Unpopular thoughts on a Saturday morning - 5/21/16

1. Our society has been too quick to attack bullying. It serves a useful societal function at times. Here, the parents are basically abusing a child and forcing the child into behavior that will prove harmful. Which is more harmful, the bullying meant to bring a child into conformance with nature or the parents who are psychologically harming and scarring the child for life?

2. Meanwhile, in New York City, businesses and landlords can be fined for not verbally stating a lie. Thius is the kind of insanity that eventually blows up in your face. In Canada, they plan on banning you if you think the truth.

3. Glenn Beck showed some strange behavior this election cycle. He basically claimed Ted Cruz was a fulfillment of a Mormon prophecy and that you weren't a real Christian if you didn't vote Cruz (yeah this from a Mormon). Now, he is fawning over Mark Zuckerberg. With the Blaze failing, is he trying to find a source of money? Is he just crazy? or is it a mix of both?

4. Everyone is shipping the people they don't want here. Trump can't be inaugurated quick enough.

5. Yeah, your chance of being raped or killed goes up significantly if you take in Muslim migrants. You are just now thinking that maybe people lie to surveys? The only people that want these migrants in society are the elite who live in sheltered and walled communites. They can afford to be "compassionate". The girl who gets gang raped in Cologne, not so much.

6. “It’s like me going into a girls’ bathroom wearing a wig,” Tanner Bischofberger, 15, a classmate of A J Jackson’s, who was not one of those in the bathroom, said this week. “It’s just weird.”. This non-stop insanity is getting to be a bit too much for everyone.

7. Liz Heron asks in this tweet (my commentary added at bottom):

No blacks? All Macs? I dunno, I give up.

8. Huffington Post: Jesus Was First Transgender Man. Like I said, non-stop insanity. Can we #BTFSTTG now?

An Interlude on self-driving cars, automation, masculinity and swordsmithing.

1. In twenty years, people will not be allowed to drive anymore. It will be considered too dangerous. With the advent of self-driving big rigs you know it is gonna happen. They may only allow us to drive in an emergency situation.

2. In twenty to thirty years, the jobs situation is going to look drastically different, if I had to guess a lot more unemployed people. I read this article which suggests that low skilled workers will be the first to go and this article seals the deal. If they can make a lawyer AI then they can automate anyone's job. The future looks bleak no matter who we elect as President job wise. Best to elect Trump then. If he sends illegals back, then there will be no scapegoats to take it out on. I think I will focus on self-sufficiency. Growing own food and different skills I can leverage to make money on my own.

3. Reading a new book, Becoming a Barbarian by Jack Donovan. Read his book, The Way of Men earlier this year. There was a lot of meat to chew on from the first book. I expect there will be on the second book also. The man comes at things from a neo-pagan viewpoint, but I found a lot of truth in his words. If you want to see some truths from masculinity you need to read the first. I will report back on the second

4. Saw this video on Youtube, Backyard Swordsmithing- Part 1 (Forging a Sword from a Leaf-spring). He has a real simple smithing operation that would be easy and cheap to set up. Got me to thinking how cool it would be to forge your own sword.

Unpopular Thoughts for a Friday the 13th 5/13/16

1. Trump has already started the attacks on Clinton that she so richly deserves. I think he will isolate her as "The Women's Candidate." This will effectively reduce her base vote by driving men from her ranks.

2. No one cares about the Trump tax returns but all the Republican pundits. The electorate at large could care less. I am sure the Democrats will bring it up soon, but they do so at their own peril. Trump is a man who has earned what he has. He will turn this around by focusing on how the Clintons get rich. Basically, they extort people to listen to their speeches. Everyone already thinks this is crooked already. Then add a healthy dose of the money in the Clinton Foundation and the whole thing is ready made for Trump. If I had to guess, I would say this is the actual reason he is holding back on releasing his taxes, so he can blast Clinton with all I mentioned. Want a good example of the crookedness of the Clinton Foundation, just click here, this is the kind of low hanging fruit that is just begging for exposure by Trump. Also, about as anti-American as you can get.

3. If you think a source of information is not worthy of your attention due to the source being distasteful to you, you are being stupid. Yep, a lot of sources have a lot of dross that you can safely ignore or find distasteful, but some people still speak some truth that needs to be heard. You just have to be discerning.

4. Our culture encourages people to be sick in the head. Then it encourages everyone to celebrate these sick people. Soon, it will command celebration. What comes after that? Maybe forcing your own conversion to sickness?

5. This whole transgender bathroom thing is a case in point for 4. There should be more shaming by culture at an earlier age and there would be less of this in society. Instead, we have parents encouraging their own impressionable children at an early age to "explore". Parents should be guiding children towards norms and not steering them towards a long lasting mental illness.

6. Secession looks good when you consider the state the USA is in. The only problem there is that you would probably get a new nation that is only 20 years behind the old one and headed down the same road. Could be that only collapse can help.

7. I am so looking forward to seeing Hillary get crushed right up to election day. It will be satisfying. We have chosen our tool of choice to destroy her and it will be a spectacle.

8. They overused racist, misogynist and every other -ist they could think of till no one pays attention anymore. They de-fanged themselves. Sweet!

Unpopular Thoughts on a Friday

1. The same people who, when I wouldn't vote for Romney because he was a Mormon, told me "we aren't voting for Pastor-in-Chief you know" are enthusiastically denouncing me as a false Christian because I support Trump. Apparently, according to their studies, Trump supporters don't go to church regularly and this is why they vote for Trump. It makes me glad that my pastor leaves your choice of candidate up to you and just preaches Jesus.

2. I still feel justified in not voting for Romney in 2012. To me, voting a rank heretic in as President was far worse than voting in a sinner now. Trump is brash and crude and has flaws, I see this. He also speaks to a generation that has lived with continuous Republican betrayal for years. I see his imperfections, but I think he may actually try to deliver on some of the things he promises.

3. The party is controlled by "conservatives" who think the best things are continuous war, uncontrolled immigration via open borders and free trade. These conservatives have been known for years as Neo-Cons. I find myself now to be against continuous war (not against war altogether), see open borders for the danger it poses in cultural clash in the future (diversity+proximity=war) and free trade has done nothing but destroy many jobs I held in the past. I think I would identify better as a paleoconservative.

4. Libertarians live in a utopia they have created on paper that could never exist in the real world.

5. Those who advocate to ban guns should leave that alone. I can't speak for the rest of the country, but in the South, that is a no-go. If they ever did such a thing, there would be violence when they tried to collect them up. Want to start a rebellion then ban guns. Southerners will just ignore your law and wait for you to come. But, most of those wanting gun bans don't have the balls to try to do it themselves. No, they want other men with guns to do it for them.

6. My rights as written in the Constitution do not emanate from that document. The founders knew this. I have my rights whether the Constitution is around or not. Not going to really sweat losing the Constitution.

7. I used to really choose a candidate based on abortion, but when Republicans funded Planned Parenthood after a summer of vile videos of baby parts trade...well that broke me. No longer a make or break issue with me, because I think none of them will ever try hard on this matter.

8. Protests and activism only work for the party in power. It is basically a way to rub in the fact that you are in power. You see this very clearly in Europe where, after groups of Muslims sexually assaulted women in the streets in Cologne, instead of cracking down on Muslims they hosed down the people that protested the rapes. Here the protesters are regularly allowed to burn down cities.

9. Our best bet at preserving Western Civilization lies in creating small groups of men in our communities who cherish it and lie in wait for it all to fall apart (not cause it to fall apart) and take the reins again.

10. Yep, I said it "men". In the event of civilization failing equality will go out the door because physically women are not men and will have to depend on men to rebuild.

List of Books Read in 2015

1.   Monster Hunter Legion by Larry Correia
2.   Monster Hunter Nemesis by Larry Correia
3.   Hard Magic by Larry Correia
4.   Spellbound by Larry Correia
5.   Hyperspace Demons by Jonathan Moeller
6.   Road of Leaves by Eric Lorenzen
7.   Road of Waters by Eric Lorenzen
8.   Caliphate by Thomas Kratman
9.   A Desert Called Peace by Thomas Kratman
10. Big Boys Don't Cry by Thomas Kratman
11. The Book of Feasts and Seasons by John C. Wright
12. The Martian by Andy Weir
13. Interesting Times by Matthew Storm
14. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
15. The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith
16. Agent 6 by Tom Rob Smith
17. Moonfall by A.G. Wyatt
18. The Travels of Marco Polo Volume 1 by Rustichello of Pisa
19. Whom the Gods Love by Sarah Hoyt
20. Summa Elvetica by Vox Day
21. A Magic Broken by Vox Day
22. The Wardog's Coin by Vox Day
23. The Last WitchKing by Vox Day
24. The Uncanny Valley by Gregory Miller
25. The Cavalry General by Xenophon
26. The Art of War by Sun Tzu
27. A History of Strategy: From Sun Tzu to William S. Lind by Martin Van Creveld
28. Pennsylvania: Book 1 by Michael Bunker
29. Where the Hell is Tesla? by Rob Dirckson
30. Training for War: An Essay by Tom Kratman
31. The October Country by Ray Bradbury
32. Danger & Play: Essays on Embracing Masculinity by Mike Cernovich
33. Panzer Leader by Heinz Guderian
34. Riding the Red Horse edited by Tom Kratman and Vox Day
35. Cuckservative by John Red Eagle and Vox Day
36. Brave New War by John Robb
37. Son of the Black Sword by Larry Correia
38. SJWs Always Lie by Vox Day
39. Equality: The Impossible Quest by Martin Van Creveld
40. Gorilla Mindset by Mike Cernovich
41. Somewhither by John C. Wright
42. 4th Generation Warfare Handbook by William L. Lind and LTCOL Gregory A. Thieves, USMC
43. Grow or Die: The Good Guide to Survival Gardening by David the Good
44. A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson
45. Proxima by Stephen Baxter

Some Thoughts on the Islamic Attacks in Paris.

1. Should we go to war? No, not yet. explanation further down.
2. France is justifiably fired up. They need to take care of in house stuff first. So do we.
3. New Refugees need to be loaded on boats and sent back to their regions of origin.
4. Nations that are not Islamic need to rethink their immigration policies. Islam cannot peaceably live in close proximity to other cultures without eventually feeling the need to dominate those cultures. Islamic countries for Muslims and European countries for Europeans.
5. The larger the Islamic population grows in a non-Islamic country the more violence.
6. This violence will eventually lead to the host population turning on Muslims. Send them back before the war starts in earnest and you save yourselves rivers of blood. Imagine Bosnia wrote large throughout Europe.
7. Have you ever smelled a mass grave? I have, it isn't nice.
8. We need to send arms and equipment to the Kurds especially. Their Peshmerga forces are making great headway against ISIS in Iraq. Support an independent Kurdistan.
9. Local forces are the way to go till we can devise a far better grand strategy than we constantly use over and over to no avail in the Middle East. And then we probably need to keep the footprint small.
10. No more overthrowing countries by supporting bad guys against other bad guys.
11. Pray for Paris.
12. Pray that ISIS meets their doom.

The Final Lesson From My Father, Gary Thornton.

 

     I want to tell about the final lesson my father, Gary Thornton, taught me in hopes that it may teach someone reading this also.
     Wednesday, as we stayed with my father in his final earthly hours, I had reality hit home. Many times we have a head knowledge of something. We know something obtained from study, but don't know it experientially, that is to say we have not experienced the reality of it.
     I am thankful for the last hours spent with my father. We laughed and talked and I got to see that strong man that I have known since childhood. It was priceless.
     I also experienced something that brought a lesson that had started earlier this year home. As the end approached, I saw my father wind down like a clock. I knew then that for all of us, "the wages of sin is death" .
     Death comes for all of us. Either it is stalking us silently and unseen from cover or it is hard on our heels ready to drag us down. In the midst of life, we are in death. Death is no respecter of persons and from Adam's sin onwards we are all under the curse. We are paid a currency and that currency is death.
     If that was all there was to the lesson, then we would all be in despair because there would be no hope. My father's lesson started earlier than this and add more to the story. From an early age my father ensured that we had instruction in godliness. By the age of nine, I believed and was baptised. The final lesson began though earlier this year after my father was diagnosed with cancer. It was a lesson I had already had but I learned anew through experience.
     My father was worried about my mother's future, but was not worried about his own. I never saw my father despair over his plight. The reason for this was simple, my father knew about the gift from the One who conquered Death.
     "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
     My father was assured that Jesus offered eternal life and knew his destination. He had that "Blessed Hope" and believed. Now, I knew all these things and believed but an experienced lesson brings things home far better than intellect alone. It took the last month's of my father's life to make them experienced. My father lived those last months with assurance that when he passed this mortal coil that God had granted him the gift of eternal life. My father knew that we are owed death, but that God offers something past that. Believe in His Son and you start down the path that leads to eternal life. When my father's final breath passed he was in the presence of Jesus Christ. It was a powerful experience to see my father live with that assurance this year. Before, my father saw through a mirror darkly, but now he beholds his hope face to face.
     If you don't have the assurance my father has, then you need to go see a pastor and learn how to get it. If you don't the only thing you will be owed from this life is the death we all get. Learn as I did from my father and take hold of the gift that Christ offers.

Ten unpopular thoughts to start the weekend off right

1. Who is more to blame for crony capitalism? The businessman who must pay the graft to the politician in the form of donations so that he can keep his business running and people employed or the politician who forces the graft through his promise of making things either easier or harder depending on if the businessman pays?

2. Saw this tweet:

Progressive ideas: Trump proposes raising taxes on wealthy & capital investment income + levying tariffs on imports: http://t.co/o4wGWyQo6o

— Brad Thor (@BradThor) September 2, 2015

I fail to see how tariffs are a progressive idea. The Tariff Act of 1789 was the first thing the 1st Congress passed in our then newly formed government. Anti-Trump hysteria knows no bounds though.

3. While on the same note a lot of people were going off on Trump for not being a realcon because he is not for free trade. I hate to tell them this, but not all conservatives have bought into the notion of free trade. I have had a business that I worked for go under because of NAFTA. Those people who claim it is a conservative notion ignore the fact that a lot of Democrats have and still support it.

4. Free trade and open borders go hand in hand. They are both logically reached from each other. A politician cannot support one without supporting the other either through action or inaction.

5. The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.-Proverbs 22:7
So apparently on Twitter, GOPe talking heads are saying that Trump is worse than Jeb because Trump gave money to Dems eight yrs ago even though Jeb is taking money from Dems now. See last of proverb above to see how that works, which is sort of opposite of how they are spinning it.

6. So the GOPe select candidate, Jeb Bush is failing. So what makes more sense than to dump him and go with Mitt Romney? What are there sixteen other qualified candidates running? Can they show their hand any clearer? They want someone that everyone else does not.

7. The GOPe shows it's contempt for the voters on a daily basis. All they really care about is the donor class. They think voters are illiterate rednecks who need to be guided. We condemn elitism in liberals and these people should be shown the same mercy, which is to say none.

8. The whole thing with Kim Davis going to jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to homosexuals has exposed stuff like liberals like rule of law when it is laws they like, when it is ones cons like...well not so much.

9. Remember before the SCOTUS decision on SSM and all those clerks that went jail for issuing marriage licenses in defiance of actual state laws. Man, it was good that the rule of law kept those law breakers in check. Oh wait, that didn't happen. My bad.

10. Apparently, the hill to die on is always the one you aren't on at the moment for a lot of people. For Kim Davis, hers is right where she has decided to make her stand.

Looking Forward: The Moral Level of War and the Freedom of Religion Debate -Part Two of a Series

     In my previous article, I pointed out how we have gotten to the point of same sex marriage. I also talked about the moral level of war and how it relates to that struggle. I am going to tie that in on this article and show some things that would be moral positives and negatives for the coming struggle over Freedom of Religion.
     Let me reiterate here on what I mean by the Moral level of war. It is not to be mistaken with the moral absolutes that issue from God. It is, instead, the means and arguments used to convince the general population that your side is in the right ad to keep them there for as long as it takes to win. There are some that I have not listed on the moral negative side due to the fact that, as Christians, we will not be able to avoid those arguments that will be a public negative for us. As Christians, we still have moral absolutes from God to follow no matter if they fit in my list or not. A good example of this would be saying that you do not believe in same sex marriage and are opposed to it. In the public square, this has become a moral negative in the eyes of the public, but a Christian in good conscience cannot deny such a thing and will of course be first asked about this very thing to discredit. Sometimes you cannot get away from the moral negatives of public opinion, but that is something we will have to leave to God.
     Even the list of moral negatives I give, will not be able to be avoided completely. Christians and the American right are like herding cats. Half of them are going to go off and do one thing and the rest will go doing others. Some of the things I mention are going to happen and will impact the debate, but in a free society, which is what we wish to keep, this will happen.
     I am also including a list of moral neutrals. This list will be moral positives for your base (Christians), but will have little to do with the argument in the sphere of public opinion. I happen to think though that the list of moral neutrals could be the most important in a way as they will act to draw the family of God closer together even amongst denominations and create more unity.
     Remember, this debate does not impact only Christians, but everyone in America whether they think it does or not. The erosion of one liberty eats at the base of the cliff of them all.

Moral Positives:

• Actively engage about Freedom of Religion. People are sympathetic, especially when it is a clearly recognized right that is being taken away. This is the most important thing we can do. Like was said in the trench run on Star Wars, "Stay on target."
• Civil disobedience in the cause of Freedom of religion. Imprisonments and finings are important things. Keep it in the context of your Freedom of religion. Organize protests when pastors or others are jailed and fined. Keep it in the public eye. Learn from the Civil Rights Movement and talk to those wise pastors who participated in it. they will probably be a fount of wisdom.
• Point out tactics meant to infringe on Freedoms. The LGBT lobby and allies have become increasingly intolerant of opposition and resistance. They sound like fascists because they are. They love big government and the power it gives them over their enemies. They will not hesitate to use this power to silence and cower you. Do not give in. Stand and speak back loudly. Freedom of religion is not the only thing on the line here. Freedom of Speech is also.
• Point out hypocrisy. Now some Christians will be fine with this and some won't. It depends on conscience, but to me is more in line with the conscience of eating food sacrificed to idols than anything else. They leave themselves wide open for this though and it is a weakness to be exploited. The #lovewins hashtag is a good example, while supposedly celebrating that "love wins" it was overwhelmed by hate for Christians and conservatives. This can be used. But, I would leave that to the conscience of the individual Christian.

Moral Negatives:

• Actively engage to change SCOTUS ruling on SSM. In general, people don't want to see people have things they perceive as rights taken away. This is a loser if we focus on this and not Freedom of Religion.
• Politically engaging in state based RFRA type bills. Indiana showed that LGBT lobby and their allies will go full out if the state looks to protect religion. The arguments against were absurd and ridiculous, but it was a loss. We already have an RFRA Law at the federal level and the First Amendment. We need to look to those. Keep it in the back of your mind also that state bills and votes affect little and are essentially useless when the judiciary overturns or legislates from the bench.
• Protesting against homosexuals or SSM. For the main part, WBC excluded, we do not do this anyways, but as passions get inflamed it could be possible that some would call for this. Resist this impulse.
• Don't let your movement be taken over by politicians if possible. The best way to garble a message is to let politicians be your spokesperson. Plus, for the main, they cannot be trusted to keep your interests at the forefront. Don't get me wrong, this struggle also exists in the political realm and must be engaged there to an extent, but the less involvement the better. Always remember how often pols change their minds. Allow them to catch up to your movement, not them to guide yours.

Moral Neutrals:

• Keep your congregations engaged. This is not just a pastor battle, this affects us all. Guide them and listen to them. Seek ideas.
• Network with like minded churches. Your biggest allies are those of like minds, even if they are of a different denomination. The best way to weaken yourself is to have little unit cohesion and to go Rambo. 
• Think about starting funds to cover fines and bail. This can be done in the larger picture as like minded denominations support each other. We are all stronger together.
• Preach the Gospel and the Word. Don't avoid the issue, but preach the issue rightly.

Looking Back: The Moral Level of War in the Same Sex Marriage Debate -Part One of a Series

   

     Last year I read a book on the concept of Fourth Generation Warfare by William S. Lind. A lot of that book has stuck with me. It explains a lot of the reasons we did not win the war in Iraq. One of the biggest reasons was the moral level of war.
     Col. John A. Boyd, USAF says that war is fought at three levels: the moral, the mental and the physical. The most powerful is the moral. Wars are won or lost based on who holds the upper hand this area and keeps the upper hand.
     The moral level is not based on some common set of shared values that says that one side is more moral than the other in a sense that a Christian would think of it. Even though it was never clearly defined in the book, it seemed to be implied that the moral level of war are the means and arguments used to convince the general population that your side is in the right ad to keep them there for as long as it takes to win.

     So, you are asking yourself, what does all this have to do with same sex marriage?
     Make no mistake there is a war in the United States. It exists in both the spiritual realm and the physical realm. I will leave it to pastors to counsel you on the spiritual aspects of this battle and I will stick to the physical realm of which I have some observations.
     In the U.S., the battle rages in a lawfare setting. Lawfare, originally a term to describe the use of law to aid in war goals, seems to apply to the type of means used by the same sex marriage lobby to achieve their goals. It has tended to be asymmetrical in that the forces arrayed on the side of same sex marriage are formidable compared to the relatively few forces that Christianity has aligned with it. The media, politicians, sympathetic judges and a growing percentage of the population swayed by the means and arguments on the side of same sex marriage have produced a SCOTUS decision that has changed the face of America. Now, in a conventional war it is not always evident that the moral level is the most important but since this is not a conventional war but a law fought in the field of law and public opinion it is more clearly seen that the moral level is the most important part of this conflict.
     It is our intent to examine the situation, past and present, and find some paths forward for the side of religious freedom. We will examine the moral level of this conflict and see the strengths and weaknesses of both sides and see if we can, at least, find a way to keep the forces that seek to destroy religious freedom in this country at bay.
     So, how has it come to this is what we first must ask ourselves. The main problem has always been that we have had little to no control on the framing of the debate. The LGBT lobby has had significant allies on their side. The media has kept the debate always in their corner. Political think tanks have framed the ways forward for them. The biggest part of this alliance is the media publishing sympathetic pieces that show LGBT as normal everyday citizens who only want to love and be with each other. While showing photos of well dressed middle class Americans and hiding photos of the gay pride parades, they have taken what could have been a moral negative for the SSM side and made it into a moral positive. Also, the media has consistently changed the debate to hide the acts that homosexuals actually do to be homosexuals. The large majority of men cannot overcome the "yuck" factor when it comes to homosexual males, but the media in alliance with think tanks have made the bedroom off limits with the argument that it is private. For the best argument on a lot of reasons why we fell so far behind in this war, read this article by Thabiti Anyabwile that is excellent for showing their strategies.
     The biggest tactic they have used that ran them to the moral positive side was framing the debate in "love". This had the dual effect of making their opponents the side of "hate" and made almost everything we could do or say turned into a moral negative for our side.
     It has become increasingly obvious that the LGBT lobby has an overwhelming arsenal and manual of tactics to support their SSM arguments if we try to roll this back at this time. We can liken our side to a unit that has been forced by the overwhelming advance of the enemy to fall back and occupy another objective in hopes of stopping them there. That could be a good thing though. By forcing us off the objective of traditional marriage we have had to fall back to another objective, Freedom of Religion. It is through the strengths of this argument and being disciplined and improving our position that we could possibly keep the forces at bay. Freedom of religion is important, not just for Christians, but for all Americans, even atheists, because if this freedom goes we could be faced with a state that feels it can encroach on the next when it deems it necessary.
     In my next article we will go over some tactics, techniques and procedures that could possibly be of use to us. We will see what will work and what won't work, what is a moral positive for us and what is a moral negative.
     

Six Unpopular Thoughts on Gun Rights- 6/19/15

Six Unpopular Thoughts on Gun Rights- 6/19/15

     1. It is the right of every citizen of the United States to bear arms. This includes normal Americans, gangbangers, ex-cons and even the mentally ill. Told you there would be some unpopular thoughts here even for some conservatives on the issue. The first category is generally uncontroversial, the second two tread in territory that makes conservatives uneasy and the last is one a lot of conservatives would object to because they want to seem caring. Well, seeming caring isn't for crap. Once culture starts adding categories to limit gun ownership, the government, in it's fear of an armed populace, will attempt to place as many people as possible into those limiting categories. The last, mental illness, is especially tempting to government because they can almost always find a way to have someone declared mentally ill, just ask those veterans who are on that list now.

     2. Let me go even further and say I think it is the duty and responsibility of every male citizen to own a gun and be educated on the proper use and safety of them. 

     3. The Second Amendment does not "grant" me the right to bear arms. I have that right because I choose to have that right. It is Natural Law given by God. Government is not the gracious giver of any of your rights and if given the chance they will try to ensure you don't enjoy those rights. If you try to sit around arguing that the Second Amendment gives you this right and then try to parse the words in the Constitution out then you have already lost part of the battle.

     4. Most gun laws are useless and stop no one from mass killing, but gun free zones are a joke! Mass shooters are drawn to these like moths to flame. Free fire zones more aptly describe these.

     5. A well armed citizenry is the solution to most of these problems today. Take terrorists and mass shooters for instance, the more a citizenry is armed and trained the higher the chance that a someone will cap a terrorist or mass shooter before they can kill as many as they do. Police can't be there to stop everything, but citizens are far more numerous. Citizens are the best line of defense against fourth generation warfare elements that pervade the 21st Century.

     6. A program that uses tax money to arm and train citizens would be money well spent in my opinion. Don't think federal government on this one. The federal government is the enemy of efforts such as this. This is best started at the state or lower level. Change to your culture is best from the smaller elements up. It won't work in states that have too much liberal influence. Best to start in states that are already friendly to their armed citizens. If you are worried about gun registration from this, don't be, when a whole state is armed and trained, then registration doesn't mean jack shit. "Do we need to look up that guy in the database?" "No, he is from (insert state here) all those guys have guns." If you want to dissent and not participate then fine. If you wish to be irresponsible that is your business.

Reading now and in the queue to read. 5/24/15

Here's hoping I keep to reading on this list.

Reading now:

On War (Volume 1) by Carl Von Clausewitz

In the queue:

1.   Reclamation: Book One of the Art of War Trilogy by Richard Swan
2.   Burial Ground: A Novel by Michael McBride 
3.   The Pursuit of the Holy: A Divine Invitation by Simon Ponsonby
4.   Précis de l'art de la guerre. English by Antoine Henri Jomini
5.   Battle Studies by Ardant du Picq
6.   The Franco-German War of 1870-71 by Helmuth Moltke
7.   Ethics by Aristotle
8.   Poetics by Aristotle
9.   Politics: A Treatise on Government by Aristotle
10. Summa Theologica, Part I-II (Pars Prima Secundae) by Saint Thomas Aquinas
11. Moral Theology A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern Authorities by Charles Jerome Callan (Author), John A. McHugh (Author)

Books Read in 2015

Updated: December 12, 2015

1.   Monster Hunter Legion by Larry Correia
2.   Monster Hunter Nemesis by Larry Correia
3.   Hard Magic by Larry Correia
4.   Spellbound by Larry Correia
5.   Hyperspace Demons by Jonathan Moeller
6.   Road of Leaves by Eric Lorenzen
7.   Road of Waters by Eric Lorenzen
8.   Caliphate by Thomas Kratman
9.   A Desert Called Peace by Thomas Kratman
10. Big Boys Don't Cry by Thomas Kratman
11. The Book of Feasts and Seasons by John C. Wright
12. The Martian by Andy Weir
13. Interesting Times by Matthew Storm
14. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
15. The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith
16. Agent 6 by Tom Rob Smith
17. Moonfall by A.G. Wyatt
18. The Travels of Marco Polo Volume 1 by Rustichello of Pisa
19. Whom the Gods Love by Sarah Hoyt
20. Summa Elvetica by Vox Day
21. A Magic Broken by Vox Day
22. The Wardog's Coin by Vox Day
23. The Last WitchKing by Vox Day
24. The Uncanny Valley by Gregory Miller
25. The Cavalry General by Xenophon
26. The Art of War by Sun Tzu
27. A History of Strategy: From Sun Tzu to William S. Lind by Martin Van Creveld
28. Pennsylvania: Book 1 by Michael Bunker
29. Where the Hell is Tesla? by Rob Dirckson
30. Training for War: An Essay by Tom Kratman
31. The October Country by Ray Bradbury
32. Danger & Play: Essays on Embracing Masculinity by Mike Cernovich
33. Panzer Leader by Heinz Guderian
34. Riding the Red Horse edited by Tom Kratman and Vox Day
35. Cuckservative by John Red Eagle and Vox Day
36. Brave New War by John Robb
37. Son of the Black Sword by Larry Correia
38. SJWs Always Lie by Vox Day
39. Equality: The Impossible Quest by Martin Van Creveld
40. Gorilla Mindset by Mike Cernovich
41. Somewhither by John C. Wright
42. 4th Generation Warfare Handbook by William L. Lind and LTCOL Gregory A. Thieves, USMC
43. Grow or Die: The Good Guide to Survival Gardening by David the Good
44. A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson
45. Proxima by Stephen Baxter

Reflections on the National Day of Prayer, II Chron 2:14 and interpretations with truth but no spirit.

     So, last Thursday was the National Day of Prayer. As has become a past time with some Christians, it must be downgraded. It must be made to seem that the motives of those that hold to such things are entirely not correct. It usually starts with the those who wish to scoff at the National Day of Prayer explaining II Chronicles 7:14.

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV)

     Usually the arguments they make have a lot of truth to them and truth is good! The verse is consistently used out of both context and historical context. They will say that it is a promise made to a specific people in a specific place at a specific time and they would be right. Others will say that if applied to any group as a promise today it would have to be applied to Christians only. they could be right also. The problem I have is that anytime this verse is pointed out, because of it's prevalence amongst people, it is always done with truth but no spirit. Those that use the above interpretation have narrowed it to only one thing.
     But what can we use then from this verse, what is it's theme shall we say?
     That is an easy one.
     Look at it.
     Humble yourself, pray, seek the face of God and turn from your wicked ways.
     God hears, forgives and heals.
     This verse is about repentance and God's reaction to it. No matter the context, this verse speaks for itself and it gives a message to Christian and non-Christian alike.
     When used today in conjunction with Jesus, this is the Gospel.
     I have seen Jesus and this message used at these events so why not instead rejoice that the Gospel has been preached?
     Is it more important to show your knowledge alone without spirit?
     Are those who use the verse as an attack point thinking it through enough?
     I don't think so.
     I think they have blinded themselves to anything else that might be present. Mainly to say, conservatives. They have such a visceral reaction to conservatives that they would use zero spirit to see the good behind applying this verse. They seem to place repentance of individuals and nations on a backseat to their politics.
     Is revival not a noble goal? I would think it was.
     Do people that attend these events have politics?
     Yes, they do and usually unapologetically. But, they seek repentance which I am sure covers over a lot of things.
     I have tended to notice that those who attack usually say that they don't like the national Day of Prayer because of politics. Using the word "politics" instead of "conservatives" is a way to make themselves look like they are on the higher moral ground. It would be so much more honest if they said it was conservative politics they didn't agree with or find objectionable.
     Life for some seems to be all about camouflage today.
   
   

A Science Fiction/Fantasy Tour de Force through the Catholic Calendar

The Book of Feasts and Seasons by John C. Wright: A Review

     John C. Wright has a habit of writing books that make you think. He is also, to my mind at least, one of those authors who is a master of the short story. Truly, there is nothing better than a well crafted short story to stir the imagination.

     The Book of Feasts and Seasons is a collection of ten short stories that take you through a themed tour of the Catholic Liturgical Calendar. From New Years Day to Easter to Christmas day and points in between, the themed short stories contained therein are a joy.

     I am not one for spoilers, so I will give some impressions of my favorites.

     First, there is The Parliament of Beasts and Birds. In a fashion, that to me was evocative of C.S. Lewis, Mr. Wright takes you on a delightful tour outside the final city of Man as the animals of the earth gather to find out Man's fate and discover a fate of their own. In fact, to whet your appetite, here is a link to the short story from Mr. Wright's publisher. Go and read and I guarantee you will be intrigued.

     Second, there is Nativity, which finally explores a time travel theme I have thought about quite a bit in my life. Searching for one thing but finding out what he needs to hear. This quote says a lot about it.

He said to me, “Lost lamb, if you were the only man alive, the only one who had ever sinned, and every other Son of Adam had remained pure and upright, it would all have been done for you. For you the child was born. For you he lives and dies. For you.”

     This collection will hold interest for both lovers of speculative fiction and Christian readers, But foremost is the fact that John C. Wright makes you think and draws you into his worlds. I know that if you purchase this book that you will not be disappointed.

The Book of Feasts and Seasons by John C. Wright. $5.99 on Amazon.

My Top Ten Fiction Books of 2014

Here is a list of the top 10 fiction books I have read this year.

10. Fallen King (Cirian War Saga Book 1) by Eric Lorenzen

9. Warbound (The Grimnoir Chronicles Book 3) Larry Correia

8. Thieves' Quarry (The Thieftaker Chronicles) by D.B. Jackson

7. Count to a Trillion by John C. Wright

6. Monster Hunter Alpha by Larry Correia

5. Monster Hunters International by Larry Correia

4. City Beyond Time: Tales of the Fall of Metachronopolis by John C. Wright

3. Sixty-One Nails: Courts of the Feyre, Book 1 by Mike Shevdon

2. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

1. Awake in the Night Land by John C. Wright This one I read twice this year. Just got through reading it again!

Review: The Demon of Brownsville Road: A Pittsburgh Family's Battle with Evil in Their Home by Bob Cranmer

     Ever read a true story like The Amityville Horror and been unsatisfied with the ending? Ever seen a movie of demonic haunted houses and seen the family chased out of their home? I have seen and read a few of these and always felt unsatisfied with the outcome. This is not one of those books.
     Meet Bob Cranmer who, along with his family, fought back and reclaimed their home from evil that was at one time called "The Pittsburgh Hellmouth". The book is The Demon of Brownsville Road: A Pittsburgh Family's Battle with Evil in Their Home.  This quote is typical of Bob's attitude throughout the ordeal.

But I still had confidence, the same type of confidence that I’m sure David had as he walked out to confront Goliath—certain that God was with him. Through it all, I was never terrified or horrified—very alarmed at times, but to me it was something that had to be taken care of, to be dealt with matter-of-factly. I wasn’t sure how, but ultimately I knew the evil would be vanquished.

     The things I liked about this was the unshakable confidence that this evil could be driven off and defeated through the power of Jesus and the cross. Bob is confident in his Lord.

If it could have, it surely would have struck out at us with one final blow, but it couldn’t—as the power of the cross, as I always expected, had prevailed.

      Even more important is that this is a witness that Satan, demons and evil do exist in ways that the modern world would have you scoff at.

I primarily wrote this book as a witness that pure evil does exist apart from the intentions and flawed characteristics of human beings—that it can be openly and aggressively malevolent, working to oppress or even on rare occasions possess individuals, causing them to do evil things in the process.

      I would recommend this book for it's unwavering faith in Jesus, the insistence that we stand our ground against malign spiritual forces and the witness it gives in the existence of these spiritual forces. There is much I disagree with in the theology of the Catholic Church that plays a big part in this book, but I cannot deny that they take these things far more seriously than most of the Church. I give this a 5-star rating. Christians, you need to read this.

Books I Want to Read in 2015

Pennsylvania Omnibus by Michael Bunker

The Demon of Brownsville Road: A Pittsburgh Family's Battle with Evil in Their Home by Bob Cranmer (Author), Erica Manfred (Author)

Weakness Is the Way: Life with Christ Our Strength by J. I. Packer

The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature by C. S. Lewis

Men on Strike: Why Men Are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood, and the American Dream - and Why It Matters by Helen Smith

God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life by Gene Edward Veith Jr.

The Hermetic Millenia (Count to a Trillion) by John C. Wright

The Judge of Ages (Count to a Trillion) by John C. Wright

The Architect of Aeons By John C. Wright

The Road to Bedlam: Courts of the Feyre, Book 2 by Mike Shevdon

Strangeness and Charm: The Courts of the Feyre, Book 3 by Mike Shevdon

Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces by Radley Balko

Patton: Ordeal and Triumph by Ladislas Farago

Natchez Burning by Greg Iles

The Cold Dish: A Longmire Mystery (Walt Longmire Mysteries Book 1) by Craig Johnson

Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living by Nick Offerman

Lord Kelvin's Machine (Langdon St. Ives) by James P. Blaylock

Homunculus (Langdon St. Ives) by James P. Blaylock

Greed: A Tale from the Weird West

Greed: A Tale from the Weird West

By

Derek Thornton

     Onwards he came, and greed was in his heart. He was the latest in a long line of seekers and he would not be the last. Over the years I had seen them come and go. Some had stumbled on the truth, but most had merely given up and returned home. Their greed wasn't strong enough you see.

     I watched him as he travelled up the canyon. A mule loaded with equipment, one hand gripping the reins and in the other a map. It was always either a map or journal. Could be to the Lost Dutchman's mine or the soldiers lost gold vein. Most never even got this far. The maps and journals are made up out of whole cloth, fabrications you see. The map or journal was always sold to them by some unscrupulous character who plays on their hopes and dreams. Or, if you are in the know like me, greed is played on by greed.

     Anyways, he was headed up the canyon. Pots and pans banging, heedless of the noise they made. They always thought that they were coming upon something abandoned and just there for the taking. If they only knew, I am sure they would be quieter. Of course, that would not help them either. I have ways of knowing they are coming, especially the ones that get closest. I dream of them you see. From the spark in their minds that fires the tinders of their avarice to the completion of their journey to failure, I dream it all. In the shadows of my consciousness, I see their every move. Those who get close to me, I focus on.
     Right now, my dream eyes see him pause. He is at the critical junction. This path could lead to his own salvation or it could lead to his doom. To his right, a small trail leads off upwards of the canyon. This way leads to me. It isn't on his map because his map is fake. I can imagine his confusion. I see him peer at his map harder and look up the small trail.

     Is it worth his time to investigate?

     Is it a waste of his time and should he push on?

     I can imagine these thoughts going through his head. The decision he makes is crucial.

     He makes the wrong decision.

     Turning, he leads the mule up the side trail. With every step he seals his fate. Farther he travels upwards. His mule is getting a bit skittish and it is becoming a task to have it come along. Then he turns the corner, as they all do. There is still a chance they can turn back you see. It happened once. Some fellow, I forget his name, actually heeded the sense of his pack animal and turned around. Most aren't as smart as their animals. The mule sensed the evil that hung here like a pall.

     His eyes were on the cave entrance. Big and round as saucers they were and a slight smile crept onto his lips. Visions of gold flowed through his imagination.

     His mule was dancing from foot to foot as it tried to communicate it's need to leave this place. He merely dragged it to an outcrop of rock and tied it up. His fate was set.

     I could tell he didn't tie the mule well enough, so luckily it would escape.

     He searched through the gear loaded on the mule and got out an oil lantern. Lighting his lantern, he proceeded through the entrance of the cave. Moving slowly and looking about the walls for those veins of gold that he would not find, because this cave was not a source of gold. I pitied him.

Farther in he came till the light from the entrance faded and all that was left was the steady glow from the wick of his oil lantern. It was then that I awoke.

     I looked with my conscious eyes and saw faintly the glow from his lantern in the distance. Closer he came until I saw he reached a certain spot and I spoke.

     “Stop!”

     He jumped back. He had to swith the lantern from his dominant hand to reach the pistol hanging from the belt at his side. He pulled it out and aimed it blindly into the darkness. One word was not enough to let him know even my general direction.

     “Who's there?” he demanded.

     “The one who lives here. And who are you?” I asked.

     His gun centered in my general direction as the more I spoke the surer he got an idea of where I was. It didn't matter, his gun would be of no aid to him.

     “Look, I don't like not seeing you. You need to come on out. How are you living here with no light anyways? That isn't natural.”

     “Oh come now,” I chuckled, “My home and you have the temerity to demand of me? Now as I asked before, who are you?” I dream of them, but I can't read their thoughts or know all about them. I only become more conscious of them as they grow closer.

     A puzzled look passed his face as he decided whether he should answer or not.

     “Thomas Brighton,” he stated, “of Sacramento.”

     “Well now, Thomas Brighton of Sacramento, you must have come on a thieve's errand seeing as how you persist in pointing a gun at me in my place of residence.”

     Embarrassment came over him as he realized that he had been seen all along. They were always like that. Here they are in a big pool of their own light and yet it takes a while for it to dawn on them that I had the advantage of that. He slowly replaced his pistol back, but I saw that he did not rebutton the flap so that he could access it easier. He also placed the lantern on the ground.

     “There mister, is that better?” he asked.

     “Much.” I said. “Now tell me about this thieve's errand you are on?”

     “What makes you think I'm a thief? The gun is just for self defense. Who would have thought anyone would be living here way out in the middle of nowhere.”

     “Oh please,” I begged, “spare me the tired old tale. I know you came in search of gold. That is all anyone ever comes this far into the wilderness in search of. So tell me, which is it you are looking for Dutchman's Gulch? The pure vein of gold that U.S. Army soldiers found and lost?”

     “Look now mister, I'm no thief. You ought to know that all those tales involve a lost abandoned mine. It can only be stealing if you believe someone is in possession of it. Now, I will admit I am searching for the Lost Dutchman Mine. I saw an article in the Sacramento Daily Record-Union that sparked my interest last year. I have spent a goodly amount of money to equip myself for this and I am rightly sorry if I have disturbed you.”

     At this point you may be wondering, couldn't he still leave now?

     The answer is no.

     I can't afford him coming back with friends. So, it is time to set the hook now.

     “Ah, but I am here and I am in possession of gold. So that makes you a budding thief in my estimation.”

     His eyes narrowed as he thought about if what I said were true.

     “Pick up that lantern and come a bit closer,” I beckoned.

     He thought some more. In the end he bent to grab the lantern and came closer.

     It wasn't long before the sparkles caught his eye.

     You see, I said there were no veins of gold, but that was a bit of a deception on my part. True, this cave has no source of gold. As far as I know, there is no significant source of gold in the whole of the Superstition Mountains.

     But, the source of this gold was not here.

     You see long ago and far away there was a ruler of the Aztecs named Montezuma. Then came the Spaniards, led by Cortés, with more of that greed I was talking about earlier. They wanted the gold and treasure that Montezuma was in possession of. Cortés did not get it. It has been told that the priests, to keep the treasure out of Cortés hands took it north and hid it. This is partly true. I drove the priests on their trek north to keep the treasure from Cortés greedy little fingers. We arrived and I had the priests put the trove in this very cave. Then I killed them all.

     All those fantastic stories of a lost gold mine were never true at all. Instead the secret was much deeper.

     I blame the natives. I am sure that some we passed on the way to hide the gold told their tales which morphed over the centuries into the disparate stories that are passed around today.

     But, I digress. Heaps of gold were mounded up. So high that he could only see a fraction of it. Hardy and delicate vessels made with cunning skill, coins of gold and silver and expensive jewelry. Treasure from every reach of the globe. Chinese jade, celtic brooches, Roman coins and Mayan gold drinking vessels.

     I saw the look in Thomas' eyes that I have seen so many times before, dull greed that sucked him onwards.

     He fell to his knees and set aside the lamp and let his hands fondle the expensive baubles.

     It was at this point that I cleared my throat. Thomas looked up and I spoke again.

     “You see, this is all mine. You came to make it yours, but it has been mine for a long time and will remain so.”

     I then lit the fires in the cavern so that he could look on me as I was. Then, I let the fires devour him.

     As the fire died down, I coiled my serpentine body and let the coolness of my hoard be felt against my scales. The Aztecs knew me as Quetzalcoatl, the winged serpent. Europeans know me as a dragon.
     I am, of course, one of those ancient breed of serpents that you here about from time to time in various cultures. The Aztecs were worshipping me as a god when I decided they were no longer the safe spot for my treasure. I have travelled far and wide all to keep my hoard mine. You see at the beginning of my tale I talked about how their greed isn't enough. Well, I have a spirit of greed within me and I can assure you it is enough for me. I rested my head on a large pile of coins, minted sometime in antiquity, and let myself drift off back to sleep and my mind wandered in to dreams of who would search me out next.