News The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires HBO Picks Up The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires; The Righteous Gemstones Writers Attached The adaptation has been in the works since 2020, but we’re seeing some promising movement on it now. By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on July 24, 2024 Credit: Jake Giles Netter/HBO for photo of Danny McBride Comment 0 Share New Share Credit: Jake Giles Netter/HBO for photo of Danny McBride The television adaptation of Grady Hendrix’s Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires is still happening, albeit through a different network/streamer. We first found out that an adaptation was in the works way back in 2020, when Patrick Moran’s PKM Productions at Amazon bought rights to the book in a ten-buyer bidding war. Since then, there have been crickets about the project, though a film adaptation of Grady’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism premiered on Prime Video in 2022. Today, however, Deadline broke the news that “a comedy series” based on Southern Book Club has moved from Amazon to HBO, and that Hendrix along with The Righteous Gemstones’ Danny McBride (pictured above in the series) and Edi Patterson are penning the adaptation. Here’s the official synopsis of the adaptation (and the book), per Deadline: The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires follows Patricia Campbell, whose life has never felt smaller. Her husband is a workaholic, her teenage kids have their own lives, her senile mother-in-law needs constant care, and she’s always a step behind on her endless to-do list. The only thing keeping her sane is her book club, a close-knit group of Charleston women united by their love of true crime. At these meetings they’re as likely to talk about the Manson family as they are about their own families.One evening after book club, Patricia is viciously attacked by an elderly neighbor, bringing the neighbor’s handsome nephew, James Harris, into her life. James is well traveled and well read, and he makes Patricia feel things she hasn’t felt in years. But when children on the other side of town go missing, their deaths written off by local police, Patricia has reason to believe James Harris is more of a Bundy than a Brad Pitt. The real problem? James is a monster of a different kind—and Patricia has already invited him in. Little by little, James will insinuate himself into Patricia’s life and try to take everything she took for granted—including the book club—but she won’t surrender without a fight in this blood-soaked tale of neighborly kindness gone wrong. It’s interesting that the project is described as a comedy series, as the book, while certainly funny at times, is not what I would call comedic. I can see a take that would bring it there, however, and I’m curious to see what this adaptation will be like once it makes its way to the screen. [end-mark] The post HBO Picks Up <i>The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires</i>; <i>The Righteous Gemstones</i> Writers Attached appeared first on Reactor.

The historic Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., condemned an allegedly pro-Palestine maggot attack on its guests in a statement Wednesday, calling the matter an “unfortunate incident.” Video footage posted Wednesday morning by the Palestinian Youth Movement shows a table flanked by an Israeli and an American flag covered in a disgusting array of what appears to be maggots. The move is reportedly a response to the arrival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. The Israeli delegation is staying at the hotel. BON APPETIT!! MAGGOTS RELEASED ON THE CRIMINAL ZIONIST'S WAR TABLE!Palestine protestors manufactured chaos at the Watergate Hotel last night so that Netanyahu, Israeli Mossad agents, and the Secret Service had no peace as they continue to terrorize our people. pic.twitter.com/hEc2HzL8Jb— Palestinian Youth Movement (@palyouthmvmt) July 24, 2024 “BON APPETIT!!” the Palestinian Youth Movement captioned the video. “MAGGOTS RELEASED ON THE CRIMINAL ZIONIST’S WAR TABLE! Palestine protestors manufactured chaos at The Watergate Hotel last night so that Netanyahu, Israeli Mossad agents, and the Secret Service had no peace as they continue to terrorize our people.” In an Instagram statement that has since been deleted, the DMV Palestinian Youth Movement said that protesters “manufactured chaos” at The Watergate by triggering fire alarms, releasing crickets, and spreading maggots and mealworms on tables. Police stand guard outside The Watergate Hotel as pro-Palestinian activists demonstrate ahead of the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, D.C. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) “May their dreams be haunted by the death of our people and the decay of their society,” the statement said. “There will be no peace, no rest, until the war criminal’s arrest,” an apparent reference to Netanyahu. In response to a query from The Daily Signal, The Watergate Hotel said in a statement: “We are aware of the social media video circulating on multiple platforms involving The Watergate Hotel and the unfortunate incident that occurred at the property yesterday.” “Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our guests and staff,” the statement continued. “We took the necessary steps to ensure the property has been sanitized and is now operating as normal. We are cooperating fully with authorities, who are handling the situation. As this is an open case, we are unable to provide any further details at this time.” The Washington Metropolitan Police Department referred The Daily Signal to the Secret Service on the matter. The Secret Service, currently under fire for its handling of the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally where former President Donald Trump was shot, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Palestinian Youth Movement did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The post ‘Unfortunate Incident’: Watergate Hotel Condemns Pro-Palestine Maggot Attack, Secret Service Silent appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Of all the things UK authorities may have learned from the (authoritarian) way they handled the Covid pandemic – it’s disheartening to see that making things even worse, should another similar phenomenon occur, is the “lesson learned.” A Covid Inquiry report appears to serve the purpose of advocating for more efficient and therefore widespread mass digital and data surveillance. The report, resulting from a public inquiry, suggests that future events of the scale Covid – health, or otherwise – will, in the UK, require some sort of public debate – but more importantly, they will require “large scale (surveillance) digital platforms to be established.” The purpose of mentioning a “public debate” here would be to rubber-stamp such future activity ahead of time, the results of Baroness Heather Hallett’s inquiry suggest. So at least one lesson has actually been learned – don’t try to impose draconian, radical measures on an entire population without even the pretense of consent. It might come back to haunt you. But, UK’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty’s statements feature prominently in the report – this apparently medical professional comes across as a data expert who says data is “absolutely essential.” “Any future strategy for whole-system civil emergencies, including for pandemics, will need to be based upon the establishment of large-scale digital platforms,” the report said. What exactly the UK’s authorities are preparing for is anybody’s guess, but pandemics and their likes are singled out. And they will definitely need those large-scale digital platforms, the inquiry found. Yet whatever “whole-system civil emergency” may be, the report wants that public debate underway, and it, of course, resulting in consent – ASAP. The report is aware that now before such emergencies occur, there are some safeguards regarding how the authorities can use mass-scale data they hanker for – but the point here is to put the building blocks in place for when the government decides the emergency is happening. And this is what the government will need: “A reliable feed of live data for decision-makers from the very earliest moments of a crisis, (as) this will enable those decision-makers to have a firmer grip as events unfold.” Never forget, that George Orwell didn’t appear out of thin air. He may not have been born in the UK, but was certainly raised there. Speaking of,  and in terms of how the Covid restrictive measures adventure went there, the report notes that “(…) despite England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland being at risk of the same health emergency, the data and health systems were so different that they were a barrier to effective preparedness.” Hallett’s recommendation is – centralization. As the report put it, “the creation of a single, independent statutory body responsible for overseeing national emergency preparedness.” If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post UK COVID Inquiry Calls for Deployment of Mass Surveillance System To Prepare for Future “Emergencies” appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Five Democrat senators have penned a letter to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, as a form of not-so-subtle pressure to commit “to making its next foundation model available to US Government agencies for pre-deployment testing, review, analysis, and assessment.” But, “pre-deployment testing by government agencies”? Are these guys sure this is how any democratic (no pun) government should be speaking to a private company? What Altman is really being asked, critics say, is to commit to even broader Big Tech-Big Government collusion. The accusations of stepping out of bounds of what’s constitutionally allowed ahead and after the previous election, now range from involvement in censoring posts on social media, cutting revenue streams for individuals and businesses by teaming up with gargantuan advertising groups – to now seemingly tampering with future AI. It’s not like the senators have nothing to work with here: OpenAI very recently has former NSA Director Paul M. Nakasone as a member of its board. And OpenAI has a recently established Safety and Security Committee, of which Nakasone is a member. Plus, Altman is quoted as saying things like his company developing “levels to help us and stakeholders categorize and track AI progress.” But Democrat senators are not the only ones who get to ask questions. One could be – who exactly are your “stakeholders,” Altman? And could Nakasone’s switch from the government to tech (an extraordinary example of the “revolving door phenomenon) be considered as a way to implement “prior restraint”? That too is illegal in the US, as is the government censoring speech – and prior restraint, or prior censorship, is exactly what it says on the tin. These days a popular form of this would be, “prebunking.” And some form of AI is a necessary ingredient. The senators deciding to publicly lean on Altman at this particular time allegedly happened because of a Washington Post report citing employees concerned that safety testing is being “rushed through.” So “safety” of AI, and the industry leader-apparent, OpenAI’s stance, is how the letter’s point is presented. But then question number 9 – out of 12 – sneaked in. The same one quoted at the top of this article, asking – “Will OpenAI commit to making its next foundation model available to US Government agencies for pre-deployment testing, review, analysis, and assessment?” There’s also the question – what if the next US government is not controlled by Democrats? i.e., are Democrats playing a long collusion game? Or is this just one of the Hail Mary passes ahead of the November vote? If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Democrats Urge OpenAI To Allow Government Access to Models Before They Go Public appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. We all know that there are places in the world where simply using “bad language” can get you in trouble with the law. But it’s a pretty good bet most Americans don’t think theirs is one of those countries. However, the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) has found out about this. Last December, a video clip showing Maine Governor Janet Mills making gun comments elicited this three-word reaction from the group, which they posted on X: “F**k you. No.” That was their response to Mills saying there was a possibility “assault weapons” would be banned in the wake of the Lewiston shooting. And the reaction from the governor’s office to the FPC post was to “refer” FPC to the police officer responsible for Mills’s security. The implication is clear – the insult was taken as a threat. Unfortunately, there is no logic to this “logic,” resulting in Mills attracting more criticism that can be taken as an insult, though not as pointed – one report is now calling the governor “thin-skinned.” The right to bear arms is a constitutional right in the US (thanks to the Second Amendment, and explicitly legally cemented through the Supreme Court ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller). Yet this has not stopped the issue from remaining one of the many hot-button ones to the point where elected officials attempt to involve the police just to stop criticism. And, according to the Maine Wire, which found out about the governor’s office reaction and behavior through FOIA request documents – not only FPC, but this news outlet as well were “flagged” in the “referral” to the police. The Maine Wire is conservative-leaning media, while Mills is a Democrat. And so the outlet’s editor-in-chief Steve Robinson writes that past emails from Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’s deputy attempted to get the website investigated for what he says was “a cartoon graphic of an election ballot posted to social media.” Last week, FPC President Brandon Combs sent a letter to Mills and Bellows, invoking the First Amendment as well, to say: “You must surely be aware that our X post responding to Governor Mills’s discussion of an immoral ban on protected arms is clearly protected speech as there is absolutely no uncertainty about the law regarding this form of speech. If not, some education is in order. Naked authoritarianism, such as efforts to chill free speech, is not acceptable to FPC and our members. We strongly encourage you to learn more about protected speech and arms.” Reason Magazine sums this, and many similar incidents, as “a flurry of cases across the country involving government officials attempting to misuse the legal system and regulatory power to punish political opponents.” If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Thin-Skinned Maine Governor Refers Social Media Criticism To Police appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

My 'K-Files' Bookmark Is Already Packed and It's Only Wednesday UPDATE

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The Secret Service leadership has accomplished the unthinkable by uniting lawmakers across the political spectrum.With the Secret Service’s ugly nakedness revealing unimagined incompetence and disorganization, Director Kimberly Cheatle made the display far worse by stonewalling congressional Democrats and Republicans at Monday’s House oversight hearing.By adding seasoned professionals to protect the top candidates, the Secret Service under new leadership can quickly improve its capabilities.Cheatle and others have politicized the Secret Service the way the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the intelligence community have been politicized. The effects that DEI and other forms of critical race theory have had on the Secret Service were plain for all to see within seconds of the July 13 assassination attempt on Donald Trump.Apart from the investigations and recriminations for dereliction of duty, what can be done to improve protection for whomever will be our next president and vice president?A quick interim solution is to augment the executive security functions of the Secret Service by hiring skilled private contractors.By adding seasoned professionals to protect the top candidates for the highest positions in the land — personal security detail, counter-snipers, logisticians, drone operators, and others — the Secret Service under new leadership can quickly improve its capabilities.This is not a radical idea. A private company formed the embryo of today’s Secret Service. Allan Pinkerton’s private detectives, working as railroad security, uncovered a plot to assassinate President-elect Abraham Lincoln during an 1861 visit to Baltimore. After the State Department failed its mission to detect and neutralize Confederate spies in Washington during the Civil War, Lincoln hired the Pinkerton National Detective Agency to run United States counterintelligence. The Pinkertons quickly slashed the intense levels of Confederate espionage in the capital city until Lincoln transferred counterintelligence to the Department of War.But the U.S. had no intelligence service behind Confederate lines. Lincoln hired Pinkerton to establish what he called a “secret service” to collect wartime intelligence in the South. A courageous Pinkerton man and former New York City police officer, Timothy Webster, successfully placed himself among Confederate leaders but was caught and died on the gallows.President Lincoln personally paid a private intelligence agent, William A. Lloyd, out of his pocket as a secret back-channel source to evaluate the intelligence he was receiving from his generals. Months after Lincoln’s assassination, the Treasury Department established today’s United States Secret Service.The service would not protect presidents until assassins gunned down two more presidents, James A. Garfield and William McKinley. Congress would wait another 50 years before making the Secret Service responsible for presidential protection under law.Fast forward to recent times. With the extraordinary security required to protect American civilians working in or visiting war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military, State Department, and Secret Service have become stretched far beyond their limits. They have turned to private talent for help.As a presidential candidate in July 2008, Barack Obama visited Afghanistan under the protection of the first-rate security professionals with Blackwater. Yes, that Blackwater. The company founded by Erik Prince.Blackwater performed with extraordinary courage, efficiency, and dedication in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. Over the course of its duty in the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere, Blackwater accomplished its mission to protect 100% of Americans under its care, 100% of the time — even though it lost its own men in the line of duty.Other private companies also served with distinction. Blackwater, though, was the brand. It set the standard. The Obama administration ultimately crushed it for reasons relating to the politics of its founder and CEO.Today’s Secret Service doesn’t merely need additional, immediate help from private companies. It’s clear from the attempted murder of Trump that its dysfunctional personnel quality, driven by politicized policy, runs deep. This is where the privatization of Secret Service functions can help correct the problem quickly.

A 30-year-old male used a handgun to shoot 14 rounds at teenagers playing a "ding-dong-ditch" prank over the weekend and wounded one of them, police in Maine said.Police arrived in Harrison around 1 a.m. Saturday in the wake of numerous reports concerning gunshots and screaming, WMTW-TV reported.'This innocent prank needs to be put on a shelf somewhere and never visited again.'A police investigation revealed that Vincent Martin produced a 9mm handgun and shot 14 rounds at the teens after they rang the doorbell at 91 Waterford Road, the station said.Police said as deputies arrived and found blood on the street, one victim — whose name authorities haven't released — walked into Bridgton Hospital with a gunshot wound to the right calf, which wasn't life threatening, WMTW reported. Martin was arrested on multiple charges, the station said, including aggravated assault and reckless conduct. He was being held on $5,000 cash bail, WMTW reported, adding that a judge ordered Martin to not contact any of the teens or use or purchase firearms and ammunition. There was no inmate listing Wednesday for Martin at the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office website.Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce told WMTV that "in my mind, the kids should not have been doing what they were doing. However, the individual bringing a firearm and shooting at kids while they’re fleeing is obviously a problem as well."Joyce added to the station, "People are construing the fact that they can defend their residence, their family, et cetera — and maybe taking it a little over the limit in this particular case. We’re living in a world where it just seems like everybody's on edge."But it appears the sheriff is no fan of "ding-dong-ditch” as he added, "This innocent prank needs to be put on a shelf somewhere and never visited again."You can view a video report about the incident here.Anything else?Blaze News last week reported that Canadian police recommended charges against an 85-year-old man they said rammed his car into two of three teens who had played a doorbell prank on him in February.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!