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Showing posts from August, 2024

From Corrections Officer to Captain—Lessons Learned on Land and Water

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  Navigating the Systemic Sea! B.B. O’Shannon’s Born on the Hit List is more than a survival guide; it’s a lifeline cast into a stormy sea. The author, a Black man tackling a systemically racist society, shares his harrowing journey, turning personal experiences into practical lessons for survival. His book is a lighthouse, guiding those who dare to venture into the treacherous waters of racial inequality. O’Shannon’s narrative is an emotional viewpoint. He describes a world where Black men are born into a storm, their lives are a constant battle against the relentless waves of prejudice and discrimination. His words are powerful and unforgiving, exposing the underbelly of a society that often turns a blind eye to the suffering of its Black citizens. Yet, amidst the storm, O’Shannon finds moments of calm. He shares his resilience and his ability to rise above the rowdy waters. Like an experienced sailor, he has learned to read the currents, anticipate the storms, and find ...

Embracing Vulnerability: How Sharing Your Story Strengthens Relationships

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  Imagine a world where conversations are shallow exchanges, sharing of personal experiences, and honest emotions. While comfortable on the surface, it lacks the profound connections that grow from vulnerability. Vulnerability, the act of sharing our authentic selves—flaws, fears, and triumphs alike—is often misunderstood as weakness. However, it's the very act of embracing vulnerability that strengthens relationships and allows us to connect with others on a deeper level. Stepping Out of Our Comfort Zones Letting Go of Vulnerability Vulnerability isn't about spilling your deepest secrets to everyone you meet. It's about a willingness to be open and honest with those you trust to create a space where true connection can flourish. It involves sharing your experiences, both positive and negative, and allowing yourself to be seen in all your imperfections. Think about a close friend who told you about a personal struggle. Their vulnerability likely deepened your conn...

A DICTATORSHIP RISING

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In The Heathen Paradise , Phillip Mink conjures a dystopian future in which an economic crisis is driving the constitutional order over a cliff. Racism is resurgent, and a squad of Bolsheviks is trying to seize economic power. As the nation plummets into the maelstrom, Phelix Blackstock, an aging relic from the Jim Crow era, sets in motion a plot 20 years in the making. He will install his puppet son, Senator Preston Blackstock, in the Presidency to carry out an agenda based on the worst excesses of the Right and Left. The only person who has an inkling of the plan is Clyde Savage, a Choctaw Indian sheriff in tiny Rose, Mississippi, Phelix’s home town. But for Clyde to stop the plot, he has to survive in a place that had spawned multitudes of world-class bigots.   The narrative begins when eight-year-old Thomas Fleming finds a baby’s corpse in a massive forest outside Rose. As Clyde investigates the death, he’s convinced he can pin it on Wallace Slade, a ruthless thug Clyde has...
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History whispers secrets. Sometimes, those secrets lie buried beneath centuries of dust, waiting for a chance to be unearthed. Enter The Lost King of England, a novel written to crack open the very foundation of a powerful, unseen entity—the Order. The Order, masked in mystery, dictates the lives of England's royals. Every decision, every action, choreographed in a silent ballet of control. But what happens when a king decides to defy the script? William, our enigmatic protagonist, straddles two worlds. Is he just a commoner or the real heir of the crown? He understands both the gold cage of royalty and the gritty freedom of ordinary life. Forced into a position of power, William has a choice: embrace the crown and become a puppet of the Order or choose his own path. The Lost King of England b y R. J. Batchelor doesn't just present a tale of a king's rebellion. It presents answers to a thousand questions: 1.       Can a king break free? The Order's p...