Harder, oh yeah harder, I loooove it harder

 “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that 

they are difficult."-Seneca

It is all a part of our personal views that we give a greater level of difficulty to the task before us in life. It is the unknown that is our enemy, not the task or purpose. We increase our dread by making things seem harder then they are. Think about learning to swim, that standing on the end of the pool looking at the water. You think about all the horrible things that could happen. Yet now, those of you that know how to swim most likely do not give these fears a passing thought. 

We carry this fear of our own ignorance into a large portion of our life. It is not the fear of nothing that scares most people, most people would rather have nothing happen to them all the time. It is the contradiction of being human. We are very industrious as a species. Yet if you talk to people they aspire to do nothing. They talk about doing nothing when they retire, or vacation. Teenagers, if left to their devices, are more then happy to do nothing. 

I do not think this is because we as species are completely lazy. I think the truth is in our inability to understand the real reason we need to dig deep for our motivation. It is the same reason why we put up with shitty jobs, shitty bosses, subpar relationships, and tolerate shitty behavior in the people we know. It is fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of change. We are terrified as a people to accept things that might be better for us, strictly on the basis of them being different. The Devil you know right?

We look to the greener grass across the fence, but we do not want to take the steps to go over the fence. First days are times of anxiety for most. They are not times of wonder, or the joy of exploration. Going back to that first day of school, what do you remember most? The fear of leaving home? The fear of not being accepted? How would you get by? What will you have to do? Routine is shattered and your confidence is shaken.

Why can we not look at the unknown like a new swaddled babe. We roll over to look at the world in a different way. We crawl to the top of the stairs with no knowledge of fear, just to see if we can make it. Why do we let the fear of change disrupt us so much? Why do we let complacency take such heavy root in our life?

I am guessing the lesson is finding the balance. Understanding what works, and what might work better? Learning from and honoring our past, while looking for a better and brighter future? Live, love, and laugh in the now, like no one is watching, but do the right thing like everyone is watching. Fear is okay if you can manage the courage to face it. Live your own life, regardless of how others feel you should live it. Look over the edge and ever so often jump off it. Take a chance on life, or why bother living it. You are responsible for your own happiness. 

Tab, I remember you boo

In good company there are certain things you should not discuss, or so I am told. So I say give me some bad company. I like to be challenged. I like to have conversation that insights debate. There is nothing like talking about religion or politics with someone that can actually offer an intelligent responses. I like when people can back up their views with things more then speculation. That being said I understand the lack of desire to mix the two though. They are like oil and water, they are not, where not, and unable to mix with good results.

Politics can be backed up with facts, or at least should be. Religion is a belief and rarely can you find facts with in a religion. That being what it is I find it disturbing that someone would want to bring belief into politics, even if I agree with the belief. Passion can have a place in the oval office, but not this kind of passion. You can be driven by religion, but you lose perspective when you let that drive move your politics.

You see our founding fathers saw a need to support this idea, yet they also understood the right of people to practice their own personal belief system. They even through out an olive branch to religions of the world. They said simply, since we are asking you to stay out of politics, we are not going to tax you. Taxation without representation is one of the big reasons we have the government we have here in these United States.

I look at it like service in the military, which is government service. We lose quite a few of our rights guaranteed by the Constitution in order to serve and protect that same sacred document. In essence those politics become our religion so we are separated from being able to be too outspoken. A solider, sailor, marine or airmen is not allowed to wear their uniform in support of political action. There are places we are not allowed to go when in uniform. It is as it should be, I am not complaining about that at all. You put on the uniform you represent everyone else who has ever put it on, and you damn well better respect that.

They take some of those rights from us, because of the same reason that religion and politics should never mix. Beliefs are individual, and should never be used to guard over the whole. This is called despotism. Beliefs are not always shared, even in the same religious path. When you do use religion to form a group, or enforce behavior in a group, you have to make it as rigid as possible in order to give beliefs strength. I am looking for examples of a singular belief system being successful in government over the size of a city state, and each example was full of oppression.

So debate your views with friends. Talk about your politics, and their politics. Share religious views and inquire about others. You can even mix those two in conversation, but please do your best to keep them a part in reality. Taking God out of government is not a disrespect to your God, its protecting everyone's right to respect their God, even yours. Think about it, how many people go to your church, coven, temple, shrine, blot, or other religious gathering. Now think about the amount of people who don't. Who do you think will end up in charge? I can almost insure it would not be you. So get the fuck over yourself and save your preaching  pulpit and keep it away from the podium. 

Real it in

I am slowly settling back in to civilian life and looking at mobilizing again. I am still up in the air on what they are going to do with me, but seriously looking at another trip over to a foreign country to meet strange people, shoot them, and take their goats. Big brother gets their oil, but damn it, I get the goats. Thinking about this though has got me weighing and measuring a lot of other aspects of my life. I am watching my friends list shrink, but my relationships grow stronger. I am watching people show their asses in public and wonder why they like to stick it up where people can shoot at it?

So I place a good amount of stock in those I call friend. Be prepared to be judged even more if I label you family. I speak out against people that piss me off, and speak louder to those I care about. The reason I am thinking about this more then normal is that possibility of another deployment. Not because I am worried about my family and friends, because those worthy of title typically are grown up adult type people that can put on their own damn pants. The thought provoking portion comes from looking at my Facebook account. When I was in Iraq last year, I nearly had two thousand people on my friends list. Now I am still logging in at an impressive four hundred plus.

So why the seventy five percent drop on the list? What made the list shrink so much in a mere four months. Well lets just say that there seem to be some dumb asses out there that think it fashionable to be attached to a deployed soldier, sailor, airmen, or marine. They do this because it shows they support the troops, and can register that claim to whom ever they like. It is the latest thing, like a swatch watch. Now the thing about all those people that ran away or got the boot when I got home, not a damn one sent a letter, care package, or did anything other then clutter my friends for a year.

So it got me thinking about the definitions that other people have for family, friends, or buds. Do people do this too seek validation? Do they friend whom ever they can so they can feel like they have enough friends to justify their bad behavior? As if by friending, liking, or sharing links to enough social causes makes up for the negative karma they use to drive their dogma around. I wonder if liking the planet on Facebook makes it okay to  drop your shit off on the neighbors lawn. If that is the case I am going to drop a load of toys in the toys for tots bin this year, just before I burn down that orphanage. It attacked me first, honest. (lfg.com luvs to Richard)

So in this I found that my family and friends have something real awesome in common. They have not need to celebrate their deeds and advertise their social success. They have no need to seek accolades for things they are just observers in. I can measure them by THEIR deeds and not their position on the deeds of others. That ladies and gentlemen is the very definition of keeping it real. 

Connect for?

Recently a huge theme that I have been seeing is this cry for community. People screaming that there is this deeper need for us to connect as a people, and to share in a culture we wish to endure. Though in this day and age I think that perception has shifted. We talk about being connected, and working with other people. Yet each day our understanding of connection shifts. The basis on which we judge our connectivity is entertaining to say the least. There are those car commercials that make me smile every time I see them. You know the ones were the kids are discussing the lack of social life they perceive their parents as having.

Recently I have seen people concerned and worried about friends on their Facebook. People talking about privacy and sharing. Other people talking about things outside of the electronic medium in regards to people coming together. The trouble I see with it is that there is no balance in our perception and the sense of what was community has evolved into something less connected, and more connective. Moments of exchange have become shorter. Intimacy is shifting to moments on a text message, or the brief physical encounter. Intimacy no longer has that deeper quality of more then a moment, rather sharing in a moment is now the standard.

Community has become a resource, something that you draw upon, rather then something that draws upon you. Now I know I am self centered, but please do not confuse that with being selfish. I know that I am the center of my universe, but so are you. In being social our universe's should collide and mix. It is that sharing of perspective that truth can be found. Yet we look to it as an experience that is all about us. We look at what we get out of each action rather then just enjoying the interaction. Ask not what my country can do for me, has turned into I expect my country to listen to me.

We limit our interactions to those that agree with us, because we no longer see the value of conflict. We pull in and shun casual conversation with strangers. We look to our relationships as to how they can physically benefit us, but ignore the simpler rewards held in human contact. We limit our growth and learning. You gain more with each perspective shift. You learn more and get more out of life the more you really understand what community is. Seriously when have you done something for your community recently that had no benefit or reward in store for you, outside of simple interaction.

That is my task for you. I am no proposing some bleeding heart program like a pay it forward thing, but something much less complicated. Just go out and be with people with out thinking of what it will do for you. Go out and share with people that do not think just like you. Go be with people that challenge you to be better, and stop looking for the angle. Stop thinking about what your tribe can do for you. Step outside yourself and look at the big picture.

Try seeing something, one thing, anything, from somebody else's perspective. Connect with the world around you, and see the value of just being human. Enjoy communication for what it is, and relearn what it actually means to have a friend. You know that person you chased tadpoles with. Someone that shared experiences not status updates. Someone that told you when you where fucked up. Someone that gave you a hug, rather then a thumbs up or the like button. Share in a status update, rather then reading it from the safety of your couch or desk. 

Saving Face,..

In the last few days there have been some changes on the social media site known as Facebook. The reactions to the changes have varied from outright disgust to decadent discovery. In watching the reactions I saw a few interesting traits manifest. The majority of them where in deep regards to changes, and the lack of effective communication regarding those changes. The funny part about it was it revealed the very underbelly of the culture we have developed as a people.

First let us look at what Facebook is. The Facebook is a free social network site. The fact it is free makes me look at a lot of the entitlement people carry. You do not pay for it, yet you have a set of expectations. You want what you want, because you feel that Facebook is obligated to you in some way. You use their free service, and they generate income through advertising in that service. There are numerous alternatives to the Facebook yet more people use it, because of this we seem to feel they have to reward us for not using MySpace or Google plus for example.

The biggest objection seems to be the frequent changes to the privacy settings on this social media. That I actually find humorous. What is so humorous is the very premise of this. It is a social network site, this entails it was designed to foster social interaction. So limiting the interactions to those you know and only those you know limits that social interaction. Yet we object when the information that we did not have to place on the site is shared with other people. We limit what our friends can see, and even get offended when friendship status's are changed. We refer to privacy in this public persona.

The simple fact is we can and often do make choices as to who are "friends" are on this forum. We seem a bit more lax about it then we are in real life. We have much different expectations of our digital social life then we do of our flesh and blood social life. Many people say things and express themselves in very different ways in the two worlds. The internet was designed to exchange information, and the counter culture of the hacker talks about a free exchange of information on this digital platform. Many seemed to embrace this on the surface to seem more hip and cool to the world around them.

We hold this outward acceptance when we talk about this exchange of information, and then in the next breath we reveal our own hypocrisy. We want to see everything, about everybody else. We want total control of the information we want to share with the world though. We demand security for ourselves, but snoop and look for transparency in others. So we object when that information is shared, and bitch when we can't find out what we want to know about another person.

Funny huh? Social media? It is more like a one way exchange with implied expectations of entitlement. We use it to feed our exterior persona, and rarely let a person get a glimpse at the real us. Those that do "keep it real" are typically mocked. Those that do not subscribe to the two persona's are typically outed as crazy people. Yet those same mockers are rarely as they appear online. So many people have cyber courage. They rarely say what they openly express on the internet. I find great humor in this and often mock the mockers.

So if you are so up with the level of forced social interaction on a social network, perhaps you shout rethink you desire to be social. Think about why you are really there. If it is to connect with people, then connect. If it is to discover the truth then be the truth yourself. In essence on Facebook you are entitled to the same shit you are in the real world, and if you don't like what you get leave. That's life. Last but not least, be the truth you want to see, and stop being a douche.

A measure of minimalism,..

Most people assume that I am against social welfare programs because they are bad. Let me get this straight though, or at the very least try to clear shit up. I do not think free health care for the masses is a bad idea. Social security is not a bad idea. Hell most government programs that are out there are not a bad idea. The bad idea is that they are run by the government. To me it roots in with that same topic I discussed earlier about personal freedom. With each task you had over to your government you had the freedom corresponding to that task to the government.

Lets look at what all the issues are, and I will try to show you my solutions. Social security is a retirement fund, or could also be look at as insurance versus injury. They do have these available in the civilian sector. You can get workmen's insurance, and also look at investments or savings as retirement. So what you are doing with social security is telling the government that you would like them to handle your 401k. So now you are putting this in their hands and giving it control. What choice do you now have in regards to what that money does? You get to draw on it when you retire, or are unable to work. In the mean time while you are working you could try to become more savvy and use that money in a way that not only stimulates the economy (creating jobs) and invest it as you see fit. You could use it to purchase shares of gold, silver, or other commodities that have shown a much sharper return. You could in essence keep control on that aspect of your life. Being responsible for yourself helps feed that ability to be free.

 Many tell you that the healthcare system is broken, and I agree. However the fix is not to get the government involved by providing healthcare insurance for the entire population. The solution is in controlling the rising cost of healthcare. By telling me I must have insurance, the government is taking away choice on my behalf. Insurance is available now, to everyone, it is just not affordable by everyone. The aspects that need regulation will not be regulated by our government though, because those that stand to lose the most are the ones making contributions to the campaigns of those making the legislation. When a band aid cost you the consumer four dollars, because it was given to you by hospital it is the source of the problem. This being brought on by further meddling by the government in our freedom. It is cost that drives the industry, it is laws not friendly with business that drive cost. It is that cost that drives up price, and it is that price that takes away the ability of others to afford insurance. So in essence the more the government interferes the more they interfere with our freedom of choice.

The concept I see of government is simple. The federal government is managing itself poorly. They are constantly spending to provide services to us as the people, that we could provide for ourselves. In that they are driving up the debt and doing what many Americans do anyway. They live beyond their means. Taxing the rich, or a flat means tax could resolve the debt issue we have with our country. The issue is the amount we spend. We have to borrow money to stay with the lifestyle we have grown accustomed too. Well in my house when we don't have enough money to go to the movies, we don't go to the movies. We do not borrow money from our neighbors to still be able to go. We cut our expenses (government programs) in order to live with in our means. We do not go and seek out more things to spend money on if it goes beyond our income (taxes). So as we whittle off our freedoms to the government, we are also destroying out future.

We are destabilizing the dollar, and this is going to cause greater issues down the road. You can learn more about that here. I am not saying buy this guys program, but the research is there in the first part of the video. It is pretty solid logic. The thing is this could be prevented if we just stop trying to live beyond our means. Having a hot tub is not bad, but if you can't afford it son't continue to borrow to do it. Live within your means and you can make shit happen. You can actually save your country. You country should be looking at how to save itself, and part of that is to get spending inline with income.

Great ideas are great ideas, but there is also this thing call realism. I want to buy the whole world a Pepsi, but I can't afford it so I don't. I would like to cure cancer too, while I am listing all the things I would like to do, but seriously I am not that guy. Its not an easy thing to say, but I said it. We spend to much money. We can get a pay raise (increasing taxes) but it will not be enough to pay for the lifestyle we live. If we want to keep our house (country), we need to shave what we can to pay the damn mortgage. Some good things have to go to do, but if we get back to the basics, and think about how our great grand parents lived, we can do it.

the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

There is a huge issue looming around that people do not seem to get. This could apply to all people, in all walks of life. It does not matter if it is politics or conversation with people you know. No matter the reason or the cause, there is a simply principle that adds much more weight to your cause. Half the truth is still a full fucking lie. If you are going to talk shit about somebody or something, try to get all the facts in there, or shut your damn mouth.

You have to look at things in context. You have to see all the facets of something. Screw seeing all the sides, because douche nozzles are douche nozzles even when telling you how they feel. Facts are facts though. For example lets look at a dead beat dad issue. Lets say you have a lady crying to the news and the cops that her ex husband does not pay child support? This one hits hard to home for some people. Well most people jump on the bad wagon, and call that guy a douche. He is labeled and people talk all kinds of trash. What you didn't know is the poor victim received the checks, but she never cashed them. To compound it she also refused him access to his child. Half the time she did cash them but they got spent on everything but the kid. Now who is the ass hat?

Typically those of poor character are looking for their movie check. You get estranged spouses collecting alimony when they are perfectly capable to work on their own. I hate that argument that they are entitled to the lifestyle they have grown accustomed too. Well if they love the lifestyle so damn much get a job and live it on your own, or stay with whomever you are married to. If you are divorcing that person it is saying you no longer want that lifestyle right? Yet I have seen people I know recently get called bad names because they are late on their extortion payments.

People jump on them when the “victim” only shares the truth they feel like sharing, not the whole truth . So the best way to deal with things is with the whole truth, or stay the fuck out of it. I also love when people twist or exaggerate “facts”. Hundreds become thousands. They mention failures to pay, but the forget to mention that the person that didn't pay them made attempts but they went into hiding. I love when people bitch about a boss when they fail to show up to work. I love when people say they got picked on and bullied, but they fail to tell you that they conveniently forgot to shower.

People play power games, and in doing so tell the worst kind of lies. They spread half truths. Those are the most dangerous, and the most cowardly. They have just enough truth to give them power, but they are absolute bullshit. Those people are rarely caught until its too late, and their fangs are deep in you. They find ways to get leverage over you, and then you lay down and become their bitch. How about this, you call them out, you take away their perceived power over you by telling the truth, the whole truth to whomever needs to hear it.

If you share the truth with those that deserve it, and live the truth in your life, those people never gain power over you. Those that seek power rarely deserve it. You keep yours and give it to those of your own free will. Yes those power grubbing low life's will still try to get it from you, because its hard work trying to get a free ride. Yes they will piss you off, and let them. You have a right to be angry, but do not cross that line and let them have power over you. Do not assault them if they can get power over you. Do speak out against them, and do the world a service. Make sure they are properly labeled for the snake oil salesmen they are. Do not let them poison you with their lies, and do not tolerate their half truths. Get all the facts, know the truth of a story.

The best part about it, your gut will tell you when you are right. If they are crazy typically you will know. That guy with a sweet tongue that gives you the creepy vibe is probably a creep. If that gutter whore telling you a sob story that sounds to shitty to be true, most likely is. If their story sounds worse then yours it might just be, but typically its also equal parts bullshit. If it seems to dramatic, it is probably drama. So trust your gut. This is why I like hanging with assholes, what you see is what you get, and its not just the half truth. You get every bit of that they see and even the shit you didn't want to see. So take the truth and take it all like a porn star. Do not suffer anything less then your full share.

A liar is a liar no matter what robes they wrap themselves in. A person always making friends typically needs to, because they lose them just as fast.


Post Script and completely off topic;
I want to say thank you too those of you that read this. This body of work is me putting my thoughts to words. It is a journal of who I am, and I have not shared a lot of these thoughts with people during my life. Most of friends know a good portion of it, but a rare few know the whole truth about me. Most people get what they want to know, or don't bother to ask for all of it. If you look through my past, most people will tell you I am drunk asshole that says crazy mean shit at the best possible time. I like to keep the real me hidden. Then one day, while ranting on my Facebook I realized that deeper me it pretty fucking cool and it was about time more people got to meet him. Even here this is not the whole me, but those of you that have followed me on this journey of making writing a job are seeing more then most people ever have. So I thank you for looking at my soul bared. I thank you for the support and kind words. Thank you.

Win, lose, or who gives a damn.

Nothing tells you more about a person then the simple act of doing something. You see in success you find out who are the leeches. You find those that cling to you for their life blood. You find you true friends, because they pat you on the back and expect nothing more then that privilege. Friends nothing from you, they want everything for you. So be successful and you will find some friends. The other side of the coin is failure. This is a another great test of the world. You fail and their will be those on you that twist the knife to make them feel better about themselves. They will remain smug and condescending because you validate them. You let them know that no one should try. They will take your failure and magnify it to the group of people they associate with. I dare say friends, since these people really do not know what a friend is. These are the vultures. Then from the vultures come your friends again. These are the ones offering a hand up. They want you back on your feet. They want you to try again, because they want you to be all that you can.

I am happy with my success's in life. I am pleased with my failures. The reason is they have helped me learn so much. I have learned that people will claim to be friends, they will claim to honor you and your trust, but then when you fail they will twist your words to suit their purpose. They will be vipers, and they will strike and strike, because they feel it is their purpose to try and keep you down. These are the people that will teach you your strength. It is because of them I get up. It is because of them I refuse to see the world in a narrow view. It is because of them I do not underestimate a single person. It is in spite of them I get up, dust off and go back to work.

I choose to share my life with my friends. Success and failure a like. I try to encourage my friends to find their own. It is in those received actions that you can really tell the person you are dealing with. You can really see what they do based on their deeds and efforts. Words can be twisted. Words can be dipped in honey to hide the poison. Words hold little value outside of the action they invoke. So go do something, measure your life and write your own story.

The best revenge is living well and knowing your enemies will die before you. Smile knowing they died before they even lived. So let them clamor for glamour and attention. Let them grip onto their youth and vanity. Let them wallow in their own self perceived grandeur, but never ever stop trying to be better. Do not be better then them to prove something to them, be better then them because you are. Count your friends like treasures, and guard them with your heart. All those other people, fuck them. They can choke on their own spite. Let them live their own lie, and you live your own life.

HIS story, HER story,

Today will be a little more lighthearted then my typical blog. First I want to thank all the people that have shared my blog over the last few months. You know pimping the links on Facebook and Twitter. It is due to that effort that this blog averages well over one hundred hits a day. The comments help more then people know. I find it great to get feed back as a writer. Not only do you find out if you got your point across, but you also discover varied views.

I had a talk with a young man in English class the other day. I asked him why he was going to college. He said he was going to get an education. The reason I asked him was because he stated he only read about one book a year if that. So in reply to this I asked him what does he hope to get out of his education. He said he wanted to learn more so he could get a better job. That is awesome, but I then told this young man my views on education. A large amount of skills you learn at school are perishable. If you want trade skills, and current ones, you should go to a vocational school. The difference between college and trade school, is that you are not getting a skill set, rather you are learning how to learn. You learn by perspective, and by reading you learn the perspective of others. That is the value of books, and the value of education.

I am not sure how much that conversation impacted that young man, but hearing myself say it fortified my own resolve. Yep I love reading. I love reading more then I love writing actually. It helps me learn to write, and I love to hear other peoples stories. I believe that it is the story that a person tells that is their true legacy. We all have a story and you can a lot about a person by their story. Its a measure that can't lie or be cheated, even if people do cheat and lie to make it better.

You see when we die the real legacy we leave behind is the story people tell about us when we die. Think about it, how many people that have died in your life time, or before your time. Maybe a relative that fought in the great war that you never met. Do family members tell you their story? Do people that never met them tell their story? If the story is cheated, or even peppered with lies, it shows the status that person holds in the family. The evolve into a status us icon, in the saga of your life.

The other part you can see is the value of the person by how much their story is theirs, or how the meddled in the life of others. Yep we have some villains and gossips in the family legacy. You can tell by looking at those stories and if they where done for people, with people, or to people. Then look at those traits in the surviving members of your family. That is the effect of legacy.

Now the question is what is your story. Do you have one to tell. Is it a short story or a epic? Have you looked for things to challenge the attention of those that hear it. Is it one moment that you pass on to your family generations from now. Maybe it is a chain of events that reflect a full and eventful life. How will you be seen when your great grand child is telling tales about you around the fire to their own grandchildren. That is immortality. So will you live in infamy or fame, it is in your hands. What impact will you have on your family.

You have to write your story every day. You have to challenge yourself to be the hero of your own story. Be the person you want your grandchildren's children to be. You are being watched and analyzed, maybe not now. There will be a time when your legacy will be setting around roasting marshmallows. Will they be talking about you, and will it be in a good light.

The Monkey in the middle, still flings poo

I know today is Saturday, but I am sure I missed one somewhere and need to make up the work. This will hopefully be worth it, and maybe just maybe let people see a glimpse into my mind. I would say my soul, but we all know I sold that for a doughnut a long long time ago. I want to also clarify that these are my thoughts and mine alone. You can borrow from them, but these are my thoughts and I take responsibility for them. I am not going to pawn them off on my friends, or hold my wife responsible for them. Yes this is how I really feel. If you don't like that, don't read it.

First I am going to say that I have found the weakest words in the human language. “I don't want to get involved.” Yep some weak sauce there. I will explain why, but I am going to assume I lost a few readers there. Now before I lose a few more of them, lets look at the statement and see what it means, and then do a little break down of human nature. I am sure I am going to piss a few people off with this, and I am going to be okay with that though. Those that I lose are probably not people I wanted hanging around anyway.

The statement clarifies the a person does not want to be placed into a situation. They do not wish to participate. “I do not want to get involved.” or other versions of it, is telling the person or persons on either side that they are not worth the speakers time. They are saying they would rather not deal with your issues. They are not saying you are wrong or right, they are saying you are just not worth their effort. In this statement they declare their fear of confrontation and their need for their world to never change. They are also devaluing their own opinion with this statement by saying its not worth stating.

The intent of this family of statements is to keep friends. It is meant to let people know on either side of an issue that you value them both. In reality you are telling those two parties that they are not worthy of choice, or you are to scared to make a damn choice. Yes scared to make the choice, because you might make the wrong one and fine yourself without friends.

I have to thank my brother for this quote, it really sums up a few things if you think about it; “A friend to all is a friend to none”- Aristotle. Now why is that? I mean really why can't you be friends to everyone? Well its because we are people. People see things different and there will always be conflict. Also you need to think of your definition of a friend. The same wise cat that gave me the quote defined friends as those persons he would help if they asked for it. Pretty simple. I like it, but I would go further and say that they would help you if you asked for it as well. Friendship is a two way street. So when you are casting someone aside by your inaction, are you throwing away or minimizing the value of a persons assistance? Some times that help might be dealing with another person, or not dealing with them. That being the case you would have to be in opposition of one of the people if you help or don't help, in which design you can't be friends to both of them at the same time.

The next thing that makes this impossible for me to grasp, is that we are judgmental. It is human nature. We judge all the fucking time even if we say we don't. Seriously think about it, do you have a favorite ice cream? How do you like your steak? What do you think of people who hump in movie theaters? How do you feel about Sarah Palin? How do you feel about the Solardyne issues in the news right now? What do you think happened on September 11th? All of those things represent choice based on your judgment. So embrace that human nature and get the fuck over yourself. Now that is out of the way we can get to work.

In a social situation where people you call friends are fighting, you try to stay out of it. You tell them both you don't want to get involved. The reality is you are just a chicken shit. You already made a judgment. You already know who you like more. You already played out who you think is right. Its human nature. Those two things might not be the same thing either. So rather then risk conflict people say they do not want to get involved. Then they either go about their business and show subtle indications of their choice right or wrong. They will continue to support one person, more then the other. They will even do this while telling others they don't care to get involved.

You know my friends list in real life gets smaller and smaller each day. It gets stronger and stronger while it does as well. Why is that? Well first I am not some candy ass soft shoe asshole that sits on the fence. I see conflict, and rather then insulting those involved I get make a choice. I weigh the people involved. I see who is the more honorable party. I look at the cause. I see where the conflict is. If I can't resolve it between my friends, then maybe there is an ethical issue to explore. If a person really wronged another then you side with the one that ways wronged? You look at what is right and wrong, not what gets you more attention, affection, or allows you to hide from conflict.

In doing this I find that I get better friends. I get friends with higher moral character. I get friends that stand by me, even when they have nothing to gain. I get a stronger family. Those that are of those friends do not go running if I tell them they are being a douche, or doing something wrong either. We talk it out, resolve the conflict, and if it can't be resolved we agree that we do not see eye to eye and drive the fuck on. By not staying out of the conflict you tell your friends you actually give a shit about them.

Picture this, you have a bud that is an addict. They are actively using. You don't want to get involved. That person continues to use, and they eventually OD, get killed in a deal, or just waste away to nothing. By not getting involved you tell that person they are not worth the effort. If you go to that person and say, “Yo man, your drug abuse has got to stop, or I can't hang with you.” They either get pissed and choose drugs over you, or they ask for help. Either way you let them know you cared enough to say something, and felt strong enough to make a stand.

So stay out of it and stay out of life. Enjoy your apathy. Issues are abound and I would rather hang with people that have opinion. To me people that have opinion and have made choices are smarter, and offer better conversation. I don't have to agree with them, but at least we have something to talk about out side of a rose colored view of the world they want to live in, with out doing any of the effort. You see people that choose also have a tendency to act. People who act actually change the world. The rest of those bitches are just along for the ride.

On her? Sure why not?

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls gather around. I am going to give a heart felt look into my my own mind. Yes I am aggressive. I see something I like and I go after it will all of my being. I feel passion in all the things I do, or at least I try. My life has been full of moments of intensity. I would not change that at all. I think those moments of strong emotion burn memories into your soul. My soul is scarred. It is battered and well worn. There are things though that keep me from going off the deep end though, and prevent me from giving myself over to the beast like release. First is my family. Not my family of origin, but the family I have surrounded myself with. My village of choice if you would. Second is a code of honor. Rules and order implied on my personal choices in life.

So yes I have a narrow focus. If things are not good for my family they are not good. If things can not be done with honor, then they should not be done. A man can and should be measured by his word. It is the anchor that lets you give into emotion, but stay grounded in reality. It is my biggest motivation. I do what I feel is right by my country, my village, my family. I will sacrifice myself, or my own needs for those in those three groupings. It stops me from running over the edge.

Before I get into my issue here I will also define honor, since family was talked about in previous blogs. Many people confuse this as self esteem. It can drive self esteem but honor is much more then the self. It is an understanding of shared morality. It is the rules by which you can measure the worth of a person. It is doing the right thing regardless of what others think. It is keeping your word. It is not bringing shame to your family. Honor is the rules by which a community is held together. It is not something you trade like baseball cards, or bank. You either have it or you don't.

Now this brings me to my thoughts of the day. When your honor is questioned what do you do? I place value on the person doing the questioning first, and their value will figure in the amount of effort I wish to put into things. Those of lower regard piss me off more then others. Its a matter of pride, because who the fuck are they to question my honor when they don't have any themselves. It is also a more difficult battle to fight. Typically the best way to address things is with the truth. It is the sharpest of weapons. It speaks volumes for you, when you use the truth. If you can not use the truth then perhaps that person has a right to question your honor on that matter.

Right now though, I am dealing with an ass clown that uses lies to battle the truth. Trouble is this person is delusional and I think they believe their lies. It is even harder when the lies they use are crafted with a kernel of truth. So it makes it easy to support. I am not even sure why they decided to target me and mine. I am not sure what motivates a person to tear down somebody simply because they have what they want. Its akin to being in the desert and one person has water. The second person slaps the water out of the persons hand. Now neither have water. Rather then look for water of their own, or perhaps trade for the water, they would rather destroy it, and in the process destroy them both.

The warrior in my heart says track her down and split her from ass to mouth. When words are not going to prevent an assault then you eliminate the person on the other side of the assault and remove their ability to fight. How ever it is that same honor that she slanders that prevents me from doing that. I do not break the laws of my country for personal gain. It is my honor and the honor of my family that saves this woman. It is against the law to kill people for lies, or for being a conspiratorial bitch. Drama is not a death warrant. They get to live with themselves and that should be enough right?

Well its not.

Not to me anyway. I seethe everyday I know that person is out there spreading lies and weakness like an STD. I could go with the typical response form people, and put my head in the sand. If it does not affect me directly why should I be concerned after all? I could ignore issues and not claim one side or the other, because it would be too much work to engage in conflict. I could walk away. This is why so many people stand alone though. Everybody walks away and they let the problems grow until the overcome them. Then they find themselves fighting alone, because everybody else walked away. I love my family to much. So fuck it. Let this crazy bitch say what she will about me, but I will not walk away. I will not tolerate her existence. I will not tolerate her attacks on my friends and family.

In that I will hold my friends accountable too. If they decided not to make a choice I will make it for them. I will not attend events, parties, or any other social event that you invite these substandard people to. If that means you do not invite me, outstanding. At least you made a choice. You also made it easy for me to fill out holiday cards. If I see that person I will call them out every time I see them. Every person will know them for what they are. If people think I am crazy for it, well good for them. I would rather be crazy then a shiftless person with no family or honor. I would rather be alone then a coward. You don't have to meet my maker for me, and I would rather do that with who I am intact. I would rather do that and say I am proud that I did not put up with peoples shit because it was easy.

On her? Sure why not?

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls gather around. I am going to give a heart felt look into my my own mind. Yes I am aggressive. I see something I like and I go after it will all of my being. I feel passion in all the things I do, or at least I try. My life has been full of moments of intensity. I would not change that at all. I think those moments of strong emotion burn memories into your soul. My soul is scarred. It is battered and well worn. There are things though that keep me from going off the deep end though, and prevent me from giving myself over to the beast like release. First is my family. Not my family of origin, but the family I have surrounded myself with. My village of choice if you would. Second is a code of honor. Rules and order implied on my personal choices in life.

So yes I have a narrow focus. If things are not good for my family they are not good. If things can not be done with honor, then they should not be done. A man can and should be measured by his word. It is the anchor that lets you give into emotion, but stay grounded in reality. It is my biggest motivation. I do what I feel is right by my country, my village, my family. I will sacrifice myself, or my own needs for those in those three groupings. It stops me from running over the edge.

Before I get into my issue here I will also define honor, since family was talked about in previous blogs. Many people confuse this as self esteem. It can drive self esteem but honor is much more then the self. It is an understanding of shared morality. It is the rules by which you can measure the worth of a person. It is doing the right thing regardless of what others think. It is keeping your word. It is not bringing shame to your family. Honor is the rules by which a community is held together. It is not something you trade like baseball cards, or bank. You either have it or you don't.

Now this brings me to my thoughts of the day. When your honor is questioned what do you do? I place value on the person doing the questioning first, and their value will figure in the amount of effort I wish to put into things. Those of lower regard piss me off more then others. Its a matter of pride, because who the fuck are they to question my honor when they don't have any themselves. It is also a more difficult battle to fight. Typically the best way to address things is with the truth. It is the sharpest of weapons. It speaks volumes for you, when you use the truth. If you can not use the truth then perhaps that person has a right to question your honor on that matter.

Right now though, I am dealing with an ass clown that uses lies to battle the truth. Trouble is this person is delusional and I think they believe their lies. It is even harder when the lies they use are crafted with a kernel of truth. So it makes it easy to support. I am not even sure why they decided to target me and mine. I am not sure what motivates a person to tear down somebody simply because they have what they want. Its akin to being in the desert and one person has water. The second person slaps the water out of the persons hand. Now neither have water. Rather then look for water of their own, or perhaps trade for the water, they would rather destroy it, and in the process destroy them both.

The warrior in my heart says track her down and split her from ass to mouth. When words are not going to prevent an assault then you eliminate the person on the other side of the assault and remove their ability to fight. How ever it is that same honor that she slanders that prevents me from doing that. I do not break the laws of my country for personal gain. It is my honor and the honor of my family that saves this woman. It is against the law to kill people for lies, or for being a conspiratorial bitch. Drama is not a death warrant. They get to live with themselves and that should be enough right?

Well its not.

Not to me anyway. I seethe everyday I know that person is out there spreading lies and weakness like an STD. I could go with the typical response form people, and put my head in the sand. If it does not affect me directly why should I be concerned after all? I could ignore issues and not claim one side or the other, because it would be too much work to engage in conflict. I could walk away. This is why so many people stand alone though. Everybody walks away and they let the problems grow until the overcome them. Then they find themselves fighting alone, because everybody else walked away. I love my family to much. So fuck it. Let this crazy bitch say what she will about me, but I will not walk away. I will not tolerate her existence. I will not tolerate her attacks on my friends and family.

In that I will hold my friends accountable too. If they decided not to make a choice I will make it for them. I will not attend events, parties, or any other social event that you invite these substandard people to. If that means you do not invite me, outstanding. At least you made a choice. You also made it easy for me to fill out holiday cards. If I see that person I will call them out every time I see them. Every person will know them for what they are. If people think I am crazy for it, well good for them. I would rather be crazy then a shiftless person with no family or honor. I would rather be alone then a coward. You don't have to meet my maker for me, and I would rather do that with who I am intact. I would rather do that and say I am proud that I did not put up with peoples shit because it was easy.

The price of right.

When did it happen in our culture that the prom king and queen would dictate our sense of right and wrong? Seriously, when did doing the right thing become a popularity contest? To many times we find ourselves looking at some injustice, or some blatant act of moral disgust. When we do, people tend to look at the people involved, rather then the issue. We either stay out of something because we feel it is safer that way, I mean we would not want to hurt someone's feelings right? Or we over react because we do not like the person on the other side of the issue.

I have tried to base my opinion of people on where I see them on the subject of right and wrong. If you lie, or are know to lie, I really don't have much use for you. I don't care if you are sexy, powerful, or can do something to make my life easy. It is what it is. If you use your charisma to sway people against someone and you use subterfuge or manipulation to do it, does that mean you are now doing the popular right thing now? Seriously when did this happen?

If someone you have an issue with was wronged, I mean wronged and it was so far from right that you can see it through your loathing. What do you do? Do you support that injustice, because you think its karma in action? I am just curious how many times you have made choices to stand on the side lines or to support something, simply because you did not like the person the other side.

This is not a new concept by any means. We as a people vote on everything. Abortion right or wrong is decided by vote. The death penalty is voted on if you believe in it or not. We let popular opinion sway or own moral compass all the time. Look at religion. People often refer to the strength of their beliefs by the shear number of people that follow their faith. Mega churches are all over the country. It is almost as if the more people we can sway to our train of thought the righter it is.

So if I start a campaign to declare the sun rotates around the earth, can I make it true if I get enough people to agree with me? It just bothers me so much. We see attempts at this all the time. Intelligent design still has supporters. People strap bombs to themselves for ideals, and commit the ultimate wrong on other people. They do this even if those they directly affect where not even involved in the first place.

Somethings are black and white as right and wrong, yet people convince people of the the righteousness of their evil all the time. People justify things like the abuse of others, the defamation of character, or even murder of a person. They get away with it, or even gather support as long as they are popular or can use popular ideas to get what they want. That to me is sad.

In a recent event in my own life, I saw a friend get trashed by others. Why did this happen? Well one person that lead the most recent battle cry, decided to seek revenge. She was called out by my friend for being a money grubbing vindictive hooker. In truth that is exactly what she was. She made claims on things she had no right too, and still does, because of her hatred of someone she once claimed to love. Now she could not get back at my friend directly, so she started planting seeds with a poisoned tongue dipped in honey. With no proof she started whispering in the ears of all she could get alone, about how this lady was a liar and thief. She never once came out to publicly accuse her, because that is the way of cowards and liars. Lies rarely survive the light of day.

Now others saw this happening. Rather then call her out on her lies, they supported the her. They stayed away from my friend. They did not validate the lies, but they did say they COULD be true. I am not sure if it was because they wanted them to be true, or they didn't care. They did not like this other person, my friend, so they fed the beast. Then we her coworkers in a charity started to believe the lies, because so many whispered them, though they could not be true. Proof was available to vindicate my friend, and not one shred of proof to incriminate her was available. Yet people bought into them.

Why is this? Popularity. Its easy to do the socially right thing, but its lonely on the higher moral ground. So people do not like to stand by their convictions if it leaves them alone. I say fuck that. If it is right, it is right. You stand by it, or you lay down like a hooker and just take what life gives you. Popularity is not how you make real friends. If that was the case Barbie would be happy, because you can buy that chica all the friends she could use.

So maybe I am wrong in this, but I am standing by it either way. You can try to convince me with facts, but do not try to sway me with sweet words. Just because a thousand people believe it, does not make it true. Truth lays in the results.

Some are pushed, others are pulled.

In the last few months I have a great amount of exposure to people in different situations. I have seen reactive and proactive behavior in force. Most people are reactive, but hey most people are just like that. So with that I want to get a few things off my chest about what motivates a person. At a basic level people want to be left to their own devices. It seems that most people would be content with sitting on their couch, munching some chips, drinking pop, and having their brains melted away by day time TV. This also shows in the physicality of people too. I mean really there are not that many inactive people that can pull off spandex.

So what motivates you? What gets you moving? What gets your ass off the couch and into the mix? What makes you want to actually participate in life, rather then watch it pass you by? Like I said most people are reactive. So they get off the couch because something makes them. They have to go to work. Somebody comes over. Somebody ask them to do something. Proactive people think ahead and say things like I want to go for a hike, and they plan it out and go. The see problems ahead of time and put actions in place to prevent further damage, or to prevent them all together. I look at the two trains of thought as who is attacking issues and who is defending issues.

So with my brain wired that way I look at all the crap going on in peoples life, and see how and why they react the way they do. For example I have recently called several people out. I have given them the spot light they asked for, I just have not used the light they wanted me to use. In essence I did not do the model thing and show their good side. I have no tolerance for ass clowns that disrupt the positive flow in my community or use subtle tricks to try and harm my friends. With that I have seen a large amount of reaction, and only two examples of proactive behavior.

The thing I observed the most though, I found humorous. It violated the first rule of dating in my book. Rule number one, don't stick your dick in crazy. Men are motivated by sex. Ugly men will do what they can to get it, even violate rule number one. What I mean by this is that a few of the people I called to the mat are of the XX chromosome variety. That would be the female genetic make up, of the species. In doing this though the males of the species have come to their defense in droves. Yes part of it is because we as men have a tendency to seem to think all the women in the world need our protection.

I have found that the women that are worth my protection rarely need it. I have also found that those that scream the loudest to defend those that are unworthy, typically do so because its a good chance they might be seen in a favorable light. You have some crazy chica with severe daddy issues, you can increase your odds of of getting your bean wet if you cater to those issues. Trouble is they are crazy, and most times their inner ugly spills over to their exterior. So if not only are you humping a hose beast (if they decide to bang you out of reward or pity) but you are also contaminating your penis with crazy. Crazy likes to stick to your penis too. Condoms don't ward off crazy.

Now in this these guys show a desperation that does not warrant a healthy self esteem. They lower the standard for themselves and claim the any port in a storm argument. TO me that is the issue. Women are not as picky as men with the physical. While I am not going to say that they are not superficial at times, they are less so then men typically are. That being said, those same guys could find them spending more time with suitable mates, if they exhibited better judgement. Its shows confidence and the ability to be a better man.

Your heart and mind make you more sexy. Seriously look around and you will see some nasty snaggle tooth guys with some hotties. Well either that guy has some money and those ladies are superficial gold diggers, or that guy brings a number of other things to the table. I was told more then once in life that women find confidence attractive. Cockiness is a turn off, and I can see that, since cocky is really another way of saying you have poor self esteem and hide it behind bullshit deeds. Confidence is knowing yourself, it is strength in all senses of of the word. Real women that are straight want to be be with a guy, not a woman, or they would be lesbians. Nothing wrong with that, but if you are a straight guy looking for a straight girl, you might want to understand your market. I am told that even some lesbian women are attracted to those traits in women too.

So if you have a crazy psycho hose beast chick that will sleep with you, and you have no self esteem either, you need to think about how much she is slumming. So are you really that low on the food chain that you would be treated that way and have to settle or be settled for? Or are you going to start thinking with the higher head and actually find happiness outside of a few seconds of physical pleasure? What drives you? What motivates you to be that white knight?

Character

We often refer to some words so often that we forget their meaning. We over use them, or use them in the wrong content. For example "hero". So many people label people their hero's for one reason or another and forget to thing about the definition. Admiration alone does not a hero make. Today though I want to break down another word, character. What is it exactly?

Character is defined as 1.the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing. 2.one such feature or trait; characteristic. 3.moral or ethical quality: a man of fine, honorable character. 4.qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity: It takes character to face up to a bully. 5.reputation: a stain on one's character.

This means to me that a persons character is not defined by their words, but their actions. You can justify saying someone does or does not have character, or define their character in a negative light. I know people say I have a big mouth, but I would like to think I have the character to back up the words I spit out. Others show a weak character by slinging accusations and falsehoods to feed their own personal need for attention.

You know many people talk about the need for forgiveness. I say screw that. Forgiveness is something you can ask for when you are unwilling or unable to stand up and be responsible for your actions. A person of character need not ask for forgiveness, they just make amends if they need to. If you have a strong enough character then you should not be committing acts that would require either to begin with.

If the people around you understand your character enough, they also understand the intent behind your deeds and words. This is when you hear things like "no apology needed." Be true to yourself, in action and in speech and you can say that you have strong character. Having strong enough character also means you don't need to say that about yourself either.

I have found that you can dress yourself in as much bullshit as you like, and through the funk of your clothing, people will see the true you beneath. Your character can and will be measured. That being said, if forgiveness does not run in my job description, you can bet your ass that judgement does too. If you are found lacking, then you will also not find yourself among my friends either. I would prefer to associate with people of character, because they challenge me to be better. This also prevents toxic crazy ass people from tainting my chi.

So save the characters for the sit coms. Save the drama for your mama. Ask yourself are you the person you would call a hero? Are you the person you would want your children to be? If so good on you, and you my friend have character.

Mirror, mirror,..

It is time for reflection. Why is that? Well if you have a pulse, have seen at least one newspaper, and have not been living under a rock or in the Westboro Baptist Church compound, then you know its been ten years. Most people can tell you what they were doing, and where they were. They can give you details, and how they perceived the planes flying into the towers, the pentagon, and that lonely field. Its been a decade since that fateful day that forever altered America.

I am taking this weekend to look back at what we as a people have done over the last decade, and what I have personally done over the last decade. The first thing I noticed being back in school is that vast majority of people joining the military right now are eighteen. This means that they where in the third grade probably watching CNN. Some of those kids that President Bush spent time reading too, are right now putting on a uniform for the first time. It has been that long.

I look at the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in different lights now. I know what people think about them, at least the ones willing to share their opinion. Most feel it was an act of vengeance and greed. They miss the reality of the wars. The miss the reality of the world. Since we first put boots on the ground in Afghanistan we have destroyed the enemies capabilities to train future kamakazi pilots. The Taliban run government was a safe haven for extremist to train and recruit.

Yes as a soldier I was really happy to go over and get something back. I will admit a certain satisfaction knowing that people that meant us harm tasted at least a bit of that same fear. However this was not the mission. The mission was to remove the threat. To drastically reduced the ability of those that wish to do us harm, and to disrupt their organization in a way to ensure that another attack of that magnitude could happen in the United States again. Yet we focus on things that upset me. That is another issue all together though.

So in thinking about this, ask yourself how did you life change over a decade ago. How did you feel about September 11th? What did you do about those feelings during this long decade of struggle? What are you going to do to remember the events of that fateful day? What are your concerns for the future in that regard?

Even today I look to countries that harbor this level of idealism. I look at countries that offer the ability to train future terrorist. I see places like Somalia, Iran, and North Korea. I see the obvious places I would go to train subversive individuals, and where I could freely preach my rhetoric to the down trodden masses. I see this places and wonder how long before we cross those borders, or if we ever will. I wonder if we can ever really be safe, or safe-ish.

Are people always going to give into envy. Will they despise people for what they have when they have not? Will intolerance always exist not matter how places we go to remove their breeding grounds? Will we as a people continue to stand against oppression, or will we continue to be selective in that regard? What value would a country have to have to us, before we interfere with their internal politics in order to adjust them to a more favorable world view?

I wrestle with these ideas daily, standing by to go some where yet again, to enforce the safety of my country. I am all about free speech, but when that speech leads to the direct harm of those people I swore to protect, when do we step in and say diplomacy failed and start kicking nuts? How much is enough?

In this I try to honor those that have come before me. I try to think about those people just working to earn for their families, that found their day rife with chaos and pain. From those in the towers, or those masses that watched in horror and anger. To those people that decided to put on the uniform and go after those persons of evil. How many lives where forever changed.

Please think about this when you decide what you are going to do this weekend, and think of how many people would have wanted you to remember their death with a barbecue. Think about how many of them you will disrespect this weekend when you are showing no regard to your life, and those around you when you drink and drive. Think about those firemen that lost their life's when you are wasting your own on empty pursuits. Think about that soldier that died on foreign soil when you bitch about the things you don't have.

I think at the end of the day, this last decade thought me a few valuable lessons. Do not take what you have for granted, because it can all go away. Do not assume that because you have peace in your heart, that your neighbor does. You can judge a person by their deeds, and words rarely carry the resolve of action. Sacrifice is something that is given out of need not desire. I also realized that no matter how broken our system appears to be, it is still the best thing out there. I also know there is always hope. Tragedy is a stronger bond then promise. Evil does lurk in plain site, and when you cower from it, ignore it, or blow it off, it takes root in a life changing way.

So in that I ask that you reflect. Ask yourself what have you done, what can you do, to be a better you. In doing so you really honor those noble dead.

And the sum of right and wrong is bull.

I once had a friend tell me that the road to social understanding was compromise. In politics one must find the middle ground and give something to get something. I can see that, but I also know that there are certain things that you should never compromise on. There are values out there that are universal, that we as individuals should hold higher then compromise. Truth, honor, and human dignity are part of that equation.

We as a people like to have our reality handed to us in thirty second sound bites. We like to resolve our conflicts in thirty minutes like a sit com. We do not like to burdened with those hard choices. We do not like to think about those hard questions. In 2008 the military lifted the ban of showing soldiers coming home in coffins draped in flags. Why was that a big deal? Well some say the public did not want to be burdened by body bags while they ate their dinner. The probable reality to all of this, is people really did not want to think about what that dead soldier meant to them. I mean really what impact did this young person, have on their life?

The first consideration to this, is that it would sway public opinion about the wars we are fighting. You know for the shallow spoon fed masses it sure would. To me it belittles what that military service member died for. We are in Iraq for a reason. You may not agree with it, but I can assure my reasons for being there are different then what you think they where all about. Same to those still in Afghanistan. Those in uniform are there for different reasons, and those reasons are pretty damn valid if they are willing to die for them.

Most have it in them to defend those principles that most others pay lip service to and rarely live by. To live honorably does not mean you you compromise your personal integrity because of how people will react to the results of your choices. You do what you say you are going to do. You give your word when you mean it, and you do not compromise that word. In a culture of compromise you don't get that. You look at the spin, and the effect of public opinion on things. Somethings are not popular, but they are right.

What I mean by this is a summed up in a story I recently watched. If you have not seen the Tillman story, watch it. You see soldiers torn between duty, and a promise they made to serve their country. You see that honor tainted by men that tainted their own honor, in order to serve themselves or selfish intentions of grandeur. Pat Tillman served as a Ranger. He fought in a war he didn't believe in, because he gave his word and said he would. He died in a war he did believe in and in an attempt to turn him into a public recruiting tool, he was dishonored. You saw the lines of those that knew what honor was, and those more motivated by personal ambition.

They compromised their personal honor and integrity to do what they felt was good for the cause or country. How ever by lying they just weakened the cause and showed the decay of politics. No less then twelve stars lied directly to congress, and congress took it, because it was easier to sweep it under the rug. If you put make up on a black eye, you are not fooling anybody but yourself.

I think what I would like to see is someone, anyone in politics fuck up and admit it. Not the typical I am sorry speech they give. Those are more them sorry they got caught. I am sure that you could ask them with some truth serum, and they would tell you would they would still do what ever thing they did, if they knew they could get away with it. This is the issue. Smart people want the truth, and in the truth there can be no compromise. It has to be unflinching.

Compromise that works is on some of the smaller day to day things. Its something that works well in business, and to narrow it down further, it is good when things are for sale. Services, goods, or materials can be brought up in compromise. However I will state clearly that my honor and integrity are not, and have never been for sale. Anyone that would sell those ideals can not and should not be leaders of us. They should not be our voice in government.

I do not care if you are Democrat, Republican, or some other party you choose to affiliate with, there are some principles that do not call for compromise. Some things are black and white, and actions speak louder then words. I would offer the same advice to politicians that I offer to my junior soldiers. If you do not want to be caught doing something, then perhaps you shouldn't do it. If you can't say something without thought you probably need to think if its worth saying in the first place. If you would not want something done to you, then its probably something you don't want to do to somebody else. There are times where you will have to take a stand though, and if you do make sure both your feet are planted and you are ready to accept the outcome win or lose. If you are not sure you are willing to face the consequences of the lose, it might not be worth fighting over.

With that off my chest, I say rest in peace Pat Tillman. Regardless of how you died you are still my fucking hero. You are my hero not because of how you died, but because of how you lived. Those of you that tried to use his death to support your own cause, shame on you assholes. You obviously have no idea what put him in harms way in the first place. I am not going to pretend to have known the guy, but I can measure him by his deeds and those the legacy of love he left behind. For that I say thank you Dannie Tillman for being brave enough to share your sons, your life, and your heart with the world. Pat Sr thank you as well for doing a fine job in raising some fine men by being a great example to them.

Burn burn let that mutha effer burn.

You know some people tell me that I will mellow with age. Well I am aging and I am not feeling anymore mellow. I am actually going to go with the opposite. I find myself disagreeing with people, and being much more vocal about it. My patience slides away with each passing year. This is not how my elders told me it was going to be. I am supposed to settle down and start focusing on a quiet retirement in a house with a white picket fence right?

I am glad that is not me though, and I am glad my inner rebellion in blossoming later in life when I can really enjoy it. As a kid you rebel because your hormones and instinct tell you too. In this phase of life my rebel has a stronger flavor of common sense and is flavored with the deep smoky flavor of vengeance.

It also has a different purpose. This is not dissidence for the sake of dissidence, but rather more thought out. I am actually mad about things I have been a part of, have seen, or done. This is not me just looking for ways to tell me dad he sucks.

The only trouble with this, is that I can see other people that never grew the fuck up, still in that teenage pimple faced rebellion. Even as they approach the sunset years they still rebel because of what they don't have, feel they deserve, and lash out at the world because its not fair. Well the world is not fair. People will always have it better then you if you are a self centered shit bag. So take the rose colored glasses off or move your rebellion out of my sight. You make me want to hit you with something sharp and heavy.

There are many things that are wrong with the world. The difference in this rebellion though, is that I do not believe in forgiveness. I believe in proof. So you can't just say forgive me, even if you mean it, you have to show me you are better. That takes time, so you better get to work, I am not getting any younger. Stand up for what you believe in, and find some damn principles to live by. If you can't just stay away from me, for your own safety. Other then that, have a nice day.

I will take mine with a dream and sugar

I am going to say I have mixed feelings about Starbucks over the years. I love coffee. I can down a shot of espresso with or with out the steamed milk. I don't like their coffee though. I think they over roast their beans, and do things that take the flavor out of coffee. They did bring good coffee out of the country clubs and put it in the faces of the average Joe. So Joe now knows what a cup of Joe is. No the chicory filled cans they get at the grocery store.

They may put a Starbucks on every corner, and saturate the market. They may infiltrate every neighborhood like a plague of mass marketing, and clog up traffic with the morning zombies looking to get into the drive-thru for their fix. They do pay their employees a fair wage, and from what I understand their insurance is not the bad.

So like I said it is a love hate relationship full of mixed feelings. I got something in my email today though that is moving that gauge closer to support. I a note from the CEO of Starbucks, a Mister Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks. It actually made me realize that its not only the little guy that our current politics is threatening. We are not alone being fed up with the bullshit in Washington and city halls across the country.

Read it here. Outstanding! Now I am thinking I am gonna be shopping a Starbucks a lot more now. I support this, and will transfer that support by supporting their business.

whine whine every where and not a drop to think

So today its kind of hard to write because I have so much stuff floating in my head. There is so much going on and my A.D.D. is really the only thing keeping me from stabbing random strangers for fun and entertainment. School has decided that since we have a Holiday weekend ahead of us, and we are losing a day, that we would not want to spend that time doing something fun with our family and friends. The figured since we are paying for this education that we might as well get our monies worth. So I have a few assignments I will need to finish before the weekend is out. No worries I am a motivated disciplined mo fo, so I will complete then most likely before Friday ends. If for no other reason that I can do fun shit all weekend.

That being out of the way, I do have a topic. I just told you that stuff so when you see how this all comes out, you will understand my frame of mind and hopefully forgive me for the lack of a proof read. So I am going to hit with a rough stream of words, and see what sticks. If that doesn't work for you, well move the fuck on.

I just want to make it clear that whining is like worrying. It does nothing for you, except make you look like a bitch. Sure things suck. If they things didn't suck we would not have anything to compare the good things too. I am going too go out on a limb here and say that whining can serve a purpose of attracting attention to an issue, but its just whining if that is all you are doing. Pity parties are shitty parties. You can bitch, bitching means you are complaining about something and are offer to resolve it. Whining you are looking for others to either give you attention, sympathy, or resolve it for you.

Now I love fixing the problems that people whine about. Ninety nine point nine percent of the time they do not like it when I fix it either. If you are bitching about your car, I give you a bus schedule. If you complain about being hungry I tell you where the homeless shelter is. You complain about not having a love life, I had you a mirror, a scale, or a copy of your whiny ass on tape. Some people get all three.

Whiners typically end up alone. Like liars they learn to make friends quickly though. So they may deceive you at first. Whiners also tend to gaggle. You will see them roam the streets in packs, because nobody else wants to hang with their stupid emo asses. Seriously if life is that bad, kill yourself and let the rest of us move the fuck on. If you want everybody to do everything for you then kill yourself, you are just wasting space and oxygen that other people might have need of. At the very least if you checked the right box on your drivers license, somebody might get use of your organs. If you do kill yourself do not use pills, or something that would make those organs useless either.

Seriously whining sucks, it gets nothing done. It is rarely productive, and is the primary reason why people suck. So this is my solution, ergo why I am bitching, not whining, if you don't like something, offer a solution or shut the fuck up. When you offer a solution use your brain, and don't dream up some pig flying bullshit just so you can say you are not whining. If something does suck, and you have no solution, that is cool. Just say it sucks and move the fuck on. Chances are the people around you agree, will sympathize. However looking at how bad something sucks does not make it better, often times it just makes people more aware of the suck and makes it worse.

To sum it up, when in doubt, shut your cock holster. If you don't have anything to offer but your opinion, odds are its better to keep it yourself. You are not as important as you think you are, and people really don't give a fuck about what you do or don't like. We may pretend, if you are hot member of the sex we are attracted too, but its just pretend.