I released a post not long ago, about what I pack in my “bug out bags”.

You can read and view it here (mostly video, followed by item links that correspond to each video).

When creating the post, I knew I faced quite a challenge to communicate what I … really wanted to communicate.

I had all of these links, and a rather long, not terribly exciting series of videos. Both definitely needed more “splainin”, but I knew that if I tried to include a bunch of text either before or after the videos, it would just become a mess. Too much to absorb in one sitting.

I decided to split the post into two separate pieces, and today, is part two. My “master plan” is simply this: explain the underlying themes fueling part one so it makes more sense, and becomes more useful to those interested in a similar path/hobby.

Kinda put the cart before the horse, but in due time, I think these articles will work really well together =).

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First things first, how did I get into “prepping”?

In the Fall of 2009 my room mate got me into a TV show called Jericho.

I’m not really a big fan of TV, but I have to admit, I watched two seasons of this nearly straight through. Easily my favorite show of all time (followed closely by The Shield).

Jericho is a television show about a small town during the crippling and fracturing of the US Federal Government.

During a State of the Union address, a nuclear weapon goes off in DC, literally cutting off the head of the federal government. At the same time, 22 other nukes go off in major cities around the country.

Millions die that day, and not surprisingly, the country falls into chaos. Some time later, three governments arise. The United States reforms in Columbus, Ohio, Texas becomes an independent republic, and everything else west of the Mississippi becomes the “Allied States of America”.

The USA and ASA are on the verge of war, and Texas remains neutral.

Check out a fan made trailer below.

Anyway, right after watching Jericho I finally got around to reading Emergency by Neil Strauss (author of The Game).

It was here that ideas like “bug out bag”, “survivalist”, “prepping” and dual citizenship were first introduced to me. I simply had never thought about those things before reading Emergency, but, after just finishing Jericho, they sure as hell fit into the puzzle that was then forming in my head – what if something like this (a $hit hit the fan scenario) actually happened?

How unlikely is it?

Hell, on September 11^th 2001 a few thousand people were murdered by those who hate the “United States”. How far fetched is it that something like that, happens again? Who’s to say it wouldn’t be a significantly more devastating attack?

As the saying goes, history repeats itself.

If it’s not apparent by now, our government has managed to anger a lot of people, both at home and abroad (enough to motivate suicide attacks apparently).

Saying that Jericho like events are unlikely? Sure, I’ll go with that. But impossible?

I’m not so sure, and I think anyone telling you for certain that it is impossible, is full of baloney. No one really knows for certain – all we can do is guess.

But, not even this was the driving motivation to read, research, and take action (at least regarding a “bug out bag”).

Far more likely events are bound to happen. Hurricanes most notably in Florida – and we’ll discuss others soon enough.

Combine a natural disaster with the way most people will act under extreme stress (various degrees of panic and irrational thought/action), and you have a serious problem on your hands.

The events following Hurricane Katrina are an excellent example.

…

It is largely due to the above topics that I chose to “build” a Bug Out Bag. I like to have my cake and eat it too though, so I wanted something more, especially since I do a fair bit of traveling around Florida, and soon elsewhere.

I’m not interested in spending money on things I don’t need however, so I decided to find a happy middle ground for everything that I wanted in a BOB.

What resulted in a long enough time span were the two primary bags you saw in the previous post (that third is good to have, but not as practical, or used as often).

Those two bags, as you saw, had a lot of little things that were otherwise laying around my room. I asked myself, why not organize this otherwise useless junk into a bag, in case I need it someday, or until I decide it takes up too much space and would be better replaced with something else? (related or unrelated).

Off hand examples include that little pack of Tide laundry detergent, a bunch of nail clippers, and a portable GPS I’ve had since I was a kid.

Some “preppers” are critical to include such insignificant items, but I ask, why the hell not? My nails grow like crazy, and those little clippers make my life all the more simpler. Why not include them?

Again, I find it wise to include items – if you have the space – that would otherwise just sit around, as long as they are even remotely useful.

What’s more, it didn’t cost me anything. This is the world we live in now, and I run a business. That, is numero uno on my list of priorities, and I’ll gladly go with the minimum amount necessary in a BOB to ensure the success of The 21 Convention.

In addition to all of this, like I mentioned, I do a fair bit of traveling around Florida. Gainsville, Jacksonville, Cape Coral, and so on.

You know what?

In the past, every time I went to one of these places, I had to spend a good deal of time packing a bag or two. And when I got back, unpack it.

A bit of a pain in the arse wouldn’t you say?

Enter the bastard child of a BOB (made on the cheap with items already laying around), and a “Nomadic” bag.

Of course, when I do travel abroad, I’ll have to remove a few items, and add in a few others. But on the whole, my bags are already packed.

If I want to go somewhere just a few hours away, I’m good in less than 2 minutes. I can just up, and walk right out the door. Independence and freedom on a small scale, but a great feeling none the less.

And if I want to travel afar? It’s really a simple matter of re-organizing a few things, and I know I’m set. No more wondering if I forgot anything last minute – I’m already prepared for WW3 =).

Zombies

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The “Zombie Apocalypse” included in the title of the previous post was, mostly a joke.

Note the term mostly though.

Of course, a true Dawn of the Dead style zombie apocalypse is the least of my worries (at least I hope it is! Haha). But that’s not what I was really referring too.

I think the term “zombie” is actually quite fitting for unconscious, irrational, violent behavior people are prone to under extreme stress, manipulation, a lack of basic needs (food/water), or any combination of the above.

Think about it for a second, seriously. What is a zombie? A ravenous, mindless creature, that wants to “eat” you.

Do you see the parallel to a person who is desperately searching for food and supplies, either for themselves or their family – all under extreme stress and a probable (temporary or prolonged) collapse of order and law enforcement – in a SHTF situation?

In essence, the “zombie apocalypse” is similar to what we saw happen in New Orleans after Katrina. By preparing for “it”, you are simply preparing for if/when something like that happens, and people who are not prepared, and have yet to receive aid from large organizations (assuming it is coming in the first place), are beginning to get hungry, and desperate.

Not only for themselves, but for their friends, neighbors, even children. I’ve seen people do things most would consider insane, for no reason at all.

When your own life, or the life of your children is brought into the picture? Anything is possible.

Combine that with a partial or complete lack of law enforcement/emergency services … I don’t even like to think about it.

How probable is it that something like this happens?

Well, on temporary and smaller scale, 100%.

It is absolutely inevitable that more “Katrina” like events happen, both in the US and around the world. Natural disasters are simply part of the way things work, and to think that your state or country is immune to them (either through location or strength of aid organizations/government) is simply naive.

It can be big like the recent disaster in Haiti, or “small” (in comparison) like Hurricane Charley – which I experienced first hand. Heck, I watched the eye pass by just a handful of miles from my house.

Even something as small as the recent snow storms in the North East where supermarkets were picked clean by those caught unprepared.

I’m sure the more pertinent question on your guys minds though is – what about on a larger scale, and longer term?

Well, the nation of Haiti was nearly wiped off the map just a few weeks ago. If a country falling apart isn’t “major”, I don’t know what is.

But, there are bigger things at work. Obviously another terrorist attack, on a Jericho level, would be pretty devastating. At the rate the United State is starting (unconstitutionally by not declaring) aggressive wars in the Middle East, I think the probability of something on that massive a scale happening increases each and every day.

And it doesn’t even have to be entire cities disappearing via nuclear blast – a large EMP strike would be far more devastating (although maybe not as much as the author of the following book would like us to believe) to the continental United States and other “first world” nations.

This plot line is explored in modern America in One Second After.

Excellent book by the way.

Of course, attacks (including those that don’t pan out but still cause hysteria) and natural disasters, are not all we have to worry about though.

I think what is far more likely to happen is a “collapse” of some sort. Even this could come about in a variety of ways though (and there are quite a number of theories on if/how/when/why this will happen).

My guess?

A Soviet style financial collapse of the United States.

Of course, those are Ron Paul’s words not my own – but never the less, they fit my guess of what’s to come as well (assuming little or nothing changes over the next few years).

This warrants a discussion in and of itself – but this is not the time or post to do so. The take away message is what’s important: the society we live in is fragile. This is witnessed on a small scale when natural disasters happen. On a grand scale?

We have yet to see it in recent times, but I believe it to be a distinct possibility. In fact, I think the saying will hold true that

“the bigger they are, the harder they fall”

And financially is the most likely way, in my eyes, that this will happen, if  a collapse of some kind does come to pass. I think this is just the natural order of things though, how human nature works on a large scale.

Societies grow, and unenlightened group think results in centralization. As a society continues to grow, the instinct (urge?) is to further and further consolidate “power”* into that already growing central authority. This is akin to filling a balloon with water and squeezing it tighter and tighter.

Eventually, it will explode (collapse).

*A reader not long ago asked what I thought of movies like Zeitgeist, and I assume, other “conspiracy” movies like End Game, Fall of the Republic, and The Obama Deception (of which, I’ve all seen). Well, this is it – they are a surface level representation of one group trying to prevent another group from squeezing the “balloon” ever tighter, until it explodes. There may very well be some sort of “new world order” conspiracy going on, I have no idea, and there is simply no way for me to know (I have my doubts however since I don’t think many people are that smart, and could keep secrets that long).

However, even if there definitely were, I wouldn’t find it very relevant. It would just be another expression of someone trying to squeeze the “water balloon” ever tighter. It’s already happening elsewhere in ways we can very directly influence. I’ll pass on being concerned about something outside my sphere of influence – mental focus is better spent elsewhere.

As long as I am prepared to the best of my ability, and can get home to my family – who wouldn’t last 2 days in a Katrina like situation – in the time of an emergency (hurricane, terrorist attack of some kind, or financial meltdown followed by civil unrest), I am satisfied – and in the mean time enjoy the freedom and convenience of well prepared supplies for a variety of situations.

And to be completely honest, “prepping” grows on you as a strange, yet fun hobby =). Others who are still in the dark about such a past time will find it strange of course, but I’d rather be considered a nut now and prophet come crunch time, than caught with my pants down completely unprepared.

Dual Citizenship

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It would be fitting to end the post with the previous paragraph, but I promised more in the title, so I’ll deliver and just call his bonus content.

First up is the dual citizenship.

Neil Strauss in Emergency is the inspiration for this btw.

It’s nothing amazing honestly. It works in one of two ways.

A. You have a $hit ton of money and buy your way into a citizenship.

B. You have family that was born in another country.

In my case, my maternal grand parents were born in Eastern Europe. One was born in a country that does not allow citizenship based on your family history. The other grandparent however, was born in a country that is somewhat laid back about citizenship policy.

In that country, as long as your parents or grand parents were born there, you automatically have access to full citizenship for only a measly few hundred dollars, and their approval (I imagine those with criminal records won’t be allowed in, for example).

The United States to this day technically* allows “dual citizenship”, as does the country I am applying too.

*It’s actually a little hazy, since technically you can only be a citizen of one country, but they allow it none the less and many people are dual citizens.

Why am I interested in becoming a dual citizen?

Mainly because it’s easy for me to do, and if the rules change, I’ll feel like quite an imbecile for not getting it when I could. Were it not so easy and inexpensive, I would simply not care – but that is not the case. In the rare and extreme situation where a dual citizenship would prove useful, I’ll be glad to have it – both domestically and abroad*.

*Neil Strauss cites an incident in India if I remember correctly where terrorists were executing only British and American citizens in a hostage situation.

Domestically it’s not quite as useful, and things would really have to be down the $hitter for me to even fathom fleeing the country (and airlines would still have to be functioning), not to mention my family. But, I think it’s worth having the option.

And on a less dramatic note, I can go to nations not friendly with the United States, such as Cuba (which I actually saw as a kid fishing).

So, there it is, how I’m becoming a dual citizen come May 2010 when I fly to NY to apply, and probably do some speaking for those interested in The 21 Convention there.

Plant Pemmican & Other Mischief

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“Pemmican”, is actually a combination of animal fat and protein. I’m in the now continual process of making it myself, and have bought some previously from US Wellness Meats as seen in the final video of the three part series.

Plant Pemmican is a term I coined the other day when I got my first box of YouBar custom nutrition bars (hat tip to Tim).

Of course, I think most plants we consider “food” aren’t really food at all, but something akin to cardboard. And naturally, I’m a firm believer than 99% of the time (100%?) animals are a better source of “food” than plants.

But, that doesn’t mean all plants are not real “food”. In fact it is our ability to eat both plants and animals that has kept us alive for all these years, and probably helped propel us to the top of the food chain as a by product.

As a result, what I call “plant pemmican” is simply a custom made YouBar that only includes real food, and while not perfect, would sure kick the crap out of most other “foods” in a survival situation.

You can get YouBars here, and the code for my last batch of bars is YCPNK

I don’t get an affiliate commission for that (although I have applied to be an affiliate), that is simply the code I got to reorder my bars as I had them last time.

My bars are medium size (45g) and include the following ingredients.

• Almond butter
• Organic Dates
• Organic Clover Honey
• Whey Protein Isolate
• Organic Coconut
• Organic Pumpkin Seeds
• Pecans
• Cocoa
• Goji Berries
• Carob
• Organic Cacao Nibs
• All in one vitamin infusion
• Cinnamon

And have the following posted as nutritional information

• Calories: 210
• From fat: 101
• Total Fat: 12g
• Sat. Fat 3g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 1mg
• Sodium: 18mg
• Total Carb: 20g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 10g
• Protein: 9g
• Vitamin A: 22%
• Vitamin C: 69%
• Calcium: 30%
• Iron: 25%

Not sure what % of those vitamins are locked up in fiber, but that fat and protein should be good to go (the protein being mostly from Whey, a complete, fast absorbing animal protein).

In any case, these taste quite good. The cinnamon is probably what adds the most flavor, so I may remove some of the other ingredients rich in carbohydrate. I also just ate the bar I read the above information off of, and piled on some coconut oil in the process.

DAMN

That’s good =). The texture and flavor skyrocket with coconut oil, along with the nutritional punch, and calories needed to survive in the wilderness (which I’ll be doing this spring break).

On the downside, these are expensive as hell*, so I will not be ordering them for anything but more food to stuff in my BOBs. Eating these on a regular basis would quickly bankrupt me.

The catch however, is that you choose exactly what goes into each one, unlike the ones you buy at a store which are packed with wheat, soy, corn, and other nonsense that’s horrible for us. I’ve scoured Whole Foods, and have yet to see a plant based bar even remotely as “good” as the ones I just got from YouBar.

Of course, home made animal pemmican kills these nutritionally =). You can’t just go and buy a ton though (well you can from US Wellness, but it wont last as long as a batch you make yourself), so this is what I’m left with to supplement the food supply in my BOB.

All in all, I recommend them for that purpose.

*By the way, you can use discount code TYNAN for 10% off. I’m not sure if Tynan get’s a commission off that or not, but if he does, it’s probably better to support him than just letting all the money go to YouBar, which has to be making a killing at $3 something a bar.

My New Vibram KSO Treks

I’m a huge fan of Vibram footwear. In fact this is my third pair of Vibrams (I once owned black KSOs, which I gave to my room mate as a birth day present, and I currently own Navy Camouflage Sprints ).

I love the KSOs, and I love the Sprints even more (for me personally, they both have their highlights). These treks are a different breed of Vibram though as they are tougher than nails (and expensive at $125 minimum).

I was pretty wary of dropping $125 on shoes I thought I just didn’t need. Vibram Sprints and sandals cover just about everything – but not everything.

Even with merino wool toe socks the sprints/ksos do not handle weather below about ~50 degrees Fahrenheit. You can suck it up of course, but cold feet is pure misery for me, even with hairy hobbit feet.

Because of this, I have always had an eye for Flows (which are heavily insulated). This is permanent with Flows however, and not something I would like for my shoes in the Florida Summer heat.

There is also another problem not addressed with Flows or Sprints – really rough terrain. Both have adequate soles for mildly rough terrain, but as soon as you step on something sharp or jagged, you will feel it in your feet.

Despite my Austin Powers like chest hair, I’m not Bear Grylls, so this isn’t a common problem. It is something I’ve experienced though, and something that’s crossed my mind – even in urban places like downtown Orlando (rough gravel).

Considering the above two issues, the KSO treks seemed like a possible solution to both considering it’s build.

For one, it’s made with kangaroo leather (that’s right, Mama Roo got turned into some shoes). Kangaroo leather is tougher than nails, and while not as insulating as the material found in Vibram Flows, I am betting it’s 100x more insulating than the paper thin regular KSO material that covers the top of the foot (and on the sprint, there is nothing there but air).

I’m also betting the substantially thicker soles of the Treks prove to be more insulating than the thin bottom layer of rubber found in classic KSOs and Sprints (this I believe, is where most of the heat is lost in your feet on cold ground, but that’s only based off of observation).

Secondly, the thick rubber soling is as strong or stronger than most conventional shoes (probably only short of heavy duty “hiking” boots). It’s seriously tough, and topped inside with more Kangaroo leather. This is another vital use of these shoes that is not found in any other Vibram.

Now, normally that aspect is useless to me, and even the added (moderate) insulation is only seasonal – but as mentioned eariler, this spring break I’m going camping in the middle of no where with two friends.

I’ll bring my sprints for sure, but I simply can’t risk my shoes being a liability camped in the middle of nowhere. The Treks not only provide some added insulation (which I’ll need in 30 degree weather), but are tougher than nails, bottom, top, all around – and even water resistant (not proof, but pretty damn close).

The only drawback of the Treks is the price (the cost of Kangaroo leather according to Vibram President), and slightly less mobility.

The mobility gained with classic Vibrams (and not so much the Treks) is primarily with the “inward” grip of the toes, which isn’t the most imperative part as I understand it.

What is important, to me anyway, is the “outward” or “upward” mobility gained with all Vibrams when attempting to run and trek about in the woods.

Rather than being chained to a moving plank during a sprint or strange angle while hiking in shoes, your toes can work as they were meant to, and even spread out as they were meant to for added “agility”, stability, and toe strength (I think the “agility” is simply being more aware of what the hell you are running on rather than being in constant contact with a flat cushy board in a typical shoe).

All in all, excellent shoes. Pricy, but I’ll be glad to have them next time it’s freezing out, or walking over sharp rocks in the middle of **cking nowhere come spring break.

Get them on Amazon here, but wait till the price drops to the MSRP of $125. No idea why they are so jacked in price on Amazon. Idiots.

You can also get them here at TravelCountry.com (a local store and small warehouse in the Orlando area where I bought mine in person). They have a bunch of brown* ones like mine in stock, but no black.

*The brown ones I have seriously look like dress shoes, and would probably pass as such if an occasion arises where I need dress shoes.

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And there you have it, my thoughts on all sorts of fun stuff, and hopefully clarification on my previous post detailing every little item I have organized into a few bug out bags for travel, convenience, and emergency use.

I am no “pro” at prepping, but then again I think it’s more of a personal/individual decision to make, so “pro” is a lofty term to throw around in the hobby/field. In any case, if you have questions, I’m an open book as always.

ps- I researched to hell and back which multi-tool was best for the money I was looking to spend. I decided on a Swiss made multi tool you can find here. Don’t have it yet, but that choice represents hours and hours of reading reviews and comparing models/brands. Is it the best for under $70? I’ll let you know when I do and compare it to my room mates Leatherman Wave – who, in case you havent guessed by now, also caught the prepping bug

What follows is something that started small, but quickly morphed into an ongoing hobby of mine: “prepping”.

What is “prepping” you ask? Simply put, preparing.

Preparing for what?

Well, if that was your next question, you are on the right track my friend =). The short answer would be “anything and everything”.

Being “prepared” allows me to up and leave my home whenever I choose, at the drop of a hat. It doesn’t matter where I’m heading – whether it be an island for 3 days, a friends house a hundred miles away, or my family’s home 200 miles away – the preparation applies to all domestic* locations.

I’ll also be taking the two backpacks with me internationally in the coming months, although the contents will have to be modified accordingly for each country.

In any case, the discussion of “preparing for what?” requires more depth than this post will coherently fit, so we’ll leave it for another day.

Today, I’ll share a 3 part video series of “What’s in my Bug out Bag?”, and follow up each video with links of the items mentioned within.

• Space blanket
• Best ear plugs ever created (thanks to Tim for the find)
• Bionic gloves
  • I use these for weight training more than anything. Regardless, they have held up incredibly well for over a year now – something I can’t claim for those cheap 5 dollar gloves I use to burn through in high school.

• Coconut Oil (can also be bought on Amazon)
• MSR Pack Towel (thanks to Tynan for the find)
• Bass Pro Floating Sunglasses
  • Forgot to mention in the video that the tips of the frame have small holes in them, just big enough to tie some fishing line through, to make a cord suitable for hanging the glasses off your neck. Very cool, and have never seen that before in a pair of sun glasses.
• 550lb Paracord
• 205 Piece First Aid Kit
• Quik Clot
• CPX-1 Two Tone 9mm Semi-Auto Handgun (that I bought from a cop down in my hometown)
• 21 inch Police Baton (with rubber grip, wish mine had this)
• Vibram Five Finger Sprints (also discussed more in depth here on The Dream Lounge)
• Injinji Toe Socks for Vibrams
• Long Sleeve Merino Wool Shirt (from Icebreaker)
• Short Sleeve* Merino Wool Shirt (from Icebreaker)
• Merino Wool Boxers (from Icebreaker)
• Gorilla Tape

*I really need to step aside here for a moment. For one, the black, short sleeve, merino wool shirt I constantly wear at The 21 Convention and in videos, is by far the best shirt I have ever owned. I have worn it religiously for over 1.5 years now, some 3-6 days a week. Often times I will wear it multiple days in a row, without washing it. Why? The material is incredible. Not only is it comfortable, and not only does it resist extreme temperatures (by wicking sweat away or insulating in the cold), but it is incredibly durable and resists odors like a true champion – which can’t be said for cotton or Under Armor. It may be a bit expensive, but I highly recommend it, and it is worth it’s weight in gold when it’s either hot or cold outside.

The List

• Detergent
• Dr Bronner’s soap
• Marbles
• Sling shot
• Burt Bees Lip Balm (“Medicated“)
• Spork (thanks to Tynan for the find)
• Creative Zen 4gb Media Player
  • Honestly, I don’t use this very much, but when I do, it works great, and it has held up well over the years. Thanks to Tynan for the find.
• Fire Steel
• Sony Cybershot T-20 8.1 mp Camera
• Vitamin D
• Pocket Constitution
  • Make sure you check for all of the pages in this, as I was reading through mine and apparently it is missing quite a few – well that, or our federal government is up to a lot of non sense and often ignores/rationalizes away the supreme law it swears to uphold. I’m sure it’s just missing a few pages though … ya, that has to be it.
• Swiss Army Backpack

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

I propose the following idea: that certain historical “heroes”, are not heroes at all, and that certain historical “villains” are not villains at all.

Of particular interest are Genghis Khan and Abraham Lincoln (often referred to as one of our “greatest presidents”).

Simply put, I believe the history and legacies of these two men have been severely distorted.

This is probably why I vividly remember my 10^th grade “world history” teacher (Mrs. Copeland) defining “history” as a well agreed upon pack of lies.

So much so in fact, that the conventional views of these two men, are the inverses of what common sense would reveal upon further investigation.

Let’s start with Genghis Khan.

The first time I heard anything about or relating to Genghis Khan was on TV in an episode of South Park, when one of the characters said “God damn Mongolians”.

That was then followed by a mounted horde of “Mongolians” trampling over a hill. I’ll never forget it.

More recently, I saw Genghis Khan directly mentioned in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and on the old Tucker Max discussion board. From what I could tell in Uncharted 2, Genghis Khan was vilified (however briefly).

The Tucker Max discussion board however offered a different perspective though (before it closed down in the fall of 2009). #1 N.Y. Times best-selling author Tucker Max, said that Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World was one of the most personally influential books he had ever read.

I’ve met Tucker, and despite the bad press he gets at times, he’s a stand up dude.  Naturally, when I read his endorsement of the book, I was intrigued, and eventually purchased the book on Amazon.

The book is phenomenal, and I could see why he was so supportive of the book long before finishing it.

I’ll share a few of my favorite quotes from the book and allow you guys to make your own brief conclusions if this information is new to you, before I share my own. Also, if you want the short version, read what I have bolded. Any paragraph beginning with * denotes a new and separate quote from the book.

*In twenty-five years, the Mongol army subjugated more land and people than the Romans had conquered in four hundred years. Genghis Khan together with his sons and grandsons conquered the most densely populated civilization of the thirteenth century. Whether measured by the total number of people defeated, the sum of the countries annexed, or by the total area occupied, Genghis Khan conquered more than twice as much as any other man in history. The hooves of the Mongol warriors’ horses splashed in the waters of every river and lake from the Pacific Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. At its Zenith, the empire covered between 11 and 12 million contiguous square miles, an area about the size of the African continent and considerably larger than North America, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the islands of the Caribbean combined. It stretched from the snowy tundra of Siberia to the hot plains of India, from the rice paddies of Vietnam to the wheat fields of Hungary, and from Korea to the Balkans. The majority of people today live in countries conquered by the Mongols; on the modern map, Genghis Kahn’s conquests include thirty countries with well over 3 billion people. The most astonishing aspect of this achievement is that the entire Mongol tribe under him numbered around a million, smaller than the workforce of some modern corporations. From this million, he recruited his army, which was comprised of no more than one hundred thousand warriors – a group that could comfortably fit into the larger sports stadiums of the modern era.

In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated merchants or wealthy planters, had been founded by one of its illiterate slaves, who, by the sheer force of personality, charisma, and determination, liberated America from foreign rule, united the people, created an alphabet, wrote the constitution, established universal religious freedom, invented a new system of warfare, marched an army from Canada to Brazil, and opened roads of commerce in a free-trade zone that stretched across the continents. On every level and from any perspective, the scale and scope of Genghis Khan’s accomplishments challenge the limits of imagination and tax the resources of scholarly explanation.

* As he smashed the feudal system of aristocratic privilege and birth, he built a new unique system based on individual merit, loyalty, and achievement. He took the disjointed and languorous trading towns along the Silk Route and organized them into history’s largest free-trade zone. He lowered taxes for everyone, and abolished them altogether for doctors, teachers, priests, and educational institutions. He established a regular census and created the first international postal system. His was not an empire that hoarded wealth and treasure; instead, he widely distributed the goods acquired in combat so that they could make their way back into commercial circulation. He created an international law and recognized the ultimate supreme law of the Eternal Blue Sky over all people. At a time when most rulers considered themselves to be above the law, Genghis Khan insisted on laws holding rulers as equally accountable as the lowest herder. He granted religious freedom within his realms, though he demanded total loyalty from conquered subjects of all religions. He insisted on the rule of law and abolished torture, but he mounted major campaigns to seek out and kill raiding bandits and terrorist assassins. He refused to hold hostages, and, instead, instituted the novel practice of granting diplomatic immunity for all ambassadors and envoys, including those from hostile nations with whom he was at war.

*History has condemned most conquerors to miserable, untimely deaths. At age thirty-three, Alexander the Great died under mysterious circumstances in Babylon, while his followers killed off his family and carved up his lands. Julius Caesar’s fellow aristocrats and former allies stabbed him to death in the chamber of the Roman Senate. After enduring the destruction and reversal all his conquests, a lonely and embittered Napoleon faced death as a solitary prisoner on one of the most remote and inaccessible islands on the planet. The nearly seventy-year old Genghis Khan, however, passed away in his camp bed, surrounded by a loving family, faithful friends, and loyal soldiers ready to risk their life at his command.

*The letter informed that khan that God had delegated all earthly power to the pop in Rome, who was the only person authorized by God to speak for Him.

…but in a letter of November 1246 that still survives, Guyuk asked (Pope) Innocent IV the obvious questions: How do you know whom God absolves and to whom He shows mercy? How do you know that God sanctions the words you speak?

…

He then advised the pope to come to Karakorum with all of his princes in order to pay homage to the Mongol Khan.

*Guyuk was a not so distant decedent of Genghis Khan. While this quote did not pertain to Genghis Khan directly, I believe it shows some of the legacy left behind, as Guyuk essentially told the pope to shove it up his ass.

My conclusion of the fabled, blood thirsty, barbaric, evil, Genghis Khan and the history surrounding him?

One of the greatest men to have ever lived.

History and conventional wisdom have pissed all over this guy on all but the rarest occasions. This guy was so revolutionary, so beyond his time, it’s difficult to comprehend. He is the epitome of one man making a lasting difference in the world, and one of the people I look to for inspiration when I question whether or not I am capable of achieving something, or have the ability to create some thing that will stand the test of time.

…

In a rather abrupt change of topic, let’s discuss …

Abraham Lincoln: America’s Joe Stalin

It’s truly fascinating to unravel the “truth” about Genghis Khan and have it reveal one of the greatest leaders in history. The paradox alone is astonishing.

However, it’s equally infuriating to unravel the propaganda surrounding one of “America’s greatest presidents” and the American Civil War.

Let’s start by detailing the “widely accepted” views of Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War.

As Wikipedia confirms, “Lincoln has consistently been ranked by scholars as one of the greatest of all U.S. Presidents.”

Indeed, I would bet every dollar I have on the majority of modern American’s stating (when asked), that Abraham Lincoln was one of our greatest presidents, right alongside George Washington.

And why would they say anything else? Every public school textbook I have ever laid eyes on confirms and supports this notion – it’s all we’ve come to know.

But, this is only the tip of the iceberg, everyone “knowing” “honest Abe” was one of our “greatest presidents”.

What of the American Civil War and the CSA (Confederate States of America)?

The American Civil War, of course, was fought over slavery, right?

And the Confederate States of America…yikes!

All they were interested in was continuing the enslavement of African Americans, those racist, immoral, “nigger hating” bastards!*

*As depicted in movies such as Wild Wild West, although surprisingly, the remake of Planet of the Apes with Mark Wahlberg hints at the reality of Lincoln and the American Civil War if you pay close attention.

Of course, anyone flying this flag currently is also, as a byproduct, a “racist, redneck, hick, nigger hater”. Nothing else is even possible … right?

Wrong.

This is so “wrong”, it’s horrifying, and difficult to identify a starting point for discussion.

It’s been said I am  “strong” writer, so I’ll go along with that and start “strong”, by proposing that not only is Abraham Lincoln not one of America’s “greatest presidents”, but indeed, one of, if not the worst.

And that’s assuming you can call him a United States President. I say that because no tyrant deserves that title, despite playing the role of and being elected President.

But wait a second, isn’t Lincoln the “great emancipator”? And didn’t he “save” the Union?

Not quite, and hell no.

Lincoln was documented saying some of the most racist things one can imagine, things that most supporters would find shocking.  The thought that he was some sort of abolitionist pitted against the evils of slavery is beyond nonsense.

For example, in his promise to support the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, Lincoln stated “when they remind us of their constitutional rights* [to own slaves], I acknowledge them, not grudgingly, but fully and fairly; and I would give them any legislation for the reclaiming of their fugitives.”

*Lincoln also claimed in his inaugural address that the federal government had no constitutional right to meddle with slavery. Apparently both comments went to the wayside when he began wiping his ass with the constitution and interpreting it to serve his own purposes.

Lincoln’s great plan for blacks?

Back to Africa.

Export them to anywhere in the world: Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, anywhere but the United States of America.

Now there’s a true supporter of freedom and equality – just ship em off. Who cares if they were born here?

But wait, it gets better.

Lincoln can also be quoted opposing slavery, once calling it a “monstrous injustice”.

There are quite a few contradictory quotes that can be found from “honest Abe” actually. Interestingly enough, this practice of saying one thing and doing another can be seen to this day in American government: it’s called lying.

Tell people what they want to hear, and do as you wish. Real men don’t live by their word, of course; only old fashioned hoots do such a thing, now and then.

…

One more quote, relating to slavery, from Abraham Lincoln

“Anything that argues me into this [Senator Douglas’s] idea of perfect social and political equality with the Negro is but a specious and fantastic arrangement of words, by which a man can prove a horse chestnut to be a chestnut horse.”

…

What of the “emancipation proclamation” you ask?

A political gimmick that achieved nothing. It quite literally freed not a single slave.

It was issued at a time when the war was growing desperate for the North, and was little more than an attempt to insight revolt among slaves in the South, still controlled by the Confederate States of America, and seal off any lingering wisps of help for the CSA from foreign powers (virtually all of which had abolished slavery, peacefully).

In the South that was controlled by the Union, it did not free a single slave. In the North, it freed not a single slave.

Re-read that for a second. The Emancipation Proclamation, quite literally, allowed the continued enslavement of an entire race of people, in the United States of America, and in the territory controlled by the United States of America that had at that point, been invaded by federal troops, and forced to remain in the Union at gunpoint (some “union” huh?).

Since the CSA viewed themselves as a separate state that Lincoln had no authority over (indeed he didn’t except in the parts he had unconstitutionally invaded and conquered), it did nothing.

Lincoln only “freed” the slaves where he had no ability to do so. In essence, it was the biggest pile of horse $#!+ imaginable.

A quote from page 37 of The Real Lincoln provides insight from Abe himself

*Lincoln maintained that the Proclamation was merely a war measure, not an attempt at genuine emancipation. In a letter to his Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase, he admitted that the original proclamation had no legal justification, except as a military measure [cited in book as 14]. He apparently knew that it was unconstitutional as well, for he insisted on calling it a “war measure”. In reality, the president at the time had no power to dictate such a thing to a state government. Today, of course, presidents routinely dictate thousands of laws and regulations and executive orders that state and local governments must comply with. It was Lincoln who let the genie out of the bottle with regard to the transformation of the states into mere subsidiaries of the federal government.

“War Measure” of course can be translated as war power, imaginary powers we are frequently told the President has, to this day. He of course, does not, and never has. Only congress has the ability to declare war, but apparently the constitution didn’t matter then, and doesn’t matter now …

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What about the abolition movement?

Northern support for “abolition” was relatively small. To think that hundreds of thousands of people would fight for such a cause is easy to rationalize now, but completely disregards the racism that was the norm in the 1800’s. Many people may not have “liked” slavery, but VERY FEW were willing to go out, kill other American’s, and possibly die for it in the process.

Even in the South, few (if any) were directly willing to fight to continue slavery. Not many people even owned slaves, let alone the dozens that we see depicted picking cotton under one master.

To go out and die for an institution you had no part in? Highly unlikely.

This includes Generals for the Confederate States of America Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson, some of the best military leaders in history.

To quote from Campaign for Liberty

*Unlike his northern counterpart, Ulysses S. Grant, General Lee never sanctioned or condoned slavery. Upon inheriting slaves from his deceased father-in-law, Lee freed them. And according to historians, Jackson enjoyed a familial relationship with those few slaves that were in his home. In addition, unlike Abraham Lincoln and U.S. Grant, there is no record of either Lee or Jackson ever speaking disparagingly of the black race.

As those who are familiar with history know, General Grant and his wife held personal slaves before and during the War Between the States, and, contrary to popular opinion, even Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation did not free the slaves of the North. They were not freed until the Thirteenth Amendment was passed after the conclusion of the war. Grant’s excuse for not freeing his slaves was that “good help is so hard to come by these days.”

Furthermore, it is well established that Jackson regularly conducted a Sunday School class for black children. This was a ministry he took very seriously. As a result, he was dearly loved and appreciated by the children and their parents.

In addition, both Jackson and Lee emphatically supported the abolition of slavery. In fact, Lee called slavery “a moral and political evil.” He also said “the best men in the South” opposed it and welcomed its demise. Jackson said he wished to see “the shackles struck from every slave.”

To think that Lee and Jackson (and the vast majority of Confederate soldiers) would fight and die to preserve an institution they considered evil and abhorrent–and that they were already working to dismantle–is the height of absurdity.

So if the war wasn’t about slavery … then what was it about?

Coming full circle, the war was about “saving the Union”. Only the Union wasn’t “saved”, it was destroyed.

Believe it or not, United States is actually two separate words, not one as we’ve been lead to believe growing up in America*.

*I for one grew up under the impression that state governments were merely how “government” was organized. The idea that the states came together and delegated powers to a federal government they created may have been mentioned at some point, but never emphasized. “State sovereignty” was a totally foreign concept growing up, reminiscent of a negative view of the term “secession” and an evil Confederacy dedicated to enslaving the black race.

This is perhaps the most disgusting result of the American Civil War, the idea that the United States (on a federal level) is monolithic and all powerful, which of course, it is not. At the present, the United States is still simply that, united, states. At any time, any one of the 50 states has the ability to secede from the union, either through the consent of the states*, or through force of arms (revolution).

*Notice the word “states”, not federal government, is mentioned..

Soak that in for a moment. It’s 2010. Secession from the United States is totally legal, and while unlikely, quite possible.

Taking a step back to the destroyed comment, a “union” ceases to be a “union” when you are forced to stay in it at gun point. This is self-evident (not to mention, common sense), but when you equate “union” with “constitution”, anything goes, as in the case of Abraham Lincoln and the offenses he committed against the constitution and the American people.

The most glaring example being the use of the military to force states to remain in the union.*

*If not self-evident, this is thoroughly explained in The Real Lincoln. The author also cites how all of the founding fathers, including Alexander Hamilton, abhor the idea of the federal government using military force in the case of a state seceding, or in the case of Alexander (the founding father who proposed a “permanent president” for the United States) “impossible”.

Think about that in modern terms to get an idea of how horrendous an idea this is. Texas attempts to secede from the Union. The majority of the states say “no” for one reason or another. Texas decides they will secede anyway (and will do so peacefully, including the payment of all debts to the federal government, and payment for any property of the federal government in the state of Texas).

King Obama decides he won’t allow this, at all costs (because of course, he has to “save the union” once again), and sends in federal troops to remove the members of the Texas state government who are leading this movement.

Think about how disastrous this would turn out. Assuming the National Guard of Texas remained loyal to the state government, and commanders in the US Army actually obeyed the tyrannical orders, you would have young men deciding whether or not to SHOOT AND KILL OTHER AMERICANS.

Sound far-fetched?

Guess what, this happened in the mid 1800’s, right here in the United States of America.

Some 620,000 Americans died. Adjust that number for the population difference between then and now, and that’s the modern equivalent of over 5 million deaths.

This was by far our bloodiest and most costly war in history, an outright disaster. The only “good thing” to come of this war, was the end of slavery in America, which was quite literally, an unintended by product. Only when it became beneficial during the war, for the Union, was slavery even mentioned. At no point was it a legitimate reason for the war.

That one good thing (that had been done by dozens of other nations around the world, at a similar time, peacefully, including Britain, France, and Spain), is heavily outweighed by the death toll, let alone the countless other injustices and atrocities committed during the war, and the precedents it set for future presidents and even dictators worldwide.

Let’s start by taking yet another quote from The Real Lincoln (the bolded parts outline what I have not already said previously in my own words)

Northern Response To the Proclamation

Most Northerners in 1863 were shocked and surprised by the Emancipation Proclamation because they had not been told by their government that they were fighting and dying by the tens of thousands for the well-being of black strangers in faraway states where most Northerners had never been. Hostile white immigrant mobs had assaulted blacks in Northern cities for decades, and in July 1863 there were race riots in New York City as whites protested the Emancipation Proclamation (January 1863) and Lincoln’s new conscription law (March 1863) by randomly assaulting (and sometimes killing) any and all black people unlucky enough to cross their path. The conscription law applied only to whites, and those with sufficient money could buy their way out of the draft for $300. Those without sufficient funds were outraged and made up the rioting mobs. Lincoln ordered five regiments of troops from the recently concluded Battle of Gettysburg to New York City to quell the riots; the troops achieved this goal by shooting between 300 and 1,000 citizens (there are no hard on the number of deaths). [citation 24]

Conscription (a draft) for one, is 100% unconstitutional. The “state” does not own you, never has, and never will. The idea that they can legally force you to go to some far away land, for whatever reason they choose, and get your head blown off, is preposterous.

Then again, the idea that the state also owns your money, and decides how much you get to keep, is equally ridiculous. Few seem to be willing to do something about it however, unlike the men who fought in the revolutionary war against such blatant bull $hit from a foreign power.

Secondly, killing citizens, that are protesting against something illegal (forced upon them), is mind boggling.

Imagine today King Obama tries to implement a draft for the “War on Terror”. People decide to riot, because they want nothing to do with such non sense that includes getting your head blown off in some far off land.

Rather than repeal an unconstitutional draft that is causing violent civil unrest, or allow local and state authorities to deal with the issue, King Obama decides to send in armed federal troops that end up killing a few hundred people.

This is the height of tyrannical insanity that would have our founding fathers rolling over in their graves, and indeed I’m sure it did when it actually happened.

But it gets better.

Another quote from The Real Lincoln

All of these events illustrate the devotion that the founding generation had to constitutional liberty, even when facing the very real threat of disunion. Not so with Abraham Lincoln. Even though the large majority of Americans, North and South, believed in a  right of secession as of 1861, upon taking office Lincoln implemented a series of unconstitutional acts, including launching an invasion of the South* without consulting congress, as required by the Constitution; declaring martial law [unconstitutional]; blockading the Southern ports[note: only allowed by the constitution during war with a foreign power, of which, Lincoln considered the Union to be neither at “war” or the CSA a “foreign power”], suspending the writ of habeas corpus for the duration of his administration; imprisoning without trial thousands of Northern citizens; arresting and imprisoning newspaper publishers who were critical of him; censoring all telegraph communication; nationalizing the railroads; creating several new states without the consent of the citizens of those states; ordering Federal troops to interfere with elections in the North by intimidating Democratic voters; deporting a member of Congress, Clement L Vallandigham of Ohio for criticizing the administration’s income tax proposal at a Democratic Party rally; confiscating private property; confiscating firearms in violation of the Second Amendment; and effectively gutting the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the constitution, among other things.

*By Lincoln’s own logic, “the South” were simply states in “rebellion”. At no point did he recognize the Confederate States of America as a separate nation or independent authority. Technically, by this logic, all members of the CSA military and all civilians of the South were US citizens, at all times. An “invasion” then, meant the killing of hundreds of thousands of US citizens (millions as a modern equivalent).

Out of that laundry list of treasonous offenses, I find the following the most compelling.

1. The invasion of the South (an act of war) without so much as a nod to congress, let alone approval (which the constitution demands).
2. Suspending Habeas Corpus (as a result, tens of thousands of arbitrary arrests, were the norm)
3. Imprisoning thousands of average citizens who denounced the War (including those supportive of peaceful secession for various reasons, including abolitionists who did not want to be associated with slave states)
4. Imprisoning/shutting down major newspapers who were critical of him, his policies, or the war

We need to halt on this one so it doesn’t get glossed over.

“President” Abraham Lincoln IMPRISONED newspaper workers that criticized him (or in some cases just shut down the newspaper entirely).

In other cases, he prohibited specific newspapers from being distributed via US Mail. When newspapers hired private delivery boys, he shut down the press all together.

Of specific interest (another quote from The Real Lincoln)

*One victim of Lincoln’s suppression of Northern newspapers was Francis Key Howard of Baltimore, the grandson of Francis Scott Key. Howard was imprisoned in Fort McHenry, the very spot where his grandfather composed “The Star Spangled Banner,” after the newspaper he edited criticized Lincoln’s decision to invade the South without the consent of Congress and his suppression of civil liberties in Maryland. After spending nearly two years in a military prison without being charged and without a trial of any kind, Howard wrote a book about his experiences titled The American Bastille.

I hate to keep picking on King Obama (as far as I’m concerned he’s the equivalent of Ron Paul in the face of Lincoln), but imagine this happening, today.

Absurd right? Our president imprisoning US citizens, without charges, and without trial, for years! And for what? Disagreeing with his policies? I’m not even sure how to describe such a notion, but indeed, this is what went on.

5. Ordering Federal troops to interfere with elections in the North by intimidating Democratic voters

Here’s another move only a true dictator could make (perhaps only topped by the formation of a “secret police” under Secretary of State William Seward, which some Lincoln “historians” have argued “wasn’t as bad” as the secret police forces we are slightly more familiar with from 20^th century dictators), meddling with elections.

To quote once again (check the bolded text for the highlights)

The normal legislative elections were scheduled to occur in November 1861, and they were similarly suppressed. General Banks was ordered to send his troops to voting places to “protect Union voters” and to “arrest and hold in confinement till after the election all disunionists” [citation 23]. Election judges were instructed to disallow any votes for candidates who opposed Lincoln’s war. In western Maryland at least one candidate for public office was imprisoned along with dozens of other citizens in order to put an end to their electioneering.

The Federal government placed posters at the polling booths instructing everyone to point out any “peace activists” to soldiers so that they could be arrested and prohibited from voting.

…

The ballots were made of different colors so that the soldiers could throw out the Peace Party votes. “Many who attempted to vote the Peace ticket in Baltimore were arrested for carrying a ballot of the wrong color. The charge against these men was simply ‘polluting the ballot box’.”[citation 25]

How anyone could call this man a “real” United States President after learning of this (among other things) is beyond my comprehension.

The fun doesn’t end though, as Lincoln was responsible for the largest mass execution in American history. Lincoln shaved a list of three hundred and three (that’s 303) Sioux Indians down to 39, so as to not anger any European powers (that were on edge to supporting the CSA). Of course, 303 Sioux were still killed in Minnesota, 39 just looks betters on paper.

Not to mention, Lincoln promised Minnesota that he would exterminate all Indians on their land with the Federal army, and sent $2 million to the Minnesota treasury (not promised, did).

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Before summarizing and discussing common rationalizations for Lincoln’s treason, there is one final act of Lincoln I’d like to discuss specifically – waging war on civilians.

There is actually an entire chapter dedicated to this topic in The Real Lincoln (which is certainly not the first book of its kind), and I don’t hope to do it justice, simply inform.

“Total War” is well documented in the South during the American Civil War, that is, the killing of women, children, and men too old to contribute to the confederate army.

The immediate question is – would American soldiers really do such a thing?

Most, then and now, I assume, would never even entertain such an idea, but not all. Some would do whatever there commander demands they do, including (final) top Generals in the Union army under Lincoln.

What’s more, many Union soldiers were recent immigrants from Europe. Various promises were made to them, for fighting in the Union army. Their concepts of the US constitution, “the north”, “the south”, and so on, were at best, weak. They were in a new land, and did what they were told.

To go even further, many of these immigrants were prisoners released from Europe, Castro style.

The next question one would ask – would Lincoln and his Generals really do such a thing?

If it’s not apparent by now, Lincoln was a maniacal dictator that wrote the constitution as he went along, and generally did whatever he wanted without much regard for anyone, or anything.

He viewed himself as above the law, and was determined to “save” the constitution at all costs. He accomplished this by equating the “union” with “the constitution”, and created whatever rationalizations were required (dictators never view themselves as “the bad guy”, not even Hitler)

In essence, he destroyed the constitution, to save it.

Makes perfect sense to a nut job.

In addition, he was acutely aware, and constantly micro-managing the war with the Confederate States of America. No one seems to refute this fact, not Wikipedia (it’s on his page), and not Lincoln “historians”.

Interestingly enough, the one detail supporters claim that he missed throughout the entire war, was that the Union army was waging total war with no regard for civilians. They destroyed everything in their path, intentionally, to hurt the South in any way possible (especially over the final 2 years of the war).

They destroyed entire towns, killed innocent women and children, stole livestock (and often killed the rest), and so on.

There are hundreds and hundreds of letters sitting in museums right now, detailing all of this.

There are even writings describing how slaves fought against the Union army because they were killing everything in sight in some cases, including slaves.

In some cases of course, slaves “joined” the Union army, and were then “forced” to do the lowliest of jobs. Sounds like freedom to me.

Of course, official military orders did not state to kill civilians, force them to “loyalty oaths” (or face imprisonment, and sometimes immediate execution), or wage total war – quite the contrary actually.

But is this really surprising?

No, why would it be? Lincoln wasn’t stupid. Insane, yes, but not stupid, and neither were his Generals.

To the petulant and persistent secessionists, why, death is mercy.

-General William T. Sherman, January 31^st 1864

Waging “total war” on the South would violate international “law” at the time (later codified in 1863 in Geneva, Switzerland). Doing so could have incited European intervention in the war between the states, and not the kind that Napoleon III offered (to mediate peace between the two governments, an offer Lincoln blatantly ignored).

In any case, this part of The Real Lincoln is particularly disturbing, and I suggest reading it closely for a glimpse into the horror that was the American Civil War. What I’ve written above hardly scratches the surface.

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Rebuttal Thoughts

The copy of The Real Lincoln I read also includes an afterword that discusses various criticisms and reviews of the book after its initial release (more than a handful of which I read before finishing the book).

This is where things get really, really, messed up.

No reviews refute the actions of Lincoln listed in The Real Lincoln, even the most critical. The author made a few mistakes and misquotes, yes, but virtually the entire book stands as factually correct.

What “negative” reviews argue is that these actions were somehow justified.

That “it was a different time in America”.

That he “saved the Union”.

That he “freed the slaves”.

Of course, all of this is non-sense.

Lincoln did not “free the slaves”. This was done via the 13th amendment (which presidents can not ratify or veto), an outcome Lincoln hadn’t even fathomed at the beginning of the American Civil War.

He only “saved the Union” geographically. In reality, he destroyed it.

The states of the CSA had every right to secede from the “union”, it was not “treasonous” and not “un American” (hell, a few decades earlier the right of secession was NEVER brought into question when a state was interested in doing so). In fact, secession is uniquely American and has always been a right by any of the 50 states to this day, through consent of the States, or by force of arms.

Ideally, neither should be necessary, but history panned out the way it did and here we are.

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Regarding the “different time in America” comment … complete and utter horse $hit.

Before even getting into it though, notice how the same people proposing such non sense, won’t apply the same logic to the demonized Genghis Khan.

Apparently that logic doesn’t apply when the time gap is over 700 YEARS. It only applies to our own country, and about 150 years. Don’t ask me how that logic works, because it’s simply beyond me.

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When it comes down to it, the federal government of the US is here to protect the rights of individuals. It does not create, or grant them.

The right to defend one’s self and speak freely (among other rights outlined in the Bill of Rights) … are basic human rights.

Censoring free speech to “save” the Union and the constitution is as utterly ridiculous now, as it was then. Confiscating weapons? Meddling with elections?

Waging war on civilians?!

These things haven’t changed since the war between the states by any significant degree. They are as deplorable, irrational, and tyrannical now, as they were then.

Using this piss poor logic to rationalize away the despicable actions and preserve the image of one of “America’s greatest presidents” is, in my humble opinion, un American.

Saying that it was all worth it to (unintentionally) end slavery? (including the modern equivalent of 5 million American deaths)

Bull (and for the record, the foreword to The Real Lincoln is written by a black man).

Trading one evil for countless others is a lose/lose that has prevailed until this very day, with the ever stronger war against individual liberty.

The far reaching costs of Lincoln’s actions are incalculable and almost unthinkable.

But if the “union” had split into two nations, wouldn’t European powers have attempted to invade?

This is the final argument I’ll discuss before closing the post.

In short, probably not.

In reality, there is no way to know what would have happened had there not been a war to begin with (as it was undeniably unnecessary), had Lincoln agreed to Napoleon mediating peace, or had the South won.

The Union could have re-united someday, or it could have remained split permanently. World War 1 may have played out differently, and World War 2, not at all.

Who knows? Who’s to say?

But in the immediate term following the war, the idea that a foreign power would have been able to successfully invade and conquer both independent and sovereign nations is highly unlikely. General Jackson and Lee were some of the best military commanders in history, and together, as one British commander said at the time, the best in history.

And this is assuming the CSA and USA wouldn’t unite during a foreign invasion of either nation (let alone, both).

In Summary…

Abraham Lincoln violated the US constitution more than any other person to play the role of president, in American history. He waged the bloodiest war in American history, costing some 600,000 lives (the modern equivalent of over 5 MILLION people).

And this is only a fraction of the “cost” of this war, that he started, by provoking the CSA to fire first at Fort Sumter, in a successful effort to gain public support in the North, and end other current secession movements in the United States.

Countless scores of men were maimed for life – the entire “South”, utterly destroyed, and in ruins.

He claimed to “save” the constitution, and “the union”, when in fact he did more to destroy both than any other man in American history.

This should not be surprising, as extremes become their inverses, irregardless of the field or subject.

Moreover, Lincoln sent the American government in a nearly permanent spiral of ever more centralized power, of which, we are still feeling the effects today with our leviathan, grossly ineffective, highly bureaucratic and lethargic, federal government.

Excluding the occasional hic cup of common sense and limited government, Lincoln set the precedent for presidents and other world leaders to act on for decades to come. Both in the United States and abroad – even Hitler praised Lincoln and the Union for squashing “state sovereignty” in Mein Kampf.

Enter Abraham Lincoln: American’s Joe Stalin, the most tyrannical “president” to ever hold office in the United States of America, who went down in history as one of the greatest men to have ever lived.

The fact that this maniac has as statue in our nation’s capital is absolutely astonishing; although I think his place on the penny is fitting (our lowest value form of currency, currently teetering on worthless).

It’s been said (then and now), that had the South won the war, they would have justified in executing Lincoln for crimes against humanity. I agree, and would add that the execution should have been done on the White House lawn for all to see.

In the end, he got what all dictators with a lust for power do, only with the unintended consequence of martyrdom via propaganda.

And by the way, the picture at the beginning of this post is embedded from Wikipedia. It is a painting of Abraham Lincoln being greeted by Washington in “heaven”. It dates all the way back to the 1860’s.