In the near future, I will be transferring all my blogs to my other site, http://www.thefloridahoosier.com.
It has been a pleasure writing this blog and I look forward to many more years of continuing the blog. I just felt it was time to combine this blog with my other one.
I hope you will follow me to continue enjoying and reading what I have to say.
Thanks again and I’ll see you at: www.thefloridahoosier.com.
Gary
OK, I was going to be good and not comment on the Duck Dynasty controversy, but it is just getting too juicy to not comment. Anyone should realize it is unreality TV. It’s play acting, it’s not real. As a child I loved to watch shows like the Lone Ranger, Hop-along Cassidy, and Davy Crockett.
Even at the tender age of 6 and being of average intelligence,(many would say that by making that statement, I have an inflated opinion of myself). I was able to discern that what I was seeing may not be true. My first clue was when they always caught the bad guy at one minute until 8.
It took only a few episodes for my meager mind to reason something was up. It’s the same today, these shows aren’t real, the first clue should be that there are TV cameras in their face, the shows are scripted and most often follow a predetermined conclusion. In spite of this, some enjoyment and possibly learning can be had by watching them .
I enjoy American Pickers, Pawn Stars and Storage Wars tremendously. I know they are fake, but they are interesting and they all exemplify an alternate way to make some extra money or even possibly could lead to a career change. Duck Dynasty is unique in it’s own right. It portrays a way of life that is becoming more and more foreign to most Americans. The Robertson’s way of life illustrates in many ways a life in the past, where most people still cling to their values and the values that made this country great, and in spite of opposition will always stand up for what they believe in. People need to understand where these people are coming from, they haven’t lead perfect lives,as most of us haven’t. Many people fall along the way and make choices they shouldn’t, often leading to a life of drug and alcohol abuse. The very people who teach tolerance in our society, then criticize and condemn them. Where is the tolerance? It seems they only practice tolerance if you agree with them or practice the same lifestyle as they do.
Those kind of people are hard to find today. I believe originally A&E tried to set them up to portray southerners to be uneducated hicks who were backward in their thinking , people who would be ridiculed by Americans because of what they believed. They thought if the Robertson’s started stating their down to earth values most Americans would consider them backward and out of touch.
Funny thing happened, it backfired, many Americans began to identify with them. A&E was befuddled, it wasn’t what they expected. Once again, conventional wisdom was wrong, most people in America still cling to their guns and religion. A&E then began warning them to tone it down, as to not offend anyone, but they discovered most people weren’t being offended, most were agreeing with the stars of the show. Trying to be politically correct, they had a real dilemma, they were afraid to offend the PC crowd, thinking it would ruin their ratings. Problem was , most who watch the show ,don’t belong to the politically correct crowd, most of their audience were people who felt like the Robinson’s, but were afraid or unable to say anything. Although the language Phil used was rather coarse, and not what I would like to see on television, his message was clear and specifically stated his beliefs. It is a free country and he has a right to do that. If he had been some liberal stating anti-American or other far left thoughts, he would have been welcomed with open arms. It’s a sad state of affairs when Miley Cyrus can perform her lewd acts and be praised and Phil Robertson states his personal religious beliefs and is vilified.
What does that say about many in today’s society and the media? Years ago a certain artist painted a picture of Jesus and covered it with excrement, people protested and they were told to be more tolerant and understanding. After that another artist placed a crucifix in a bottle or urine, people protested and they were told to be more tolerant, it was only art. Many times statements are made and others are told they are old fashioned and behind the times, only old fogies. They are told their thinking is antiquated and they should be more tolerant.
Althought I certainly don’t agree, and most people supporting him don’t agree with his entire statement, this whole secenerio wasn’t about what he believed, it was about his right to say it. For way too long the left has had free reign on what they say or who they insult, only the right has been held accountable to be political correct.
It is way past time the left is held accountable for their actions and speech, a little tolerance please.
Gary has been a writer/ photographer for over 20 years, specializing in nature,landscapes and studying native cultures.Besides visiting most of the United States, he has traveled to such places as Egypt,the Canary Islands,much of the Caribbean. He has studied the Mayan Cultures in Central America, and the Australian Aboriginal way of life.Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in many different parts of the world!
He has published several books about the various cultures he has observed.
For more information and a link to his hard cover and Ebooks,and contact information: please check his website.www.commonsensejourneys.com
You can also follow him on your Kindle.
Your comments appreciated
The Wisdom Of our Ancestors
Every once in awhile one has an epiphany, it suddenly hit me last week while serving jury duty. It was going to be a trial concerning domestic violence, a situation that occurs far to often in today’s society.
The defense attorney , a woman , was defending an African -American male accused of pushing his girl friend, a misdemeanor charge. Dancing around the race and gender ,issue the attorney asked in a roundabout way if gender or race would be an issue.
Suddenly , out of nowhere, a couple of women from the pool of possible jurors engaged in the typical diatribe about how society had gotten past the stereotype of women remaining barefoot and pregnant and their place was in the home.
It became apparent that in their minds at least, anyone who thought that was someone whose thought process was still in the 1950’s, and was very judgmental, narrow minded and sexist.
Being someone who has lived through all of this, that statement is preposterous. I realize that years ago, many opportunities that are available for women today didn’t exist. During the last several years women have been able to have careers and enjoy other lifestyles than were previously unavailable to them.
Many of these opportunities came about because often times men were forced to step aside and denied jobs based on gender.This is a fact. During these times, if a man, or woman voiced an opinion other than the popular thought of the day, they were shouted down and embarrassed, not only by friends and acquaintances, but by the media as well.
In reality, there is nothing wrong if a woman wants or needs to have a career.In today’s world many women need to have a career in order to support their children because of divorce and other factors. There is nothing wrong with this, if that is what they want to do then do it.
However, not all women want to work, the feminists need to realize that not everyone thinks like them or have the same desires in life. If a woman doesn’t want to work outside the home, or if a husband doesn’t want his wife to work, that doesn’t delegate them to Neanderthal status.
It is a matter of personal choice, and in many ways it is the natural order of things. In nature , men are the providers and women are the caretakers, that is the way we were designed. I know I am going to be criticized heavily for this and probably be called every name in the book by open minded liberals, but it is true.
In the process of trying to make everyone equal and the same, society has created a monster. In today’s world, many men are afraid to be men, and women are afraid to be women. Often times people of both genders are lead to believe they have to accept a lifestyle they don’t want, just because it is the popular thing to do.
Being a parent, especially a mother, is the most important occupation in the world. A parent’s main responsibility is to mold their children into responsible citizens of the future. Their job is to instill a value system that will lead them to a happy and successful life, this is a responsibility that shouldn’t be left to a baby sitter or daycare. Neither one, regardless of how good and well intentioned they are, will teach your child the values and morals you have. Many of today’s world and national problems lead back to the fact that children are raising themselves.Maybe people need to decide if they want a career or children, if you want, desire, or need both, you must remember that raising your children comes first.
In today’s world, many opportunities are open to people of all social categories, it is your choice as to which one you choose, but I believe it is important to decide what one gives up to accomplish your goals, there are choices, but with choices come responsibility and sacrifice. Often times the high paying and prestigious careers are only attained by sacrificing something from your personal life, only you can decide if it is worth it.
Only you can decide, not some bureaucrat or news commentator. You have to decide if the sacrifices you are making is worth it, and if it comes as a detriment to your family and children.In the end family is still the most important part of our lives and children need both their parents.
But you are the only one who can decide if the sacrifice is worth it.
I would appreciate any comments or feed back, you can now follow me on Kindle.
The author has been a writer/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, as well as studying native cultures.
His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.
He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.
He has published several books about his adventures.
For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.
Your comments are welcome
There is an extreme shortage of common sense in today’s world, When looking back in history, I soon discovered this has always been a problem, Benjamin Franklin once said, ”Of all the senses, common sense seems to be the one that is used the least.” As obvious as it may seem, many seem to be totally oblivious to it. Most, if not all of the problems the world faces today could be solved if people would just sit back and think about what would seem to be the most obvious and simple solution to any issue. Often times people tend to overcomplicate the issues. I often think back to what my parents and grandparents believed and said, at the time I thought they were totally out of their mind and ignored it. I now wish I would have listened and followed their advice. It is now evident they were a lot smarter than we gave them credit for. Many times, in today’s world, the schools and universities can no longer be counted on to teach truth and values that will guide someone through life.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people believe something that is totally untrue and makes no sense whatsoever, they go online to find verification of what they believe, they find it and then think it is the gospel 
Just because you believe something doesn’t make it true. You can find something on the internet to backup anything you believe, that doesn’t make it true, you are only parroting what someone else believes. They just happen to believe what you think to be true. That doesn’t prove anything except for the fact that two or more people believe the same thing, regardless of it being true or not.
Truth is elusive and hard to find, there are so many illusions out there. How can we ever determine what is true and what isn’t? If we can’t find the truth on the internet, where can we find it?
We live on
The only truths are Universal Truths or the Laws of Nature or Nature’s God.
These laws cannot be changed by congress or the supreme court. They are unchangeable, regardless if you believe them or not. If you disobey the laws, you will be punished, no if’s and’s or but’s.
These are the laws handed down by God, and preserved through the ages by many of the so-called “secret” societies. These are the laws that are given in the bible as well as many other religious and spiritual writings.
There is nothing mystical or secret about them. The only reason they are secret is because so many people are never exposed to them or if they are, they ignore them and think the laws don’t apply to them. Boy are they in for a surprise!
The sad part about it, one doesn’t even need to go looking for them, they are buried deep inside each and everyone of us.They are the God Within, or our conscience. All we need to do is look within and they will be revealed to us.
How simple is that? Just park your ego at the door and go with what deep down inside you know to be true. Follow that simple rule and you will never go wrong.
Words of wisdom weekly, follow me on Kindle.
The author has been a writer/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, as well as studying native cultures.
His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.
He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.
He has published several books about his adventures.
For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.
Your comments are welcome
At this period of time in the history of man, there is probably more individual searching being done into the theories behind the origin of the human race,what happens after death,the possibility of life on other planets, and what our relationship is to these life forms, if they do exist. There are millions of people who are questioning the existence of God, who he really is, and what is my relationship with him? Is he someone who mysteriously floats around on a cloud watching and judging us from above like some bigger than life Santa Claus, or is he, like many of the esoteric sciences claim, a part of our inner Self, whom we have constant contact with, someone whom we and everything in the universe are connected and are thus one? Each of us in our own way is experiencing what God is, and thus we are each a part of God, thus we are God! This book is a brief account of my search for my own truth as I know it today, everything stated actually happened, according to my own perception. It has been an exciting search,at times very frustrating, very rewarding, and above all, very fulfilling. My main purpose in writing this book is to show that anyone, even a bashful unfamous country boy can have these awakenings, you don’t have to be rich or well-known to find your connection to Divine Source.
The year 2012 will see many changes, some of which are beginning to take place in the now, 2009.
2012 is the end of the current Mayan calendar
There is a certain segment of the human race that seems to always assume we are in the final days, especially when a certain mile stone is reached, such as the turn of the century, a new millennium, or an event such as the Mayan calendar coming to an end. This is never the case, although such an event can signify a change in human consciousness, because perhaps the earth enters into another dimension or zodiac sign, or maybe just because people evolve.
The major cause for alarm at this particular time is because the place where the December Solstice sun crosses the Milky Way is precisely the location of the “dark rift in the Milky Way”, the road to the underworld, or the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.
In other words, on Dec. 21,2012 at 11.11 AM GMT, during the December Solstice the sun will be at the exact center of the Milky Way Galaxy. According to the Maya, the center of the Galaxy is the cosmic womb: the place of the dead, transformation, regeneration and rebirth. That is why this moment shows the end of their calendar.
This event has been developing for thousands of years, and will climax on 12/21/2012 at 11:11AM,GMT.
In actuality, the Mayan calendar will not end ,it will just recycle and start over on a new cycle, just as it has done many times before, much like an odometer on a car when the mileage reaches 100,000 miles. It will be a time of rebirth and renewal. Many worn out values and traditions no longer deemed appropriate will be discarded and replaced with customs more in line with universal knowledge and the teachings of our fathers. As we travel through time , more and more people will see the error of their ways and align themselves with the God Source
As we race towards this date in time, the earth will experience many changes, there could possibly be some climate changes and changes in land mass. However, most of the change will come on an emotional and spiritual level, it certainly won’t be the change that some politicians are hoping for.
Quite to the contrary, humans are going to become more aware of the shenanigans of our public officials and personalities, they will no longer be able to pull the wool over our eyes as they have in the past,much more will be demanded of them in the areas of accountability and trust.
America will once again return to it’s roots, realizing that the human race thrives on competition, doing your best, and solving problems, the human spirit was created to be free and to make decisions based on the soul’s desires. The soul was not created to be subject to domination and control, only freedom and self government can give the individual the environment it needs to fully express itself and thrive.
As the world enters this period in time, many forces are at work to strip the soul of it’s ability to prosper and grow. Many people in government, not only in America, but around the world are power crazy and think they know what is best for every one else.People will begin to realize this is not the case, only the individual human soul ,because of each one’s individual experiences and perspective is capable of deciding what is best for it. Only when individual souls are in line with like minded spirits can they live, work and love together.
As12/21/2012 approaches and passes this is what is going to evolve, more like minded people will be coming together,to work and live in harmony for the good of all, not as Communists, Marxists, or Socialists, but rather as free individuals, enjoying all the benefits of a society created by our founding fathers, a country created so each spirit can expand it’s horizons to the fullest.
The author has been a writer/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, as well as studying native cultures.
His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.
He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.
He has published several books about his adventures.
For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.
Your comments are welcome
At this period of time in the history of man, there is probably more individual searching being done into the theories behind the origin of the human race,what happens after death,the possibility of life on other planets, and what our relationship is to these life forms, if they do exist. There are millions of people who are questioning the existence of God, who he really is, and what is my relationship with him? Is he someone who mysteriously floats around on a cloud watching and judging us from above like some bigger than life Santa Claus, or is he, like many of the esoteric sciences claim, a part of our inner Self, whom we have constant contact with, someone whom we and everything in the universe are connected and are thus one? Each of us in our own way is experiencing what God is, and thus we are each a part of God, thus we are God! This book is a brief account of my search for my own truth as I know it today, everything stated actually happened, according to my own perception. It has been an exciting search,at times very frustrating, very rewarding, and above all, very fulfilling. My main purpose in writing this book is to show that anyone, even a bashful unfamous country boy can have these awakenings, you don’t have to be rich or well-known to find your connection to Divine Source
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Every truth passes through three stages before it is recognized.
In the first, it is ridiculed.
In the second, it is opposed.
In the third, it is regarded as self-evident.
—Arthur Schopenauer
Spiritual and Travel Information!
Interesting? Follow me on Kindle.
The author has been a writer/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, as well as studying native cultures.
His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.
He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.
He has published several books about his adventures.
For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.
Your comments welcome
At this period of time in the history of man, there is probably more individual searching being done into the theories behind the origin of the human race,what happens after death,the possibility of life on other planets, and what our relationship is to these life forms, if they do exist. There are millions of people who are questioning the existence of God, who he really is, and what is my relationship with him? Is he someone who mysteriously floats around on a cloud watching and judging us from above like some bigger than life Santa Claus, or is he, like many of the esoteric sciences claim, a part of our inner Self, whom we have constant contact with, someone whom we and everything in the universe are connected and are thus one? Each of us in our own way is experiencing what God is, and thus we are each a part of God, thus we are God! This book is a brief account of my search for my own truth as I know it today, everything stated actually happened, according to my own perception. It has been an exciting search,at times very frustrating, very rewarding, and above all, very fulfilling. My main purpose in writing this book is to show that anyone, even a bashful unfamous country boy can have these awakenings, you don’t have to be rich or well-known to find your connection to Divine Source
Ghost Writers in the Sky 