On the fourth of July 2010 I spent my night writing a post for this blog.

Why did I not spend my time consuming alcohol, watching fireworks explode, and wishing “America” a “happy birthday” along with many of my peers?

The answer to this question is complex, so complex in fact, that I have chosen to weave the core of that night’s blog post into an answer for this question.

The title of that post being “I Carry a Gun: Here’s How and Why”.

The core?

Well at first it was only a technical post about carrying a firearm (concealed), and self defense. As my writing efforts carried on, the research to support my ideas rapidly expanded – coincidentally parallel with the increasing amount of fireworks blasting off outside as the night wore on.

Long story short, I finished the majority of the post that night, but not all of it.

Why?

I had a deep sense that there was a lot more to this post than “guns” and self defense, and I knew better than to stay up all night trying to wrap it up. Upon reviewing it the following morning, I realized I was dead right.

The core of what I had written was not about guns and self defense, it was a declaration of independence.

An individual and direct response to the injustices and wrong doings of a deeply broken, and collapsing as we speak, union of the States of America.

The abomination that is the current federal government of the united States of America.

At the same time, there was a frustrated, if not angry over tone to the entire post. As such, I have decided to reorganize my thoughts into something more intellectually provoking, and at the same time perhaps, uplifting.

Sounds great on paper, but before doing so, let us examine why I have chosen and taken the time to do this, for if we don’t know why we are doing what we are doing … well, we don’t know a whole lot of anything.

I have made this decision – to write an individual declaration of independence – because the world is starved of leaders at present.

In fact, the world has been starved for leadership for some time now. Our saving grace has been the men (and women) that have come before us.

Men and women who were willing, able, and not afraid to rise to their potential, and push humanity forward.

…

Recently in an e-mail sent to me by Dr. Doug McGuff regarding his presentation at The 21 Convention this year, Doug mentioned the following

“Yours is the first generation that has been metabolically poisoned starting en utero which is why most college age guys look soft and estrogenic.  It takes a powerful combo of diet and exercise to reverse a process that began in the womb.”

Translation: not only were my parents consuming what amounts to poison before and directly preceding my birth, but I was also raised from that day until about ~20 years of age, on that same poison.

Copious amounts of sugar, polyunsaturated fat, grains (and corresponding oils), legumes (and corresponding oils), heavily processed foods, and animal products nearly 100% sourced from animals raised on the same “poison”.

By the same token, I believe our generation is the first in the modern era to not only be raised from birth on “intellectual poison”, but also come from parents fed that same poison.

Consecutive generations raised without morality and guiding principles … on a foundation of shame, guilt, anti-individual, and anti-freedom propaganda.

We are now seeing the consequences of such a “society” revealing themselves. “Revealing” in the form of rapidly deteriorating economic health (domestically and abroad), and outright misery.

If it is accepted that misery and tyranny are the normal state of humanity throughout history, then I would go so far as to assume that misery precedes tyranny.

Tyranny to whom?

Tyranny can come in many forms. It can come from a king, from a totalitarian government … and even democracy (eg lynch mob).

Kings are a thing of the past. Dictatorships are failures as well.

What we have left for potential tyranny, is democracy.

Now, this is not a post meant to discuss democracy, I would only like to stress the point that you can not only be a slave or serf to an individual or select group of individuals, but you can also be the slave of everyone.

And with that said, everyone can be the slave of everyone.

This is perhaps the worst form of tyranny, where the individual is suppressed the most – where humanity is suppressed the most.

If this ever takes complete root in our culture, we are in for the next “dark age”. This is where collectivism finally collapses in on itself, and perpetuates exactly what it sets out to prevent – anarchy – and destroys what it set out to improve, “the collective good”.

All in good intention of course.

And as the saying goes, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”.

…

What does any of this have to do with a declaration of independence?

Well my friends, I sincerely believe we are at a turning point in our history as a species.

We can choose to rise up as individuals, reach our peak potential, and change the world the best way we know how – or we can watch it crumble, and continue it’s slow descent into the normal state of humanity, misery and tyranny.

This decision lies primarily with men. Women have the same ability to act rationally and rightly, but it is not their inherent role to lead.

It is ours.

And this is me, as a young man, and a citizen of the State of Florida, leading, the best way I know how.

What follows is both a declaration of independence, as well as a list of actions I am willing to back my words with, in addition to a redress of grievances from the current (broken in every way) federal government of the united States of America.

A Declaration of Independence and a Petition for a Redress of Grievances from the current union of the States of America

I, Anthony Paul Johnson, was born free.

I have a natural right – protected, not created, under the current constitution of the united States of America – to my life, my liberty, and the pursuit of my own happiness.

I think freely and independently, and do not need anyone to do my thinking for me (I am mentally healthy).

I do not need anyone to live my life for me. It is best lived as I see fit, without intruding on the right of others to do the same.

I am my own person. I am free, and no one individual, or collective organization of any kind, owns me.

I am a citizen of the State of Florida and the united States of America – not a subject, not a serf, and not a slave – to any degree, and in any way, shape, or form.

I am willing to back up the right to my life, with my life, with my born freedom, with my mind, and with my reason.

More specifically, I declare the following.

I declare any form of forced military conscription or “draft” to be out of place in the free society that is the united State of America, unconstitutional by it’s supreme law, and therefore, illegal.

It is unconstitutional – and therefore illegal – because our country was founded on the premise that individuals have the right to their life, liberty, and pursuit of their own happiness.

It is impossible for a document that was founded to protect these rights to authorize any government to perform such action.

For if I, Anthony Paul Johnson, could be forcibly sent many thousands of miles from home, and my life endangered, on the whim of a politician, what kind of man am I?

What kind of citizen would I be?

No citizen at all. In fact, I would be a subject stripped of the right to his life, freedom, and pursuit of his own happiness.

Should the country I am a citizen of ever be under imminent threat of attack, I would immediately consider volunteering for the defense of my country. But I will never be forced to join the military, or watched my loved ones fall victim to the same force.

As such, if an illegal military draft is ever implemented in my life time, I will support and uphold the supreme law of the land over the whims of the latest politician, and ignore the draft, and aid my loved ones in doing so should they request help.

By the same token, if ignoring a military drafts fails, I will avoid attempts to be conscripted, and aid my loved ones in doing so, should they request my help.

Finally, should ignoring and avoiding military conscription fail, I will defend myself, and my loved ones, from any such force upon their lives and liberty.

Force will be met with force.

I am an able bodied young male, and I am equipped to defend myself from any individual under the impression that they have the legal and moral authority to force me, or my loved ones, into military servitude, and deprive me or my loved ones of our natural right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of our own happiness.

…

I, Anthony Paul Johnson, declare any attempt to force extraction of a private product from the result of my efforts and reason – my wealth – to be unconstitutional, and therefore illegal.

Unconstitutional because I have a right to my life, liberty, and the pursuit of my own happiness. This nation, and the corresponding supreme law under which it’s government is currently restrained, was created to protect these rights.

If I do not own the fruits of my labor, and the sweat of my brow … then I own nothing, as I would be little more than a serf at that point, working hard, and keeping only what I was allowed, at the barrel of a gun.

This is beyond disgusting, and has no place in the free society that is the united States of America.

Perhaps more disgusting, is the idea that not only I am only allowed to keep whatever portion of the result of my labor that others decide, but that I must use that remaining portion as others see fit.

The federal government of the united States of America has no authority to perform such action, other than it’s monopoly on force.

Should the State of Florida not move to nullify such federal efforts, I will ignore all unconstitutional (illegal) attempts in forcing me, or my loved ones, to purchase a private product (or pay corresponding fines for not purchasing such product).

If ignoring such actions does not prevail, I will avoid them.

If avoiding such actions fails, as a last resort and in the defense of my self or my loved ones, force will be met with force.

I am a young, able bodied, mentally and physically equipped male, ready and willing to perform such action.

Redress of Grievances

The wrong doings of the broken in every way federal government of the united States of America, are limitless. It is likely we as a people will never know the full extent of the damages done by such government, domestically, and abroad – especially those in the name of imperialism and empire, hiding under the guise of patriotism, democracy, and freedom, wrapped in a flag no less.

As such, I humbly request every living member of the federal government – past and present – that has ever voted for or taken such action as to officially support undeclared, unconstitutional, and therefore illegal war, to face trial for the crimes that support generated – including murder and genocide – and be punished as the courts see fit.

Everyone one of these individuals swore an oath to uphold the constitution, and the majority have failed, miserably. Their failure resulted in the deaths of millions of people world wide, and thousands of American men and women – in the past decade alone.

Among these individuals are current members of the legislative branch of government, and the person currently acting as President of the united States of America.

While the current chief administrator of our union did not start such illegal wars, he has continued them, and in some cases, amplified them further.

He swore an oath to uphold the constitution the day he took office, and in light of his decision to continue undeclared, unconstitutional, and therefore illegal war, has failed to uphold the constitution since the day he took office.

Illegal wars are certainly on the list of “things to take responsibility for” upon taking such an oath, and residing upon such office, and as such, he should be removed from office immediately along with various members of the legislative branch, and face trial for the crimes he has perpetuated and/or committed.

…

While the crimes of the federal government of my country are numerous and potentially indefinite, this would be a good start for a redress of grievances.

From this, further positive changes could spring.

Or perhaps, from the idea and education of what I have sincerely written above, positive changes could spring world wide, starting with individuals willing to stand up for what they believe in, and willing to reach their potential as men and women.

-Anthony ‘Dream’ Johnson

July 12^th, 2010

Central Florida

I’ve blogged about congressman Ron Paul before.

Long story short…

• If you love The United States of America, you should watch this documentary.
• If you hate The United States of America, you should watch this documentary.
• If you support Ron Paul, you should watch this documentary.
• If you don’t support Ron Paul, or have no idea who he is, you should definitely watch this documentary.

If there’s any chance for The United States of America not to experience a soviet style collapse, it’s with Ron in the 2012 presidential election.

Watch closely.

-Anthony ‘Dream’ Johnson

ps- I finally got a response from Ron Paul’s secretary today regarding his invitation to speak at The 21 Convention 2010 in Orlando Florida. He’s busy, but they do thank me for the invitation. This isn’t surprising, but a genuine response is inspiring =).

A few weeks ago I came to a crossroad in my life. I haven’t mentioned it anywhere online before, nor have I discussed it with more than a handful of individuals that I have been close with for many years.

That crossroad was a simple, yet extremity difficult decision to make: do I step aside, or step up?

Do I rise above and meet a challenge head on with everything I have, and more? Or do I fall below and succumb to self doubt, fear, and the individual weight of the world that is resting on my shoulders.

I struggled for days with the challenge and difficult decision that lay before me. There really was no easy answer. Each side of the coin had it’s own pro and cons, benefits and consequences, so on and so forth.

…

And then something snapped. I’m not sure at what point it happened, but somewhere along the decision making process, I realized I was going about making my choice entirely wrong.

This wasn’t a logical see-saw of pros and cons, risks and benefits, and whatever other jargon belongs here – what needed to be decided was what am I made of?

That was the real, soul purging question at hand, in all it’s forms.

• What am I made of?
• What do I stand for?
• Am I a man of principle?
• Is my word my bond?
• Will I stand up for what I believe is right?
• Am I willing to do what is necessary to realize my dreams?
• Do I have what it takes to continue sparking change in an entire generation?
• Am I naive fool?
• Am I willing to let myself down, as well as those who have invested their time and effort into what I have dedicated my life to?

Am I going to step aside, or step up, and rise to the challenge?

My decision: step up.

Nothing else is even possible. It’s simply a part of who I am, and what resonates at my core. It always has, and I’ve decided, it always will, because if there is one mark and legacy I want to leave with the world, it’s that there are people who are willing to stand up for what they believe in – whatever the odds may be.

As my chief editor and video director Michael Gottino has said, The 21 Convention has far surpassed me, and I am simply playing catch up with something that has a potential and power I can hardly begin to grasp.

That said … I believe what I’ve done, and proven with The 21 Convention is that the little guy can stand up, rise to the occasion, and make great things happen – with little more than the sweat of his brow, a keen eye for opportunity, and the guts to seize that opportunity (that we all possess, but are often times afraid to embrace).

I’ve decided it’s once again time to fight for what I believe in, and what I believe in, and will sacrifice anything and everything for, is The 21 Convention – and everything it represents.

It is the expression – and perhaps to some degree source – of virtually every ounce of passion and purpose in my life since it’s founding in July of 2007. Every breath, every blink, every heart beat, every ounce of effort … it’s all been in one way or another leading to The 21 Convention and related endeavors (such as this blog).

And I’m not about to abandon it now. The convention has served us all well, and I owe it, along with everyone involved – myself included – 100% of my drive, determination, intellect, and everything synonymous.

What the hell is going on you ask?

Well, I’m not about to die from some medical complication if that’s what you were thinking. Nor will I be getting mauled by bears anytime soon in the wilderness (hopefully).

What is going on however – the cause of this critical decision in my life – is that the pressure is on like never before to make or break an entire event.

The 21 Convention 2010 of Orlando Florida is fine of course – more than fine actually. Four years of consistent and constant hard work is finally paying off. Ticket sales have consistently remained at 2.5-3x what 2009 event sales were, year round.

We actually had over a dozen people sign up for July 2010, in July of 2009. That alone was enough to take my breath away.

And in addition to that ‘organic’ growth, I have killer ideas to be implemented in the coming weeks and months for the Orlando convention. Both to pack the event out with over 250 people as the speakers deserve, and to make the 4 day event something attendees will never forget. Something to go down in our minds for decades to come, something that changes lives, and something that turns a phenomenon into a revolution.

High hopes? Maybe. But I’m done kidding around. Play time’s over, the big guns are coming out, and skyrocketing in popularity is only more reason to push harder than ever before.

The 21 Convention 2010 of Stockholm Sweden is a different story however. People have signed up, yes, but simply not enough considering the proximity of the event (June 11th-13^th).

It may be obvious at this point, but this hit me like a bookshelf size brick across the face just a few weeks ago, causing me to seriously analyze what I had going on inside, where I wanted this event to go, and what it’s impact would be on the world.

Where do I want it to go?

Well, more importantly (and this will lead into the where question), what do I want it’s impact on the world to be?

That’s simple at this point, very simple, and clear as anything ever could be – I want it to help change the course of a generation.

That phrase, “change the course of a generation” has been on my mind since the early Fall of 2009, and while it may not be the catchiest sub title for the event (or perhaps it is?), I believe it encompasses what The 21 Convention has stood for from the very beginning – yes even in 2007.

It was the start of something new, and something great – like minded young men coming together to freely exchange ideas. Men who were fed up or outright disgusted with various areas of their lives, with a desire for change – sick of false hopes and quick fixes fed to us from birth from virtually every outlet imaginable.

That my friends, is how changes starts. People coming together, and openly sharing ideas that otherwise remain in the back of our minds, underdeveloped, unrefined, and avoiding challenge.

In 2010, all roads lead to Stockholm and Orlando.

On hindsight, and in regards to Europe, I probably should have picked London over Stockholm due to The21Convention.com having even more popularity there than in Sweden (not to mention a higher population), but that is neither here nor there. Stockholm will be the birth place of The 21 Convention in Europe – perhaps London it’s first birthday.

Wait, let’s back up a second, why Europe in the first place?

Well, it’s been my dream for some time to make this an international event. I mean really, host it all over the world, not just fly people in to the United States from around the world. That is so 2007 (kidding).

But seriously, there is a demand for The 21 Convention in Europe. People have sent me e-mails for years requesting a convention on this level, and of this degree, in Europe. Never before has something exactly like it happened, and it’s now or never.

But I can’t do it alone. I have never been able to, and neither can anyone else as far as I know.

I can provide the spark, but the tinder, the fuel for something great has to come from a consensus among those who are most passionate about their lives, and whatever chosen areas they have dedicated themselves to. That’s how this event started, and that’s a huge part of how it has become such a wild success online, and in the United States – and now perhaps Europe as well – along with my consistent, and sometimes radical passion for running the convention from day one.

In any case, running The 21 Convention in Europe will be a dream come true. In Stockholm, London, or anywhere else for that matter. It’s simply part of the path I see for The 21 Convention, as well as myself personally.

And you know what? When I came to that step aside or step up crossroad – the do or die move for the whole convention there, and Europe forever for all I know – that vision was fading in and out. One minute I was sure we could pull it off … the next it seemed vague, foreign, almost alien in nature.

But since I made the call, every day that’s gone by, that image, that vision has become just a little bit clearer, a little bit brighter, and a little bit more vibrant. Day by day, minute by minute, second by second, move by move …

This convention belongs in Europe every bit as much as it does in the states.

Had my birth place been there instead of Florida, and the tables were turned, the same would be true – so why not give it my all and make it happen?

The more I think about it, the more I realize just how ridiculous the idea is that I can’t host this convention in Stockholm – that I can’t bring something as awesome, with beacon like consistency to Europe, where other conferences and conventions come, go, and fade with the simple passing of time or change of interests.

…

My dream is for every guy in high school or college to be aware of the event footage at The21Convention.com, around the world. How awesome would that be? To find such a wealth of information, a search for truth, and a growing sense of right and wrong – at no direct cost – at such a young age!

People have commented on this blog for months, and elsewhere for years, about how fortunate I am to have found the information that I have and learned from it, at such an age.

I ask: why can’t everyone with access to the internet, find that information? Whether or not an individual learns from it (and has the wisdom to value something lacking an arbitrary cost) is entirely up to them, but providing it is the first step – the most crucial step towards changing the course of a generation.

A lost generation

A generation that didn’t trade guiding principals for the highest of ideals – but never had any instilled to begin with. A hypersensitive generation, utterly lost in ambiguity and hypocrisy, too busy chasing material wants that are “of dust” to stand up and fight for what they believe in – if that is even so defined.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – we are the greatest generation, and most often, the least aware of it. The challenges we face are so deep they are difficult to measure, but that doesn’t make them not so. They do exist, are catching up with us fast, and we are suffering as a result – with everything from our health, to relationships, and even the way we carry ourselves as men on a day to day basis.

Something needs to be done … and while I don’t have all the answers, this is what I’m doing, The 21 Convention.

It’s everywhere – on the web, TV, in Orlando Florida, and now Stockholm Sweden – if I and everyone who decides to help can make it happen.

Again, I can’t do it alone. I need help, and plenty of it. I always have … like we all do at times. And right now, our first convention in Europe needs the most support – and we’ve got less than 6 weeks.

Here’s how you can help.

• A. Share this post with as many people as possible, that you think should see it, as I won’t be aggregating it in any way.
• B. Visit The 21 Convention Phenomenon and find out more specific and actionable ways to get involved.
• C. Sign up early for The 21 Convention 2010 of Orlando Florida if you were waiting to buy your ticket. You save a good chunk of change, and it allows for a little more wiggle room on my end with advertising and other costs for Stockholm.

To kick start everything, and demonstrate how serious I am about making T21C Stockholm a reality, I sold my car on Monday for extra revenue. Nope, not a joke. The car is gone, I’m back to the bike. – which I may even sell in favor of walking everywhere, simply for more advertising funds.

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This post is about to be wrapped up, but I will state one more thing: while I am going 110% forward with Stockholm, I am not about to hinder or undermine T21C Orlando for it.

In that sense, there has to be a cut off date with an actionable goal. If we hit it, we’re more or less “in the clear”. If we don’t … then I have to immediately consider calling the whole event off, and refunding all tickets – while trying not to vomit in the process. The very idea of doing that, and missing an opportunity as great as hosting this convention in Stockholm, would definitely make for one of the saddest days of my life.

The most tragic thing of all not being the minor reputation hit, financial loss, or any of that BS – but knowing that I was capable of making this happen, and that I didn’t live up to my potential this time around. That, and there a great number of individuals already signed up for this event, and excited to attend – just not enough right now.

Whatever happens, there will definitely be a day in my life I never forget within the next few weeks. While there’s no guarantee, I damn sure hope it’s in Stockholm on June 11^th.

The actionable goal will be 30 new seats moved by May 15^th. That’s really not that many. Hell, we moved 14 in a day last year for a group buy. But never the less, that’s the amount I come up with after crunching a few numbers. Is it doable? Certainly. And if we do, we’ll be past the necessary threshold. If not, then other options will have to be considered.

…

In the closing of this post, I’d like to thank everyone for their time, effort, encouragement, praise, criticism, humor, feedback, advice, love, support … and anything else given to me personally, or this convention over the years (my fingers would fall off before that list is completed).

I appreciate it in a way I can hardly begin to express, regardless of what happens.

-Anthony ‘Dream’ Johnson

Director, Founder, President & CEO of The 21 Convention

I’ve seen a good deal of Ron Paul videos, but this one eluded me until this evening. Now, it’s relatively short, but I can’t help but feel this video is so good, that it’s eerie.

Perhaps it’s the slightly blurred nature of the video, but I have to wonder how many other people would feel the same way watching this video, had they recently watched the video I posted by Dmitry Orolov on Social Collapse or read his book Reinventing Collapse.

Going further, I wonder if the 2008 presidential election was the swan song of this country. Obviously Ron’s message was heard, but not by nearly enough, when the timing was critical.

In essence, what I’m saying is I wonder if him being elected in 08 was the last chance this country had at avoiding economic, social, and political collapse.

While some may be too stuck in their ways or scared of actual change (that FUBARs the status quo), to believe Ron could win the 2012 election, I wonder further if he would be able to do anything but try to hold the country together as it finally crumbled to itty bitty penniless pieces.

Excuse the mild Orolov humor, but are we really going to have to pick for 2012 with the following question in mind?

Which candidate has the best chance of holding together a publicly and privately bankrupt country, with money worth less than the paper and metal it is printed on?

A. Current moron (and that’s a compliment)

B. Current moron’s main ‘opponent’ with the same exact views under a different banner

C. Top 10 biggest moron of all time, also former governor of Alaska

D. Wise little old man (with balls of steel) that’s been shouting about collapse since before most of us were born, who isn’t fond of treating symptoms of major problems and only further perpetuating the cause of the problem.

What’s really scary is that even in the midst of collapse, you’ll still probably have people pick A or B, or god forbid C (assuming she runs), causing those who pick D to question the intelligence of our species.

…

By the way, I agree with everything said in the embeded video by Ron. Especially the thoughts on war and playing cops and robbers with brown people (and Asian people too when ‘we’ get bored). That’s really aggravating as a citizen of this country – times 100.

As far as I’m concerned, any living president that committed an act of war against a soverign nation, without a declaration of war from congress, regardless of their thoughts on the matter: should be facing life in prison.

I’m not even kidding.

I normally just Tweet/Facebook videos like this, but dang, this is an excellent and meaty video. In it, as far as I can tell (I’m not even finished watching it yet) Dmitry more or less gives an oral presentation of the ideas in his book Reinventing Collapse: The Soviet Example and American Prospects.

He’s not the most exciting speaker, but his sense of humor makes this somewhat depressing topic far more than ‘digestible’. Sit down and take time to watch this – you don’t want to miss it.

This is a teaser clip from the soon to be released documentary series I and a few others have been working on over the past ~6 months.

We were actually planning on releasing a teaser clip of another speaker we interviewed from The 21 Convention this week, but I last minute decided to have a special teaser clip made of Drew, regarding his thoughts on ‘health care’, due to the events of last Sunday evening in the United States.

I would normally only post this on The21Convention.com, but I found it relevant to TDL due to the recent discussion of similar topics on here (not to mention the never ending debate on food and nutrition).

For the record, Drew’s opinions are entirely his own, and do not necessarily reflect those of any organization he has played a role in past, present, or future. I obviously sympathize personally with his views though, as an individual, not as President & CEO of The 21 Convention LLC.

In addition, the majority of Drew’s interview does not pertain to ‘health care’, it is far more focused on exercise & nutrition – and as a result, this teaser clip does not do his full length interview (nearly 2 hours of total talk time) justice.

It is likely we will release another in the coming weeks that better reflects the content which he discussed, overall.

Visit Baye.com for more Drew

I wrote a post, a while back, on college, life, work, and beyond. I was “brutally honest”, and in return, the comments/discussion were honest, and invigorating as well. It felt great to open up, and see that type of response. I think it says a lot on both ends of the spectrum.

In any case, the purpose of this post is to serve as a follow up to the original, and once again be the personal “battle field” of my thoughts on college, life, work, and beyond.

The idea to write this post first came to me last Saturday. The source, to say the least, was unexpected and a bit startling. Sounds strange, but it literally felt like a wave crashing over me when “it” happened, and reality sunk in.

What was “it” you ask?

For the second time in a row, in my fourth year of college at the University of Central Florida, I managed to fail* “How to Start a Business” (the second time only taking me 2 weeks).

*I actually managed to pull a 59.6 in the fall semester, rounding out to a 60 D-. This is a bit irrelevant though since this class is a pre-requisite to most of my higher level classes, and a 70 or above is required for the class to qualify as a satisfactory pre-req grade. In addition, this damaged my GPA (grade point average) significantly, and called for the use of my last remaining “grade forgiveness” credit at UCF, with which you can replace an old grade in a course upon re-taking it.

Now, we’ll discuss the irony more in a moment, but of more immediate interest is the role this class played in my academic career at UCF.

The “role” this course played was essentially my “swan song” at the physical school, the last on campus course I was intending on taking for a very long time, or perhaps, ever again.

In that sense, it was my last connection to an institution that has been a big part of my life for the past 4 years.

As logic reveals, I had little to no intention of continuing my “education” at UCF past this spring semester, as discussed in the previously linked post. I did not however, expect everything to end so soon, and so abruptly.

I actually sort of enjoyed riding my bike to campus, running into old friends, checking girls out (and meeting a few), and even being in class 3 hours a week. I’m not sure I learned a whole lot directly, but I did always enjoy conversing with the professor (I was the only student currently running a business, both semesters), and his lecturing always got my brain firing up ideas for The 21 Convention – which, upon further reflection, is probably the main reason I failed the class the first time around.

It all had sort of a nostalgia effect on me, not unlike visiting my old high school freshmen year of college.

…

Let’s continue question and answer style as I find this way of writing organizes my thoughts quite well lately.

How did you manage to fail a course, for the second time in a row, in barely 2 weeks?

Well, I obviously didn’t fail any exams! Ha

Actually, it was more a technicality than anything else. The course is setup into 8 tests. 4 short quizzes, and 4 exams. Simple.

The problem I ran into however, was that if you don’t take the first quiz of the semester, you automatically never gain access to the four course exams, effectively limiting your grade to a 15% F if one was to ace the remaining 3 quizzes.

From memory of the first semester, the quizzes were always due on a Monday evening. Class was on Tuesday, and I planned on doing the quiz towards the end of the week, Friday perhaps. Of course, a 10 question quiz was the least of my priorities that week, so it was not taken on Friday.

Come Saturday, we last minute arranged to interview Drew Baye for the documentary currently being produced.

Upon returning home, I had a bad gut feeling that the quiz was due Saturday night, not Monday (for some specific reason). I brushed it off, but decided to double check anyway.

Sure enough, I logged into the web site for the course right as the quiz ended. Sounds like I “just” missed it, but in reality I didn’t. The quizzes have to be taken on campus. I would have needed a clean 30 minutes to get to the campus testing lab, and then RUSH through the quiz before the computers shut down at 8:30 pm.

I knew damn well the consequences of missing this quiz, but, I have a lot of rapport with the professor, so despite knowing that I was doomed, I shot him an e-mail anyway.

The day I received a response leads us to our next question.

What was that “irony” comment about earlier?

Well, the answer to that question is twofold. For one, as many long time readers would guess, me failing “how to start a business”, is downright laughable.

Some history …

Not many people know this, but at 16 I started a small mobile car detailing company called “The Wash Man”. I did this after working for a more popular company in my hometown, “The Wax Man”. I made good money working for them, and they were the only cool and fair “bosses” I’ve ever had (two guys ran the company), but, I realized I could make more money, work less, and on my own time, by starting my own company – at 16.

They were swamped with business back then, and while they would miss my help, they didn’t mind and encouraged me to come back if ever need be. There was some risk involved, but I went independent anyway.

I didn’t have a whole lot of business, but it was consistent cash income, on my own time, doing something I mildly enjoyed, in high school.

Upon leaving for college, I transferred my clients over to them, and did not continue the business in Orlando.

Now, that was at 16/17 years old.

At 18, my next business venture officially kicked off (unofficially kicking off at 17 years old when the idea was first introduced on a popular discussion forum), which continues to this day as The 21 Convention.

T21C is by no means some “run away” success. In fact, there was a lot of ridicule starting out, both of myself, and the event. Not only that, but in 2008 (second year of the convention) I missed budget for the event by oh… a few thousand dollars.

The hardship didn’t end there either. My best friend passed away days later from a rare type of cancer, followed by emotional depression and mental exhaustion to last for months, and then the initial flop of the 2008 convention footage during that bout of depression, combined with a very legitimate lawsuit in my inbox from Real Social Dynamics.

Scary times indeed.

But, perhaps paradoxically, it is these very hardships and rough start that add legitimacy to The 21 Convention in my eyes, and on every level.

Not only as a “business”, that quite literally sprang up out of nowhere (with no intention to ever call it “a business”), but as an event, and even “movement” to some extent, that has helped inspire individuals around the world.

It is because of the legitimacy I see and belief I have in the event, that I personally view the failing of “How to Start a Business”, with an almost humorous sense of irony (I’m sure it’s even more perplexing from an outside perspective).

In addition, the day my professor responded, sealing in stone what I already knew to be true (that he would make no exception to his policies), The 21 Convention became a registered LLC (a type of business) in the state of Florida, and with the United States.

I’m not a big believer in “fate” or “destiny”, but the coincidence was undeniable. I “officially” became a business owner the day my doom was verified, for the second time around, in How to Start a Business at UCF.

What this means, I know not, but it will sure make one hell of a story someday if I can continue to guide T21C in search of “truth” and what I perceive to be “right action”.

What do you plan to do now that school is in the past?

Well, I’m not entirely done with college. I still have an online class with work due every Friday. The effort I put into the class is very minimal however, and I do not care much what happens with it.

For all intents and purposes though, yes, I am done with “school”. Which, perhaps, is a blessing in disguise.

My attention with school was already minimal, but now that it is damn close to zero … I think this allows more deep thought and reflection with what I want to do with my life.

Or in other words, face hard decisions that I would have otherwise put off until the end of the spring semester.

Decisions like where I am going to live once my current lease ends, and how I am going to discuss this course  of action with my parents (I have little idea on how they will respond), and whether or not I will even stay in the country next fall.

Can you be any more specific, and what about on the level of “work”?

I can be more specific on the subject of logistical plans, no problem.

I will be flying to Stockholm Sweden this May, and staying with my old friend Dejan all the way through The 21 Convention being held there (in early June), and perhaps even a week after the event.

I may also travel to New York City to give a speech to some of the “lairs” there, as well as some errands regarding a second (dual) citizenship and passport. I also have family in New Jersey I would like to visit.

If this happens, which it likely will funds allowing, this would be late April or early May, right before flying out for Sweden. In fact, I may not even fly back to Orlando before leaving for Europe.

Come July 31^st, the fourth (fifth overall) T21C in the United States will have happened, and my lease shall then expire at my current residence. I’m going to ask and see if I can stay an additional 6-7 weeks at my current rate, but this is not concrete since they could likely rent out my room to someone on a 12 month contract*.

*I have since spoken to my roommates parents and they tentatively agreed to a month by month lease for this time period.

If the answer is no, I will find an apartment elsewhere in the Orlando area, and relax in “the calm” following The 21 Convention. Probably go to the beach a lot =).

After a short time doing my best to relax, I will then spend the next 4-5 weeks helping prepare all footage to go out free to the world, and on DVD through a local DVD production and distribution company (which we are also in the process of finishing for all past footage at the moment).

In the middle, or end of September, I plan to travel to Sydney Australia and visit a friend in the US Navy stationed there. He’s quite literally, and of no exaggeration, better with women than anyone I have ever met, including the mystified “Mystery” and other dating coaches.

He’s said I can stay with him for cheap, or even free if I remember correctly, as long as I wish.

I plan on staying until early December, at which point I will fly back to host the annual camping trip that has become quite popular among friends at the Florida state park Cayo Costa, and be with my family for the holidays.

Beyond that, my plans logistical plans are not set in stone, but I would be highly interested in traveling abroad once again, bartering for stay at friends’ (or even readers of this blog) houses around the world – nomad style.

Why Australia? And what about the “on the level of work” discussion?

The answers to these questions are somewhat intertwined, hence I’ve left them for a single section of the post.

For starters, Australia is a place I’ve always wanted to travel to (and perhaps New Zealand as well). When reading, hearing, or seeing video of it, Australia has always reminded me of a more “wild” or “ancient” Florida – the state which I grew up in and love – at least the Florida I grew up to know (the West Coast, the Keys, off shore in the Gulf of Mexico, and even the outlying islands west of “Key West”).

When backpacking through Central America in the Summer of 2008, I also had the good fortune of meeting a few fellow backpackers from Australia, and to be honest, they were by far the coolest “foreigners” I had ever met (a married couple in their 30’s from memory).

Now, I imagine they don’t represent their entire country, but I couldn’t help but be ever the more inclined to visit this nation that has caught my attention since before I can remember after talking with this couple.

In addition to this, there have been a limited number of requests to bring The 21 Convention to Australia.

Now, a lot of things have to happen before I can even seriously consider this, but, the requests have caught my attention – enough to “scout it out” before pulling the trigger (at some point in the distant future).

And, expanding the convention to a third part of the world is certainly on my “to do” list (as if it were a small feat! Haha).

While there, I will spend some time meeting up with groups who would be potentially interested in attending – and maybe even practice a little public speaking.

Now, on the subject of “work”, I certainly won’t be sitting at a beach all day sipping coconut milk.

This may come as a surprise to some, but I spend on average, between 35-45 hours a week, “working”.

Sometimes less, often more, but that’s a pretty good ball park figure (and ignores the spike in time required to ensure the live events run smoothly, with the week before usually being the most time and “brain” intensive).

It depends on what we are considering “work” however. Running this blog for example, can easily take 15-20 hours a week.

This one post alone (disregarding the rest of the blog), including my written responses to comments, took about 15 hours (directly), if not more, to write, edit, format, and post.

Even 15 is a bit conservative, as it ignores the social media involved, and discussion it’s sparked on various forums, of which I’ve take some time to respond to.

I don’t get paid to blog, and I’ve averaged about $10-$15 a month in Amazon Associate sales from this blog since it was up on its feet and running.

I blog because TDL is a primary way in which I express myself and voice my opinions, and as a byproduct, one way in which I can help others, who ask for help.

In other words, it’s one small way I can help change the world for the “better”, as “lofty” as that sounds.

Going further, working this much on “what I do”, isn’t some recent development – it’s something that’ has taken on a life of its own over the past few years, and gradually grown to meet whatever needs arise, and what my (often arrogant) creativity craves.

Time dedicated to “work”, does fluctuate at times too however. As previously mentioned, the crunch time before each live event, always demands more.

There are “lulls” however, such as during early December each year when I shift gears into the annual camping trip I put on for my friends. I don’t just all of a sudden stop running the convention, the blog, the forum, and whatever else I happen to be doing at the time, but I do my best to let things run independently. I ask friends to step in where I normally play a role, or allow others to step up and fill the gap I temporarily leave behind, such as with comments on this very blog.

There are also improvements in “effectiveness and efficiency” on occasion, that temporarily free up time and mental focus from tasks that I am better off without. This “free time” is soon taken up by the infinite number of tasks that require my attention though, many, self-imposed.

Funny how that works.

In any case, the reason I mention this is because the vast majority of this “work” is from my lap top, while connected to high speed internet.

Translation?

99.9% of the time, my physical location is completely irrelevant, in regards to the ability to do what is necessary, and often enjoyable.

Now, that doesn’t mean I’m a robot and work the same anywhere – far from it. In fact I find that it’s like pulling teeth getting anything creative done when visiting my family back home. The environment just doesn’t work for me anymore.

I find myself to be a lot more productive, and creative, in Orlando – in my condo, or even at a restaurant*.

*Fun fact, I wrote a good chunk of The Dream Way at a Tijuana Flats near the infamous “Project Orlando” in the early spring of 2008.

Anyway, I think most will see where I am going with this – living in Australia will have no negative effect on my ability to “work”. I can continue to do what I love, with no obstruction from temporarily moving half way across the world.

If anything, I can imagine some of my most productive times will be had while visiting there, experiencing a new culture, and only knowing (well) one person in a zillion mile radius.

I didn’t set this up on purpose

Hell, I didn’t even start the convention with the intent to turn it into some sort of functional business, I was simply following my nose – but never the less, this is how things have played out up to this point, along with an ever advancing internet and online community/work place.

And I for one, am running with it full speed ahead.

…

A question was posed the other day on my Facebook (in response to the picture at the top of this very post).

Does this mean the convention will be for profit from now on?

The poster was a three year convention attendee – coincidentally the same person who won over $500 in prizes last year from The 21 Convention, including a 100% comped ticket for a friend to the 2009 event, a full printed and signed copy of The Dream Way, and no joke, a brand new Nintendo Wii shipped directly from Amazon (then $249.99).

When I first read it, I honesty wasn’t sure how to respond. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized a response on Facebook wouldn’t be appropriate for such a question – a more in depth response would be required, such as in this post – especially considering that the poster is a longtime supporter of the convention, and to put it bluntly, such a question was definitely warranted.

To some this may seem unnecessary though – which I imagine is largely determined by when each individual came across The 21 Convention, or how closely they’ve been in contact with me personally (and have closely followed my thoughts and decisions concerning the event).

Why when you ask?

In 2007, the event truly was “nonprofit”. I stated I had no intention of turning a profit on the event, and followed through with a ticket price between $20 and $40 dollars, to be collected on the day of the event, in cash only.

This turned out well, but was of an unnecessarily high risk – since I made less than $100 in profit from the event.

Translation: there almost wasn’t enough money to cover the event costs (there was NO revenue to cover more intricate costs such as fuel, web hosting, etc, hell, the camera guy even worked pro-bono, INCLUDING paying for his own airfare to Florida from California!).

Had I simply charged everyone a flat $50, I would have not been $hitting my pants the morning of about money, and we MIGHT have lost 2 or 3 guests (and the miscellaneous expenses would have been covered, and the camera guy even paid a little).

But, this was my personality at work. I state something, and I follow through on it –in spite of the consequences and/or risks (like guaranteeing the conference room with a personal credit card).

In any case, this is likely a reason why the question was asked, as “nonprofit” is where the convention’s roots lie.

Now the paradox begins though =).

In 2007, the primary reasons I started this event, were of a selfish nature. I won’t get into the specifics, but for simplicities sake, they were selfish (turning this into some sort of business however wasn’t even a brain fart until some months after reading The Four Hour Work Week).

Now, this isn’t to be condemned. In fact, I would argue “modern society” has leaned WAY too far in the unselfish direction, to the point that it is now hurting “us” collectively, and as individuals. People simply spend too much time trying to please everyone else, and in the process, please no one.

That’s a discussion for another day though – the point here is that this convention started for mostly (not completely) selfish reasons. I was 18, and thinking of me, me, me – knowingly and unknowingly.

But it was nonprofit.

Which is where this gets interesting, and the paradox begins.

As The 21 Convention has evolved over the years into an ever more “legitimate” business, (through success, failures, praise, and criticism) the event and my goals with it personally, have progressively become less selfish.

It’s strange to see this happen from a bird’s eye view, but make no mistake, the pattern is there.

I am not sure exactly why, or how this is happening, but I can share my logic for it.

For one, I have held the belief for some time now, that freely helping others, is most often, the equivalent of helping myself. In many cases, it may be of an even greater return than directly helping “myself”. Anyone who’s done any sort of “official” or even unofficial volunteer work, knows exactly what I am talking about.

Now apply that to a business.

For two, I think the convention is a small demonstration of capitalism and a free market functioning correctly together, in the sense of “profit” actually being a win/win for both the business and the consumer (from my understanding “profit” is viewed as a win/lose in socialism).

As the convention continues to spread via word of mouth, and people’s quality of life improves from the event and footage, the attendees (who pay an extremely competitive price) and supporters win. In turn, more and more people are drawn to the event, even in the face of competing services – both online and similar live events.

The more people are drawn to the event, the more competitive prices can be kept as some expenses are fixed (and do not rise per attendee). When more people visit the site and attend the event, it becomes more profitable.

With more profit, more funds can be diverted into improving the quality of the event, footage, website, and even invested into future services (DVD’s, better video hosting, a full length documentary).

The higher quality the convention is (online and in person), the more it helps those who support it.

And so on.

And so forth.

It’s a positive upward spiral.

Now, it would be easy to get a bit off topic at this point, but to remain on point, I am not naïve enough to believe this happens in every business or organization. Quite the opposite can happen actually, and does happen, every day.

People who view “profit” and “money” as inherently negative, will feed into the win/lose, “value sucking” paradigm.

The same phenomena can even been seen in social and sexual interactions, when a man or woman comes under the impression that they have to constantly impress others, or that sex is something you “take” or “get” from the opposing sex (hint: I was).

This is of course, complete nonsense. People who constantly try to impress, are often seen as annoying, and “take” the fun or “life” out of a good vibe going on in a social setting – quite the opposite of what they aim to do wouldn’t you say?

And people who walk around trying to “get” sex from the opposing gender, are seen as needy as best.

“Gimmie gimmie gimmie, get get get, need need need, want want want”

All translate as: needy, clingy, or both.

…

I am definitely off topic at this point, but I believe the above was worth mentioning as a reference. Point being, my thinking is that I have managed to guide the convention into a win/win groove for everyone involved.

I’m not sure exactly how, but my hunch is that I got started off on the right foot, and with the help of close friends, have managed to stay on the right path (despite a few bumps here and there of various sorts).

At no point, including now, has my ambition ever been to produce large sums of money. I only wish to see the convention go far, and reach its potential. This will probably include a monumental amount of hard work, a lot of revenue, and keeping the whole thing as lean, effective, and efficient as humanly possible.

That undoubtedly translates as “profit”, but, I am not concerned – it’s just part of what has to happen, the natural “evolution” of the event. House, car, material items?

I couldn’t care less. In fact, I’d gladly sell my car (or anything else I own for that matter) again to ensure the success of the convention, as that is what is ultimately important to me.

That said, I need to support myself, and there are indeed things I value that require money (travel and food for example), and that simply isn’t possible spending upwards of 40 hours a week on what was once a strange hobby that I had difficulty explaining to friends and family.

…

In the closing of this post

I’d like to thank those who have helped me over the years developing the foundation of what the entire above article attempts to describe – where my life is heading. Some are reading this (long time blog readers and friends), many are not. Many are people I do not even speak with much any more, for one reason or another. Some, are even people I do not get along with, or vehemently disagree with at times. Never the less, if you’ve helped me in any of the above (even remotely), reading or not reading this, I thank you all the same.

I’ve been fortunate to have been segwayed into all of this, and been granted 4 years in college to stumble my way through self education. There is no price tag that could be stuck on the grace period that I appreciate so much – now let’s see if I can put it to good use.

Cheers

-Anthony