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.