Life Is A Circle.

Friday went out with Natalia and walked two trails in the Big Bear area. Walked the Woodland Interpretive Trail (1.5 miles) and the short trail around the Discovery Center (0.5 miles). I want to get back into my old lifestyle before marriage and enjoy life and show Natalia the beauty and simpleness that is nature. Natalia walked about half of the trails and the rest on my shoulders for a nice workout. It was a great day out with cool temperatures and light rain along the way. Saturday we headed up to Green Valley and it was a short drive up there. We didn't hike as much but reminded me of the days when I first moved up here and took my dogs up there and skied the trails. The lake was crowded, but again it is a summer weekend. Best time is off season on weekdays to go up there.

Had a horrible week and finding out my ex lies and tries so hard to keep me away from my daughter which in time Natalia will know all the truths. Knowing that I face an uphill battle to try to be a parent to my daughter. Frustrating at times to be seen as the bad person when it is the other way around. However, I made contact with the guys from Team Dirty Work and was very happy to know they are all still out there riding. I will definitely get me a mountain bike when I return and join them again. Funny how life tends to come around in a circle. They have reminded me of the so many good memories I had around the group. In my cycling career and all the places and top events I participated on, it is this group of "Old Farts" as I call them that made the best memories.

Finished reading The Cassandra Project and found it entertaining and a page turner but not really sci-fi as many would call. It did not get many good reviews as it didn't have that sci-fi space feel many were expecting but I highly recommend it as a quick read. My next read I am jumping back into the Long Earth universe in the second book, The Long War. I didn't really find the first book that great but the premise of multiple earths different, so why not continue the story.

Another cyclist, Stuart O'Grady after many years decides to come clean and confess of his doping. However he claims it was only during the 1998 season. Of course he doped like so many others. Him like the many cheaters stole from so many clean riders out there. I am sure it was not only for one year as he claims. Of course his confession comes during his retirement announcement.

An update on Benghazi is that all the witnesses were handed out nice NDA (Non Disclosure Letters). How nice of this administration to make them shut up and not say anything. Ask yourself why. Why? Why are they being made to not talk or brought up to testify? Talking about conspiracies since some think I'm crazy. Here is a great picture taken by my friend "Lead Ed" while in Dallas. This is the "grassy knoll" where one of the shooters was standing during the assassination of President Kennedy. Amazing the fence is still there after all these years.

Don't forget to catch the latest No Agenda Show. Adam is out of town but a great clip show.

Lost Faith.

As if many didn't think I was cynical or pessimistic enough. Got back from court trying to get in writing a plan where my daughter spends time with my parents and I stay in contact with my daughter. To find out my ex felt I should not have any contact, her lawyer agreed and the judge did not care and pushed me off months out while I am gone to maybe give my parents one day a month for contact. Thank God there were laws in place for military members to stay in touch with their kids. Again the systems proves to me it doesn't work and doesn't have to be followed. Prisoners get to see their family more often than I will. Doesn't exactly surprise me as the judge on my case has shown in the past a bias towards fathers. But not just the judge, but the whole system. My daughter is being taken care of by a bipolar person and a person whom was accused of sexual abuse by my ex and still the system doesn't care. They are more concerned in writing down lies by my ex as true facts in bogus mediation reports. Got to keep these lame county "wanna be" psych techs sucking off the government. It bothers me far too much to hear my daughter every so often say that her grandpa is not allowed to change her. Yet my ex sees nothing wrong with her being under his care even when she told me of the abuse and confirmed by another person. Amazing! I will no longer continue to serve my country after my contract is up. Sad but that is what I am shown. Serve, sacrifice for what? The corrupt broken system we so hard go out and defend. I am sorry, I am done and I haven't even started. With this attitude and worry over my head I go out to help Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen in their medical needs so they can get home quickly and safe.

Courts continue to favor in the side of mothers and in my case military citizens and children suffer by loosing contact. Then we wonder where the Dad is. Where? He is too busy paying lawyers and wasting time waiting for trials to come up to be a Dad. Why do the females have all the rights automatically? Even with proof of mental condition, substance abuse or not even wanting the child courts still side for the female. Of course years later we wonder what is happening to the kids nowadays. Blame the courts.

On another front I have a friend whom finally lands a job to find out it will cost her money to work. However I am sure she is not alone. This administration keeps claiming lower unemployment numbers which is not true but those falling off is because benefits ended or they had to take a much lower paying job. Some even moving fields. So we are loosing experienced professionals for lower paying non experienced and in many cases not very well trained to conduct many jobs. Imagine the medical field. It will change as so many are replaced by poorly trained workers and the "Affordable Insurance Act" being forced to so many Americans will cause much problems. But all this administration cares is that everyone is paying for insurance thus more money for the firms whom lobby and run government. Will prices go up? They are now and will continue as people will be forced to buy. How constitutional.

History Repeats

What a tease! I was expecting rain last week and as usual all we got was about 5 minutes of sprinkles. I do live in the desert after all. Summer days are here and other than work not much happening. Drill weekend was slow but as usual working both days. The unit may start to crack down on the so many disappearing an not working but at this point I do not care. HM1 Garcia is slowly making her way out of this NOSC and to her next duty station and she will be greatly missed. Two more Corpsmen from our unit got tagged for deployment and the trend continues.

Oh, I almost forgot to say the most important thing. Roisin finally lands a job! A big relief for her and me as I was also getting worried. A skilled and experienced nurse and having a hard time getting a job. She will be closer to home and hope she adjusts quickly and nicely and ends up being good for her.

More and more sites are being shut down and accounts shut down by Facebook. Why? The answer is simple but many refuse to see the real reason. Slowly we are being shut down and soon many will fear what they write or even think in fear of being shut away or persecuted. More and more people are being persecuted or worse, incarcerated for no real reason other than speaking out and exercising their constitutional right. Is this what 1930s Germany felt like? May sound impossible but maybe book burning is not too far fetched.

I know this administration is waiting for the Zimmerman trial to come to a conclusion in hopes Zimmerman is found not guilty as he was before so they can place the "stooges" to start riots and protests so DHS can pull out again all their armored gear and weapons and put their civilian "glorified security guards" against us to see how far they can go with us before it is enough. Zimmerman, brought to trial because of a few public figures always citing racism for their agenda and pockets. Never are these individuals touted as "terrorist" as what they cite is hate and harm to others. Racism will never cease to exist in or society as long as we use it for an agenda. However the case was declared again a justified self defense and riots were said to happen and as I believed nothing really happened. Answer this - If someone attacked you and you believed to be in great harm and the possibility of never seeing your family again. Would you not defend yourself? I most certainly would.

Finished reading Ringworld and was a little disappointed at the book. It didn't catch me as I was hoping. Ringworld makes my 35th book read this year thus far and completes my reading challenge and new years resolution set. I was surprised to have read so many books so fast. I will continue of course and bump it up to 50 books by years end. My next read is Jack McDevitt's newest book The Cassandra Project and not great reviews but the premise of the story sound good and he is one of my favorite authors to read.

Don't forget to catch the latest No Agenda Show.

Tragedy

Prescott, Arizona, an area that I am very fond off and have a connection with. 19 firemen died fighting these fires which I feel has been horrible at the amount of them. It goes to show us all that these men put their lives on the line and some pay the highest price. Prescott a small historic town really honors them and feels the loss. Below is a video of the funeral detail to Yavapai Campgrounds and a short news piece regarding the wildfire in the Prescott and Yarnell, AZ area. In the short piece friend Gerry Frank is being interviewed while his son (J my BFF) is in the backdrop and later a family member (Michelle Groves) is also interviewed.

In Egypt we see the overthrow of a government put in by our administration and the Egyptian people have seen this and will not have a puppet government over them. So a revolt is happening. Funny to see the Morsi people waiting to Friday July 5th to organize. Why? First our administration needed time to gather "stooges" and fake protesters and supply them with signage and lastly can't do it the 4th if July as the promotion would not be as big with festivities in the U.S. Seems to me the Egyptian people do not want a president with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood ruling over them while our administration promotes it. I feel this administration needs to stop overthrowing governments and placing puppet leaders. Do not send any more military personnel to die, suffer and sacrifice for these evil actions that in no way are among our core beliefs of freedom and democracy. Now for years we have had our President touring African nations with promises of improvement and energy and such to create the One World government that is trying to be spread. Call me a conspiracy theorist or just plain crazy. But people around the world clearly see this.

Finished reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane and found it short and a typical Gaiman story with its supernatural feel. Rather short and didn't really feel its "adult" feel that it was sold as.

I have a handful of new released books downloaded and eagerly awaiting to read so my next choice was not hard since I will read them all. Larry Niven's classic, Ringworld is next since it is in my list and it is this months book pick on the Sword & Laser Book Club. So maybe I can relate when the book is discussed in the next podcast. Now I am one book away from my goal set at the beginning of the year of reading 35 books. I am surprised I read them so fast as last year I got 30 read, and now I am thinking of upping it to 50 by years end.

Don't forget to catch the latest No Agenda Show

You're How Old? 2013? Racism For Money?

Hot. It has started to cool off just a little bit and I think record temps in the mountains and no this is not global warming. I know one thing, I better get use to this heat as it will be with me for a long time as I will not have the pleasure to experience winter this year.

4th of July I celebrated a few days prior with an excellent up close fireworks show and a long day in the heat with Natalia where she had a great time but didn't like the fireworks display as much.

I will jump a little into a controversial topic which is racism and today's headlines. We all have heard of Paula Deen and her controversy over a word she said a while back. A word I hate and never use. A little story I have is a few days ago I was overhearing a conversation of 3 people talking about the story as they were looking at the cover of one of the tabloids and while discussing this that word was used about 3 times. I was praying they would not ask me what I though about the story. This word will never go away as it is used daily by so many people. Mostly from certain groups of people. I ask myself what happened to the so many racial slurs used years prior that are no existent nowadays. Racism is being kept alive by certain groups of people. People that in public despite it but continue to use it and propagate it for an agenda. So in response we will destroy this woman publicly and pull all her products off the shelves. But what about the so many music and movies on the same shelves using this word? Lets pull everything offensive off the shelves using this word. On the same hand we have the Zimmerman case which also is being turned into a racial case. Facts are not needed as the evil that racism is, is being used to control people. Please let this word go into history and realize we are all human beings with the same features. But this will never happen because racism is a big money maker in our current society. Money maker? Why out of the blue is Paula Deen brought out from a word she used decades ago in the "South" where I know this word is very prevalent. Has no other public figure ever used this word? Maybe because she became the spokes person of Diabetes with the firm Novaritis which is in competition with Sanofi. This is the reason the slander. Slander used from another company to gain a foothold in the market with a new drug for Diabetes (NA Show Notes 526).

On a lighter note - I don't know if it started as a joke or some stupid people posting it and it turned into a joke but seems like some believe the United States is 2013 years old. Then we wonder why this nation is in the shape it is in.

Finished reading Camouflage, found it entertaining but short and wanted more from the story. I knew it was short as I kept getting closer to the end with no start to the resolution. But overall a decent read. My next read is Neil Gaiman's new novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Rather short and hope it is enjoyable.

Jumped back into gaming and started the new DLC for Borderlands 2 after many days of trying to download the DLC and update. Must say it was just one day of gaming. Maybe more in the next few days.

Don't forget to listen to the No Agenda Show

Happy 237th Birthday!

Happy 4th of July to all patriots and those that serve, support and sacrifice for this nation and what it means. However, if you are one of those unpatriotic citizens whom protests against our Constitution and doesn't want freedom and allows our freedoms and Constitution to be bypassed. Please do not celebrate, keep working as normal because this day doesn't apply to you. Keep working to put money into the system to support those that don't contribute and like to take. We are now at a time that more than ever our beliefs and culture are being put to a test. We must continue to be and represent what we are as a nation. We live under very few basic beliefs as seen by our very short Constitution. Never be afraid to stand up and wave the Red White And Blue and show your patriotism.

Heat = Water Guns

Short work week and starting to warm up this week as we enter summer. I am not liking it and hope it cools off just a little bit. Natalia got a some water guns. Wait! Guns for a 3 year old? Isn't that forbidden now? No! She is having much fun with them. I will not dwell in any politics or rants this time around. I lock myself up on my cabin and tune the world out. Simply so much nonsense out there lately. Even a nice little house way out in the corner of Apple Valley would be nice. Well, maybe not with this heat.

Went to see World War Z with Roisin and found the movie entertaining. I knew it was not going to be like the book as the book took a whole different approach to tell the story. Had a great time getting a tour of Apple Valley, the Town of Apple Valley and the movie. Below is a small video clip of what a World War Z movie would be if based on the book. There is already word on a sequel to World War Z, but I don't see a reason for it.

Finished reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and found it a nice read. More of a look at two societies and how the 19th century is being developed in the 6th century England to "develop it" by changing religious views and moving out religion from being the leadership role. My next read was Animal Farm by George Orwell. I much liked 1984 as it applies to today and found Animal Farm another book I feel everyone should read. A short read and makes some points about humanity and society. After hearing the Joe Haldeman interview from Sword & Laser and him being one of my favorite authors I decided to read Camouflage after he talked so much about it.

Don't forget to catch the latest No Agenda show. 

Admiration & Persecution

Thus far quiet days with my ex and at home, just the way I like it. I want to wish Roisin and her father a great day as he is 80 years old. It was somewhat of a sad day but one has too step back and admire the amount of things people that age have seen and experienced. It always amazes me the stuff people have gone through. Now imagine an immigrant whom left his home and made the journey to a new and different place. That alone is to admire. Sadly me and my generation will not see nearly as many changes and events as our parents and grandparents. Maybe one reason why I joined the Navy to maybe get a hope of experiencing world changing events even as small as our current events.

Finished reading State Of Fear by Michael Crichton and I highly recommend this book and I feel is a must read for everyone. I decided to stay with Crichton and read Next. I liked Next as it pointed out many things about gene manipulation and gene patents. Coincidence that Crichton died early in life from cancer. Hmmmm. Another must read book for everyone. My next read I decided to finally buy Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. This book may be the very first book written about time travel but it was used to point out society from that era and Twain's time.

I was slowly looking to get my upgrade before I leave and it seems cell phone companies are again screwing consumers. Amazing how they price fix and raise prices even more. Amazing how some cell bills are the same as car payments lately. Now you are paying full price for phones on top of the cell bill itself. No more subsidized phones. I guess I will keep my old phone and when I get back turn it into pre-paid. These companies are going to loose customers once people realize this. Now I hope cell phone companies start to lower the prices of devices as they are too high.

I have to go on a minor rant on a big subject and that is Edward Snowden and this administration treating him like a spy. Funny how they trash his background yet hire him to run the computers that spy on us. Now this administration is eager to catch him to shut him up. An administration whom promised to be transparent and to help whistle-blowers yet they persecute them. On the other hand we we have Holder and the administration providing guns to Mexico causing so much havoc and now Syrian rebels which in turn will be pointing those guns at our military. Yes your sons, daughter, wives and husbands will one day be on the other end of a gun provided by our government. So much secrecy with the IRS and Benghazi to begin with and we are concerned about a guy whom just pointed out what he did. Please, we need to wake up.

Microsoft has decided to change its policies on the new XBOX One after so much backlash. It will no longer require an internet connection and games can be traded as before with no restrictions. However the Kinect sensor and its capabilities are still an issue. Sony however right now ahead with its lower price tag advertised. Also to note I got the urge this week to play some video games which I haven't played in weeks. Wanted to download State of Decay to find out it has been having issues downloading. So I never got to download it to play it. Thanks Microsoft. Playstation on the other hand has released Last Of Us and it looks like game of the year already. For some reason Sony tends to back and put forwards awesome story telling games.

Don't forget to catch the latest Sword & Laser Podcast

It's Daddy's Day!

Finally went out to see my brother on Friday. As usual we left late but it was a nice day overall. Natalia doesn't see her uncle often but amazing how much she remembers and likes being around him. Saturday I was back in front of my smoker and cooking all day. Pulled pork again with different rub (mustard based) and apple wood for the smoke. However still didn't come out good. I will now need tips. Maybe higher temps? Better quality meat? Wrap it? Help!

Made employee of the month at work and it really doesn't mean much to me. I go in and do the same work day in day out not looking for recognition. It was funny to get it now as so many pointed out to me I never was recognized while working in my old department where I did so much, took care of so many problems and took on so many responsibilities. But I am happy to see my many associates at the front increasing their numbers thanks to me. No one else takes the time to help them out and care.

I want to quote author R.A. Salvatore in his dedication to his upcoming novel and series as I found it something I live by.

"This book is dedicated to anyone who believes that the hero isn’t the one with the biggest sword, but the one with the biggest heart,

Who believes that doing the right thing is its own reward, simply because it’s the right thing to do,

Who believes in karma, or divine justice, or simply that the greatest reward of all is being able to go to sleep with conscience clear."

Finished reading The Human Division and a bit disappointed at the story. Not as page turner as his previous books. There really was no ending and the story overall seems a small part to a much larger story in the war between the two groups. My next book is State of Fear by Michael Crichton and thus far a page turner. I was hoping to also read Animal Farm but picked up the wrong book at the library. So next week I will go pick it up.

More news on the XBOX One is released and I must say I am an XBOX guy but may not be much longer. Seems they are treating its users like criminals by forcing an internet connection and still not really answering the question about used games but simply going around it like a politician. Not to mention the Kinect will be listening and watching you at all times. Sony is in a real good spot to dominate if it simply does the opposite. I already use my Playstation for all my media and entertainment and now I may go full on to that system.

Don't forget to listen to the latest No Agenda Show

Spy and Block Me!

Drill weekend over and not much work this time around. Again another mandatory Navy wide training. This month we send off Lt. Cmdr. Swearingin (2nd tour to the area) and Lt. Cmdr. Anderson to Afghanistan. More new people to the unit and this batch looks like they are ready to work and be around for a while. HM2 White joined us this weekend and it was great to see him and make fun of him.

Spent one day this past weekend with my grandma and Natalia and it was a nice time. My grandma is doing and looking good as years past and may hopefully end up staying just a bit longer.

Finished reading The Last Threshold and I found it a good story and left me wanting to know more. Eagerly await R.A. Salvatore's next book to see what it will bring as it will be a six book series. My next book was Make Room! Make Room by Harry Harrison and I know I can expect anything from this author. This book was the inspiration for the movie Soylent Green. However the book was not a traditional Harrison book and found it to my liking. I recommend this book to anyone as it was a nice quick read. I then jumped back into Scalzi with his latest novel The Human Division and thus far half way through it and not as catchy and special as his previous books.

Work has been extremely busy. I don't know why so busy. Everyone says beginning of the month as all those government welfare cards get reloaded but I've never seen it this busy. As many know I get irked at the welfare system as I see it abused daily. So many of these cards I see not belonging to the actual buyer and more and more every month being able to cash out their benefits. Seems every store nowadays makes most of their money from the government. Not just Wal-Mart as I see bigger and bigger signs in fast foods places, Target, gas stations, etc... I'm waiting to see a nice white and green one in Starbucks. Even cooked food is now added. Are people too lazy to actually cook their food. Won't be long before anything can be obtained with welfare benefits. We are becoming a welfare state where many are becoming accustomed to believing the government will provide them with anything they need. I understand some people really need the help but it is not what I see. Just recently numbers have started to come out on the figures spent yearly on this program and it has grown substantially over the past couple of years.

Also in the news and finally mainstream Americans seeing how this administration has been spying not only on journalists but in citizens. It is not news to me as it has been happening for sometime now with these huge data centers being used and built to funnel all our cell and internet traffic so it can be scanned and saved. Some amy start to slowly see much stuff online being "blocked" from such popular sites like Facebook and Google searches as these companies clearly are some being used for this. Maybe now more and more people will wake up and see how we are slowly becoming a slave state. The huge push to un-arm us, the push to spy on us, the slow indoctrination of Islam culture being pushed to us, the push to bypass and maybe erase some of our constitutional rights, and the lack of jobs forcing so many of us to become government dependent or just to submit. As our president says many times - "Just getting by" which appears to be the new motto for America. The land of the middle class just getting by. I am very skeptic on the recent attacks in U.S. soil from what we are told are Islam radicals. Seems more and more are happening and never before even through our long cold war, while our administration keeps arming groups in Africa, the middle east and even Mexico. A clear example Americans are seeing now in the Benghazi killings as the truth us slowly coming out, not to mention the current turn of events in Mexico and I dare say the unexplained "deaths" of the many U.S. Navy SEAL sailors. With this all being said I know this administration has definitely flagged my little blog and all is being stored. Hey! President, can I also have some space to store my photo and music files in your servers? LOL

I have a little rant - Why is it hard to get hot sauce at a fast food place? They have too many types. Want hot sauce? Yes. Hot hot sauce. Please just make one and that is the choice. If you don't want hot sauce then don't ask for it. Mild, medium, hot, inferno? Just one, please.

Man Of Steel Trailer

Don't forget to catch the latest Sword & Laser Podcast #130.