All Hallows Eve,..

I sat down today and thought to myself who do honor on this day of the dead? I thought heavy on the people I know that have passed. I thought of those that had great influence in my life. I was saddened by their loss in my life, but happy for the chance I had to get to know them. Some were taken too young. Others taken from my life before I was ready. Death never comes when it is convenient for all parties.

Yet I still smile when I think of all the honored dead. I smile when I think of their influence on my life, and how just their status as dead effects my thoughts. There are people that left a lasting mark on your mind, there are those that left a dent on your soul. There are those that still live in your heart. They have made you life better by being a part of it. Rejoice and honor them, rejoice and honor them for each minute they gave you.

Do not hold sadness for the gift they gave you. Do not be selfish and squander the gift they gave you. Use the lessons they taught you to live life. Please respect their life by the continued effect of their influence in yours. Today we honor the dead. Today I offer a moment of silence to those honored dead, but I offer it with a smile of found remembrance.

Oh these Winter Nights,

The dead are not honored because they are dead.  

They should be honored for their life. 

Oh these Winter Nights,

So many look at this mysterious end with dread

Lo' those that are help in strife.

Oh these Winter Nights,

My fathers fathers and all those that came ahead

Oh great honor my heritage is rife.

Oh these Winter Nights,

My mothers mothers who set my life to thread

Oh so much honor and much more then a wife.

Oh these Winter Nights,

These days are not about who is long cold dead

Rather those that even gone still effect our life. 

Where is the end of a circle?

This is the time of year that people tend to reflect on death. We do this as a group. We do this across boundaries both social and physical. As the Earth slumbers and the ground becomes as cold as a corpse we reflect on the death we see all about us. We reflect on the end of all time. We see famine. We are cold. Life takes its final steps in that cycle.

We look to spring. We take green trees into our home to remind us that life will return. We burn heavy slow burning woods and find ourselves around tables full of the bounties of the year before. We break bread with people and share in collective harvest. We are drawn into the warmth, and no fields to tend so we share more time with those people. When we gather together we share tales and news of what happened before when we were outside in warmth of the sun. We were preoccupied with the life around us, and our work we had to do. Now that work is unable to draw us away. We are entertained by the tales of our neighbors and families.

We told tales of humor, and shared the experiences of our house. We also shared tales of the dead. Some isolated places heard of what was going on, who lived, who died, how many children were born, who married whom, and this is how and when some of our ancient families stayed connect before Facebook and blogs. It was during these dark times that we first socially shared what is now referred to as seasonal depression.

It is here were man interpret their divine guidance. Of course during depression we fixate on the negative and they talked about the end of times. It was then they developed a dark tinge. It was then our cultural mind set was spread. It is based on pessimism to the extreme. The majority of cultures and religious beliefs share an image of the end of the Earth. This is a shared mean of fear that traps us though. It is not something I subscribe too.

In one year there will be a great buzz about the country in regards to the end of days. This end of days is based on a calender of ancient peoples who's faith is not even a small part of a percent of modern culture. On any given week you can see at least one special on TV concerning the Apocalypse, Armageddon, Ragnarok, or what ever name you have for the end times. The world will be consumed with war, fire, plague, polar shifts, nuclear war, or a comet falling from the sky. It is summed up as the war of good and evil in more narrow minded spiritual views, but to me its just another cycle. People of course want to fixate on the selfish. That selfish fixation is the end of them, or the end of what they know.

In each of the end time stories I see something though that is reoccurring. It is not about the end, but about a new season. It is our ego that says that nuclear war will end the Earth, sorry to say it people but it will not. If we nuke the piss out of each other, yes we as human will most likely not survive. When the smoke clears and the dust settles the Earth will still be there. Satellites will have no one to send pictures of its burnt husk, but that sacred third rock will still spin around Sol. It will have gone through a cosmic hydroxycut diet, and the fat will be burned off. It will still be there though.

So in looking at these end of days theories, stories and myth, I see change. I see the end of one season, but also the beginning of the next. In Ragnarok there are people that hide in the great world tree to emerge later to begin life on this world anew. There is evidence in these saga's and edda's that this is not the first time either. Most who study Norse Mythology see Odin as the All Father. Yet Tyr who is rarely mentioned as the binder of Fenrir has a name that literally means God. It is hinted he was the leader of the Gods and the primer of war and wisdom before the world was recreated.

In the Mayan faith there is a talk of a great change. Yes fire and earth shall rise against those that live upon it. The wicked and the just will die hand in hand. The Earth will restore a balance and enact a forceful change. Though things will be forever changed, I can not see anything that says things will cease. It is about change and a shift that those less adaptable will survive without the help of luck or divine intervention.

Even the more popular monotheistic faiths say that it will be a horrible change, but not the end. It is the beginning of eternity. Yes it will be through fire and great war of good and evil. It is the pure concepts of good and evil, which I think we often misinterpret. This is the battle of chaos and form, or creation and destruction if you will. This is a shared theme in both creation and end of day beliefs. Creation must succeed, therefore it does in the stories told.

So that being said I say do not fear the change, but prepare for it. The world will not end, just the global community as we know it will. The reset button is hit, and only the flexible will survive. Only the resourceful will survive. Only the honorable will remain human, and not succumb to being beast free of moral beliefs and higher thought. Part of humanity will survive in honoring those dead we left behind and wait for us on the other side. So why fear change, its going to happen regardless of how you feel about it. What measures you as a person is how you adjust and deal with those changes, and how much of your humanity you can hold onto in the process.  

Two sides of coin and its still only a nickel.

Recently a topic came up on the internet. You know that status update were we address bullies? It goes a little something like this; "The girl you just called fat... She's overdosing on diet pills. The girl you just called ugly... She spends hours putting on makeup hoping people will like her. The boy you just tripped... He's abused enough at home. See that man with the ugly scars... He fought for his country. That guy you just made fun of for crying... His mother is dying. Put this as your status if your against bullying. I bet 95% of you wont re-post this, but I'm sure the people with a heart will!"  First I want to say I understand the intent of this post, but now I am gonna tell you what my issues are. It is not the purpose but the focus. Yes the blame of a bully should be placed on the person doing the bullying, but it is a shared blame. 

You see we as a people are so stuck on the idea that victims should be victims and are blameless. I replied to this update with a cut and paste post of my own. "That parent of the kid you called fat instilled them with a sense of self esteem and made them proud of who they are, and they acknowledge your concerns and note them and decide what is right for them. The girl putting on her make up puts it back down because her parents taught them to live up to their own standards and not to transfer the blame or power to anybody else. The boy was abused at home because his parents parents failed, not because you acted like children have acted for years. That man with the ugly scars still feels they are ugly and probably hates you for ignoring them or discounting them, because he earned them fighting so people can transfer blame to make them feel more comfortable and sleep better at night. That guy you made fun of for crying may have a dying mother, but your parents should be slapped for teaching it is okay to make fun of people expressing themselves. Now if the guy is just a pussy it is our duty to laugh at him, and loud."

Then my brain got to working and I started thinking about how we are trained to think. We are trained to think poorly in so many ways it hurts my little brain. We are told that picking on someone for anything is bad, yet the most popular videos on Youtube are all about other peoples pain. We think its funny when some dude gets hit in the nuts with a rake. Its funny when a heavy set chick falls through a table when making a music video. We laugh when a person ends a run or ride with a face plant. We pick on people and find humor in it, but then we are shocked when some kid takes it a bit further.

We do this with a lot of things in life. Lets look at our concept of beauty and what people are willing to do to chase this concept of physical perfect. Billions of dollars are spent on make up, which is nothing more then paint. We alter our bodies to get that golden tan. People actually put a steaming iron to their hair to make it straighter. Toxic chemicals are injected into our lips, our checks or where ever else we perceive an imperfection. Some people even work out with the sole intention of sculpting their bodies to be more appealing to other people. Men and women are just as concerned with how they are viewed by their peers as they are with the people that they want to bump ugly's with.

So when we look at things we blame others for our short comings and blame ourselves for things we can't control or alter. We blame bullies for bad parenting. We blame our faces for being not being symmetrical. Seriously does anybody else see issues with this communal train of thought? I find it humorous. I think when we figure it out as a people it would be awesome. I don't think it would happen though. It seems to deep an issue of human nature to be a walking contradiction.  

Hypocritical Mass!!

I am going to say this one more time. Grow the fuck up America. Seriously we are once again looking at our issues and looking for who to blame. Like the kid on the school yard that feel from the monkey bars we are looking for who pushed us. We are looking to transfer blame. However that is not the case. We are responsible for our own world. We have to take ownership of what we do and how it effects others. We have to stop lending credence to those with skin in the game.

We are so eager to pass the blame and not look for solutions that we get so caught in the smoke and mirrors. Let us look at the occupy 99% movement. I am going to tell you why I think its bullshit. Yes it is great that people are getting angry, I love that people are getting involved, but I think they are so full of crap it spills out of their mouths. We are all saying it sucks that the rich are making so much money. We are not talking about the morality of it, we are just saying they make more then us and we are not getting any of it.  Yes there is huge salary division between corporate America and the working class. Yes the wealthy are getting multimillion bonus's as the companies are getting government bail outs. So what is the issue with this?

Yeah the issue is the people not being held responsible for their failure and the perception they are being rewarded for it. You want justice, make them pay it back, or we take it back by seizing assets or sending them to jail. We as Americans though are crying out from the mountain top that its not fair. I would be okay with that if it was not hypocritical. Seriously if you were given a million dollars, what would you do with it? Would you create jobs in your neighborhood, or would you take of shit you always wanted. You are not gonna take from yourself to give to others. People just want more.

So if you are gonna hate the rich then hate them, but be honest as to why you hate them. You are jealous. Yeah I know there are some pissed off people right now reading this. Now before you click that little red X on the top of your browser and shut me down, think about it. Really what would you do with a million, or a billion, and without anyone knowing exactly what you are thinking tell me that the first thing you thought of was not some selfish material object for yourself.

Then lets look at the people offering the most public support in the media. I really do like the John Stewart Show, and The Colbert Report. Seriously I watch them all the time, yet I find it hypocritical when they use satire to attack those super rich for being super rich and not giving back to society. Well how much money does John Stewart make per episode? How much does Steven Colbert have in his Super Pac, and how much of that money was given back to the people? What percentage do they offer to charity that is above the allowable limit that they can claim and shelter from taxes? What percentage did they pay in taxes compared to say what you paid in taxes?

Seriously people its not that they have more money then you that should be the issue. It should be the issue of responsibility that most people do not want to claim. If you screw up and your business fails, then it fails, you're broke. Move the fuck on. You shot at somebody they died, you go to jail, or the chair depending in the state you live in. It is called accountability. Don't hate the rich because they are rich and found a way to be successful. Hate the law makers that enable them to exploit you, because they sponsor them. Look where you throw your blame before you blame and grow the fuck up. 

Here is mud in your eye,..

We have two eyes, and they each see the world from a different place, yet they merge into one image. They give us a perception of the world that is unified, though they come from different angles. Why is it that this biological precedence is ignored as people run through life with tunnel vision. You see there is value in the additional data offered by another view. If you have a problem the most often piece of advice you will get, is to maybe look at it a different way. When we look at art we walk around it like a caged animal, trying to figure it out by looking at it from as many views as we can.

So it seems we can understand the concept of getting a deeper meaning when we look at things from as many views as we can. We like to look inside things to see how they work. We like to dissect, break them down. We hesitate to make a choice before we have as much information as we can get. This is what school is for so many of us. When we were children we figured out what we liked by sampling all that we could from the buffet of life.

We miss the strength that comes from turning that insight inwards. We can look at everything else with so much effort but we do not like to challenge our own view. When something comes at us we put the blinders on and call it evil. We tear it down and shut ourselves down. Our depth perception is skewed as we shut one eye at a time, until we are blind to that one conclusion we jumped to at the beginning. We only accept what we felt was the truth, and look for facts to support our beliefs.

Why is we see a mountain face as a challenge, but we look at the challenges others offer to our beliefs as an affront to our existence. If your ideas are so solid that they are beyond reproach, then maybe you are kidding yourself. Are they so extreme to one side or another that you forget the middle typically holds the truth? There is no dark without light. There is no understanding peace without understanding of war.  There are extremes on each side of every argument, and in the middle you can see them both.

You think you are so right that you can not give thought to another persons view? Well to me that says that your beliefs are too weak to stand up to examination, and when you fight so hard to convince others you are really trying to convince yourself. If you shake your views from time to time you test their foundation. In testing those foundations you find out if they are stable enough to stand on. If you have to convince people so avidly that your ideals are more solid then they are you are just shoring mud. So open your eyes, and look at your views with the same eyes you use to tear down others.

Never deny yourself another view. Life is too short to let your view be short. Strength comes from facing challenge not hiding from it. So open your eyes, look in the mirror and look at the world. See everything it has to offer, and commit to the idea that have a strong foundation no matter where you view them from. If you think your beliefs are too perfect to question then you're not looking hard enough. If you can't be your own devils advocate ask someone else too. Maybe they can see something from a place you can't. This is the first step in not being a douche. 

A right to be right, or a right to my rights?

"All things truly wicked start from innocence." -Ernest Hemingway

With the development of modern society we look to our fellow man and where our responsibility to them lays. A wealthy man can extend his influence with greater ease in today's world, but to do so responsibly through both action and inaction, measures his character. It is not money that is the root of evil, but the pursuit and giving to greed that is the root of evil. Philanthropy can even be evil if the intent and desire is not noble, and the actions even if from a place of good intent are not measured by their influence. It is then the responsibly of the person with the affluence and wealth to measure the effects of his deeds, or the effects of his inaction to see if good is being accomplished, or if it is satisfying a more primal sense of selfish elevation. 

The responsibility therefore is not to your fellow man, but to what your actions do to them. You can inhibit their own person growth and insure their dependence upon your charity with the wrong cause. You could educate them in ways that might alter their nature in a positive or negative fashion. So lend credence to research and act from responsibility and morality regardless of wealth. Look to yourself and that moral compass in regards to helping those around you.

Let us not look at the intentions of any action that is offered, but rather look at all aspects of its implementation. Another quote says the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and that carries a lot of truth. You see people like Herman Cain have a vision of what they think is right for the world. Our President has his vision of what is good for the world as well. So they push programs and do what ever they can to force this good onto other people. So many others look at their programs, and depending on what party line they belong too, they will argue the merits or weakness of what ever program.

Me I look at it differently. I look at the effect of government programs. I do not just look at the results, there is more then the immediate result. Immediate results are like orgasms, while wonderful, they are contained to that moment. I am a fan of the Constitution. I am fan of the state of the Union our forefathers intended. Let us think about a government managed by the people, and not a government that manages the people. Good or ill intention, the more power we give to the federal government the harder it is for us to enact change or control.

Think of what it would be like if the government understood its role. Believing in life at conception, or when the fetus can survive on its own, is an argument that you should be having with yourself. Maybe at best you could get a doctor involved. If you are not sharing genetic material that could result in the malformation of children, or enforcing your will upon another in an attempt to subvert their personal freedom, who is the government to declare your love valid? On those grounds if the government were to intervene, would it not be better for a more localized government that is living in the issues better serve you in ruling over your life?

You see it is the intent of those in office to provide you with a better life, regardless of who backs them, or what side of the party lines they live on. They want to leave the country better then they found it, and leave their mark on our collective history, but good intentions are their intentions and they might not coincide with yours. They are not sitting out to remove your freedoms, but rather enforce their own moral views upon you. This to me is the exact opposite of freedom. Smaller Federal control does not mean you are unprotected, it is exactly the opposite. Wouldn't it be great if freedom was freedom in this country and you were free to marry any adult you wished to marry, you held domain over your own body, your retirement, and you were free from corporate sponsors dictating your politics?

Your freedom is for sale, but you can take it off the market. The choice is yours, at least for now. Let us not follow the intention, but look at the end result of actions. Hitler believed he was right. Nobody sets out to be evil, it is the effect on others that make that happen. So limit the effect that others have on you, and you limit their ability to preform evil upon you, or in your name. 

42 is one answer

The trouble I think we are going through as a culture is a direct result of absolutism. Each of us is seeking the absolute truth, the one true god, the one true truth, and their is no room for anything else. I hate to break it to people in concerns with religion and life but their is still only your truth and not an absolute truth. You want proof, look around you. The bible is a book that people claim is the direct word of God, yet there are hundreds of different churches with hundreds of different people interpreting it differently. Yes there are similarities, but I would be hard pressed to see two people that took the info the exact same way. So to me there is not one absolute truth. The is not one way to do anything, there is just the one you can use right now that works best for what you need it to do.

You see we each have our own truth, and that truth we feel we have to share with everyone around us. Why do we do this? Well we all want to be immortal, and to share our truth adds to the concept of being immortal. We leave parts of us behind when we shrug off the mortal confines of the flesh. Yes that meat sack you call your body is not your permanent home. You are renting, so stop trashing it if you want your deposit back. This of course brings me to the topic at hand. It is the season after all to be talking about death.

All Hallows Eve, Winternights, Samhain, Parentalia, Festival of the Dead, or what ever you want to call it, it was a shared holiday for many ancient cultures. In that there is a bit of shared truth, being many cultures and many peoples shared a similar belief and celebrated damn near the same day every year. They did this with miles of distance, strange terrain, complete isolation, and no Facebook. Now this is where you can uncover some personal and collective truth if you can resolve that mystery.

I can tell you about some personal observations, and share some of my truth. I know its not much and it is probably really going to piss some people off, if they are not pissed already for the first paragraph. You see we as a people are fascinated with death. Even if you believe that when you die you die, that's it, the end, worm dirt, you cease to exist, you still think about death. Most concern themselves with an after life. Others dream of immortality. You see I understand the secret to my own immortality, outside of my personal religious and philosophical beliefs. It lays in the one area of study that we as a group totally suck at. You want to live for ever, you need to look to history.

I think our ancestors had it right, and we are totally screwing it up. You want to live forever on Earth, you need to be remembered. You live on in the history of your people. So you feed the immortality of you kin by telling their tales after they have died. You honor them at a time when you believe the veil between the worlds is the weakest. You lend their story strength by telling it. If the great great grand children are speaking your tale to their great great grand children, you essentially live on through them. You live on by how you effected their life, and you live on here on earth, regardless of where you think you go when you leave it.

This is why I find it important to not only live the best life I can, but the most interesting life I can. People do not tell the tales of the boring. Sloth is a lesson not a story. So rattle the cage, explore the ends of your world, create stories for your grandchildren. It is in those tales that you live forever. While you are here also look to your own honor ancestors for ideas on adventures, and remember their tragedy so you do not repeat it. When you are putting the plastic cape on your children or applying the grease pant to your face, lets not forget to honor your dead. Encourage their immortality, and establish the tradition. This will ensure it is there when you die, so that you can aid your immortality after you die.

Remember there are many ways to get to where you want to go. 42 is one answer, but not the only answer. So grab your towel and jump into life. Happy Halloween, enjoy your candy. Do not forget those WInternights though, and as fall ends we look to the cold dead earth knowing life will return. So seek that life out and give people something to talk about when you are pushing up daisies. 

Confucius says,. no really he says.

"In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of." -Confucius


I can see where Confucius was going with this. It is simplistic as is his style, and in that simplisty allows for complicated debate. I see the focus of a people shift depending on their leadership though, rather then the distribution of wealth. Evil and good are always present, and that view changes with our own tolerance. For some cultures it maybe evil to one thing, and in another it is accepted. The issues we are dealing with now were present generations ago. It is just our abilty to respond that has changed. Technology helps create a forced interaction.

I am sure that people in Ancient Greece wrestled with the morality of taking human life. While this debate was more of a focus in Athens, it was not as serious in Sparta. It was a matter of leadership and focus. It was the value that the people were taught about the value of human life. It was the voice of the leaders refelcted in the culture of the people.

In reflection of modern times in regards to this, you have this 99% movement. While I can sympathize with their plight, I can not see their abilty to offer resolution. In pointing out that there is shameful wealth they are absolutly right. That shameful wealth however, was there generations before they pointed it out. The shift of finance in our country has changed, but it has been a slow change. It was allowed by those people that did not read their ballots. It was allowed by those that voted with emotional sway rather then looking at the facts. This is not something that happened under the administration of one President.

It is a transfer of responsibility and it is the slow hand off of our representation that has created this shift. In our case being a Republic with duly elected officials, where does the blame lie? All of a sudden we are ashamed of the wealthy because it is starting to bite us in the ass. We look to the government to provide all of our basic needs, and are shocked at the level of freedom we have given them with each term of the Federal Government. Yes you give them your choice, you give them your voice, you give them your power. Yet we have not held them accountable for borrowing that power. 

Like a shitty neighbor that borrows your tools, if they bring it back it is typically with a bit of badgering. Then they bring it back used up and the gas tank empty. They might have even kept some parts. They used it to better their own life, with out regard of your further use of it. It is the motivation and gathering of wealth and power that motivates them. It has been that way for a long time in this country and we tolerate it, because our leaders educate us on the status quo. We swallow it, and thank them when they hand our tools back to us in disrepair and loan them out yet again and again.

I think what people fail to see is that people are going to act within their nature, and greedy people are going to be as greedy as they can be. That wonderful story about the frog and the scorpion comes to mind. In essence we are all children as well, testing boundaries. Children act up looking for boundaries. If they get an ass whooping for doing something they are not supposed to, then they found the boundary and they test how close they can get to the edge of it. Their has to be consequences for bad behavior or they will keep looking for the lines and see how much bad behavior they can get away with in pursuit of greed.

In that we failed. We allowed our representatives to use our votes and they did a great job of holding us accountable, but failed to represent us versus their corporate sponsors. In that too they are only going with their nature. You do not bite the hand that feeds after all. So they strengthen the laws that enable the greedy to make more money at our expense. Then we reelect them. You want change, and not just pocket change, you need to send a clear message. You need to give these children boundaries. You need to hold them accountable for fucking up your tools.

You want to see change, start by not reelecting anybody. You keep putting new people in office until they get the point. You take away their pensions, their tenure, and you do not allow the children to run the day care. Government in not there to run our life, it is there to protect it. Government is ours, in that is for the people and by the people. It should not be foreclose the people, buy the people. Poor or wealthy we should all be ashamed. 

Whore = Merc

I want to put this out there. As a solider, and a veteran I do not kill people for you. I do not kill people for ideas. I have never jumped over a wall and put my bare hands on another persons throat and screamed the name of another person. When a person kills another person is all about those two people. That person that killed another human being carries that burden by themselves. They do not carry it for the country, or your right to speak out. That is the burden that they carry on their own.

They do not take another human life so you can enjoy your microwave, the latest movie in the theater, or voice your opinion without being beaten by that same military force that is off in foreign countries and you keep asking why. I understand that you have concern as to how and why your troops are deployed. I understand your concern for foreign policy. People talk about it all day and entertain various conspiracies for why we are at war, or ever have been at war.

However no matter what line you choose to believe, or what particular reality you choose to ignore, when a soldier, sailor, airmen or marine take a life they do not take it for you. They do not take it in your name. They are not your gun whore. They do not will you in their place. They do not say a prayer over their fallen enemy and offer them as a sacrifice unto your greatness. They do not praise you, or you ideas when they watch the blood flow down the streets. They do not call out to you when they close their eyes and see those lives all over again.

They also do not die for your doubts. They do not die for your interest. They die for other reasons.

Those that go overseas, for what ever reasons you want to claim, are not your whores. They are not their to cater to your whims and ego. You are not a unique snowflake. They are there to protect your right to be a douche. They are their to keep others from spreading their douchebaggery on you. Do not make the mistake though to assume that you are so fucking awesome that even one of the them kills anybody for you. You ego is not big enough to carry that weight. That is their burden, and they carry it no matter how hard you try to claim it. Say you understand all you want, and empathize all you want, but this is that soldiers burden.

They may carry that burden so you can enjoy things that so many others, in so many other countries do not enjoy, but fuck you if you think they shed blood for YOU. Take your selfish act of solicitation somewhere else. Do not thank me or hate me for my service, it is my service. It is my choice, and while it might effect you, this part is not, nor has it ever been about YOU. It is about self preservation, and the preservation of the person that is on that field with you. It is that window before and after the trigger is pulled that it is very focused, very narrow. It is that small moment that the weight of that decision that belongs to those directly involved. There is no faith, no ideals, nothing at that time that people who have not been there would not understand.

So thank you for your understanding. Thank you for keeping your shit to yourself. Thank you for not trying to lay claim to my burden. Thank you for making me feel like all that I have done served a purpose. Thank you for voting. Thank you for trying not to take my issues and make them your cause. Thank you for not demeaning me and mine to further your own social cause. If the opposite of any of that applies, well then I say fuck you. 

Hanging on the back of the big truck.

As usual I was stressing what to write in my blog today, and also the typical fashion my friends supplied me with a great topic. Oh so today I'm going to discuss my own personal worldviews in regards to pessimism and optimism. You see I'm typically a very optimistic individual, I see the glass as being half full more often than not. The difference though that optimism doesn't stretch much further than my own self. The reason for this is I have little faith or misconceptions about the desires of other people. I have my own personal sense of honor and my own code that lived my life by. I would like to think that other people auctioned a similar fashion but I know that is not always the case.

I think this comes from the mentality of being a soldier. What I mean by this is that the vast majority of people do not understand the world that soldiers live in. This is a world of very negative human behavior,it is comprised of the worst that mankind has to offer. Governments do not send soldiers out when things are all fine. They send us out to places when the shit really hits the fan and resolution is not going to come out of conversation. This is the type of stuff that doesn't wash off when you get it on you either.

Now that in itself demonstrates a certain character requirement to go back for more. Yes you get people that sign up for a single four year hitch, but it takes a special ed kind of guy to go back for more. Nobody I know announced in school that they wanted to be a garbage man, and this profession is just that. You understand when you raise your hand and swear on for another tour that you are the garbageman for America. You also know that the stench does not was off, and you will get some on your shoes.

So before you read further, and I let you into my thought process, I am going to issue a disclaimer here. If you prefer your illusions to reality, and do not want to taint you image of these soldiers holding that sacred trust of protecting the interest of your country on foreign soil, then stop reading now. What I am about to write is not going to portray me and my brothers in arms in the most favorable light.  It is an insight that most people choose to ignore because it helps them sleep better at night.

Last night I had a conversation with a friend of mine about the honor of the military. While I do not doubt the honor of my fellow soldiers, I doubt the all encompassing nature that people place on it. Do soldiers lie? Hell yes, all the time, but does it make them less honorable. I think not, I believe it just proves that they are human. The reason this even came up was because of a discussion on lawful orders, and the effort placed on them by the soldiers themselves.

You see people think this is a all or nothing situation. You either obey the orders without question, because you said you would, and that is the blind allegiance that people assume exist and associate with the concept of honor. At least this is my impression of civilian views in this regard. The thing they fail to understand is that  these soldiers are still human and some of those lawful orders are ignored because of the lack of practicality. For example according to regulations you are only allowed to have sexual relations with your spouse, and then the acts of procreation you engage in are limited as well. These neolithic ideas are still on the books, but they are not enforced. It does not mean that the soldier themselves are not honorable, but rather the regulation or order is ignored, not enforced, and punishments are handed out selectively.

This issues are not followed because these soldiers are dishonorable, but because they temper that blind faith with commonsense and a touch of selfishness. I would like to think that common sense is the most prevalent of the restraints on orders they selectively hear, you know not everybody is ready to join the light brigade. I am not kidding myself though, and understand a large portion is selfish. Its that garbageman lifestyle though that attracts the garbage people too. Violent people are often attracted to violence. This is the nature of the game. So yes we are flawed, we are damaged, we are not perfect.

So please do not look at us as the role model for your children. We are doing the best we can, but soldiers are not perfect. We are not idols to be placed on the altar of your ego. We are not here to replace your parenting. We are here to take the garbage out, we try to do it early in the morning when you don't have to see it and sully yourself with the thought of it. We are not perfect, but we are better then most. We do what we have to because others don't want to. Its not a white horse that we ride on, and the armor is not shiny. At the end of the day we are just human, with human desires and human dreams. We are just as flawed as you, and sometimes more. Like I said you don't walk away form that much garbage without getting some of it on you. 

Anger Management

Today I went downtown after class for a bit. Three weeks Denver has established its own version of the depression era Hooverville. Occupy Denver was in full swing. That is exactly what it was too, in full swing. You see in baseball almost every batter takes a swing, but its when they connect that something actually happens. I got the impression from being there and talking to the masses that it was lacking connection. The common theme was outrage, but it was rage without action. Yes it had a general direction it was directed at, the rich, but beyond that there was very little connection.

You see I am a soldier. As a soldier I know that action is only part of the equation. Plan of Action is the full statement. While there is some solidarity forming on the digital media, it is so broad and lacking focus that it is hard to believe it could gather momentum. Oddly enough though the movement as a nation wide cause seems to be gathering just that. It is a united cause of anger. People are pissed, and most of them are pissed for their own reasons. Most of those reasons are valid, but come on, we all get pissed. You need to know what to do about it, or at least listen to propositions as to how to deal with it.

I walked about the police, and the protesters alike. The police were very cordial, and many ready to share their opinion. Most of the police had no real understanding of why the protesters were out there.  I talked to state cops, and Denver cops, making sure that if I moved into the masses to talk to the protesters that I was not going to be greeted with pepper spray, and given a night of accommodation in our lovely Denver jail. They assured me that worst was over, and they just wanted to clear the tents and structures out of Veterans Park, not the protesters. They held no ill will towards the protesters, and that seem genuine. However to reiterate they had no clue as to why the protesters were even there. 

After I was assured that things were not going to get ugly I proceeded into the mass of the occupants. The crowd had thinned as their temporary shelters were being relocated, however a good amount were still holding onto to their little piece of concrete in front of the state capitol. As I mingled with the die hard's, I noted the a few things. First and foremost, those that had been in attendance for the whole three weeks seemed to have forgotten about personal hygiene. Yes I understand that living in a tent for a few weeks can take its toll on your aroma, but I think more then a few ignored these personal habits well before taking to the streets. The second thing that hit me was the age of the crowd. Most that remained where young, and that only a few older more professional people were there to lend support to the cause.

I talked to one nurse, a retired preacher, and a few veterans. They made up less then a quarter of those still in attendance. While they were a bit cleaner, and more focused, they too seemed a bit unfocused, yet ready to express their anger. The nurse was employed, and had taken the time off from work to be there, however she may not have been the most credible person to talk to. She had her right hand wrapped in an Ace Wrap, and claimed to have been injured by the Police while they moved out the structures. Yet she could not offer details as to how she was hurt, she only kept telling me about the fact she was hurt. When I asked her directly about how the injury was actually received it was greeted with the same response. "They hurt me, they did this." "How did they do that?" "They hurt me, they did this." "Did they grab you? Did they attempt to arrest you?"  "They hurt me, they did this."

The other thing I gathered from talking to the protesters was that many of them had not participated in elections since 2008. Most of them voted in the presidential race, but could not recall how or even if they voted on local issues, local government positions, or even other federal offices. Over eighty percent of those I talked to, could not name the current mayor of Denver. Not one of the people I talked to could name a single opponent to the mayor in this most recent election. When I asked questions about the actual issues they were here to protest it was greeted with as much vague statements as news offered. When I asked who they were mad at, I was given the same target at least, Wall Street. However when I talked to them about why they were upset, it was uneducated dribble.

You see its not Wall Street that took away the jobs. It is not Wall Street that foreclosed on their houses. It is not enough to hate someone for having more then you. You have to have to understand the process of how and why you are in the situation you are in. You need to understand that business did not take the jobs away, we did that. We did that by not being active in our own government. We let corporate sponsored candidates into office by not being active in our own system. We let people vote in favor of those giving them campaign donations, which you can't blame them right? Someone gets you a job you thank them. They take care of you, and you take care of them. Then we do not hold them accountable for using our vote to do so.

If I got anything from this, talking to the Occupants of Denver, the Denver PD, and the lookie loos running about, is that we made this bed. We the people stopped caring. We stopped voting. We stopped being aware of the government that represents us. We lost an understanding, and we gave into a sense of entitlement that is breaking us. Yes we have the right to be mad, but fuck people, think about why you are mad in the first place. You know we all have responsibility in this mess. We have no right to blame it on a concept. Wall Street is a concept, and its not even the right concept. The Federal Reserve is not Federally ran. The president is not elected by popular vote. Banks are in it to make money, not look out for your interest. The American dream is still out there, but it is not a right, the pursuit of it is the only right.

I am happy that so many people are ready to use their voice. I am happy that people are flexing their Constitutional rights. I am happy that people are pissed, finally. However please be willing to do more then bitch, and educate yourself. Sure you can live in a fantasy world of free this, and free that, but you are not entitled to anything other then access to things. Take responsibility for yourself and your needs. Last but definitely not least, if you are going to preach about your rights, protected by the Constitution and Bill of Rights, at least read the damn thing. Develop a plan, and do something other then take up space. Fuck Occupy anything. How about you take a swing and connect, and do something in the game. Make something happen, and engage the War on Stupid.

You want to be heard, vote all the assholes that aren't listening to you out of office. If the new guys aren't listening, vote them out. Offer solutions to those you vote for, for the problems you have. If you hand somebody a bag of shit and say "fix this", don't get pissed when they fix it in a way you don't like. You have just as much responsibility for your life, and should have more then them. Get your head out of the sand, be angry, but also be ready to manage that anger. A five year old can be pissed, but an adult can be pissed and thinks of ways to be get happy. 

Bunt? Who the hell bunts anymore?

I look at the fixation in our culture lately on the military. Being a career military guy, I can only tell you how much I appreciate the shift. I hear horror stories about how the Vietnam vets were treated. I remember the passive indifference that greeted me early in my career. I still do dread getting out of the car in my uniform though. The fact that I do not receive praise well is not the purpose of this blog though. The purpose is something similar but much harder for people to understand.

You see people seem to have this fixation and fascination with the ultimate sacrifice a  solider is willing to pony up. People talk about putting their life on the line to defend the life lifestyle that they have grown accustom to abusing. The risk alone draws more attention then the one question that you just don't ask. The whole line that was popular back in the early days of world war two has been resurrected with a greater fervor then ever before. Some young soldier talking to a girl on his way too boot camp and discussing his destiny with death. This has led to more babies being born out of wedlock in trailer parks then PBR.

The thing people ignore though is the millions of other lessor sacrifices that make of the life of a modern military member. You see cops and firefighters run as much, if not more risk of death and dismemberment then your average Joe. The true sacrifice that people seem to forget are the little things that make life so cushy for the civilian population. Sunday afternoons of football are hard to catch in dark corners of the third world. You try ordering hot wings if you are lucky enough to catch a game.

Its those little things that add up that ALL Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen give up. It is those small things that really show you the character and resolve that these men and women have. I know more then a few guys that missed the birth of their first child. I know more then one proud parent that had to see first steps over skype, if they saw them at all. Birthday parties that some dead beat parents blow off are dearly missed. It is all those first moments, or once in a life time moments of mundane life that are lost to service.

These are things that you can't send in a care package. These are those moments that so many take for granted, that add up. You can only die once, even if it is for your country, but you can miss birthdays, funerals, graduations, and reunions in the dozens. You miss moments that you can never get back, all for the sake of others. You let those you care for enjoy those moments, even if they do not understand that true weight of sacrifice.

I am not saying stop supporting those service members with care packages, letters, thank yous, boob shots on Knockers for the Troops, or what ever else you want to do, what I am saying is understand that they will never have those moments back. Understand that they sacrifice those moments so you can enjoy them. So enjoy them, and the next time you blow off a nieces birthday party, a friends wedding, or some cheesy  family gathering, think of that guy in some isolated base in some shit pit that would love to be there right now.

Share those moments. That is a great way to understand the sacrifice that all military members offer to you. Tell you children bed time stories. Video their moments of youtube glory, and live them. They give theirs up, so you don't have too. Respect that. 

I learned to share in kindergarten.

This blog was hard to start today. Not because I do not have a subject, but because it is hard to share. It is something that is dear to my heart. It is about my personal war on stupid. I had a friend of mine say something to me today that hit home. This friend is a bit more to me, I look to him as a mentor. He is a man of great knowledge in matters that concern me. He talked about me putting myself out there, and sharing a bit much of who I am with whomever. In essence it is putting my power out there for the world to see, and send back twisted and not clean. By speaking my mind in public it puts me under fire, and it puts the perception others on me and open to their view. This then carries over to those around me,  because people do not know how to separate your views from the views of those you are social with.

I truly do understand this. I can see where he is coming from on this. I can see how people would link my views  to the views of people I share my life with, and those groups I choose to affiliate with. However I want to say I can not stop my commitment to this task. It is my responsibility to speak out against those people that are toxic to the world I live in. Yes I know it puts me out there. I know it exposes those I care for to the crossfire. I also know the smart people will know the difference between my views and those that call me friend. Those that can not separate those views show their ignorance and declare their side of the line is this war on stupid.

You see I am a solider. I am a warrior. I do things that I understand and hold my personal responsibility for. People need to understand that separation or they can go pound sand. Because I go to war and fight for your right to be a dumb ass, that does not mean my wife supports that view. You are a dumb ass and I will tolerate your existence, but she may not want you to exercise your right of free speech in her presence. You see we like each others company, but that does not mean we think the same way.

So I hope that all those people I have issues with heed these words. I am my own man. I have my own voice. While I will defend your right to free speech, I will also exercise mine. I can not sit back and let people continue on this path of idiocy. If people continue to force their shitty outlook on life upon other people, I will call them out. I will continue to defend my friends and family from the shit storm that is the life of shitty people. I understand the risk. I understand what other people might think of me. I accept that.

So I am hoping that people can figure out that my words are my own. My views are my own. I speak with my own voice. I might share some beliefs with people, hence why I hang out with them, but understand I am my own person. I am a big boy. I speak my heart, not for other people. So when I say that band sucks, I am saying they suck in my opinion. If I have issues with people because of their actions, it is because I have issues with their actions. I don't sugar coat it, claim to speak for anyone but myself, or speculate. If I say someone is a con artist, liar, manipulator, douche bag, or another form of scumbag, then it is my view. If I share something like that with you all, it is my view, and based on actions I have witnessed. These are not my feelings, or me expressing feelings of people I love. These are my views.

If this needs further explanation let me know, though right now I think I am pretty clear. So when I call a man a lecherous womanizing asshole,  it is my choice. When I say a musical group is spreading negative values and personal hate, then it is my choice to return that hate to them three fold. If I say a lady is a liar and manipulator causing harm to my friends, it is not a "feeling" it is me stating the truth and acting upon it. I do this on my own. I do not need others to stand with me. They are welcome to if the choose, but these are my words, this is my strength. This is my fight. I am a soldier, I am a warrior. There is nothing more to be said on this. 

100? Really? Wow!

Today is a special day. This is one of those milestones. Getting ten thousand hits was pretty cool, but this one is personal. This is my one hundredth blog post. The first post was May 9th and was titled the Garden of Eden. I talked about things pertaining to home. This whole thing started as an exercise to learn the discipline of a new profession. This has been a way for me to learn how to take writing and turn it into work.
The trouble is that it has not become work. It has not grown into a profession, it is still a passion. I still look forward to doing this everyday of the week. I still enjoy writing and trying to put my thoughts on paper. So I am still looking for when this all becomes "work". I am looking for the day that I set in front of my laptop and look at the keyboard with dread.

I would have thought that sharing my thoughts and my heart would suck, and I was fearful. I expressed myself in ways that I normally reserve for friends or at least in closed company. I will say that I have learned a lot about myself, and about the people in my little corner of the world. This has been one hell of a trip, and is not even close to being over.

Some of my most popular blogs surprised me, because those where the ones I saw as more anger then thought. Some of the blogs I was most proud of were left to the wayside. I have to admit that clearing my heart and mind felt good, but the postings with the most venom seemed to be the most popular. Calling people out on their bullshit was great, but it makes me feel like people want to hear the tabloids rather then hear about news, or editorial views.

No worries though, I will keep on writing. I will keep calling people out, and I will keep on keeping on. I will share the issues I wrestle everyday even if it is dealing with ass hats. I will continue to put the spot light on toxic people. I will also never betray my heart. At the end of the day, yeah I am sharing this with you all, but this is still mine. I make no apologies.

I think that is one of the lessons I learned in life through this blog. I learned the value of my own truth. I have learned that their are courageous people out there hiding in the flock. I have learned a different kind of respect for some people. All of these things are grounded in truth, and not just MY truth. So keep reading, I will keep writing.

So I say thank you to all the people that have kept up and posted responses. I say thank to those that dealt with my rants, and philosophical hippie bullshit at times. I say thank you to people that have also walked with me through this journey. I know that not all the people I wrote about here was Crystal clear, and there were shades of Gray on my Heart, but as sure as the Aspens whisper lies on the wind, I will keep writing.

So in closing out this one hundredth post, I ask you all what would you like to see me write about? What was your favorite post so far? What would you like to know about me? I will dedicate the next post for as many comments that I get to you, as a thank you for reading and offering support. I say thank you for joining me on this journey. Thank you for sharing links to my author page. Thank you for not calling me a baby killer. Thank you for directing traffic to this page. More importantly, thank you for seeing my naked soul and not screaming and running away.

To my enemies, from my ego.

I had posted this before on my Facebook page as a note, but after seeing a picture on several friends pages I had to put it here. So here it is unedited and the picture that inspired me to publish it again on the web. 

I am better than you. I have no qualms against saying it. Its not because of a malformed ego. It is a statement of fact. I am better than you. The reasons being I have no need to torture. I can, I have the knowledge. I just choose to be better than you. I have no need to turn people away from my help because of personal bias. I can, I just don't because my parents raised me better than that.

I am better than you because I am also willing to die for my beliefs, but not commit suicide for them. I am not so afraid of the consequences of my actions that I fear seeing how they will turn out. I am not so desperate that I would end my own life on purpose based on a bribe of sexual favors in the after life. I am not so shallow as to believe that by killing people that can not defend themselves will some how bring more meaning to my life.

I am better than you because I am willing to look you in the eye when I take your life, and in the very next breath give shelter and security to your family if they desire it. I am not so wrapped up in hate that I can not break bread with your kin after this is all done, in the school I helped build for them. I have no issues so severe that I feel I need to exterminate everyone you know.

I am better than you because I have tolerance, but can still do my job, and live by my value system. I feel no need to go into your village, your town, your city and preach my own message of hate just so I can have people live in fear of me. I have no need to get them to do my bidding just t make my beliefs more valid.

I am better than you because after I have come in and left you and your fellows broken, I will still contribute to rebuilding your country. I will help those here with water, education, and basic civic needs after we have come in with great aggression. I am not killing people here but saving them. We are educating, or at least offer the opportunity to be educated. We do want your people to have a voice on the world stage, one that is strong and globally heard. You do not need to blow innocent people up to get that.

I am better than you because I am not here to take away your religion. I am not here to preach my own. I am not here to flaunt my beliefs in your face or tell you mine are better. I am not here to kill you if you do not see my way. I am here to stop you from killing others for all those reasons.

I am better than you because I value life, from where ever it came. I value it so much that even if you are hurt and you are no longer trying to kill me or my friends, I will render the same level of care to one of them, to you. I will save your life, even after you tried to take mine.

I am better than you because I am. I am better than you because I am here to ask you to be better than you too, and help you be better than you are now. I do this and ask nothing in return. I do this because I know it will assure the safety of my family, my friends, and my country. It is because of this I know I am better than you.

Plug in and recharge!

So many news stories today are about the balance of power today. This movement to occupy Wallstreet talks about the horrors of the super rich being horrible masters. There is a cry for accountability in the undercurrent that I like. Simply cry that someone has more then you, is not enough to make me listen. To me that is childish. The above photo running around that puts that into perspective for me.  So saying somebody has more then me is not enough. It is childish.

What I do agree with is holding those power moguls accountable. They ran a Ponzi scheme that would make Bernie M so proud. They ran a shell game with real estate and bad investments that finally caught them and bit them in the ass. They were to big to fail, really. So we bail them out, or rather our government bails them out with our money. Now how many of those responsible went to jail? How many people lost jobs? Some of them left those companies that were bailout for poor financial decisions and put into office dealing with federal fiscal decisions. 

So we reward them with a government job, when Joe's like us would have gone to jail. You know those jobs are awesome, they have a great retirement plan. They have the best insurance. These are the jobs that require and act of congress to fire you. These are the ideal jobs for many people. Yet they were rewarded with these great jobs or severance packages from previous jobs, but not one minute of jail time. Hel, not even one word of them paying back our money that we used to bail them out of trouble. It was bail money, bail money? When I get bail money it means that I am using it to get out of jail, not out of court.

Now with that cleared out though, let us look at the solutions that people have to offer. Some claim we need to give the power to the government to regulate and correct these issues before they happen. That would imply that they had a clue it was gonna happen in the first place, or they would have issues regulating it. I think they would have learned a lot more if they just let the assholes fail. Then people would learn responsibility for their actions. People would also learn the proper placement of power.

This is truth. Yet FDR forgets to say the closest thing to socialism that can survive in a republic is the realization that power can and should be equally distributed among the masses. Power is for the people and by the people. This does not mean the wealth, you need to make your own damn money. However when you have a vote you have a distribution of your power, and you choose who you give that too. You give some of your power to those officials you elect, you give them permission to use your vote to administer law.

Currently they take that power you loan to them to establish a better life for themselves and those people that pay for their campaigns. This is why those asshole on Wall street have not done a single minute in jail. It does not matter if they are Republican or Democrat, they are all bought and paid for. Look at campaign cost, and look at those running, and ask yourself how many of them used their own funding to run? That money had to come from somewhere, and those giving the money expect something in return. So they give them the power of their votes, but they also buy your power out. In that we give them our power because we accept it, and let it be.

The power is yours. You have a voice. You can choose to send a message or you can lay down and take it. I say stand up and take it back. 99% is a big fucking number. 

Pasoline

I see the issues in today's world as being resolved by a few simple things. First being that we stop compromising simple things like the Constitution. To many people want to  bend it to their will. They crave power because the power they gather gives strength to their weak faith. They of course are the only ones that can be right, therefore the rest of you minions need to get in line. Right? That is how it works right?  So we hear them preach extremist ideals from a place of weakness. My favorite are those religious nut jobs out there that try to force their views on the world, life some social rapist. Yet they tell us its okay, because they are right. You know the Taliban says the same thing. You want that type of faith and guidance move to Iran douche bag.

So protect the ideals of the Constitution, what does that mean? You know if you read the work itself it is actually interesting. It offers a lot of insight into what a group of old land owning old men felt held importance. Washington refused to be named king of this new country. They wanted so bad to be free that they did not want to be in charge. So they devised a system that was about protecting freedoms that was so ingenious that it started rebellion across the globe. To the Republic for which it stands huh? Study these guys and see how they changed the world, and what we stand to lose every time we give into things like central banking, big government, and so many other unconstitutional acts that are given strength in the guise of profit and compromise.

Read what they wrote, and maybe you can find the real tool to fix the world. They all shared one trait. They all embraced passion. It is passion that fuels change. It is passion that burns in people and gives them purpose. It is passion that true faith is gathered from, not the late night bible thumping hypocrite looking to tap into your pocket book. Passion is the thing that can give a person the resolve to stand up to oppression. Passion is what motivates a student to actually seek knowledge instead of filling a chair. Passion is what leads to a successful relationship. Passion is the spark that sets fire to your heart and soul.

Without passion you are nothing.

So find your passion, and help it grow. Do not compromise your identity to fit into the round hole. Find your passion and engage in life. Don't worry about what others think or feel, just for once try doing what you feel is right, and what feels good. You might be shocked to see how inline it really is with right. Stand up for true freedom. Understand what that means, and understand the secret our forefathers tried to tell us. A leader is only a voice, and should be the voice of those he leads, no more then that. They are not a keeper. They are not the provider of your hopes and dreams. The power is yours, not theirs. Use it, and find your passion. 

Concepts and reality,..

I am a soldier. I am also a husband. I am also an American. I am also a thinker. I am also a doer. I am also ready to scream.

So we as a people, not as a nation, but as a worldly people are getting dumber and dumber. As our world grows smaller so does are attention. As more of the planet is open to us we become more and more blind to it. We stop seeing the big picture. We put our head into so deep in the sand we can't even take a fucking breath.

I hear at least twice a day that people can't wait until all my brothers in arms are home on U.S. soil. I agree with them, but I also see what needs to be done. Each country that we are in, we are in for a reason. We are there to provide an essential stability to protect our own borders.

You see Iraq is an old nation, it dates back to the first written laws of Hammurabi. The Tigris and the Euphrates are considered by most to be the birth place of civilization, and in monotheistic thought, it was the very location of the Garden of Eden. Not just the Christians, but the Jews, and the Muslims believe this. That being said it is our collective birth place. Yet now it is suffering from dreams of past grandeur as it slips further and further into an age of dementia.

Leaving is not the answer. Building schools is. Leaving is not the answer if we want the chance to dream of peace. Hate mongers can move that historical pride to their means. They can paint us as the new Satan. They can blame us for the fall of Babylon. Yet we continue to back despots and the status qua in these nations and we are so ready to wash our hands over it all because of bad press.

I think the problem is that peace as the concept is a myth in the worst sense of the word. There is such a thing as peace but not the fuzzy bunny huggy bear BS that people want us to swallow. People talking about nature, and embracing the earth and making love not war. Well then your concept of nature is different then mine.

Who bitches about a lion when it takes down a gazelle. Snakes eat rats. We eat cows. Things kill things to live. Bunnies kill plants if you really think about it. And they kill each other, in a watership down kind of way. So violence is part of the true concept of peace. True peace is not about hugging shit out, but about finding a balance. Peace is having a choice, and choosing to use it. Peace is about providing the best you can for you and your family. Peace is having a job.

You can not, and should not remove strife, or hardship. It is challenge that sharpens our minds and bodies. It will never be removed from our equation as long as we are still willing to evolve and be a factor in the food chain. If we want peace with the middle east, walking away is not the way to do. We have to take the time to educate them, and let them see there is something other then the status quo. They have to learn where they are now in the global community.

We have to afford them the same choice that we have. They have to become part of the global community, or at least be given that option. Otherwise we are just going to have a long line of political tribal leaders setting themselves as dictators or religious leaders. We will continue to send our troops to die and nothing gets fixed. So the question is how far are you willing to go to embrace even a temporary peace. Even if that peace is just for us.

Now we can enjoy at least the ghost of peace if we just leave, after these ten long years. Yes it has been a decade of fighting in Afghanistan. Ten years today, wow huh? I mean the young soldiers going over now were only eight when this kicked off. Many of them watched those planes slam into the towers and had no concept of what was going on. Tales of a third grade nothing,..

Yet we talk about leaving after all this time. The war is over right? Why shouldn't we just let them sort their own shit out and pull our troops out? Well lets see, history often repeats itself right? Those that do not know their history are doomed to repeat it. Well look to Mr Charlie Wilson's war. We pulled out of Afghanistan as soon as the Russians did. What happened? Oh yeah we came back in force and stayed for a decade. So pull out, its a great method of birth control right? Happy Anniversary OEF.

Oh it hurts so good,..

Let us talk about the great value, that everybody clamors for, but really do not want. I am not talking about love. Rarely do people who ask for love cringe when they get it. Very few regret getting it, and even fewer get it when they ask for it. I am talking about something much more sinister and vile. I am talking about something that everybody claims to want need and desire in the core of their being. I am talking about the one thing they beg for, but when you give it to them they hate you. They despise you on levels that even they didn't know how to hate somebody.

What is this vile creation of of the nether world that is chased like a retarded dog with three legs in a parking lot full of cars? This evil creation is the truth. People speak so highly of it. They always want it. They claim that they can not get enough of it. They call its name from the mountains and claim to use its voice. Yet when the truth is uttered to their ears they curl in ball and wet themselves. So many people say they speak it, but regret the moment they do. Nothing hurts like the truth, yet we all have this masochistic desire to call for it in all things.

The reason it hurts though is simple. Most people are ugly on the inside, and their truth is ugly. Its jagged with pointy barbs and big sharp teeth. The truth is that their life does suck, it is indeed full of nasty things. They are over weight. They are lonely. They do live in a parents basement and they are experts in asexual reproduction. So when they speak their truth, or hear it from others it reminds them of how much they suck.

The trick is to clear the ugly out of you, and change your vision of the world. Where people see pain, you need to see opportunity. Then the truth takes on a new perspective. It is no less the truth, but it is that beautiful thing of legend that we all love and seek. Lets say we look at your sports team, doesn't matter the sport, and they are in last place. They lose consistently and are the punch line to many jokes. Well that is the truth and that sucks, but you can also say they have no where to go but up right? They can always improve. So you take that bitter truth and tie it in with hope, and embrace your inner hippie. How sweet, with kittens and mittens and all that crap.

Seriously though, you choose your reality and how you wish to see truth. Truth is what it is though, and people like to bury it under so much other crap it is hard to find. When you do finally find it, most people do not enjoy, like, or desire what they do find. It is the truth though, and the best thing to work with. Anything built on truth has the firmest foundations. You also find that true beauty is embracing truth in all its forms, and all those ugly things people tend to hide, leave your life one by one. In doing so, your truth becomes better.

So be truthful with yourself and about yourself and fix that shit you don't like. Be truthful about your friends, and ditch those bitches that have some ugly truths. If they are bad people, they are bad people. The truth is what it is, yet we like to lie to ourselves and only talk about the good we see, that is just bullshit covering who they really are. So seek the truth for real, and not just be fashionable in the truth you accept. If it hurts then there is probably something wrong, fix it. Looking for the whole truth before making life changing choices, and you will find a much more beautiful life ahead of you, with good shit in it. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Truthiness? Damn you Stephen,.. damn you.

With the rising concerns and the impeding sense of doom; the elections loom around the corner. With each approaching week the truthiness becomes more and more prevalent in the news and other media swarming around us like locust. Truthiness is a "truth" that a person claims to know intuitively "from the gut" in that it "feels right" without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or facts.^{[1] (straight from wikipedia, yep I stole that shit)}


There are great examples floating around that people are just accepting as the whole truth. Two come too mind immediately for me. First there is a picture floating around in the cesspool of Facebook politics. You may have seen it, showing Ronald Reagan as increasing  the deficit by something around one hundred and forty percent. When you can go to the White House page and see it was not even close to that.  Yet people rally to it, and defend it even after being given the proper information. Second there is the article about soldiers being denied their right to vote. While the article itself is about the inactive voter list, this is not targeted at soldiers as the title would imply. Yes soldiers (that have not voted in over a year) are effected by this, so is anyone else that has not exercised their right to vote. Yet it benefits those in opposition of the law to slant and gain sympathy for their cause. They do it by lying, but with a grain of truth.

It is this dishonest manipulation of information that bothers me. People seem to have selective hearing, and are only willing to hear what supports their cause or view point. The more sugar you slap on it changes the flavor so others will stomach it, but sugar on shit is still shit underneath it all. Yet this seems to be the greatest tool that less wholesome people like to use to discredit their opponents or to defend themselves. They tell just enough truth too make something appear vindicated on the surface. Most people are lazy and rarely dig deeper beyond the surface. They then paint the picture of being a victim, and last they try too relate to the audience.

How many times have you heard things like "oh my I did not know that would happen." "I was just doing what I was told." "I don't know why so and so is upset,.." Then the doe eyes and the feigned innocence. This is a sure sign of someone being a douche. Seriously, think about when you have ever been accused of something. Did you try to immediately try to justify the actions? Did you instantly become submissive and try too play innocent? The majority of  people react with outrage when they are falsely accused. They do not offer an alibi. They have not planned out their response, so it will not flow or look staged. No need to build a lie if you are not lying after all.

So I look at politics, and I look at my own social groups with scrutiny. This is why I choose to speak out against people. I really have trouble stomaching the people who just gobble the bullshit up. I have even less love for those that deal it. I can see their motivation in some cases, but why they did it, is not as important to me as the fact they did it. So those people who lie, hurt my friends, even if my friends are unaware of the hurt. So I tell my friends, and I label them like those that wore the scarlet letter. I call them out on these great injustices they inflict on the community. Does that make me an asshole? So what, the better question is to ask me if I care.

If you remain silent when injustice is being served, you are a participant in the action. Like it or not, but not standing up to a bully, a rapist, a conman, or some other bullshit dealer, and you know damn well what they are doing, you are choosing to continue to enable that person. This means you are actively assisting them, and therefore not neutral. In the bigger issues things are black and white, and those that want to live in the gray are kidding themselves. This is why I refuse to show support to groups that are run by these types of people, or encourage their behavior. I do not hold my friends accountable to this, but I do let them know why I have actively removed my support from a person or cause. Then it is their choice to make a choice.

It limits my social life not going to events that support the lecherous asshole I spoke out against before, or attend events the crazy lady that accused me of being a  baby killer goes too. It is hard to watch a friend of mine pine over a lying manipulator that caused several friends of mine harm, or know that she runs a business that claims to be healing and people I know support it. It bothers me that lying thieves look like heroes on Tuesday nights, and others choose to continue to support that illusion. However my personal life has grown stronger because of it, and my friends I have now, are the deepest and truest sense of that word. So yeah the moral high ground is a lonely place, but the view is fucking great. I also know what it means to smile and not smirk. That in itself is a victory.