“Work like you don’t need the money.
Love like you’ve never been hurt.
Dance like nobody’s watching.”

This dance is for you, Trav:

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as if as soon as one problem was solved a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen.

The mother filled three pots with water.

In the first, she placed carrots.
In the second she placed eggs.
And the last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil without saying a word. About twenty minutes later, she turned off the burners.

She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she said, “Tell me what you see.”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did, and noted that they felt soft.

She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg inside.

Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, “So, what’s the point, mother?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity — boiling water — but each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid center. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its insides had become hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

It’s so easy to become numb when you’re surrounded by bad news all the time. Or spiritually broken down by the moral weight on your shoulders and the inevitable disappointment that comes with never seeing your ideal become reality.

The trick is to be the coffee and stay strong!

I’m back!

A couple months ago I got to a point where anxiety and insomnia were taking over my life and all I saw was bad news coming in on every side. So, at the suggestion of someone very important to me, I took a while off to “defrag” and regain my mental balance. Defragging, for me, came to mean disconnecting from the 24/7 constant connectedness we feel compelled to maintain. Status updates, overflowing Inbox, 1000+ unread Google Reader updates, text messages at all hours of the day — it can really drain a person, and is it worth it?

Think about that feeling you get when you turn your cell phone off. I mean really off, not just the ringer. You feel kinda twitchy right?  We are ADDICTED to being ON all the time. What’s most ironic is that with all our means of “connecting” these days, I’ve never felt more disconnected from people. It occurred to me a few weeks ago when I first started this process, that I have over 600 followers on Twitter and over 200 Facebook friends, but how many of them would be able to find my house and visit me if I were sick? How many of them know when my birthday is without Facebook reminding them? How many would have a clue if I had moved to another country and didn’t mention it in a status update? Clearly this connectedness is not real. In fact, it’s more dangerous than no computer at all because it provides an illusion of connectedness, a false sense of community. It’s also an illusion of living.

We get so busy staring at these crazy glowing rectangles, we forget how to really live and we don’t make real connections with people anymore.

So — acknowledging this imbalance in my life, I logged out of Twitter and deactivated my Facebook account. I supplemented computer time with things that were REAL and satisfied my SOUL rather than my anxiety: family, delicious food, good books, animal hugs, great music, movies, camping, coffee, bike riding, fresh air, guitar playing, meditation, conversations with neighbors… the list goes on.

Of course I still love technology, it has its place and I’ll always be a geek. I love being a few clicks away from saying hi to my friends in New York and California, getting news updates in real-time on Twitter, finding out what the mainstream media isn’t covering by reading one of my dozens of RSS feeds, and posting stories for my friends on Facebook. But, as with everything, moderation is absolutely necessary — it’s so easy to overdose on information and bad news and forget to live your life.

What’s most important is to have real life experiences and cultivate real community, something no amount of clicks or pixels can bring.

I’m back now, but re-balanced. I’ll still update and post stories (I could never stay silent on the crimes of our government and cruelties against animals) but I will live life at the same time. I will no longer be a prisoner to pessimism and worry. If the plug ever gets pulled on the Internet, I’ll still have a life and a community around me, and we’ll all be just fine.

Thanks to my Dad for prompting me to unplug, and to TinyBuddha for motivating me to post this — I’d been meaning to for a couple weeks, but their latest Do Happy email update pushed me to finally do it.

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”

- Dalai Lama

January 20th, 2009 is not a day I want to commemorate with a collector’s plate, it was a very depressing day for me.

I watched on the TV at work as millions of people went hysterical over the new President. Hanging on his every teleprompted word, it was obvious that this man would be able to do whatever he wanted and most Americans would eat it up and not question a thing. After all our efforts to get the word out about Ron Paul and the complete falsity of the Left/Right paradigm, it was nothing but salt in my wounds. How could people fall for such obvious empty rhetoric and lies?

I could question the thought processes of these people forever, but it doesn’t matter, it’s too late. Here it is more than 100 days later and nothing has changed (for the better.) The millions who passionately voted for a new leader (who would be soooo different than Bush) are silent about the fact that we STILL have both wars (plus a new one on the horizon), way more debt/spending, way more taxes, way more unemployment, the same people in charge, and the exact same foreign policy. They will never, ever admit he’s the same as Bush. And McCain. The complete and utter denial means no demand to change direction. They insist we HAVE changed direction. Man, is that Kool Aid strong. The hypocrisy infuriates me to no end. Some of my friends are still arguing “he’s better than McCain” and “that’s Bush’s fault, give him more time” and I’ll admit, I have a hard time not resenting them. I really thought they were smarter than that. I don’t give a s–t if his skin is dark, that’s not an excuse to throw accountability and the Constitution out the window. Everything that was bad when Bush did it is magically okay and excusable because it’s a Democrat doing it now?! The power of political parties is astonishing.

Reality check. Give him all the time you want, but Obama’s not going to fix ANYTHING, and we as a country CAN’T go on this way forever. We can’t spend ourselves out of these problems and empty rhetoric doesn’t feed anyone or stop the bombing.

People, especially my generation, are so dependent on Government, they expect it to solve all their problems (I used to expect it too.) They want the Government to educate their children, pay their mortgage, control their food, control their medicine, regulate their sports, cover their mouths when they sneeze, read the fine print of their credit card contracts, save the environment, provide health care, take care of them in their old age, etc… the list goes on for miles. Too few recognize that “a government big enough to give you everything is big enough to take everything you have” (Thomas Jefferson.)

As I conveyed in my Fifth Stage post, I’m still mad as hell, but I’ve resigned myself to the fact that people will remain ignorant no matter what. Government is going to get bigger and more evil. The s–t will hit the fan. I’ve tried, but I can’t change those things. But I’ve learned that I CAN do things to take myself and my family out of the equation. All hell may still break loose at any time, the market could nosedive tomorrow, but I won’t be a part of the freaked out mob that’s storming Wal-Mart for food and relying on FEMA after a couple days.

I credit that achievement to a show called The Survival Podcast, by Jack Spirko, which was introduced to me by a good friend shortly after the inauguration.

It’s a daily podcast about modern day survivalism. The phrase sounds a bit dramatic perhaps, but it’s really just learning how to cultivate independence — and doesn’t that fit well with libertarianism? Independence on every scale possible: financial, energy, food, every system you can think of. When you remove your dependence on these systems, you automatically improve your life and experience true liberty. You create a life that the Government can’t touch. It’s no surprise the idea is catching on in the libertarian community, even Lew Rockwell is posting articles about it.

Because of this show, in a few months I’ve been able to make plans and take actions that will insure me and my loved one’s survival for at least a few months if something goes wrong, hopefully even longer. It is SO reassuring to know I do NOT have to rely on local, state, or federal gov’t. for food, water, or safety in the event of martial law, flu outbreak, etc. It’s a satisfying middle finger to The System. Finally! I can feel productive in the midst of this depressing and helpless time.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

- Lao Tzu

I’d like to point out: when I first jumped into this, it was VERY intimidating. Maybe it’s just my personality, but I was overwhelmed by all the things some survivalists have done, my little steps felt stupid in comparison. The key is to know yourself, your needs, and your abilities, then adapt your plans accordingly. Anything is better than nothing. Just start small. Plant an organic garden. Start storing food and water. Save up some cash, ditch the credit cards. There are a ton of online resources and plenty of books on this subject, start reading.

Listen to episode 165 on threat probability and threat impacts and you’ll learn the importance of thinking logically when you make plans and take action. For example, it’s more likely that something is going to impact your life on a personal/local scale (job loss, etc.) rather than global nuclear annihilation, so make plans for that before you invest in an underground bomb shelter. Remembering that helps me maintain perspective and not feel overwhelmed.

It’s all about simplification, adaptation, and gradually opting out of the various systems on which you’re dependent. Once you start the learning process, it’s amazing how much you find you’re reliant on others. Do you know how to grow your own food? Get yourself clean water to drink? Start a fire without a lighter? We’ve become so used to consuming services and products (thank you China!), we’ve lost many of these important skills. It’s time to reclaim them, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

If my post isn’t motivating enough, here are a couple good articles highlighting the importance and benefits of becoming a modern day survivalist:

• Getting Off the Grid – Lila Rajiva
• Modern Survivalists are Ready for Layoffs, or War – Dallas Star Telegram
• Economic crisis spurs spike in ’suburban survivalists’ – Associated Press

If you decide to start taking steps to cultivate your independence, congratulations! You should feel proud.  Or— if you’d prefer to ignore all of this and come knocking on my door when the s–t hits the fan, that’s fine — I’ll be glad to direct you to the nearest FEMA facility.

Unlike a clinical death, the time of death for a country is different for everyone. For me it was Election Night, 2000. It happened sometime after I closed my eyes and fell asleep that night, with the TV still on and the networks trying to guess who had won. My country’s heart was stopped by the time the Supreme Court declared George W. Bush the winner. That was it for me. I didn’t know it at the time, but that’s when the seed was planted in my head that the country and the system I grew up knowing and trusting was not real at all, just an illusion. The Statue of Liberty, elections, protests — all desperate attempts at hanging on, like closing your eyes after the alarm clock goes off, hoping you can pick up your place in the dream you were just having. But you know you never make it back there, do you?

It took me until now to realize it. I suppose at the age of 26 I’m lucky to have realized it so soon. There was nothing unique about my route here, I took the mapped out and predictable path: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and finally– Acceptance.

First was denial. That was easy, it was just a fluke election, the machines messed up in one little state. This is AMERICA! Nothing malicious happened, just an “oops.” An oops with over a million dead repercussions and more than one country left in shambles.

The Anger stage lasted from about 2003-2006. This manifested itself in the form of many, many protests, blogs, and arguments. Lots of sign-waving, shouting, pounding on streets, honking my horn, etc. ANYTHING to let the world know I DID NOT AGREE with what was being done in the name of my country.

Bargaining. This stage was a clever one, only now do I see it for what it was. I kept discovering cracks in the foundation, hoping if I wiggled a chisel far enough in, I could get the whole thing to crumble. First it was the obvious immorality of the Iraq invasion and occupation. Surely if the people knew their tax money was being used for mass murder and destruction overseas, they would rise up! Then it was the September 11th attacks. Surely if the people knew their own government helped to carry out the murder of 3,000 of their own citizens, they would rise up! Then it was the Federal Reserve. Surely if the people knew our monetary sytem was nothing but a form of slavery and deception, they would rise up! Then it was Israel.. then it was Pakistan.. then it was Iran..

I kept throwing out sparks, hoping to start the fires of the next Revolution. But they never rose up.

Then came the Depression stage. Article after article. Proof after proof. Nothing seemed to penetrate the walls of American apathy. Sugar-coated televisions were always picked over the bitter pills of truth. I was exhausted. Shouting from the rooftops did nothing. I tried and tried and tried and tried and tried. Common sense. Reasoning. For years on this blog I wrote straight from my heart. I tried the Socratic method. Color. Black and white. Visual. Audio. Nothing worked, and I’m sick of trying. Should it really be this hard? Should I sacrifice my own happiness trying to save people who don’t want to be saved?

Then came the final straw: the Coronation of King Obama, when millions of Americans gladly welcomed a new politician just like the old one, with new plans for an old socialist system, new legislation for an old bailout trick, new money for old wars. He even has my best friend fooled.

My body, my heart, my soul cannot take it any more. I have collapsed. And I don’t want to get back up. I’m tired of being angry and disappointed every. single. day. I can’t take all the sadness. All the destruction. All the evil. I’m tired of spending my days on guard watching their every move, instead of living my own life. They’ve had me imprisoned for years without me even realizing it.

This is my white flag. There are no red stripes on it. No stars. Just white.

And so here I sit at the gates of the Acceptance stage. I accept the apathy of my fellow citizens. I accept that they have chosen TV, sugar, and government control over critical thought and liberty. This doesn’t mean I will join them in their gluttony and robotic antics, but it does mean I will no longer take the reins of a bullhorn or paint another protest sign. It means I will live my life again. I will love my family. I will appreciate the goodness still left here on this earth, before it’s inevitably destroyed. I will hang on to that which no politician can ever take from me. My heart, my independence, my dreams. I’m taking my freedom back, the kind of freedom which cannot be contained in the walls of any country or sewn into any flag.

There are 24 hours in every day. I’m taking every one back. There are four seasons to experience, and I want them all. 365 days a year? I want them too.

I’m taking it ALL back, and nobody can stop me. Keep fighting the good fight my friends. As for me, I’m off to a revolution of my own, called Life.

“God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Three years on…
We miss you.

Please visit TeamTrav.org to listen to some of his favorite songs and see pictures of his beautiful smile we miss so much.

Afterwards, please consider donating to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention so they can keep working to make sure nobody else has to feel the pain he felt.

This song’s for you Trav:

As the clock runs down on Bush’s time in office, I should be rejoicing, but my muscles can’t help but tense up. Such is the life of one who lives outside the left/right paradigm, a.k.a. The Matrix.

There are many possible explanations for this — the on-set of Obama’s socialist regime being a MAJOR concern — but the most immediate worry is if Bush and Co. are going to do anything to avoid handing over power (perhaps their favorite: some sort of false-flag event like 9/11) it’ll obviously happen before January 20th, which is only 8 days away.

Eight days to go then we can breathe easy and go back to our TVs, right? Unfortunately, the time to worry doesn’t end on the 20th. For months now there have been mentions of Obama being “tested” as soon as the 21st or 22nd of this month (so say Kissinger, Gates, Powell, Biden, etc.) Like it or not, the stage is set for something big to happen — Bush and his globalist buddies have been very busy the past 8 years. The most immediate threat is the engineered dollar collapse, but war on Iran, war on Pakistan, total economic depression, and domestic rioting are also very real possibilities. Whatever it is, I want to be ready.

A search for emergency preparation / survival lists will yield many results.

Some people’s suggested inventories are rather extensive and daunting (not to mention expensive) and would be hard to fulfill if you’re of average income like myself. I’m trying to find a middle ground — keeping it simple and sticking to the basics, less than 15 items:

1. lots of water (1 gallon per person per day, I prefer distilled or spring)
2. lots of food (legumes, nuts, rice, canned fruits & vegetables, nutritional yeast, protein powder, TVP, tofu, energy bars, emergency food kits)
3. batteries (maybe not needed if you have #4)
4. hand-crank radio / flashlight / cellphone charger
5. toilet paper
6. bleach or calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) to disinfect your water
7. castile soap (can be used for shampoo, dish soap, laundry, etc.)
8. first-aid supplies
9. candles & matches (a Firesteel is good to have too)
10. vitamins and essential oils
11. seeds (get non-Monsanto, non-GMO!)
12. gun(s) and ammo
13. full gas tank
14. cash / gold / silver
    (When IndyMac failed last July, customers were locked out of their accounts online, at the ATMs, and at the actual branches. They couldn’t even check their balances. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my money being locked away from me, esp. in an emergency, so I’m withdrawing as much as I can.)

* For people with pets: don’t forget about them! Here’s a good list of items to have ready for cats and dogs.

Everybody has their own needs and preferred amenities, so obviously my list is not going to work for everyone, but hopefully it’s a good starting point. I recommend reading the list of 100 Things to Disappear First to determine what you may want to stock up on while you can. I also recommend listening to the Survival Podcast as often as possible!

Worst that can happen:

Too many things to list here, but they would all end with “I told you so” and I really hope I never have to say that.

Best that can happen:

I’m wrong and am left with a bunch of emergency supplies I should have anyway.

Hope this helps get you thinking about whether you’re prepared to survive on your own for at least a few days. Trust me, you don’t want to rely on FEMA to save you, just ask New Orleans.

Godspeed!

LATEST UPDATE: I’ve obtained contact information for the NRA Security Coordinator for the event.

His name is Joseph Welby and his number is (703)267-3885. Time to bombard him with calls and demand some answers!

“Easy, easy, easy! I’m not resisting!”
- Sam Logulo’s response to being grabbed by security officers

I tried, but couldn’t post this story without including my thoughts on the subject. Not just because it’s an important topic, but because it involves my friends Cody & Sam. I saw them in Louisville the day before and it’s scary to think of what could have happened, knowing how quickly cops reach for their tasers and guns these days.

Some of you may not think twice about the 1984-ish phrase “police state” and what it means to our country. But the fact is– this is yet another instance of abuse of power. You may be thinking “yeah right, they were out to cause trouble.” Sorry, but no. My friends were simply exercising their First Amendment rights. They didn’t touch anyone. They made no threats. They were only asking questions and documenting the answers.

What gives a privately hired security officer (aka, not real cops) the right to shove a non-threatening individual to the ground? Let alone 5 of them? What Constitutional right do they have to take someone’s property and never return it? What if that was your digital camera? Your purse? Would you be okay with that?!

As Editor of The Liberty Voice, I’m trying to put the power (and obligation) of the media to work and have called the Louisville Police Dept. and left messages with the Kentucky Expo Center to try and get answers about this.

So far the Police Dept. is denying involvement and I’ve gotten no word back from the Expo Center. Big surprise. However– we must keep calling (502-367-5180) and demanding not only an explanation about what happened, but the return of all property seized. Once we have the video footage, we can move forward with our case and get some justice served.

It’s called FASCISM my friends, and we must fight this… before it comes to get YOU and ME.

It’s plain as day. If you don’t see it, I recommend reading Naomi Wolf’s “The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot” or watch her presentation here.

“It is a mistake to think that early in a fascist shift you see the profile of barbed wire against the sky. In the early days, things look normal on the surface; peasants were celebrating harvest festivals in Calabria in 1922; people were shopping and going to the movies in Berlin in 1931.

…As Americans turn away quite leisurely, keeping tuned to Internet shopping and American Idol, the foundations of democracy are being fatally corroded.”
- Naomi Wolf

Having said all that… here’s the story:

1st Amendment Rights Shattered, Video Footage Confiscated

On Sunday, May 18th, members of We Are Change were assaulted and interrogated on the property of the Louisville Exposition Center while covering Oliver North at the NRA national convention. Sam Logulo was grabbed and driven to the floor, and Cody Deeds was pushed down his knees outside.

Members of WeAreChange were physically removed from Louisville Exposition Center on Sunday after confronting Iran Contra figure Oliver North. Members questioned North on his involvement with Continuity of Government, the need for a new 9/11 investigation, and concentration camps in America.

Lt. Colonel Oliver North, a FOX News host, was confronted by a combination of activists from WeAreChange Ohio, and Kentuckiana Change. Cody Deeds stood up during a question and answer session and asked North to explain exactly what the Continuity of Government was, at which point North went into his involvement with REX 84 during the Reagan Administration. North explained that at the time it was a plan to continue the government in the event of a Soviet attack. As a follow up question, Deeds asked a question “Given the knowledge of secondary devices in [World Trade Center] building 7, would you support a new investigation of 9/11.” North initially scoffed at the notion of government involvement, but Deeds reiterated that he had not mentioned the government and only wanted know if given knowledge of secondary devices, would he support a new investigation. At which point, North replied, “Investigate everything.”

On North’s way out of the forum, Sam Logulo asked North about the Iran Contra hearings and the presence of concentration camps in America. North claimed that American concentration camps were shut down after World War II. Logulo replied, “Some of them are being reopened,” while North responded, “show me the proof.” Logulo specifically mentioned the suburban town of Beech Grove, outside of Indianapolis. North told Logulo to send the evidence to his email address.

On the way out, the members gave a variety of DVDs including TerrorStorm and Blueprint for Truth to North. In addition, the members gave a Patriots Question 9/11 flier to North and an article about ex-Congressman Daniel Hamburg regarding evidence that the U.S. government created Al-Qaeda and was involved with 9/11.

Later, Logulo told North that he would send him the information on the camps, but at this point, police surrounded the WeAreChange members. The officers told the members to shut off their cameras. Adam Covington from Kentuckiana Change asked an officer, “Why can’t I record this when I have a press pass, and this is a second and first amendment venue?” Despite the lack of explanation from the police, the members shut off their devices and proceeded to walk out of the building.

While being escorted out, a plainclothes officer yelled “Give me your camera,” and tried to snatch Logulo’s camera from behind. Four officers tackled Logulo, and drove him to the ground. One officer put Logulo into a headlock.

“Easy, easy, easy!” Logulo exclaimed. “I’m not resisting.”

As Logulo was being assaulted, Deeds was filming his fellow WeAreChange member in order to record the abuse. He was told to stop filming at which point he didn’t comply and continued filming anyway.

“Get him!” yelled a plainclothes officer as he ran at Deeds. Three officers took Deeds down to his knees as they ripped the camera out of his hand. Deeds tried to take the memory stick out of his camera, and was accused of “tampering with evidence,” a Class D felony according to officer Rehm. Deeds later explained, “The footage was my only defense.”

The police confiscated four memory cards, two battery packs, two sets of batteries, and a disc. Throughout the 30 min ordeal the members of Change were interrogated, harassed, and searched.

To prevent further harassment at future events, members have stated that they would appreciate any attorneys that would provide their support.

All attorneys may contact Cody Deeds at WeAreChangeOhio.com.

If you would like to see the video footage, call the Louisville Metro Police at (502) 574-7111 or write:

Louisville Metro Police Department
633 W Jefferson St
Louisville, KY 40202

I went with a couple Ohio Freedom Alliance friends to the Freedom Rally in Fort Wayne, Indiana yesterday to hear Dr. Paul speak.

After a three hour drive and lots of fun libertarian conversation, we arrived at the University and got seats in the eighth row. Matt and I quickly handed out over 150 copies of the newest Liberty Voice. They were actually coming up to us and grabbing them out of our hands. Then I looked out at the crowd and they were all reading them, it was such a great sight!

His speech pretty much summed up his whole platform (you know, that whole “Constitution.. freedom.. liberty” crap) and reaffirmed that the Revolution is indeed far from over.

The whole auditorium was filled up, the enthusiasm was palpable, and by the time he was done speaking my hands were sore from clapping.

The evening was perfectly capped off when I got the chance to shake his hand and have him sign my copy of his new book, “The Revolution: A Manifesto.”

YES— I finally met RON PAUL!!! And I gave him a copy of The Liberty Voice, how amazing!

There’s another write-up about the event on NolanChart.com, check it out. Here’s a link to my photos and here’s a clip of his speech, hopefully I’ll be able to find a full version soon:

UPDATE: The full speech (53min.) has been posted on RonPaulAudio.com: click here to stream it or here to download the mp3.

UPDATE #2: Here’s more video coverage of the event, this clip helps to better capture the enthusiasm of the crowd.

Tonight: Reading my newly-arrived and long-awaited copy of Ron Paul’s new book, “The Revolution: A Manifesto.”

Saturday: Some Earth Day volunteering with my World Can’t Wait and Ohio Freedom Alliance friends.

Sunday: Going to see a play called “My Name Is Rachel Corrie” depicting the life and work of a 23-year-old American peace activist, one of my heroes, who was killed trying to stop Israeli bulldozers from tearing down a Palestinian home.

This is an amazing opportunity for people in Columbus, we’re very fortunate that this play is being performed here! I highly encourage you all to come out and see it (it’s free!) It’s at the Columbus Mennonite Church, 35 Oakland Park Ave., at 3pm.

Last but not least…
I finally sat down and fixed my computer (bad power supply which = completely dead), just in time to download Ubuntu 8.0, just released yesterday. So nice to have my precious computer back in my life!!

Let the weekend begin!