Not so Serious Movie Review: Invasion USA (1985)

 

Should be called Chuck Norris: Christmas Vacation. 

Chuck Norris goes to Florida, wrestles an alligator, drinks some beers, and stops a terrorist army from destroying America. Based on a real Tuesday in the life of Chuck Norris. 

RIP to the legend.

Book Signing - March 22nd, 2026 at Skip's Bar and Grill in Dunedin

 

I am very excited to announce my first book signing in Dunedin, Florida. I like doing book signings of my baseball novel in conjunction with Spring Training, running from February to March. While I have done signings in Tampa, Clearwater, and Bradenton, I have not yet done Dunedin. But dun-dun-dun, Dunedin is now on the schedule!

I will be at Skip’s Bar, 371 Main St Dunedin, FL 34698 from noon to 5pm this Sunday. Skip’s is only 0.6 miles from TD Ballpark, spring home of the Toronto Blue Jays. Dunedin gets crowded and its a fun area to be in, especially on baseball days. I hope to see everyone there!

The Indie Dilemma

 

When I set out to release Curveball at the Crossroads to the masses way back in 2013, when the book was 95% finished, I originally looked for a publisher. From 2013 to 2015, I emailed several dozen agents and publishers. I received a few rejection letters and a lot of ghosting.

After re-writing the ending and adding additional scenes to the novel in 2020, I perused publishing again. The less said about Gabriel Vaughn and Legacy Book Publishing the better. Not a good experience.

That led me to self-publishing. Following a few years of my own hustle, I learned I am referred to as an “Indie Author” and that this is a badge to be worn proudly. I am proud of my work regardless, but people say I should be proud to be an indie author, so here I am. I own all my own rights, negotiate all my own deals, and make all my own profit. Income is split between me and my distributor, be it Ingram or Amazon.

There are downsides to being an indie author. All of the marketing, hustle, and promotion is on me. Spreading the word is tough. Social media has not been a magic panacea as it is for other authors. I have less than 1,000 followers on tiktok and Instagram and less than 2,000 on twitter. I get it. My book is not in a tik-tok friendly genre. Despite booktok’s overwhelming legendary clout, it’s not for everyone. I’m there, but it’s not a gamechanger.

I’ve done what I can to get positive feedback. I’ve done morning television, newspaper write-ups, and given away dozens of free books to get reviews from people I think might influence my demographic. Those who have replied have liked the book, which is a good thing. Good reviews help me stand out.

Standing out is important when it comes to attracting other book reviewers. They look for what’s trending, what’s hot, and what’s popping. From what I have seen, they rarely take a chance on random indie books. There is a stereotype that indie equals less than. Indie authors have to have an even bigger buzz than traditional releases to be reviewer, which is even more difficult given indie book’s lack of marketing machine.

It’s unfortunately a battle indie authors rarely win and therein lies the problem. If a reviewer dismisses indie authors because the authors haven’t gone through the traditional publishing process, they are doing their readers a disservice. Plain and simple.

The other day, I read a substack column by Summer Brennan, a writer and book reviewer. I don’t know Summer at all. I’ve never read her books and until Substack recommended her article to me, I had never heard of her. Apparently she has 23,000 followers, but it was her content that got my attention, not her follower count. In the giant, massive, enormous slush pile that is online content, I took the time to read her post because it caught my interest. I didn’t gatekeep.

What Summer said bothered me a bit.

“The problem with trying to put self-published books on my reviewing radar is that I have no idea how to find the good ones in an expedient manner. This concern is not new. Doing so would take far too much time. The world of self-published books is, essentially, one enormous slush pile—perhaps the world’s largest and slushiest—and I don’t have interns who can take the time to look for those inevitable, rare gems—nor do I think it economical to do so.”

When it comes to indie novels, all reviewers have to do is check the ratings. If 25 ratings is enough, then my book makes the cut. If 50 or 250 is the minimum, then I don’t make the cut. But never fear, Bookweb.org, Indiebound.org, Indiebookspotlight, and Kirkus have websites dedicated to top indie books. Even Amazon has a Top Indie Books ranking. I found all that with a quick, two-minute DuckDuckGo search. DuckDuckGo is your friend. But if two minutes is far too much time, so be it. Some people are busy.

Imagine writing a list of the top movies of 2025 and not listing any indie movies. Imagine your list only consisted of the top five film studios – Disney, Warner Brothers, Sony, Universal, and Paramount. Imagine writing a list of the top rock bands of 2025 and not including any indie rock bands. Imagine writing a list of the top professional wrestlers in the world and your list was only wrestlers in WWE and AEW. Those reviewers would be laughed out of the building. They would have no credibility because they didn’t do their homework. I know reading a book takes more time than watching a movie, listening to a song, or watching a wrestling match, but I expect credible reviewers to do their homework.

There are a lot of indie musicians, indie movie makers, and indie wrestlers who make a good living. There are also a lot of indie authors who do as well. They are goals. I like being an indie author. If I want to release an unprofessional book, I can. If I want to release a book that can go toe-to-toe with anything on the New York Times Bestseller list, I can do that too. I can release a mixtape. I can release a double album. I can be like Lil Wayne and release a chapter every Monday for a year. As an indie author, I can do whatever I want. Gatekeepers be damned.

And as for the critics that might not like that, to paraphrase the Adam Sandler classic Big Daddy, “Indie authors only caught a bad rap because most critics are cynical assholes.”

Spaces to Grow, Places to Belong

I have written in the past that comedian, columnist, and advocate Jenn Sterger is one of my online writing influences. We were at Florida State University at the same time. I was in grad school, preparing for a life in International Affairs when she arrived on – or was thrown into – the sports culture world. When I saw she had a blog and was writing for Sports Illustrated, I was inspired to also find a place to write online. Blogging was the thing to do and I was a former Writer of the Year at the Florida State student newspaper. Writing had gotten in my blood.

Fast forward twenty years (jeez!), and Jenn and I are still writing. Her move to substack, combined with a few conversations with my other writer friends regarding a push-mailing list-based blogging platform, led me to create my own substack, which is probably how you are reading this. Outside of writing, our careers have had some other parallels, albeit in very different fields. I am not comparing my trials, tribulations, and career turmoil to hers, but I will say that career-caused mental health is understudied and under-served. We both needed help to get through some tough times and we have both found solace in the creative arts.

Pause: if you haven’t read, listened to, or watched Jenn’s story, this is a good time to do so. Seriously, she is a warrior. Duck Duck Go is your friend.

These days, after years of survival and reinvention, Jenn is in the stand-up comedy circuit. She is kicking ass, and touring America with some of the biggest names in comedy. I’ve seen her perform in Tampa a few times with names that sell out arenas. People are discovering her now because of her comedy, and that’s what she wants.

Although I have never gone through the public scrutiny she has, I completely identified with a line she wrote in her recent blog post. When discussing how she thought of herself as a high achiever who couldn’t settle down anywhere because she was labeled “difficult”, she wrote:

“Maybe the issue was that I kept trying to grow in environments that were never designed for me.”

Woah.

First, let’s admit that I have never been called “difficult” and how that term carries different weight for men and women in the workforce. That’s a thing.

Label aside, I have also had a difficult time settling down. A dating interest asked me recently what I have not been able to find that has led me to being single at 48. I told her stability. The longest I have been at one job in the last twenty years was almost four years, and that was my first job from mid-2006 to early 2010. Since 2010, I have had 15 jobs, to include side gigs and 1099 work. I average a new company every year. Very successful people have told me they don’t understand how I can’t keep a job.

For the numerically inclined:

•     Layoffs: 5
•     End of contract job terminations: 4
•     Internships left at end of term: 2
•     Resignations: 1

Some people have a list of ex-girlfriends or ex-boyfriends, I have a list of ex-companies. When I did stand-up years ago my opener was “I lost my job recently. Let me rephrase that, I didn’t lose my job. I know exactly where it is. But when my boss handed me my notice, I knew I would never see it again.”

Let’s look again at Jenn’s statement:

“Maybe the issue was that I kept trying to grow in environments that were never designed for me.”

I have tried to make a career of government contracting. I have tried to hop from one contract to another, developing skills and moving up in salary and status. But that’s not how government contracting works. I was trying to do something no one else does. I was trying to fit a square career in a circle hole.

Career growth and career development were never talked about when I took jobs. The last time I was promoted in a work place was when I was in military uniform in 1998. Seriously.

The type of government contracting I did was designed for people who were already experts or proficient in their field. They are hired to come in, do a job for a certain amount of time, and then leave. It is very transactional. Only the program managers, contract writers, business development folks, and senior staff have long term positions. The rest of the employees are at the whim of the contract. If the government doesn’t renew, or ends the contract for whatever reason, employees on the contract are advised to “go to our website and find any open positions”.

Why was I always seen as expendable? I only willingly left one job out of 15. The other jobs dumped me.

Was it because I don’t have the background of the career military people who look out for their fellow retirees? Was it because I was too expensive – often the case for the internships? Was it because I lacked skills? Was it because I didn’t fit in socially, militarily, or politically in workplaces that are becoming more governed by red-hat groupthink?

Could be any one of those reasons. It could also be because “I kept trying to grow in environments that were never designed for me”.

In her blog post, Jenn wrote:

“At my best, I’m the classic high-achieving gifted kid turned star employee, the one who sees patterns others miss and solutions others don’t think to look for. I work hard, think fast, and push past limits because that’s what I was trained to do.”

She writes in order to fit in, she “masked”, hiding her true self in environments where she wasn’t a good fit for the benefit of her career. That was my time in the defense contracting space. I fit in amongst old white male military retirees who think a certain way politically and watch the same news channel. I found my job interesting, did it to the best of my ability, and got a good paycheck. But I couldn’t grow in a world where promotions and advancement don’t exist. And if I am not growing, I am probably getting frustrated - on top of the social workplace frustrations.

As Jenn developed a passion and success in comedy, I built recognition in my novels and books. I am good at writing, selling, and hustling. As a self-published author, I grow through experimenting and running with what works.

I have designed my own environment, albeit one that doesn’t pay the bills. But there is growth. I am developing a reputation as a writer that I am proud of. I have almost more pride in my writing than in my twenty years in defense contracting. That was a job. The creative arts are my passion.

I was laid off from my last defense contracting job in April 2025. Although there are good people there, some of whom I am still friends with, I have no intention of going back. I was hurt too bad by defense companies and their bad management. I had to get therapy to get over that. When I explained my pattern of reapplying to a field that has treated me poorly numerous times, my therapist said my career was similar to an abusive relationship.

Every time I went back, I thought it would be different. I thought it would be better.

That’s a phrase commonly echoed in abusive relationships. I need to break free, take the skills I have acquired, and pivot someone where I can be myself. I am currently exploring fields such as Business Continuity, Disaster Response, or Emergency Management. Preferably at company that provides stability.

Somewhere where I can grow.

Thanks again, Jenn, for another writing inspiration.

Add him to the song

 

This May, Star Wars hits the big screen for the first time in several years with The Mandalorian and Grogu, a cinematic expansion on the popular streaming franchise. In anticipation for the movie, Star Wars social media has been sharing clips and scenes from past episodes of The Mandalorian. While most videos are of Mando flying or shooting or of Grogu using the force or being cute - everything you would expect from the series - there is one clip that was different. Instead of adrenaline, one clip went for the heart.

In a scene from Season 3, Episode 24, we see Din Djarin, the Mandalorian, attempt to add Grogu to the clan of the Mandolorians. The Armorer, official keeper of Mandalorian tradition, denies Din Djarin’s request, stating that Grogu cannot speak therefor he can’t take the creed. The Mandalorian then asks if Grogu’s parents can speak for him. While the Armorer approves of the request, she states that Grogu’s parents are not present and may not be alive. Din Djarin responds by offering to adopt Grogu, making him Grogu’s father and Grogu a part of the clan. The scene tugs on the heartstrings, cementing the bond that grew between the Mandalorian and Grogu through the episodes.

It is also indicative of how I feel about my cat. 

 

I rescued Oliver on August 1st, 2024. It was the second time in his six years he was rescued. It will be the last time.

Oliver aka Oily aka Oily Boily first came into my apartment in November 2022. I attempted to help his owner, a friend at the time, get back on her feet. She rescued Oliver when he was a kitten and moved him from Florida to various states then back to Florida. He lived with her mother, her friends, and her significant and not-so-significant others. When I opened my home to her, she brought him with her. Unfortunately, the demons of substance abuse and addiction were too much for our friendship to bear and I told her to leave in July 2024. When she left, she took Oliver.

For the year and half that she on and off crashed at my place, Oliver was always hers. He and I got along, but he had a mom. And when she left with him, I thought about getting another cat. But when my friend’s mother called me three weeks later at nearly 11pm to say my friend abandoned Oliver at the home of an old high school friend and the friend was going to get rid of him the next day, I drove 40 minutes to make Oliver mine.

When I picked him up at the high school friend’s apartment, Oliver was scared. While the guy was nice, he had Oliver in a cage. My feline friend was in a strange place with a strange person, locked behind cold, metal bars. He was sad and he was scared.

By the time I returned home with Oliver, it was just short of midnight. I had no idea if he had been fed or not, so after letting him out of his cage so he could re-acclimate to my apartment, I raced to the nearest 7-11 for a few cans of cat food. I remember giving him half a can of turkey feast. He ate as if he hadn’t eaten in days.

To be honest, during the first few days, I wasn’t sure I was going to keep him. If she came back, I was ready to give him to her and bid them both farewell, especially if it meant her leaving and never coming back. I had zero interest in getting re-tangled in her problems.

But I quickly realized I couldn’t give him away. He deserved better. He deserved a good home. When he curled next to me on the couch on his second day back and placed his head on my leg, I knew I was that good home. I was the better he deserved.

Almost two years later, Oliver has become my little guy. He curls up to me almost every night. He is always in what ever room I am in, even the bathroom. He gets hugs. He gets treats. He gets more than enough toys. He gets spoiled on his birthday. He sits on the porch of my apartment and watches the ducks swim in the pond. He is living his best life.

Like Grogu, I don’t know where Oliver’s parent is or if she is even alive. We hope she is sober and safe but those are her choices to make. We have charted our own journey. Like Din Djarin, I might not have intended to have a little guy in my life, but sometimes the Force works in mysterious ways. Like the Mandalorian and Grogu, Oliver and I are a team. We are a family.

This is the way.

 

My 2025 Year in Books

According to Goodreads, I read 22 books in 25. That's not bad. A few less than I read in 2024, but still a good amount. My goal was 18 and I exceed that.

Here are the books I read in 2025 from latest to earliest. If you want to connect with me on Goodreads, click here.     

Veil of Eden: Expired
Larkin, Andra
Fiction, Dystopian
5 of 5 stars
Finished Dec 31, 2025

Destined for Destiny: The Unauthorized Autobiography of George W. Bush
Scott Dikkers

3 of 5 stars
read, comedy, fiction, politics
Finished Nov 23, 2025

Screaming Streets
Jensen, Stephanie E. *
5 of 5 stars
read, fiction, horror
Finished Nov 16, 2025

Dissecting House (Mina Bassey, Serial Killer)
Jensen, Stephanie
5 of 5 stars
read, fiction, horror
Nov 11, 2025

House of Sunshine
Jensen, Stephanie E.
5 of 5 stars
read, fiction, horror
Nov 06, 2025

The Kitty Killer Cult
Smith, Nick
3 of 5 stars
read, fiction
Finished Nov 01, 2025

The Man Didn’t Want This Book Published
Scrubbings, Jordi *
5 of 5 stars
read, comedy, nonfiction

Finished Oct 02, 2025

Gone to the Wolves
Wray, John
4 of 5 stars
read, fiction, metal

Finished Sep 28, 2025

 

Smashed, Squashed, Splattered, Chewed, Chunked and Spewed
Carbuncle, Lance

5 of 5 stars

Finished Sep 18, 2025

 

The Fall of the Roman Umpire
Luciano, Ron
3 of 5 stars
read, comedy, nonfiction, sports
Finished Sep 07, 2025

 

Tales from the Dusty Tiger
Ginsberg, Joshua

5 of 5 stars

read, fiction, horror

Finished Aug 31, 2025

How Lucky
Leitch, Will
4 of 5 stars
read, fiction
Finished Aug 21, 2025

The Killer Angels (The Civil War Trilogy, #2)
Shaara, Michael
5 of 5 stars
read, fiction, history, war
Finished Aug 17, 2025

How to Love Yankees With a Clear Conscience
Whaley, Bo
3 of 5 stars
read, comedy, nonfiction
Finished Jul 15, 2025

We Sold Our Souls
Hendrix, Grady
5 of 5 stars
read, fiction, horror, metal
Finished Jul 03, 2025

Blood and Honor (Honor Bound, #2)
Griffin, W.E.B.
2 of 5 stars
read, fiction, war
Finished Jun 12, 2025

Heartbeat and Other Tales of the Weird and Macabre
Jensen, Stephanie E.

5 of 5 stars
read, fiction, horror
Finished Jun 12, 2025

Shook! A Black Horror Anthology
Barnes, Rodney
4 of 5 stars
read, fiction, horror
Finished May 16, 2025

Goon
Lee, Edward
4 of 5 stars
read, fiction, horror
Finished Apr 09, 2025

The Motern Method
Farley, Matt

5 of 5 stars

read, business, nonfiction
Finished Apr 07, 2025

Con-thology: Stories of Convention Horror
Ford, Douglas
5 of 5 stars
Finished Mar 08, 2025

Business @ the Speed of Thought: Succeeding in the Digital Economy
Gates, Bill
3 of 5 stars
read, business, nonfiction
Finished: 14 Jan 2025

My 2025 Year in Movies

I watched quite a lot of movies in 2025. Sixty-nine (nice!) to be exact. That's a lot. I also joined Letterboxd to keep track of what I have watched. I recommend Letterboxd. It is not really a social site, but it is a great place to review the movies you watch.

In 2025, the most popular movie I watched was Sinners, by far. It was probably my favorite movie of the year. I talked about Sinners on my youtube page as well as on my tiktok. I also wrote a review of Sinners on American Blues Scene. 

But 2025 was more than Hollywood blockbusters about vampires and the Blues. It was also the year I dove into the Joel Wynkoop filmography. After discovering Joel in Clownado in the end of 2024, I watched six Joel Wynkoop movies in 2025.

• The Craiglon Incident I
• The Craiglon Incident II
• The Craiglon Incident III
• Indiscretions
• Strip Club Slasher
• Dirty Cop, No Donut 

According to Letterboxd, my favorite types of movies are: 

 

I don't disagree. Here is the entire list of movies I watched in 2025.

• Hologram Man (1995) ★★
• Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010) ★★★★
• FX's A Christmas Carol (2019) ★★★★
• He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special (1985) ★★★
• Escape from Angola (1976) ★
• Assault of the Killer Bimbos (1988) ★★★
• Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure (2003) ★
• The NeverEnding Story (1984) ★★★★★
• Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) ★★★★
• The Dark Crystal (1982) ★★★★★
• Poster for Rock Star (2001) ★★★★
• Nuremberg (2025) ★★★★★
• From Justin to Kelly (2003) ★
• Shaft (1971) ★★★★★
• Fart: A Documentary (2016) ★★★
• A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985) ★★★
• Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street (2019)  ★★★★
• Devil's Partner (1961) ★★★
• Santa Jaws (2018) ★★★★★
• Dante's Hell Animated (2013) ★★★
• Mahakaal (1994) ★★★★
• Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) ★★★★
• Strip Club Slasher (2010) ★★
• HIM (2025) ★★★
• Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College (1990) ★★
• Grunt! The Wrestling Movie (1985) ★★★★★
• Laserblast (1978) ★★
• Electrocuting an Elephant (1903) ★
• Waitress! (1982) ★★
• Monster (2008) ★★
• The Devil's Advocate (1997) ★★★★★
• Happy Gilmore 2 (2025) ★★★★
• Suburban Commando (1991)  ★★
• Gone (2002) ★
• Satyr Monks (1994) ★★★
• 5-25-77 (2008) ★★★★★
• Shaolin Iron Finger (1977) ★★★
• The Craiglon Incident III: Annihilation (2022) ★★
• The Craiglon Incident II: Aftermath (2021) ★★★
• The Craiglon Incident (2021) ★★★
• The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974) ★★★★
• Indiscretions (2009) ★★
• Cloak & Dagger (1984) ★★★
• Werewolves on Wheels (1971) ★★★
• Warlock: The Armageddon (1993) ★★★
• Fanboys (2009) ★★★★
• The Beast Comes At Midnight (2023) ★★★★
• Warlock (1989) ★★★★
• Sinners (2025) ★★★★★
• Nothing But a Man (1964) ★★★★★
• Desperate Cargo (1941) ★★★
• Robo Vampire (1988) ★★★★★
• Just a Bit Outside: The Story of the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers (2024) ★★★★
• Blackenstein (1973) ★★★
• Disorderlies (1987) ★★★★
• Dirty Cop No Donut (1999) ★★★★
• I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) ★★★★
• Eephus (2024) ★★★
• Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. (1990) ★★★★
• Studio 666 (2022) ★★★★
• Bloody Murder 2: Closing Camp (2003) ★★★
• Deathgasm (2015) ★★★★★
• Ernest in the Army (1998) ★★
• Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) ★★★★
• Paganini Horror (1989) ★★★
• The Devil's Nightmare (1971) ★★★★
• Zombie Strippers! (2008) ★★★
• Freak City (1999) ★★★★
• Wizards (1977) ★★★★

Book Review: Beyond the Crossroads - The Devil in the Blues Tradition by Adam Gussow

 

With the release of the blockbuster movie Sinners, Beyond the Crossroads is a must read for anyone who wants to know the story beyond the story. Gussow thoroughly dissects the use of the term Devil in blues music from the earliest days before Robert Johnson, through Johnson's career, through the movie Crossroads, and into the 2000-era explosion of blues tourism in Clarksdale, MS. The book is split into several essays exploring the aspects of the devil and his association in the blues. Even though I thought I knew a lot about the subject, I learned a lot. Gussow is very, very thorough.

That said, Gussow writes like an academic. It almost too thorough. Beyond the Crossroads is not a quick read. The comparative theories and analysis create drag in the narrative. This is a book for the hardcore fans and academics, not for the casual blues fans. Even though the casual blues fans are the ones who probably need to read it.

Artificially Intelligencing the cover of Curveball at the Crossroads

 

The AI craze has taken over. Artificial Intelligence is everywhere. Even places where intelligence has never been. AI is lurking in the dark, about to steal your job, your life, and your lady. It knows all, sees all, and will be all up in your face like a can of mace.

I'm not one for AI'ing, but my good friend the Snowman of the Afro-Squad is. He is covertly trying to reprogram the algorithms one byte at a time. How many bytes does it take to get to the center of the algorithm? The world may never know.

While plugging away deep in the brain of our omnipotent algorithmic overlords, Snowman fed the program the cover my novel Curveball at the Crossroads. AI is trying to get on my good side, because this is a sweet alternative cover. I dig it. I'll never put it anywhere near my novel, but it is fun to look at. I like the increased fire around home plate. And those crossroads are mighty spooky.

Support real artists and real writers, folks. AI art is a fad. 

Not so Serious Movie Review: From Justin to Kelly

 

My latest not so serious cinematic misadventure: From Justin to Kelly (2003)

I have been putting this movie off for years. The time wasn't right.

But there is never a good time for this movie. Ever. According to the internet, forcing someone to watch this is punishable in 47 countries. Any viewing is considered cruel and unusual punishment in Rwanda, Singapore, and Turkmenistan.

This movie makes the Star Wars Christmas Special look like Casablanca.

Grade: 1 sunburnt generic bikini song of 5