SEXTROPOLIS: S1/CH1/"Indigo Ballard"

Season1/Chapter1 (No editing/written on the fly)
"Indigo Ballard"

My name is Francis Bourdeaux and I'm a weekend alcoholic. I'm also over 40 years old, never been married, no kids and oh yes, no dog. Depressing isn't it? I live in sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida or as I like to call it, Sextropolis. And no, I don't live on the beach. I wish. I earn a living writing indie novels. That's a novel written by an author who self-publish. No need to make a face. It's all the new rage. I had some success here and there. I wrote one novel that sold enough to cover my bills for a number of years. That was a good novel, one of my best. I have others, under different pen names, they bring in a few bucks here and a few bucks there. In any regards, I stay fed, housed and liquor is not a problem. What a life!

Socially, I get my fair share of activity. A few months back, a friend told me about meetup.com. Oh yes, meetup.com, that's how I met her. Well, let me first tell you what Meetup is. It's a site that brings groups together from all facets of life. I found and joined a group called Fortunaeto Events. It checked all the boxes. To join, you had to be 30 or older, interested in nightlife, a professional and a free spirit. I got one out of four, not bad. But what the hell, it was free so I joined.

The first event I went to was held at an Asian fusion sushi restaurant. Interestingly enough, the restaurant had a back room. In that back room was a bar, lounge area, a dance floor and a d.j. I was impressed. Looking in from the outside, you would have never guessed this was here. I walked in alone. I headed straight for the bar. The organizers were nice and made me feel right at home. The people were all friendly. The sushi was half price, so I ordered some at the bar. What the hell, it was a sushi restaurant. I listened to music and took in the scenery. It was then that I noticed her.

She appeared tall and slim but not sickly. She wore an outfit that accentuated her physique. Her facial features were striking and I could not stop looking at her. Little did I know, this woman would bring my life to a screeching halt. I finished my sushi. What did you expect? I was hungry. I gulped down half of my Patron margarita and headed in her direction. She was being mauled by several would be suitors. I heard the words, "net worth," "beach condo" and "Have you ever been to Paris?" She smiled and was being polite. I waited patiently. These guys were dead in the water or so I hoped.

She broke away and came over to where I was standing. I immediately said hi. She reciprocated. I said to her, "Your kung fu is pretty good." She gave me a puzzled look. I said, "The way you fought off those guys, you must be an expert." "Would you consider teaching me?" She laughed. We began talking and found we had nothing in common. She said her name was Indigo Ballard. We danced and had some more drinks. How could someone so beautiful be so dangerous. If I only knew, I would have done the same exact thing. She was just that HOT! What can I say, I'm a guy. 

PRO-DEMOCRAT

I will admit, I have been consumed by the person occupying the oval office. Like much of the U.S. and the world, there is no getting around it. I want to be informed but I don't want to be consumed. Great philosophers have theorized that the focus of your attention to a particular person, place or thing will bring about its materialization. The energy you spend focusing on a subject gives that subject power. Sometimes, it gives that subject power over you.

It is time to turn my focus elsewhere. I will not obsess with what I cannot control. I will support what I can. I will focus on that which serves to better the environment that I exist in. I will turn my interest towards other things that concern me. It's a big beautiful world out there and it needs to be explored. I will stay informed but I won't continue to focus solely on one subject. If I did, it would be the start of a long four years.

Let's turn our attention to entertainment, travel, sports and other topics. I believe that this will bring me peace and tranquility in these turbulent times. I will not turn a blind eye to ongoing events. I will however not be so focused on them. Wish me well my friends. I embark on new opportunities,
experiences and consciousness.

THE POPULIST

This new president says he is all about the ordinary people. His name is Donald Trump and he won the presidency through a populist movement. That may well be true but his actions goes against his rhetoric. He says that he will bring back manufacturing jobs. He says that he will make life better for middle class Americans. He says a lot of things. We are waiting to see if any of it comes to fruition.

Speaking of making life better for the ordinary man, Trump has brought a stop to two programs that would have helped the ordinary man and woman. The "overtime rule" and the FHA mortgage premium rate cut. One would have provided a pay increase for a projected four million workers. The other would have help everyone buying a home priced under $650,000. Now I ask you, how is that helping the ordinary man or woman? These programs were aimed at the middle class. They should have been one of the first things he made sure were made available to the American people. He should have made it clear that he wants these programs to exist and that he would put his administration behind them to see that they do.

Please note, these programs are being stopped. There is no replace for something similar or better. They were just stopped. These are things that would have helped. Now, they will not exist and therefore help no one. While it's true that President Donald Trump is not directly responsible for one of these actions, His new appointees to oversee the department that would fight for the "overtime rule" are not likely to do so. If they did, it would come as a pleasant surprise but don't hold your breath.

IS THIS WHAT'S MEANT BY "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN?"


Please read these articles for further information:
Rate Cut Squashed
Overtime Rule Blocked

APEX PREDATOR

WELCOME TO THE AGE OF "TRUMPONOMICS." You now have to be an Apex Predator. What is an Apex Predator you ask? Well, that's a predator residing at the top of the food chain where no other creature prey. You feel me!

Were you looking forward to government aid, social security, medicaid-medicare, and multitudes of socialist type programs to help you in this life. As my Italian friends are so fond of saying, "Fuhgeddaboutit!" You have to count on yourself for survival. And if you want to do more than survive, you have to become an Apex Predator. You must feast on the weakness of others, dine on the mistakes of the masses, and devour potential competitors.

President Donald Trump and his squad are believers in self-made. They do not like those who want a hand out. They do not like those who would take from the rich to help the poor. They do not like socialism to put it plainly. They are hard-core capitalist. And, they believe it should be lassez-faire. If you can't do on your own don't bother asking for help. You won't get it. Put on your big boy/girl undies and get to it, daylight is burning.

TRUMP "THE HERO"

If President-elect, Donald Trump, wants to be an instantaneous hero to over 90% of the American population, he should make this proposal. He should propose that medicare and medicaid be made available to all Americans. He should put together a committee of the persons involved in areas of medicare and medicaid to study how to make this proposal work. Once it is figured out, he should use his influence to pass it through congress.

What would happen if this proposal was enacted? It would do away with businesses having to provide insurance for their employees. This would free up a massive amount of time, money and effort that goes into providing medical insurance. The amount currently collected for medicare and medicaid would go up but most of the cost would be passed on to businesses. So now, small businesses would have their employees covered and would not have to worry about supplying medical insurance. Could this work? It does work in other countries (List of Countries with Universal Healthcare).

This is something that both Democrats, Republicans and Independents could agree upon. They would all want this because it serves the greater good. This would help control the sky-rocketing healthcare cost that appears to be out of control. It would help treat everyone and in the end, make life better for all of us. There are some negatives to this proposal (long lines, inadequate service, lack of choice, etc.). In the end, the positives (preventive treatment, pre-existing illness coverage, lower cost for medical service, etc.) out-way the negatives. This has been done. It's just a matter of America finding the best version of this and implementing it. If the President-elect, Donald Trump, were to pass such a plan, he would be a hero to many if not all Americans. 

BASIC UNIVERSAL INCOME

Basic Universal Income (BUI) is a form of social security in which all citizens or residents regularly receive an unconditional sum of money from the government or other form of public institution, in addition to any other income received elsewhere.

Yes, I know what you are thinking. I must be a socialist bastard to promote such a thing. But you should know this is not a new idea. It has been around a very long time. President Richard Nixon was trying to get this done when he was president of these United States. This is how it works. Every man, woman and child would receive a monthly check. The funds would cover basic housing needs, food, etc. It would not be based on how much you earn. It would be the same for everyone.

It has been tested and it has had some good results. People receiving this BUI use the money to take care of their basic needs. They still want to work to make more because they will not be penalized. In the current systems, you are penalize if you earn more or over a certain threshold. People are less stigmatized because in effect, everyone gets this. People become more financially responsible, especially women. People are not going into debt because they have to borrow less because they have money now (see: pay day loans). There are many more benefits to this.

If we had the BUI, we could get rid of many of the welfare programs that exist now. These programs serve us well but they limit, stigmatize and for lack of a better word, hold down, those they serve. It would improve our society as a whole. It would help raise millions out of poverty. It would place more money in the hands of the people who in turn would put it back into the economy. There are countries such as Switzerland, Finland, Netherlands and France experimenting with Basic Universal Income. The results have been promising. 

THE TRUMPIAN CONFLICT

The President-Elect, Donald Trump held a news conference outlining how he would navigate his potential conflicts. His conflicts involves his business and whether or not, he would separate from them. His solutions did little to sway the concerns most pundits have of those conflicts.

Mr. Trump plans to turn over control of his business to his two eldest sons and a trusted executive. This too many does not provide adequate separation between him and his business. He plans to form a trust, not a blind trust. Many have begun to argue the constitutional pitfalls his plan will set in play. He will, according to them, be under attack from democrats as well as fellow republicans. He will face lawsuits from the private sector. There are those who say he will be violating the constitution on his first day of holding office.

But let's look at the opposing side, should a man who has spent a lifetime building a business be force to give that business up? He could put it in a blind trust but that still means that a stranger would have to be the one running said business. Jimmy Carter placed his business in a blind trust. At the end of his term, his business was at the brink of bankruptcy. Could the same happen to Donald Trump? Whose to say? It is obvious that he does not want to give the control of his business to anyone who is not named Trump. Given Mr. Trumps personality, is it a surprise he refuses to relinquish control of his business?

In the end, America is in for a real life reality television show. Mr. Trump will be waging war from all sides it seems. There will be no end to lawsuits, investigations and whatever else may arise from perceived conflicts of interest. We were worried that if Hilary Clinton won, her presidency would be a quagmire of hearings, investigations and lawsuits. Now, it seems the shoe is on the other foot.

Mental Illness and President Ronald Reagan

We have witness violence in American society perpetrated by individuals with mental illness. They have gotten their hands on weapons and have caused the deaths of many. These people have been found to be in need of help. The question of how they got guns is another story altogether. We will discuss that at a later time. We are discussing why these people are not in mental health hospitals being treated. At one time, this was a service provided by the government. This was the case until President Ronald Reagan saw fit to stop this service. He did away with these hospitals for the unbalanced and the troubled. He started this policy as governor of California and continued it as President of the United States.

In those days, if you felt a family member was a danger to themselves and/or others, you could have them committed. In today's world, if you have this problem, the person is sent to jail. Jail does not provide treatment for these individuals. Jail will only hold them for a short time. Families are not as willing to send their loved ones to jail. With what's going on in our society, it may be time to re-open these mental health hospitals where these individuals could be housed and cared for. It's also where families and friends would speak up and notify authorities by telling them that something is wrong with said person.

PLEASE SEE THE ARTICLES BELOW FOR FURTHER INSIGHT.

http://www.salon.com/2013/09/29/ronald_reagans_shameful_legacy_violence_the_homeless_mental_illness/

http://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/30/science/how-release-of-mental-patients-began.html?pagewanted=all

"NOT SEE": A poem by FJT

Do You Not See
Ban All Muslims

Do You Not See
Deport Mexicans

Do You Not See
Close Our Borders

Do You Not See
We are Birthers

Do You Not See
The Star of David

Do You Not See
The Rise of the New Reich

"DEATH'S SYSTEM": A free verse poem by FJT

Life is Finite
Death is Eternal

They are Each Others Companion
Each Others Everlasting Champion

Race is the Chain
The Legal System the Ball

Strive as You Might
There is No Justice in Sight

It's for the Few
And not the Many

Cry for the Lost
Acknowledge the Cost

Die Today
Live Tomorrow

That's not a Promise
It's Filled with Sorrow

Mother's Grieve
Children are put through a Sieve

The Plight of the Black
Is Unbeknownst to the White

It's an Arcane System
And We, It's Minions


(In reference to the death of unarmed black men at the hands of the police)

INVASION OF PRIVACY by Christopher Reich

I have been reading a lot of Christopher Reich's novels as of late. The last two I read were "The Devil's Banker" and "Invasion of Privacy." They were both very good reads. I like the intertwining of the world of espionage, high finance and government conspiracies. I would recommend either one of these books for your reading pleasure. Be sure to check them out.

"CRASSUS": A poem by FJT

Hello My Love
It's Been A While

You Look Good
As Always
In Style

Have I Missed You
Only Your Smile

Truth Be Known
It's Been A Trial

When We Were Together
Life Was Far Better
By A Mile

Forget The Bad
Remember The Good
Leave It For The Heart
Place It In A File

It's Good To See You Again
Even, If It's Only For A Little While

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR

The year is at an end. I wish you and yours all the best. May this coming year be better than your last year. Be happy, be safe and take care.

"REVIVAL": By Stephen King

I loved this novel. I was sucked in by one of the masters of writing. I became intertwined in the back story of the main character and some of the supporting characters. I found myself vested in what would happen to them. Stephen king is truly a master of his craft. The novel is enjoyable, unpredictable and plain fun to read. I would recommend this and so many other of his works for your reading pleasure.

"LOST LOVE": A poem by FJT

I wonder if you are happy
You seem to be

You are not with me
But with another
Life's ironies

It is said
You love only once
Tragically

Dreams of you and I
What might have been
Harmoniously

Hello and Goodbye
Love you always
Tenderly

BRAD THOR: "Code of Conduct"

I read this author for the first time and it was worth the time. I was given his book by a friend. I found the novel to be informative, thrilling and a fun read. The settings for the story are grand and cross different parts of the world. The life of a freelance operative is delved into and you get a notion of how they live. Their world is gleamed upon. The story itself is fast paste and heart pounding. I would recommend this book for your reading pleasure.

"SEARCHING:" A poem by FJT

"SEARCHING"

So Long As I Live
My Love For You
Will Be Eternal

The Way That I Feel
Love Wrought Asunder
Will Be Central

Find You I Will
Love Ghosted But Not Forgone
Will Be Seminal

Death Do Us Not Part
Love Crossing Longing and Pain
Will Be Forever Primal

"The Confession," by John Grisham

"The Confession," by John Grisham is a great book. I read this book at lightning speed. Well, it was lightning speed for me anyway. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found the subject matter enlightening. The story is formed around the death penalty. It explains the death penalty and gives you an up close and personal view of it.The angles come from all directions and view points. You get to see the families of the victim as well as the family of the convicted.

I am on the fence about the death penalty. I don't think that anyone should have the right to kill another. But then again, I have not had a loved one taken from me by some criminal. If that were the case, I might feel differently about putting them to death. But when it comes to putting someone to death and giving them life imprisonment, I feel the latter is a much more appropriate punishment. If you kill someone, they end. Their pain, suffering and misery ends. If you lock them up for the rest of their lives and take away their freedom, it serves as more of a punishment in my opinion. Maybe it is just me, but I would rather go to the great beyond; then be locked up in a small cell for the rest of my life. Think about it, I would be doing the same thing until I died. The repetition would drive me insane. And from what I understand, prison life is hell.

In conclusion, let me say that this book deserves to be made into a movie. It covers a subject matter that is in the courts today as we speak. If you get a chance to read it, be sure you do.

The Racketeer: A novel by John Grisham

I just finished "The Racketeer," by John Grisham. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. As usual, John Grisham delivers. I was surprised but happy to see that the main character was not your usual male lead. The main character was well educated, a man of action, and depicted with levity.

The story was fast pace, winding and kept you guessing. At points in the story, you feel sorry for some of the things being done to certain individuals. You also question the motives and humanity of the main character at times. I however was pleased with the ending and think it to be an enjoyable read. I am going to stop now so as to not give away to much of the story. Be sure to get it if you get the chance. You will enjoy it.

David Baldacci: Last Man Standing

I just finished reading David Baldacci's, "Last Man Standing." It was an enjoyable book. The main character was an FBI agent who was part of a Hostage Rescue Team. The story was filled with turns and twist. I found that the characters were well developed. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good law enforcement driven thriller. I especially liked the fact that I could not be sure who "done it." It was set up in such a way that you were guessing all the way through.

I've read several of David Baldacci's novels. I have always found them to be intriguing, suspenseful and engaging. I must say though that I found these book at second hand stores, small book stores and so forth. It has opened me up to his writing and in turn, I have bought newer books he has written. If you want to discover new authors go this route. Once you decide you like their writing, go ahead and buy their new offerings. It will be well worth the price. This is my "Modus Operandi" when it comes to buying books by authors I have yet to discover. It has worked for me in the past and it can work for you in the future.

Thank you. Take care and be safe.