All that glitters is not Gold

When we watch the news at night or read it on the web, the decay; no the utter breakdown of our society is staring us right in the face. Every night there are robberies, shootings, and drug related crimes, and not just in the poor urban areas of our cities.

Some people like to blame guns, or poor economic opportunities, but it goes much deeper than that. It starts in our own communities, our homes, and our schools. The real reason is tolerance. We have passed so many laws, rules, and regulation to protect people that we have lost the ability to be appalled by crime.It desensitises us into accepting it as normal or everyday and that will be our undoing.

We idolize celebrities that change partners more often than most people change automobiles. Celebrities that steal, fight, take drugs, beat their partners, cheat, drive drunk. etc.etc. etc. We listen to music that glorifies street gangs, money, and degrades women. We watch sports that elevate gamblers, dopers, dog killers, hit and run drivers. The list goes on and on.

We shop at stores that offer the lowest guaranteed price, but to achieve that price, they ship American jobs over seas, and put Mom and Pop stores, that are the back bone of our country, out of business. We whore ourselves out to these corporations, standing in line and rioting for $200 tennis shoes that probably cost less than $5.00 to make. Buying the newest big screen or laptop just because some ad agency tells us its a must have.

We are our own worst enemy. Our government is one of the most corrupt of any first world nation and getting worse every day, pandering for campaign contributions and favor to the highest bidder. Our debt is out of control, out policies driving it higher everyday, to the point that our credit rating has already been down graded and we are on track to become a second or third rate country in a few years.

We have an election in a few months, but I don't think it matters who you vote for. President Obama, and Mitt Romney are both part of the problem; they are the established, bought and paid for crowd. The entire elected body, in my opinion needs to go. It is time for true blooded American citizens, of any color, creed, or distinction, to stand up and form a third party that can stand and win against the establishment. Nothing will ever change if we don't change it ourselves.

Its time to stop ranting about issues that government has to business deciding in the first place. Birth control, religion, abortion; these are all personal choices that need to be made by those affected. Our elected leaders use these personal choice arguments to build themselves up and cloud our vision from what they really do in Washington, and that is spend our tax dollars on whatever they can to elevate themselves in their respective parties.

America was once the golden dream and the envy of the world. Today we are laughed at because of our arrogance. The infrastructure in our cities is crumbling, crime and drugs  filling the vacant houses. There is a divide in our country between liberal and conservative minded people and there seems to be no common ground or compromise. We are such a throw away society that we have forgot how to negotiate or compromise; no wonder so many marriages end in divorce with men and women following their own desires regardless of who they hurt in the process.

Each one of us has an obligation to fix this mess. We owe it to those that sacrificed so that we could have a life of plenty. I ask you to look past the rhetoric on both sides and consider what is truly best for our country before you vote in November. John F. Kennedy once asked "what we, as individuals, could do for our country?" We have forgotten or ignored that question. Its time to stop accepting what is wrong and take a stand against it.

United we stand and divided we fall is not just a slogan, it is the truth.

Put a spin on it.

I read today that the new book from a former Navy SEAL "No Easy Day", sheds a different light on how Osama Bin Laden was killed, rather than the White House spins doctors version. I don't think anyone is naive enough to believe everything that comes from the government.

What is sad about this story is that some people are upset that Bin Laden was killed while unarmed. I am sure that the families of the close to 3000 unarmed Americans that were killed in the terrorist attacks on 9-11 won't give a rats ass if he was armed or not.

I for one, find it appalling that we put these people above our own, and disregard the safety of our citizens, to appease the politically correct crowd. We are making the same mistakes that we made in Viet Nam by allowing politicians to dictate military policy and the rules of engagement; and a lot of young men and women are being killed because of it.

I was against the former war in Iraq, and on-going war in Afghanistan; I don't think any of them are worth the life of one American. There is no way to win against a population that hates us, so why pump billions of dollars that would be better spent here at home? We are, however, over there, and until we leave, we need to let the military decide how to fight it best.

I am an Army veteran. I did not have to go into combat during my tour of duty, If I had, I would want and expect the support of the American people and I think the troops serving today deserve ours.

I applaud the SEAL's that took down Osama Bin Laden, and all the other service men and women serving our country.

"Not all those who wander are lost" J.R.R. Tolkien

To wander means to travel without a plan or destination; I can't think of a better way to travel. In our modern world we are so accustomed to planning and following schedules that it would be a breath of fresh air to just go wherever the wind takes you. I hope that Martina and I can break free from the mold and do just that when we take to the sea.

The attached picture is a tattoo, (yes, I have them) done in Elvish script, (It is Tolkien after all). I believe so strongly in the concept of wandering that I had it inked on my arm in the script that Tolkien invented. (Not to mention that I just like the look of the script)

Wandering and sailboats go hand in hand. I can think of no other mode of transportation where you are at the whim of the wind and your direction can change with just a gust. America was likely discovered, by accident, by sailing Norseman hundreds of years before Columbus, and countless other Islands have been discovered in sailings colorful past.

I like to think that my forefathers stood on a distant shore, looking west and wondered, what lay over the horizon? If they didn't have Wanderlust, I may have never been. I have that wanderlust inside of me, raging, always pulling me towards somewhere new and untraveled.

Many people may wonder why we would want to sell most of the possessions that we have acquired over a lifetime, including our home, to live on a 40 foot boat (hopefully that large). The short answer is adventure, I have always been restless. I spent a summer in Germany when I was 16 and lived there again when I was in the Army (where I met my beautiful wife). I have travelled all over Europe, the U.S., the Bahamas, and Mexico, and I enjoy the diversity of cultures. The world is big and small at the same time. It is large- from a travel standpoint, but small enough to hold in your hands with an iPad. I think if more people travelled abroad, the world would be a more peaceful place.

I am also fortunate that my wife, Martina, shares my dream of travel and adventure. She may be more cautious than I, but that's a good thing; I need her caution to keep me in check. She is, understandably so, concerned about living and sailing on a boat, but I am very proud of her willingness to try. She agrees with me that to see all of the areas of the world that we want, sailing is the most economical way to achieve it. It is a scary thought to know that the only thing between you and eternity is a wire safety line.

So, we will continue to practise sailing, plan, and dream because "Not all those who wander are lost".

Tis' a fool who fears not the Ocean

In our quest to live aboard a sailboat, the thought of being alone, just the two of us, somewhere on the vast ocean is a little frightening. With the current news reporting tropical storm Issac just to the southeast of the U.S., in the prime sailing waters of the Caribbean, can make any sailor wonder what they would do if they were there and if they could make a protected cove or harbor before it hits.

I have sailed in the ocean twice so far and both times we have had fair winds and calm seas. I have no experience with rouge waves and unpredictable rollings seas, and yes I am afraid of them. Fear can do two things to a person; it can cause you to seize up, roll into a fetal position and pray for safety, or you can use it to your advantage and learn from it, push it down inside of you and soldier on. Respect for the ocean is a no brainer, there are too many lost souls under the waves not to have respect.

The most important thing, in my opinion, is to trust your training and judgement, the second is to trust your boat. Boats, properly maintained, can take a lot of abuse before they fail, but don't be over-confident. Confidence is a killer of men, and not just at sea. My first sailing instructor asked our class "when do you reef your sails?" (reefing is reducing the size of the sail) The answer was "the first time you think about it", and it makes sense. If the weather is turning and you have enough concern to think "reef"; its time to do it, before you have to stand on top of the boat and shorten sail on a pitching and rolling deck.

The ocean is very much like a mermaid; beautiful and mesmerizing in one instance, and just when you think she loves you, she turns into a demon, pulling you down into the abyss. The ocean floor is littered with countless wrecks of  boats and ships from antiquity to today. If you hold the favor of the Gods of the seas you will have fair winds and calm seas.

Martina and I hope to be coastal cruisers and don't plan to sail the open ocean unless we have to get from one island to the next, but we will be prepared and carry the respect for the water that is due for:

Tis' a fool who fears not the Ocean.

What is your serenity?

The smell of fresh brewed coffee in the morning, fresh baked bread, the light rise and chest fall of a sleeping loved one, a cool breeze, slowing down to listen to the sounds of everyday life. These are some of the things that give me that good serene feeling.

In today's age we are often too engrossed in our daily routines to stop and look around us at the reasons we do those routines. Earning a living, raising children, and all of the extra activities we do everyday gives us little time to enjoy why we do them in the first place.

Going to work to earn money to live is an easy one. It would be hard to function without money. In olden days the barter system worked well, but too few people today have the skill required to grow or make things, so that bartering could function.

Most people won't agree with me on this or wont admit it, but we are hard wired to procreate. Children are a blessing but also, sometimes, a curse. I think most people have children because 1. its in our genes and 2. its expected of us by our peers. I love my children and wouldn't give them up for any reason, but I wonder if I would do it again, knowing what I know today.

Extra activities are supposed to help us relax after a hard day at work or home taking care of the kids, but are they really relaxing? Going to the gym to work out when your body is already tired? Taking boxing or karate lessons? etc. etc. etc. Its seems that we run around from one activity to the next without a breather.

Try sitting in a park, close your eyes and take deep breaths of clean, fresh air and listen to nature. Listen to the squirrels scratching the ground to bury their acorns or the flutter of a birds wing as it takes flight. If you are near water, the ripple and splash as a fish jumps, the buzzing of bees. Relax and enjoy the moment. I would bet that for many people it would be very hard to do what I just suggested. We are so wound up in our lives that we have forgotten how to relax.

Serenity, or your vision of it, will be as different from one person to the next as the colors in nature. The goal is to find yours and force yourself to shed your objections to actually relaxing and let yourself go.

I have found mine, I started a blog about it. What is your serenity?

Discretion is the better part of valor

When you hear the words "sail racing" many people picture a turtle race, slowly bobbing boats trying to inch ahead of the competition. After competing in several sail races I can assure you that they can be fast and exciting. This weekend was no exception.

The winds were light this past weekend so it wasn't a full speed race. The light winds did, however, keep all of the boats close together and jockeying for position and all converging on the finish at the same time.

Sailboats cant sail into the wind. If the wind is blowing straight from your destination, you have to sail to one side or another of the headwind in order to go towards it. Tacking (zig-zagging) to either side of your destination is how this is achieved.

During the Saturday race, four boats converged at the finish line at the same time, including us. Two of the boats were on one tack and the other two on the opposite tack, which meant a collision course. The finish line in a sail race is between a committee boat ( basically a boat at anchor) and a floating round red ball. The gate, or opening is usually fifty feet or so, which sounds large until you consider that most of the boats converging were thirty feet long.

Our boat and a thirty footer were on a starboard tack ( leaning to the left) and neck and neck at the line when the thirty footer lost the wind and control and had to tack (turn) to the right. He turned into the path of another thirty footer coming in fast. They collided; The bow sprit of the turning boat hit the stern of the passing boat with an awful crunch. The anchor of the turning boat was lodged in the aft castle of the other boat, stopping both at the finish line.

Our boat was still making way towards the finish, barely holding speed, with the wind changing position towards our faces. Our sails started luffing but I thought we had enough momentum to carry us through when I saw a large thirty four footer coming charging in from our left side on a port tack (leaning right). He was going so fast with good wind over his port side that he could never turn away from us and miss us without blowing his chance of passing through the finish line.

He wasnt going to turn. I choose discretion over valor and turned my boat to the right to avoid a collision and let him pass before quickly turning back and passing the finish line.

I don't know where we placed in the race that day, and since I don't race to win, just to learn, I don't really care. What I do know, is that my boat and my family are much more important to me that bragging rights in the club house.

Lost overboard

Its funny to read blogs about things lost over the side of a boat while on the water. I have read about hearing aids and false teeth (which is the funniest, I think) being dropped over board. The items dropped  most often are tools, I am included in that category, so its not surprising that my car key ended up in the lake this past weekend.

My son being a playful teenager was, you guessed it, playing with my key on his way to get something from the car. While playing with said key, it launched itself out of his hand and dove in the water several feet from the dock. It was an accident and I wasn't too harsh on him, because he displayed the right amount of remorse right away, and I think he was a little shocked that he lost it too.

I drive an Audi, which uses a laser cut key/remote entry fob combo. If I didn't work in the automotive industry it would have set me back a couple hundred dollars to replace and program it. But luckily I have a friend that I used to work with that manages a local Audi service department and he helped me out. It still set me back, just not as bad as it could have been.

People often get mad or even irate when things like this happen; I was one of those people. But as we get older, these "little things" roll off our shoulders a little easier and we figure "what the hell, shit happens". What is important is that we were at the lake together as a family and enjoying each others company and I didn't let this accident spoil the moment.

The only casualty is this boo-boo was my sons savings account ;yes, I made him pay for his mistake, but he is young and has plenty of time to earn it back. Its one of those life lessons that he will remember and so will dad, that's why we are buying a floating key chain for the key.

Steel headed fish

The weather this past weekend was just beautiful, warm days with low humidity and cool nights, perfect for sleeping under the stars. We decided to spend the night on our boat. I have a medical condition that makes it hard for me to breath when it's hot and humid outside, and the air conditioner in our boat can't keep up with the hot summers in our area, so it is a rare treat indeed, to be able to spend a comfortable night aboard our sailboat.

Friday evening was wonderful; my wife and I shared a bottle of red wine, talked with marina friends, listened to music, and enjoyed each others company while sitting on our boat under a starry sky. That night we enjoyed cool breezes and gentle water; that coupled with a full bottle of wine surely would mean good sleep, or would it?

About 3am in the morning I was startled awake by something banging against the side of the boat. Now, I don't know if all my readers have ever been inside of a boat, so let me explain. It is a hollow area closed in on all sides and reverberates sounds like a drum, so when something taps on the outside it is louder to the listener inside, sort of like sleeping in that drum.

This banging noise on the side of our boat sounded like gremlins with  ball peen hammers trying to reshape the bottom of our hull. We have been in the marina for over a year and have heard stories of these mysterious banging noises before, especially from the former owner of our boat, but it was the first time we had heard it ourselves.

This noise, this incessant banging, early in the morning was caused by fish, yes, I said " fish". Carp to be exact; steel headed Carp, from the sound of it. It was as if the entire school of them, donning steel helmets, were ramming our boat in different areas at the same time. Every time I thought they were finished and was on the verge of sleep "Bang", and my eyes popped open.

According to other members of the yacht club, the Carp butt against the boat hulls to dislodge algae that they then eat, 3 to 4am must be their prime dinner time, "oh joy".

Now the only obstacle I need to overcome for a good nights sleep is how to devise an auto feeder mounted on the dock to feed them something other than my boat.

The Rapture

Pain and suffering do we crave, our souls erupting in a fiery grave.

Ghosts of others pass us by, falling from the darkening sky.

Why do we seek such pain, did we live our lives in vain?

Spending time on our knees, does he really hear our pleas?

This question must I ask, do your eyes see such a narrow path, or is it others that give you task?

Everyone has free will, thoughts and memories they do fill.

Let me choose what I might and guide myself to the light.

What I share on this day, is the life that I have made.

To live and love and not to judge.

No one needs to be told,  in which church they must go.

Not on a cross or inside a mosque; no temple must I reach, to listen to my God speak.

Alas, the rapture can not be, for God resides inside of me.

By: John Frederick

The call of the Sea

Vast, deep, and blue, the endless waves change in hue.

From white to blue to darkest green, to the horizon, nothing else can be seen.

On my bough the waves do break, schools of Dolphins lead my wake.

Towards the setting sun I seek, a strong wind to keep me meek.

Dreams of palm trees fill my head, a worthy thought of where I'll tread.

To feel the sand between my toes, how long it will take, no one knows.

It matters not the time, it's the journey the soul does bind.

Thus, forever I shall heed, the ageless beckon of the sea.

By: John Frederick

A sailor's poem

Every morning I wake and wonder

what the tide will bring asunder.

Travel to a wayward isle and listen to the ocean wild.

Lay my weary bones upon a beach and think of places I can reach.

Across the vast and gleaming seas I feel the rush inside of me.

As I leave worries in my wake, a gleam my eyes start to take,

of a sailor at the helm, my lifelong dream within reach, just across the ocean deep.

John Frederick

3 Boat Jam Session? Almost

Saturday night William and I joined one of our neighbors from the marina as crew for the night race. During the race we had a few slow tacks and fought a light wind that seemed to have a mind of its own, going away at just the wrong moment. It was one of those disappearing acts that left us with a dead stick and drifting into an oncoming boat on our starboard side and another larger boat closing to port. The wind finally came back, with just enough time and just enough force, for me to pull on the port jib sheet and get enough wind in the sail to steer clear of a imminent collision, that, however, pushed us towards the port side boat.

This happened while all three boats were trying to round the south marker in the dark. Talk about a "pucker moment", but for once, the wind had mercy on us and allowed all three of the boats, including the one we were on, to clear the marker and head north to the finish without further incident.

We ended the race ahead of two boats, but may end up last because of handicaps. What really matters is that four people, who hadn't raced together before, on a boat that was unfamiliar, and the boat owner who is a seasoned sailor, was the first time he had raced, all had a great time and will race/sail together again. 

After the race the wind picked up with an incoming rain storm so we headed back down the lake to do some faster sailing before the conditions worsened then called it a night.

All in all, it was a great night of sailing with my son and our marina friends, as always, we learned a few things to help us better prepare for the next race and in the end make us better sailors.

Liberalism

I find it ironic that the very people who call themselves Liberals, the same Liberals that expect everyone to be tolerant of their beliefs, want to boycott and stop a restaurant chain from opening in the cities they govern because they disagree with the restaurant owners beliefs.

I always thought that Liberal meant someone that stood for individual liberty for "'all" Americans. I guess somewhere along the way that definition changes and they forget to tell us all.

I am neither a Conservative nor a Liberal. I think that any stance too far in either direction is wrong. I think that people should respect the views and beliefs of others, even if they differ from our own.

We have enough problems that need real attention in this country without the constant distractions of politicians trying to one up each other on how right they are and how wrong the other guy is.
If we truly want change in our country we need to vote these people out of office and demand real checks and balances that are fool proof.