A STRATEGIC TRAINING PRIMER FOR NEW DEMOCRATS

A STRATEGIC TRAINING PRIMER FOR NEW DEMOCRATS

To be successful politically in these troubled times, after consultation with numerous Democrats, Antifa members, and supporters of Black Lives Matter, the author was able to organize a primer for young liberals that is sure to bring success to one’s political aspirations. Follow these suggestions. This should be enough to get you started.

  1. Avoid Fox News: Rely on CNN, liberal podcasts, MSBNC, etc.
  2. If you are ever put on a spot on a touchy issue, blame any difficulties on Trump.
  3. Never laugh or criticize President Biden, even if he falls, becomes confused, blacks out, shakes hands with an invisible person, or exits the stage prematurely or in the wrong direction.
  4. Accuse any who disagree with racism.
  5. Become a climate change warrior/fanatic against fossil fuels, any carbon emissions of appliances, etc.
  6. Minimize or show understanding for those committing violence or riots against conservatives or law enforcement, even shooting representatives at baseball games, or threatening Supreme Court Judges.
  7. Learn to deny, lie, spin, and talk without answering a difficult question.
  8. Politics can be very rewarding! Learn from those who know how to hide your cash and valuables!
  9. The Jefferson method: Hide $90,000 cash in freezer
  10. Menendez method: Hide a fortune of cash and gold bars in suits.
  11. It is not polite or civilized, but learn how to abuse conservatives in restaurants, town hall meetings, speakers at colleges or book events.
  12. Use Twitter and social media to shame, or threaten boycotts, etc.
  13. Disrupt or sabotage votes and meetings by flipping fire alarms, interruptions, etc.
  14. Criticize, dismiss, or ignore Democrats who do not follow the party line, i.e., RFK Kennedy, etc.
  15. REPEAT CONSTANTLY: The Border is secure!

Signing and Selling Books at Holiday Markets by Rickey Pittman

Signing and Selling Books at Holiday Markets

“I’ve never met a holiday market I didn’t like.—Marissa Casciano

I am a storyteller, folksinger and songwriter, and the author of these three children’s picture books: Cajun ABC, Louisiana Animals ABC, and the Louisiana Night Before Christmas. Last week, I signed these books for several hours for three days. The event was Tinsel & Treasures, sponsored  by the Junior League of Lafayette, held in the Cajun Dome, using the wonderful staff of volunteers. It is designed to help support the Leagues charities and causes. If you would like to learn more of this event, view the image below. HERE is the link for the event’s Facebook page.

            My publisher (Pelican/Arcadia based in New Orleans) knows that the best time to sell books is the fall, the festive holiday season, so he made the decision to follow the money and attend the largest Holiday Markets in Louisiana, promoting the work of local Louisiana authors. Tinsel & Treasures was a very successful event for my publisher (and myself)  and will be followed by Holidays in Baton Rouge (Oct. 18-21)  at Cane River’s Center, and The Steinhauer Christmas Extravaganza, at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center (Dec. 8-10).

            These markets are well-advertised festive events, and I always see many happy faces in spite of overpriced food, concessions, and drinks.  Though the shoppers must pay to attend, they are eager and excited to see the numerous vendors. Excellent security is provided. The crowds are large and the full parking lots indicate a high degree of interest. Holiday music and sometimes live entertainment create a nice mood. There are door prizes and silent auctions for the women who attend. (There are very few men seen).  If you attend, you will see an endless stream of well-dressed women shopping with friends, expectant mothers shopping for their little ones, moms with newborn babies carried in baby-sling-wraps, and wide-eyed pre-school girls or toddlers holding their mother’s hands as they learn to shop.  The crowds are so large that baby carriages are only allowed in a few windows of time and shoppers are required to use clear shopping bags.

            Pelican/Arcadia is the only book publishing company I’ve seen at these holiday events, though I have seen a very few individual authors with booths. Usually there are four local authors each day for the Pelican booth, and usually they work a two-hour shift promoting and signing their books, and then leave to do their own shopping or to return home. I always work a full day when I sign, working steadily without pressure or gimmicks, relying on the quality of my books and my elevator speech to move shoppers to action. I always gather new contacts for my school Songs & Stories programs.  The event generally has a hospitality room for authors and vendors to serve snacks, meals, coffee and other drinks, which  can take the edge and pressure off the hard work of marketing books.

            Yes, it’s very physically demanding to work a holiday market,  and often quite a drive for me as the events are in South Louisiana and I live in North Louisiana. Yet, when each day of pitching and signing my books is over, I join the Pelican staff for a late supper, and retire bone weary to my hotel for a short night’s sleep, rising in the morning to a hotel breakfast and coffee, and push myself through the next day’s book signing. Trying to make it as a writer is sometimes a brutal experience, but as one famous writer said,  “All serious daring starts from within.” —Eudora Welty, Pulitzer Prize winning author and Junior League of Jackson, Mississippi volunteer

Archaeology: Discovering the Past on a Tour

Debbie Adams Gullet is a fascinating and very talented lady. She is an RN, a history fanatic, a lover of Science, a martial arts student, a ghost chaser, an animal lover, a world traveler, and a collector of weapons and antiques. I  first met her on a group tour to Scotland in 2018, on which I was a featured music performer. Somehow we started a conversation about history and she shared some information on an archaeology trip to Turkey she had participated in. Some photos of her trip are included at the end of this post.  In response to my questions for an interview, here is what she said.

  1. (Have you always been interested in history and archaeology? Do you subscribe to any archaeological journals/magazines?  Biblical Archaeological Review? Have you taken any classes or studied any subjects that were helpful?) I have loved history and archeology since I was a little girl finding arrowheads in creeks and fields. Western Civilization was one of my favorite college subjects. I have subscribed to Biblical Archeology Review and Archeology Magazine, but now I mainly just read online. I’m a Registered Nurse by trade but have an extensive home library that includes history, anthropology, and archeology.
  2. (Where did you go in Turkey? Were you with a group? How many were in the group? Did you work with more than one site? Does Turkey have many strict rules?) I visited Turkey on a Mediterranean tour with a group via Explorica. They do educational tours all over the world. I was lucky enough to know someone that got me into the dig sites in Ephesus. They were excavating a gladiator cemetery and a huge amphitheater. I was a glorified dirt hauler!
  3. (How did you find out about this trip? What is the typical day like for participants on a trip like this?) I found this trip through some friends, I had never known about Explorica. They’re a great company for educational tours.  My typical day started early, breakfast, then we would shuttle to the site for work till dinner, then made time for some sightseeing.
  4. (Did you make new friends on this trip? Who stood out among those you worked with?) I have made some great friends on these trips and keep up with many of them. Some of us have traveled together on several trips.
  5. (What important things did you learn from this experience? Did you find or bring back any relics? Did others find anything?) It’s illegal to take any artifacts from a site. You can buy some in shops but be very wary of fakes, these fake relics are big business. We were mainly digging up architectural items like columns or structural stones. There were bins in the warehouse of things that hadn’t been worked through yet.
  6. (Did you visit any museums, churches, or ruins? Anything Bible related? What was the most beautiful/memorable site you saw? Did you return with a list of things you wanted to study further?) I was able to visit museums and ruins in Athens, Delphi, Santorini,  Knossos on Crete, and other islands. Ephesus has a wonderful museum. I explored Patmos and the cave where the Book of Revelation, written by John the Elder in about 96 AD. He was exiled from Ephesus after preaching there by the Roman Emperor Domitian and his anti-Christian rule. There was a beautiful monastery with loads of artifacts on display there too. I also visited Meryamana Evi, a shrine where legend says Mary Magdalene was cared for by St John after they fled the Crucifixion. It was amazing to walk where these people once walked. Very humbling. The most engaging and beautiful site I saw was the ruins of the Library of Celsus in Ephesus. I can just imagine all the stacks of scrolls. Cleopatra even studied there. I always leave a site with more questions when I leave. It makes for some great research and reading!
  1. (If someone would like to take a similar trip/tour/expedition, what advice would you give them? What should they expect? What is the estimated financial cost? How can they prepare for the hard work? What clothing should they pack?) If anyone is interested in educational trips abroad, I suggest they check out Explorica, Road Scholar or others on the web. These are safe convenient ways to travel and learn. Be prepared to do much walking and be ready for rough terrain and heat/cold. Overseas does not make everything accessible like we do in the US. There are stairs, hills, and rocks. I usually plan for $5-7,000 for my trips but there are ways to cut costs depending on lodging, dining, etc. It’s well worth the cost to me to explore our world and our past.

Political Fads Are a Slippery Slope

The definition of a slippery slope is an idea or course of action, that will lead to something unacceptable wrong, or disastrous. Politically, we have many possible examples of fads that have backfired. A fad is an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object’s qualities; a craze.  For example, here are a few fads that have not turned out well, that have caused individuals, families, organizations, and our nation to tumble down slopes as we attempt to navigate our way on the difficult terrain of slippery ice. 

1. Transgender fad:

2. Ending the construction of the border wall. The open, porous border has allowed sex trafficking, floods of drugs (killing thousands of Americans), cartel activity, terrorist presence, and gangs.

3. Sanctuary cities: The idea sounded so noble, but living with the reality of providing sanctuary to the hordes who have invaded our land illegally has shown that the idea is unsustainable.

4. No cash bail, release of recidivist criminals. Defunding police.

5. Not prosecuting minor crimes, forbidding the pursuit of criminals.

6. Not dealing with mob violence, riots, and destruction of property, Black Lives Matter and Antifa were given a pass.

7. War on fossil fuel in America. That cost us energy independence.

8. Electric car fad: These cars are too expensive,  unreliable, and there is a power supply problem.

9. Hatred and persecution of President Trump. Blind support of Biden. There’s lots of buyer’s remorse for voting for Biden. Why was there so much hatred for Trump? I know why the rich, liberal elite hated and feared him: he exposed their corruption and threatened their power. The average Trump hater’s reasons?

10. Believing more or free money is the answer to all ills.

11. The hysterical fad of climate change.

12. The anti-Israel fad. I never thought I’d see Holocaust deniers in academia.

These fads have consequences. There is a cause and effect. It is obvious that many of our major cities–due to fleeing businesses, out-of-control crime, fleeing residents, massive homeless populations, and declining tourist trade–are becoming slum dystopias. While the idea of a slippery slope can be used as a fallacy, slippery slopes do exist and our nation is on one. Get ready for a rocky, roller coaster ride.

A Post About the Kiowa Indians

For many years, I have made presentations at the Union Parish Library and to the schools in Union Parish that the library works with. Stephanie Antley Herrmann is one of the hardest working librarians I’ve ever known. When I shared with her a little about the western novel I’m working on, she shared Billy  Barham’s exceptional program  she has sponsored about the Kiowa Indians (who play a part in my novel).

Billy Barham’s mother is full-blooded Kiowa and still spoke the language up until her death. Her photo is on a traveling display with her story from the State Dept. of Archaeology/Culture. Billy is her son and he does educational programs with a WEALTH of information. We usually book him annually somewhere. He has a museum worth of Kiowa beadwork and other materials. He and his children and grand children participate in Pow-Wows and do programs in full headdress regalia, etc.

Here are some awesome photos from his presentation:’

Bard of the South Short Bio & List of Venues He’s Worked With

Pittman Bio & Resume

Rickey E. Pittman, the Bard of the South, is a storyteller, author, and folksinger. He was the Grand Prize Winner of the 1998 Ernest Hemingway Short Story Competition, and is originally from Dallas, Texas. Pittman presents his stories, music and programs at schools, libraries, organizations, museums, historical reenactments, restaurants, banquets, and Celtic festivals throughout the South. An adjunct college English instructor with an M.A. from Abilene Christian University, he has fourteen published books, four music CDs and several single releases. Writer for Heartbeat radio program 1992-94, Abilene, TX.

Some Festivals, Conferences, Workshops and Other Events Featuring Pittman as Music Performer, Storyteller, or Speaker:

*St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Hot Springs, AR
*French Quarter Festival, New Orleans
*Northeast Louisiana Celtic Fest, Monroe LA Mississippi Celtic Fest, Jackson MS
*Salado Scottish Festival, Salado TX
*Arlington Scottish Festival, Arlington TX
*Highland Games, Jackson, LA
*North Texas Irish Festival, Dallas
*Cowtown Celtic Festival, Fort Worth (2011)
*Bedford Texas Celtic Festival
*Sam Houston Folklife Festival, Huntsville TX
*Houston Scottish Festival
*Arkansas Scottish Festival, Batesville AR
*Patrick Cleburne Festival, Cleburne TX.
*St. Patrick Festival, Dublin TX
*St. Patrick Festival, Sidney, AR
*Corney Creek Festival, Bernice LA
*Tartan Festival, Minden, LA
*St. Andrews Banquets & Robert Burns Suppers
*Museum & Library Presentations
*Florida, Arkansas & Louisiana Reading Associations, Louisiana Library Association
*Red Brick Tavern, Conroe TX
*Storytelling and music, Gladyss Porter Zoo, Brownsville, TX
*Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo, Monroe LA Brown Bag Concerts
*Opened for Bobby Bridger’s Lakota, April 2013 AGEXPO, West Monroe LA
*Farmers Markets churches, Rotary and Lions Club presentations, Veterans Organizations
*Presenter at HESTEC Community Day Literacy Event. (2013) South Texas Literacy Coalition
*American Indian Arts Celebration, Seminole Reservation, Clewiston FL
*Storyteller, performer, & reenactor at Okeechobee Florida Battlefield Historical Event

Other Author Events: Books ‘n Authors ‘n All that Jazz (Weatherford TX; Young Authors & Illustrators Killeen TX; Pulpwood Queens Girlfriend Weekend; Young Authors of Rapides Parish; Laredo Book Festival; Director of Harlingen, TX Book Festival (2013); Ozark Creative Writers Conference; Texas Educational Service Centers, I, II, III, VIII, XI; LOS NINOS, Head Start Conference; Rotary & Lion’s Club Presentations.

Published Books by Rickey Pittman

Louisiana Animals ABC *Rio Grande Valley ABC *Cajun ABC *Louisiana Night Before Christmas (Three of these books were featured at the Louisiana Book Festival in Baton Rouge)
*The Scottish Alphabet *The Irish Alphabet *Ariel: Therapy Dog of the Rio Grande Valley *Jim Limber Davis: A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House. (Accelerated Reader  selection) *Stonewall Jackson’s Black Sunday School. Accelerated Reader & Award from the Colonial Dames of America *Stories of the Confederate South * Under a Comanche Moon & Other Stories *The Confederate Alphabet *Red River Fever
*Under the Witch’s Mark *Book of Facts About the Scots Irish, & Other Celts
*Blood Diamonds of the Lost Bazaar

Contact Information:

Rickey E. Pittman
1105 N. 8th Street Monroe LA 71201
(318) 547-2906 rickeyp@bayou.com
Website: http://www.bardofthesouth.com
Member: Twin City Rotary, Monroe, LA & Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators

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Songs & Stories Presentations for Home School Organizations

Songs & Stories Presentations for Home School Organizations

I would like to offer your organization an author visit and presentation at one of your future meeting, titled Songs & Stories of Louisiana. I am the author of these children’s picture books: Cajun ABC, Louisiana Animals ABC, and Louisiana Night Before Christmas. For older students I have the Book of Facts About the Scots, Irish, & Other Celts. All three children’s books have been featured books in the Louisiana Book Festival in Baton Rouge. The presentation is fun, uses audience participation, and has many photo moments. There is a show-and-tell table, I use students for a Cajun band to play along with me, I have family friendly songs, and I talk about my books and the craft of writing. If you book a presentation, I will design a flier for you to send out before I visit.

A little more about me: I am a college instructor for the University of Louisiana at Monroe and Delta Community College. I have found through the years that homeschooled students are typically my best students.  Here is a chance for you to have an award-winning author of fifteen published books, an experienced and well-known Scottish and Irish Storyteller, songwriter, and folk singer with five CDs and several single releases. I have worked with many schools, libraries, and festivals. You can see that list of venues on this blog, dated August 15. I would be honored if I could work with your homeschool organization as well.  A stipend to cover travel and lodging (if necessary) would be appreciated.

I hope to hear from you! My contact information is below.

Rickey Pittman
The Bard of the South
1105 N. 8th Street
Monroe LA 71201
(318)547-2906
rickeyp@bayou.com

 

 

David G. Burnet Quick Fact Sheet

I made this for the alumni of the David G. Burnet Elementary School I attended. I discovered there’s much more I could have added. (He was quite a colorful man!) This study was good for me as I learned some things I did not know!  I hope you like it. Feel free to share!