Spent most of last week in Austin Texas for a few different reasons (including work for the upcoming Paleo FX event). While I was in town I managed to get in a workout at Efficient Exercise on the ARX machines. As usual, the workout insanely intense.

It doesn’t appear that way at first glance, but that’s the truth. What’s ironic is how much more intense working out on these machines is, compared to what is traditionally considered “intense”; nonsense like “fitness bootcamps”, P90X, “zumba”, “spin classes”, and on and on.

Physical activities like those are hardly a drop in the bucket compared to 5 minutes on an ARX. Good luck explaining that to somebody neck deep in conventional ‘fitness’ wisdom.

In case anyone is wondering, I prefer the Omni machine presented at The 21 Convention over these more bulky siblings. This warrants a separate post, but the primary reasons are that I prefer doing a belt squat over a leg press, and with the Omni, you have full control over hand position with pulling and pushing movements.

On these machines you can adjust the handles, but only to pre-determined settings.

– Anthony Dream Johnson

Love the paleo and 21 convention stuff but clearly have very little understanding of who Thomas Jefferson was all about. Cut the libertarian bull-shite.

This is a common comment for me to receive. It essentially says “I agree with and believe you are right on a staggeringly wide array of topics … with the exception of politics.”

What’s most tragic about this comment (besides the fact that I am NOT a libertarian) is that people aren’t more curious about their, usually very passionate, disagreement with me on this single specific topic. People just bury their heads in the sand on it, in spite of the fact that I have been at the spearhead of what amounts to one of the best comprehensive resources of knowledge in the world.

It’s as if viewers and readers go down a check list of topics that I spread information about, and rank what they find.

• 10
• 10
• 10
• 10
• 10
• 0
• 10
• 10
• 10

It’s an enormous anomaly staring people in the face, that they write off as insignificant or a fluke.

REALLY?

Who really believes I’ve been so diligent on such a wide spectrum of knowledge that I would make a glaring mistake and get something not a “little bit” wrong, but completely, utterly, and totally fucking wrong?  The error is of course not with me, but with the individual who still has not grasped that contradictions are not possible, and that therefore there are no contradictions in reality.

To those that have grasped this concept my political convictions are similar if not the exact same to your own. In fact nothing else is even possible. The conclusions I have come to are logical and fully coherent. Anything else would be incoherent and inconsistent.

Hence the saying “Rational people come to the same conclusions.”

Of course they do. We’re all dealing with the same reality that exists independent of our ability to perceive it. This doesn’t make us all clones, it makes us sane and right. Yes, the borderline forbidden “right”; as in “I’m right and you’re wrong.”

Of further interest to me is the paradox that my political convictions are better, clearer, and more fully developed than any other set, yet, are what is most frequently disagreed upon. Few people hold my political convictions for example and call me “full of shit” when it comes to nutrition and exercise. It simply hasn’t happened yet, and it may never happen.

I think this is a reflection of the depth of thought required to come to the political conclusions I have. It’s higher level thinking that deals directly with life, death, and violence scenarios. Nutrition takes years if not decades to kill, and it kills slowly.

Sarcopenia in the face of a lack of proper exercise takes even longer to result in lowered quality of life, serious injury, and perhaps death.

The fact that politics ultimately deals with a gun in your face an immediate death requires serious moral courage to face and make the proper conclusions on. Many people lack this. Some will develop it in a long enough time span. Most will not.

– Anthony Dream Johnson

I’ve never taken the time to consider whether or not the CDC is constitutional [EDIT: I checked, it's not]. Which is a polite way of saying “legal”. Regardless of whether or not it is, stuff like this makes a strong case for abolishing it entirely, or dramatically reducing it’s scope, specifically removing it from the realm of nutrition forever.

CDC researchers say mothers should stop breastfeeding to boost ‘efficacy’ of vaccines

On a creepiness scale of 1 to 10, this is a 15. 

The CDC is funded by violence. It’s a federal agency that is paid for largely by your income tax, which you pay, or go to jail for not paying. If you refuse to go to jail, you will be shot by armed IRS agents. If you think I’m joking trying making $100,000 fiat dollars and ignoring the IRS for the next 2 years.

You’ll be murdered. A federal judge agrees.

And this is the shit your income tax goes to pay? An agency that promotes putting infants on soy formula so their fucking vaccine might work better? What the fuck?!

Here is what Doug McGuff M.D. has to say about being taken off the teet as an infant.

Doug is a practicing emergency room physician and licensed medical doctor.

The CDC spent your money, taken from you by the threat of violent force, to perform this research.

That’s nuts.

– Anthony Dream Johnson

 
Little pisses me of more than grumpy, old, bitter people criticizing those in their 20s and late teens for being “too idealistic”, and then grouping us all into one undefinable glob. While this post is not focused on the video seen above, it exemplifies exactly what I am talking about.

It exemplifies a lethal betrayal, bottom of the barrel self-esteem, and outright moral cowardice.

“Go fuck yourself.” is too kind a comment for any idiot willing to say such a thing, on radio or otherwise.

Like I said though, this post is not about her, her betrayal, or the personal misery she lives with every day. It is about the collective grouping she expresses in her statement. It is about the homogenization of every young person into one giant “naive” group.

• I am not a hippie.
• Readers of this blog, are not hippies.
• Fans of The 21 Convention, are not hippies.

Being a principled young adult with unyielding integrity and the moral courage to challenge the lies you’ve been fed since birth is the polar opposite of what this meme picture represents, and what that woman in the video claims.

False Idealism vs. True Idealism

It’s not always easy to discern between a principled young adult, and one who is a raving idiot protesting on a street corner about everything and nothing all at the same time with no purpose, or clear line of reasoning to support their anger.

It can be even more difficult to discern between abstract ideas that fuel these factions. What sparked this post is just that: a successful young man in his mid twenties, with some seemingly good ideas and tips to share.

I’m going to nitpick a few that are quite the opposite. That are in fact destructive, and make a mockery of the very conception of “the good”. Ideas that fuel the continued philosophical decay of the entire world.

Ideas that are intellectually and morally toxic.

~~~

From “In Over Your Head” (hat tip to Richard Nikoley for the find)

“100 Tips about Life, People, and Happiness”

From a NY Times Bestselling Author

1. True wisdom and insight is always free.

The fuck it is. Someone had to work for and earn that wisdom and insight. SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE, at some point, paid for it. You were not entitled to that wisdom and insight. If you received it without stealing it it’s because someone was either generous enough to give it to you or because someone else figured out — through hard work and effort — how to get it to you by charging you a different form of currency. Time, effort, attention, reputation, word of mouth, etc.

There is no such thing as free. The very idea is poisonous and anti-reality.

And what of the wisdom and insight that are the product of brutally hard work, blood, sweat, and tears?

This statement makes a fundamental mockery of the individual who works and works fucking hard for what they receive in return.

6. Remain skeptical forever.

This is another dangerous idea that is psychologically unstable and inevitably damaging. What should I be skeptical of? Everything? My own mind? Sensory perception? Reality?

Take the example of God. There is no evidence of “god” existing. The very concept of God defies the requirement for evidence. God by definition defies reality.

What am I to conclude? That because I cannot prove God “doesn’t” exist, that I must remain “skeptical” of his existence as asserted by others? That’s insane. I am not skeptical, I completely reject the idea.

This is the only rational conclusion a person can make. Every other conclusion is irrational. Every other conclusion is without reason.

Reality is not so kind. Being “skeptical” of gravity at the top of a 10 story building results in death.

9. Join a movement.

I’d bet the world that this statement stems from the conventional wisdom of “devoting yourself to a cause or movement”. Usually unknown to the people preaching this nonsense, this is code for living through others.

Which is code for living for others.

Which is code for living for anyone and everyone’s happiness but your own.

Which is code for collectivism.

Which is a mask for altruism.

Which is a clever cover for self-sacrifice.

This is the ultimate conclusion of this harmless little idea.

Why the hell should you join a movement? What is the meaning of doing so? Do you have good reasons for doing so?

Will you continue to live for your own selfish happiness?

These are ultra important questions that go unanswered in this nice little “tip”. Without sharp answers, it remains undefined, and unlimited in scope.

Go ahead, join the next death camp movement. Join any movement. Just be sure to join a movement. Don’t bother questioning why. Any movement will do. Happiness is not possible without others.

12. Read more. Especially things you disagree with.

This is preached frequently at colleges today, including Harvard.

It’s disgusting advice that belongs in a trash can.

Think about the actual meaning of this: it’s the dietary equivalent of ”eat more, especially things that are unhealthy and even poisonous”. No one would ever say that about nutrition.

Why would anyone say that about what you feed your mind?

This is a statement of moral cowardice. This is synonymous with saying “be open minded”.

Open minded to what? Anything? Every piece of trash that comes my way? Every e-mail that pops in my inbox? Every comment that appears on my blog?

My time and my life are more valuable than that.

13. Get used to feeling stupid. It’s a sign of growth.

Interesting statement. Contrast it with

“Get used to feeling intelligent. It’s a sign of success and respecting reality.”

My statement is the polar opposite of his. Which one would you want to live your life by?

~~~

I’ve cherry picked tips that were horrible from the list. I don’t know the author personally. Not all the tips are bad. Stand on your own judgement and take a look yourself.

– Anthony Dream Johnson

Until 48 hours ago, I had not seen a dentist for any reason in over 6 years. I have completely avoided fluoride toothpaste for about 4 years, and have avoided water containing fluoride as often as possible during that same span of time.

According to the dentist, I do not have a single cavity.

I drink coffee almost every day for going on two and a half years now.

My teeth are significantly whiter than average.

Apparently my gums are lightly inflamed. According to the scale presented at the dentist’s office, I am dead center average with this.

A regular cleaning should “fix” this, but I question whether the inflammation actually means anything.

I’ve taken about 5,000 IU of Vitamin D3 every day for over 2 years. I started taking a daily supplement of Vitamin K2 about  2 months ago. I continue to eat plenty of grass fed dairy, especially butter.

I brush once daily. Rarely twice. I always use fluoride free toothpaste with a bit of baking soda sprinkled on. I floss 3-4 times a week. I’m beginning to think the “trick” is to floss your teeth aggressively, while being very gentle on the gums themselves.

I often use a “natural” mouth wash, that I always water down with 1 part water, and often 1 often part hydrogen peroxide. I do this after flossing and before brushing.

I never eat gluten grains. I rarely eat non-gluten containing grains. My total carbohydrate intake ranges from 10-100 grams per day. I drink almost nothing but water, coffee, tea, raw grass fed milk, and the occasional glass of grapefruit juice.

Seeing a dentist yearly may not be a bad idea, but it may also be unnecessary. Fluoride is definitely unnecessary, and is likely harmful.

– Anthony Dream Johnson

Many that consider themselves “paleo” are not just looking for answers in the field of nutrition and exercise, but are looking for valid alternatives to conventional wisdom in other areas of life as well. Sleep, posture, cold plunges, and sunlight come to mind, but what about general hygiene?

Admittedly, this (a natural deodorant that works perfectly) is something I’ve struggled on and off with for a long time. This is probably due to not caring very much. I shower at least once, and often twice a day. I scrub my entire body with a natural soap — free of weird shit I can’t pronounce — and that’s good enough for me. My thinking has always been if it’s not good enough for people around me, too bad.

At the same time, I have occasionally picked up a “natural” deodorant. The ones that work, if only for short time, eventually irritate my arm pits. Most don’t work at all. Scented, unscented, etc.

Of course, I’ve searched for alternatives. Complicated concoctions like this were not appealing. Baking soda and vinegar was slightly more appealing, but I never got around to actually giving it a shot.

And so it’s clear, conventional deodorant sucks. As far as I’m concerned, there should be very little in life you are willing to layer on your skin that you aren’t willing to eat. Not to mention that the idea of forcefully preventing my body from sweating via an anti-perspirant always seemed aggressively stupid.

So … what’s the great paleo solution?

It’s mineral salt.

I picked this brand up the other day for $4 USD at Whole Foods. It’s supposed to last for a solid year. I’ve read online that it lasts up to 3 years, even with daily use.

The question is: does it work?

So far, yes, absolutely. Condensed salt in the shape of an egg with a little water works perfectly. Honestly, I am still blown away at how well it works. It worked within 5 minutes of the first application. Since then I’ve applied it once per day … and have had ZERO body odor. None. Zip, zero, zilch.

Do I smell “good”? No, and that’s the point. I don’t smell like anything. Kind of like breath. The best smelling breath to have is none at all.

So far, zero skin irritation — making this very distinct from more common “natural” deodorants.

Interestingly enough, it has a mild anti-perspirant effect, without any of the side risks associated with conventional anti-perspirants.

Overall, extremely happy with the purchase and the product. I can’t recommend it highly enough. It is super cheap, goes for years, lasts well over 24 hours per application, and is as natural as something can be.

It’s fucking condensed salt.

Assuming this stuff doesn’t cause me to grow a third testicle, I have no idea why anyone would use anything else. Mineral salt as deodorant actually fixes the source of the problem, rather than poorly covering it up for a short period of time.

The cost is lower, the effect better, and the associated risks are non existent.

Give it a shot and enjoy.

– Anthony Dream Johnson

 
While I realize I am not a major celebrity, and that this endorsement comes as nothing less than obvious to long time readers and viewers, I have decided to officially endorse Ron Paul for President.

I have made this decision to endorse Ron Paul, and lay out some basic points as to why he is my choice, because while not enormous, the reach of my voice is significant enough to warrant making this endorsement.

The totality of my work being viewed over 150,000 times per month, and climbing.

Something few 23 year olds can claim anywhere in the world, from any profession or background.

Something I intend to leverage to the max in this endorsement, regardless of the size of the impact this endorsement will have.

~~~

There are three easy to understand reasons why I am supporting Ron Paul, perfectly illustrated in the picture seen below.

From left to right they read federal reserve, IRS, and military slavery. These terms represent institutions, concepts, and practices I absolutely despise, hate to the highest degree possible, and will oppose to the day I die.

The federal reserve target is representative of fiat currency, and more importantly, the legal tender laws used today to violently force you to use the “reserve notes” (US dollars) that the united States Federal Reserve prints.

To be clear, in the year 2011, in the united States of America, the freest country on earth, you will be arrested by any means necessary if you choose to create and use your own money, yourself, through a bank, or otherwise.

If you defend your life in this scenario by resisting arrest — and the imprisonment which follows — with equal or greater force — such as you would use in a mugging or robbery — you will be shot and killed by law enforcement officers.

You would be labeled a “crazy domestic terrorist”, and it would be hailed a victory for law enforcement who gunned down the man or woman who wanted to use their own money, rather than money forced upon them.

To be clear, this is bat shit insane in a professed free society.

Ron Paul absolutely opposes the Federal Reserve and their theft-by-inflation robbery of the people of these united States(which means that they print so much money, so fast, it rapidly devalues the money you actually hold).

Ron Paul opposes the federal reserve and has sought to abolish it since before I was BORN. His plan as president is to phase the federal reserve out of existence as fast as practically possible. He absolutely opposes legal tender laws — along with all unjustified use of force against people who have not actually committed acts of violence or fraud.

The IRS target represents income tax, and more importantly, violently enforced tax. Which is to say that for refusing to pay, say a tax on your income, you do not lose access to services, you face violence.

The same process that applies to legal tender laws also applies here. For refusing to participate in say, income tax, you are arrested, hauled to court, and ultimately, sentenced to jail.

If you resist this process with equal or greater force — such as you would a mugging or robbery — you will be shot. Having hurt no one, you will be murdered by law enforcement officers. You’ll be called a “domestic terrorist”, and it will be hailed as a victory for law enforcement by local as well as national news stations.

To be clear, this is absolutely bat shit insane in a professed free society. It would only make sense in a society under the rule of say, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, or communist China.

It is utterly incoherent in this country, and Ron Paul absolutely opposes the IRS, the income tax, and all violently enforced tax for that matter. He will work to abolish them in that order.

He opposes them so much that in the interim period, which would be met with much resistance from closet communists and fascist pigs that have invaded my country, I believe he would issue presidential pardons to any individual that was accused of any sort of crime relating to personal income tax.

Such as he would pardon all non violent drug offenders — getting high as a kite on any flavor of drug you choose being perfectly legal under the declaration of independence and the federal constitution of these united States.

The military slavery target in the image represents military conscription, or “the draft”. Many people write this subject off as irrelevant, however, I argue that THAT is precisely why a potential draft is so dangerous: it is not discussed or seriously opposed by any candidate currently running for President, in any party, except Ron Paul.

What does exercising your liberty and resisting “the draft” mean, applied in real life?

It means for refusing to be a slave in the military, you will be arrested, dragged to court, and forcefully locked in a cage, like an animal. Local and state law enforcement will not protect you from this process, in fact they will be the ones helping to carry out this process, in direct violation of their oaths to the federal constitution of these united American States.

While I realize there is a long tradition and tolerance for slavery in this country in the flavor of violently enforced military service, tolerance and tradition DO NOT DICTATE LAW. Contrary to the lies you’ve been told since birth, law is not a matter of opinion, perspective, whim, wish, or emotion.  It is determined by fundamentals of reality, and what is physically written down in pursuance there of.

Consequently, it is true of every country earth that unalienable rights were not, and cannot ever be delegated to government (or anyone else for that matter, hence the “unalienable” part).

Unique to any government operating in a union or under a contract — like the US Constitution and the federal union of States it represents — validated and connected to reality BY the declaration of independence, those unalienable, individual, easily observable rights are positively asserted in that legally binding document that declared total secession from Great Britain.

To be clear, like legal tender laws and income tax, if you resist a military draft in the defense of your life by the means necessary — which means equal or greater force directed towards the individuals attempting to ship you off to kill Muslim people — you will be shot and murdered in your own home by law enforcement officers. In the freest country on earth, you will be labeled a “domestic terrorist” and it will be hailed as a victory for all law enforcement agencies involved.

Having rationally defended your unalienable rights, legally asserted in the declaration of independence, you will be FUCKING DEAD.

Like in the case of legal tender laws and income tax, gunning people down in their own homes for refusing to sacrifice themselves for a worthless cause, remains a radical, extremist position held implicitly by

• Barrack Obama
• Mitt Romney
• Rick Anal Froth Santorum
• Newt the Grinch

and on, and on down the 2012 presidential lineup.

Ron Paul absolutely opposes slavery in all forms in this country, for any reason what so ever — that includes the military, at any time, and under any context or condition. You have a RIGHT to your LIFE and your LIBERTY.

You have a RIGHT not to be gunned down in your own home for refusing to participate in income tax, legal tender laws, or wars of aggression.

I will repeat myself so it is ultra-clear: income tax, legal tender laws/federal reserve, and military conscription, are radical positions. I am not a radical, and as a fourth generation American, second generation Floridian, and young business owner, I simply cannot get behind these EXTREME positions that all candidates running, with the exception of Ron Paul, ENDORSE.

I’m a realist. I’m a practical man, and I simply have to endorse the only rational candidate running for president. He opposes government sponsored murder of people in their own homes, like any sane, practical, reasonable person would oppose.

A vote for any candidate but Ron Paul is a vote for war, a vote for income tax, a vote for legal tender laws, a vote for military slavery — and a vote for killing people who do not wish to participate in these things, and in fact recognize their legal right not to.  They recognize that the US Constitution in it’s entirety cannot ever include the violation of unalienable rights, the non-contradictory protection and securement of which was legally asserted as the sole purpose of government in the declaration of independence.

A vote for Ron Paul is the only rational, practical, reasonable, sane vote you can make this presidential election, because he is the only candidate who does not support initiations of violence. Such violence, like in the 3 examples I gave, are CRAZY, radical, and extreme. Implicitly endorsing the murder of people for not paying income tax, refusing to join the military, and using their own money, should land you in the NUT HOUSE, not the White House.

With that said, let it be known, I endorse Ron Paul for president. I support him 100% and his positions on the issues 99.99999999% of the time. If you value your life, I strongly encourage you to do everything within your power to help him win the Republican nomination, and the presidency of these united States. Send him money. Share and support any video or media item that endorses him in any way.

If you live overseas, FIND A WAY.

If you happen to be loaded with cash (more than the $2,500 contribution limit to his campaign), send money to the Revolution Pac, which can receive unlimited contributions.

Thanks for tuning in. Live free or die.

– Anthony Dream Johnson

This is a brand new speech on The21Convention.com given by level 3 CFA Gary Korolev. As the title states, it’s about the history and future of money. Gary is highly critical of fiat currency and central banking in the presentation, especially when it comes to the federal reserve of the united States.

For some of you, the concepts presented in this speech will be brand new. For others it will be a review. Regardless, I think everyone will enjoy it in full.

As the founder of The 21 Convention, and as someone who passionately f*cking hates the federal reserve, it’s a very welcomed sight at my own event.

Click here to watch

#####

In related news, and as discussed to a degree in the video, Texas Congressman Ron Paul is hours away from WINNING Iowa. For international readers who do not understand what this means: it’s a very, very, very, very good thing.

Relevant to the video, it’s a giant step towards abolishing the federal reserve, as well as legal tender laws (meaning our right to choose our own money is within striking distance).

– Anthony Dream Johnson

For the past 5 years, I’ve hosted a camping trip to a park in Florida named Cayo Costa. The first year I did it with my best friend, seen above (yellow shirt), who died about 8 months later. The last thing we ever talked about was continuing the Cayo Costa camping trip. We agreed to keep on doing it (together).

He died, and I decided to keep hosting it, as agreed before his death, and in a way, in memory of him.

That was 2008. Its now late 2011, and the fifth trip was just held last week. It was much smaller than all of the previous trips. Only 5 of us actually made it to the island, compared to every previous year being in the range of 15-20 people.

I was initially kinda pissed with myself for this, for the group not being nearly as large this year. I blamed myself, for not investing more time and effort rounding people up, and in general, organizing the trip. I even felt like I had let my friend down.

I miss my friend very much. The fact that he’s gone and never coming back crosses my mind almost every day. This caused me to think long and hard about the trip itself, about Curtis, and what really matters in that mix. I realized a few things.

Number one, the world changes, fast.

This is Cayo Costa now.

While I don’t have a picture of it, Cayo Costa when I was growing up did not look like this, at all. It looked completely different, covered from end to end with Australian Pine trees. It made the entire island something akin to a modern day garden of Eden. It was incredible.

A few years ago, the trees were butchered and removed by the State of Florida, for the cost of millions of dollars — money collected by the barrel of a gun in sales and property tax.

The island today, as you can see, is still gorgeous, but a shadow of what is was for the past few hundred years. Even so, when the sun set on Cayo Costa this year, I realized that in spite of that utter dumb fuckery by the State of Florida, the island is still beautiful, and is still very much enjoyable.

They might have fucked it up superficially, but they did not destroy it fundamentally. The island is still there, the water is still beautiful, the beach still white, and the sun still sets.

Similarly, my friend is dead, and never coming back. Not to this island, or elsewhere. Was life and this world better with him alive? Yes, absolutely.

Is it ruined without him? No, absolutely not. The world is still incredible, and while it’s not impossible for that to change (just like Cayo Costa), it is worth fighting to prevent such an event, and to continue making improvements.

The world is still worth creation, production, and man’s mind.

~~~

Number two, I realized that I did not let my friend down. The trip did not turn out as large, but I realized that is because it required more time than I had to spare. Had I spent more time and energy setting up the trip, like in previous years, I would having been committing an immoral act of self-sacrifice. I would have been sacrificing higher values (of time investment), for lower values. Truly immoral, and irrational.

Truth is, Curtis would have done the same thing if the tables were turned and he were in my shoes. If he were alive and I were dead. I know this because Curtis was as selfish as I am. He refused to act in anyway not in his self-interest, throughout his entire life.

Had I acted “selflessly” to setup the trip this year, I would have been staining the friendship Curtis and I had, and him, in death.

~~~

Number three, I realized how unique of an individual I am. In more ways than one, I am the 1%. Like many of the readers of this blog, I am nothing like most people my age. I am not even in any definable tiny minority of young men.

And I am not afraid to be the last man standing. Ever. In anything, anywhere, and anytime.

This is a sharp contrast to the vast majority of young adults who are terrified to act alone, on their own judgement, and nothing more. To say or do something when no one else will. This is a leadership quality so rare most people do not even believe it can exist, other than in art, fiction, movies, etc.

Yet it does. I have it. And so did Curtis.

I have it because I would have gone on the trip this year even if I was the only one going, and so would Curtis. It would have been unfortunate of course, but it would not have actually been a factor in the decision to go on the trip or not. It was irrelevant.

This type of behavior is considered anti-social if not psychotic by conventional standards. It is considered heroic by unconventional standards.

What’s more, this is the exact type of quality that results in inflexible consistency. The kind of consistency that shines in rational commitment to great ideas for long periods of time. Ideas like The 21 Convention, this blog, and the camping trip itself (interestingly enough, have all been occurring for almost the exact same length of time).

For most people to commit to anything, it must be on the shoulders of others. It must be on something “established”, “traditional”, and “practical”. Yet, this is not really a commitment. And it never can be. It is fundamentally flawed (in this specific sense), no matter how impressive the commitment may appear (think college degrees, masters, 9-5 “careers”, etc).

A true commitment that is a measure of your integrity is only possible on your own honest judgement. A commitment on someone else’s judgement is less than worthless in this regard. And such is the way most people live their lives, as zombies, sheep, and the living dead — with a job they hate, a career they did not choose, a degree they did not want, making money they are forced to use by gun point, paying taxes they are forced to pay by gun point, living a life of self-hatred.

A life worse than death.

~~~

Finally, I realized what really mattered on this specific trip. And that was enjoying my time on the island to the maximum. Four other people came, so that included the time I spent with them, especially my girlfriend. Had I gone alone though, enjoying my leisure time on the island as a purpose, would not have changed.

This is what Curtis would have done, because it was the right thing to do. The number of people who come on this trip, is, and always has been irrelevant. It’s the quality that counts, even if it’s just one person.

– Anthony Dream Johnson

####

So it’s clear, doing the trip for a fifth year in a row, was not a waste.

Hat tip to Skyler Tanner for the post title idea.