Welcoming in 2014

As we are start the countdown to the end of 2013 and begin to welcome in 2014, I sit here tonight and reflect on a few things. 

It has been a year of personal ups and downs as it has been for the nation. We can all reflect on our own lives and look at each other and it would be like looking in to a mirror. We can reflect on the state of affairs in our nation and see the strife that has gone on all across the country but just the same see the goodness that has come from people in everyday events.

It is wise of us to look at the past and learn from both the good times and the bad. But it is just as important to look at what the New Year has to offer. 

Unlike a lot of other people I am looking to 2014 with cautious optimism and with a bit of sense of dread. 

A short time back I wrote in a blog about Treasuring Those While You Still Can and I did so because we had received some bad news as a family. To date all is going well but realistically 2014 will be a time of personal loss. As a family we face a great unknown in that economic uncertainty seems to be getting worse by the day. All one needs to do is go grocery shopping and everyone can see it for themselves. 

With that all being said, 2013 and going in to 2014 has brought a great deal of promise. Personally, I have been introduced to many outstanding people and been allowed the privilege to be able to write for some outstanding organizations. If you are reading this you are likely to have gotten here by either Cream City Wisconsin or The Frontiersmen websites. Each of which are sites that promote the values of personal responsibility, preparedness, American Core Values, God, family, and many other great virtues that have made this the greatest nation on Earth. 

There has been something of a Great Awakening with the American populace where more and more people are becoming aware of what is going on around them, not just at home but also around the nation. People are being more involved in their communities trying to make their homes a better place. And still many more are trying to become involved in events that have both a direct and indirect effect on themselves and their families.

So as we enter in to 2014 it is tradition to come up with New Years Resolutions. Here I am compiling a few and welcome you to share yours:

1. I will continue to work to be a Better Man. As the Nexus of my family it is my duty to improve myself each and everyday.

2. I will work to be a better Husband. To be nurturing and loving to the woman that is my Queen because we cannot function as a family if we are not solidified in our Union.

3. I will continue to work at being a better Father. Children are owed to learn all that we know. It is a sacred obligation that we have to teach them these things in order for them to become decent and productive people.

4. I will continue to be more aware of the community around me. All politics is local and I will work harder to make my voice heard in a rational manner to bring some semblance of intelligent conversation.

5. I will work even harder to be my Brothers Keeper. To those that depend on me, those that I have given an oath to, I do not have much but what I have I will do my part to be there for you.

6. To my readers, followers on Twitter & Facebook, I will work even harder to entertain you on my take on the news of the day and welcome your input.

7. To those of opposing views, I will continue to welcome the discord of debate. With a degree of common sense we will find that we have more in common then what we do not. For those that would spit venom and vitriol, that would see harm come to friends, family, and my Nation. I say unto you: Game On. Challenge Accepted. 

With that all being said, I want to wish you all a wonderful and Happy New Year. May you all be safe with your families and the New Year bring about the change and the confidence to accept the challenges that the new year is sure to bring.  

Stand When All Others Kneel

"Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel" - Loki Laufeyson, The Avengers Movie (2012).

For anyone that knows me, they will tell you I love to use quotes from movies to make an analogy on life. Now whether or not the writers meant for my interpretations or not is up to anyone's guess. However, this is how I see it fit in to the world that we live in. 

For a moment, let us reflect back on what Loki in the 2012 movie the Avengers tells the crowd as he makes an attempt at subjugating them.

Now let us explore.

Everyday, we see people that "take the easy way out". It is easier to drop of of school then it is to finish. It is easier to get EBT then to seek out a job. It is easier to live off a system that feeds on your being dependent on it rather then allowing yourself to determine your own fate. It is easier to let mass media determine what makes you "unique" rather then you declaring to the world who you are minus the cookie cutter. It is certainly easier to not look beyond the borders of your own home and do something to make a difference. In other words, it is easier to take the easy way out and "kneel". 

Sadly, the truth is it is so much easier to blame others for ones problems, to get ones sustenance, and/or to sit and complain about the state of affairs of the world rather then doing something about. For some of us, we get caught up in the day to day and it does take a lot of people. For others, we don't even try to understand what is going on around the city we live in much less the world we live in but damn sure feel entitled to everything. And still for many others they would be somewhere in between.

We have seen where "kneeling" (both literally and figuratively) has gotten us. So what can one as a lone person do?

You Stand!

Again, looking back to the video above, we could all take a lesson from the Elder German Gentlemen facing Loki. My interpretation on his actions are as follows: He was a Holocaust survivor. He knew that he did not have a chance against a younger man much less a Demigod such as Loki. Yet he stood. He stood because he knew that someone had to. He made a choice, with the fear that had to accompany that event, to stand tall against a would be tyrant. He stood for what is right.

This is the challenge that all of us must face in today's world. We need to stand up in our local political arenas; because the truth of the matter is that all politics is local and spreads out from there. We need to stand up against the thugs that plague our communities; because people randomly knocking folks out or committing other crimes in our communities will eventually come back to us. We must stand up for our American Values; because if we stay silent too long those values will be nothing more then the stuff of legend. 

Personally and a silly as this may sound, Captain America has always been a hero of mine and continues to be. I realize that as a character he is nothing but a work of fiction but it is what he stands for. If you know the history of Captain America you know he has the advantage of the Super Soldier Serum. The Elder German Gentleman does not have this advantage. 

There is no harm in aspiring to be like Captain America but perhaps we should all start trying to be like the Elder German Gentlemen. As the good Captain is a work of fiction, the Elder in the video is but one example of the hundreds of thousands that have stood in the world of the real against a tyrant. Perhaps we should all start and do the hardest thing there is in today's world of political correctiveness (is that even a word?) and American Taboos and take a stand.

Festivus - The Airing of Grievances

First, before I get in to the substance of anything I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as we close this year. 2013 has brought about a lot of changes for everyone; some good and some not so much so. But the fact of the matter is that we are all here today and that is something to be thankful for. However… before we enter the joyous day of Christmas there is a parody holiday that I would like to observe as it gives me the chance to get some things off my chest.

Festivus

That’s right. Festivus, the Holiday for the Rest of Us. December 23^rd. I won’t bore anyone with the background of what Festivus is, how it was created, or the long running joke about it over the years. I will just say that it was popularized on the television show Seinfeldand has since grown in its cult popularity. Amongst the Festivus traditions there are the Festivus miracles, Feats of Strength, the Airing of Grievances, and a few others.

It is the Airing of Grievances we will focus on here today. Some people have their Best of 20XX, others have Deep Tunnel Awards, as for me there will be plenty of times to go off on something or someone but this is going to be special for 2013. This comes in no particular order and only covers a small fraction of what needs to be said. So buckle up boys and girls because this is going to be a good one. Now will someone please drop that Ether Beat…

Obamacare: *sigh* Really? Even upon its inception this has not overall been a popular idea. But it was one that was rammed through in the late evening hours. Now 3 years later we are on the verge of implementing this thing through a website that barely works and ever since the “fixes” where done after the launch date the security has become even worse. One broken promise right after another seems to be the legacy of this program. Here’s a hint, if you are going to force something on someone at least make the Turd Sandwich look appealing and try to kill the smell before serving it.

HealthCare.Gov: Alright you tech nerds, what the hell? Three years isn't enough to get a website up and running? You have the limitless resources and funds of the federal government at your disposal and yet your product wouldn't even pass a high school IT101 class. If you’re the best the IT world has to offer we don’t have to worry about Skynet becoming Self-Aware anytime soon.

Anyone that said that someone is X-Phobic: Oh you people. I could go off all day on you. Homophobic, xenophobic, or whatever. Please let us explore how you are using phobia. Clearly it means “the fear of”. Your arguments are so incredibly pathetic that rather than argue the merits of a situation you have to raise the Fear Card. That someone is ignorant. Or they need to be “educated”. Well here are a few words for you to consider and explore: Heterophobia. Consitutionalphobic. Traditionalphobia. See I can make up my own words too and I didn't even need chaps exposing my buttocks to do it.

People on the Right that Talk about Low Information Voters TV Habits: So you don’t like the Housewives of Wherever or Lifestyles of the Ratchet and Torn the Hell Up. I get it. But have you seen Duck Dynasty or most programming on the Country Music Station? Just saying: Pot meets Kettle.

People on the Left ABOUT Your TV Habits: Can we please stop trying to push the envelope? If we let you knuckles heads keep it up Elmo is going to be Twerking his way down to Sesame Street. Oh wait... too late.

President Obama: Some people have surmised that you are either the most incompetent president this nation has ever had or you are intentionally trying to cripple the overall status of the U.S. In either event, it is clear you love the perks of the job you’re just woefully under qualified for it. I hate to be the one to say it but being a Poverty Pimp just doesn't make for a halfway decent president.

Poverty Pimps: Speaking of which, Al, Jesse, etc. let’s be honest. If things are as bad as you say they are and you folks have been at this for decades then let’s do your job assessment right now: EPIC FAIL. There is no other way of saying this. Decades of the same old song and dance and by your own standards nothing has changed? That simply means you are really bad at your jobs or you’re reaching at straws to stir the pot. But it’s ok. Not only have you become a shallow joke of what you once were but you continue to fade away in to obscurity, just not soon enough.

Madison SolidaritySingers: First thank you for acting like a bunch of damn fools for all of this time. You’ve certainly helped prove about yourselves what we never could. But please explain what all of the singing, yelling, intimidation, insults, and feeling you are an exception to the law is going to prove? While you consult Segway Boy and a bitter hippie trying to relive the days of the late 60’s in a sad attempt to string together an answer, the rest of us will be getting back to work. Someone has to be the productive members of society. PS: GET A PERMIT!

People Complaining the Current State Government: I’m with you. I’m not happy about a lot of things going on in today’s world, the state of affairs socially in our nation, and with our government. So what are you doing about it? Keyboard Commando complaining and posting memes (that are hilarious BTW)? Making sure you get the latest episodes of whatever? Or are you being proactive within your own communities to effect some positive change? If you cannot do the later then what are you complaining about? You are just as much a part of the problem as those imposing their will on you.

NSA Data Mining Operation: First, why couldn't they get you folks to put the Obamacare website and operation together? Apparently you people have the know-how to get something so monolithic done. More importantly through do you all really need to be spying on US citizens without cause? I mean you could have done like everyone else and just sent a Friend Request and gotten just as much information as you are getting now. Now could you help me retrieve my password to MySpace?

Facebook Posters: Putting a disclaimer on your page means nothing. Rarely are you going to gather 1,000,000 for/against Mr. Hanky the Christmas Poo. No one is violating your 1^st Amendment right to posting. It’s a private site. Please not only re-read the terms of usage but if you are so butthurt on any restrictions of social media go out and make your own. That way you can ban and flag posts you don’t like as well and then claim it’s a priva site when someone launches a protest.

Minimum Wage Increase Protestors: NEWSFLASH: A minimum wage job is not meant to be a career. It is not meant to be family sustaining. It is not meant for anyone to live a baller’s lifestyle. It is meant to teach one a work ethic and to learn some skills. If you are entering your 10^th year as a fry cook you either need to start auditioning for the role of SpongeBob Squarepants in whatever movie comes about OR take it upon yourself to learn something new. No one is interested in a $20 Happy Meal (study up on your economics). In either case, here’s a Tweet for your prepaid iPhone: Stop expecting everyone else to supplement your life. #TakeChargeOfYourLife 

Wow, at this point I think I need a moment to take a breather. Sufficed to say, there is a lot to go on about and we could easily carry on the remainder of the year and beyond. However, I think I have aired more than enough grievances to close out 2013 and I have little doubt that 2014 will disappoint any of us. Please feel free to share yours and join in the Festivus activities with your lists of Grievances. As for me I have a 2 year old I need to wrestle in the Feats of Strength.

Being a Conservative Color Doesn’t Mean Being Alone

I think as people we tend to gravitate to people that are like us. Be it of ethnic background, people that look like ourselves, or of  a particular belief system there is a large degree of comfort in this. Whether this is something that is taught or inherent within each of us I do not know. But what I do know is that for  very long time I have too often felt as if I were alone in the wilderness.

For many of us Conservative of Color I strongly believe that this is something that we all share. Coming up in the world, I was expected to act and think a certain way from my peers and for the most part I did. The expectation was that being a minority I must be a Democrat and have a liberal slant on life and issues all around me. As a young man in my lower 20's I never really gave much thought to this. I mean all of my friends and people I associated thought along those same lines.

However, over time as I started to come in to my own, become more educated both formally and informally, and gained the wisdom that life had to offer I started to change my views of the world. I started to see things from a more Conservative perspective as the things I use to believe no longer made sense when thought logically through. This of course put a strain on many a number of my relationships for as much as I had changed and grown in my beliefs so had they in becoming more and more liberal.

And of course, as you may have guessed, came the conversations, debates, or as I like to call it "The Flame Wars". What would start out as a conversation on issues would quickly turn in to name calling. You know: Sell out. Uncle Tom. Wanna Be White. The typical.

For a time I struggled with the why of these conversations taking such a negative turn and nearest I could surmise was the fact that when confronted with facts liberals will quickly use Scorched Earth tactics (Time would reaffirm this over and over again). I also learned that it did not mater how long you may have known them, your personal relationship, or anything else.It was as if I was philosophical pariah. So for a long time I would felt like an outsider. An outsider in the sense that I understood why I believe in my views of Conservatism but could not understand why others like myself, young, Hispanic, family orientated people, did not and not the other way around.

Now we could get in to attempting to understand that very last sentence but that is a subject that I would prefer not to get in to at the moment. Rather, the burning questions for me was that if I was able to come to these philosophical conclusions on my own then clearly there were other people of color that had as well. Where were they? Why were they so quiet? What can we do to network together?

For a very long time I would seek out others who were of the same mindset. Find people like this is not all that hard. And the conversations would be incredible however there was always that one thing amiss and you would hear that when some of our white conservative counter parts would occasionally state: "Why are there not more conservative minorities?"

Again, that question could easily move in to another tangent but sufficed to say it was a question I would find myself asking all too often. We know the intimidation factor from the name calling forces a lot of us to just bite the bullet. As we grow in our Conservatism we learn to deal with the heat. In fact many of us these days tend to enjoy it as we know and understand the strength of our beliefs and argument.

Fast forward a few years and advanced in social media has made outreach something we could have only dreamed about 10 years ago. For the first time we had things like Facebook groups, internet broadcasts, YouTube and so many others. This has lead to many Conservatives of Color to feeling that they are alone to knowing that there are many others of us out there in the public eye. Granted we are not falling out of the wood work but everyday we become more and more of an influence in the Conservative Movement.

However, while this is all good stuff there are still more inroads that need to be made. These inroads can only be made by each of us. It all starts with networking with one another. As an individual we proudly can say that we were people to be considered seriously in debate and conversations. As a group there is so much we can do together that is good.

Each and everyone of us share great number of shared beliefs and values. Personal accountability. A belief in American Exceptionalism. Free Markets. Limited Government. It is through networking and supporting one another can we possibly hope to effect the change that we so very much wish to bring about to this nation that we all love.

Together. No longer alone.

Knock Out: The Story Continues

Knockout. It’s been going on for years. We have seen it more and more in the last few weeks. For those of you who do not know what you have is groups of young black men that walk down the street and look for a marker, an unsuspecting victim, and one of them runs up on them and attempts to knock that person out. The goal is not just the knockout but to be what’s called a “One Hitter Quitter”. In other words, knock someone out with one punch.

Now will someone please drop me that Ether Beat?

The more this story brews, the more riled up I get.  Truth be told: I am in full Ether mode. For those of you that do not know what an Ether is here is the short story. Ether is a dis song by Nas against Jay Z. The term Ether was made a verb by YouTube personality and Atlanta talk show host Tommy Sotomayor. In this sense, to Ether someone is to verbally tear them apart so hard that it burns their soul.

No. Put the Ether Beat away. I need to talk about this rationally.

Now as some of you may know this Knockout story has been going on for a few years. According to some stories as long as 4 or 5 years back. It has only in recent weeks come to the forefront as it spreads across the nation and the media has reported on it, and I use the word “reported” loosely. These days the story seems to be that there is no Knockout. Then you have people like this New York City council-woman-elect Laurie Cumbo coming out and saying that Knockout is happen because of Jewish Success. And still others are calling for “Let’s explore why young black youths” are doing this.

Additionally, there are some that are claiming that Knock Out is not something that is exclusive to young black teens but that there are others of various ethnicities and races that are taking part of this “game”. Where? When? Worse yet, there are people that are just out right denying Knock Out. Be it in the form of not even acknowledging it happening all the way to the conspiracy line of thought this is fabricated story meant to take the medias focus off of other issues in our government (The Myth of the Knock Out Game).

Now there are so many angles we could explore this Knock Out phenomenon. And for as many angles as there are each and every one that I am aware of really upsets me. There is the aspect that was brought up by AlfonZo Rachel that this is the product of liberal entitlement (Why the Knock Out Game was Inevitable). There is the payback aspect someone is going to pull a weapon and kill one of the assailants as brought up by Tommy Sotomayor (Title NSFW and Strong Language Used). Then there is the aspect that Earl Hall brought up about the potential for escalated violence against blacks up to and including race riots (a long short but not out of the realm of possibility left unchecked) (Broadcast Date 9-Dec-2013).

I want to bring up a different angle.

As minorities, be it black, Hispanic, Asian, or whatever, for the most part we really have to bust our tails to be taken seriously. From my own personal experience, to be viewed with any level of respect we cannot just been seen as equal to our white counterparts but we have to be better just too seen on equal ground. It is not right but it is a simple fact of life that needs to be acknowledged.

The first things that one person sees of another person are physical attributes and skin color just so happens to be one of them. I recall being at a Wal-Mart when there was an older gentleman that was eyeballing me as if I owed him money. Not really sure what that was about. But what I do know is that at some point someone that looked like me had rubbed him the wrong way. Once you have encountered someone looking at you that way you tend not to forget that look and the why behind.

At that time, I was walking by with my infant son, and I politely excused us as we walked by. But for some reason he struck up a conversation with me. Now I like to fashion myself as someone smarter than the average bear and someone that has a semi-decent speaking ability. As such we talked. And it was a wonderful conversation. Perhaps he struck it up because my son is cute. Perhaps he did so because he wanted to see my reaction. I tend to think it was the cuteness of my boy. But what happened during that conversation was amazing. His entire demeanor changed from that of a defensive posture to that of talking with someone with trust.

We discovered we were both Marine Corps veterans. Each with three children of our own and that we were so happy to exchange stories about. We had the same political leanings, yes we were in the sporting good section.

The point of the story, is that a simple “Excuse me” should have done. There should have been no test. No "Let’s see how this turns out". There should have been no strange looks. The fact of the matter is that when the youth of minorities communities go out and act the fool it makes it that much harder for those of us that want to take care of our own.

Again, we have to work that much harder to not just be on equal ground but that we are not seen as the thugs that are portrayed on YouTube, in the media, or in television and movies. This is what upsets me most. Stereotypes used with wisdom saves lives. People live up to their stereotypes not only make life hell in minority communities but make it that much more difficult to get by in the mainstream of American Society.

They force us to be the exception and not the rule rather than the other way around. And that is damn shameful. 

Just How Far Does the Rabbit Hole Go?

In the 1999 Wachowski Brothers movie "The Matrix" one of the main characters, Morpheus, gives the protagonist, Neo, a choice. Morpheus describes the feelings that Neo has been feeling for some time; how something just doesn't feel right but he cannot put his finger on it, that their existence is little more then a shame. The choice given before Neo is in the form of two pills: The Blue Pill, where Neo could continue to live has he has always known or The Red Pill, here as Morpheus points out, he will be given the truth of their existence and will get to see how deep the rabbit hole goes, a reference to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

It has always fascinated me how fiction so often is a precursor to the reality in which we live in.

Of course we don't live in the world of "The Matrix" where we are living batteries for sentient machines hellbent on the keeping the human race content in a dream world. However, we do live in a reality that truly seems to be something out of fiction in so many ways.

For those of us who have taken the Red Pill, we sometimes sit and shake our heads in disbelief when we read the headlines in the news of the day. We wonder what can be done about? What can we do to effect some positive change to bring back the country we know based on individual responsibility, the ability to maximize our potential, and to be able to live our lives with the freedom that our Founders articulated within Constitution itself.

So let's take a look and peek in to how far the Rabbit Hole really goes...

Activist urging President Obama to by Congress
The NSA's Data Mining Facility
Conservative Groups Targeted by the IRS
The Domestic Use of Drones in the US
And the numerous other scandals that seeming to be ongoing

Trying to keep an eye on everything going on could easily be a full time job if one wanted to stay knowledgeable of it all. So many things going on at one time it is almost hard to find a point in time with such an active news cycle that has the potential for direct affects on all of our lives.

It's little wonder then there are so many people who would rather simply take the Blue Pill.

To live a life where your biggest worry is what happened on "Scandal" is so much easier to deal with then the real scandals happen in our country and around the world. People tend to not really think too much about issues such as Common Core in our educational system because so long as the kids go to school all should be well. And probably worst of all is NIMBY.

NIMBY is an acronym that means Not In My Back Yard. I find myself hard pressed to find people that does not have this mindset. For most people, affairs happening overseas, while tragic, do not affect them. Of course one should be for "common sense" gun legislation, because who is against common sense and I don't own a gun. Again, if it does not direct relate to me, let me get back to my regularly scheduled programming.

So, what to do, what to do?

Well, if you are reading this chances are you have already taken the Red Pill. Or at the very least you are staring right at the choices. For those of us aware of situations in our communities, around the country, and across the world it is on us to continue in our work. Engage in dialogue, become politically active in some way, educate those around us on the domino effect that is sure to happen with each and story that comes out.

To those staring at these choices now, you are awake. You know something is off kilter. You see it around you, on television, and in your daily interactions. Take the Red Pill and be part of the dialogue. Take the Blue Pill and go back to your remote. But I ask you to ask yourself this one very important question:

Is it possible to get back to that deep sleep once you've been awaken to the world around you?

Nanotechnology - A Scary Future or A New Hope

It is the stuff of science fiction movies.

You have some type of major injury, afflicted with cancer, or perhaps have some type of birth defect. In today's world at best one would just have to live with these issues.Treat the symptoms and adapt the best way we know how. At worse it becomes a death sentence and it is just a matter of time before your number is up. However, science is on the verge of a break through in the very new future.

In an article that just came out today on CNET.com entitled "Scientist inch closer to building a drug-delivering nanorobot" it presents this as a real possibility in the near future. For those that are not familiar with nanotechnology what we are basically dealing with are microscopic robots that can be programmed to target particular areas of the body on a molecular level. The potential for something like this is incredible.

The ability to cure birth defects, cancer becomes a thing of the past, and major injuries could be not just repaired by perhaps even regenerated such as lost limbs. This is without question an exciting time when we think about the possibilities that exist to help humanity as a whole.

However, for every new technology that can help society there is also the potential for abuses in it on many different levels. There will undoubted be those that refuse to take part in anything like this for fear that inserting some type of robotic technology has the potential to be misused, such as someone hacking in to a computer or a smartphone. And with a technology so new as this, how could this be seen as paranoia? It is a great unknown. As strange as it sounds, all one has to do is say something outlandish might happen and many will say that would only be a one off. And no sooner does something like this get said, that one off has a way of happening.

Then there are the philosophical implications of this type of technology. Futurist Michio Kaku brings up an interesting point that with the growth of this very technology. With this technology exists the potential to have what Star Trek fans would know as a "Replicator". Something that would be able to re-arrange matter in such ways as to produce just about anything you could imagine. Food, products, goods. Michio Kaku raises the question: if one gets all of their needs tended to just by a simple request, what is the incentive to produce anything at all.

At present date, many of us claim that there are a good number of people that do not produce anything. People that just consume from the "Nanny State" and do little to contribute for themselves, let's not even get in to the lack of contribution to society as a whole. So how many more people would simple exist because there would be no incentive to produce as their needs would supposedly be tended to? Would we as a society become the Utopian idea of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek where people would work for their own personal enrichment and the betterment of humanity. Or would be it something more sinister.

Technology has always been, and there is little to think otherwise, always will be a doubled edged sword. Be it the invention of automobiles, smartphones, drones or any number of other gadgets. All have in some way proven themselves to be a great tool for great uses and all have the potential to be used in a harmful fashion.

Whatever the future may hold, as it relates to technology advancement, it is hard to not to agree that it is a very exciting time.

Let Thanksgiving Be Not Your Only Day of Thanks

In October of 1789, President George Washington made a proclamation for the observation of a national day of Thanksgiving. While this was not the first Thanksgiving and certainly not the last to be spoken of what made President Washington's address so special was in its intent. That is to give thanks to God for the blessing that were had in this new nation after so much hardship and the blessing that have been given by the Almighty.

Over time, we have come to know this day of thanks as Thanksgiving. We gather with friends and family and feast. We reflect with those around us, for what we have, and for whatever good fortunate is part of our lives.

And over time just the same, the holiday has become... cheapened. Black Friday, the anticipation of Christmas shopping, the poor behavior that comes along with it, and sadly this has bled its way in to the very day we are to give thanks. Furthermore, there many of our fellow countrymen that are not so fortunate. Be it from job loss, losses of loved ones, economic strife, and so many other things.

However, all of this should be put in to its proper context. For as much hardship, strife, and overall BS we all have to deal with there is also so much more we have to be thankful for. Our lives. Our families. Our friends. If you have a job. If you are about to strike out and do something you have always wanted to do. This is the time to reflect and thank the good Lord for all we have and are; and not all of it is material.

As I write this on the eve of Thanksgiving, I reflect on my own life, the hardships that have forged me and the blessings I have. And I think to myself that it should not take a singled out day to give thanks. Rather, I am recommitting to myself and others that I will make it a point to be thankful each and every day. To remember the words of President Washington that in his time war was followed by tranquility and so to shall it be in our time. Perhaps not on a traditional battlefield but one nonetheless.

I will take stock in the love that has been granted to me by others. I will love others as if it were my last day. I will not take this life for granted. I will see and protect the freedoms gifted by God himself and the privilege of being an American. I will be a part of what helps restore value to Thanksgiving.

On this Thanksgiving, I wish you all the joy and peace of being with your families. Rejoice in that love. And let this Thanksgiving be the first of many days of thanks you reflect upon in your daily lives.

	Proclamation of National Thanksgiving George Washington City of New York, October 3, 1789 Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us. And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best. Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789. Go: Washington

(Proclamation of National Thanksgiving document credit http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/milestones/thanksgiving_read.html)

Dark Humor & Faith

Before I get in to anything, I would love to hear what you have to say on this matter? How would you have handled this? Did I over react? Should I have just kept quiet and minded my own business?

For anyone that knows me, they know I am a person with thick skin. I am someone that you can joke with and I will joke back. As a matter for fact when it comes to humor as a whole I can get in to some pretty dark areas of what I define as funny. Some people do not share my humor and I can respect that and I get it. However, yesterday something managed to get through this Rhino Skin of mine.

At work, there are a number of liberals there, this is expected since I work in a major metropolitan city and a number of the people that work there are die-hard Democrats. But there is one co-worker that is either a die hard Marxist or pretty damn close. She is something that in our conversations see people like Che Guevara and Karl Marx as revolutionary thinkers and that we should model our society after their philosophies. Some times I will just ignore what she has to say, other times I call her out. There is an ebb and flow. And in all honesty, it does entertain me from time to time.

As I noted, yesterday was different. I was sitting at my desk doing the work I am being paid to do while this individual and a few others were being disruptive with some song and dance. And yes, it was literally a song and dance they were doing. So being the productive person that I am and feeling their noise was being an interference between myself and my clients on the phone I asked them to claim down. The response I got blew me away.

I was literally told: "What you don't like my singing like Kayne West being Jesus and Gandhi"?

At this point I about soiled myself and not because of any humor.

As I said, I have a dark sense of humor. I make some very, VERY off color jokes all the time. I say the things that most people only think. I even find religious humor to be funny when I see it on things like Family Guy or others shows. But for some reason this not only made me pause but set me off. However, being in a professional business environment I could not just go off as I would wish. I simply stated to her that she should keep her blasphemy to herself.

Now at this point her boss comes over and asks, "Well what if she does not believe in Jesus Christ"? To which I reply, her beliefs are irrelevant since I not only for the fact that I do but her belief is not required for Jesus Christ to believe in her. This lady, a lady who claims faith all of the time, then pressed the issue with me in front of our entire staff. At this time, I felt myself boiling over and simply asked if she really wanted to continue with this conversation. I must have done this 3 or 4 times. At a certain point when someone pushes an issue with me I feel compelled to accept the challenge and this is what did happen.

We must have talked for about 20 minutes and during the conversation the topics of not everyone believing the same things came up. I could only respond with the fact that while that may be true not only did I not care but I will not tolerate people taking cheap shots at my Lord and Savior and that while others may be quiet from this point if I hear or see anything like this, I will make it a point to bring it to light and stir the pot. As someone who knows me fairly well, she knew this was no bluster and that my word was indeed my bond. At the end of the conversation it was noted that this would not happen again.

At the time of this written it has been 27 hours since this event has taken place.

I am not one that wears my faith openly or on my sleeve. I believe that my relationship with the Lord is a personal one and one that I hold dear. I have my doubts of course and I reflect and pray upon it. I am secure in my faith and feel no need to bring it up all of the time. But what happened yesterday struck a nerve and one that has not been struck in a very long time.

Was I just in my anger? Did I do the right thing?Was it my place to say or do anything?

Maybe. But what I do know in my heart of hearts is that if a person claims to be a person of honor and integrity and something like this happens we have a duty and an obligation to deal with this head on. This is how I saw it and after a day and a half of try to calm down this is how I continue to see it.

So I ask you, the Reader: What would you have done?

Treasure Those Around You... While You Can

Tonight I was forced to come face to face with my own mortality.

Not because of anything that has happened to me personally but rather something that a loved one is going through.

At this point, I am not at liberty to discuss the circumstances around what is going on but it is something that will be a trying time for my family.

For a good number of people, I am sure they are familiar with the movie the Lion King. Long story short, Mufasa, the King of the Lions explains to his son, Simba, that there is a circle of life. That we are born, we live, we die, ad the cycle continues. As people, we know this, we accept this. However, no matter how much we prepare for this, we are never ready for something to happen; much less the news of something happening.

All too often we spend time on what is essentially irrelevant things, items, and issues. Yes, there is importance in our jobs, in prepping, in politics, et. al. There are so many things that we have to deal with on a day to day basis that we get so wrapped up in those things often times neglecting other things. The important things: People.

For those of you that are familiar with any of my blogs or broadcasts you know that a reoccurring theme of mine is a focus on the family. I believe that in today's world, we spend so much time on other things that we forget to pay attention to our children and significant others. However, tonight I was reminded that it is not just our children or our significant others that we need to pay attention to but also our elders as well.

To circle back to my first line of this blog: I was forced to come face to face with my own mortality. This line is selfish only to the extent that I was forced to look at myself but also my relationships with others and realize a start fact: that fact that life is short. Too short. We can say that X is a long ways away. And from a linear perspective, it is. But how often have we said: "Damn! Where did all the time go?" How often have you looked at a child and said: "Wow, you got big so fast!". The point is, as slow as you think time may be going from one event to the next, it is really going much faster then you realize.

To that end, I want to encourage you all to treasure those people around you. Times goes too damn fast.

If you have a grudge with a dear friend or family member, put it aside.

Be the bigger person and repair your relationships.

If your don't; you may feel good that you were able to stand on principle for a time. But when it is too late, you will no longer have the opportunity to Bury the Hatchet. You will no longer be able to say: "I love you". You will no longer be able to say: "I'm sorry". All you will be able to say when it's too late is: "I wish..."

Remember: Life is too short. Repair what you can in your life before its too late.

God, knows I will be trying.

To be a Liberal

Here's something I wrote some years ago and it is as true today as it was back then:

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To be a liberal, you have to believe the AIDS virus is spreading due to a lack of funding.

To be a liberal, you have to be against capital punishment but for abortion on demand - in short - you support protecting the guilty and killing the innocent.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that the same public school system that can't teach 4th graders how to read is capable of teaching those same kids about sex.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that trial lawyers are selfless heroes and doctors are overpaid, greedy, bad guys.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans are more of a threat than nuclear weapons in the hands of the Red Chinese.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical, documented changes in the brilliance of the Sun, and more affected by yuppies driving SUVs.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that gender roles are artificial but being gay is natural.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that the biggest threat to this country are those who believe morals, ethics, and family-values are essential.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that punishment for a crime should depend on motive, i.e. killing a person because they dislike them is worse than killing that same personbecause they want their money.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that businesses create oppression and governments create prosperity.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that killing a child in the womb should be legal, but breaking an eagle's egg should be criminal.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that good intentions are equal to actually accomplishing something.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that the government should reward those who contribute the least and punish by taxing those who work hard and succeed.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that governmental laws and regulations are the answer, not freedom and competition.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that art would not exist without federal funding.

To be a liberal, you have to believe the military, not corrupt politicians, start wars.

To be a liberal, you have to believe the NRA is bad, because of its support for certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good, because of its support for certain parts of the Constitution.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides aren't.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that minorities are not capable of making it without your help and conservatives are racists because they believe everyone should be treated as equal.

To be a liberal, you have to believe that cigarettes pose more danger to our kids and our society than illegal drugs.

In Summary, To be liberal, you have to allow your thoughts and actions to be governed by emotional, feel-good rhetoric and disregard, without any consideration, all intellectual responses.

Identity Politics

According to the 2000 Census (yeah I know I'm going back 13 years) there was a sharp raise in the number of people who have marked themselves down as Americans. 58% raise in fact. Not Italian-Americans, Irish-Americans, or anything else like that. It should also be noted that the majority of people who did this were of European decent. Many minorities are still in the hyphenated stage of identity. The whole African-American, Latino-American, and other bits like that.

Now I think a lot of people still do identify with their heritage or ethnicity and this is not a bad thing. No matter what it is people still do things that are customary from their ancestral  place of origin. But more and more these days (a sizable minority of people), people are identifying themselves as Americans. This past 2000 Census shows that.

I think that there are a number of people who get the words "nationality" and "ethnicity". Take a look at the two words:

na·tion·al·i·ty (nsh-nl-t, nsh-nl-) n. pl. na·tion·al·i·ties
The status of belonging to a particular nation by origin, birth, or naturalization.
A people having common origins or traditions and often constituting a nation.
Existence as a politically autonomous entity; national independence.
National character.
Nationalism.

eth·nic·i·ty Pronunciation Key (th-ns-t) n.
Ethnic character, background, or affiliation.
An ethnic group.

Clearly there is a difference between the two.

For myself, and I can only speak personally and not for others, when one asks me what am I, I am going to tell you I am American. I was born, raised, and know America. This is my home. This is where my loyalties are. Not any place like Puerto Rico, Spain, South America, Mexico or any other place like that.
Now if you ask me what my ethnicity is I will tell you that I am Puerto Rican and Mexican. These are the places where my ancestors originated from and these the people that I am genetically linked. But that is not my nationality.

I had the opportunity to live in Puerto Rico for a couple years in the late 80's and early 90's. When I was there people did not identify me as Puerto Rican. Even though I looked just like most people there, was able to speak some Spanish, and had family all over the island people still identified me as American.

And think about it. When some white person from the U.S. goes to some European country what are they going to be identified as? American, not European-American. When a black (African-American to the PC crowd) goes to Africa, how are they referred to as? American, not African-American.

The world is very quick to point out that if we are from the United States of America that in their eyes we are American. No matter what we look like, black, white, or whatever. So I guess I find it hard to understand why there are so many people who still want to go with the hyphenations  Yes, I think there are a sizable minority of people that are saying the hell with that and just proclaiming themselves as Americans. That number is still small in comparison to the number of people who want to play the game of identity politics (many without even realizing so).

And I do not think that by saying that we are Americans that we are abandoning our ancestral heritage or are in denial or are "self-hating". There is clearly an American culture in this nation. Some of it bad, most of it great. So again, I am at a loss as to why there is such a reluctance for people to just out right say that they are Americans. 

Is it going to take another national tragedy for us to proclaim ourselves as an American? Or is this something that happens when one reaches a higher state of thinking and identification? Thoughts to ponder upon.

Cartoons and Politics

I have long held the belief that cartoons are very much a reflection of society. They project the best and the worse that we as a society has to offer. This can be seen in the heroes we see that are the good guys, the villains who are an exaggeration of the evil in our world, and those people who work on the other side of the law for justice causes much like a vigilante. Oh and one more thing I forgot to note, each cartoon seems to have some sort of agenda.

I mean take a look at all of the various cartoons out there from today and in the past:

The Smurfs: Talk about lessons in communism. Now we have to note that in the cartoon world it is easy to make anything look good. Must have been while all the Smurfs were so happy. Even Lazy Smurf, who never did a thing about the village, got to reap the benefits of the other Smurfs hard work.

Captain Planet: With a doubt the most liberal cartoon in existence. What kills me is this should is still on in syndication. Notice here that ever corporate entity the go up against is evil and either mowing over a rain forest or dumping radioactive waste in the water. And perhaps just as pathetic and funny is one of the characters looks like a pig. Greedy Corporate Pig?

G.I. Joe: Even G.I. Joe had it's issues. While it taught a good pro-American theme there were a few things I took problem with. The first being the disregard for rank with the exception of when they were talking to the general. And the next being that not one person ever got shot! Not one. The only person that ever got taken out was Duke but that was in a movie and not the TV show. Kind of teaches us that war does not have it's costs.

The Simpsons: Who could not talk about cartoons and politics without mentioning the Simpsons. Without question the most balanced show on this topic out there. They take shots and both conservatives and liberals with the parodies and outlandish episodes.

But there was another cartoon that I was watching the other day that struck something inside me when I was watching. For those of you familiar with the CGI cartoons Reboot is probably one that you are familiar with.

This cartoon is based in a computer world and it has it's good guys who defend and its bad guys who want to take over and/or destroy it. Two of the main characters are a guy named Bob (the hero) and the villain named Megabyte (the villain and a virus).

To make a long story short Megabyte was captured and while in confinement his nemesis, Bob, walks in to talk to him. The talk centered around what would become of Megabyte. The conversation is brief and as follows:

Bob: It's not your fault. You were programmed to be this way. We've just gotta work out a way to reprogram you.
Megabyte: So... I won't be a virus?
Bob: That's the plan!
Megabyte: Ah. So. A fate worse than deletion. And they call me a monster.

Interesting a cartoon that deals with the death penalty. But at least here it gives the viewer something to think about. Rather then just put a one-sided view on this, the cartoon here raises the question of which side is actually the "monster"? The one who would sentence the villain to death or the one would "reprogram" the villain to think as they do.

Perhaps some of us think that as I look in to cartoons in this way I am making a mountain out of a molehill. Or that cartoons are for children. And that is all fine and well. But I think that just looking at these examples that I have noted should be a wake up call. While you may or may not think these cartoons are childish your children and/or grand-children will not.

So who do you want politically indoctrinating your children? You and your family where you can explain right from wrong? Or the Smurfs where everything is just Smurfy?

You Are Not Alone

Have you ever felt that you were all alone in a crowded room?

All sorts of people around you, voices and conversations being had from all angles, and some even willing to engage with you. And yet you still feel alone. You feel alone despite all of the people around you many who do not think as you do, believe what you believe, see what it is that you see. At the end of each day you might even feel like you are shouting that same crowded room yet no body can hear you.

This is the feeling that I, and many others have felt over the years in a variety of aspects from being a prepper, have a belief that something bad is on the horizon for our great nation, a belief in God, or having what has now seemingly become taboo... Traditional American Values and pride in being an American. We tend to be quiet about these things because others have a tendency to say these things are "old fashion", are insulted, or we actually bought in to the old bull-poopie axiom "two things to never discuss politics and religion".

Now this begs the question what does one do to resolve this... issue. And I call this an issue because it would seem in recent days that these aspects I noted earlier are being encouraged to be "kept in the closet". The natural human reaction is to seek out other people like ourselves. As a people we have a tendency to gravitate to those that are like us. People that vote as we do, church groups, et. al. The problem I see with this question is that anyone one of us can find others that are like us after a little bit of searching but that is all it is: Finding someone like us and that's it. To that end I think the question flawed and it needs to be restated.

The real question is two fold: (1) What does one need to do to network with others to effect change? and (2) What are you willing to do to take control of your life?

Let's start with taking control of your life. Think about how you feel, what you think, your opinions. All of these things we have to take ownership over. To say that I feel insulted because someone insulted me is to be intellectually dishonest because I have the power to decide how I feel about what was said. No one can make me feel a certain way. I choose to react a certain way. Once we acknowledge this and know how to own our feels and reactions we are free to take control of our lives.

To the former question, it does seem sterile and business like but continue to think about it in that sense. In the business world we look for people that can do something for us and vice-versa. An employer will pay you X if you can do Y and Z. It's a win-win situation. This ties to taking control of our lives in the sense that we choose to seek these win-win situation or we choose to complain the lack thereof. And much like the employer, we may have to go through a good number of candidates until we find people that we can network with. People that we can associate with and in best case scenarios call friends. The change that comes here is that not only is there strength in numbers but there is also commendatory in the bonding that comes with this.

Earlier on I said that with a little bit of searching we can find others like us but in the end that's all it is. I will contend that when we can answer the aforementioned questions the line "that's all it is" will be replaced with "this is just the beginning". This of course will require some work. Not just I put in a few days talking to people. But truly investing time and getting to know people. And sometimes it requires being a part of something larger than yourself. 

When I was a very young man I had the honor of joining the United States Marine Corps. During that time I learned what it meant to be a part of something larger than myself. I worked for the whole knowing that others had my back. This is a feeling I have not experience in the civilian world... at least not until recently.

In my quest to find people like myself, with similar beliefs, similar codes of life, similar goals I had the honor of being introduced to the Frontiersmen. It is with the Frontiersmen that I truly felt that I once again had a voice. No longer was a shouting in a crowded room only to be ignored. When I spoke, I was heard. Not only was I heard but I got to hear from people that I would get to know and see them comrades-in-arms or more so to the fact as Brothers and Sisters. I once again have the honor of not only being apart of something bigger than myself but I have the privilege of being a part of a movement that at some day in the near future will become an integral part of the fabric of this greatest nation on Earth. 

To that end, if you feel as I once had, I strong you encourage you to look in to the Frontiersmen. Go to the Frontiersmen Network Facebook Page and come to the Introductory Meetings. Get to know people, chime in, and know that you are not alone.