Semper Faith

Human

2010-03-15T13:43:00.000-04:00

War Is Peace

2010-02-13T12:21:00.001-05:00

Be still...

2010-02-05T18:09:00.001-05:00

Just Say No.

2010-01-31T14:25:00.001-05:00

Don't take my word for it. Take this gang of foxy ladies word.

No To GMO

Feelings whoa whoa whoa feelings.

2010-01-23T09:31:00.002-05:00

For so long I've been in denial about this cancer. About addiction. About not feeling anything. Numb, is the best way I can describe how I've felt. I guess that is because I have gotten so good at hiding how I feel. It's like there is this little policeman in my head that shocks me when I start feeling or thinking that I even deserve to feel. God doesn't want that. He made us as emotional beings that hurt,cry,get angry, laugh out loud, love, and many many more.

The feelings of emptiness and of not accomplishing anything spread. Like cancer. It's like a cancer of the soul that starts out really slow, so slow that it's not debilitating so you don't notice much. You just keep going as if nothing were wrong, but deep inside something is growing. A resentment for people that have lives better than you, an envy for the things you do not possess. A lust for women instead of a love that wants to provide and take care and protect. It grows like a cancer. Undetected for years until you can't hide it anymore. Until the light finally shines on your black insides and everyone can see you. God doesn't want that for you.

He wants you to be able to cry out to him in your time of need. To lean on his love, his word, his glory. So when the world throws its worst at you, you can handle it. With grace and love.

Adios en vaya con Dios,
Life is good today.

Captain Hook and Ruffio

2010-01-18T09:57:00.002-05:00

Man where'd my roof just go?

Rain Drops Keep fallin on my head. : )

2010-01-14T13:30:00.003-05:00

Yeah it's been a while since I've actually written anything of substance on this blog other than bizarre lyrics and you-tube songs that I believe express how I'm feeling at any given time. So I'm just gonna have at it and let it fly.

So how can I explain life? Can life be explained? Certainly not within the confines of a blog. A little snippet of words here and there carefully crafted to leave out the important details so no one will know what's really going on. Really. How easy and convenient it is to just jot down a few things and move on. I've done that for years. So why do I do it? Maybe the answer is simple and explains why I've hidden behind music/drugs/sex/ect.

Fear.

Fear is an emotion that can really take hold of your life and drive you to do many things. I've always feared that if I wasn't on some type of drug or wasn't playing the latest and greatest songs with precision that people would find out that I was this huge fraud. A phony. A fake. Plastic. Always wearing a mask on the outside so people couldn't see the darkness I cling to on the inside. I guess what I fear most is change. Change of scenery, change of lifestyle, change of routine. It scares me half to death. It's like a chain around your neck that weighs you down and keeps you down. I've been so scared to change the sin in my life. There was always this nagging voice in the back of my mind saying "What's the point?" I know that's not what is right. But this is the truth of how I've felt. What does God have to say about all this turmoil and chaos?

“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).

God doesn't want us to be afraid in our sins. We should rejoice in the fact we have grace. Infinite grace. Grace that is sufficient, regardless of the thorns in our side.

The Noose

2010-01-12T11:58:00.003-05:00

Not pull your halo down, around your neck and tug you off your cloud.

But I'm more than just a little curious, how you're planning to go about making your amends.

To the dead.

Grateful

2010-01-08T00:32:00.003-05:00

It's never too late to be humbled by everything all over again. Thank God for grace and for showing us all how to get back up again.

The frequency of love.

2009-12-17T01:06:00.001-05:00

528hz

Do you have a secret?

2009-12-07T02:27:00.003-05:00

Mine is that I've been an addict for years without telling anyone. Thank God for grace. Without it I'd be lost.

This made me cry... At the end.

Whats up ole buddy! (Mr. Blog)

2009-12-04T13:21:00.002-05:00

Yeah it seems like forever since I've typed some nonsense into this blog, but for some reason I'm compelled to write. Not sure why. Over the past couple of months my perspective on life, death, faith, and love have all been rocked and changed forever. I can't even remember what it use to feel like in the daily grind. Every day is different now. It's not easy, it's different. It hurts. Bad.

But you can't keep running in circles without seriously losing your mind. I feel pretty damn close. Today in small group a man mentioned that when you get all the feelings of doubt, anxiety, fear, and anger, or whatever causes you to stumble, to immediately rebuke those thoughts as "not of the lord" and to put the thoughts behind you. Eventually, your suppose to be able to avoid the thinking that leads to falling down again. That seemed pretty peachy to me until this other guy chimed in and said "Yeah thats good and all but what about when it surrounds you, and no matter where you go your reminded about what makes you fall. Like you can't escape." When he said this it served as a painful reminder of this crazy, sick, world that we live in and how every day is a struggle. All I can say is thank God that I have a savior that can forgive myself and my enemies.

Christmas is coming up, I excited and scared at the same time. I'm not sure what to make of it really, I really can only cling to Christ this season for he is all that seems real anymore. Nothing else seems real at all, its like living in a video game. She's real though, can't forget that. She's been there, can't forget that. I love her. I love her a lot. It feels like the prologue of a movie before all the craziness happens and the city falls apart, or zombies come out of the sewers. A thriller with romantic overtones. Either way all I can do is hold on tight and keep going. I'm so thankful for everyone in my life and all the blessing I have around. I thank God that I can listen to music and let it touch my soul. If it weren't for music, I would lose my mind.

We always think we get more time.

Words from my father.

2009-10-15T00:39:00.002-04:00

"Guilt is a burden God never intended his children to bear."- Ending statement of the devotional we had dated the day my pop went in the hospital.

I'm so done with politics it's not even funny. It's not funny, it's not worth it, and I really just don't care anymore.

Corruption always exists, and always will exist until the end of time. What am I doing about it other than just putting it on display.

Don't ask for change. Be the change.

Stop resisting the, storm troopers are coming.

2009-09-26T10:55:00.001-04:00

"I hereby call this gathering an unlawful assembly"-Automated Police message.

Welcome to Amerika!

I don't care whether your lib,con,rep,dem, or a purple people eater, this should bring up some red flags.

Please have mercy on me.

2009-09-21T12:26:00.003-04:00

The drugs aren't as good as we wish they were.
This buzz doesn't keep us from missin her.

A #*$@^* can't bounce till he hits the ground.
And I have. Only way to go is up.
Thanks Jesus.

OHHHHHH FRREEAAAKIN RAHHHH!!!!!!!

2009-09-13T01:18:00.001-04:00

ERRRRRRR!

Right on marine.

Preach on. Freedom isn't free.

Bring it on. Pastor rappin

2009-09-11T14:34:00.002-04:00

Happy 9/11 guys! Let's all celebrate the day, our government pulled us into a perpetual war for control and domination of the middle east! YAY! Don't forget to throw out rational thought and do whatever the government says, because they love you! Isn't life grand!

Pick a side, it's easy, it's simple, you either know God and stand for what is right and holy or you rejoice in wickedness and reject the messiah. It's pretty polar.

Also, don't just take my word for it. Do your own research, I'm not trying to recruit anyone into any bandwagon of beliefs, I just stumbled down the rabbit whole. Take the red pill and wake up, it takes a while, and it WILL mess with your head. But you just have to ask yourself the question. Am I happy just living for myself? Is there some purpose for my life other than partying and fulfilling my own selfish desires?

Creepy update, 3 times now in the past 2 weeks I've had a chopper following me for hours at a time, at home, to frisbies, even at wendy's. yep, I know this sounds batshit insane, trust me I wish it wasn't true, as if I need the anxiety. Just be aware.

I gotta Believe!

2009-08-27T11:52:00.001-04:00

I can't believe they still have videos of this game up. Parappa the Rapper, such and awsome song.

Why so serious?

2009-08-16T13:10:00.002-04:00

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Ok sorry to be insensitive but I just had to post this! No one can call the race card on this one because W. got one too!

This is sooooo legitimate protest. AJ is actually giving out $1000 bucks to whoever makes the best video of putting up the posters. Rock on!

Ok its time to cool off and realize what's going on.

2009-08-13T10:21:00.003-04:00

I know there's a lot of anger out there. I'm not saying I'm not pissed but things are being drummed up in a way that is counter-productive.

All these folks on fox,cnn,msnbc, cspan, hannity, glenn beck, alex jones(yep i said alex jones) are getting people pissed. Not that we don't have plenty right to be. But think about this for just a second.

What is the fastest way to impose martial law in the United States?

Wackos... Kooks... Psychopaths...

Just say I want somebody whacked, not that I do but for the sake of argument let's say I do. My goal is to not get caught, as well as not get whacked myself. I'm not just gonna come out guns a'blazin like some kind of blitzkrieg you make them come to you. Defensive tactics always outlive the offense.

So what does this have to do with revolution and martial law. If all these media goons get enough folks angry but offer no solutions the folks that have just been itching for a macho "glory" fight are gonna come out of the wood work and some stupid ass kid or dude is gonna say "f#%k it! it's on guv'ment!" and start poppin rounds off. This is not the way to go folks, not at all. The media will turn completely around and the tension will be that much greater. You will hear about all these folks that oppose Obama as "terrorists" and more restrictive measures will be put into place to "protect us" and "keep us safe". Just read history to find the many examples of this scenario.

So what do we do?

Draw a line in the sand and use peaceful means to achieve real change while we still have them. Put up flyers, wake people up, hand out dvds, get to know your neighbors, write your congressmen, go to town hall meetings and speak the truth politely and intelligently. We have plenty of diplomatic avenues at the present time in order to get the word out and combat the wicked media machine.

My line in the sand is if I see military troops patrolling my street, what's yours?

Get off youtube and go DO SOMETHING? Be pro-active, go out into the streets and talk to your neighbors they are the ones closest to you geographically and will be your best friend if TSHTF. Be smart about who you talk to and what you talk about. Sure things are bad, and getting worse by the day but what are you going to do about it other than write in a blog and get red faced. Never forget to be polite, respectful, and intelligent in your conversations with people. Don't give folks any more ammo to slander the patriot movement than they already have. The time has come for us to take a long hard look in the mirror and ask ourselves the important questions.

How am I gonna feed my family?

In a life and death situation can I defend my family and those around me?

Stop listening to all the propaganda on the idiot box. It's all there to control your perceptions like a big ole mind screw. Think for yourself and pray to God that he gives you discernment. Shed the ego, none of us are more important than the other. We need to stop all this humanity worship.

This has been a public service announcement from your friendly neighborhood Patty P. Let freedom ring! Spread the message!

Who'da thunk it?

2009-07-20T23:33:00.002-04:00

Who would think that Reagan's words in 1960 would ring true in 2009.

I guess we are truly on the path to a "Brave New World"

Michael Wayne Bradshaw

2009-07-10T08:58:00.002-04:00

Michael Wayne Bradshaw, 57, of 1307 O’Quinn Road, Sanford, N.C., formerly of 2795 Spencerwood Drive, Powhatan, Va., died Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at his home.

He was born in Dallas, Texas, on May 3, 1952, son of Doris Jackson Martin and the late William Lloyd Bradshaw Sr. He was preceded in death by his father; stepmother, Mary Conner Bradshaw; sister, Laura Bradshaw Worsley; and brother, Dale Edward Bradshaw.

He was a graduate of Loudoun County High School and was a truck driver for Watkins Motor Lines and Fed Ex. He was a member of the Red Lane Baptist Church in Powhatan, Va., where he served as a deacon. Funeral services will be conducted at 12 p.m. Friday at the Red Lane Baptist Church in Powhatan, Va., with the Rev. Dr. Michael Curry officiating. Burial will follow in the Dale Memorial Park in Chesterfield, Va.

He is survived by his mother, Doris Jackson Martin of Denton, Texas; wife, Sandra Bosher Bradshaw of the home; daughter, Angela Hallman Womack of Sanford, N.C.; sons, Michael Wayne Bradshaw Jr. and Daniel Oliver Bradshaw of Sanford, N.C.; sisters, Sharon Bradshaw Vargas of Fort Worth, Texas, Ellen Bradshaw Worsley of Gardena, California and Evelyn Bradshaw of Moneta, Va.; brothers, Bruce Lloyd Bradshaw of Elkhorn, Wis., David William Bradshaw of Justin, Texas, Robert Leon Bradshaw of Louisa, Va. and William Lloyd Bradshaw Jr. of Moneta, Va.; four grand-children and several nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., prior to the services on Friday at the Red Lane Baptist Church. Arrangements are by the Smith Funeral Home of Broadway, N.C.

I'm never gonna forget you man. I still remember the prayers you gave at high knoll in scouts. You were a faithfull man and your life alone has taught me and I'm sure countless others lessons of life that will stick forever. I know your in a better place. I miss you.

Rest In Peace Mr. Bradshaw

Eco Fascism among other things.

2009-06-28T09:35:00.008-04:00

Man my life is a mess. Take a look out the window and see that the personal mess I call life completely pales in comparison to the global changes we are being positioned to receive as you read this little blog entry.

Thought Crime.

So many issues to talk about yet we are all stuck inside our own bubbles. Myself included. Sometimes its easier to just say "this is too big for me to think about" or "it's beyond my control" but that is basically like saying I'm apathetic because I am believing that I am powerless. The truth is that we are not powerless.

Before you write this off as another "conspiracy" or whatever label instantly pops into mind think about a few things that have happened in the past year. Just the past year alone.

1. We have thrown the constitution completely overboard

2. We've spent the GDP

3. The Federal Reserve now has unprecedented power and is getting positioned for even more this summer with the purchase of another 3 Trillion dollars worth of "US bonds" (hyper inflation here we come)

4. The notion of freedom has now become a "fringe element"

5. Government intervention is now the norm and no longer the exception.

6. Society is morally imploding.

7. We all are shareholders of GM now.

8. Veterans are terrorists.

9. We have a president that is completely aware of his actions yet remains unaccountable

10. We been federally "stimulated" which like any stimulant is a good boost for a while, but the crash is inevitable.

11. We (the collective "we") are about to have high tech intrusive Guvment health care, which will consequently give the Guvment authority to regulate every detail of your life. One example I can pull straight from my work. Come Feb 2010 tobacco products are prohibited on state property. That means everyone working a state job will have to quit smoking/dipping/chewing or be fired. I don't smoke but this is scary.

12. We dangerously close to tobacco prohibition, which is completely insane, and will give those shady black market folks more power than you will care to believe. Kids are gonna get shot over a pack of camels instead of a sac of weed now.

13. Cap-N-Trade the brainchild of Al Gore and Enron will destroy entire industries in this country and give the government the authority to tax carbon dioxide. Carbon Dioxide!?!?! What plants breathe and we exhale. The building block of all life, carbon. We are truly in backwards times.

It's all good though right? We can still go to the store and buy genetically modified food that's produced by shooting bacteria that's coated with gold into the DNA of a plant seed in order for to achieve unnatural advantages over other plants(such as resistance to pesticides). But yeah everything's peachy.

Let us also not forget about 501c3 status for our churches nationwide. This effectively silences all political speech within a church body less they lose their tax exempt status.
Never mind me and my crazy blog. Go back to sleep citizen. The things are all here for your own good.

Shadough

2009-06-24T20:18:00.002-04:00

"There must be something therapeutic about dogs. Maybe, just maybe that’s why they have therapy dogs. I can say though without a doubt, I will cry like a little kid when my little black dog dies. "-me

And I am because she's dieng tommorow. It should have been a "before" instead of "when" I got the grammar wrong on that one. Two out of Three aint bad.

Don't know what else to say. I'm gonna miss my dog.

It's tuesday.

2009-06-23T06:20:00.001-04:00

Yes, mr. title line. It is indeed tuesday.

Hmmmmm.....

Thats about it.

Twitter Cops!

2009-06-15T16:49:00.000-04:00

He does sorta look like John Mayer!!!!! TWITTTTEERRRRR!!!!

"Obama's kinda like God"

2009-06-11T06:34:00.002-04:00

“A cult of personality arises when a country’s leader uses mass media to create a heroic public image through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are often found in dictatorships,” -Wiki

This is no shock coming from msnbc, but I digress.

Holy Moly, I wonder how many folks out there are feeling a little bit of buyer's remorse. Regaurdless we as Americans need to shed this whole political skin and get back to freedom soon or it will be TLTL.

Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!

2009-06-03T06:26:00.005-04:00

Sad days in Amerika comrade!

>

The founders would be cleaning their muskets by now.

Only one can save us now. You know who.

Pastor Beat N Tazed YAY!

2009-05-13T06:19:00.003-04:00

PLUS COPS ARE "CRACKIN DOWN" OVER THE COUNTRY WITH THE ABILITY TO PULL YOU OVER FOR A SEAT BELT VIOLATION.

Papers Please
Cops are crackin down like never before? Does that mean they suspend my rights? Hmmmm..... nevermind thinking hurts.... Bah!

Seriously... When is it gonna stop... When are we gonna realize that people are wiping their ass with our liberties AS WE SPEAK! I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I'm a reality observer.

But where is the line in the sand, where is limit. Where is the lexington and concord?

Call me radical I really don't care anymore and neither will you when we all living in the street fightin over food in a trash can. I gave up plenty of time for this country and they spit on me as compensation. So be it. Its just birthing pains...

Go back to sleep citizen........

AND GET ready to pay for safety! YAY NANNY STATE YAY!

For those who need a cartoon to get freedom

2009-05-12T06:30:00.001-04:00

We're $cR3W3d!

2009-05-12T06:15:00.002-04:00

So I'm at small group, being led by a very brave young man who is passionate about his faith. The discussion shifts, the constitution is in focus. My forte, but before I can make any sense of anything someone says the most appalling statement I could ever think.

"Well you know Pat, the constitution does have some pretty dumb parts, I mean, look at the second amendment."

WTF

Up is defintely down.

I shouldn't have to explain this, but I will with just one small statement that sums up the entire second amendment, which has nothing to do with hunting and fishing and everything to do with liberty.

When people's right to defend themselves by any means available is stripped away by the government, they cease to be citizens and immediately become SUBJECTS.

Remember, if the people fear the government it's tyranny.
If the government fears the people its liberty.

Nuff said I'm gonna go cry and look at the flag.

What a day for a daydream...(Pinch me! I can't wake up!)

2009-05-06T06:10:00.003-04:00

So much to think about, but I'm at a loss for words. Apparently according to the federal government I'm a terrorist simply because I am a veteran. I'm a terrorist because I support state sovereignty and believe in the constitution, something as a marine you swear to defend. Something that presidents,politicians,cops, and all manner of public servants must do. I digress.

We're told by the tv that the economy is getting better... I wish it was true, I really do. But the FACT, that the bush/obama spending spree has spent the entire GDP(gross domestic product) tells me otherwise. Inflation is right around the corner, and these "stress tests" are yet another diversion just like the swine fear. We are under constant attack spiritually, and literally.

This is turning into a rant...

Oh well, I really don't care. Talk show hosts are being barred from entering countries. Some of my best friends are protecting/destroying poppy fields in Pakistan and Afghanistan. And for what? To fight the "war" on drugs, and the "war" on terror. All these "wars" are nothing but an assault on liberty and front for much more insidious activity. Drugs are illegal because THEY MAKE THE GOVERNMENT MONEY. There's no way around it, google it, and google it again. Wash, rinse, and repeat until you completely wipe out all of your ignorance on the subject to argue a point. We really do need a history lesson as a country, lest we forget.

We Americans are so distracted. We're so wrapped up in ourselves. The carpets being pulled out from under us. They are coming for your gold. Not like they need it.

Ignorance is Strength

War is Peace

Go back to sleep.

Keep watching hulu...

Take some more soma...

And always remember that the people that forcicbly take your money from your check every couple weeks ALWAYS has your best intrest at heart. They would never get together and come up with a plan to screw you. Thats just a kookie conspiracy theory.

Wisen up youngin

Free your mind Neo, Free your mind

2009-04-21T06:16:00.002-04:00

It's time to free my mind from bondage and let it be free from this voluntary enslavement.

I need prayer and Jesus love to get free. Please help.

Radical Liberty!?!?

2009-04-15T06:23:00.004-04:00

If you haven't heard the stories in the press about the new homeland security report that characterizes those who love liberty as "Right-Wing extremists", I'm sure you'll hear about it soon enough on the mainstream news. Morning Joe even mentioned it, which is really shocking to me.

The report also states that correctional facilities and veterans are extremely susceptible for recruitment efforts into this so-called "ideology". This is a kick in the face for every liberty activist I know and completely irresponsible. Thanks Barrack, for being such a tool and puppet of the banks. Thanks Napolitano, for finally showing your true colors and confirming what I have suspected for quite some time. Last but not least, thanks federal reserve, for buying up the world with your faux paper money that will soon be a memory.

Richmond Tea Party

Just being the writing on the wall

2009-04-12T21:39:00.002-04:00

Tea Party 09 - April 15th 6:00PM-8:00PM Richmond Federal Reserve

If you think taxes suck and the government is on a crash course to some radical liberty rocking change, come on down and support those of us against the illegal income tax. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 16th amendment. Do some research the 16th was ratified illegaly.

Some crazy things are going on. I wish I could talk about it all but I can't. Talk top me in person if you want to know whats up.

Here's the empire gansters being called out by Marcy Kaptur

Baah! Change! Baah! Hope! Baah! Lies!

2009-03-31T22:43:00.001-04:00

What's Next?

Lukes 2 cents

2009-03-23T06:13:00.002-04:00

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
"Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without the former undone." Luke 11:42

Best defense against legalism.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

I have a confession to make. I've been slackin with God. BIG TIME! I can feel it. I feel like I'm drifting. I gotta get movin and groovin with God's word.

A friend of mine was right yesterday.

Why do you do these things?-Dude

"To change the way I feel"-Pat

Why do you want to change the way you feel?

"Good Question"

Exactly you're not going to make any progress with this if you can't figure out why you feel the need to change the way you feel.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rob Bell Pwned

Mind Control Made Easy

2009-03-19T06:25:00.001-04:00

I love the leader, the leader is love. When I'm not with him, I feel like a schlub.

Sweet Jam

2009-03-10T06:35:00.002-04:00

www.myspace.com/mariahsbedroom

Shameless blog plug......

What if?

2009-03-03T20:56:00.001-05:00

What if Christianity was founded on peace?
Watch to the end to see what I mean.

Freedom is Futile

2009-02-26T06:14:00.003-05:00

Yet another revolution video that no one will comment on. Go ahead. Just say it already. I'm crazy.

What's crazier is a lack of men with the fire of Christ in their heart.

Satan Plays for Keeps

Not for halves.

Not for you money.

He wants your SOUL.

And church leaders, hear me now, you must understand the meaning of the following words, PRIDE and GRANDIOSE.

grandiose
/ˈgrændiˌoʊs/ [gran-dee-ohs] Show IPA
–adjective 1. affectedly grand or important; pompous: grandiose words.
2. more complicated or elaborate than necessary; overblown: a grandiose scheme.
3. grand in an imposing or impressive way.
4. Psychiatry. having an exaggerated belief in one's importance, sometimes reaching delusional proportions, and occurring as a common symptom of mental illnesses, as manic disorder.

pride
/praɪd/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [prahyd] Show IPA noun, verb, prid⋅ed, priding.
–noun 1. a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.
2. the state or feeling of being proud.
3. a becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one's position or character; self-respect; self-esteem.
4. pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself: civic pride.
5. something that causes a person or persons to be proud: His art collection was the pride of the family.
6. the best of a group, class, society, etc.: This bull is the pride of the herd.
7. the most flourishing state or period: in the pride of adulthood.
8. mettle in a horse.
9. Literary. splendor, magnificence, or pomp.
10. a group of lions.
11. sexual desire, esp. in a female animal.
12. ornament or adornment.

–verb (used with object) 13. to indulge or plume (oneself) in a feeling of pride (usually fol. by on or upon): She prides herself on her tennis.

—Idiom14. pride and joy, someone or something cherished, valued, or enjoyed above all others: Their new grandchild is their pride and joy.

Alan Keyes "It's time we start acting like grown ups"

2009-02-23T06:33:00.001-05:00

Keyes 2012

Times

2009-02-17T07:22:00.000-05:00

I'm so lost and ashamed of the life that I lead.

I knew it

2009-02-05T06:23:00.003-05:00

This administration is going for all out gun bans.

Reinstate the assault weapons ban? Fascist much?

No-Fly list? Papers please?

"Your right to bear arms is canceled"

Hey Rahm! What part of SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED do you not understand? The second amendment has nothing to do with sporting and hunting. It's in the bill or rights because the founding fathers knew that if goverment got overzealous the people had a means of resistance.

The bad thing about this no-fly list "gun grab" is that there are over 1 million americans on the list, and, they have not been charged/convicted of anything. Hey I'm not for giving felons weapons, but if you haven't been tried or convicted of anything then your constitutional rights will remain intact.

Bring it on Uncle Sam! If you want our guns you'll have to come and take them. The people might just give them up... Bullets first.

Overcame

2009-02-02T19:49:00.002-05:00

We will overcome, by the blood of the lamb and the faith of our testimony. Everyone. Overcome.

In, sickness and health. I do.
In, riches and in poverty. I do.

No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, said the LORD. Isaiah 54:17

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jesus please be with me.

Sgt - Anonymous, thanks for being God's voice when I rejected him with all of my heart.

"I don't care if you tape me!"

2009-01-28T06:07:00.002-05:00

"Theres nothing but sunshine hanging over me"

"I've got this thing, and I'm not giving it up for @#$*ing nothing!"

Crazy little Blago, what a crook. It's like there is a trend in this country when it comes to corruption. If you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar, the trend is to give the offending party much warning and media coverage while not really punishing them at all.

Crazy times we are living in. Crazy times indeed.

I saw a weird note written on a desk the other day at work that has got me thinking about alot of stuff the note read:

Global Warming? HA!

Change...
The Constitution
The Bill of Rights
The Supreme Court
Your way of life
This will bring civil war...

I'm definitely no Obama fan but those are some pretty rough claims. So with that I have been doing ooddles of research on this man that we currently call our president(CEO). Then I found some videos that scared the pants off me.

This is a Starbucks commercial endorsing Obama's semi-governmental program USAservice.org

Don't get me wrong I can find nothing wrong with doing some volunteer work. There is just a problem when it is pushed in a collectivist tone.

Keep an eye out for a couple of things in this video, very subtle symbolism

-Diagonal Hammer
-The worker bees
-The grassroots
-Raising Fists

Think that was bad, check out this similar typography for the official "I Pledge" video that all these douche-bag celebrities are being paid to endorse our corporate government.

"And I pledge to be of service to our President, and all mankind, because together WE CAN"

If this doesn't rub you the wrong way I strongly encourage you to do some research on propaganda. Things like this undermine the church in ways that we will only begin to see soon. Idolatry like never before, all within the post-modern sphere of influence that we cling to like it's going out of style.

Something else that has scared me about Obama, 5 executive orders. IN ONE WEEK.
I shouldn't have tell you why this is a big deal, but I will anyway. Presidents can't just start out the gate with executive orders. Think back before the inauguration, what did Bush declare for that? A state of emergency, which gives the president authority to write executive orders. Here comes the scary part, if congress does not kick up any fuss about this state of emergency(which legislatively we are still in)for 30 days, the president according to bush's legislation can suspend constitutional rights and declare martial law.

Martial Law? Civil unrest? FEMA emergency centers? Can we say engineered post-modern coup?

Yes We Can!

All this racial classifying is going to tear our country apart. We elected a racist for racist reason. Shame.
I'll close by plugging an Alex Jones compilation. Yes he's a completely crazy wackjob, but he's fighting against tyranny.

Too Cold Too Cold

2009-01-27T06:35:00.001-05:00

What do you get when you mix puppets and Coldplay?

Pure Genius

Best Video Ever, Good pick Kevin

No matter how good it tastes

2009-01-19T06:45:00.002-05:00

I still refuse to drink the kool-aid.

We are on the verge of a depression. A depression by design.

One that is designed to take away your freedoms.

Open up your bible.

There are forces at work that we can't percieve.

Moms will turn against daughters.
Fathers against sons.

If you think all this economy crazyness is an accident you are very much mistaken.

It's a hyperinflationary depression.

The value of the dollar is going to drop drammaticly in the next few months.

Novus Ordo Seclurum

One good thing about music...

2009-01-13T17:40:00.002-05:00

When it hits you feel no pain.

One small step for Patty P.
One giant leap of faith for Patty P.

I'm moving to Kingston town.

Skating... Actually

2009-01-06T06:00:00.003-05:00

I bought a skateboard. It helps to keep you going in morning.

Update on the monkees.

Epheds = completely gone.

Others: I've at least found some motivation.

Everything else is relative. Life is good. God is always good. Eric Koston still skates for Girl. Thank God for life.

God, Man, and Law

2008-12-30T06:12:00.001-05:00

I didn't write this but thought it was worth posting:

One of the great goals of education is to initiate the young into the conversation of their ancestors; to enable them to understand the language of that conversation, in all its subtlety, and maybe even, in their maturity, to add to it some wisdom of their own.

The modern American educational system no longer teaches us the political language of our ancestors. In fact our schooling helps widen the gulf of time between our ancestors and ourselves, because much of what we are taught in the name of civics, political science, or American history is really modern liberal propaganda. Sometimes this is deliberate. Worse yet, sometimes it isn't. Our ancestral voices have come to sound alien to us, and therefore our own moral and political language is impoverished. It's as if the people of England could no longer understand Shakespeare, or Germans couldn't comprehend Mozart and Beethoven.

So to most Americans, even those who feel oppressed by what they call big government, it must sound strange to hear it said, in the past tense, that tyranny "came" to America. After all, we have a constitution, don't we? We've abolished slavery and segregation. We won two world wars and the Cold War. We still congratulate ourselves before every ballgame on being the Land of the Free. And we aren't ruled by some fanatic with a funny mustache who likes big parades with thousands of soldiers goose-stepping past huge pictures of himself.

For all that, we no longer fully have what our ancestors, who framed and ratified our Constitution, thought of as freedom — a careful division of power that prevents power from becoming concentrated and unlimited. The word they usually used for concentrated power was consolidated — a rough synonym for fascist. And the words they used for any excessive powers claimed or exercised by the state were usurped and tyrannical. They would consider the modern "liberal" state tyrannical in principle; they would see in it not the opposite of the fascist, communist, and socialist states, but their sister.

If Washington and Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton could come back, the first thing they'd notice would be that the federal government now routinely assumes thousands of powers never assigned to it — powers never granted, never delegated, never enumerated. These were the words they used, and it's a good idea for us to learn their language. They would say that we no longer live under the Constitution they wrote. And the Americans of a much later era — the period from Cleveland to Coolidge, for example — would say we no longer live even under the Constitution they inherited and amended.

I call the present system "Post–Constitutional America." As I sometimes put it, the U.S. Constitution poses no serious threat to our form of government.

What's worse is that our constitutional illiteracy cuts us off from our own national heritage. And so our politics degenerates into increasingly bitter and unprincipled quarrels about who is going to bear the burdens of war and welfare.

I don't want to sound like an oracle on this subject. As a typical victim of modern public education and a disinformed citizen of this media-ridden country, I took a long time — an embarrassingly long time — to learn what I'm passing on. It was like studying geometry in old age, and discovering how simple the basic principles of space really are. It was the old story: In order to learn, first I had to unlearn. Most of what I'd been taught and told about the Constitution was misguided or even false. And I'd never been told some of the most elementary things, which would have saved me a tremendous amount of confusion.

The Constitution does two things. First, it delegates certain enumerated powers to the federal government. Second, it separates those powers among the three branches. Most people understand the secondary principle of the separation of powers. But they don't grasp the primary idea of delegated and enumerated powers.

Consider this. We have recently had a big national debate over national health care. Advocates and opponents argued long and loud over whether it could work, what was fair, how to pay for it, and so forth. But almost nobody raised the basic issue: Where does the federal government get the power to legislate in this area? The answer is: Nowhere. The Constitution lists 18 specific legislative powers of Congress, and not a one of them covers national health care.

As a matter of fact, none of the delegated powers of Congress — and delegated is always the key word — covers Social Security, or Medicaid, or Medicare, or federal aid to education, or most of what are now miscalled "civil rights," or countless public works projects, or equally countless regulations of business, large and small, or the space program, or farm subsidies, or research grants, or subsidies to the arts and humanities, or ... well, you name it, chances are it's unconstitutional. Even the most cynical opponents of the Constitution would be dumbfounded to learn that the federal government now tells us where we can smoke. We are less free, more heavily taxed, and worse governed than our ancestors under British rule. Sometimes this government makes me wonder: Was George III really all that bad?

Let's be clear about one thing. Constitutional and unconstitutional aren't just simple terms of approval and disapproval. A bad law may be perfectly constitutional. A wise and humane law may be unconstitutional. But what is almost certainly bad is a constant disposition to thwart or disregard the Constitution.

It's not just a matter of what is sometimes called the "original intent" of the authors of the Constitution. What really matters is the common, explicit, unchallenged understanding of the Constitution, on all sides, over several generations. There was no mystery about it.

The logic of the Constitution was so elegantly simple that a foreign observer could explain it to his countrymen in two sentences. Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that "the attributes of the federal government were carefully defined [in the Constitution], and all that was not included among them was declared to remain to the governments of the individual states. Thus the government of the states remained the rule, and that of the federal government the exception."

The Declaration of Independence, which underlies the Constitution, holds that the rights of the people come from God, and that the powers of the government come from the people. Let me repeat that: According to the Declaration of Independence, the rights of the people come from God, and the powers of the government come from the people. Unless you grasp this basic order of things, you'll have a hard time understanding the Constitution.

The Constitution was the instrument by which the American people granted, or delegated, certain specific powers to the federal government. Any power not delegated was withheld, or "reserved." As we'll see later, these principles are expressed particularly in the Ninth and Tenth Amendments, two crucial but neglected provisions of the Constitution.

Let me say it yet again: The rights of the people come from God. The powers of government come from the people. The American people delegated the specific powers they wanted the federal government to have through the Constitution. And any additional powers they wanted to grant were supposed to be added by amendment.

It's largely because we've forgotten these simple principles that the country is in so much trouble. The powers of the federal government have multiplied madly, with only the vaguest justifications and on the most slippery pretexts. Its chief business now is not defending our rights but taking and redistributing our wealth. It has even created its own economy, the tax economy, which is parasitical on the basic and productive voluntary economy. Even much of what passes for "national defense" is a kind of hidden entitlement program, as was illustrated when President George Bush warned some states during the 1992 campaign that Bill Clinton would destroy jobs by closing down military bases. Well, if those bases aren't necessary for our defense, they should be closed down.

Now of course nobody in American politics, not even the most fanatical liberal, will admit openly that he doesn't care what the Constitution says and isn't going to let it interfere with his agenda. Everyone professes to respect it — even the Supreme Court. That's the problem. The U.S. Constitution serves the same function as the British royal family: it offers a comforting symbol of tradition and continuity, thereby masking a radical change in the actual system of power.

So the people who mean to do without the Constitution have come up with a slogan to keep up appearances: they say the Constitution is a "living document," which sounds like a compliment. They say it has "evolved" in response to "changing circumstances," etc. They sneer at the idea that such a mystic document could still have the same meanings it had two centuries ago, or even, I guess, sixty years ago, just before the evolutionary process started accelerating with fantastic velocity. These people, who tend with suspicious consistency to be liberals, have discovered that the Constitution, whatever it may have meant in the past, now means — again, with suspicious consistency — whatever suits their present convenience.

Do liberals want big federal entitlement programs? Lo, the Interstate Commerce Clause turns out to mean that the big federal programs are constitutional! Do liberals oppose capital punishment? Lo, the ban on "cruel and unusual punishment" turns out to mean that capital punishment is unconstitutional! Do liberals want abortion on demand? Lo, the Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments, plus their emanations and penumbras, turn out to mean that abortion is nothing less than a woman's constitutional right!

Can all this be blind evolution? If liberals were more religious, they might suspect the hand of Providence behind it! This marvelous "living document" never seems to impede the liberal agenda in any way. On the contrary: it always seems to demand, by a wonderful coincidence, just what liberals are prescribing on other grounds.

Take abortion. Set aside your own views and feelings about it. Is it really possible that, as the Supreme Court in effect said, all the abortion laws of all 50 states — no matter how restrictive, no matter how permissive — had always been unconstitutional? Not only that, but no previous Court, no justice on any Court in all our history — not Marshall, not Story, not Taney, not Holmes, not Hughes, not Frankfurter, not even Warren — had ever been recorded as doubting the constitutionality of those laws. Everyone had always taken it for granted that the states had every right to enact them.

Are we supposed to believe, in all seriousness, that the Court's ruling in Roe v. Wade was a response to the text of the Constitution, the discernment of a meaning that had eluded all its predecessors, rather than an enactment of the current liberal agenda? Come now.

And notice that the parts of this "living document" don't develop equally or consistently. The Court has expanded the meaning of some of liberalism's pet rights, such as freedom of speech, to absurd lengths; but it has neglected or even contracted other rights, such as property rights, which liberalism is hostile to.

In order to appreciate what has happened, you have to stand back from all the details and look at the outline. What follows is a thumbnail history of the Constitution.

In the beginning the states were independent and sovereign. That is why they were called "states": a state was not yet thought of as a mere subdivision of a larger unit, as is the case now. The universal understanding was that in ratifying the Constitution, the 13 states yielded a very little of their sovereignty, but kept most of it.

Those who were reluctant to ratify generally didn't object to the powers the Constitution delegated to the federal government. But they were suspicious: they wanted assurance that if those few powers were granted, other powers, never granted, wouldn't be seized too. In The Federalist, Hamilton and Madison argued at some length that under the proposed distribution of power the federal government would never be able to "usurp," as they put it, those other powers. Madison wrote soothingly in Federalist No. 45 that the powers of the federal government would be "few and defined," relating mostly to war and foreign policy, while those remaining with the states would be "numerous and indefinite," and would have to do with the everyday domestic life of the country. The word usurpation occurs numberless times in the ratification debates, reflecting the chief anxiety the champions of the Constitution had to allay. And as a final assurance, the Tenth Amendment stipulated that the powers not "delegated" to the federal government were "reserved" to the separate states and to the people.

But this wasn't enough to satisfy everyone. Well-grounded fears persisted. And during the first half of the nineteenth century, nearly every president, in his inaugural message, felt it appropriate to renew the promise that the powers of the federal government would not be exceeded, nor the reserved powers of the states transgressed. The federal government was to remain truly federal, with only a few specified powers, rather than "consolidated," with unlimited powers.

The Civil War, or the War Between the States if you like, resulted from the suspicion that the North meant to use the power of the Union to destroy the sovereignty of the Southern states. Whether or not that suspicion was justified, the war itself produced that very result. The South was subjugated and occupied like a conquered country. Its institutions were profoundly remade by the federal government; the United States of America was taking on the character of an extensive, and highly centralized, empire. Similar processes were under way in Europe, as small states were consolidated into large ones, setting the stage for the tyrannies and gigantic wars of the twentieth century.

Even so, the three constitutional amendment ratified after the war contain a significant clause: "Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation." Why is this significant? Because it shows that even the conquerors still understood that a new power of Congress required a constitutional amendment. It couldn't just be taken by majority vote, as it would be today. If the Congress then had wanted a national health plan, it would have begun by asking the people for an amendment to the Constitution authorizing it to legislate in the area of health care. The immediate purpose of the Fourteenth Amendment was to provide a constitutional basis for a proposed civil rights act.

But the Supreme Court soon found other uses for the Fourteenth Amendment. It began striking down state laws as unconstitutional. This was an important new twist in American constitutional law. Hamilton, in arguing for judicial review in Federalist No. 78, had envisioned the Court as a check on Congress, resisting the illicit consolidation or centralization of power. And our civics books still describe the function of checks and balances in terms of the three branches of the federal government mutually controlling each other. But in fact, the Court was now countermanding the state legislatures, where the principle of checks and balances had no meaning, since those state legislatures had no reciprocal control on the Court. This development eventually set the stage for the convulsive Supreme Court rulings of the late twentieth century, from Brown v. Board of Education to Roe v. Wade.

The big thing to recognize here is that the Court had become the very opposite of the institution Hamilton and others had had in mind. Instead of blocking the centralization of power in the federal government, the Court was assisting it.

The original point of the federal system was that the federal government would have very little to say about the internal affairs of the states. But the result of the Civil War was that the federal government had a great deal to say about those affairs — in Northern as well as Southern states.

Note that this trend toward centralization was occurring largely under Republican presidents. The Democrat Grover Cleveland was one of the last great spokesmen for federalism. He once vetoed a modest $10,000 federal grant for drought relief on grounds that there was no constitutional power to do it. If that sounds archaic, remember that the federal principle remained strong long enough that during the 1950s, the federal highway program had to be called a "defense" measure in order to win approval, and federal loans to college students in the 1960s were absurdly called "defense" loans for the same reason. The Tenth Amendment is a refined taste, but it has always had a few devotees.

But federalism suffered some serious wounds during the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. First came the income tax, its constitutionality established by the Sixteenth Amendment; this meant that every U.S. citizen was now, for the first time, directly accountable to the federal government. Then the Seventeenth Amendment required that senators be elected by popular vote rather than chosen by state legislators; this meant that the states no longer had their own representation in Congress, so that they now lost their remaining control over the federal government. The Eighteenth Amendment, establishing Prohibition, gave the federal government even greater powers over the country's internal affairs. All these amendments were ominous signs that federalism was losing its traditional place in the hearts, and perhaps the minds, of Americans.

But again, notice that these expansions of federal power were at least achieved by amending the Constitution, as the Constitution itself requires. The Constitution doesn't claim to be a "living document." It is written on paper, not rubber.

In fact the radicals of the early twentieth century despaired of achieving socialism or communism as long as the Constitution remained. They regarded it as the critical obstacle to their plans, and thought a revolution would be necessary to remove it. As The New Republic wrote: "To have a socialist society we must have a new Constitution." That's laying it on the line!

Unfortunately, the next generation of collectivists would be less candid in their contempt for the federal system. Once they learned to feign devotion to the Constitution they secretly regarded as obsolete, the laborious formality of amendment would no longer be necessary. They could merely pretend that the Constitution was on their side. After Franklin Roosevelt restaffed the Supreme Court with his compliant cronies, the federal government would be free to make up its own powers as it went along, thanks to the notion that the Constitution was a malleable "living document," whose central meaning could be changed, and even reversed, by ingenious interpretation.

Roosevelt's New Deal brought fascist-style central planning to America — what some call the "mixed economy" but Hilaire Belloc called the Servile State — and his highhanded approach to governance soon led to conflict with the Court, which found several of his chief measures unconstitutional. Early in his second term, as you know, Roosevelt retaliated by trying to "pack" the Court by increasing the number of seats. This power play alienated even many of his allies, but it turned out not to be necessary. After 1937 the Court began seeing things Roosevelt's way. It voted as he wished; several members obligingly retired; and soon he had appointed a majority of the justices. The country virtually got a new Constitution.

Roosevelt's Court soon decided that the Tenth Amendment was a "truism," of no real force. This meant that almost any federal act was ipso facto constitutional, and the powers "reserved" to the states and the people were just leftovers the federal government didn't want, like the meal left for the jackals by the satisfied lion. There was almost no limit, now, on what the federal government could do. In effect, the powers of the federal government no longer had to come from the people by constitutional delegation: they could be created by simple political power.

Roosevelt also set the baneful precedent of using entitlement programs, such as Social Security, to buy some people's votes with other people's money. It was both a fatal corruption of democracy and the realization of the Servile State in America. The class of voting parasites has been swelling ever since.

So the New Deal didn't just expand the power of the federal government; that had been done before. The New Deal did much deeper mischief: it struck at the whole principle of constitutional resistance to federal expansion. Congress didn't need any constitutional amendment to increase its powers; it could increase its own powers ad hoc, at any time, by simple majority vote.

All this, of course, would have seemed monstrous to our ancestors. Even Alexander Hamilton, who favored a relatively strong central government in his time, never dreamed of a government so powerful.

The Court suffered a bloody defeat at Roosevelt's hands, and since his time it has never found a major act of Congress unconstitutional. This has allowed the power of the federal government to grow without restraint. At the federal level, "checks and balances" has ceased to include judicial review.

This is a startling fact, flying as it does in the face of the familiar conservative complaints about the Court's "activism." When it comes to Congress, the Court has been absolutely passive. As if to compensate for its habit of capitulation to Congress, the Court's post–World War II "activism" has been directed entirely against the states, whose laws it has struck down in areas that used to be considered their settled and exclusive provinces. Time after time, it has found "unconstitutional" laws whose legitimacy had stood unquestioned throughout the history of the Republic.

Notice how total the reversal of the Court's role has been. It began with the duty, according to Hamilton, of striking down new seizures of power by Congress. Now it finds constitutional virtually everything Congress chooses to do. The federal government has assumed myriads of new powers nowhere mentioned or implied in the Constitution, yet the Court has never seriously impeded this expansion, or rather explosion, of novel claims of power. What it finds unconstitutional are the traditional powers of the states.

The postwar Court has done pioneering work in one notable area: the separation of church and state. I said "pioneering," not praiseworthy. The Court has consistently imposed an understanding of the First Amendment that is not only exaggerated but unprecedented — most notoriously in its 1962 ruling that prayer in public schools amounts to an "establishment of religion." This interpretation of the Establishment Clause has always been to the disadvantage of Christianity and of any law with roots in Christian morality. And it's impossible to doubt that the justices who voted for this interpretation were voting their predilections.

Maybe that's the point. I've never heard it put quite this way, but the Court's boldest rulings showed something less innocent than a series of honest mistakes. Studying these cases and others of the Court's liberal heyday, one never gets the sense that the majority was suppressing its own preferences; it was clearly enacting them. Those rulings can be described as wishful thinking run amok, and touched with more than a little arrogance. All in all, the Court displayed the opposite of the restrained and impartial temperament one expects even of a traffic-court judge, let alone a Supreme Court.

It's ironic to recall Hamilton's assurance that the Supreme Court would be "the least dangerous" of the three branches of the federal government. But Hamilton did give us a shrewd warning about what would happen if the Court were ever corrupted: in Federalist No. 78 he wrote that "liberty can have nothing to fear from the judiciary alone, but would have everything to fear from its union with either of the other [branches]." Since Franklin Roosevelt, as I've said, the judiciary has in effect formed a union with the other two branches to aggrandize the power of the federal government at the expense of the states and the people.

This, in outline, is the constitutional history of the United States. You won't find it in the textbooks, which are required to be optimistic, to present degeneration as development, and to treat the successive pronouncements of the Supreme Court as so many oracular revelations of constitutional meaning. A leading liberal scholar, Leonard Levy, has gone so far as to say that what matters is not what the Constitution says, but what the Court has said about the Constitution in more than 400 volumes of commentary.

This can only mean that the commentary has displaced the original text, and that "We the People" have been supplanted by "We the Lawyers." We the People can't read and understand our own Constitution. We have to have it explained to us by the professionals. Moreover, if the Court enjoys oracular status, it can't really be criticized, because it can do no wrong. We may dislike its results, but future rulings will have to be derived from them as precedents, rather than from the text and logic of the Constitution. And notice that the "conservative" justices appointed by Republican presidents have by and large upheld not the original Constitution, but the most liberal interpretations of the Court itself — notably on the subject of abortion, which I'll return to in a minute.

To sum up this little constitutional history. The history of the Constitution is the story of its inversion. The original understanding of the Constitution has been reversed. The Constitution creates a presumption against any power not plainly delegated to the federal government and a corresponding presumption in favor of the rights and powers of the states and the people. But we now have a sloppy presumption in favor of federal power. Most people assume the federal government can do anything it isn't plainly forbidden to do.

The Ninth and Tenth Amendments were adopted to make the principle of the Constitution as clear as possible. Hamilton, you know, argued against adding a Bill of Rights, on grounds that it would be redundant and confusing. He thought it would seem to imply that the federal government had more powers than it had been given. Why say, he asked, that the freedom of the press shall not be infringed, when the federal government would have no power by which it could be infringed? And you can even make the case that he was exactly right. He understood, at any rate, that our freedom is safer if we think of the Constitution as a list of powers rather than as a list of rights.

Be that as it may, the Bill of Rights was adopted, but it was designed to meet his objection. The Ninth Amendment says: "The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." The Tenth says: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Now what these two provisions mean is pretty simple. The Ninth means that the list of the people's rights in the Constitution is not meant to be complete — that they still have many other rights, like the right to travel or to marry, which may deserve just as much respect as the right not to have soldiers quartered in one's home in peacetime. The Tenth, on the other hand, means that the list of powers "delegated" to the federal government is complete — and that any other powers the government assumed would be, in the Framers' habitual word, "usurped."

As I said earlier, the Founders believed that our rights come from God, and the government's powers come from us. So the Constitution can't list all our rights, but it can and does list all the federal government's powers.

You can think of the Constitution as a sort of antitrust act for government, with the Ninth and Tenth Amendments at its core. It's remarkable that the same liberals who think business monopolies are sinister think monopolies of political power are progressive. When they can't pass their programs because of the constitutional safeguards, they complain about "gridlock" — a cliché that shows they miss the whole point of the enumeration and separation of powers.

Well, I don't have to tell you that this way of thinking is absolutely alien to that of today's politicians and pundits. Can you imagine Al Gore, Dan Rostenkowski, or Tom Brokaw having a conversation about political principles with any of the Founding Fathers? If you can, you must have a vivid fantasy life.

And the result of the loss of our original political idiom has been, as I say, to invert the original presumptions. The average American, whether he has had high-school civics or a degree in political science, is apt to assume that the Constitution somehow empowers the government to do nearly anything, while implicitly limiting our rights by listing them. Not that anyone would say it this way. But it's as if the Bill of Rights had said that the enumeration of the federal government's powers in the Constitution is not meant to deny or disparage any other powers it may choose to claim, while the rights not given to the people in the Constitution are reserved to the federal government to give or withhold, and the states may be progressively stripped of their original powers.

What it comes to is that we don't really have an operative Constitution anymore. The federal government defines its own powers day by day. It's limited not by the list of its powers in the Constitution, but by whatever it can get away with politically. Just as the president can now send troops abroad to fight without a declaration of war, Congress can pass a national health care program without a constitutional delegation of power. The only restraint left is political opposition.

If you suspect I'm overstating the change from our original principles, I give you the late Justice Hugo Black. In a 1965 case called Griswold v. Connecticut, the Court struck down a law forbidding the sale of contraceptives on grounds that it violated a right of "privacy." (This supposed right, of course, became the basis for the Court's even more radical 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade, but that's another story.) Justice Black dissented in the Griswold case on the following ground: "I like my privacy as well as the next [man]," he wrote, "but I am nevertheless compelled to admit that government has a right to invade it unless prohibited by some specific constitutional provision." What a hopelessly muddled — and really sinister — misconception of the relation between the individual and the state: government has a right to invade our privacy, unless prohibited by the Constitution. You don't have to share the Court's twisted view of the right of privacy in order to be shocked that one of its members takes this view of the "right" of government to invade privacy.

It gets crazier. In 1993 the Court handed down one of the most bizarre decisions of all time. For two decades, enemies of legal abortion had been supporting Republican candidates in the hope of filling the Court with appointees who would review Roe v. Wade. In Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the Court finally did so. But even with eight Republican appointees on the Court, the result was not what the conservatives had hoped for. The Court reaffirmed Roe.

Its reasoning was amazing. A plurality opinion — a majority of the five-justice majority in the case — admitted that the Court's previous ruling in Roe might be logically and historically vulnerable. But it held that the paramount consideration was that the Court be consistent, and not appear to be yielding to public pressure, lest it lose the respect of the public. Therefore the Court allowed Roe to stand.

Among many things that might be said about this ruling, the most basic is this: The Court in effect declared itself a third party to the controversy, and then, setting aside the merits of the two principals' claims, ruled in its own interest! It was as if the referee in a prizefight had declared himself the winner. Cynics had always suspected that the Court did not forget its self-interest in its decisions, but they never expected to hear it say so.

The three justices who signed that opinion evidently didn't realize what they were saying. A distinguished veteran Court-watcher (who approved of Roe, by the way) told me he had never seen anything like it. The Court was actually telling us that it put its own welfare ahead of the merits of the arguments before it. In its confusion, it was blurting out the truth.

But by then very few Americans could even remember the original constitutional plan. The original plan was as Madison and Tocqueville described it: State government was to be the rule, federal government the exception. The states' powers were to be "numerous and indefinite," federal powers "few and defined." This is a matter not only of history, but of iron logic: the Constitution doesn't make sense when read any other way. As Madison asked, why bother listing particular federal powers unless unlisted powers are withheld?

The unchecked federal government has not only overflowed its banks; it has even created its own economy. Thanks to its exercise of myriad unwarranted powers, it can claim tens of millions of dependents, at least part of whose income is due to the abuse of the taxing and spending powers for their benefit: government employees, retirees, farmers, contractors, teachers, artists, even soldiers. Large numbers of these people are paid much more than their market value because the taxpayer is forced to subsidize them. By the same token, most taxpayers would instantly be better off if the federal government simply ceased to exist — or if it suddenly returned to its constitutional functions.

Can we restore the Constitution and recover our freedom? I have no doubt that we can. Like all great reforms, it will take an intelligent, determined effort by many people. I don't want to sow false optimism.

But the time is ripe for a constitutional counterrevolution. Discontent with the ruling system, as the 1992 Perot vote showed, is deep and widespread among several classes of people: Christians, conservatives, gun owners, taxpayers, and simple believers in honest government all have their reasons. The rulers lack legitimacy and don't believe in their own power strongly enough to defend it.

The beauty of it is that the people don't have to invent a new system of government in order to get rid of this one. They only have to restore the one described in the Constitution — the system our government already professes to be upholding. Taken seriously, the Constitution would pose a serious threat to our form of government.

And for just that reason, the ruling parties will be finished as soon as the American people rediscover and awaken their dormant Constitution.

Hey! Hey! We're the monkees!

2008-12-16T06:27:00.002-05:00

One monkey down.

One to go.

And one to contemplate.

Withdrawal sucks......
But worth it.

Its been a while...

2008-12-04T06:06:00.002-05:00

Yep, I haven't blog in a good minute. Mostly because I'm been so busy and also out of state. Got to hang with the brothers up in PA and we deep fried a turkey! YEAH! So an update:

Life is still a precious gift from god.

My youtube channel is comming sooonnnnnn.....

I need to watch the past few services and meditate on them, many of my friends that I consider "unchurched" called me non-stop about last weeks service saying it was "moving" and "perspective changing" so I must see this service.

So whats up in the world. It seems like quite a bit, and there does not seem to be any end in sight to all the bollocks. I honestly have no idea what's in store for this country but I will continue to cling to faith and my gun.

I'll finish this early morning post with a little Patty P Pearl of wisdom.

Don't believe everything you hear. Deception is just that.

"My Grace is sufficient"

Until I'll be a makeshift patriot.

Like chasing the wind

2008-11-20T20:29:00.002-05:00

The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

Whoever loves money never has money enough;

Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.

This too is meaningless.

A book way ahead of its time.

The EAS song

2008-11-12T14:38:00.002-05:00

For veteran's day....

This is for the marines. For those who don't get any of this, you're not suppose to.

EAS: End of Active Service

This dudes song embodies the soul of LCpl's fo life!

There comes a time toward the end of your time in the corps where you just say screw it all and ride the line.

Low-Reg Haircut: OOORAH 3 Inches!

Shit-Bag Mentality: AKA not moto!

"BUT PAT THIS VIDEO IS OBSCENE"

<--- IT WAS VETERANS DAY YESTERDAY! MWHAHAHAHAHAHA ---->

Meant to live for so much more...

2008-11-12T14:07:00.002-05:00

Wesley C. Smiley

I miss you dude. We haven't talked in forever and a day.

For some strange reason I miss Okinawa.

Stumbled upon this slide show, it's obscene, it's crazy, it's the Marine Corps.

Yep try to fast forward any picture of me and the inflatable ghost.

Why oh why are cameras digital. Well at least it's honest.

young stupid marine pat......

Claiming Christ in a Post-Modern World

2008-11-12T08:00:00.005-05:00

Folks, we are headed into murky waters. As subtle as it ever may be, we are under constant trial for having anything that resembles faith. Even the church is not immune from the post modern school of thought. The school that throws out logic and common sense while simultaneously claiming logic as their "savior". As Rob Bell put it, "everyone has faith in something".

How backwards are we going to let things get? We live in some of the most arrogant times. Imagine with me for just a moment. You are the God of the universe. You solved the problem of sin. You're sitting there watching your people and how they continue to mock you. They spit in your face daily. Yet you still love them. You desperately try to get their attention so they can see how much you love them. Yet they still deny your very existence. How much leniancy will you give them? From a human perspective there are many things we just can't get through our heads. Mainly, that we are not God. We will never be God. Everything "great and innovative" that we have ever created pales in comparison to the interworkings of a single cell. We are so microscopic and tiny on this dirtball that is hurdling through space at break neck speeds. I've got a radical idea. We don't know jack squat. We need humility. We need to stop boasting of our greatness and give credit were it is truly due. We need Jesus.

Our culture is one of humanist celebration. It's nothing new. Christianity has been under attack from its' very inception. We are exponentially becoming a culture of aspiring emperors. T.V. says "you have the power", "it's your choice", "it's all about what you want", "do it for you", "you deserve it". You are your own god. We are all a collective group of self serving greed on two legs, no matter how polite and sweet we make it seem.

We are God's special little creatures. Yet we are still unprepared.

But what do we do?

Yes we are all God's special little creatures.

Straight from the goat's mouth.

What the fudge?

2008-11-08T19:32:00.001-05:00

I don't know whats scarier.

The mob of mindless Obamabots or the cops arresting a man for free speech.

Get the door it's Domino's

2008-11-05T01:09:00.002-05:00

Remember, remember, the 5th of November.

The gunpowder, treason, and plot.

I know of no reason, why gundpowder treason, should ever be forgot.

We have no idea

2008-11-03T17:54:00.003-05:00

How our lives are going to change.

You know what the score is God. But do we?

Do we understand that there is a tangible world beyond what we can
touch, taste, hear, smell, and see? That there are forces at work
that defy any rational explanation that can be perceived? That there
is evil out there that doesn't look like the boogie monster?

We have no idea.

We are not prepared.

Jesus, is what we need. He's all we've got.

He offers the change that we really need, and he's most certainly a maverick.

God help us to cling to your truth in these times of doubt.

Politics... or lack there of

2008-10-29T06:20:00.002-04:00

As much as I am capable of writing about politics, the freedom movement, government corruption, ufo, bozo the clown, ect....

I can't do it anymore.

Frankly it makes me weary and takes focus off of one essential truth.

God is in control. Not me, not you, not the future president.

We are in rough times, but that is when we need to secure our faith in Jesus.

If we don't we might just get stuck in the drive-thru

Party Puppets!!!! YAY!!!

2008-10-23T07:36:00.000-04:00

The time for liberty

2008-10-22T11:20:00.001-04:00

If we don't defend our liberty it will be lost.

I'm Patty P and I approve this message.

"We do things different in New York, you don't need rights"

2008-10-22T07:52:00.002-04:00

DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Politics as Usual"

2008-10-22T07:22:00.002-04:00

Attacks on our constitutional rights is nothing new.

Yet again the government tries to marginalize the second amendment and paint people who get involved in a militia as "whack jobs" or even "terrorists".

Listen closely to what the militiaman says about the military patrolling streets and think about what is happening today. This video was made in the mid 90's. Also keep in mind the Posse Commitadus Act which prohibits American military from being used for civil matters within the states. Something that went on during hurricane Katrina, when the military confiscated every one's firearms. Lest we forget.

Currently we have an entire unit of the United States Army assigned to the "Homeland" and given command by the Department of Homeland Security.

Sounds Orwellian.
Sounds Unconstitutional.
Sounds like a fairy tale.

Oh how I wish it was.

Have we as American become so complacent that we are willing to just give up our rights? I pray that things will get better. God knows whats good for us. We can only make conjectures.

Oh and for anyone that claims the argument that the second amendment guarantees a militia run by the state, it can be easily unproven with just a bit of simple logic.

The Bill of Rights? Does it guarantee rights to the people or to the state? The people. Therefore, everything thing in those beautiful ten amendments pertains directly to the people and not to the government. The constitution was meant to the limit the power of the government not allow it to grow. The argument that the constitution is a living document is completely preposterous and inaccurate with the ideals and intentions of the founding fathers.

"Your being controversial ... That's not politically correct"

2008-10-21T10:49:00.004-04:00

I'm in a very controversial mood today. We need to exercises our free speech online as much as possible before it gets taken away.

We always here the same thing from politicians.

"I'm gonna fix America!"- candidates 30 years ago
"I'm gonnna fix America!"- current two-party system candidates

One thing straight up: I'm not trying to get Ron Paul elected whatsoever. Just trying to spread topics that NOONE wants to talk about. It's getting to the point where people are scared to talk politics, IN AMERICA!!!!!! If that doesn't seem a little backwards to you then I urge you strongly to do some research on what is going on in this world and the so-called "war on terror" "war on the poverty" "war on drugs" "war on the constitution".................

I joined the service to serve my country. Not be used as a tool to promote globalism.

BLAH. Most blogs in one day MWHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Take that blogger servers!

Ron Paul for the long haul

The real reason for our financial crisis.

2008-10-21T09:28:00.001-04:00

It's been brewing for over half a century.

Pick your city...

2008-10-21T08:45:00.002-04:00

This is not pro-(any candidate) just creepy as hell. We are not living in a pretty Disneyland world that TV tells us we do. There's so much propaganda, so much propaganda...

We are an empire, plain and simple. Read some roman history and why they fell.

"Pride goes before the fall"

Yep, gotta post this because noone else will.

2008-10-21T08:20:00.002-04:00

More signs that the world is in for some DRASTIC CHANGE! Not the Obamarific chant of "CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE" but more of "depression, revolution, faith". The numbers are growing, the underground is changing. More people need to wake up and smell the socialism that is coming. The one world currency that is being pushed on us via the European Union. We are at an unprecedented level of ignorance in this country and the election proccess is nothing but a buffet of lies to satisify the average americans curiosity.

Blowback.

I'm a fanatic. So be it.

2008-10-15T10:08:00.002-04:00

Sometimes this world can bring me down and life seem likes its getting darker. Mark my words, evil exists and is extremely present in the world today, truth. In these times of doubt and confusion it seems terribly easy to marginalize one's own faith and salvation... God please help us all desperately cling to the most important truth of all, regaurdless of opposition. Jesus Christ is our lord and savoir who paid the price for us to be saved from the wages of sin. nuff said.

Sad state of American culture.....

2008-10-14T13:47:00.001-04:00

This makes me want to cry

Hey your fired! Maybe.... Just wait it out and we'll call you.

2008-10-09T09:07:00.005-04:00

I can't believe how the state conducts business. If we are going to get laid off just tell me already! Stop having these meetings where you beat around the bush trying to cover up the real situation. We all know things are going crazy with the markets. Just give us some honesty, is that so much to ask from our government? Maybe.

Either way, God has something in store. What it is, I wish I knew.

Bass is still low and smooth. God is good.

And just for the heck of it here's my dog Max sleeping in my bed. Some may call him the man. I call him a bed hog. Just kidding Max, you know I love you. But seriously get off my bed!

Obvious Foreshadowing

2008-10-08T08:02:00.003-04:00

More and more I'm getting these text messages. "So-n-So is getting recalled..." About four of my close friends who have been out of the marines for at least a year or so are now being recalled to be deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and quite possibly Pakistan. I'm not sure what's going to happen in the coming months but I will say that it is very unsettling to see so many folks being recalled. Mostly because they only recall folks when there is such a low rate of re-enlistment. Why would there be such a low rate? That is definitely something to ponder. We here in the states have such a streamlined and cherry picked view of things that the whole picture could blind us. I digress.

From financial corruption to world war 3, the people in this country continue to be unheard. When truth is spoken its silenced with such complex distraction its hard to tell we are even being distracted in the first place.

Is it really isolationism to oppose an unjust war? Hitler came into power with that thinking? Come on McCain! Do you really think we are that stupid? Maybe, we might be.

Truth is treason in the empire of lies..........

Need you bad

2008-10-06T12:00:00.004-04:00

Not sure what to talk about this Monday afternoon. I'm so thankful for everything in my life right now. A couple years ago if you had asked me if I was a christian I would have told you to get outta dodge and stop trying to fill my head with religion. But that's the thing... Religion... My view of God was completely engulfed in a stereotype of ritual. Never did I consider that God wanted to have a close friendship and had an actual plan for everything!

As time goes on in the christian journey a lot of phases come too. Such as the complacency of being comfortable with your cycle (sin, worship, forgive, repeat) and all the while not realizing that everything your doing is not helping fulfil what Christ told us to do. A churchy "Bubble" of sorts. That's exactly what James was pointing at in his book. You may have faith that could move mountains, but how are you inspiring others to that same end? How can we show others the great forgiveness of a savior? How can we inspire those who are uninspired? Works.

Show them you are a christian with what you do and how you live. I'm not saying to become an instant mother Theresa but there are plenty of people that need the help that point them towards Jesus.

I need you Jesus, bad like a heartbeat, bad like the food I eat, bad like the air I breathe.

GOTTA! GOTTA! GOTTA!

2008-10-02T07:49:00.001-04:00

Keep on rollin'

Keep on rollin'

Today is day quatro, and I'm soooooo psyched! God you are good.

Lecrae

2008-09-30T14:20:00.004-04:00

Lecrae is my new favorite hip hop artist. Spit it. So the streets can get it. You can't put Jesus in a box. God is in all things. Thank you so much Beth for making that blog post.

Not a lot of people will realize how tough this dude has it in as the extreme minority in a genre of music that is stereotypically known for glorifying sin.

This proves that anybody can have "dope beats" and "mad flo" but that doesn't always make it good music.

Day One

2008-09-29T07:13:00.003-04:00

I have a confession to make. Day Two was a sham. I tripped up yet again. But this time things WILL be different. I'm putting into place a system of people and scripture kind of like checks and balances to keep myself accountable. I really want to be free. Really.

I am so ready for perseverance to finish its work. Thy will be done.

Day Two

2008-09-25T08:09:00.003-04:00

Today is day two. Keep the faith. Keep skating.

Thank you God for letting me lean on you

Head 2 Christ

2008-09-23T12:33:00.002-04:00

Brian "Head" Welch at the top of his secular rock career was the lead guitarist for the hard rock nu-metal, whatever you want to call it, band koRn. With any rock star life, there come the essentials, drugs and women. As a kid in school who got picked on for a various number of things, I identified with the rage and abrasiveness of korn's music. Never did I think that I would be writing a blog post about their lead guitarist's struggle with addiction and rebirth in Christ. His story is very similar to many in the rock/rap/mainstream music scene. The influences are there waiting...

Well, he struggled with a profound methamphetamine habit, almost lost custody of his daughter and left his money making band to become a christian. He's back in the music scene again but this time with a evangelical message about the monotony of addiction as well as other issues like money and materialism. While not the "cookie cutter definition" of christian music, Head brings something new to the table. Never forget that God loves everyone, not just a select few. We are all given the chance to wipe the slate clean and start over fresh. To flush our garbage down the toilet.

This is his first new single. (Not for anyone who's never seen a rock video)

Give me Liberty!

2008-09-22T14:30:00.002-04:00

- "I abhor war and view it as the greatest scourge of mankind."

- "I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."

- "I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country. "

- "I was bold in the pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led, and bearding every authority which stood in their way."

- " Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today."

- "No man will ever carry out of the Presidency the reputation which carried him into it."

- "Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first, and then corruption, its necessary consequence."

- "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."

Thomas Jefferson

If you don't know who that is... your wrong. Nuff said.

Every generation has some kind of revolution and each one has it's way of changing the world. This is our revolution:

This is madness...

2008-09-18T12:59:00.002-04:00

THIS IS SLIP N' SLIDE!

You see good people. I'm not just a paranoid conspiracy theorist who rant's about Jesus and Politics... I can apreciate awsomeness at all levels, I do not descriminate.

American Propaganda

2008-09-17T08:20:00.003-04:00

Like usual, we are drowning in propaganda.

Ron Paul totally hits the nail on the head here. The foreign policy weenie get's tottaly owned.(pwned)
"You might refer to it as our sphere of influence, but everyone knows it's our empire."

Oh Russia attacked Georgia alright. Hmmmmmmmm.....

Down is up.
Up is down.
War is Peace.
Ingsoc.

Where is the truth?
This makes sense from a logical perspective.

Silence is Violence

2008-09-15T08:32:00.004-04:00

//Following views are mine and mine alone. They do no reflect any church, organization, ect.//

This much is true:

-The government is expanding
-Taxes are increasing
-More senseless wars are being planned.
-Inflation is ballooning
-Our basic freedoms are disappearing.

McCain = Pro-War, Pro-Empire, Will raise taxes and decrease liberty
Obama = Pro-War, Pro-Empire, Will raise taxes and decrease liberty

Both of them support not big, but HUGE government

My man Mr. Jefferson has rolled so many times in his grave that he might wake up.

Jesus does not advocate war as a means of peace. The media of today, just like the pharisee
s will stop at nothing to distort the name of our savior in order to distract you from the actual saving grace he offers.

These political conventions we have are nothing but a superficial dog an pony show designed to marginalize the country into the believing that they differ on many issues when they are actually agreeing to many central issues. Don't believe me? That's fine you don't have to. But if you look closely you will see that both parties are being played out like a freaking soap opera. There are no issues of substance being talked about. Cassandra syndrome has struck many of the people that have woken up. But will the media cover these so-called outrageous claims and refute them with tried and true tested logic? OF COURSE NOT! Because that would involve this little pesky guy in the corner called THE TRUTH.

Wake up. Revolution is here. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. Put you faith in Christ. He's the one who spoke the truth in a time where (much like today) lies were accepted as the law of the land. The people were oppressed. Christ preaches freedom, not submission. Christ preaches liberty, not oppression. But of course, we have a choice.

Unknown professed follower of Christ "You like Ron Paul" cue patronizing laughter, "your crazy! Go back to wackoville"

No sir, you are the crazy one. For bowing down to fascism. For letting the liberties(which were Christ inspired if you really look closely at the motives of the sons of liberty AKA the founding fathers) that the founders of this country and all the lives it took to get to this point, fly out the window without a care because we are too distracted by the next new thing.

They both stand for "Change"
They both proclaim "Country First"

Mainstream Media Distraction


/////End of Rant////////////////////
//Test if users are offend ///
//function name Offended(person) ///
////////////////////////////////////
#include 
#include 
using namespace std;

//fuction prototype
bool Offended(person);

//Main function start program here
int Main()
{
//Test if user is offended
Offended(you);

//Exit program
return 0;
}

bool Offended(person)
{
if person.Offended = true;
{
cout << "If your offended, I don't care"
person.Offended = false;
}
return false;
}

Extra lives

2008-09-11T08:13:00.003-04:00

We all get a second chance. A chance to get an extra life. Better than the one before. The green mushroom.

I'm not insane.

All at Once

2008-09-08T11:21:00.002-04:00

The world can overwhelm me.

I really need you today Jesus. Really.

You and I are not that different

2008-09-04T07:42:00.004-04:00

If you haven't already noticed, I'm a youtube junkie, it is a habit.

It's funny how you may go to sleep drenching your pillow in tears but when you wake up it always a fresh feeling. As if it never happened you go on through your day bottling up emotions and putting on the face of gladness. But what if your just truly glad and thankful to be alive? We have so much to be thankful for.

Thank God for family - without them I'd be a basket case
Thank God for employment - even if I gripe about it
Thank God for humility - without which we'd all be aspiring emperors
Thank God for life
Thank God for changing my life
Thank God I found a church that has saved my life in so many ways and kept me grounded to faith principles even when I may not always practice them.

Thank God with every little fiber of my being that he is willing day in and day out to wipe the slate clean of all of my imperfections and show me what love actually means.

Thank God that I can wake up in America
Thank God for freedoms that I take for granted
Thank God for these people around that shower love and care to give sinners like me a glimpse of Christ.

Thank you God for taking all of my junk, and all of everyones junk and turning it around to prove a point that we don't always want to admit, nothing is shocking to God.

"So stand up, we shall not be moved
Except by a child with no socks and shoes
Except by a woman dieing from a loss of food
Except by a freedom fighter bleedin on a cross for you"

"In the beginning the patriot is hated, scrorned......"

2008-09-03T10:42:00.003-04:00

Yep this blog will becoming increasingly(albeit temporary) political. So yeah, freedom is a pretty good thing. Watching the dog and pony show of a convention last night I was reminded again the power that media possesses in this country. It really has the power to shape public opinion in such a way as to influence policy and coerce the people into accepting tyranny as just another "inconvenience of a secure homeland". Everyone is holding up signs that say "Service" and "Country First", this may seem like a dramatic change from what is perceived to be democratic opinion, when in fact it parallels it on so many levels. Democrats and Republicans alike in this country are completely the same with regards to: taxes, big government, gun control, the Constitution, civil liberties, the right-to-life, police-state measures, the nanny state. All of these issues are addressed firmly and completely in the constitution but no one seems to notice or even try apply them to current circumstances. Why do I keep getting this over looming feeling that we as a country are like an empire. With over 130 bases around the world its not difficult to see. The folks that defend a strong national government would be behooved to know where that notion has its roots.....

Adolf Hilter: "a powerful national government may encroach considerably upon the liberty of individuals as well as of the different States, and assume the responsibility for it, without weakening the Empire Idea, if only every citizen recognizes such measures as means for making his nation greater." This is a perfect example of many popular opinions in America today. To just "go with the flow" and "not cause waves". We are constantly bombarded with so many different types of propaganda that the truth is left screaming for air and anyone who wants to find out the actual truth on any on thing has to do some extensive research and actually put forth effort.(gasp! effort! gasp!)

Alrighty, enough ranting, I could go on but I'll leave with another quote from this rockin book by Ron Paul(true conservative)

"In early American history the Constitution figured heavily in political debate. People wanted to know, and politicians needed to justify, where the various schemes they debated in Congress were authorized in the Constitution. In the twenty-first century, by contrast, the Constitution is like the elephant at the tea party that everyone pretends not to notice"-The Revolution a Manifesto Ch 3: The Constitution

So with all this doom and gloom around what are we to do?
I'd start a revolution

Revolutionary Reading

2008-09-02T12:52:00.003-04:00

"Truth is treason in the empire of lies"

I don't usually espouse anything political on the Internet or otherwise unless it's with close friends on debate topics. But, with the election nearing I can't help but get involved and use those beautiful freedoms that our founders fought and died for. I'm not Pro-Obama or Pro-McCain, to me they are just the same thing wrapped in a different package. Only two candidates represent actual change but the powers that be will effectively silence them like usual. Mainstream America is living in a distracted bubble, although slowly but surely they are waking up.

So this is what I'm reading.

And for anyone out there that instantaneously brand me as a Ron Paul wacko, I'm sorry but there's nothing wacky about freedom and if you want to still put that label on me, at least offer some sort of substantial debate.

//Edit////./

I'm putting in this for pure ROFL value no specific reason.
"I'm Hero and I know it!"

WHOA!

2008-08-29T14:25:00.001-04:00

I thought this didn't even exist anymore, but this was the old ways...

Long live the old school brothas!
This has nothing to do with faith but a whole lot to do with Semper

What's going ON!?!?!?

2008-08-28T07:53:00.002-04:00

I can't put my finger on it to pinpoint a single event or fact, but as it stands, there is something going on in the world. There's something terrible brewing all across the country that it makes the question pop in your mind? What's going on? Many of us think that we are the only ones that are asking this question but the truth is that this sentiment is shared by many Americans and folks across the world. What's the answer, Jesus. When Christ is increasingly active, evil creeps in from all direction. All I know is God is the only one I can trust.

She always knew there was something wrong

Life in Technicolor

2008-08-26T07:33:00.003-04:00

So what is it? How do I feel? It's definitely tuesday.

Another birthday has come and gone. It was voluntarily uneventful and for that I feel shame. I've never been so uncertain about so many things in my life as I feel today. Yet at the same time there is this little pull deep(and i do mean deep) inside that keeps saying "you know exactly what you need". Free my soul, show me what to do, because honestly I can't do it alone. What does it mean to have faith that can move mountains? I don't deserve any of these blessings. I don't deserve these caring people around me but, like clockwork, you put them there to cross my path constantly showing me that I can't do it alone. So why do I continue to do what I don't want to do? Why do I not do what I need to do? Its frustrating to climb a mountain made of sand and when you have yourself chained to the ground, frustration turns to despair which adds more locks to the chains. Ambiguous metaphors aside, there is so much to be thankfull for. The sun still rises, coffee is fresh, Christ is there, faith is increasing, new forms are beginning to take shape. Just need to skate on.

I'm so excited, and scared out of my mind

2008-08-18T07:51:00.002-04:00

Ok, thats it! Something drastic had to happen. I signed the contract. I made the pact. Now the ball is in my court. It's time to start the process of longsuffering. No more, I'm gonna start tommorow, by next week, just one more day, ect. It starts today.

Time to put my faith where my life is.

I'm tired of being in prison.

Small is the gate and narrow the road

2008-08-11T07:25:00.002-04:00

"Almost all of us live two lives: what other people see on the outside and what is really going on inside. In school we learn what outward signs of attention will please the teacher. At a job we learn to "put up a good front" whenever the boss happens to stroll by. As if putting on masks, we style our hair, choose our clothes and use body language to impress those around us. Over time, we learn to excel at hiding truly serious problems" - Excerpt from random study bible.

How long has it been since I truly gotten down on my knees and prayed? The answer scares me.

Why is it that when I finnaly take major steps to change things, a million other influences come out of the woodwork to make me fall back a couple more steps. It's like it was part of some elaborate practical joke that I don't get.

And Job Continued his discourse:

"As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,
the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul,
as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my
nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue
will utter no deceit. I will never admit you are in the right;
till I die, I will not deny my integrity. I will maintain my
righteousness and never let go of it; my consience will not
reproach me as long as I live"

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// If Job can stick to his faith will ALL the trash he had to deal with then
// I can stick to my faith no matter what the issue is.
// Just gotta keep skating
//
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Guilty

2008-08-08T08:31:00.003-04:00

In the marines we have many sayings about many things. They are usually assorted plays on words to reflect one of the 3 core values of the Marine Corps (honour, courage, and commitment) in order to call a fellow marine out on something. One of my favorites has always been "If someone accused you of being a marine would you be guilty?" Today I think about that as a christian, if someone accused me of being a Christ follower would I be guilty? Some of the time yes. Other times, no, and for that I feel shame. Thats were the graces come shining in like a thousand spotlights.

The concept of grace is just so hard to grasp in any kind of human way. How can I fathom the great patience of God when I do not possess the same patience myself. But you can see it in other people sometimes, when your family forgives you for falling, again, and again, and again. Like a father to his son, the Lord picks me up, puts me on my feet and says "its ok, lets try this one more time, I forgive you." Thank you lord for everything in my life and for saving me from death.

Mysterious Ways

2008-08-04T07:23:00.001-04:00

God definitely works in strange ways. Its like as soon as I start to wonder how I'm going to get out of a messy situation you are right there saying "I'm in control silly! You will be fine." and I am.

2008-07-29T08:53:00.002-04:00

WARNING: This is a short story that I wrote a little while ago for school. It is a little gritty, and a little rough around the edges, but its my first attempt at an actual story. So without further ado, here it is. Also, if you get offended very easily I would not read this and yes there is a moral to the story.

7/07/08 Fictional Delusions

The breakfast table was quiet. I sat there with a cold, blank stare on my face as if I was half expecting to see a ghost. For hours I could stare off into space and let my imagination run rampant. There was no better place to be then in ones own mind and my mind was like a non stop theme park from start to finish. This made it easy to explain why I often appear so disconnected from the outside world. There was a luke-warm bagel sitting in front of me with a gob of cream cheese smeared on it and a glass of orange juice adjacent to that. Mom, as she stormed through the house on some kind of cleansing mission, shouted “son you better eat something this morning you never know when you might get hungry!” She always loved to take care of everyone in the house. It was something she took immense pride in because after all, she was mom. I tried to take a small bite of the bagel but I could barely swallow it without subconsciously wanting to vomit. Secretly, I sprint to the trash can, got rid of the bagel, washed my dish, yelled “I love you ma!” and then I walked out the door not knowing that today would be the last day of my life.

The party last night was a bit more than I had been use to. I had not drank like that in at least a good three months. Alcohol always had a liberating quality to me. It makes you converse with your close friends in ways you would never talk to them in a sober mindset and you gain a whole new social toolset when it comes to talking smooth with the ladies. Well, maybe not talking smooth, but you can at least approach a woman without any fear of making an ass out of yourself. Last night we were all watching Saturday Night Live and they were rerunning old skits for a Will Farrell tribute show. It was the perfect show for the mood at the time seeing as we were all a bunch of drunken idiots that would laugh at anything. Janine actually showed up for a change, and we talked… (Go figure) Even though I was a little smashed, I could tell something about her changed a bit and when I asked if she wanted to talk outside for a minute, I knew something had changed. She went on to tell me about how her folks were getting a divorce and that she would not have a place to stay for a while. I told her that she could stay over here for a bit; we had an extra bed in the garage and besides, my mom was cool. She said it was ok and that would not be necessary until I kept hounding her over and over until she finally screamed out “DAMNIT Matt! I love you!” As tears streamed down her face I looked her in the eyes and said “I love you too. It’s ok we can help you figure this all out tomorrow I’m sure we can get Bryan and Dan to help you move some of your stuff. Just make sure you call me in the morning.” We embraced for a minute, smoked a cigarette and then went back into the living room as if nothing happened.

Rushing out the door, I had one purpose and one purpose only. The goal was to get some cigarettes from the store and possibly go to work. The time in which to complete this goal was completely irrelevant; nicotine cravings are quite possibly the worst in all existence and today’s cravings were burying the needle on the insanity scale. As I walked down the gravel driveway to get in my car I could feel my cell phone shaking against my thigh pocket. It was Janine; and she had some questions for me. The first words out of her mouth were “Did you mean what you said last night?” I really needed this like an old man needs a heart attack. Petrified that I may say something stupid since I could barely remember what I had said last night I said “Of course not! Are you kidding? I wouldn’t say something so thoughtless to you.” Her sobbing could be heard on the other line and right then all the memories came rushing back like a barrage of gun fire. I did not know what to say then, so I just did what I always did, apologize. “I’m so sorry I did not mean it like that, you see I just woke up, and I haven’t been feeling well and I’ve been itching for a cigarette and I let it all pass by so fast. I do love you and I will call Dan to see if he and Bryan can help you move some of your stuff. I’ll be over there as soon as I get off of work I promise.” If that was all that I had to say then I would have been flying a pig to work but such is life, cue thirty minutes of apologetic brown nosing. Once that crisis was resolved I was well on the road and about to pull into the convenience store for some smokes.

Wiping away the tears on her face Janine hung up the phone. She was tired. Tired of her parents arguing all the time, tired of parties, but most of all she was tired of Matt not seeing the obvious signs of her affection. They had been best friends since five and she never once said anything mean to him or hurt him intentionally. In her eyes they were meant to be. He was her knight in shinning armor that would deliver her from the hell hole of a house she currently called home. Life at home was always like walking on egg shells for Janine. She never knew who was going to try to shove her in the middle of an argument and be forced to pick a side only to be told that she was so typical of the parent she picked the side of. Something terrible was brewing inside of her and if she did not let it out, it may just trickle over into her life and the lives of those around her. Quietly she started to write a note to her family about her impending new living quarters and began to pack.

My mom was getting tired of things too. It had been ten years since my father decided not to be here anymore and in those years I had seen my mom slowly turn into a basket case that was obsessed with housecleaning, in lieu of the fact that this house was a self proclaimed “party house” that got trashed almost every night of the week. Even still, she would clean like it was her mission. Part of me thinks that cleaning helps to perpetuate feelings that she had since dad had shot himself, a way of suspending belief I guess. Either way she cleans like a crazy nut and no matter how hard you try to help her clean, it is nowhere near the obsessive compulsive perfection that she demands. She was in the middle of collecting all the beer bottles on the floor when the phone rang. It was Janine.

She sounded very nervous, “Claire? Hey it’s Janine. I talked with Matt last night after the party and he said that I may be able to stay over there for a little bit.” Claire replied “Of course honey! You are always welcome to stay over here I’ll make sure Matt gets the extra bed out of the garage for you tonight, do you mind me asking why you need a place?” “My parents are getting divorced.” said Janine in a soft voice. Suddenly tremors shot down the center of Claire’s spine as she was reminded that she did not have a husband. With as much strength as she could muster she blurted our “Oh sweetheart I’m so sorry. You can stay as long as you like, just make sure you don’t get Matt all crazy I know he’s got a thing for you” Janine exclaimed “Actually he told me he loved me last night.” Right then, the doorbell rang, Claire gave Janine the number for Dan and Bryan and said goodbye. She quickly walked to the door to see a police officer standing there with a sheet of paper. She immediately opened the door for him and before she could get in a word the officer said “Miss, are you Claire Jenkins the mother of Mathew Jenkins?” She replied suspiciously “Yes, is there some kind of problem officer?” The officer glanced down his paper for a moment, took a big gulp of nothing and in a quiet voice stated “It is my regretful duty to inform you that your son passed away approximately thirty minutes ago.” With this news Claire fainted.

I slammed the door on my beat up old Ford Tempo and strolled on into the Stop N’ Shop. I noticed police sirens off in the distance. They were probably en route to some kind of emergency response call. There was a man at the slushy machine that started to stare at me from the moment I walked in. I could feel his creepy glare all the way from the slushy machine and all I wanted to do was get my smokes and get out of there. I walked past the man, opened up the fridge door and pulled out a bottle of chocolate milk. When I turned around to go back towards the cash register, I lightly brushed the side of his leather jacket with my sweatshirt and with that he quickly grabbed my shoulder and looked me in the eye. “Do you believe in god son?” he said in a shaky voice. His face looked very emaciated and his eyes told the story of a very hard life. I wanted to give him a hug and ask him if he had a place to stay but all I could muster up to say was a meek “yes”. He smiled at me, gave me a pat on the back and said “That’s a good lad, now you be careful now you hear?” I smiled politely back at him and went to the register to pay for my items wondering why this strange man was asking me about my religious beliefs. “One pack of Marlboro Lights please.” I asked the cashier. He pulled a pack down from the shelf and began to tally up my purchases. Before the cashier could push the button on the register to get my change, BANG! I was dead.

Claire woke up on the couch next to two male officers. One of them was a rookie and the other was a Sergeant. She asked them in a trembled voice “I think I’m ready to hear what happened.” “Well mam, I’m Sgt. O’Connor of the Springfield Police Department , myself and my partner here got a call this morning to investigate a domestic disturbance down the street on Apricot Lane. When we arrived at the “ Claire interrupted with a loud “JUST TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED TO MY GODDAMN SON!” The officers could understand her hysteria, I mean how would you react if you just saw your son thirty minutes ago and then you find out he is gone? “Please calm down mam, we need you to be calm or we are going to have to take you into custody for your own safety.” the officer said. With those words she bit her lip so hard it bled in her mouth while tears continued to pour out like a faucet. The officers whispered a few things to each other and then they both nodded in agreement, “Miss at this point in time we really should not get into the specifics of what has happened but we can tell you that your son was shot at the Stop N’ Shop off of Blues Boulevard.” Obviously shaken by the news, Claire’s facial expression went from one of hysterical grief to out of control anger. She jumped off of the couch screaming “I’m gonna kill that sick bastard!” Immediately the officers grabbed her arms and placed her in handcuffs. They said she was not under arrest but they would like to take her down to the station just to keep her safe and give her a chance to gather her wits. She resisted and kicked and screamed the whole way down to the station.

Today was the day for Eugene. The day that the all his pent up anger would finally spill over onto the world. Too long he has let his boss breathe down his neck and make him feel inferior. Eugene was on the verge of kicking back; all he needed was a little push. A catalyst was all that was needed to set his sick fantasies in motion. The coffee pot on the countertop was almost finished as Eugene began to reload his Ruger GP-101 revolver with .38 special ammunition. His eyes were cold, his movements were rigid, and his speech was incredibly disturbing. “Hey honey, the coffee is ready! I made your favorite, hazelnut!” he screamed. There was no answer. He yelled louder “HONEY! I SAID, THE COFFEE, IS, READY!” Still there was no answer. He cackled like a maniacal madman. “Oh I guess you don’t want any coffee, since you’re too busy with your new and improved man. The preacher was right you know, till death do us part, and since you clearly have no appetite for the coffee that I’ve slaved over I’ll let you get back to your lover.” Eugene began to pour himself some coffee in his work mug he had gotten as an anniversary present. It had the letters “To Eugene: My husband and my friend, to have and to hold, till death do us part.” engraved on the side. He screwed on the top tightly and stepped over the bodies of his wife and her lover. Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out a pack of Marlboro Lights. He opened the top to discover that he had no cigarettes left. His face began to twitch as he said “Honey I’m heading out to work, I’ll see you when I get home.” He tucked the revolver into his pants, dropped the three loaded speed loaders into his pockets and stormed out the door.

Business at the Stop N’ Shop has always been slow in the small town of Springfield. There were always the regulars that came in for their morning paper and of course crazy Clyde would sit in the back talking to people about random things. Clyde was a Vietnam veteran who was diagnosed with acute schizophrenia. He would often say that he was Jesus and that the folks should believe in God. Today was a little different; Clyde was silent most of the morning until I walked in. When he looked me directly in the eyes and asked me if I believed in God, I could feel my stomach drop. There was something that made me feel very uneasy about it, but I found a strange comfort in telling him yes. I was at the register, looking at the cigarettes with anticipation when Eugene stormed in, shot me in the back of the head, grabbed the smokes and bolted out. Clyde rushed over to my body and held me in his arms while crying out to God “Why FATHER? Why have you forsaken this boy?” His words that day could not have been further from the truth. God was with me that day and he still is.

So how do I feel now that I am dead and supposedly gone? Pretty damn good actually. I am up here with my father and we have been having the greatest conversations about life and everything. He said he’s been waiting to see me and that he really did not shoot himself. It was an accidental discharge that changed the family forever. He says that he has watched our family fall apart over the years and watched us stray so far away from God that something drastic like me dieing was bound to happen sooner or later. “It’s all in his plan” he always repeats to me ad nauseam. I guess I have learned to forgive Eugene for all his deeds. Once he was finally detained by the police he was tried in federal court for two counts of 1st degree murder and one count of 2nd degree murder. When the judge gave him twenty years my mother was furious and she went into a downward spiral of obsessive hate towards him that is still poisoning her mind to this day. Maybe someday Clyde will touch her shoulder and let her see the light. What about Janine? Well, she eventually got over me with the help of her mother and father. It turns out that once I died, they reevaluated their marriage and decided to stay together for Janine. She is married now and has a beautiful daughter. I hope she will visit my mother some day.

So there it is. My final moments all wrapped up into a crazy juxtaposed document. As I write these final lines with my angelic typewriter, I would like to thank Clyde one last time for saving me. Actually that is wrong, let me start over. I would like to thank Clyde for helping me figure out that God is the only one that can save anybody. He can even save a guy like me. Wait a second… Clyde… Is… WHOA! This is more complex than I thought.

O. K. Hold Tight

2008-07-29T08:52:00.001-04:00

New post coming, it will be huge.

Breathe Just Breathe

2008-07-22T07:13:00.002-04:00

Its amazing how God can speak to you through people you would never expect. Thanks for that, I needed it. Even though I reap what I sow on a daily basis there is a way to break free. Just gotta keep breathing, and keep writing...

Forgive Me

2008-07-16T10:16:00.002-04:00

Amazing song, and I've only heard it today. Such a powerful message that grace is. It boggles my mind how music can evoke an emotion with just a few notes. A few notes can sum up a lifetime of pain and give you hope at the same time.

I think one of the most important moments in the life of any christian is when we realize that we can't be perfect on our own. That all the drugs, parties, women, and material things don't fix a thing. That compartmentalizing yourself into two different people will never work. That God won't just pull out the thorn in your side. His grace is sufficient. Being forgiven of all my trespasses is something that is so incomprehensible, but at the same time its so beautiful. Like a father to his son, God's love is unconditional.

6/9/08 Turning Point

2008-07-16T09:13:00.000-04:00

There comes a point in your life when you throw the gloves off and you shout, “I can’t take it anymore!” at a very loud volume. You swear up and down that everything has changed, that you are gone for good. You tell everyone that they will soon see how well you will do in life. You say you have a plan to take action, to change the world. People tell you how proud they are of you. They say to others “Now there goes a good kid” when you know that you are all talk and no action. The people eventually see right through your thinly woven façade. When they do, and they will, your spirits sink to anew all time low bringing you even further from your original goals. Then you come to another turning point. On one side of the fence you can continue feeling sorry for yourself, listen to all the negative things people say to you, and wallow in the misery. On the other side of the fence you forget what people say, decide to work hard towards your goals, and actually accomplish something that you have started. There are turning points to be taken all the time. What ones you take are entirely up to you.