Officially Autumn

It's autumn now after the equinox, and it seems we could have storms that will bring the temps down. Yay for fall weather.

But I'm annoyed. The current Dallas mayor has become a Republican after years of being a Democrat. What is with all these defectors betraying the people who voted for them? Some of the other Texas politicians in the article say that Johnson was conservative leaning before, so it's not entirely a surprise to them. I wouldn't know, as I don't actually live in Dallas, nor follow their government closely. But it sure is a messed up way to falsely paint a blue city red.

Meanwhile, Barbie is out in IMAX with a new post-credits scene, but I'm not sure if I want to see it. It would be giving more money to Warner Bros after they canceled Batgirl. Is one scene worth it? I'm kind of interested in seeing Dumb Money, but it hasn't opened wide yet. I did see My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, and it was okay. There was a small immigrant plot to add some depth to the romcom, but I didn't recognize one of the auntie characters even though I rewatched the original recently. I just wanna see a movie that's not one of those endless horror/gore movies, which seem to open year-round now, instead of waiting for Halloween.

Back Too Soon

I was so disappointed that Ken Paxton got acquitted. Now he's reinstated. 😖 I guess I was right to be skeptical that they'd convict him. Still, it's a new low for Texas GOP.

Meanwhile, there's now a third Texas Democrat running against Ted Cruz. I wonder how many will end up in the primary. At least the summer temps have finally come down, and rain has come back.

I had a week's vacation. I tried to write fanfic again, but just mostly ended up revising things I already wrote. I can't move forward to something new. I did see a new play called Grand Horizons at Stage West, and it was pretty funny comedy, with some emotional moments and thoughts on relationships. I'm looking forward to next season too.

Due to backlash, many talk shows are postponing their return. Apparently, strike negotiations will continue again; who knows if they'll be any progress. But according to Deadline, there's going to be a Murder She Wrote-themed picket soon. I hope there will be cosplay!

Hypocrites and Tyrants

It's official, the UAW is on strike. I hope they succeed just like the UPS workers who won a new contract this summer. We have a local General Motors factory in Arlington TX, and I've recently heard some radio ad from GM praising its workers there. But praises don't mean anything if you don't pay your workers fairly. Don't drag this out like the Hollywood strikes! I don't understand why these greedy companies want to lose millions of dollars just to keep starving their workers. Happy, well paid workers can get stuff done and make you money.

Also, I've read a story online lately at about Bélizaire, a young slave who initially appeared in a portrait with his master's family, but who was later painted out after he was sold away. The DailyKos article also includes a YouTube video from the New York Times about the painting. Art restorers have fixed the painting now and the museum is going to try to find more information about Bélizaire. I hope they succeed. It sounds similar to how Napoleon banned Joseph Bologne's music and tried to basically erase him from history. I didn't realize how racist Napoleon was, even reinstating slavery in 1802 to pay for his wars. But after all, he betrayed the principles of the French Revolution to install himself as Emperor. So I don't feel like watching the upcoming Napoleon biopic.

Another Period Mystery

Last month I read a book called Murder on the Red River, the first in a series by Marcie R. Rendon. It's somewhat of a nontraditional mystery story; not the usual cozy mystery with a detective searching for clues and using logic to solve the crime. Cash Blackbear is a 19 year old Ojibwe woman, and she is investigating the murder of a man from the nearby Red Lake Reservation. Cash was taken from her single mom as a kid and passed around the foster care system for years, getting abused and used for free labor. The local Sheriff Wheaton helps her often and is an informal father figure to her. So she works with him on murders, even though it's not her job. Cash also has dream visions sometimes, which often point the way. Tragically, this Red Lake man left behind a widow and seven children, which makes Cash feel personally involved. The widow soon dies too, and Cash can't take the thought of the children also going through the horrible foster care system. She needs to help them somehow, and the ghost of their mother keeps urging her on in visions.

The book is set in the 1970s, in Fargo, North Dakota, and surrounding areas. There's news of the Vietnam War in the background, though Cash doesn't comment. She lives day to day, but can't help noticing the unfairness and cruelty of the white world. How the United States historically gave free homestead land to European immigrants, but forced the native tribes onto reservations. How the foster care system routinely takes Native kids away from their parents, but never takes white kids from their own abusive, drunk, and poor white families. How Cash has to regularly take racist insults like "squaw" and be told by her white lover to just "let it go" and be calm. It's a neverending cycle of injustice. There's hope for the future though, as Sheriff Wheaton helps Cash sign up for college, so she can get a better job than itinerant farmhand. I liked it overall and will probably continue the series, though I wish that Cash had asked the Sheriff about her lost family.

Speaking of historical mysteries, I also tried to read a sample of Christopher Huang's Unnatural Ends, but the language was oddly stilted and formal; I couldn't care about any of the characters either. I could not tell from the sample if his Eric Peterkin detective was continuing in the series or not, so I don't know if I'll buy it. I need a bigger sample I guess. I liked his first book A Gentleman's Murder.