Lorraine Evanoff's Blog, page 5
January 1, 2023
Bonne Année!
Today’s message from my Calm meditation app struck a chord.
“…more than a New Year’s resolution of yogurt and yoga,
we need the opportunity to dance with really exquisite strangers.
“
That got me going through my 2022 travel photos.
Here are some of the most exquisite strangers I encountered this year.
Thank you for being exquisite. With love and gratitude, I wish you…
🥂 HAPPY NEW YEAR!🥂
Click on each of the images below for a full-sized view!
★★★★★ – “Just read Foliage. Great read, beautifully written, I highly recommend.” ~ Matthew J. Dowd, Chief Political Analyst, ABC News
★★★★★ – “Being a major Bond fan, I have read all of Ian Fleming’s novels. It was so refreshing and entertaining to get the female spy’s perspective. Pinot Noir is an intoxicating tale even to readers who are as sober as a monk.” ~ David Kempf, Award-Winning Author
★★★★★ – “On par with Dan Brown novels, the historical aspects of the novel are intriguing and thoughtfully included in a way that intelligently elevates the novel.” ~ Literary Titan
December 30, 2022
Finishing Off George Santos
Okay, Twitter is limping along, the wheels are falling off, it’s increasingly glitchy, making me click “send” at least twice before a tweet will post. Also, Twitter is now littered with hundreds of new fake unverified blue checkmark accounts, thanks to Musk’s deceptive joke of a “Twitter Blue” subscription service. Troll bots are also out in force, yesterday they attacked Ted Lieu and I had to report and block at least two dozen on one Palmer Report tweet alone.
But the Resistance is nothing if not determined to make a difference. Now that it is coming out how badly mainstream media dropped the ball on newly elected Republican scammer George Santos, we must force him to resign and get him arrested for felony fraud.
It wasn’t for lack of trying during the 2022 Midterms, the alarm was sounded by many, including his Democratic challenger Robert Zimmerman’s campaign. Here’s a local September 6, 2022 article warning that Santos, an alleged criminal from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, wanted for elderly fraud and check forgery, filed a false Personal Financial Disclosure Report, with the U.S. Federal Election Commission. The article even points out that it’s a federal felony to make false federal disclosures.
So, let’s make some noise, get on social media, make phone calls, in support of outraged and cheated Long Island voters, and demand the resignation, full investigation, and arrest of this latest Republican fraudster George Santos. Come on Twitter, do your thing!
December 20, 2022
SCROOGED
Literary classics are timeless because they hold eternal and universal truths. Take the 1843 Charles Dickens masterpiece, A Christmas Carol. As the story goes, three ghosts arrive to rub the nose of a curmudgeonly Ebenezer Scrooge in his own Christmas Past, Present, and Future, like so much doggy doodoo, with the goal of changing his obstinate cynical ways.
So, can Republicans change? Apparently not. Despite being reminded of their own nobler past, the GOP remains unscrupulous for now and the foreseeable future, determined to destroy holiday cheer. Most recently, the Grinch-like creature Stephen Miller used strategically-installed conservative judges to thwart aid to underprivileged farmers and business owners.
However, there have been hints of GOP hearts growing. Hard-right Republican Ted Budd, who defeated much more qualified Democrat Cheri Beasley in the red state of North Carolina, sat with the newly elected Democratic Senator Jeff Jackson during the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting. Also, Spencer Cox, the Republican governor of Utah, vetoed an anti-trans bill similar to the one evildoer Ron DeSantis signed his into law in Florida. Cox even wrote a thoughtful letter to the Statehouse proving that “GOP politician” and “hateful asshole” are not always synonymous.
The most interesting thing about A Christmas Carol is that it’s a tale of critical thinking, of becoming enlightened, or “woke.” Mr. Scrooge awakens from his Three Ghosts nightmare to face the reality of his own misguided beliefs. In another timeless classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Theodor “Dr. Suess” Geisel, the Grinch attempts to break the spirit of the townsfolk by “stealing” Christmas. The climax of both tales is the villains get a wake-up call upon seeing the subjects of their vitriol happily celebrating, despite the holiday being stripped bare. In the denouements, both villains scramble to save Christmas.
And yet, today’s Republicans mostly remain small minded, with teeny tiny hearts of coal, trying to destroy America. When they see the majority of their fellow citizens celebrating democracy by voting them out – God bless us, everyone – the GOP still doesn’t get it. What will it take for Republicans to wake up?
December 17, 2022
Free Thrills
Are you looking for a new thriller author?
This carefully curated selection of thrillers is just for you. Find a new thriller author to read today!
All these authors have teamed up to give you a selection of new reads from their libraries.
AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME
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And I’m not just saying that because
DEVIL’S LEDGER
made the “Notable Indie” list!
JANUARY 2023 ISSUE
NEW RELEASE
In this second installment of the Reese Clayton and Emerson Lake series, author Barbara Fournier starts off on fire and keeps the flames burning with blazing action. The setting of an insular native American community, protected lands, and a casino is ideal for underground mafia types to work their schemes undeterred by pesky laws. You’re in for quite the twisted scenario.
READ NOW
★★★★★ – “Just read Foliage. Great read, beautifully written, I highly recommend.” ~ Matthew J. Dowd, Chief Political Analyst, ABC News
★★★★★ – “Being a major Bond fan, I have read all of Ian Fleming’s novels. It was so refreshing and entertaining to get the female spy’s perspective. Pinot Noir is an intoxicating tale even to readers who are as sober as a monk.” ~ David Kempf, Award-Winning Author
★★★★★ – “On par with Dan Brown novels, the historical aspects of the novel are intriguing and thoughtfully included in a way that intelligently elevates the novel.” ~ Literary Titan
December 14, 2022
Keeping Tabs
It’s important to keep tabs on our democracy. We kept close tabs on the 2022 Midterm races, giving Democrats historical wins, and we’re keeping tabs on the courts. The DOJ is now set to fast-track its espionage case against Trump, with corrupt Judge Cannon forced to dismiss her case that was designed to obstruct the Mar-a-Lago investigation.
But in all the hubbub, it’s easy to lose track of other important court cases. The rightwing activist SCOTUS overturning Roe has resulted in cruel loss of women’s rights.
But women are fighting back. On December 3rd, Indiana Judge Heather Welch ruled that the Republican Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita violated state law by publicly discussing a doctor’s confidential matters. On November 30th, Rokita filed an action with the state licensing board against Dr. Caitlin Bernard after she provided abortion care to a 10-year-old rape survivor. Rokita falsely claimed Dr. Bernard failed to report child abuse of the Ohio girl.
This is where keeping tabs comes in. After the ruling, the deplorable Indiana A.G. moved the case away from Judge Welch to another jurisdiction. Also, seven other people filed similar false complaints against Dr. Bernard, none were patients of Bernard, or even residents of Indiana. These false allegations against Dr. Bernard are designed to defame her, claiming she was lying about the incident to create “misinformation” meant to diminish Ohio and demean “pro-life” supporters. This initial ruling by Welch indicates Dr. Bernard should prevail.
That’s why it’s crucial to keep close tabs on these cases, such as the first Texas Abortion Bounty Hunter case, which was tossed out last week. The sad new reality is that keeping tabs puts pressure on the courts, which used to reliably work independently of public opinion. But the GOP installed rightwing activist SCOTUS justices, judges, and AGs, setting new precedents, and damaging the integrity of the judicial system.
The good news is the pressure may be working. Republicans attempts to shamelessly drag down democracy continues, to their own detriment. Democrats are keeping tabs and will not back down from a fight.
December 6, 2022
Who’s Laughing Now?
In the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans only gained 8 seats in the House, which is remarkable considering some polls falsely predicted a gain of over 20 seats. The 8-seat gain by the GOP is the exact margin by which Democrats took control of the House (and barely took the Senate) in 2018, for which Democrats were pilloried. Turnabout is fair play. The 2022 “Red Wave” left the GOP with only a slim House majority, AND the GOP failed to take the Senate. Who’s laughing now?
Moreover, since 2010, the midterm elections have resulted in 250- to 600-legislative seat swings for the party opposing a sitting president. Yet, in 2022, Republicans only gained 22 legislative seats. Although Republicans strengthened legislative control in red states, Democrats defied history with state “Trifectas” winning several new ones, while the GOP gained no new trifectas or veto-proof state legislatures in states where Democratic governors hold veto power.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate how Democrats used a surgical approach in the 2022 midterms, despite the odds and a last-minute wave of fake polls irresponsibly disseminated by mainstream media. Focusing on winnable races, Democrats carved out every seat possible. Imagine if Democrats had wasted precious resources on red states where the GOP still controlled mapping. Instead, Democrats left the Red State fever run its course, for now, which was hard to watch, but paid off.
Possible remaining fallout from the 2022 midterm elections: In the Senate, Georgia is an example of focusing on winnable federal elections despite Republican state legislative control. If Senator Raphael Warnock keeps his seat this Tuesday and the Senate goes 51-49 to Democrats, majority leader Chuck Schumer will no longer have to share power with Mitch McConnell.
Lastly, if the 213 House Democrats find just 5 House Republican votes, they could have the 218 needed to elect someone like anti-insurrection ally Liz Cheney as GOP House Majority Leader. Let’s do everything possible to make sure Warnock crosses the finish line. Then Democrats can regroup, sharpen our scalpels, and cut away more of the red malignancy.
December 5, 2022
Mystery Unsolved
2022 YEAR-END RESOLUTIONS
In this edition:Mysteries of Siena…LOUISE MOSCOW spy thriller series starter FOLIAGE is
FREE!
Help solve a publishing mystery… So, I finally had the opportunity to visit Siena and Assisi last month, one year after the release of my latest Louise Moscow novel DEVIL’S LEDGER, which takes place in those mythical Italian cities.
Although the pandemic kept me from visiting before publishing, for the most part, my research did not fail me. In fact, I experienced some astounding revelations exploring the DEVIL’S LEDGER locations for the first time. Brolio Castle where Chianti Classico was invented, the historic Grand Hotel Continental, Saint Francis of Assisi “Church Within A Church,” and other places were even more amazing in real life than I imagined!
One of the eeriest moments was exploring the alley behind Monte dei Paschi Bank where the gruesome “banker’s grave” death took place. Having assumed there would be no remaining trace of the horrors, I was surprised to see not only the banner demanding “Truth for David” still there, but also half a dozen other visitors had come to see the tragic spot for themselves. When they saw me sign the banner, one of them asked to borrow my pen and also signed.
Lastly, on the spelling of the mystical city’s name, both Siena (Italian) and Sienna (English) are acceptable. Mystery solved!
★★★★★ – “Just read Foliage. Great read, beautifully written, I highly recommend.” ~ Matthew J. Dowd, Chief Political Analyst, ABC News
★★★★★ – “Being a major Bond fan, I have read all of Ian Fleming’s novels. It was so refreshing and entertaining to get the female spy’s perspective. Pinot Noir is an intoxicating tale even to readers who are as sober as a monk.” ~ David Kempf, Award-Winning Author
★★★★★ – “On par with Dan Brown novels, the historical aspects of the novel are intriguing and thoughtfully included in a way that intelligently elevates the novel.” ~ Literary Titan
Time To Flip The Script
It’s time to flip the script. For decades, Republicans have been normalizing corruption. Norms such as presidential candidates releasing tax returns, and the peaceful transition of power, have been brazenly flouted. They commit crimes in plain sight mocking our legal system. Villains like Steve Bannon, Marjorie Taylor Green, and Lauren Boebert are not an anomaly, they’re the new GOP normal, installed to push the limits. These are tactics of dictators, even installing a collaborator to run a propaganda machine via Twitter.
But Democratic legislators have limited the damage, mostly preserving our institutions, ingeniously, by simply behaving as our founding fathers intended. If Democrats had been as reckless with our Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches, our democracy would have been ripped asunder by now. If you doubt what Democrats have done, here is a list of recent things we can be grateful for. Democrats are normalizing integrity.
Not only did the January 6th Select Committee lay out in riveting detail how Donald Trump incited the insurrection, but now Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel and declared Trump, and anyone involved with the peaceful transfer of power, are being investigated. Those likely include GOP members of Congress who requested a pardon from Trump: Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan, Scott Perry, Mo Brooks, Louie Gohmert, and Paul Gosart. They may include Mark Meadows, Mike Lee, Ginni Thomas, Ronny Jackson, and Cleta Mitchell, some who have testified to the J6 Committee.
There is already precedent for conviction. George W. Bush appointee Judge Reggie Walton sentenced insurrectionist Dustin Thompson, who blamed Trump for the insurrection, to 3 years in prison, comparing right-wing extremists to Nazis. But most compelling, this week newly appointed Special Counsel Jack Smith argued to the 11th Circuit Court that they should immediately shut down the Special Master process created by Judge Aileen Cannon. Former Federal Prosecutor Mitchell Epner wrote, “If the 11th Circuit rules against Trump, I expect Jack Smith will indict Trump on multiple counts…related to the removal and retention of national security documents in violation of the Espionage Act arguably committed when Trump removed them from the White House, making D.C. a possible venue for an indictment on those charges.”
Last, but not least, Democrats have launched a rapid-response counter offensive against an “expected investigative onslaught” against Democrats by the new House GOP majority. That should be fun. Republicans may have tried to normalize corruption under the false claim of “balance of power.” But justice is the new balance of power. Justice is the new normal.
November 21, 2022
Quick Note Of Gratitude
Oops! Six weeks since my last email? SORRY!
It’s been the craziest two months ever, if that’s even possible. But I wanted to THANK YOU for being so supportive of my newsletter and announce some AMAZING NEWS (below).
There’s more exciting news to come before the end of 2022.
🍁🍂💛🧡♥️🤎 HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 💛🧡♥️🤎🍂🍁
New Release from one of my favorite mystery authors!When the alligator-eaten remains of an 80s TV star are discovered while filming a movie in the East Texas swamps, local detective Sam Lawson is hired to find out if the actor was just an unfortunate midnight snack or the victim of murder.
READ NOW
★★★★★ – “Just read Foliage. Great read, beautifully written, I highly recommend.” ~ Matthew J. Dowd, Chief Political Analyst, ABC News
★★★★★ – “Being a major Bond fan, I have read all of Ian Fleming’s novels. It was so refreshing and entertaining to get the female spy’s perspective. Pinot Noir is an intoxicating tale even to readers who are as sober as a monk.” ~ David Kempf, Award-Winning Author
★★★★★ – “On par with Dan Brown novels, the historical aspects of the novel are intriguing and thoughtfully included in a way that intelligently elevates the novel.” ~ Literary Titan
November 1, 2022
October Surprise
October is the scariest month, with Halloween being the least frightening reason. There’s the “October Effect,” referring to when financial markets panic causing stock market crashes such as those of 1907, 1929, and 1987, all occurring in October. That was my fear ahead of the midterm elections, but as of the final Friday of October, the economy has been reporting strong numbers and the stock market closed on a high.
Then there’s the “October Surprise,” a political reference to when elections are thrown into disarray. The worst example being the disgusting decision by then FBI Director James Comey to make the unprecedented announcement 11 days before the 2016 presidential election, flushing Hillary Clinton’s chances down the toilet with a fake investigation, while withholding the fact that Trump was under real investigation. The resulting disaster we know all too well.
Now, on October 28, 2022, just 12 days before the most important election in history, we had a big October Surprise, that Musk’s acquisition of Twitter closed. Much like when Rupert Murdoch created a powerful propaganda machine skirting broadcast licensing rules by creating Fox “News” on cable television, Musk has taken over the most important social media company, gleefully bullying his way into American politics. Also, like Murdoch, the craven goal is to help dark money take control of messaging and further concentrate power and wealth.
Musk is a real-life supervillain, who within a half hour of the announcement immediately fired the top executive who banned Trump permanently, and, at least in my experience, changed the algorithm to allow a surge of MAGA messaging, my Twitter feed being suddenly inundated with far-right trolls. After having carefully curated my account for years, reporting and blocking MAGAs, they came blasting through, causing me to have to start that process all over again.
But I’m not leaving. Just like when the new CEO of CNN, Chris Licht, shook up the network giving a megaphone to the far-right propaganda machine, we must resist their efforts by tuning them out, all while staying in the fight, so as not to create of vacuum to be filled with loathsome stupidity. Oh, and Vote Blue!
