investigate weather balloons.</p><p>My memory is confused here. I want to say I started researching weather balloons immediately, but that doesn’t make sense. I didn’t start researching UFOS until we moved to Windsor. Tecumseh Mall used to have a library. My mother would drop me and my brother off at the library while she did her grocery shopping. To me, that was heaven. I started near the beginning of the library. UFOS and the paranormal, in my memory, were the first shelves as you walked in. I realize as I’m writing this, I dream of the library often.</p><p>I read about UFOS and paranormal encounters from childhood into my teenage years. In my memory, I do not recall ever believing I’d seen UFOS or aliens. I was interested in the subject but had no personal connection to it.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUNMHugMdrd3nOes6Gp_zGDhUFog0_shVIXj1ouA6w0r7cPcNlnf-InwoERp4Nc5zRy-k-CywKtOTwtjLj5FylO9FB09baApJdnEZuE-jdV6Va8nCIYGhSH1NLlXzs9tohz_FToEo964OoK7gBovEV9dgKXoV6ZjGpM7db1qGxta6zfAsVFNq7lKykXlm/s436/communion.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUNMHugMdrd3nOes6Gp_zGDhUFog0_shVIXj1ouA6w0r7cPcNlnf-InwoERp4Nc5zRy-k-CywKtOTwtjLj5FylO9FB09baApJdnEZuE-jdV6Va8nCIYGhSH1NLlXzs9tohz_FToEo964OoK7gBovEV9dgKXoV6ZjGpM7db1qGxta6zfAsVFNq7lKykXlm/s320/communion.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>And I kept that belief until I read Communion by Whitley Streiber. <p></p><p>I loved Whitley Streiber. For me, he was up there with the greats. Steven King, Dean Koontz, and Whitely Streiber. I felt a special affinity for one of his lesser-known books, Cat Magic. Something in it thrilled me.</p><p>I was in Grade 12 or 13. I’ll have to review my diaries to confirm, but I remember the major assignment for an English class was to read every book by a specific author and make a summary of their entire work. I chose Whitely because I loved his horror.</p><p>I didn’t read Communion when it came out. I remember seeing on book shelves and being intrigued. But it wasn’t until the class project that I read Communion. And even then nothing clicked.</p><p>Until about half way through the book. Hearing Whitley’s experiences made me look at some of the strangeness in my life through a different lens. He mentioned seeing owls everywhere or dreaming of owls. I distinctly remember that was a chilling moment for me. I remember thinking; oh my god. I see owls all the time. </p><p>Does that mean I’ve been visited too?</p><div><div>The annoying part is looking back now, I can’t remember ever seeing an owl in real life. I scan my memory for Owls” and the only reference picture I have is a few pictures my boyfriend took of owls in his back yard. My mother loved owls. Collected owl figuring. I know that but I can’t “see” those owl figurines in my head. That bugs me. Because I have to have seen an owl at some point in my life. On television. A zoo. I can vaguely remember the mechanical one from Clash of the Titans, but I have a mental barrier around owls now that I can’t ignore.</div><div><br /></div><div>The real kicker was when Whitley talked about reviewing his old notebooks and diaries. He said he’ found sketches of the visitors he didn’t remember making. The same big eyes, same shaped head. I remember reading this part in class, feeling cold. Because I knew at that moment I’d been sketching them for years. I even gave one of them a name. Kisma. </div><div><br /></div><div>When I wrote about the visitors in Demons of DunDegore, I named one of them Kisma. I don’t know where the name came from but that is her name. And I knew the figure I drew was female. After school, I raced home and looked at my old journals. And I saw the sketches. I need to find those. I think I still have them.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have several memories that do not agree with our shared reality. They should be impossible. But they happened. And I didn’t tell anyone because I was afraid no one would believe me. Only crazy people see aliens. Everyone knows aliens aren’t real, so if you’re experiencing it, there must be something wrong with you. It’s not like the government has been lying to us for years. If aliens were real, they would tell us. Right?</div><div><br /></div><div><div>After realizing my encounters were consistent with other people’s encounters, I put it in the back of my mind that there was a possibility I was visited when I was younger. But real or not, that time of my life was over. I saw what happened to Whitley when he told other people about his experiences. They laughed at him. Made fun of his trauma. There was no way I was going to do that to myself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since I couldn’t talk about my experiences, I wrote about them. I channeled my encounters with high strangeness into writing. In my twenties I focused on building a career. I had several weird encounters that aren’t easy to explain but nothing world shattering. Nothing I couldn’t ignore. Maybe it was bad for other people but aside from the occasional nightmare, my old encounters didn’t’ affect me any more. I could just let it go.</div><div><br /></div><div>Besides, I’ve read what happens to people who come forward with their encounters. Speaking up could destroy my life. Some believe the reason JFK was assassinated was because he wanted to go public with the existence of aliens. There was no incentive to tell people.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I stayed silent.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, let’s talk about racism.</div></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">RACISM</h2><div>When you look at me, do you see a white man or a black man? The way you see me may impact how you treat me.</div></div><p>My mother was black. My father was white. No one mistook me for a white man until I shaved my head. Now, to some I am racially ambiguous. They don’t know how to classify me. When I walk into a room, I can tell if they are treating me as a black man or a white man. </p><p>I’ve always known racism is real. I’ve been turned away from restaurants because they were closed for lunch. Tons of microagressions. But until I worked for the Province of Ontario in Canada, I didn’t believe systemic racism still existed. I believed the government propaganda that programs had been put in place to protect black people.</p><p>I believe that until I was harassed at work. In an office with three managers, one was actively engaged in harassment of black staff members. The other two watched. When I discovered that the harassment was aimed at all black people and not just me, I spoke up. </p><p>And that’s when things got so much worse.</p><p>In Ontario we have a law called Bill 168.</p><p><a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/preventing-workplace-violence-and-workplace-harassment" target="_blank">Ontario - Preventing workplace violence and workplace harassment</a><br /></p><div><div>Here is how the Province of Ontario classifies harassment. Keep in mind, this is organization I worked for.</div><div><br /></div><div>Workplace harassment means:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome or</li></ul></div><div>So what are the employer’s obligations under this law once an allegation has been made?</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Duties</h3><div>To protect a worker from workplace harassment, an employer must ensure </div></div><div><div>that:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>an investigation that is appropriate in the circumstances is conducted into incidents and complaints of workplace harassment</li><li>the worker who has allegedly experienced workplace harassment and the alleged harasser, if he or she is a worker of the employer, are informed in writing of the results of the investigation and of any corrective action that has been taken or that will be taken as a result of the investigation</li><li>the harassment program is reviewed as often as necessary, but at least annually, to ensure that it adequately implements the policy with respect to workplace harassment</li></ul></div></div><div><div>I experienced what I believed to be harassment. I took steps. I spoke with the two other managers. No corrective action was taken. I spoke with the regional manager, Melissa Kersey. She showed remorse that I was experiencing racism but no corrective action was taken. I met with Melissa’s manager (Patty Redmond), emailed the head of the Workplace Harassment board, the head of the civil service, Michelle DiEmmanuelle. I emailed the union for assistance. No one was willing to help me deal with the harassment. I started to realize I was playing a very difference game.</div><div><br /></div><div>Let’s talk about something life for a moment. Playing games. What is game theory anyway?</div></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">GAME THEORY</h2><div><p class="MsoNormal">A game is any activity with a set of rules and strategies for winning. All players know the rules and agree to follow them. Strategies are a way to turn random events to your advantage. If you know the rules and the strategies, you can make predictions on various outcomes and make informed choices about future moves.</p><p class="MsoNormal">For example, chess. Hundreds of books have been written about chess strategy. To play the game, you have to know the rules. You learn the strategies over time. Chess, like drag, is not a contact sport. Normally, the person with the best strategy wins.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I love games. My favourite is a MMO called Elder Scrolls online. My main character is Grandmaster Wisdom, a tank. When I’m not running dungeons, I pay their mini-game Tales of Tribute. But I noticed something this week that makes it less fun to play.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I noticed that it didn’t seem to matter what I did. The decision whether I was going to win or lose was decided before I started playing. The system ensured that each time I drew a card it was “meh” but each time my opponent drew one it was amazing. No matter which cards I chose or how I laid them down, the system had decided I wasn’t going to win. Eventually the “randomness” change and I started winning again. But by then the illusion was gone. I realized it wasn’t my skill advancing me. It was the system. If ESO wanted me to win, I won. If it wanted me to lose, I lost. And my individual actions had no bearing on it.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Now back to racism.</p><p class="MsoNormal">When it appeared that the agency investigating harassment (WDHP) was suppressing reports, I reached as high up as possible. I emailed Michelle DiEmanuelle repeatedly asking for assistance. I told DeEmmanuelle that I had uncovered government officials suppressing evidence and altering reports.. I told them the public had a right to know there was problems within the public service. I wanted it to come from them. </p><p class="MsoNormal">And that’s was the first time they tried to fire me.</p><p class="MsoNormal">So how did they fool me? They took advantage of my disability. I have lived with Long Covid wince January 2021. After the first attempt to fire me failed, they waited until Had a mental health crisis in November 2023. I was forced to watch a video I found offensive while the manager who had been harassing me smiled. This happened on the day I had to put my cat down. Sneakers was going on 20 and he was my best friend. </p><p class="MsoNormal">I snapped. And by “snapped” here’s what I mean. </p><p class="MsoNormal">I sent an email to Patti Redmond’s replacement saying enough is enough.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I asked how many more people were going to be traumatized before something changed. Her response was dismissive. I went to Facebook and complained. I had been talking about racism for months on Facebook. Management and union were aware. I was told my actions would be monitored if I would be told if I said something inappropriate. I was promised that I would not be fired without cause or without warning.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I caught those promises on tape. At the time, I believed them. I can see now I was incredibly naïve, but for that I blame COVID. My brain has not worked the same since. At the time, I was easily confused. They took at advantage of that. I lose my job, my sanity, and quickly lost my house.</p><p class="MsoNormal">The union stopped responding to my emails. Friends from work started ignoring me including my closest work friend, Erin. Erin also happened to be the local president and had seen every piece of evidence about harassment. It was because of Erin’s encouragement that I proceeded with the grievance. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Once the grievance actually started, she stopped returning my texts and phone calls. I haven’t heard from her since December 2022.</p></div><div><div>Then I reached out to external agencies. I emailed every Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario. I emailed news agencies, local and national. I reached out specifically to Lisa Gretzky because I campaigned for the NDP in the last election, knocking on doors for Gemma Grey-Hall. I also trusted Lisa because she was the officiant at my wedding. We haven’t spoken since, but I was impressed by her fire and passion. And she does have passion for many causes. Just not the safety of black workers.</div><div>I reached out to CBC and AM800. I know a local radio personality. We dated briefly in our youth. I reached out to him. Didn’t get a response for a year. </div><div><br /></div><div>No news agency would help. No politician would help. And no one inside the company would help. It was almost like no matter what I did, I was going to lose this game.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Because the system decided I wasn’t supposed to win. My only strategy at this point is to stop playing the game. Which is why I’m doing a podcast now instead of spending the next five years in court. It’s important to me that send a warning out. If you have brown skin and work for the province of Ontario, you are not safe. It is not a safe space. If you deal with harassment, leave. Do not report it. Because the system is set up to suppress your report and fire you. I wasn’t the first one. I won’t be the last.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is sickening that black people in 2022 had to deal with blatant racism. How blatant? She made all the black people sit outside her office.</div><div><br /></div><div> and wanted to exposure the corruption. But I elived it would be better for the public if the information came from them.</div><div><br /></div><div>The only corrective action that was taken was an attempt to fire me</div><div><br /></div><div>The problem for me, is I don’t trust those memories because for the whole world around me told me aliens weren’t real. The world told me if you say aliens you were insane. So I told almost no one about my experiences.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then in January of 2021, I got sick with COVID. I had nearly every symptom. One of the worst is total mindfuck we’re all calling Brain Fog.</div></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">WHAT IS BRAIN FOG</h2><div>Brain Fog isn’t a medical term. Think of it like short hand for a series of biological experiences that science can not yet full explain. </div><div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3617392/" target="_blank">Caught in the thickness of brain fog: exploring the cognitive symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Once upon a time, there was medical term called Hysteria</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3480686/" target="_blank">Women And Hysteria In The History Of Mental Health</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Brain Fog has many sources. This article is about chronic fatigue from ten years ago. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/94/4/321" target="_blank">What is brain fog?</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Is COVID Brain Fog different? Since I’m not a neuroscientist, I can’t answer that question. But I can tell you what it feels like to me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Delirium. Derealization. Depersonalization. My neuropathways were erased. I had to relearn everything. Reading was physically exhausting. My muscles would not respond to my mind. Walking was nearly impossible. I lost object permanence. Out of sight and it never existed. I forgot how to gargle. I wasn’t blinking properly. Memories from childhood were suddenly super vivid. I could smell them. But I could forget what happened that day.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>And I’m stuck with the feeling that human consciousness is not localized. But this body is just a robot housing a portion of my soul. But my soul never fully came back after being so sick. Some days I don’t’ feel real.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some times I lose sense of place. I can’t tell you what city I am in. Or sense of time. I’ve had a more than a few cases of missing time. But I can’t blame all of that on COVID. It appears I may have a history of blocking out certain parts of my memory.</div></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH?</h2><br /><div><br /></div><div>What makes a person "crazy?" Is that a personal problem or a social problem? Does mental health have a physical basis? And if so, will that make it easier for society to tolerate those with mental illness?</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/biogenetic-explanations-and-public-acceptance-of-mental-illness-systematic-review-of-population-studies/E6078EED07031B5828DB84FCDC90657F" target="_blank">Biogenetic explanations and public acceptance of mental illness: Systematic review of population studies</a><br /></div><p>Or maybe mental illness is a warning sign. Maybe we’re not supposed to tolerate it? Maybe when everyone starts losing their mind, it means we need to make a change to society? Maybe that.</p><p><a href="https://madeinca.ca/mental-health-statistics-canada/" target="_blank">Statistics from Mental Health Canada - Mental Health in Canada</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/mental-health-statistics/" target="_blank">Statistics on Mental Health - Forbes magazine.</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JY5AXVmhnOg60hz-HJ_D89Sqi_yKhMQ1-MvpHVYVIQmO65UgeYIbrS5eYFFjofmN0SaoxKrY_CSJFLanQvmfDSx8yPQL_TGnoKkWI1k67nOtAwM1ri6rPlevI4vGjtTgQNtpdJdIRX5m6eQ1PrWDhcBuPnY6i8zvb7z5_TRSDpZXa-k6rOqu6kLRleO7/s527/pub-eng.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JY5AXVmhnOg60hz-HJ_D89Sqi_yKhMQ1-MvpHVYVIQmO65UgeYIbrS5eYFFjofmN0SaoxKrY_CSJFLanQvmfDSx8yPQL_TGnoKkWI1k67nOtAwM1ri6rPlevI4vGjtTgQNtpdJdIRX5m6eQ1PrWDhcBuPnY6i8zvb7z5_TRSDpZXa-k6rOqu6kLRleO7/s320/pub-eng.jpg" width="194" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">WHAT PARTS OF "YOU" ARE "YOU"?</h2><p>Last year I experienced a lot of trauma one after the other. At work I was harassed due to the colour of my skin. When I asked for the harassment to be investigated, reports were suppressed. When I called them on this behaviour, I was fired. Afterwards, I had a mental break down.</p><p>But is that because of ME or because of the actions of others. </p><p>What if your own mental illness is because of the actions of another person. Or the actions of an entire society.</p><p>Women called crazy – history of hysteria</p><p>Black people called crazy for wanting not to be slaves</p><p>Many are called crazy for reporting encounters.</p><p>In each of these cases, a person may be told they are crazy. They may internalize this and BELIEVE they are crazy when in truth they are responding to reality as it exists</p><p>So when other people say you’re crazy, how can you tell if their telling the truth? Because maybe they are trying to gaslight you.</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">EXPERTS VS. NON EXPERTS</h2><div><div>I am not an expert in Neuroscience. Although I am a black gay man I would not call myself an expert on systems of oppression. So what I am an expert on? Accounting. Writing but more importantly, Teaching. I’m very good at helping people learn complex and challenging material.</div><div><br /></div><div>I’m also a bit of an expert on conspiracy theories. Over the last forty years, I’ve read hundreds of hbooks about UFOS, reptilians, Atlantis, and cryptids (strange animals). I’m deeply familiar with the work of David Icke. His work on reptilians inspired me so much I’ve published three books so far featuring reptilians, with more on the way. </div><div><br /></div><div>Which is why I’m here. Many of you believe some completely utter nonsense that gives a bad name to conspiracy theories. And I can’t blame you. World governments and corporate owned news media have fed us lies and half truths for decades. They lie so often without consequence that we no longer know who to believe. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">WAYS TO DETERMINE IF SOMETHING IS REAL.</h2><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Science</h4><div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>State the problem. State the problem that you will study as clearly and concisely as possible. </li><li>Form the hypothesis. Describe what you think the result of your study will be. </li><li>Observe and experiment. Observe or set up an experiment to test your hypothesis. Tally your data.</li><li>Interpret data. Once you have collected your data, you must understand what it tells you. The data can be </li><li>Interpreted by comparing numbers visually and/or in graphic form. </li><li>Draw conclusions. Did your observations and/or experiments support your hypothesis? Was your hypothesis proved or disproved by your study? Did your results show a strong correlation? Were there things that could be changed to make a better experiment? Are there things that need to be studied further?</li></ol></div><div>Source: Purdue <a href="https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ID/ID-507-w.pdf">https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ID/ID-507-w.pdf</a></div><div><br /></div><div>In science, results and conclusions are repeatable. Meaning anyone who performs the same experiment will come to the same conclusions. If they come to different result or difference conclusion, science says the results are wrong.</div></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Magic</h3><div>So what is magic? For the Harry Potter fans, it’s the waving of wands and boiling toads. But what do real magic workers do? Aleister Crowley was seen as the most evil man of his time. He is the inspiration behind Belasco, the evil spirit in Legend of Hell House. </div><div><div><br /></div><div>So how did Aleister Crowly define magic? “The science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Dion Fortune defined magic – the art of changing consciousness at will.</div><div><br /></div><div>For those who practice magic, it has far more in common with the Power of Positive Thinking, Visualization, and a religious experience than waving of wands. Magic, like science has it’s own rules. Unlike science, magic doesn’t work for everyone. And science cannot yet explain why.</div><div>For example, what is the placebo effect? Why does it work when logic says it should not?</div><div>Magic in it’s purest form uses the power of believe to harness the placebo effect</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Science vs. Pseudoscience.</h2><div><br /></div><div><div>No matter what I do, because I didn’t go to university for science, some people will believe I’m not qualified to be doing this podcast. No matter how objective I am, I will be accused of pseudoscience because of the topics I’m discussing.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/doing-good-science/drawing-the-line-between-science-and-pseudo-science/#:~:text=While%20a%20pseudo%2Dscience%20is,confirmations%20and%20science%20seeks%20falsifications.">Drawing the Line Between Science and Pseudo-science</a></div><div><br /></div><div>In the article above, the big difference Popper identifies between science and pseudo-science is a difference in attitude. While a pseudo-science is set up to look for evidence that supports its claims, Popper says, a science is set up to challenge its claims and look for evidence that might prove it false. In other words, pseudo-science seeks confirmations and science seeks falsifications.</div><div><br /></div><div> There is a corresponding difference that Popper sees in the form of the claims made by sciences and pseudo-sciences: Scientific claims are falsifiable -- that is, they are claims where you could set out what observable outcomes would be impossible if the claim were true -- while pseudo-scientific claims fit with any imaginable set of observable outcomes. What this means is that you could do a test that shows a scientific claim to be false, but no conceivable test could show a pseudo-scientific claim to be false. Sciences are testable, pseudo-sciences are not.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don’t want to believe the conspiracy theory that we are all slaves in a neo feudalistic empire. I don’t want to believe aliens are real and our government has been lying to us. </div><div><br /></div><div>But the evidence is pretty overwhelming.</div><div><br /></div><div>How I got hear: I thought I was being harassed at work because of the colour of my skin. I assumed it was incompetence. I learned out the hard way it was not. What happened to me has happened before. And if it’s repeatable, it’s harder to write it off</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s1600/5+books.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s640/5+books.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a></div>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-50668047839655529522024-02-06T04:41:00.001-05:002024-02-06T04:47:40.554-05:00How Reports of Antiblack Racism Are Suppressed in Ontario<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhx2OnsTCcu-5R7nUjPlw9GUIn_hnlNSOBJB3o4iw6Yz1sbzDw2rV9xyl2v7GgOXQ6DOJCJAHtx2HpOVXeSsD8xViQ2qVlzVHTECmki3UOlspSF4JziF-Uy8M_mc3_6E7X9UXDxwNJgobFgyKQA4OIET8QAwxKlU-aD6v0_P-_j8QypzOilPtIBpxwpKb/s765/doug%20ford.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="765" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhx2OnsTCcu-5R7nUjPlw9GUIn_hnlNSOBJB3o4iw6Yz1sbzDw2rV9xyl2v7GgOXQ6DOJCJAHtx2HpOVXeSsD8xViQ2qVlzVHTECmki3UOlspSF4JziF-Uy8M_mc3_6E7X9UXDxwNJgobFgyKQA4OIET8QAwxKlU-aD6v0_P-_j8QypzOilPtIBpxwpKb/w672-h342/doug%20ford.png" width="672" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Link: <a href="https://news.ontario.ca/en/statement/1004138/premier-ford-commemorates-black-history-month">Doug Ford Commemorates Black History Month Feb 2024</a></p><p>On February 4th, 2024 Doug Ford released the following statement</p><p>"Black History Month is also a time to renew our commitment to standing against discrimination and racism in order to ensure that Ontario’s Black community can succeed and thrive. That’s why our government is continuing to invest in programs that eliminate barriers, support Black entrepreneurs and address disparities facing Black youth."</p><p>On February 5th, 2024 Doug Ford's government told me it would be delaying my grievance about anti-black racism for the fourth (fifth?) time.</p><p>The optics suggest it is doing everything in it's power to avoid my case being heard. If Doug Ford truly wants to renew a commitment to standing against discrimination, why doesn't he deal with it INSIDE the civil service? Why is it actively suppressing reports of anti black racism if it wants to end systemic racism?</p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Context</h1><p>I experienced anti black racism in the Windsor office of ODSP for many years. Two black caseworkers disappeared from the office before me. No one knew why. One manager, Rachel Cohen-Kusmiercyzk, routinely sent me troublesome emails. I forwarded the emails to her manager, Melissa Kersey, who agreed the emails were troublesome. No action was taken.</p><p>Since no action was taken, I filed a report with the Workplace Discrimination & Harassment Prevention (WDHP). My report was altered after I signed it. Multiple times. When I brought this to the attention of leadership in May 2022, they attempted to suspend me. Since I was well at the time, I was able to fight back.</p><p><a data-ved="2ahUKEwj10-mYspaEAxX8m2oFHQiLC1cQFnoECBMQAQ" href="https://www.gojobs.gov.on.ca/Preview.aspx?Language=English&JobID=180421" jsname="UWckNb" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.gojobs.gov.on.ca/Preview.aspx%3FLanguage%3DEnglish%26JobID%3D180421&ved=2ahUKEwj10-mYspaEAxX8m2oFHQiLC1cQFnoECBMQAQ" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); background-color: white; color: #1a0dab; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"></a></p><p>In December 2022, while very sick with Covid and going through a divorce, I had a weak moment. I became suicidal. During that time, I was fired without cause and without notice. I am still unsure as to why I was fired. The termination letter referenced events that occurred AFTER my termination.</p><p>No severance was given in December 2022. I was it was withheld because I would likely be getting my job back at the grievance date scheduled for January 2023.</p><p>How did I get a grievance date so quickly? I didn't. The grievance date had been set for about a year. The timing of my firing seems suspicious.</p><p>In December 2022, I was told he grievance would be completed within a few days in January. In January that was changed to May. In May, it was changed to September. </p><p>In September, we firmly set down two dates in February where the arbitrator would finally look at the evidence and determine if I was fired for cause. I just learned a few hours ago, the dates have been changed to June 2024. No reason for the change. That is the FIRST DATE. It is expected to last another year after that?</p><p>The Ford government has also ignored the rules of disclosure. The arbitrator requested all documents related to the grievance be submitted by November 30, 2023. As of this date, the employer has disregarded this request. They "forgot" to include my employee file, my performance appraisals, and all documents related by my allegations of racism at the hands of Rachel Cohen-Kusmiercyzk. The files they did forward were corrupted and unreadable.</p><p>If Doug Ford truly wants to eradicate systemic racism, these actions are the opposite of what he should be doing. Ignoring the rule of law is especially dangerous if the person ignoring the law is the person making the laws.</p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Next Steps</h1><p>I am moving forward. Date is scheduled for June 2024, but I have no reason to believe that date will be held. There was no reason for the change. My case is super clear. Cut and dry. I was being groomed for leadership, recently placed as co-lead of an organization focused on training future leaders. Then I asked them to stop harassing me. I was fired within days despite my strong work history.</p><p>Everyone who looks at the case knows mistakes were made. No one wants to fix them. I've come to realize that the "mistakes" are there by design, a design that counts on the naivety and trust of black workers more than the rule of law.</p><p>Episode three of Alien Brain Fog deals with the rule of Law. It will be released this week.</p>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-51242023376699319392023-08-05T22:36:00.001-04:002023-08-08T01:19:30.214-04:00Announcement Trailer: Alien Brain Fog - A Science-Focused Podcast on Gaslighting and Systems of Oppression.<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HBUcqws5hZA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">ALIEN BRAIN FOG - NEW SCIENCE-FOCUSED PODCAST</h4><p>Change in tactics - I’m starting a podcast.</p><p>Inspired by my friend Garth Jensen (check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6stthoDCEyY&t=66s" target="_blank">Garth's Pop Culture OH!? Here</a>), I realize there’s a much faster and easier way for me to get my information out to the general public. A science-focused podcast on systems of oppression and the effect gaslighting has on the human body.</p><p>Originally, I wanted to do a serious documentary about systemic racism within the province of Ontario. After the employer sent the police after me a few times, and my boyfriend said he was worried for my safety, I changed tactics. I thought if they think I’m silly and crazy they will stop harassing me. That worked for UFO disclosure people.</p><p>And then I had the craziest thought. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">COMING OUT OF THE ENCOUNTER CLOSET</h4><p>What if I came out of the closet (so to speak) and told people about the silly belief I used to have that I was abducted by aliens. I thought that would be make it funny. Because no one took alien contactees seriously. </p><p>Then two things happened. </p><p>Real disclosure is starting in the United States and no one is panicking. It appears government officials have gaslight millions of contactees and observers for years. For no reason. Maybe my silly thoughts about contact weren’t so silly after all.</p><p>I reached out to groups of contact is for the first time in my life. Last week. I should one of my Facebook post in the group. Immediately my experiences were confirmed. It’s potentially real. Which is a total mindfuck I’m not yet willing to integrate yet. </p><p>But it did become clear I could no longer treat alien abduction as a silly thing. I knew I had to rework my whole documentary. Doing so could take months.</p><p>Or… </p><p>Hear me out.</p><p>I’m just going to start releasing segments of the documentary as a podcast. Which is probably what I should’ve done long ago.</p> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7264028267051584774" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7264028267051584774" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@josephmurphy427">@josephmurphy427</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/stitch?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="stitch">#stitch</a> with @The Inner Work not sure if this is coincidence or a good AI, but I came on TikTok to announce the trailer for my new podcast, was live on YouTube. It’s focussed on gaslighting and systems of oppression. Is this a sign from the universe I’m on the right path? With my phone eavesdropping on me? Thank you for your video. We need more people questioning everything. <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="fyp">#fyp</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/gaslight?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="gaslight">#gaslight</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/manipulation?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="manipulation">#manipulation</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/emancipation?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="emancipation">#emancipation</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/slavery?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="slavery">#slavery</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/lying?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="lying">#lying</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/truth?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="truth">#truth</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/aliens?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="aliens">#aliens</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7264028508833565445?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - Papa Joe - The Science Witch">♬ original sound - Papa Joe - The Science Witch</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><p></p><p>I’ve re-cut my funny trailer into something a bit more serious. I’m using that as the announcement trailer for my new podcast. I’ve run podcasts before. And I have a ton of lead material. </p><p>Alien Brain Fog will deal with systems of oppression, including white supremacy, male supremacy (e.g., patriarchy, misogyny, etc.), and human supremacy (e.g., the belief that only humans are sentient). There will be heavy focus on neuroscience and the effects of gaslighting in the body. And also on how we can determine if a memory is real or an illusion. </p><p>I can coalesce a year’s worth of podcasts into a book. With any luck, after a year of working for free, I can find sponsors. And patrons. And enough fans who want to buy that book so I can recover from what they did to me. </p><p>This switch will also give me more time to focus on finding a day job and making our horror movie Devil’s Mountain the most gayest horror film series ever. </p><p>NOW I NEED YOUR HELP. STAY FOCUSED.</p><p>Systems of oppression want us spinning our wheels in silence. They only end when enough people speak up. </p><p>Please help me speak up.</p><p>1. To paraphrase the immortal Cordelia Chase, I need you to call everyone you have ever met. No, seriously. Please.</p><p>2. If anyone has told you they have had experiences with nonhuman individuals (what a world we live in) I will soon have a platform for them to discus their experiences. I have never taken my abduction experiences sincerely. I have much to learn. I'm also looking for anyone who has experienced medical gaslighting specifically related to either women's health and/or long covid. I have more than enough material for systemic racism. So I'll start with that.</p><p>***</p><b>BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8AB8kLKqwyOpP-Mux30FVHjzdcMad2sQFOMlifSTSIZYNcZh0XH1y4Oz8Kmwqx-VLu7_GvaU3fwIZmlAM82VkLplPW5Zb6nbGOAQyt3glQRMqbssn-Z7HWXkwvfptS3-OlZnDDy1xmm8/s1600/my+books+-+no+price.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8AB8kLKqwyOpP-Mux30FVHjzdcMad2sQFOMlifSTSIZYNcZh0XH1y4Oz8Kmwqx-VLu7_GvaU3fwIZmlAM82VkLplPW5Zb6nbGOAQyt3glQRMqbssn-Z7HWXkwvfptS3-OlZnDDy1xmm8/s1600/my+books+-+no+price.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />
Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />
Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a><br />
<p><br /></p>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-77894501717588235212023-07-31T17:31:00.002-04:002023-07-31T17:37:43.910-04:00So Maybe I was Abducted By Aliens After All.<p></p><p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GLWWDQdxvQk" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OwSkXDmV6Io" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">GOVERNMENT GASLIGHTING - ALIEN ABDUCTION AND RACISM</h2><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Mr. Biggs: "How have they hid this from the American people. And from congress."</span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Mr. Graves: "By not encouraging reporting. If the problem can't be measured, it can't be fixed."<br /><br />That is a quote from the recent congressional hearings on the existence of aliens and UFOS. But it could also apply to systemic racism. <br /><br />I'm living proof of just how far the government will go to suppress reports of something as mundane as systemic racism. Not hard to believe they are capable of doing worse to keep other secrets.<br /><br />I had the chance to watch the video today. Personally? It's a mind fuck. For most of my life I believed I had been abducted by aliens. After discovering just how messy our brains can be, I re-examined all my memories. Until this damned hearing, I was completely convinced all my memories were false.<br /><br />After watching that video, I'm completely convinced those men were telling the truth. And that fucking sucks.<br /><br />Because now there is a non-zero chance that my old memories aren't false. <br /><br />Maybe I was had contact with non-human entities.</span><br /><br /><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7260510289051880709" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7260510289051880709" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@josephmurphy427">@josephmurphy427</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/stitch?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="stitch">#stitch</a> with @CTVNews this is why I am working on a educational film series focussed on gaslighting. Alien Brain Fog will deal with the effect constant lying has on the human body and mind. It’s time for the governments of the world to stop treating us like we are children. The world is on fire, and if aliens exist maybe they can help. If they gave us Velcro, maybe they can cool the Earth down. <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="fyp">#fyp</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/aliens?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="aliens">#aliens</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ufo?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="ufo">#ufo</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/racism?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="racism">#racism</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/filmtok?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="filmtok">#filmtok</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/gaslighting?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="gaslighting">#gaslighting</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/truth?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="truth">#truth</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/hope?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="hope">#hope</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7260510307601287941?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - Papa Joe - The Science Witch">♬ original sound - Papa Joe - The Science Witch</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">OTHER PEOPLE TELLING ME ABOUT MY OWN ABDUCTION</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">STORY ONE:</h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">One night in the 1990s, in London, my boyfriend shook me awake around 3:00 in the morning. <br /><b>He said: </b>"How the hell did you sleep through that?"<br /><b>Me: </b>"Sleep through what?"<br /><b>Him:</b> "Aliens. Aliens were here. I tried to wake you up but they said to let you sleep."<br /><b>Me: </b>"Why?"<br /><b>Him:</b> "Because they said you were always afraid of them."<br />I had never told him about my experiences. So it was a bit terrifying.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><h3 style="text-align: left;">STORY TWO:</h3></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In the early 2000s, I was day drinking with my dad. This was before he found Jesus and got sober. I had never discussed my abduction memories with him. As far as I know, to this day he's still unaware I had experiences.<br /><b>Dad:</b> "There was one time you were almost kidnapped."<br /><b>Me:</b>" What the fuck? When?"<br /><b>Dad:</b> "You were baby. We lived in a basement apartment. I walked into your room and found two guys crawling through the window to get you. So I ...."<br />His face went white. He took a drink of beer and said nothing.<br /><b>Me:</b> "So what happened?"<br /><b>Dad:</b> "What happened when?" Face still blank.<br />Maybe I should have pushed him. But the look on his face freaked me out. And honestly I didn't want to know.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I still don't want to know. </span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ML32HvjEX1Q" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">If you watch my announcement trailer for Alien Brain Fog (above), you'll notice I made fun of how silly it was I used to believe I was abducted. The decision to include aliens was a marketing ploy to help sell a movie. A fun way to deal with gaslighting. I wanted to lighten up the discussions around systemic racism, medical gaslighting and misogyny by pointing out the similarities of gaslighting tactics in all cases.<br /><br />Now? I don't know what to believe.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But if they are real, which it seems they are, then maybe so are my memories. That means I've been living in self-doubt since I was a child all because our governments were run by cowards.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Maybe now that the old guard is dying off or retiring, the visitors realize now is a time for communion, before Earth completely burns up. Maybe they will reach out to those they contacted before asking them to speak up now that it's a bit safer to do so.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />Maybe my timing wasn't so coincidental. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">And that is enough thinking for today.<br /></span><br /><br /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p>
<b>BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8AB8kLKqwyOpP-Mux30FVHjzdcMad2sQFOMlifSTSIZYNcZh0XH1y4Oz8Kmwqx-VLu7_GvaU3fwIZmlAM82VkLplPW5Zb6nbGOAQyt3glQRMqbssn-Z7HWXkwvfptS3-OlZnDDy1xmm8/s1600/my+books+-+no+price.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8AB8kLKqwyOpP-Mux30FVHjzdcMad2sQFOMlifSTSIZYNcZh0XH1y4Oz8Kmwqx-VLu7_GvaU3fwIZmlAM82VkLplPW5Zb6nbGOAQyt3glQRMqbssn-Z7HWXkwvfptS3-OlZnDDy1xmm8/s1600/my+books+-+no+price.jpg" height="248" width="640" /></a></div>
Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />
Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />
Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a><br />M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0Tecumseh, ON, Canada42.3117966 -82.885759214.001562763821155 -118.0420092 70.622030436178846 -47.729509199999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-84366191613150761902023-04-05T23:19:00.001-04:002023-04-05T23:19:45.247-04:00 ANNOUNCEMENT TRAILER - ALIEN BRAIN FOG<h2> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ML32HvjEX1Q" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></h2><p>I'm happy to share with you the announcement trailer for my newest project. Alien Brain Fog will be a three-part educational film series focused on the effect gaslighting, systemic racism, chronic illness and biology have on memory and identity.</p><p><b>PART 1</b> - <i>Systemic Racism and its effect on biology and mental health</i></p><p><b>PART 2</b> - <i>Long Covid Psychosis, Medical Gaslighting and My Midlife Crisis</i></p><p><b>PART 3</b> - <i>Aliens - Yes. Bloody Aliens</i>.</p><p>As hinted at in the trailer, 2022 was a year of challenges for me. While still recovering from Long Covid, I went through a divorce and, more importantly to the story, chronic and pervasive anti black racism at work. I worked for the province of Ontario, at the Ontario Disability Support Program in Windsor, Ontario.</p><p>Now it's possible that my perception of events has been impaired by brain fog, but the evidence seems to suggest I was fired for speaking out about anti black racism. Sadly, I would not be the first civil servant in the province of Ontario to be punished for speaking out. Perhaps if we can get enough attention to the matter, however, I will be the last.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">NEXT STEPS</h4><p>The purpose of this video is to act as a calling card.</p><p>Since I have no film credits to my name, I wanted to give people a taste of the vision for the special. I had previously envisioned a more serious documentary, the actions of the Province forced a changed in tactics. Their behaviour has been ludicrous and I truly believe, upon reflection, they will agree.</p><p>I have a set list of government and union officials I will be contacting for interview requests. Next week I'll be finalizing my list of subject matter experts and sending interview requests to them. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">WANT TO BE PART OF THE PROJECT? - contact form to the right.</h4><p>If you or someone you know is a subject matter expect on the following issues, I would love to hear your story. </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Learning and Memory (neurobiology and anatomy)</li><li>Learning and Memory (psychology)</li><li>Psychologists focused on healthy relationships</li><li>False Memory Phenomenon</li><li>Repressed Memories</li><li>Long Covid Psychosis</li><li>Racism as a Determinate for health (Genetic anthropologist or medical professional)</li><li>Psychological Effects of Systemic Oppression</li><li>Navigating the Medical System as a person with a disability.</li><li>Alien Abduction</li></ol><p></p><p>I may even be able to include you in the special if you have a story to tell. I'm looking for personal accounts from the following</p><p><b>PART 1</b></p><p>Anyone fired or disciplined for speaking out about anti black racism. I will ensure confidentially if desired. I fully understand the risks of speaking out. What I'd like to hear is how the experience of dealing with racism affected you. Was there a change in the way people treated you after you expressed your concerns? Were there changes in your interpersonal relationships (e.g., divorce, lose of friends, etc.) Was there an effect on your health? Do you feel differently about yourself now that you have gone through the experience?</p><p><b>PART 2</b> </p><p>Anyone currently living with long covid who has noticed a change in their mental health. Specifically I'm looking for how your feel your sense of self has changed since being ill. Do other people treat you differently? How did being ill effect your marriage and/or other relationships?</p><p>I'd like to focus on medical gaslighting and the effect it had on your self confidence and sense of identity. Do you see yourself as a person with a disability? If so, how has that label changed the way you see yourself? </p><p><b>PART 3</b> - <i>Aliens - Yes. Bloody Aliens</i>.</p><p>Do you have memories of being abducted by aliens? I know I'm opening a can of worms here, but serious inquiries only. My focus is not on the abductions or visitations. Instead, I want to hear how you felt when people didn't believe you. How did you get people to believe your experiences were real? Why is it important for you that other people realize you're telling the truth? Why did you come forward with your experiences? How did the experience change your sense of who you are and your place in the world.</p><p>If you are interested in having your story be part of the project, you can contact me using the form on this page.</p><p>BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s1600/5+books.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s640/5+books.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p><br />Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a></p>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-59994559750684631092023-03-20T15:16:00.001-04:002023-03-20T15:16:05.951-04:00IS THE ONTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE SUPPRESSING REPORTS OF ANTIBLACK RACISM? EMAIL THREAD<p> </p><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7177378990070451461" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7177378990070451461" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@josephmurphy427">@josephmurphy427</a> <p></p> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7177378959833746181?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - M Joseph Murphy (he/him)">♬ original sound - M Joseph Murphy (he/him)</a></section></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>While trying to report allegations of harassment against a manager, I uncovered a pattern with troubling optics. I'll say no more for now. You see the emails yourself and decide.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RM8NaYug5y0SdLpzUtQtlKsODNULQtqvXvCA-ckAhD7fkNJ3QQnAzw06MpuLCKR3HSLEbC111n2QDETNHR3MoKx5QIcVfujeOnT8GVE9s1jxZqeJ-F1i_pB_awi5Gto-iBiRxhEiXViM-eAeY2f9l9-ygPpLxAwxUP-ucX8qLqAtHjkC5M_inhjfgA/s2100/EMAIL%201%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2100" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RM8NaYug5y0SdLpzUtQtlKsODNULQtqvXvCA-ckAhD7fkNJ3QQnAzw06MpuLCKR3HSLEbC111n2QDETNHR3MoKx5QIcVfujeOnT8GVE9s1jxZqeJ-F1i_pB_awi5Gto-iBiRxhEiXViM-eAeY2f9l9-ygPpLxAwxUP-ucX8qLqAtHjkC5M_inhjfgA/s320/EMAIL%201%20copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAD8Sztc9vlbSMwUiAETDy6Isxuu5DdUjO-LCYjkgUMuRitxT9iiMG_sapa6UNmY6eQzvxvrSbrojThYtbBlSXMnPQAbEYXhZw9M-LNSMWruUGY5yS8UDtWr9vYLzkRPm5a3QfNcn3aDGmPeY4DhSI4PFnEA6RkJK2dpXA3BbKwuO6ivzDQYfyOUhcQ/s2100/EMAIL%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2100" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAD8Sztc9vlbSMwUiAETDy6Isxuu5DdUjO-LCYjkgUMuRitxT9iiMG_sapa6UNmY6eQzvxvrSbrojThYtbBlSXMnPQAbEYXhZw9M-LNSMWruUGY5yS8UDtWr9vYLzkRPm5a3QfNcn3aDGmPeY4DhSI4PFnEA6RkJK2dpXA3BbKwuO6ivzDQYfyOUhcQ/s320/EMAIL%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnqv2q7eBjSrTTHMKMSuEdWCHre_m5BxSufdrFvAr5zpNZ0uPQ1nKHcFw7uJDM3TLjjx-MxXBcjdqATBlv4zuUKjPKy3cS60FwoTV5YH0go75Li2zLx7pvXYUgg1TkoOfeca0rQFP8yB9lDxY5ksLkxMRDu20w7iQPdZ8Hl2ld8rtEr-PA02C98Jxmw/s2100/EMAIL%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2100" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnqv2q7eBjSrTTHMKMSuEdWCHre_m5BxSufdrFvAr5zpNZ0uPQ1nKHcFw7uJDM3TLjjx-MxXBcjdqATBlv4zuUKjPKy3cS60FwoTV5YH0go75Li2zLx7pvXYUgg1TkoOfeca0rQFP8yB9lDxY5ksLkxMRDu20w7iQPdZ8Hl2ld8rtEr-PA02C98Jxmw/s320/EMAIL%203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVtkoMbUsEnRnbgxjnMoHacuI8nztGft_xuXRIx3ecewp8EDIfW9oUNixOOzUojou7b6cuJOJzFvp1yDjaLCJmb2R4B4IwTRldbNwtNgnKemV_IHFXL7faSEhFf8HELgFbU3pZPd7p7KiW1BpBHSOEyL5KuTBzs_CMBYsf5UNw_Q_GIlMLtjhcHed6A/s2100/EMAIL%204%20REAL%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2100" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVtkoMbUsEnRnbgxjnMoHacuI8nztGft_xuXRIx3ecewp8EDIfW9oUNixOOzUojou7b6cuJOJzFvp1yDjaLCJmb2R4B4IwTRldbNwtNgnKemV_IHFXL7faSEhFf8HELgFbU3pZPd7p7KiW1BpBHSOEyL5KuTBzs_CMBYsf5UNw_Q_GIlMLtjhcHed6A/s320/EMAIL%204%20REAL%20copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AZdDF568T1TjJu3a4JGFHyIksAnvwfWWirqqpPKsMMYu1v3xs2OZFKtCBQ4NW6AdOQhk0_c2nqL4HY3CVPnEGdgOTfy-hpny3gK3Hx93xtJ4pzvE0jIuFUoKv5xGZJf_0nkSL3-BmBvhGTsIDil1WP4u2tABa4My_gCtoYokZzH_sMDIOyFpXGZTEA/s2100/EMAIL%205%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2100" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AZdDF568T1TjJu3a4JGFHyIksAnvwfWWirqqpPKsMMYu1v3xs2OZFKtCBQ4NW6AdOQhk0_c2nqL4HY3CVPnEGdgOTfy-hpny3gK3Hx93xtJ4pzvE0jIuFUoKv5xGZJf_0nkSL3-BmBvhGTsIDil1WP4u2tABa4My_gCtoYokZzH_sMDIOyFpXGZTEA/s320/EMAIL%205%20copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQzXUIn77O_tdO_gwbG1QZ4sQwsaVbl8DtLedPwGJfskX0cM3xJ9XZSsO9tz-yk8ipv8fYdIMrXcdX1q4cgLIK9D7KXkotRYCVGF53S4Br8YlQTiItn4zLD6d_cTBlFIuxPrUL6uFrGU7VeJAEpT022vDt1WQiHIM4I5yzBRWsjm9lf8tRMBCFWfRqA/s2100/EMAIL%206%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2100" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQzXUIn77O_tdO_gwbG1QZ4sQwsaVbl8DtLedPwGJfskX0cM3xJ9XZSsO9tz-yk8ipv8fYdIMrXcdX1q4cgLIK9D7KXkotRYCVGF53S4Br8YlQTiItn4zLD6d_cTBlFIuxPrUL6uFrGU7VeJAEpT022vDt1WQiHIM4I5yzBRWsjm9lf8tRMBCFWfRqA/s320/EMAIL%206%20copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KEWoQ1GTLZGdL3jcy_3Il9ECQRhOmvOK3FbM9rJipyJm8u-V1g5UdrSF8AAWMyy-vPpEHNq1fWOAUejl4yr9SBg7MNzJcGb1m5G6yMyW50KNd9wFDtk2IjDMh4h6ikCG6dEjSW-dgVyMBQKDRoicCBhV0pFJakk1Vzd76QUgzneO7hrGJaOeZcIDOA/s2100/EMAIL%207%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2100" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KEWoQ1GTLZGdL3jcy_3Il9ECQRhOmvOK3FbM9rJipyJm8u-V1g5UdrSF8AAWMyy-vPpEHNq1fWOAUejl4yr9SBg7MNzJcGb1m5G6yMyW50KNd9wFDtk2IjDMh4h6ikCG6dEjSW-dgVyMBQKDRoicCBhV0pFJakk1Vzd76QUgzneO7hrGJaOeZcIDOA/s320/EMAIL%207%20copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkmPsO3nI6savuBhfsaYAYPpyYkKgCIs5XR-stPt6d5pCc-JBBj-UJNmbduhB79XQWvp9WettkKpXAteEC-J0vrQZ3hdYyZ9pJL5zReIyY-yS0LuQJ4h4SHTQKgMTilNvfZxqg512cjxJoqe17OYUwojZaLwEhKDQyYYMJuFZ0045dp79dYWV4zVQQg/s2100/EMAIL%208%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2100" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkmPsO3nI6savuBhfsaYAYPpyYkKgCIs5XR-stPt6d5pCc-JBBj-UJNmbduhB79XQWvp9WettkKpXAteEC-J0vrQZ3hdYyZ9pJL5zReIyY-yS0LuQJ4h4SHTQKgMTilNvfZxqg512cjxJoqe17OYUwojZaLwEhKDQyYYMJuFZ0045dp79dYWV4zVQQg/s320/EMAIL%208%20copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0Windsor, ON, Canada42.3149367 -83.03636329999999114.004702863821151 -118.19261329999999 70.625170536178842 -47.880113299999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-59947952775974678582023-03-20T11:41:00.249-04:002023-03-20T15:20:39.463-04:00Fired for Speaking Out - My Experience With Anti Black Racism Working for the Province of Ontario<h1 style="text-align: left;">SUMMARY OF ALLEGATIONS</h1><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7207470609826123013" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7207470609826123013" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@josephmurphy427">@josephmurphy427</a> Why I spoke out and how the government is suppressing reports. Quick summary of accusations. <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/blm?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="blm">#blm</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/racism?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="racism">#racism</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fordnation?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="fordnation">#fordnation</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/opseu?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="opseu">#opseu</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ontario?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="ontario">#ontario</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/canada?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="canada">#canada</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="fyp">#fyp</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7207470642869488389?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - M Joseph Murphy (he/him)">♬ SUMMARY OF ALLEGATIONS - IS THE NTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE SUPPRESSING REPORTS OF ANTI BLACK RACISM?</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><p>The last few years have been traumatic. I joined the Ontario Public Service (OPS) in 2015. I left a ten-year career teaching college courses in Business and Accounting because I wanted something more stable. Something I could retire from.</p><p>Until recently, I was a partner in a small publishing firm, <a href="https://www.ellysianpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ellysian Press</a>.<i> (NOTE: the remaining partners of Ellysian Press have no additional information on this topic. Please respect their privacy.) </i>It was a passion but I could not support myself and my (then) husband. I needed a day job. Despite what the movies would have you believe, there's not a ton of money in publishing. Especially the smaller presses.</p><p>The OPS was appealing for me because it offered a unionized environment and, since it was a government agency, I was not concerned about racism or homophobia. I believed working for the government was the safest place to be.</p><p>In my case, I was wrong.</p><p>LINKS:</p><p><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/anti-black-racism-ops-report-1.6056422" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Damning report finds 'persistent and unyielding' anti-Black racism in Ontario's public service - CBC News</a></p><p><a href="https://news.ontario.ca/en/statement/58399/ontario-public-service-launches-third-party-review-of-inclusive-workplace-policies-and-programs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">OPS Launched 3rd Party Review of Inclusive Workplace Policies and Programs</a><br /></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">DO OTHER PEOPLE DETERMINE WHO YOU ARE?</h1><p>Local manager saw me as an "angry black man", a talented and smart young man with a tendency to lash out viciously when provoked. Prior to the OPS, I worked for Everest College where, among other things, I was chosen by leadership to facilitate courses for other instructors on Emotional Intelligence. I was awarded the Parthenon Award for the 2012-2013 school year, an award given to the instructor who had the most impact on his students.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ea2ljAmGLjM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p>How did one group of people believe I was a superstar while another believed I was a ticking time bomb? One word: expectations. In communication studies, there is an understanding that other elements (e.g., body language, location, internal bias, etc.) can create barriers to accurate communication.</p><h1 style="text-align: left;">ALIEN BRAIN FOG</h1><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6_ahLRkyLt_nHz98mkdvvihTBjfumZhgNE_DLgAMawkKDCLv3JYB8gkAB6W-_zn_-DQcfykd7UIVLzcOOsFhmRKrTn79dZsJQjD9S8vpKsZBkRahiFc7NN8uJZkfNIAnm-9ltK5qs0pcZsWOm7VXHKBApFDt67ge3yCAVOc2_bxF85RJuYjlUegwOw/s1752/Alien%20Brain%20Fog.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="PLACEHOLDER POSTER - ALIEN BRAIN FOG" border="0" data-original-height="1752" data-original-width="1220" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6_ahLRkyLt_nHz98mkdvvihTBjfumZhgNE_DLgAMawkKDCLv3JYB8gkAB6W-_zn_-DQcfykd7UIVLzcOOsFhmRKrTn79dZsJQjD9S8vpKsZBkRahiFc7NN8uJZkfNIAnm-9ltK5qs0pcZsWOm7VXHKBApFDt67ge3yCAVOc2_bxF85RJuYjlUegwOw/w199-h286/Alien%20Brain%20Fog.jpg" title="PLACEHOLDER POSTER - ALIEN BRAIN FOG" width="199" /></a></div>In my upcoming documentary,<a href="http://www.mjosephmurphy.info/alien-brain-fog.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Alien Brain Fog</a>, I will be exploring how the experience of workplace racism, a new experience for me, affected my sense of identity. Heavily influenced by the work of Dr. Julia Shaw's <a href="https://www.drjuliashaw.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(Dr. Julia Shaw's official website)</a> seminal book The Memory Illusion, Alien Brain fog will be a lighthearted look at the gaslighting, fake news, and biochemistry affect memory and self-identity. After my experiences, I will also explore how systemic racism and the opinion of others affects an individuals sense of who they truly are as a person.<p></p><p>I've dealt with Long Covid since January 2021. For more than a year and a half I had severe memory problems. I forgot key elements of my past which made me wonder: why was I still attached to those memories in the first place. And how were those memories affecting who I believed I was. Coupled with the racist tropes in the work place, the constant gaslighting, and the efforts to suppress the harassment, it was enough for a experience Ego Death.</p><p>It was time for me to rediscover who I was. And who gets to define what I am.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dHd_TNHsyVA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">ONTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE WEAPONIZED THE POLICE - CHANGE IN STRATEGY</h1><p>I had hoped to have Alien Brain Fog ready for by September. Actions taken by the employer after they terminated me, however, has convinced me doing so could put my life and freedom in jeopardy. </p><p>I know. Dramatic. But here me out.</p><p>In December, I attended a allegations meeting. The invite to the meeting was sent to an email address I hadn't used in 5 years. Neither had the union forwarded a copy to my correct email. At the sight of one of my harassers, I had an emotional moment. The meeting was ended. A follow up meeting was scheduled for 20 minutes later. I was emotionally unprepared to attend it and asked if the union could go without me or reschedule. Instead no follow up meeting was held and a summary decision was made to fire me. Then the police were sent to my house with management telling my union representative they were concerned I was a violent risk threat. A terrorist. The message to police, however, was a simple wellness check. Because I could not attend a meeting.</p><p>The latest attack, however, has shown me I need to change strategies. I sent an emotional plea to leadership (see email here) pleading with them to stop the machinery and look at what they were doing. I appealed to their humanity and asked what their family and friends would think of their behaviour. In response, they sent the following letter:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bUc_4_6wiUsk0vwZ3g67jXLjrxNfuIWDDhA1YlUGrYJkYwAcsjjV-WQoadHQ5096QMsSMOzh4HnUDaDgvoLamc9iWehmnH_fsE2m7ngrWIHHfCYtHQlDu0feDMlrFH30Yz5V6CsttO5xxh-xCVtELELdVIE3LlpTpwF1gdyyHd8n9TyRmHt73GkTcw/s3300/Cease%20and%20Desist%20Letter%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bUc_4_6wiUsk0vwZ3g67jXLjrxNfuIWDDhA1YlUGrYJkYwAcsjjV-WQoadHQ5096QMsSMOzh4HnUDaDgvoLamc9iWehmnH_fsE2m7ngrWIHHfCYtHQlDu0feDMlrFH30Yz5V6CsttO5xxh-xCVtELELdVIE3LlpTpwF1gdyyHd8n9TyRmHt73GkTcw/s320/Cease%20and%20Desist%20Letter%201.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-JK-YdtRzXYG6aP2tIAHPWuB86ZdlNYsj8N7OVXjcoBD5_30CyIWGsKMlFeXo65z6x6_s785EBh5mFhDxP8jpIFVFvuVrhZ_AUS7-_Ew9I6NXhOWA5fkKOMyC6xy_UJxyWpV49E9RCIA_MDG_ZDp7qs7lB43pUU1r9xQsqAdQBabNb-kXU7QMzDjOA/s3300/Cease%20and%20Desist%20Letter%202%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-JK-YdtRzXYG6aP2tIAHPWuB86ZdlNYsj8N7OVXjcoBD5_30CyIWGsKMlFeXo65z6x6_s785EBh5mFhDxP8jpIFVFvuVrhZ_AUS7-_Ew9I6NXhOWA5fkKOMyC6xy_UJxyWpV49E9RCIA_MDG_ZDp7qs7lB43pUU1r9xQsqAdQBabNb-kXU7QMzDjOA/s320/Cease%20and%20Desist%20Letter%202%20copy.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><p>The implication is clear. They are implying I am a pedophile stalking teenage girls on the internet and sharing inappropriate videos. This ridiculous and libelous.</p><p>I have decided to recut and rework my documentary to make it more lighthearted and humorous. This will take longer but it is clear the OPS current strategy is heading to a dark place. So I'll take the high road.</p><h1 style="text-align: left;">VIDEO PROOF OF GASLIGHTING</h1><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427/video/7208968042670230789" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7208968042670230789" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"><section><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@josephmurphy427?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@josephmurphy427">@josephmurphy427</a> Hidden video of Ontario government officials exposes efforts to suppress reports of anti black racism. <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="fyp">#fyp</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/blm?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="blm">#blm</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ontariocanada?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="ontariocanada">#ontariocanada</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fordnation?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="fordnation">#fordnation</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/racism?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="racism">#racism</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/politicstiktok?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="politicstiktok">#politicstiktok</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/hiddencamera?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="hiddencamera">#hiddencamera</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/cbcnews?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="cbcnews">#cbcnews</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/race?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="race">#race</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/gotcha?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="gotcha">#gotcha</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7208968074689547013?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - M Joseph Murphy (he/him)">♬ original sound - M Joseph Murphy (he/him)</a></section></blockquote><p>Leadership was made aware multiple times I was preparing a documentary to expose what the optics of their current practices. </p><p>Link to emails: <a href="http://councilofpeacocks.blogspot.com/2023/03/is-ontario-public-service-suppressing.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EMAIL TREAD WHOSE OPTICS SUGGEST REPORTS NOT BEING SUPPRESSED</a></p><p>I expected a court injunction in May 2022. They were aware I was a partner in a media company and a published author. They had every expectation that I could make the information public.</p><p>I expected a manager to tell me not to release the information. Instead, they told me to go ahead. Many times.</p><p>Of course no one would believe they would do that. It's crazy. </p><p>But I have the video to prove it.</p><p>I recorded a zoom meeting during which I brought my concerns to leadership. There was never an intention to share these videos. I simply needed verification because my brain no longer functioned the way it used to. And, to be clear OPS Leadership has been aware of their existence for nearly a year. </p><p>I am beyond grateful I recorded that meeting. Otherwise, I firmly believe no one would believe me. I'm not sure I would have believed it myself. Without that video, I would always wonder if I had misinterpreted events. I would always have wondered if I was the problem after all.</p><p>And that made me mad. Because all I could think about was how often they had done this?</p><p>They knew I was a writer, a partner in a publishing company, a former college instructor, a union steward, one of the founders of Windsor's first gay pride (1992). They knew I recorded meetings to help with my brain fog and they STILL tried to trick me?</p><p>What are they doing to other people?</p><p>I realized that my moral and civil obligation was to speak up. So I did.</p><p>Join our mailing list for updates on Alien Brain Fog. Trailer being edited as we write.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0Windsor, ON, Canada42.3149367 -83.03636329999999114.004702863821151 -118.19261329999999 70.625170536178842 -47.880113299999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-73392241720855022762017-07-06T11:23:00.000-04:002017-07-06T11:23:17.146-04:00Should You Design Your Own Book Cover<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t0IkDxSLfK8" width="560"></iframe>
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On the latest edition of Open Book, I lead a discussion on whether or not independent authors should design their own book covers.<br />
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It comes down to three basic questions.<br />
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HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE WITH GRAPHIC DESIGN?</h3>
If the answer is you've never done anything artistic or related to graphic design in your life, then NO, you should not design your own cover. You can learn. It is never too late to start. However, the cover for your own book is not the place to start.<br />
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HOW FAMILIAR ARE YOU WITH PHOTOSHOP?</h3>
There are other programs out there, some of them free. However, in my experience there is no substitute to Photoshop. Unless you are extremely talented, you are not going to get a professional cover with most other programs.<br />
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<br />HOW PREPARED ARE YOU TO SPEND THE 10,000 HOURS IT TAKE TO BECOME A PRO?</h3>
As a child, my goal was to become a comic book artist. I spent 3 hours a day drawing and kept that up until my mid twenties. My mother was painter and I took several classes with her. I've used the slimmed down version of Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, for about 5 years.<br />
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Even with that background, I still had to spend 3-4 hours a day for over six months before I felt competent doing cover art.<br />
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BONUS: YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE NOT EXPERTS</h3>
Never ask your friends and family if they like your cover. They are all going to say they do, even if they don't. Unless they are graphic designers, their opinion is not valid.<br />
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BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:
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Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />
Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />
Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-35912355341397982072017-07-03T10:30:00.000-04:002017-07-03T10:30:20.251-04:00How Music Impacts the Writing Process<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sean T. Poindexter leads the EPTV team in a discussion on the impact of music on the writing process.</span><br />
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BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s1600/5+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s640/5+books.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />
Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />
Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-47546560759371270662017-06-30T11:03:00.000-04:002017-06-30T11:03:00.146-04:00When to Turn a Book Into a Series And When You Shouldn'tBack in March, 2017, I joined a taping of The Writer's Edge to discuss when you should turn a book into a series and when you should not.<br />
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If you are considering turning your book into a series, here are a few questions you should ask yourself.<br />
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DOES YOUR GENRE SUPPORT A SERIES?</h3>
Some genres (e.g. fantasy) almost require a series. In the video above, we tried to think of a fantasy novel that was not part of a series. Although I'm sure they exist, we couldn't think of one. Similarly, mystery and science fiction also support serial writing. However, be cautious about writing romance series, especially if you're dealing with one main couple. The audience is only going to last so long with the "will they, won't they" question before they get bored.<br />
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<br />DOES YOUR STORY SUPPORT A SERIES?</h3>
Is the story you want to tell big enough and complex enough to span several books. One of the fastest ways to lose your audience is trying to spread out a very small story across far too many pages. The panel discuss the TV series How I Met Your Mother. The consensus was that series should have ended years earlier. It was only kept alive because everyone was making money. While this is tempting, it diminishes the entire work. Remember, works of art, like people, are defined just as much by their endings as their beginnings.<br />
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<br />HAVE YOU DELIVERED ON ALL YOUR PROMISES?</h3>
The panel discussed a noobie mistake: ending your book on an incomplete cliffhanger. Cliffhangers, in general CAN work, but, if done improperly, can insult your reader and ensure they never read another one of your books. When you start the book, you make a series of promises to your reader. You are promising that certain plot points and certain character arches will be fully contained in that one book. You need to deliver on that promise. Remember, this may be the only one of your books the reader ever reads.<br />
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It's easy to determine what points you are promising to deal with in this book. Each book in a series should have a specific theme or a "beat". Think of the Guardians of the Galaxy Two. It was about fatherhood and redemption. If it had ended with Yondu floating in space instead of showing his funeral, it would have weakened the entire movie. The funeral was the sign that Yondu had finally redeemed himself. It also allowed Peter Quill an chance to see how Yondu had been a real father to him.<br />
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Endings are hard, but you owe it to your reader to wrap things up.<br />
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BE CAUTIONS WHEN WRITING ALL THE BOOKS AT ONCE</h3>
As a staff member of <a href="http://www.ellysianpress.com/" target="_blank">Ellysian Press</a>, I recently edited a trilogy that had been written all at once. All three books were completely written before the editing process began. This does offer benefits. It speeds up the process with which books can be released. This increased momentum may improve your sales.<br />
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One problem with it, however, is it is very easy for the writer to miss giving specific cues to the reader. As a rule, you should never assume the reader remembers every detail from the previous book. As a writer, it is usually very clear in your mind. However, you may leave necessary reminders off the page.<br />
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Also, over time, each time you go through the editing process, you will become a better writer. Readers fully expect that book three in a series will be stronger than book one. If you try to speed up the process, you are risking your growth.<br />
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BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s1600/5+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s640/5+books.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />
Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />
Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-75987266169843007742017-06-28T10:28:00.000-04:002017-06-28T10:28:00.167-04:00Tips for Writing Query Letters<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Are you a writer looking to attract the attention of a publisher?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maer Wilson and Jen Ryan, the publishers of Ellysian Press discuss how to write a query letter to attract the attention of a publisher. They are joined by staff members and writers of Ellysian Press to discuss the dos and don'ts of submissions.</span><br />
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Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />
Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />
Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-16537884037769099842017-06-26T10:26:00.000-04:002017-06-26T10:26:03.675-04:00Book Review - As Red As Blood by Salla Simukka<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">S.A. Larsen leads the group in a discussion and review of the YA thriller As Red As Blood by Salla Simukka.</span><br />
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BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:
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Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />
Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />
Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-41066327624689765202017-06-22T10:22:00.000-04:002017-06-22T10:22:48.277-04:00How to Care for Book Addicts<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Join the EP Team as they discuss how to care for and feed book addicts. They also discuss the pros and cons of physical books vs ebooks.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KRfjmbn1MvY" width="560"></iframe>
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BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:
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Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-45723011779253662862017-06-19T10:20:00.004-04:002017-06-19T10:20:59.629-04:00Suicide Squad and the Dangers of Authors Selling Movie Rights<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This week on OPEN BOOK the EP TV team discusses the literary lessons for writers found in the screen adaptation of Suicide Squad and the implications for selling movie rights</span><br />
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BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s1600/5+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfHsWyt1xC4RZAeesTx1Z0iVL72YklaNE187YwzGR3KHT3V1EIkkQH2RPQSro5W4oxhgqKZm1fp05P8hyMHiV0GATpRRFP9H9X73E98QvqnwngeQPNDPhYYKWnqnfqX-C8utcxlzOfsWv/s640/5+books.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-13219621540619770322016-03-02T21:14:00.001-05:002016-03-02T21:14:15.377-05:00Review - Upon this Rock by Travis Luedke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVas3qO_xuF1v3YjeSxXwVWxmw8r0_iEoaqm6zoBAcUgLaUlUwRkxkVaBTmRDo_PmdcfySZ2JgTcZrdOUnGI-TpyK30ktJfcOWDOeuVO1vP_F-U820oqzHIJ9gENYDXq4kdAC0Gg8kCPJT/s1600/28142441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVas3qO_xuF1v3YjeSxXwVWxmw8r0_iEoaqm6zoBAcUgLaUlUwRkxkVaBTmRDo_PmdcfySZ2JgTcZrdOUnGI-TpyK30ktJfcOWDOeuVO1vP_F-U820oqzHIJ9gENYDXq4kdAC0Gg8kCPJT/s640/28142441.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28142441-upon-this-rock">Upon This Rock</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6517376.Travis_Luedke">Travis Luedke</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1567266163">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Luedke does it again. He takes the already well-established mythos of his Nightlife books and ups the stakes significantly. Luedke still delivers the sexiness while bringing the reader on a high fantasy adventure. Because shares elements scene in his Nightlife Series, Upon this Rock also helps increae the depth of his earlier works.<br />
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Also from a purely technical point of view, Luedke has shown ways to improve the experience of reading ebooks by adding in hyperlinks from key words to a glossary at the back of the book, rather than providing long sections of dialogue to establish the world the characters live in. This keeps teh pacing of the book lightning fast. Once you start, you won't want to put it down.<br />
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Upon this Rock is perfectly executed, a true joy to read offers characters you will immediately invested in. If you've read my blog, you know I'm a little obsessed with his work.<br />
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Note: I was given an ARC of 'Upon this Rock' from Travis Luedke, in exchange for an honest review.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/10881349-m-joseph-murphy">View all my reviews</a>
BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:
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Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />
Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />
Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-83723731736402624462016-02-14T12:25:00.002-05:002016-02-14T12:25:24.903-05:00New Novel Coming - Are You Watching Me?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzLz69drmMVqURMMmzsKN_Wm-mZbQPEu9MxHaRB9HX8dbcOH_t8nmPxJT_U9VHjiI_CMw8K7BRE-xJcY6p7fFcGpjNvkPWJpfExHlf6mn2zCeD19hmsmdv29KvslnYAouxw5ritH_z_vX/s1600/Are+You+Watching+Me+-+ebook+only.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzLz69drmMVqURMMmzsKN_Wm-mZbQPEu9MxHaRB9HX8dbcOH_t8nmPxJT_U9VHjiI_CMw8K7BRE-xJcY6p7fFcGpjNvkPWJpfExHlf6mn2zCeD19hmsmdv29KvslnYAouxw5ritH_z_vX/s640/Are+You+Watching+Me+-+ebook+only.jpg" width="426" /> </a></div>
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I'm happy to announce my new novel will be available for pre-order soon with a release date of March 29th. It takes place in the same universe as my Activation series but starts one year before Council of Peacocks. It's also a different genre for me: pure thriller.</div>
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Here's the blurb:</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A sex addict attracts the attention of a serial killer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The city is on edge. A bizarre serial killer with a fetish
for dolls has sexually assaulted and murdered three men. The police are
baffled, unable to find a link between the victims.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Clive Dufault is a sex addict with obsessive compulsive
disorder. He commits daring public sex acts, records them on his phone, and
uploads them to the internet. He's always careful to hide his face but now he's
lost his anonymity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Someone is watching him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Clive discovers the killer is targeting sex addicts,
specifically those who post their activities online. And he is next on the
list. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Time is running out. Now, the killer isn't just following Clive
online. He's behind him on the subway. Waiting for him at work. Inside his
apartment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Clive needs to discover who the killer is before he becomes
the next victim. His investigation uncovers a startling fact: the victims share
more in common than sex addiction. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Are You Watching Me? is a fast-paced thriller filled with
shocking violence and intriguing plot twists that will keep you guessing.</span></div>
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M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-68275011151155970982015-03-20T14:43:00.002-04:002015-03-20T14:43:58.747-04:00Open Call for Submissions - SFP Indie Magazine Seeks Contributors #asmsg<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-71708601215602412072015-02-11T13:34:00.000-05:002015-09-15T20:14:35.277-04:005 Reasons Jupiter Ascending is Basically Brazil in Space<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMR7P6eupMxt9Zyk9TDBl6VabISB1VUCUc3tMkQhF3yp55UqrrbDACQuvMPtK_U7pjQ_dsvGq9qvOEhhtFuDrlpK_g7M35VFxor6vwNBUcFQmbZCqQjRuar3v-zLhKvlSVrfC4gYy2rh0/s1600/jupiter_ascending_2015_movie-wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMR7P6eupMxt9Zyk9TDBl6VabISB1VUCUc3tMkQhF3yp55UqrrbDACQuvMPtK_U7pjQ_dsvGq9qvOEhhtFuDrlpK_g7M35VFxor6vwNBUcFQmbZCqQjRuar3v-zLhKvlSVrfC4gYy2rh0/s1600/jupiter_ascending_2015_movie-wide.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://www.hdwallpapers.in/jupiter_ascending_2015_movie-wallpapers.html" target="_blank">www.hdwallpapers.in</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
By now you're heard that Jupiter Ascending did not do well at the box office. But does that automatically mean it's bad? Many movies now considered cult classics bombed at the box office. (Link: <a href="http://www.nextmovie.com/blog/classic-movies-box-office-bombs/" target="_blank">11 Classic Movies That Were Box Office Bombs</a>) My gut tells me, no matter what it's Rotten Tomato score, this is a movie we will be talking about for years.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">
1. Terry Frickin' Gilliam</span></h4>
When I left the movie I wanted to know if others had sensed a connection between Jupiter Ascending and Brazil. So I Googled "Jupiter Ascending Brazil" and learned that the one and only Terry Gilliam made a small but significant cameo in the film.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuHyNZU8IozdxvkgrDic216E1WntANNsmpH3qh2RBy6LYz3O5zGJGloEfZnNED4hiddJB4z1LNyVNPzyGTorzHy2RGiU3oeLeLSYFX4Ta1xxnc2JU7-u8H9HX9FZenZiNW09L0HVx0mAz/s1600/terry+gilliam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuHyNZU8IozdxvkgrDic216E1WntANNsmpH3qh2RBy6LYz3O5zGJGloEfZnNED4hiddJB4z1LNyVNPzyGTorzHy2RGiU3oeLeLSYFX4Ta1xxnc2JU7-u8H9HX9FZenZiNW09L0HVx0mAz/s1600/terry+gilliam.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">
2. Weirdness About Mother</span></h4>
In Jupiter Ascending, one of the evil guys blackmails Jupiter into a marriage. What's weird about that is that Jupiter is the reincarnation of his mother. She looks exactly like his mother. Ick. Even though they're not biologically related, he believes she is his mother reborn. She looks exactly like her. Need I describe any furthur how icky this is?<br />
<br />
However, in Brazil it's a bit creepier. Sam Lowry, the main character of Brazil, has daydreams about saving a beautiful redhead, Jill. At the end of the movie, his mother (played by the amazing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Helmond" target="_blank">Katherine Helmond</a> has plastic surgery which makes her look exactly like Jill. Freud would have a field day. The viewer is left to wonder if Jill ever really existed or if she was simply a projection of Lowry's Oedipal feelings about his mother.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bnx95KyQEAA" width="560"></iframe>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">3. We're All Slaves</span></h4>
Jupiter's character has a similar story arch to Sam Lowry. Both are stuck in jobs they hate and dream of escape. Lowry is a low-level bureaucrat. Jupiter cleans toilets. While Brazil shows there is no escape from dehumanizing technology, Jupiter Ascending is a battle cry to the 99%. It demonizes the wealthy who live for millenia on the fuel of a humanity grown like a crop to feed their needs.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">
4. It's a Weird Hot Mess</span></h4>
Like Brazil and Time Bandits (another of Gilliam's classics) there is a lot going on in Jupiter Ascending. Some people will say there's too much. Even though Brazil is now seen as a cult classic, many reviewers hated it when it was released, including Roger Ebert.<br />
<br />
"The movie is awash in elaborate special effects, sensational sets, apocalyptic scenes of destruction and a general lack of discipline. It's as if Gilliam sat down and wrote out all of his fantasies, heedless of production difficulties, and then they were filmed" - Roger Ebert Brazil<br />
<br />
Link: <a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/brazil-1986" target="_blank">Review of Brazil by Roger Ebert</a><br />
<br />
Jupiter Ascending has the same hectic pacing, creating a dream-like quality to large sections of the film. Like any Gilliam film, it will require several viewings before you catch everything here.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">
5. Release Problems</span></h4>
Jupiter Ascending was all set for a 2014 release when it was suddenly and surprisingly pulled. In some ways this worked in the films benefit. A year ago most people did not know who Eddie Redmayne was. Now he's up for an Oscar (although truth be told his performance is the single worst thing about this movie).<br />
Link: <a href="http://flavorwire.com/503225/jupiter-ascending-is-not-eddie-redmaynes-norbit" target="_blank">Jupiter Ascending is Not Eddie Redmayne's Norbit</a><br />
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Gilliam struggled to get Brazil released in the U.S. because the studio didn't like the ending or the message of the movie...so they edited them out.<br />
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"...their immediate reaction was a nervous one: 'We're not sure what we've got, so let's try to change it into something that we do understand.' And I refused to play ball with them. I said, 'Sorry, this is the film that we agreed to make.' <a href="http://www.wideanglecloseup.com/gilliam_brazil.html" target="_blank">Terry Gilliam Interviewed About Brazil</a><br />
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Link: <a href="http://www.faqs.org/faqs/movies/brazil-faq/" target="_blank">FAQ - Brazil the Movie</a><br />
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Conclusion</span></h4>
So is Jupiter Ascending as good as Brazil. That's really impossible to say right now. Many of Gilliam's movies have been disastrous at the box office. However, time has been especially kind to them. They are movies that are impossible to forget. They linger at the back of your mind urging you to watch them over and over.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHSPvh7mdeLGgdo_377x2r7KxxS4lnARFcel2npAywqevF8ajbG2wJg5UChiJS48dw_pkW4TxBPqH4W4Lkhb6CAzlGErOS1jd4DgS3SxQEZHe5jsjglIaXWKjrgU85hFDsZUuw4_g7x1b/s1600/LanaWachowski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHSPvh7mdeLGgdo_377x2r7KxxS4lnARFcel2npAywqevF8ajbG2wJg5UChiJS48dw_pkW4TxBPqH4W4Lkhb6CAzlGErOS1jd4DgS3SxQEZHe5jsjglIaXWKjrgU85hFDsZUuw4_g7x1b/s1600/LanaWachowski.jpg" width="177" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lana Wachowski</td></tr>
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Perhaps the same will be true for the Wachowski's. Like Gilliam, they have had a rocky relationship with Hollywood. However, it's important to remember that Hollywood has a history of not supporting movies that turned out to be legends.<br />
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I'll leave you with a quote directly from Lana Wachowski herself:<br />
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“There were tons of movies that made a lot of money and were utterly and completely forgotten. Likewise, there were movies that didn’t make money that are still around and are still important and relevant.”<br />
Link: <a href="http://deadline.com/2015/02/jupiter-ascending-wachowskis-channing-tatum-mila-kunis-box-office-bomb-1201369053/" target="_blank">Jupiter Ascending - What the Hell Happened?</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Links</span>:</h4>
<a href="https://www.yahoo.com/movies/good-parts-of-jupiter-ascending-110267005692.html" target="_blank">6 Things in Jupiter Ascending That Aren't Terrible.</a><br />
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<b>BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:</b><br />
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Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />
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<br />M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-50393735864648363772015-01-29T18:15:00.000-05:002015-09-15T20:15:00.801-04:00Perfect Fix for Vampire Junkies: The Nightlife Moscow #asmsg #vampires<div style="text-align: center;">
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The Nightlife: Moscow has everything vampire-junkies need: sex, blood and violence. Say goodbye to your family and friends. When you start reading The Nightlife: Moscow the rest of your world will seem like a petty distraction. Luedke's whirlwind pacing makes this book impossible to put down. </div>
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The novel starts with Aaron and his crew infiltrating the military compound of an ancient vampire with ties to the Russian mafia. Layered through the intense action in modern-day Moscow is a finely woven alternative magical history giving added richness to the already-intriguing world. </div>
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Just when you think everything is going well for our vampires, Luedke throws in an twist that takes the series in a completely unexpected and glorious direction. The world they live in has never been more interesting. </div>
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I enjoyed Luedke’s first few books. However, everything he’s written from Nightlife: Paris on has been one masterpiece after another.If you haven't read his work yet, do yourself a favor and pick up The Nightlife: Moscow today.</div>
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THE GOOD</span></h3>
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Every time I think Luedke has written the best scene ever he ups the ante. Each book in the Nightlife Series is better than the last. The first half of this book is on par with early Jim Butcher. </div>
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What Luedke has that Butcher doesn’t is sex. Lots and lots of sex. One of the benefits of ebooks is no one can has to know what your reading. However, you may want to read this in private to avoid any embarrassing blushing and hot flashes. There tintilating erotic dances with horrific and fantastical elements creating a breath-taking story. The whirlwind pacing of this book makes this book impossible to put down.</div>
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If you took the sex out you would have a book that falls easily in the top 10% of urban fantasy works. Adding the sex brings the Nightlife: Moscow to a completely different level. There is no voice quite like Luedke on the market today.<br />
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Link: <a href="link:%20http://smutsonian.com/2015/01/21/spotlight-on-the-nightlife-moscow-an-exclusive-casting-session-with-author-travis-luedke/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;"><b>Exclusive Spotlight on The Nightlife Moscow by Smutsonian.com</b></span></a></div>
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THE BAD</span></h3>
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The book ends with our characters in a very interesting space. Now I have to wait god knows how long to see what happens next. So the bad news is I don't have a time machine and I have to wait for the next book. </div>
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SYNOPSIS</span></h3>
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Vampires Aaron and Michelle have landed in Moscow, on the prowl. In the company of a misfit pack of mercenary werewolves and Urvashi, a fallen angel, the vampires are forced into the violent, decadent underworld of Russian mafia, drugs and blood slaves.</div>
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This time the hunters have become the hunted.</div>
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Dmitri, a Russian vampire billionaire, sends his mafia goons to the streets, gunning for the wolf pack. Now they must bring the fight to Dmitri and face the ultimate battle for survival.</div>
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Experience the violent, sensual underbelly of Nightlife Moscow, as Aaron and Michelle mix up a wicked blend of sex, chaos, mayhem, and vengeance.</div>
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Get your copy of the latest urban fantasy – paranormal suspense novel from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Travis Luedke.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR</span></h3>
Travis Luedke is a <b><i>NY Times</i></b> & <b><i>USA Today</i></b> bestselling author of urban fantasy, scifi, and paranormal romance, best known for his violently sexy <b>NIGHTLIFE SERIES</b>. Travis can be found catching a third degree sunburn in San Antonio, Texas, while plotting world domination through erotic paranormal badassary.<br />
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As the author of the Nightlife Series novels, Travis lives very vicariously through his writings. He invites you to enjoy his macabre flights of fancy, but be warned: <b><i>The Nightlife Series</i></b> is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently<br />
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<pre style="background-color: white; color: #474747; font-family: monospace, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3T7tt3fHkBsBt6CB5NSVXBfH99TYIyBJ1vsYHx9X8HwIe6oaKaK_j14zEzCkyewgGc-xxg_zv-ZtY16NVXY6CLFVVim_Dci5xmq3TN7Od2nhXJA0dIVGvCzUaLC1sGKOLJOeiqMYgJvW/s1600/nightlife+moscow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3T7tt3fHkBsBt6CB5NSVXBfH99TYIyBJ1vsYHx9X8HwIe6oaKaK_j14zEzCkyewgGc-xxg_zv-ZtY16NVXY6CLFVVim_Dci5xmq3TN7Od2nhXJA0dIVGvCzUaLC1sGKOLJOeiqMYgJvW/s1600/nightlife+moscow.jpg" width="212" /></a><h3>
<b>THE NIGHTLIFE MOSCOW</b>
<b>(Book 5 in The Nightlife Series)</b></h3>
<b>$.99 on Amazon: <a class="diyfeLinkAsButton" href="http://smarturl.it/NightlifeMoscow" style="background: rgb(71, 71, 71); border-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(71, 71, 71); box-sizing: border-box; color: #ededed; display: inline-block; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 8px 15px; white-space: normal; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">http://smarturl.it/NightlifeMoscow</a></b>
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<pre style="background-color: white; color: #474747; font-family: monospace, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Add to Goodreads: <a class="diyfeLinkAsButton" href="http://ow.ly/Govgq" style="background: rgb(71, 71, 71); border-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(71, 71, 71); box-sizing: border-box; color: #ededed; display: inline-block; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 8px 15px; white-space: normal; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">http://ow.ly/Govgq</a></b>
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<pre style="background-color: white; color: #474747; font-family: monospace, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Add to Booklikes: <a class="diyfeLinkAsButton" href="http://ow.ly/GoxDW" style="background: rgb(71, 71, 71); border-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(71, 71, 71); box-sizing: border-box; color: #ededed; display: inline-block; font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 8px 15px; white-space: normal; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">http://ow.ly/GoxDW</a></b> </pre>
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BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:</h3>
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Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />
Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />
Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-14123794413364377452015-01-28T17:01:00.001-05:002015-09-15T20:15:27.317-04:005 Things I Learned From a Traditional Publisher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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People self-publish for a variety of reasons. For some it’s repeated rejection from the big publishing houses; for others it’s a desire for complete control over the process. Honestly, neither was an influence for me. I've only submitted once and never heard back from them. It was my one and only rejection.<br />
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For me, all I've ever wanted was to attract the attention of a big publisher. i learned they closely watch the self-publishing world. Like talent scouts, they seek out for highly-developed talent and help them reach a larger market.<br />
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Two years and four published novels later, I have a small but loyal fan base. I had completely given up on traditional publishing because it didn’t seem necessary. People around the world were buying and enjoying my books. Still, a tiny part of me still wondered if I would be better off working with a traditional publisher.<br />
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Then the universe gifted me with a very fortunate “coincidence” (note: I don’t believe in coincidences). On a trip to China I met Jim, a author from Canada, He was published through a small Canadian press and had even hit the best sellers list in Canada. He raved about his relationship with his editor and suddenly I was interested. I firmly believe a novel is only as good as its editor. People often rant about the low writing quality on books such as Twilight or Fifty Shades of Grey. However, I don’t blame that on the writers. Where were the bloody editors? It’s their freakin’ job to ensure quality. Okay, rant over.<br />
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Jim was one of the most fascinating and genuinely interesting person I’ve ever met. So when he told me he would speak to his publisher about me I told him to go ahead. I had zero expectation he would.<br />
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But he did.<br />
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And it turns out the company that published him was also incredibly interesting. When I saw the calibre of books they put out and the authors they had worked with I’ll admit to being more than a little star struck. We corresponded for several months through email. Last week we spoke for the first time on the phone. It was a life changing conversation.<br />
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So here’s what I learned talking to a traditional publisher.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. Everyone takes you more seriously.</span></h3>
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When I told people I was talking with a traditional publisher about getting my books into brick and mortar stores I was blown away by their response. People I hadn’t spoken to in years were suddenly congratulating me. Forget that I’d already published four books, now that a publisher was talking to me suddenly I was a real writer. Admitted I was wrapped up in the glamor too. This company had worked with some of the biggest names in Canadian literature. And now they were talking to me? I started to imagine myself at fancy writing events sitting next to Margaret Atwood and Neil Gaiman drinking champagne and talking about zombies. Hey, a guy can dream.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Most authors’ sales suck.</span></h3>
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I’d always heard that publisher will only approach self-published authors if their sales numbers are really high. Although sales are higher on release day, I average 2 book sales per day. Additionally I was recently part of an ebook box set called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Box-Paranormal-Suspense-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00QFRHXP2" target="_blank">The Shadow Box</a> which sold around 2000 copies in the first few weeks. I was disappointed by these numbers because they were way below my expectations.<br />
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When I told the publisher my sales numbers, he exhaled slowly and made the big reveal. I was currently selling about twice what he would expect to sell if my paperbacks were in brick and mortar stores. He also told me the average sale number for a book is around 300. Not 300 copies a year. Three hundred copies ever.<br />
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Sure I’d read the articles about how much money the average writer makes per year. I just didn’t believe it. After my experience with this publisher I believe those numbers are pretty accurate.</div>
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Just so you know, to be considered a best seller in Canada you have to sell about 4000 copies. Best sellers in the U.S. are around 50,000 copies because they have 10x our population.<br />
Source: <a href="http://www.descant.ca/blog/2014/02/03/canadian-fiction-writers-average-income-reality-cheque-please/" target="_blank">Reality Check: Canadian Writer's Average Income</a><br />
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So how does that translate to income? The industry average for royalties through traditional publishers is 7% of cover price. That's all that goes to the author. So if you sell 50,000 copies at $30 a pop, that's $1,500,000 in revenue but only $105,000 goes the writer. That's a decent wage but remember that's at the upper end of the range. That's our rock star writers.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. Publishers aren’t millionaires either.</span></h3>
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One of my friends, Maer Wilson, <a href="http://maerwilson.com/tag/ellysian-press/" target="_blank">has her own publishing house</a>. And unless she’s been holding out on me she doesn’t have a summer homes in the Hamptons. Book sales in general have been sliding since 2007 as less and less people read. Both independent book stores and giants like Barnes and Nobles are closing. They finding it increasingly difficult to compete with online retailers who have low overhead and access to an immense back catalog.<br />
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Hatchet group only publishers around 1800 books a year and yet they employ about 914 people. Penguin Random House has over 12,000 employees and publishes around 15,000 books a year (Source: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/(http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/63070-global-publishing-leaders-2014-penguin-random-house.html)" target="_blank">Global Publishing Leaders 2014</a>). Although income in publishing is typically low, (Source: <a href="http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2012/working-at-a-big-six-publishing-house-culture-pay-advancement-and-getting-in/" target="_blank">Working at a Big Six Publishing House</a>) both offer benefits because they want to attract the best employees.<br />
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Normally self-published authors have very little overhead and no extra employees. They only have to pay for editing, marketing, and cover art of their book. All this means they're able to sell their book cheaper than a traditional publisher ever could. It also explains why they some price ebooks are so high. If Hatchett was forced to sell their books for $2.99, they would have to significantly decrease the staff and operational costs. It would also likely mean they’d have to leave their New York offices.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. Publishers need writers more than writers need publishers.</span></h3>
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After the phone conversation I spent several days doing some serious thinking. I realize the relationship wouldn’t be a win-win for me. Why would I give up copyright to someone who cannot guarantee me an increase in sales? So I sent a breakup letter to the publisher. Don’t worry. I was gentle. And then the weirdest thing happen.<br />
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He kept writing.<br />
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No, he wasn’t offering me ridiculously large advances or begging me to sign. But he still wanted me to consider traditional publishing after I said “no thanks.” My how the times have changed. It used to be writers clamoring for the attention of publishers. Now it seems that publishers are trying to convince writers that they are still relevant.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">5. Publishers are still relevant</span></h3>
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If you think the self-publishing is the end of traditional publishers you’re dead wrong. There have been indie musicians for decades and that hasn’t hurt the traditional music industry. Even though ebook sales have risen (source: <a href="http://www.publishingtechnology.com/2014/05/rising-sales-declining-market-for-publishers/" target="_blank">Rising Ebook Sales and Declining Publishing Market</a>), nearly 70% of all book sales are still done in book stores.<br />
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Sure there are the rare cases of authors like Amanda Hocking who made 2.5 million off Amazon and yet she’s not really a household name. Be honest. Have you heard of her before? Most successful writers aren’t household names. However, they <b><i>are </i></b>well-known within their genre. This publisher published urban fantasy. Yet when I mentioned Jim Butcher he’d never heard of him. That was a big time alarm bell. This was obviously not the right publisher for my material.<br />
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So how did Amanda to it? She wrote a crap load of books: 17 in one year.<br />
(Source: <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/jan/12/amanda-hocking-self-publishing" target="_blank">Amanda Hocking, the writer who made millions by self-publishing online</a>).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozK9I8avOgNWj6-NHJdMtwNARLcTZk9umGO98KM2ZJEDq1D9fEJD-wEDau_3R0IvJKLhBx87MXCed8Fgs_SfAGMfreNes3ydVMjrEbWAz6nDGuNRY914nxA_Lujse1g9K9XxOkKsFu2_h/s1600/amanda-hocking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozK9I8avOgNWj6-NHJdMtwNARLcTZk9umGO98KM2ZJEDq1D9fEJD-wEDau_3R0IvJKLhBx87MXCed8Fgs_SfAGMfreNes3ydVMjrEbWAz6nDGuNRY914nxA_Lujse1g9K9XxOkKsFu2_h/s1600/amanda-hocking.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Find Amanda Hocking Here: <a href="http://www.worldofamandahocking.com/" target="_blank">http://www.worldofamandahocking.com/</a></td></tr>
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Publishers still play a very important role. I just wish they would do more. Currently they offer limited promotional assistance, requiring the writer to build and market their own platform. In an email from the publisher, he told me here are 3 things a publisher can do for you that self-publishing can't:<br />
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<li>1 Help author submit for government grants to subsidize their writing</li>
<li>2. Submit books to awards (since many awards still do not accept self-published work)</li>
<li>3. Assist with foreign distribution and translation</li>
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All are valid points. But here's the rub. Do those points merit the 93% cut that publishers take off the cover price? Sure, not all of the money goes into publishers pockets. Some goes to the book store. Some goes into production costs. But I'm not buying it. That's a very significant cut for what I see as a very limited reward.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Conclusion</span></h3>
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After my recent experience with a traditional publisher, I feel a little like Cinderella in <b><i>Into the Woods</i></b>. All her life she dreams of meeting Prince Charming. But when she does, she soon realizes reality is nowhere near as glamorous as the dream. Everyone else thinks she’s crazy for walking away from the Prince. How could you not want the dream?<br />
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But for now, I'm walking away from traditional publishing. Future success for writers, it seems, is firmly in the self-publishing corner.</div>
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<b>BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqzZK3C8D0tbjUwwwapdxfFaCGmkrp86VKa2XTicbr5E0QEpUbnVcWMUFZUTISmTNY2-ioDOZkxtn4-4YRJTg3aI0v8nMu-uXtVAK8HUc5wOXniL9QF8w4j3hDTA2MxCGZVQh0jYwwaqg/s1600/5+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqzZK3C8D0tbjUwwwapdxfFaCGmkrp86VKa2XTicbr5E0QEpUbnVcWMUFZUTISmTNY2-ioDOZkxtn4-4YRJTg3aI0v8nMu-uXtVAK8HUc5wOXniL9QF8w4j3hDTA2MxCGZVQh0jYwwaqg/s640/5+books.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />
Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />
Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a>M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3018549864847812377.post-4497886679277190542015-01-13T09:05:00.000-05:002015-09-15T20:16:50.433-04:00Dream Cast for Council of Peacocks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Casting actors in the role of book characters is tricky. Part of the description is on the page but a large part of it is left to the mind of the reader. I did not write the story with any actors in mind. Having said that, if I knew a movie was being made of Council of Peacocks and I could pick and choose the actors, here are my choices:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>LUCAS TILL as JOSH WILKINSON</b></span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYKfAWvydrBIkF1MAzFgarC97wdSMbiPcdwj5Y42sidEaI3zOINlopAzxzn6Y6BIQHL9gSFGabFOp3d1MApJyA7mODQ5c_9yoAiqpAUS3gLTOBhXZV5HV-q6ZVCceZgUt0gsF7fsPhlWg/s1600/LucasTill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://www.teen.com/2011/06/09/celebrities/hottie-of-the-week/x-men-first-class-lucas-till-photos/#1" target="_blank">www.teen.com</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Josh is young, thing and wiry. He's the pretty boy no one suspects is dangerous. What they don't know is his father works for the Canadian Secret Service and has spent the last several years training Josh in martial arts, fire arms, and survival skills. He's also part-demon with telekinetic powers. In the first book, his powers are limited. However, by the second book, </span><a href="http://mybook.to/BeyondtheBlackSea" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Beyond the Black Sea</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, he can create impenetrable telekinetic armor and all sorts of fun stuff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lucas Till is known for playing Alex Summers (a.k.a Havok) in the X-men movies. He has the nice balance of danger hidden beneath a thin veneer of vulnerability. He's not just a pretty face. Lucas can act and would do justice to the role.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Link:<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1395771/" target="_blank"> Lucas Till on IMDB</a></span></o:p><br />
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PETER MENSAH as WISDOM</span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbMwl6goxXCx7KwMEOpUAhb3xRmReYNbKIBt-2IGT48Hn_KreZl5L3OLzyjN5NMz8KHZewEgQS6qKPuIbn7jrfruiS3xJKmSMyQ7nnz1IR58TpO8TX5CvVUMUBGJKuxWewQZOA6H87s_I/s1600/peter+mensah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbMwl6goxXCx7KwMEOpUAhb3xRmReYNbKIBt-2IGT48Hn_KreZl5L3OLzyjN5NMz8KHZewEgQS6qKPuIbn7jrfruiS3xJKmSMyQ7nnz1IR58TpO8TX5CvVUMUBGJKuxWewQZOA6H87s_I/s1600/peter+mensah.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://www.beyondblackwhite.com/man-candy-monday-blacker-berry/" target="_blank">Beyond Black and White</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: normal;">Wisdom is an immortal with mysterious powers. As a child, he was kidnapped by a djinn and transported to a fire elemental plane. He spent millenia as slave surrounded by magic. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: normal;">Over the last two thousand years on Earth, he has used his powers to gain riches. But it's not enough. When you are as old as Wisdom, you need a cause. He's made the training of the half-demon children (called Anomalies) and the destruction of the Council of Peacocks his cause. </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: normal;">Peter Mensah is perfect. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: normal;">Whenever he walks on screen I get nervous. He's big, with a scary amount of intensity. He looks like the sort of man demons would fear.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">EMILIA CLARK as ECHO</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Echo is the strongest person Wisdom has ever known. She was born before the Roman empire. For centuries Wisdom tried to break her; he was never successful. In the end, she broke him. Wisdom does not realize how much she means to him until he loses her. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Emilia Clarke is perfect. I mean not just for the role. Just perfect. I'm completely gay but come on! She's jaw-dropping, heart-breakingly beautiful. As we've seen on Game of Thrones and will soon see in the new Terminator, she also has the soul of a warrior.</span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">LYNDSY FORNESECA as GARNET</span></o:p></h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lyndsy Fornseca as Garnet</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: justify;">Garnet is, like Josh, half-demon. However, she's had years to perfect her abilities. She's a powerful pyrokinetic with some degree of telepathy. Working with Wisdom has made her hard but she is not as strong as she'd like you to believe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">LAUREN HOLDEN AS ELAINE</span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXQU1g8jD3-nT8QAkOE2A9JUmEdwB2CkNR9O5gYTdcmK9ITneVyqhyphenhyphenx9gU0VwRMmPgQUrFPAihvFcbS-89OJe25lpa7GT1s8KoMTbxVSeF6fEdF7XbU6_6NAg4Tp-7-ry_Vel89g7JNHO/s1600/LaurenHoldenAsElaine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXQU1g8jD3-nT8QAkOE2A9JUmEdwB2CkNR9O5gYTdcmK9ITneVyqhyphenhyphenx9gU0VwRMmPgQUrFPAihvFcbS-89OJe25lpa7GT1s8KoMTbxVSeF6fEdF7XbU6_6NAg4Tp-7-ry_Vel89g7JNHO/s1600/LaurenHoldenAsElaine.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lauren Holden</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Elaine is 100% human but that doesn't make her less dangerous. She's head of Wisdom's security. I like to think of her as Sarah Connor from Terminator 2 (minus the tinge of madness). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While I wasn't always a big fan of Andrea's decisions of the Walking Dead, there's no question that Lauren Holden is amazing. She's tough as nails but still completely feminine. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">She will shoot you dead without blinking but it doesn't take much to see her humanity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">DOMINIC COOPER as PROPATES</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: normal;">Propates is the Big Bad in this novel. He's the head of the Council of Peacocks and has a very volatile relationship with the others. Wisdom rescued Propates from a life of poverty during the height of the Roman empire. Well, he kidnapped him, slaughtered his family and saved him from poverty if we're being technical. Over the years Wisdom became less ruthless; Propates became more.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dominic Cooper works because he has a smarmy charm. Propates truly believes he's acting in the best interest of the planet. I want him to be likeable even as he plots the mass murder of millions.</span><br />
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<h4>
BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:</h4>
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Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />
Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />
Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a>
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The sad truth is most resolutions fail because you expect them to fail (source: <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2012/01/03/why-your-new-years-resolution-will-fail-by-february-1/" target="_blank">Forbes: Why Your New Year's Resolutions Fail</a>).<br />
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According to one survey, around 45% set resolutions each year yet only 8% actually follow through (source: <a href="http://stephenshapiro.com/interesting-new-years-resolution-statistics/" target="_blank">Stephen Shapiro Interesting New Year's Statistics</a>). I see this at the gym. The first few weeks of January are crazy as throngs of people decide to get into shape. By February, most have given up.<br />
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Success and self-esteem are not improved by setting goals. They are improved by achieving your goals. For many, creating a New Year's Resolution is a form of procrastination (source: <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201012/why-new-years-resolutions-fail" target="_blank">Why New Year's Resolutions Fail</a>). They create the illusion of doing something. Real change occurs when we alter our habits. And that takes work.<br />
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1. Set realistic goals</h3>
Step one in achieving your goals is to create S.M.A.R.T. goals. This is something they teach in business and management courses but doesn't reach through to the Arts.<br />
<b> S</b> - <b><i>Specific</i></b>: The most details the better (e.g. "Write 5 pages a day" is better than "Write more."<br />
<b> M</b> - <b><i>Measurable</i></b>: Put a number to it. Quantify<br />
<b> A</b> - <b><i>Achievable</i></b>: Make it realistic<br />
<b> R</b> - <b><i>Relevant</i></b>: Why are you doing this? How does it further your long-term goals<br />
<b> T </b>- <b><i>Time Bound</i></b>: Give each task a firm deadline.<br />
Link: <a href="https://journals.tdl.org/absel/index.php/absel/article/viewFile/90/86" target="_blank">Application and History of SMART goals</a><br />
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2. One Goal is Better than Several</h3>
A quick Google search will reveal hundreds of sites offering suggested resolutions. However, if you actually want to make a change in your life, pick one - two at most. The rest can wait until next year.<br />
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LINKS:<br />
<a href="http://www.wordcounter.net/blog/2013/12/writer-resolutions/" target="_blank">30 New Year's Resolutions for Writers</a><br />
<a href="http://goinswriter.com/resolutions-for-writers/" target="_blank">13 New Year's Resolutions for Writers by Jeff Goins</a><br />
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3. Set (and follow) a schedule</h3>
I teach college-level management and professionalism courses. One of the foundations of goal setting is to start with a long-term goal and break it down into short-term goals. If you're serious about following through on your resolution, break your end goal into smaller goals. And give deadlines for each one.<br />
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For example, a resolution to get in shape is vague and likely to fail. However, a resolution to loose 30 pounds within the next year is more likely to succeed. I'd suggest breaking it down even further. Resolve to loose 3 lbs per month. That's much more achievable. As a writer, instead of focusing on writing a book, focus on how many pages you will write each day. The most common goal is four pages per day. Depending on your typing speed and experience, you can get this done in under 2 hours. So build 2 hours of writing time into your schedule every day.<br />
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4. Celebrate Your Success</h3>
Named for the Roman god Janus, January is the time of open doors and new beginnings. Janus is recognizable because he has two faces: one looking forward, one looking behind. Before you look ahead, take some time to look back and see what you've already accomplished.<br />
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Stephen Shapiro, author of the survey quoted above, suggests there is no real link between achieving goals and general happiness. It is far to easy to get caught up in the drive to do more that we forget why are doing more. Instead of striving to achieve new goals, take some time to appreciate the goals you have already accomplished. See how far you have come and give yourself a pat on the back. Stop waiting for someone else to congratulate you.<br />
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LINK: <a href="http://stephenshapiro.com/want-what-you-have/" target="_blank">Happiness By Wanting What You have (mp3)</a><br />
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<b>BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:</b><br />
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Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/M-Joseph-Murphy/e/B00DTKUKUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1417536971&sr=8-4" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook</a><br />
Smashwords: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MJosephMurphy" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords</a><br />
Kobo: <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/search?query=M%20Joseph%20Murphy&fcsearchfield=Author&fclanguages=all" target="_blank">M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo</a><br />
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<br />M Joseph Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02251223998805294722noreply@blogger.com0