How I Research and What is Just Opinion

 For those of you who know me, you know that I try to research what I rant about. At least enough to have a working knowledge. There is a myriad of ways to do research. One is to go online and use Google, which is a liberal owned search engine. There is Bing, also liberal owned. There is going to Wikipedia, which no self-respecting researcher would ever use for facts. When I went to college, I used just about any source that ended in .edu. Those, unfortunately, are also biased toward the left.

Those are the online ways. What about a library? Yes, excellent sources for hard copy research sources, if you want to go through reams of pages of outdated encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other research material. I don't normally want to spend that much time on things unless it is researching history of some sort. The library does have something that I use a lot of, though. Books. I have an extensive library of my own that contains such rubbish as: The Constitution of the United States and the Amendments, The Federalist Papers, The Anti-Federalist Papers, The Federalist Farmer, Madison's notes on the Continental debates, and other such rot.

There is also things such as mass media news sources. You know, the liberal sources such as CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, FoxNews, OAN, NewsMax, etc. All of which have their own bias. Along with these there are the (shudder, shudder) talk show hosts like Mark Levin, Andrew Wilkow, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, etc. These, too, have their own bias, albeit more trustworthy than Chris Cuomo, Jimmy Kimmel, Jake Tapper, etc. I have quoted some of these when I believed them to be spot on.

Lastly, there are people that I talk to that seem to know what's happening. People like immigrants that came from Ukraine, El Salvador, Cuba, Mexico, Korea, Germany, Israel, Palestine, etc. (Yes, I have spoken directly with people from each of these countries.) The ones that make the most sense are those that have lived through what we only hear about from our 'news' sources, and, at times, they tell a much different story than what we hear.

There are also those people that have researched on their own. I know quite a few that if they say it, I believe it without question. Others, I do a little looking on my own. You always have to take hear-say with a little salt. So far, I haven't been steered too far from the truth.

Then, there are the (shudder, shudder) conspiracy theorist types. I know, I am one of those, right? If you look at my record, more than 90% of my 'conspiracy theories' have been proven to be truth. So, I do listen to each one of these people to have an idea of what others are thinking. Right now, no one is thinking good things. About anything. The economy is going to go into a deep, deep recession or even a depression that rivals 1929. Is this this actually theory after all that our fearful leader, the mentally challenged geriatric in the White House, has done over the last 18 to 20 months? I can see it. I've been told that one of the biggest investors that will tell you to always buy is now selling off his stocks. Doesn't sound good.

The theory that intrigues me the most, though, is this: the super-volcano that we know and love, Yellowstone, is going to erupt. Not sometime but soon. How soon? How about December 25, 2022, at 7:08 (I would guess AM because most of the world uses a 24-hour clock). Why does he think this? Life, at its core, is math. Everything comes down to numbers. Numerology has been used for centuries for everything. Math is used in everything from cyphers to molecules to DNA.

What does this have to do with Yellowstone blowing up half the United States and covering over half the world in ash? Numbers. I've listened to this man spout off his theories over the last seven and half years and he hasn't been too far off on most of what he has told me. I don't know how it works. I haven't studied numerology at all. I've always put it down with things like the horrorscope and Ouija board or Tarot cards. (Although, I have dabbled in Runes and have been remarkably accurate on a lot of things.)

To go further into his prophecy. Yellowstone has had some major natural crises the last year or so. This is leading up to a sudden, and unexpected, eruption of the largest volcano on Earth. What happens then? Since it will happen after the election but before the new Congress takes power, the radicals in charge will declare a national emergency, which it most definitely will be. In doing this, they will suspend the Constitution and martial law will take over, the new Congress will not be convened, and the mentally challenged geriatric will be taken out of office due to his ineptitude. That will leave Kameltoe, the Hoe, in charge. We all know she doesn't have the sense of a rock so she will be replaced. Is Nancy up to it? That drunken has-been will be taken out somehow. Who does that leave? Care to take a guess?

How about our old friend, the Great Pretender, himself: Barack Hussein Obama. We all have an idea that he's actually the one running the show, anyway. He'll come back to make things right. And America will welcome him with open arms just as they did when he ran the first time. It doesn't matter that he's a fake, a charlatan, an impostor. He has charm, charisma, power, and, of course, he's multi-racial. People will say he's black but having only one parent that is black doesn't make you that. Don't forget, his mother what whiter than the new fallen snow. Numerology says that Barry is the Anti-Christ. That he will rise up out of nowhere and become the false messiah and lead the world into the Apocalypse.

Because of the ash in the air, the sun won't be able to warm the Earth. Food will become scarce. Then, again, is that any surprise? After all, we have a food shortage now because of the Biden Anti-American policies enacted. America will become a battleground. We will be invaded by our enemies with little resistance from our weakened military. UN forces will become a common sight. Resistance fighters will do what they can but, hunting rifles, carbines with limited mags, small arms, etc. will be no match for UN, Russian, Chinese, North Korean, and Middle Eastern arms and maintenance. America will fall into chaos then into oblivion. The New World Order will take over. The end.

Sounds pretty far-fetched, doesn't it? Or does it? This is exactly what the far-left radicals want. They don't want a free America. They want an enslaved, impoverished, beaten down, taken-down-a-notch-or-three America. We will suffer more than ever before for the sins of our fathers if the left has anything to do about it. They don't realize that they, too, are guilty, if not more so. They, too, will suffer. They may even be the first to be gotten rid of by the invaders. Traitors are not well thought of in any regime. If a person is willing to sell out their country of birth, their brothers and sisters, what will keep them from betraying the enemies of that country? Once a person is known as to betray, they are never trusted by anyone with any sense.

So, it's up to you, my dear readers, to believe it not. I am not saying that the above scenario is what will come to be, only giving one person's thoughts on what they believe may happen. Nothing is written in stone. Well, the Ten Commandments were but we all know what the left did with that. History is done and cannot be changed but the future is what we make it. Will it be a bright and sunny day, or will all hell break loose and a dystopian world the likes of which no fiction writer could even imagine come into play?

We are Americans. We have fought tyranny around the globe (across the flat earth for all you flat earthers out there). We have been through hell and back and made it, thrived, and helped the world, even after devastating circumstances of our own. A revolution, a war to keep our independence, wars to gain land, wars to end tyranny, wars to get to a bargaining table, wars for oil, wars against terrorism. We've endured internal strife with a civil war, for civil rights, gang wars, terrorism on our own soil, riots. We have endured and still survive. We can overcome anything. As long as we fight TOGETHER. The old cliché, united we stand, divided we fall, stands true. If we can re-unite, become one country again, we will overcome the darkness ahead of us. But WE MUST UNITE. As Sir William Wallace said to Robert Bruce before he was betrayed by him, “Unite us. Only you can rule Scotland. But you MUST UNITE US.”

The left has no intention of doing this. It is their everything that we stay divided. As long as we are fighting amongst ourselves, they still have control. We must come together. We must become that One Nation, Under God, Indivisible. We must! If we are to endure, if we are to survive what is coming (whatever that is), if we are to continue to be that one last beacon of freedom, we have to do it together. All of us.

"Now Is The Time For All Good Men To Come To The Aid Of Their Country"

“Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” A phrase any typing student knows well. Where did it come from? From what I have gleaned from the almighty internet is this: The original phrase came from Patrick Henry as, “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their party.” Then, again, I also found that it was nothing more than a phrase from Charles Keller, a typing teacher. Either way, it makes for a resounding cry to any patriotic person from any nation.

Phrases from the past, from such noble historical figures such as Patrick Henry, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill, William Wallace, Robert Bruce, Plato, Socrates, Alexander the Great, etc., are fodder for anyone wanting to incite patriotism, energy, fanaticism, or even common sense from a group of people. (Wow! That was a long sentence.) These, as were all great historical figures, were people worth quoting. These were great men and women that accomplished great things. But, does it really take quoting a great historical figure to bring everyday people into the fold?

What about those people that are normal, every day, working-class people that have a good head on their shoulders? I have had people give good advice that no one has ever heard of. Some of the best knowledge comes from those that don’t have a college degree, that may not even have a high school diploma. I knew a man once that hadn’t even finished the eighth grade that had more common sense and usable knowledge that it was incredible. I would have traded all my formal education for a fraction of his ‘street smarts.’

You see, it isn’t education that makes a person smart. It is the knowledge gained from life that counts. A college degree shows that you have formal education in a certain area. You may know accounting forward and backward, or engineering, or political science, or medicine and not have an ounce of common sense. As an example, just look at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Here is a woman that supposedly graduated quite high in her class from a major college with a degree in economics. When she opens her mouth, what comes out shows that she has absolutely no idea about real life, history, or common sense. I actually feel sorry for her at times. I’m not AOC bashing. I am using her as a great example of how formal education means nothing when it comes to living.

I have a friend that turned me on to a certain author. He brought over a book and told me that he thought I might like it. I’d never heard of this author, but I read it. It was a great read. Since that time, I have bought almost every book this author has written. Why? I have read this woman’s words because she writes about life, about how hard it can be, about how anyone can overcome any obstacle if they just persevere. “Over, under, through, or around. There is always a way.” The funny thing about it is that when I went to Barnes and Noble to buy her books, I found them in the – ROMANCE section. I’ve never read romance novels. I was surprised, to say the least.

Wondering who that author is, are you? Well, let me say this: this woman has had a hard life, she was abused as a child and as a wife, she is dyslexic, she came from a poor family, she has attained wealth and fame in spite of all she had against her. In her novels, she writes of overcoming adversity and betrayal. “We are nothing more than life’s whipping boys, but we continue to fight because of the ones we love.” Through her characters, she tells a story of how a person can be more than what the believe; that life isn’t fair but that, no matter what, we must continue to live, and things will get better.

The author: Sherrilyn Kenyon. Her books: The Chronicles of Nick, The League, The Dark-Hunters, The Dream Hunters, and The Belador Series.

Here is an example of how an everyday person can inspire anyone. This is not an advertisement for Ms. Kenyon or her books, although I do recommend them to everyone. This woman has overcome great hardship to achieve great things. She isn’t a great political figure, social justice figure, community organizer, or historical figure. She is just a common woman with a story to tell. Throughout her books are life lessons worth learning; especially in the Chronicles of Nick series.

You see, there are people that haven’t gained notoriety that are quite knowledgeable in life. Some of these people have little formal education. It is LIFE that teaches us the most. If you don’t have some form of common sense, then life will beat you down. That is the problem in today’s world: all it takes is a lot of money or knowing someone in power and you don’t have to worry about a lot. Look at any political party in any nation and you can see that common sense is not at the top of their agenda.

The days of patriotism, commitment, loyalty, and common sense are over. Today is the day of feelings; how a person feels about any given subject is what is important. What the individual wants is more important than what the community needs. Special interest gets the venue, not common-sense policy. It boils down to where politicians can gain more power; and it isn’t just here in the United States.

“Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” A great quote, even if it is just a typing exercise. It’s just too bad that more people don’t take it to heart. This quote isn’t just about patriotism. It is about life. United we can achieve anything. Divided, we will fall to whatever comes along. Not just as a nation but, also, as normal, everyday people living together in a world that is hell-bent to destroy us.

Families need to get back to being families. Friends need to get back to being loyal and having each other’s backs. Communities need to get back to helping each other. “The good of the many outweighs the good of the few.” Too often the few demands more than the many can accommodate. When a minority’s wants are put before the needs of the majority it puts undue pressure on everyone. As can be seen in today’s world, minorities are fast becoming the influencers of policy regardless of the consequences of those policies. Political correctness is destroying the freedoms that every person should be enjoying. Families are no longer together, friends turn into enemies, communities become individuals hiding behind locked doors.

Maybe that great quote should be changed just a little. Maybe, instead of ‘the nation,’ or ‘the party,’ it should read, “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their neighbors, their families, their friends.” Whether it be local, state, national, or global, isn’t it time we came to the aid of those we care about? Isn’t it time we got out of the idea that the individual is more important than the community?

I’m not talking about opening our borders to anyone and everyone that wants to come to the US. I’m not talking about the working people paying more and more taxes to support those that are unwilling to support themselves. I’m not talking about giving up inalienable rights because of another becoming offended. I’m talking about making sure that those inalienable rights are available to everyone wherever they are. Maybe if the people of the world would just let each individual be who they are it would be a better place to live. Let the LBGT community be gay. Let the hunters hunt. Let the vegans eat their veggies while the omnivores eat whatever they want. Let people worship the way they please without demanding the oppression of other’s beliefs. Don’t demand that everyone think and believe the way you do.

It’s a big world that is becoming smaller every day. There are a lot of people living on this little rock in space. As the Beatles once said, “Let it be.”

The Media vs the American People

As I sit back and watch what is happening in the world, how social media and the mainstream media are controlling our thoughts, I am totally amazed. Here in the United States of America, the most democratic, the freest, nation in the world we are manipulated and controlled by a biased media and an intolerant, far left-leaning Congress.

As President Donald J Trump fights to keep America free, safe, and economically sound, our so-called representatives are fighting him tooth-and-nail on all fronts. They call him a Nazi, fascist, xenophobe, homophobe, racist; all because he wants to build a physical barrier between Mexico and the U.S., he wants to deport illegal aliens, he wants to have a photo ID to vote, he wants fair trade deals, and on and on. All the liberal left can do is investigate, investigate, investigate. There has never been a president so persecuted; not even Richard M Nixon was investigated this hard.

Why are they doing it? Let's take a walk through recent history.

During the primaries for the 2016 election, Hillary R Clinton rigged the selection process so that she would win the nomination for the Democratic presidential candidacy. The people, clearly, would have chosen Bernie Sanders by far.

During the presidential campaign, Clinton was given debate questions beforehand. She bought a shaky dossier from a former British spy of dirt about Trump from the Russians. She was also investigated for having an unsecured server with classified U.S. Documents on it. Because of bias in government, she was exonerated before any investigation started. During that investigation, she deleted over 30,000 emails that were subpoenaed by Congress, wiped her server clean with Bleach-bit, destroyed phones and removed SIM cards.

Bill Clinton received half a million dollars for a speech given in Russia, the Clinton Foundation received tens of millions of dollars from Russia, and let's not forget the Uranium One deal where 20% of our uranium was sold to Russia while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State.

Yet, here we are, over two years into the Trump Administration and all we hear is that Trump colluded with the Russians to win an election that even he didn't think he'd win. The liberal left were so hurt and dismayed by his historic, landslide win against the favorite that they are doing all they can to destroy him and his administration. The election was rigged against him, the Mueller investigation was rigged against him, the mainstream media is rigged against him, the former administration is fighting against him, yet here he is, fighting every day for America, and winning.

What does this have to do with being controlled and manipulated by social and mainstream media? CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, The LA Times, Hollywood celebrities, athletes, college professors, anyone that leans left constantly pour out negative stories about Donald Trump. Not one of them ever says anything about the good he's done and is doing. They are more interested in destroying him. All because their savior, Hillary Rodham Clinton, didn't get elected. Yes, she won the popular vote by about 1.5 million votes. The thing about that is those votes came from New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Should three cities control what the entire nation does? The Democrats think so.

The socialist/communist agenda of the Democratic Party is being shoved down the collective throats of the entire nation. Universal everything is a fundamental right to all in the world at the expense of the U.S. Taxpayer. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has gone so far as to say it is a fundamental right for everyone to have an income to live on, even if they are unwilling but able, to work. Socialism at its best. The younger generation, the generation called Millennials, are all for this. They believe that they are owed a living with no effort from them. Thank you, Socialist Representatives, social media, and the mainstream media that parrot this talk on a 24/7 basis.

After over two years of extensive investigation, the Mueller Team found absolutely no evidence of any collusion by Donald J Trump or his campaign even though the far-left liberals and the mainstream media have been pronouncing, daily, that there was clear evidence. They are still saying it even after the Mueller Report came out stating there was no collusion. The Democrats just won't give up until they find something, anything, against the one President, since JFK, that is totally for America. And Kennedy was shot because of it.

The antisemitic terrorist attacks around the world are blamed on Trump by the left. Any terrorist attack is blamed on Trump. Why? The left doesn't like his straight, politically incorrect talk. He says what he thinks without a filter. Instead of blaming the radical Islamic, antisemitic, pro-socialist, racist terrorists for what they are doing, the left must blame Trump. Yes, they hate him that much. They hate him because he is against their anti-American ideology. The mainstream media and social media follow the left to the letter.

There are four freshman Congresswomen that have basically taken over the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives. Each and every one of them has gone before cameras and the press and disrespected our nation in one way or another. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Oman have spoken out against Israel and the Jewish people, our biggest ally and the only Democratic nation in that region. Omar had the audacity to actually say “Some people did something” about the 9/11 attack on our nation and that all terror attacks around the world are due to America. AOC constantly accuses our men and women on the border as running concentration camps and being Nazis. Ayanna Pressly has said that if a black, brown, yellow face can't speak with the same color voice they don't need to be involved or heard.

The media has largely ignored all of the things these women have said and done. Instead, the media, the people that the nation goes to for truth in reporting and understanding in what goes on around the globe, have said that Trump is a racist, fascist., and a misogynist that is destroying the country with his tweets. As the 'Squad,' as they call themselves, give speeches, put out tweets, and give press conferences on how bad Trump has treated them, the press will not condemn them for any of their racist, Fascist, antisemitic, or anti-American rhetoric. The press praises these people like they are gods.

The mainstream media has become the mouthpiece for the Democrat Party. Instead of news, we get an opinion. Instead of reporting all the good that Trump has and is doing, we hear everything against him. They tear apart every tweet, every speech, even every gesture that the President makes and makes him look the bad guy. All the while screaming out the attributes of the new Socialist Democratic Party and ignoring that party's anti-American, pro-socialist, racist rants.

Whatever happened to news anchors like Walter Cronkite?

“And that's the way is was...”

Is It Really Worth It?

     Is it really worth it? I mean, really? In today’s society where being offended is more important than keeping safe, where madness and chaos rule and sanity and calm are persecuted, where caring about another is looked down upon and hedonism is cherished, is it really, really worth it? Is love just something to be taken advantage of because it shows weakness?

     Ok, we have the liberals that are doing everything they can to destroy the Constitution, except the parts that they want for themselves (conservatives aren’t allowed any rights). They want to do away with freedom of religion (at least the right to practice Christianity), free speech (as long as it comes from conservatives), the right to keep and bear arms (except for law enforcement and their army of security people), protection from illegal search and seizure (except when it comes to their illegal activity which is totally within their rights to do, such as Hillary’s email server). Do you see where this is going?

     The problem is this; the conservatives aren’t doing a damn thing about what the liberals are doing. The Republicans in Congress sit back and cower, kowtowing to the liberal rants and giving them ground instead of standing up and fighting for our rights. Thank the gods of Asgard that Patton, McArthur, Washington, etc., all the great generals in each war we’ve been in since the American Revolution, wasn’t so fucking weak. We would have lost to the British, twice; we would have lost to the Mexicans, the Germans, the Viet Cong (oh, sorry, we DID lose to the Viet Cong). We are losing to the liberal left.

     We are sitting here, spending millions upon millions of taxpayer dollars on bogus investigations against Trump when the Clinton’s and Obama were given passes on all their crimes that COULD be proven. It is only allegations, rumor, mainstream media bias and a lot of ‘anonymous sources’ that are against Trump and Company. Yet, the Republicans are doing just what the liberals want – going along with their game against America.

     Is it really worth it? When actual crimes can be overlooked because they are committed by the liberals and rumored crimes are investigated beyond belief against a conservative it is beyond stupid. It is anti-American politics. It isn’t worth it anymore.

Facebook posts being deleted when they are anti-Muslim (actually anti-ISIS). Is it wrong to put out there what the fucking bastards are doing? Is it wrong to state facts that not all Muslims are terrorists but most terrorists are Muslim? Is it wrong to be wary of ‘refugees’ from ISIS controlled countries?

     I am not politically correct in any way, shape or form. I call a spade a spade and a terrorist a terrorist. I’m not racist or anti-gay. That being said, if you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen. If words hurt you so bad go live in a bloody monastery. I will not, under ANY circumstances give up my right to free speech because of your feelings. No one bothered about my feelings when I was growing up and I learned to live with it all. If you don’t get your precious little feelings hurt then you don’t grow and learn other’s viewpoints. All you do, if you won’t let anyone hurt your feelings, is live in a bubble and don’t get a thick enough skin to survive this journey we call life.

     Is it really worth it? Stupidity and idiocy run amok while common sense and intelligence is ridiculed and persecuted. All you have to do is turn on CNN, MSNBC, Fox; read the New York Times, Washington Post, Oregonian or even the Des Moines Register; watch NBC, CBS or ABC.       Here in the United States it is getting worse and worse with the open arms policy of protecting criminal illegal aliens but in Europe it is so much more dangerous with their government’s open arms policies. The peace-loving citizens of the world are allowing the terror inducing RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISTS to just take over. They have said for decades that the world would become Islamic. They were right and every other religion, ideology, form of government, etc., are ALLOWING IT AND EVEN INVITING IT.

     Is it really worth it? As an over the road driver I see a LOT of stupid. Never underestimate the stupidity of people behind the wheel of a vehicle. Construction zones where it bottlenecks into one lane is a prime example: people will run up the lane that is ending at full throttle until the lane ends then stops all traffic just to get into the open lane. Three miles back there was a sign that informed traffic what was happening; doesn’t matter: gotta get in front of everyone else. There are also those idiots that just have to get in front of that truck, no matter what traffic laws they break to do it, just to slow that truck down. Where did these people learn to drive???? Stupid, stupid, stupid…. Idiotic, idiotic, idiotic. All because of some undeserved sense of self-worth that makes some think they are more important than everyone else.

     Is it all worth it? We elect politicians to represent us in government. That is the way the Founding Fathers set up this experimental government. Over the years these politicians have learned that they are above any laws they pass. All they have to do is state in said law that Congress is exempt. REALLY? Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Our elected officials have become absolutely corrupted. Once again, listen to the ‘news’ on the radio or television or read the ‘news’papers. When we get someone in office that is NOT a politician, the politicos do everything they can to destroy that person because he is NOT corrupted by politics. He may be corrupted by wealth and business but not politics.

     Is it all worth it? I have been called racist, fascist, bigoted, homophobic, islamaphobic, and a host of other things that really don’t describe me. I AM racist; I’ve gotten to hate the HUMAN RACE. As for hating any nationality, religion, color, creed, etc., nah. I love my black boys that call me dad. I love my Russian/Ukrainian boys that call me dad; I have friends that are Mexican, Puerto Rican, Guatemalan, Korean, English, Welsh, Malaysian, Australian, etc. I have known Palestinians, Catholics, Jews, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, Methodists, Hindus, atheists, Pagans, heathens, etc. Yep! I’m a racist.

     Fascist? According to the Oxford American dictionary, the definition of fascism is: 1) a right-wing system of government with extreme nationalistic beliefs. 2) an attitude that is very intolerant or right-wing. Well, I guess they have the ‘right-wing’ and ‘nationalistic’ parts of it right. I have noticed, though, that it is the left that has become very intolerant. I, myself, have been very tolerant of the liberal rants against the Trump Train, albeit with my own comments following said rants.

     I am not even going to go any further with explaining myself or my beliefs. It doesn’t really matter to anyone anyway. Suffice it to say that I am NOT what the left thinks I am.

     So, I ask: Is it all worth it? Is this journey through life worth all the bullshit that the human race piles upon each other? Is it worth the lies, deceit, corruption, greed, etc.? Is it worth all the protests against free speech, owning weapons? Is it worth it to fight against open borders, extreme tax and spend, taking from those that earn and giving to those that refuse to work? There are times that I definitely feel like putting the bottle to my head and pulling the trigger. Is it really worth it?

     There are a few things that I have in my life that make all the bullshit worth every minute: my children (Jennifer, Andrew, Jaquie, Michael), my grandkids (Destiny, Ryan, Oktober, Nova), my ‘adopted’ kids (Travon, Malcolm, Max, Misha, Julian, Josh), even my ‘adopted’ grandkids (Alex, Danny, the Bentley’s, Tucker, Lorelei, and a few others that I claim that belong to friends). I even happen to have a few friends that make it all worth it (actually too many to list, amazingly enough).        Things don’t make life worth living, things make life easier. Family, friends, loved ones are what make life worth living. Even though friends may come and go and family my disown you, it is the camaraderie, the love, the sharing of special moments with those people that make even the shortest time seem like a lifetime. Each person comes into your life for a short time and for a special reason only to leave when their time with you is up. Still, that is what makes it all worth it.

     So, is it really worth it? In a word: yes.

I Have No Respect for the Far Left Anymore

Over the last few months, well, actually since the election in November, I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t even have the smallest amount of respect for the liberal left. Now, to be forthright, it isn’t all liberals. There are some on the left that aren’t totally insane but, for the most part, a person cannot have a decent debate with a liberal from the far left.

It isn’t that I can’t speak my mind or give facts to disprove a liberal’s opinion. I do that on an everyday basis. Where the problem lies is in the fact that the far left have it in their mind that no matter what our President does, it is wrong. The far left is on a mission to destroy Donald Trump at all cost. It doesn’t matter that everyone in the Intelligence Community has stated over and over that there is no evidence that there was collusion between the Russians and the Trump Team to swing the vote toward Trump. It doesn’t matter that there is evidence that the Obama Administration was surveilling the Trump Team at Trump Tower for over a year before the election. It doesn’t matter that Trump is doing everything he can to keep the Radical Islamic Terrorists out of the country and to take down their strongholds. All that matters to the far left is that Trump must be destroyed.

I have inquired many times to my left leaning friends as to what, exactly, they want out of the government. I have yet to get an answer that makes any sense. All they tell me is they want Trump out of office because he is destroying the country. How is he destroying the country? They really don’t have any concrete answer to that other than he is trying to take insurance away from the poor, putting gays back in the closet, starting WWIII and that he is a misogynist, fascist, bigot and racist. None of these things is even close to the truth yet that is what they believe.

What is Trump trying to do? Let’s go through the list:

·         Secure the nation’s borders against illegal crossing

·         Bring businesses and jobs back into the country and keep them from leaving the country

·         Replacing the failing Affordable Care Act that is definitely NOT affordable to anyone other than the poor who don’t pay for health insurance anyway

·         Destroying the Radical Islamic Terrorist Threat

·         Building back our military to the strength it was before Obama castrated it

·         Building back the respect of the world for our country that it had before Obama destroyed it

·         Standing up for our allies, including Israel, instead of embracing our enemies as Obama did

·         Making the NATO allies pay their share of the cost of defending the member nations

·         Becoming more of a nationalist country where America comes before other nations

·         Strengthening the American economy

These things are not destroying the country; they are making America great again. The President doesn’t want to undo the liberal ideology of equal rights for every so-called minority (i.e. gay rights, women’s rights, etc.). He does want to rein in the idiocy of some of those Obama policies such as men in the women’s restroom. If making this country great again, bringing it back to the respected, feared nation it was before the Obama Administration, is destroying it, then I am all for it. The Socialist/Communist ideology of the far left is not what built this nation. It was the conservative values of self-reliance, morals and values of the Christian faith, small government and states regulating themselves instead of the Federal Government regulating the citizens.

The Bernie Sanders/Hillary Clinton/Barack Obama far left liberals are what are destroying this country with their Socialist/Communist ideology of more government control and dependence, fewer rights (such as doing away with the Second Amendment), open borders, allowing illegals to have the same rights and privileges as natural or naturalized citizens and the immoral values of gender neutral society without any form of religious morals or values at all, except those of the Sharia Law as long as they don’t offend anyone on the left.

Have I tried to have intellectual debates with liberals? Of course I have. They only degrade me and call me a racist, fascist and bigot that has been brainwashed by the conservative right. If only they could understand that I do my best to see things from all sides and make decisions based on what I feel is right or wrong. I grew up in a free America without all the far left socialism that they want to bring on these days. We had a Democratic Republic that worked well. Now, I don’t know what we have. All I do know is that the far left needs to get their heads out of their asses and quit dressing up as vaginas to protest things that aren’t even happening.

I have zero respect for the liberal left anymore because of their idiocy. They think that the Trump Train is making America a laughingstock. It was Obama’s effeminate lack of leadership and the left’s own idiotic actions that are making a laughingstock of this nation. It is their constant war against the Trump Administration and their constant undermining of the authority of the office of President that makes the world wonder if we are trustworthy. Until the far left can get their act together they will get no respect from me nor will I even attempt to see their side of any issue. It just isn’t worth the drama.

Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries Just like Erma Said

Life is like a bowl of cherries. Erma Bombeck titled one of her books by that name. I have never read it, at least in its entirety. In fact, I really can’t recall one story in that book as it was many, many years ago that I actually read parts of it but, I know, that Erma Bombeck was a very intelligent author. She wrote her humorous stories around actual events in her life and experiences in a way that was entertaining, humorous and, if read in the right frame of mind, educational.

Why did I choose this as the main topic of this article? I chose ‘life is like a bowl of cherries’ because, through the past week, I have lived that bowl of cherries. Along with that wondrous juicy red fruit that is so delicious, there are always those damnable pits.

I have a friend that has told me for years that I am the only person he knows that can think himself into a bad mood. With my choice of career I have plenty of time to think about things. Amazingly enough, this past week there have been many, many things to think about from the Senate’s agonizing debates about Judge Neil Gorsuch to the bombing of a Syrian airstrip along with enough every day, non-political, work related subjects to choke the life out of anything.

The point I want to make, here at the start of this article is this: Life is actually pretty good for most people here in the good ol’ USA. Most, but not all; I have it decent. I have a pretty good paying job that I really enjoy, a roof over my head and food in the fridge. My bills are paid and nothing is getting shut off so why would I say anything about the ‘pits?’ Without the dark, we wouldn’t know anything about the light. For example, today started pretty good as I got to my receiver at a good time with only a few trucks ahead of me; I waited only a short time before being put into a dock door and it seemed I would get home early. That is as far as the good went. I waited over seven hours to get unloaded and almost an hour after that to get my paperwork. After leaving the receiver I was driving along at the speed limit, got behind a slow pickup truck, moved over to the fast lane to go around and the damn pickup truck decided to match my speed thus making me back traffic up behind me.

No big deal you would think, just slow down, get back behind him and travel on. Let me let you in on a little secret there: personal vehicle drivers do not like trucks. On any given day I will get slowed down by people that speed up when I try to get around them only to slow back down when I can’t and get behind them again numerous times. As a professional driver in a vehicle governed at 64 miles an hour I am at the mercy of a lot of things. I’ve been cut off by people that had to get in front of me, just to slow down or make that exit ramp that I just passed. I’ve had people pull out in front of me with less than a truck length between us. It gets more than a little annoying.

Today, being aggravated by the slow unload, this driver just pissed me off. As traffic is backing up behind me and this idiot not letting me by I blew my horn at him. Now, he could have sped up or slowed down, either way, no big deal; what did he do? He hit the brakes, looked up at me through the window and pulled off the highway. I’m expecting a call from the company about this as I am sure he took down the company name and trailer number because I was being an ass. I could have done more, like start to pull over into his lane to get him to move the hell out of my way for one thing.

As you see, with the day starting as that sweet, juicy, delicious fruit of me going home, getting to the receiver and getting into a door early, there came the pit of taking most of the day to get unloaded and then an idiot driver. Life was definitely a bowl of cherries today.

Another great author that I have come to admire is Sherrilyn Kenyon. For those that have been living under a rock or don’t read anything but Forbes and the Wall Street Journal, Ms. Kenyon writes fantasy/adventure/romance novels (the only reason they are romance is that she does put some pretty graphic sex scenes in there and the main character ALWAYS gets what they want). Maybe you have heard of her Dark Hunter, Dream Hunter, League or Chronicles of Nick books that are international best sellers. My personal favorites are the Chronicles of Nick, the adventures of a teenaged Cajun from New Orleans that has an attitude.

Why do I put her up there with such a writer as Erma Bombeck? Sherrilyn Kenyon was an abused child and she persevered and won the day. She survived and thrived through things that would permanently scar most people. She puts the wisdom of those years and her survival into her writing. Her characters, for the most part, are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old (the oldest that I recall is an Atlantean god that is slightly over eleven thousand years old. When a character has lived as many lifetimes as hers have, they gain a lot of life wisdom.

Ms. Kenyon’s characters have been betrayed by loved ones, been tortured by enemies, lived through hell and, in the end, won the day by perseverance and sheer determination not to let life run them over. Some, the Dark Hunters, have even by murdered in some of the most heinous ways only to be brought back by the Greek goddess Artemis as warriors against evil. Even then, these people have stories to tell and wisdom to share.

The point I am getting at is this: there are a lot of times that the gods make humans their punching bags and don’t give a rat’s ass what happens to us. It is up to us, the human race, to decide whether we will let life kill us or we go over, under, around or through the hardships and keep fighting. There is always something to keep fighting for: a loved one, an important cause, honor.

With all that is going on in the world today, especially since the election in November, there have been a lot of times when people have asked me how my day is, I’ve replied, ‘If it got any better I may as well take off my own head.” After years of fighting depression, it’s getting kind of hard to keep fighting the good fight for me but I do. I fight on because I have things worth fighting for, even if some of those things don’t care about me. As Dom Torreto said in Fast & Furious, “Never give up on family, even if they do.” I happen to have a lot of family, most of which are not blood.

To sum it all up, it doesn’t matter if you are liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, wealthy or poor, mentally balanced or have mental illness, physically healthy or ill, there is always something or someone that needs you, would miss you, would die without you. It doesn’t matter who is in the White House, Congress, Supreme Court, who controls what country, who has done this or that, we all have our roles to play. What we do today, what we say tomorrow, what has happened in the past or will happen in the future, does not matter one iota to the Universe. It will all fade into nothingness through the mists of time. What will remain is whether we kept going, kept fighting for life or whether we gave in and ended it all without a fight.

Over, under, around or through, there is always a way. The gods are childish, narcissistic asses that look at the human race as entertainment. We only get what we earn by working for it and there will be no one there to help us. Friends come and go. We can’t take anything with us and no one gets out of life alive. It is our decisions whether our lives are a beach or a bitch. If you want some good life lessons, some good outlooks on life, read some Erma Bombeck and Sherrilyn Kenyon. There are other great authors out there that, through telling their stories, have wisdom to give but these two are my favorites. Give it try, read instead of staring at your phone or computer screen or game console. Chronicles of Nick, Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries, House of Darke (by Colin R Parsons), Wizard’s Quest (by yours truly) are a few titles for life lessons through stories. Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, Dangerous Minds, Divergent, a few other titles for what life could be, even the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series’ can be more than entertainment if you really sit down and read them.

Don’t let politics, religion, nationality, or ideology cloud your mind. Life IS a bowl of cherries; all you have to do is spit the pits out and keep eating the sweet stuff….  

The Red Cap of Castle Glen

It was a dark and stormy night, the wing howling through the trees like the dreaded beansidhe and the rain falling in torrents making it difficult to see anything. Holding his hand up to his face, trying to keep the rain out of his eyes, Ben trudged on toward his destination. A destination that he feared more than the night creatures that kept watch over him. The words of his father kept going through his mind, “Fear does not exist. Danger is real but fear is a choice.”

Fear was all he felt this night. It wasn’t a choice. It was overwhelming. The old man in the village had told him to make this journey, this night, or his family would die a torturous death. Only the creature that lived here in the Black Forest could change their fate. This creature that no one ever survived seeing, much less bargaining with.

Suddenly the woods opened up and the old castle ruins came into sight. No one ever came here, especially at night. There was a stillness in the air now. No wind whistling, even the rain had stopped. Moonlight shone down upon the ruins almost like a spotlight on a celebrated actor on stage. The shadows, deep around the battlements and portcullis, almost formed an evil face on the façade; a face that threatened anyone that would dare venture near. Ben looked upon the sight with more trepidation than he had ever felt before. Thinking only of his family’s safety, he started across the overgrown garden.

Closing the distance between the safety of the forest and the portcullis of the castle, Ben slowly gained some semblance of courage. The creature that resided here would surely kill him on sight but if that was the price he had to pay, he would pay it gladly. Mary, his wife, and Angus, his baby boy, would survive if he could strike a bargain with the Red Cap. The old man had told him that reciting Scripture or showing a cross would make the creature disappear but that is not what he wanted. He needed help. The old crone had placed a curse on his family, one that would kill them slowly and painfully. Magick is a strange thing. The old man had told him only a Red Cap could reverse the spell she had used. The only problem with that is Red Caps hated humans and would kill them on sight.

He didn’t understand what it was about this night, at this time, that would keep the Red Cap from killing him, least of all, get him to help. Ben had never heard of a Red Cap that could do magick but the old man was adamant about this. The moon was full, true, and that was a magickal time and it was during Samhain, the time when the veil between worlds was thinnest. Hopefully, these things would protect him and bring him victory.

Entering through the massive, broken oak doors of the main hall, Ben straighten his posture and called on courage he had not known he had. Looking left and right then up the grand stair, he called out, “Red Cap! I come for your help. Show yourself to me.”

From the darkest corners came an echoing reply, “Why should I not kill you? A human, walking into my home is fair game. If I show myself, I shall surely tear your innards out of your body.”

“I do not believe you will. I come to bargain. The crone has cursed my family. The old man told me you were the only one that could help. Show yourself so that we may discuss the terms.”

“Terms? Are you mad? There are no ‘terms’ and there are no bargains. The old man lied and the crone must have had good reason. Why should I help you? You are nothing to me.” The voice was behind him and much closer than before.

Fear, once again, set upon Ben. With shaking knees and wavering voice, he turned to face the evilness that lived here. Out of the darkness the creature emerged. It was then that the young man knew that he, indeed, had been tricked. The hairless old man that came forward from the shadows smiled. His razor sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight and his claws clacking together were not near as frightening as the executioner’s axe that he dragged along the floor behind him.

Raising the axe and laying it upon his shoulder, the Red Cap stared at the frightened young man. He knew the boy was terrified, just as all humans were when they saw him. Smiling he spoke again, “I frighten you and yet you stand there. Why do you not run?”

“I have no reason to live if you do not help me. My family will die. Without them, I have nothing.”

“Even so. I should tear you apart and scatter your guts around the room. Yet, you intrigue me.” Uncharacteristically, the creature stood back and, scratching his chin, pondered why he had not killed this human already.

Samhain, the time of year when the veil between worlds is thinnest and creatures enter our world from the other side, is a magickal time. When the moon is full during the season it is especially so. The old man had not tricked the boy, he knew that this night, of all nights, was the only time in a thousand years that a Red Cap was incapable of killing. This night, at this time, midnight on All Hallows Eve with a full moon made the most evil creature to haunt the Scottish countryside unable to rend any victim. The only night that Ben would be able to barter for his family’s lives.

“What do you have to bargain for?”

“I have gold, livestock, food. Whatever you desire, I will find it.”

“I have no need of anything. I live, I kill. That is all. What would I do with riches or livestock? Food I can get. Is there nothing that you will give to me, willingly, to save your loved ones?” Looking at Ben with menacing eyes, belying the horror beneath his words, the small, evil creature continued, “There is only one thing that I desire in this world and that is to kill.”

Understanding finally came to Ben. The Red Cap wanted him to willingly give up his life to save his loved ones. Fear, guilt, shame all came at once. He was afraid to die and felt guilty that he was not brave enough to give his life for someone else. The shame of his cowardice overwhelmed him. Turning to flee from this wretched creature and crumbling ruin, he stopped at the broken oak door.

Turning slowly, Ben smiled. “I will not bargain my life. Without me my family will die anyways. But, I will bargain with yours. You will cast your magick and save their lives or I will take yours from you.”

Never before had anyone ever lived through an encounter with a Red Cap. Even if they survived by running away they would still die within twenty four hours. Now, this boy was threatening the life of this evil sprite, one of the vilest of creatures. Was he mad?

“Nae! Ah willnae dae it. Ye cannae make me.” The small creature belied his uncertainty, glancing around the dark room.

With a speed and strength he had never known he possessed, Ben was across the room and had the small creature on the floor, knife across his throat. “I will.”

The night was drawing to an end. Soon it would be dawn and the veil would close, the magick lost. Pushing harder against the Red Cap’s throat, Ben demanded, “Do it! Do it now or die!”

With blood starting to trickle down out of the blade’s cut, the Red Cap relented. Closing his eyes he mumbled in ancient Celtic, so low that Ben could barely hear, the spell to break the curse. Opening his eyes, all he said was, “It is done.”

Rising from the floor and releasing him, Ben wiped the blood from his knife. “If you have tricked me, if my family still dies, I will return and fight you.”

“You will lose. No one ever survives me. I have not tricked you, they will live. And you and I will meet again. Soon. I will exact my revenge on you.” With that, he disappeared just as the sun shone through the empty windows; laughter echoing through the ruins.

Who Am I?

     Who am I? Is what I see actually me? Or is it just a ghost, a shadow of some long forgotten existence? If I am just a shadow, who is that long forgotten entity I am the remainder of; a hero, a jester, a knight or a knave? Could I have been a king or just a peasant; maybe a mighty wizard or a lowly apprentice? No matter who, or what I was, what remains of that person; the entire personality, core values, wants and needs or a mix of these things from that long forgotten man?

     Who am I? I have lived before, long ago in an age of danger and enchantment. A time when sorcerers held more sway in what happened than anyone, even a king. It was a time when dragons terrorized villages and castles without regard to human life.  But, who was I? My ‘now’ is the mirror image of my past. If this is true then I was nothing more than street trash, doing what had to be done to survive, no matter the cost to ego, self or reputation. I was a beggar, a thief, a sorry shadow of a human being willing to be whatever to whomever; a consort, a stable-hand, a soldier, a spy. I was as expendable as the morning chamber-pot. But, is that what I am now? Is that all I can ever be?

     Who am I? In this life, in this time, I have done whatever I needed to do to survive. I have been that beggar, that thief, stable-hand and soldier. My core values have been shredded more than once just so my family could survive. But, this is not everything. Those bygone days of yore left an indelible mark upon my soul; a mark that the gods of old branded me with so never to be released from my servitude. Zeus and Ganymede, Greek offerings, Egyptian ransoms and Roman perversions all are etched into my very soul.

     So who am I? I am a monster. An ambiguous sense of being that manifests nothing but harm to others simply for the enjoyment contrived thereof. A Kraken, a dragon, a vampire, a werewolf, all together in a man’s body, disguised as a moral human only to have the monster unleash its’ unholy terror when it feels compelled to do so. I am the bane of humanity. A curse placed upon this earth for the entertainment of gods long forgotten; Odin, Hel, Freya, Loki, Thor, Heimdall and a host of others, laughing and taunting me endlessly into the night and beyond.

     Instead of the question: Who am I? It should be asked: What am I? It is not feasible for an entity that is not human to be “who” but only a “what.” What I am, humanity does not recognize as being even close to human. I am a monster of such magnitude that if I were to unleash the totality of my horror the world would not survive. As it is, only a small fraction of a fraction is ever released at one time and that is more than the man can endure. The man is held captive by the monster for it needs a vessel for survival in this world.

     The man tears and strains against the bonds that hold him tethered to this hideous creature, only to find that even Fenrir could not break free from these bonds. Where is Tyr? Who will place their hand in the mouth of the Wolf now? Will the man be ever a slave to the monster or will the mighty gods of the Celts save him from his fate? The Norns are weaving and unweaving a life of misery, laughing at the suffering they cause. Oh, Frigg, save this mortal man, beseech the mercy of the All-Father so that the suffering might end.

     When two minds are battling for one space throughout eons, weariness overcomes the weaker and the stronger beholds victory. This battle is almost at an end. The monster has risen more frequently and more forcefully as time continues. I fear that what will become of the man is nothing more than a forgotten ghost, placed among those things no longer needed or believed in. The man will fade from existence and the monster will devour his soul and the hedonistic ways of evil will prevail. Woe to those who will behold the life left. Evil will prevail with no thoughts of family or friends. Only the desires of the creature will continue. No heed will be given to harm done to anyone or anything in its quest for the whim of pleasure, both physical and mental.

     I rue the day I am lost to this. The most foul of things from the darkest corners of Hades, the deepest pits of Tartarus could not contain the evil that will be set upon the earth. Neither foe, nor friend, will escape unscathed. Loved ones will turn to hate the man for all that will be done through him. They will not fathom the reason why he has turned away from good and just and right. Neither man, nor woman, will fail to catch his attention. Greek and Roman will prevail. Caligula, Augustus, Prometheus, all will bow to the deviant-ness of the creature.

     Behold the evil within us. All have it at their beck and call. Most keep it bound tightly, never allowing it a second of freedom. Once the freedom is tasted, it lusts after all it can acquire. Lust is all it knows. Both man and woman and yet, neither. It takes nothing more than a thought to provoke this part of the monster. A thought, a scent, a sight or even a memory can bring forth the desire of physical pleasure. Not just desire, but a need most powerful; a need not to be unfulfilled. This is the hedonist in the creature. This is what will destroy the man totally.

     Pleasure of the senses. Taste- only the finest mead, sound- only the most melodious of flutes, touch- naked flesh under the softest silk, sight-the most beautiful visions of man and nature and smell- only the odors of love will satiate the beast. This is what is to come of me. A man lost in a world unknown to him, yet, known.

     So, who am I? Just a man. A man hoping for forgiveness from those that may be harmed by the beast within. A man that knows he cannot fight the beast another day. A man who, as much as he tried, will fall to the whims of a mirthless god.

Not My Usual Boring Blog

I have usually taken this blog and used it as a sounding board for my political views, posting some of my stories and general ideas on a miserable life lived in a black-hole small town in Southern Iowa. It’s been a while since I posted anything simply because I posted my entire in-the-works manuscript of Wizard’s Quest Book Two. That should have kept every one (I stress the ONE) of my followers busy for a little while; funny how the views stopped after a couple of weeks.

The local grocery distributor has kept me pretty busy lately driving my life away delivering those groceries to the hungry of Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas and backhauling from as far away as Rochelle, Illinois. I don’t mind that at all, it pays the bills and helps me keep my sanity. Well, what sanity I have left. Plus, when I work I get out of Chariton and see the world. There is a whole big world out there beyond the confines of the Chariton City Limits and even beyond Lucas County! Who knew?

I found out that if a person drives beyond the Lucas County line that the world does not end, you don’t fall off into an abyss of eternal fire nor do the cosmos hit you in the face with some death ray or suck you into space to suffocate or implode due to lack of atmosphere. You can actually keep going and see new things, like real people that speak the same language and do the same things that are done in Lucas County. Amazing, it is. Simply amazing. A whole big world out there waiting to be explored and mapped and exploited and destroyed…. Ooops, got carried away there with my quest for world domination.

Back to home base. I was on Facebook (like I NEVER get on Facebook… ) and saw mi Hijo was at work ( EVERYONE works at the local grocery distributor, Hijo is a security guard making sure no terrorists blow the place up and put trillions of lives at stake) so I messaged him to see how he was doing. I think, just maybe, that his mind has snapped from being caught in the grip of the event horizon we live in. For years he has said that he was a god, total awesomeness and no one could get close to his supremacy over mankind (I may be exaggerating a little bit here, but not much). What he told me was shocking to say the least. He has abdicated his throne and is no longer a god to mankind. He just doesn’t want the responsibility of saving the lives of mere mortals anymore. I give him two days before the ego kicks back in and he is back into his delusion of being a god. Maybe it’s just the fact that he was bored out of his skull from nothing to do but watch those terrorists go by the guard shack with their backpacks full of C-4 to blow the warehouse into oblivion. THAT would have made his day (like most young people these days, he likes big booms!).

Then, of course, there is the latest addition to the family IHOP. IHOP, incidentally, does NOT stand for International House of Pancakes around here. It is an acronym for International House of People. As most of you know, I am not a racist, I hate everyone equally. In the Family IHOP we have: Americans, Mexicans, Koreans, Irishmen, Native Americans and Russian/Ukrainians (I don’t think he has decided which he is as of yet). We are not racist because some of our best friends are white (as mi Hijo likes to say).

Back to the latest addition. The little Russian/Ukrainian pr**k bast**d came over and decided to help me make some mead. This is something that I have talked about, got the ingredients for and finally decided to do. Not that difficult unless you have a Russian/Ukrainian trying to tell you that it’s being done totally wrong. I watched it on YouTube. I know what I’m doing. He, on the other hand, thinks HIS way is better, like he has ever made the nectar of the gods before. We’ll see how it turns out about the time that our soldier-at-arms gets back from El Paso in about 8 months. In the mean-time, I think I will let him try HIS way to see if it turns out any better. What’s the worst that could happen? We will have to throw out a gallon of water, a couple of pounds of honey and two packages of that instant yeast you cook with. Oh, yeah, and a handful of Mango and blackberries I got to flavor the stuff. Total of about ten dollars. If it turns out good… well, there is ten dollars spent on a half-gallon each of Mango and Blackberry Mead!

I guess I should stop about now. My good friend and fellow blogger that I have not yet met in person (I have spent a lot of time with his boys though, glad they are my friends as either one could crush me like a ripe grape), Buzz Malone, has told me that my blogs are WAY too long. This should make him happy that he doesn’t have to take up a whole afternoon to read it instead of writing his own blog, which is really quite interesting and entertaining if I say so, myself.

I’ll let you know about the mead in eight months. Buzz, you might want to ask Jesse where I live so you can come try it!

Wizard's Quest: Book Two Chapters Nineteen and Twenty

All works copywrite Jay D Evans 2013

CHAPTER NINETEEN

 

Sitting on his bed, cross-legged, Richard was doing his mental exercises. Since he came to Castle Crauford he had been instructed in the intuitive arts of meditation, SWEET (soft warm expanding energy technique), GCB (ground, centre, breathe) and the Chakras. All this had helped him on his quest, both for the Great Power Stone and in finding his friends. With all that he had been going through, he had lapsed in his exercises. Now, with things being really wound up with Kahnlin, he needed to hone his intuition to its fullest. He needed to rid himself of all the negative energy that had built up in him since returning to the castle from his first quest.

Master MacCorkadall insisted that he take a few days to rejuvenate and clean himself out. He would need everything he had to win the battle with the Trelf and his intuition was his most powerful weapon. He had used it his entire life without knowing it. It was only when he did not listen to that little voice in his head that he lost. The day he was caught shoplifting in the market his little voice had told him, “Don’t do it, Richard” but he did not listen. The grocer, Argyll Campbell, had caught him and called the local constabulary. When the voice told him to wait on top of the mountain and he decided to continue down, he lost half his company, his soul mate among them.

Now it was time to get his intuitive senses back to full strength. With that, he would know what to do and when to do it, letting the Universe guide him. He had learned to trust his instinct instead of logic. Things progress in a harmonious way once a person uses the intuitive side of the brain. Most of the world discounts the right side and only uses the left side of their brains. Logic will fail at the most inopportune time while instinct, the intuition, will seldom fail. Proven to him more times than he could count since learning of his magickal abilities, he trusted his intuition.

Doing his SWEET exercise was always fun. Visualizing the energy in his gut as a soft, warm, fuzzy ball, he moved it up and around his chest. There, around his heart, was a huge black blob. Losing Mary for the second time had placed this block there. He knew it was his fault that Kahnlin had taken her. Dissolving this block was difficult. It took time for the magick to work but after a while, it disappeared and the energy ball continued up through the rest of his body and back down to his feet.

Once he had cleared away all the energy blocks, grounding was in order. GCB, ground, centre, breathe. Visualizing standing beneath a waterfall, the young wizard let the negative energy wash away from him like dirt in a shower. Once the bad was gone, bringing back in the positive energy was easy, centring it, once again, in his gut, all the while breathing deeply and evenly to calm his shattered nerves.

Finally, feeling lighter and refreshed, he checked the seven chakra centres, making sure they were clear. Finding them as they should be he was satisfied that he could now take on the Trelf prince and win the day, mentally at least.

As for whether he had the ability to win, he knew that Kahnlin had years, centuries, of experience over him. The Trelf was cunning as a fox and had no moral character. This, in itself, was more than enough to beat him. With his caring nature for other living things, he was more apt to hesitate to harm than his adversary was. Kahnlin had no qualms of killing for the sake of killing. Richard had magick that the half-breed did not. This was his advantage. It would take his unwavering belief in his winning that would turn the tide. The Law of Attraction would work for him if he believed strongly enough.

“Are you ready?” Richard had not heard Master MacCorkadall enter the room.

“Aye, Ah am. At least as ready as Ah kin be.”

“Good. I have utmost belief and faith in you, Richard. I know you will persevere. You are stronger than you think you are.” Smiling at his protégé, the old man put his arm around the boy’s thin shoulders.

Looking up into the ancient eyes and seeing the truth behind the words, Richard smiled back. “Ah will dae mah best, Master.”

“I know you will.” With that, the old man led the young boy out the door. Instead of entering the hallway, they were standing in the Valley of Trolls on Syrus. “This is as far as I go with you, my boy. Good luck.” Then he was gone.

The sun was at its zenith and as hot as ever. The only thing that made the heat bearable was the lack of humidity. This world was dry, dead. Nothing grew on the surface of Syrus thanks to the war between troll and elf that occurred here three centuries ago. Only the wisdom of one troll and one elf did the world survive at all. When Oberon married Lin El-Raney, the two races were forever bound and the war ended. What was left was a dying world. Oberon had been wise enough to know that life could continue underground in the caves where water was still plentiful, with shafts to the surface, sunlight would filter in, and things would grow. Life returned to Syrus, albeit in a different way. When Kahnlin was born, the celebrations went on for weeks. Troll and elf, alike, were overjoyed at the new life born out of a very unique joining.

Challenges were overcome repeatedly with the first Trelf. It was not until the boy came of age that the real challenge showed itself. It was then that the old prejudices came out once again. The heir apparent hated his parents, his heritage and especially his world. He believed that he did not belong to either race and that the Trelf should rule Syrus. With a handful of followers, he planted the seeds of hate between troll and elf once again. The celebrations of two and a half centuries ago were forgotten and replaced with distrust between the two pure races. Fights occurred daily. Perpetrators, cast out and forced to live on the surface, banded together forming small guerrilla groups.

The day Kahnlin strolled casually into the throne room and murdered his father and mother was the day the Syrians realized just what had been happening for so long. Only the weak minded, mostly trolls, continued to follow the Trelf. Since then, battles have been fought between the rogue citizens and the ones that believe in what Oberon had taught. Because of this, the surface of Syrus has remained a dry, dead place inhabited only by those that believe in killing for the sake of killing. Richard stared out at this world of death wondering where the Trelf had hidden his soul mate.

The mountains, majestic simply because of their shape and size, loomed behind him. That is where the search for Mary had to start. Kahnlin would more than likely hide her deep within the caverns of the trolls. He envisioned the trek to the very heart of the Troll Nation as if he had walked it a million times. He been there only twice before, once by chance and once by design but he knew, without doubt, the very trails he needed to traverse. The dangers were many and deadly but he would prevail over them. Turning to look at those mountains, he did not waver as he had done in the past. Confidence welled in him as never before. He would persevere and win the day.

Wanting to wait for the cover and coolness of nightfall, Richard constructed a small stone hut as he had done so many times before on this rocky plain. The exponential growth of his power over the past few months made things like stone manipulation seem like child-play now instead of the intense drain of strength it caused earlier. With a wave of his hand, the hut was a palace inside while the exterior was nothing more than a three-metre square block. The walls, smooth as glass, shone from within to bring light to the dim interior. He had even created a small table with stool, hearth and ledge on which to rest. Shafts of light shone down through small air holes just beneath the roof creating the ambience of a stage with spotlights highlighting important areas of the stage.

Resting until the twin moons were high in the dark night sky, the young wizard ventured out onto the barren plain once again. Listening intently to the quiet night for any sign of danger, he stood motionless. Using all his senses, including his intuitive self, he detected nothing but the darkness that surrounded him. The full moons gave off no light as if they were not shining at all. He would have to use his inner senses to find his way this night, which was fine with him. This would make it as difficult for any enemy to see him as it would be for him to see them. The one advantage was that his intuitive self was much more evolved that that of the indigenous people of this world.

He wanted so much to teleport to the troll caves but knew that if he did it could turn disastrous. He could appear in the middle of a gathering or he could pass by some unknown shaft where Mary, being held captive, would be missed. Walking was the logical choice if not the most expedient. Making his way through the scattered boulders and various obstacles the miles went by much more quickly than expected. The Valley of Souls lay before him before he realized how far he had gone.  Now he stood, staring at the scattered boulders that reminded him of silent sentries guarding a valley of death.

Shivering from the thoughts racing through his mind of those imaginary soldiers attacking him, Richard took a deep breath. Several minutes went by before his heart stopped pounding as if trying to escape his chest. Once calm, he felt his way around the valley with his senses trying to determine if there were any enemies waiting for him. Sensing nothing, he continued his trek toward the caves. Always watching over his shoulder and feeling the air around him, his energy drained quickly. Before reaching the far end of the valley, he was exhausted. As the sun came up over the eastern horizon, he collapsed onto the sand, barely able to keep his eyes open. Knowing he needed protection from attack and the scorching heat of the three suns, all he could do was conjure a small hole beneath his limp body and cover himself with sand.

 

CHAPTER NINETEEN

 

Awakening just after the suns had fallen behind the Western horizon, Richard shook the sand from his clothes. Watching the small grains of rock fall to the ground, he saw that the Trolls had been busy. At least four dozen sets of footprints, embedded deep in the sand close to where he had been lying, told him they had been out in number. The probable reason being Kahnlin assumed that he was here searching and had ordered extra patrols. Careful observation and discretion would be of utmost importance this night if he were to gain entry into the Caves. That was the easy part; the hard part would be finding Mary and getting back out.

 Thinking long and hard about the Caves the young wizard realized there were a myriad of tunnels that lead nowhere, hundreds that lead to hundreds more and at least one that lead to the Elvin world. It was to be a daunting task for one person to find one person amongst all those miles of darkness. The Troll guards would be extra careful at every sound. How was he to find her? Think, you git. Think!

Out of the early morning stillness there came a small sound, barely audible. At first Richard thought he was imagining it but it persisted in his mind. The inner eye. Use your inner eye.

Of course! This was one of the first lessons MacCorkadall had taught him when he returned from the first quest. Every person had what the Master had called an ‘inner eye.’ By using intuition, a person could actually ‘see’ things that were not visible to normal sight. A simple exercise in using one of most basic forces the Creator had given Mankind. All he had to do was concentrate on Mary and where she be hidden and he could find her location within minutes. Getting there and getting back out with her without being caught would be the harder part of it. If only he had a way to become invisible.

Concentrating on the face of his soul mate, Richard closed his eyes. He saw her in his mind. Pulling his vision back from her the chamber she was in became visible. This was not the same one that Elizabeth had been in, this one was much more sparse, barren. There was only a small fire in the pit in the centre of the room, no other illumination or decoration. Mary did not even have the luxury of a skin to lie on or cover herself. Kahn-lin had taken her from Crauford Castle in the night while everyone was sleeping so all she had on was her short, lacy nightdress. Shivering with the cold dampness of the cave, filthy from almost a week of not bathing, she seemed exhausted.

Pulling back further, the young wizard placed her amid a tangle of tunnels that led nowhere, twisting around crossing each other repeatedly. Kahn-lin had made sure that if she tried to escape, without knowing the correct path she would end up back where she was. The myriad tunnels were a maze with one way to freedom. The good news was that she was only about a kilometre from the tunnel to the Elvin world, straight through the solid granite of the mountain. By tunnel it would be much further. That’s when it came to him.

While fighting the Dragon Riders in the Troll/Elf war he had learned how to manipulate rock easily. Going through, building a tunnel, would be more difficult than building small huts or camouflage Never having tried more than that uncertainty entered his mind. Would he be able to do it?

Opening his mind to position the Trolls within the caves, he found the path was clear to within a hundred metres of Mary. He could ferret his way that far then tunnel through to his lover. It would be exhausting to him so the effort extended needed to be as little as possible. This would make it easier on him, and then they could escape to the Elvin world and rest there. The plan was perfect. Nothing could go wrong.

Turning to go back down the tunnel Richard spun into complete darkness.  Not knowing what was happening he became scared.  As suddenly as it started the darkness became light.  Standing before him, in the middle of the field heather, a blue sky overhead and a loch down below with its’ blue waters reflecting the field and mountains around, was his mother.

“What’s going on here,” the young wizard looked confused.

“Oh, me wee bairn, you’d be in need of some motherly advice.”

“Mum, I thought you said you would be gone for good.  That I didn’t need you anymore”

“Richie, you will always need your mother.  Now more than ever.  You’re planning to do something foolish and dangerous.  You need to rethink your strategy.”

“But, Mum, I need to rescue her and this is the only way I know how.  I cannae just leave her to the trolls.”

Sadness and concern showed in Carolyn Evans’ deep blue eyes. “Richie, my beautiful boy. You’ve learned so much, been through so much. Yet, you still refuse to use your head when it comes to matters of the heart.”

Anger started to well in his voice. “What dae ye mean? I daenae use me head wi’ matters o’ th’ heart. I cannae leave her there. What am I supposed tae dae? Jest walk me way through them Trolls an’ be a git? I’m nae a chanty wrassler an’ I willnae leave her tae die.”

“Son. I didn’t say leave her. I said you weren’t using yer head. Think aboot it. Dae ye really think tha’ Kahn-Lin wood leave her there, all alone li’e that? Unprotected?”

Understanding came to him like a sledge alongside the head. Of course, the Trelf wouldn’t leave her to where he could get her to freedom easily. Even though hidden deep in the caves, she would not be left unguarded. Kahn-Lin would have enchantments and spells around her to keep him away or to let the Trelf know that he was near. This would be a challenge to overcome that he had not taken into account until now.

“Mum, dae ye think Ah could get tae her through th’ walls without bein’ caught? Ah’ve learned a lot since Ah last spoke wi’ ye.”

“The chanty-wrassler jest might no think o’ tha’. He’ll be expectin’ ye tae gang down th’ tunnels. But, don’ jest go bustin’ in like yer William Wallace at Sterling. Stealth, my wee bairn. Stealth is what ye’ll be needin’.”

Richard turned to look at the granite wall behind him and testing his ability to bore through it. All he would have to do is make sure that once he was close enough to the cavern where Mary was not break through like an explosion. When he turned back around, his mother was gone. With sadness in his soul for missing her, he went to work on his own tunnel. He would free her, he would get her home and he would protect her.

He was exhausted when he stopped to see how far he had gone. Finding that there only a few inches remained before his tunnel was complete, he rested. If Kahn-Lin was there, guarding her, he would need all his strength to fight him. It didn’t matter to him, he wanted to kill the Trelf for what he had done, not just to him and Mary, but to all those innocent people that he had killed just to get to him. Returning to his work he gently pushed his will through the remainder of the granite wall and watched it crumble, silently to the floor.

Peering out into the dark cavern, hoping nothing would attack him, there was Mary, huddled against a far wall, almost invisible in the blackness. Excitement overtook the young wizard and he rushed to her, oblivious to anything but his soul mate; a mistake that almost cost him his life. It was only his speed across the rock-strewn floor that saved him from the lightning bolts that rained down, narrowly missing their mark. The hair on his arms and neck stood on end as the electricity arced from ceiling to floor, burning the air with ozone. As he reached the huddled mass that was Mary the bolts stopped. As the ropes fell from around her, Richard heard a voice in the darkness behind him.

“So, the little upstart has come to save the damsel in distress. How quaint. I am so glad you didn’t disappoint me, Richard. I had so hoped that you would do something like this.”

“Ye’ll be needin’ more’n wha’ ye got tae stop me, Kahn-Lin.” Richard stepped forward aggressively.

The Trelf stood his ground without flinching a muscle. Suddenly he laughed. “Are you…? Say it isn’t so! You are threatening me in my domain? Really, Young Wizard, you can’t be serious.”

Without thought or warning Richard cupped his hands before him and threw an energy ball at the snickering Trelf, hitting him square in the chest, sending him back into the cavern wall where he slid to the floor, dazed. Shaking his head and standing, Kahn-lin looked at the boy menacingly. “That was not at all polite behaviour.” Advancing quickly he threw his arms forward then up toward the ceiling. Richard and Mary both flew into the air and the darkness stopping centimetres before hitting the jagged roof.

“I hope neither of you are afraid of heights,” Kahn-Lin laughed.

Struggling against the magick, Richard grabbed Mary’s hand and reached out to the rock above him. As he pulled with one hand and dragged his soul mate with the other, the young wizard fought the elemental that held them in the air, hoping he knew enough to keep them from falling to their deaths when he countered the spell that held them.