New Year’s Resolutions: Stop Lying to Yourself

It is hard to believe that the sun has set on 2015 and that 2016 is dawning.  By looking at social media, paying attention to what loved ones say over dinner, or what strangers say at the gym, it seems that 2015 will end with a familiar custom: the New Year’s resolution.  I hate New Year’s resolutions, and I do not make them.

New Year’s resolutions are, more often than not, promises to oneself; they are vows to change.  Perhaps one wants to lose weight, get in shape, and quit smoking.  One may also vow to achieve better organizational skills, travel to new places, or find a better job.  On another level, people often make resolutions having to do with others.  For example, one man may want to treat his wife better; another may decide he needs to spend less time in his doltish “man cave” and teach his son to shoot.  All of these desires have tremendous merit. The problem isn’t that people can’t change; the problem is procrastination that leads to a true lack of resolve.

Change is a good thing, but as the old cliche goes, “talk is cheap.”  Being truly resolved to achieve something is expensive.  While some things, like quitting smoking or losing weight aren’t necessarily monetarily expensive, they will consume more of your time, and it may be mentally and physically taxing.  In our society, people want immediate results.  The obese woman wants to immediately (and effortlessly) lose weight; the man who smokes three packs of cigarettes per day wants to cease nicotine without the struggle of withdrawal; the dolt wants to teach his son to shoot his rifle, but he cannot bring himself to miss watching a baseball game.  People want change to happen immediately but are not willing to act with haste.  They make New Year’s resolutions as a way to procrastinate.

If you are resolved to lose weight, start immediately.

If you are resolved to quit smoking, start quitting immediately.

If you resolved to treat your spouse (or any other person) better, start immediately.

If you are resolved to achieve better organizational skills, start immediately.

If you are resolved to do anything else, stop putting it off until tomorrow!

I don’t give this advice because I am a perfect man.  I far from being perfect, but I’m not going to lie to myself and others.  If I am resolute in my desire to do something, I will immediately act.  The rest is just talk.

May your 2016 be filled with peace, prosperity, and liberty.

Your Obedient Servant,

Ichabod Ω

George Winston’s “December”

As I sit back on a chilly December’s eve, I am able to reflect on many Ghosts of Christmases past.  As I pack a little more seasonally spiced tobacco into my pipe, I am able to acquire a deep sense of relaxation by turning to one of my favorite musical albums.  While other albums can be appropriately heard throughout the year, this particular masterpiece is only played from Thanksgiving until Christmas.  That album is none other than George Winston‘s December.   This incredible collection of 12 holiday piano solos was released in 1982 and serves as a tribute to the winter season.

Here is the album, track-by-track, with a little commentary by Your Obedient Servant:

This life proves there is much for which to be thankful.  After enjoying the bird, mashed potatoes, Mother’s corn-broccoli casserole, and a large slice of pumpkin pie, it is time for a brisk walk before retiring to the easy chair with a nightcap and an evening pipe.  Thanksgiving proves that listening to this album in November is quite appropriate.  The season is upon us.

This beautiful track reminds us of all Christmases past, whether in our lifetimes or in those of the Three Wise Men.  Our ancestors enjoy the tune from the heavens, celebrating the birth of our Precious Lord Jesus Christ.

These tracks remind me of the things that lead to the Christmas holiday: the church choirs, the family gatherings, the parties, shopping, and the exchanging of gifts.

This is certainly one of my favorite tracks on the entire album.  Winston’s arrangement of this classic Christmas tune is simply fantastic.  It reminds me of Christmas Eve’s twilight hours. The family gatherings have ended; the presents are finally wrapped and are neatly tucked under the tree;  the smell of pine lingers in the air; a pleasant fatigue develops.

The video above features the album’s three “Night” tracks.  The aforementioned fatigue has now matured into slumber.  Anticipation of Christmas morning dances in our heads.  The snow begins to fall, while everyone dreams of a white Christmas.  If we were children, St. Nicholas would soon be landing.

George Winston’s arrangement Johann Pachelbel‘s classic tune reminds me of being a child on Christmas morning, excitedly rousing my borthers from sleep.  The contents our stockings were unwrapped, followed by a giant breakfast of chocolate-chip pancakes, eggs, and bacon.

 

“The Holly and the Ivy” ranks amongst the most famous of all Christmas tunes, and Winston’s rendition deserves accolades. For me, this piece represents the very heart of Christmas Day.  As children, we played with our toys, while Mother prepared the evening feast.

The Christmas feast is enjoyed.  The wine is drank; toasts are made.  There are scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago.

The eggnog and brandy has been the greatest of nightcaps.  The children are tucked into bed.  Mother and Father are finally able to relax.  Santa Claus and his sleigh have returned to their North Pole home.  These days, it is time for one last Christmas pipe.  While I reminisce on prior Christmases, I am able to relish in the new memories created throughout the day.

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May this beautiful album bring you joy this Christmas season.

Please consider purchasing a copy: Amazon  † iTunes 

Your Obt. Svnt.,

Ichabod Ω

 

Disarmed UK Citizens!

In 1996, British citizens lost all basic rights to self-defense; it was that year when their government effectively banned all handguns.  This ban was ostensibly passed to quell fears caused by the Dunblane School Massacre.  In reality, these draconian gun laws have only strengthened governmental control over the UK citizenry.  Measures such as these have been attempted by government systems in the United States, but have failed.  In the United States, we still enjoy our natural right to self-defense.  Our brothers and sisters in the United Kingdom, many of whom begged their lords and masters to disarm them, do not.

Disarmed citizens are not safer citizens.  Not only are they at the mercy of any criminal (who is undeterred by gun laws), but also their tyrannical leftist government.  This is what disarmed citizens look like in the face of a violent attack:

 

Run.  Hide.  Tell the police!  What if one cannot?  Cower in fear.  Beg.  Be a victim.  Let the attacker kill you.  These are your only options if you are disarmed.

AWAKEN!  ARM YOURSELVES!

Your Obt. Svnt.,

Ichabod Ω

Thought of the Day: Made in China

 As a green thumb numismatist, Your Obedient Servant looks at and inspects nearly coin that enters his pocket (and quite a few ‘take a penny, leave a penny’ containers).  I found the penny pictured above today.  It looked like a typical new penny, but it had one shining difference: its previous carrier had affixed a ‘Made in China” sticker over Lincon’s head.  To most, it is still one little penny.  To Your Obedient Servant, it was a symbol of a broken, sold-out, US economy.  That penny was made in America.

It’s nothing new.  Everything in America is made in China.  My shirt, my hat, my iPhone, my Gadsden Flag, and the computer on which I am writing this blog are all manufactured in this communist nation.  Depending on the source, China’s closed economy may be the largest in the world–surpassing the United States in 2014.  With the Yuan’s sluggish performance in 2015, the World Bank stated that it would not replace the US Dollar as the world’s reserve currency.  Nevertheless, America’s economy is faltering because of our reliance on other nations to produce our goods.

The penny in my pocket was made in the United States; it is a rare breed!

Your Obt. Svnt.,

Ichabod Ω 

Dead Starbucks Polar Bears

Last month, Starbucks, the most powerful coffee chain in the world, angered millions when the decided that the 2015 holiday cup would be solid red.  Now they’ve really done it.  Just look at the picture posted below:

It’s a polar bear with a red scarf, right?  Well, not according to multitudes of Starbucks faithful.  To them, it is a depiction of a polar bear having had its neck slashed.  Oh no!  The polar bear is bleeding to death!  Clearly, and I am mean clearly, Starbucks did not intend to “offend” anyone.  They just wanted to show a bear with a red scarf around its neck.  It’s a holiday thing. It comes as no surprise that a society that worships zombies would also see blood running down the neck of Christmas polar bear before it saw a red scarf.  I have one thing to say to those who have gotten excited about this issue:

 

You have too much time on your hands.  Carpe Diem!

 

Your Obt. Svnt.;

 

Ichabod Ω

Thought of the Day: Stop Being a Follower

 

Evil is hardly possible without participation.  Who would Hitler have been without followers?  A semi-successful artist (at best)?  A former war-hero-turned-ranting-lunatic?  How about Lenin, Trotsky, and Mao?  All of these men had followers; their evil totalitarian ideologies had followers; their followers killed millions of people.  Obedience isn’t a virtue, so stop following evil because all of your friends are doing it.  Doing as such only proves that you are a coward and a weakling.  When a follower dies, he is forgotten.

 

 

Thanks to Emancipated Human

Your Obt. Svnt.,

Ichabod Ω

Thought of the Day: Love Your Neighbor

We are in the season that preaches “Peace on Earth, goodwill towards men.”  One of the central commandments of Jesus Christ, whose birth the world will soon celebrate, was to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  This is the golden rule that fewer and fewer people practice.  Western Christians have seemingly forgotten this central teaching in the face of adversity – especially when their Muslim neighbors are concerned.  With calls to “ban” Islam, close mosques and wage indiscriminate violence against Middle Eastern nations, it is clear that the term “neighbor” is only applied to some.

This is neither a religious blog nor is Your Obedient Servant a member of the clergy.  I am guilty of failing to love my neighbor as well.  However, to live in a more peaceful world, we all must continue to make efforts to extend love and friendship to all people.  Even if love and friendship are not possible, perhaps allowing others the chance to peacefully live is.  It is hardest to live those who seem to hate us.  For some Americans and other Westerners, Muslims are seen as a group who hate our values and wish us religious, political, and physical harm.  This is not the case.  While I do not find the tenets of Islam to be as peaceful as those of Eastern Orthodox Christianity (which I try to follow), I personally know plenty of peaceful Muslims.  The Muslims I know will render aid to a person in need, giving him the shirt from his back or the last dollar in his pocket.  These fine folks would even help the Christian in need.  In turn, if we want to act like Christians–or even free thinking, moral human beings, we must do the same to all of our neighbors.  Jesus Christ didn’t discriminate and neither should we.

I read a terrific story written by phillipfletcher.org, entitled “The Good Muslim.”   The story features a Christian man who has been carjacked and robbed.  Multiple groups of Christians pass him by along the side of the road, failing to give him aid.  Eventually, he is helped by a Muslim man who renders aid and even pays for his care.  It is a modern twist on the Biblical parable of the “Good Samaritan.”

In this Nativity season, let us all be good Samaritans to our neighbors.  May we forget petty differences.

 

Your Obt. Svnt.,

Ichabod Ω

Kurt Russell: Not Amused by Gun Control

I don’t usually care what Hollywood actors or other celebrities have to say about politics.  Holding celebrity status does not automatically equate to being a political thinker.  However, when someone is truly thinking about an issue – and making sense –  it is worth noting.  Today, that person is actor Kurt Russell.  He’s been in a lot of films over the past 35 years, and he’s respected in Hollywood culture.  Less popular Hollywood personalities are ostracised for beliefs that differ from the authoritarian leftist mainstream.  Kurt Russel has proven that his opinions are grounded in reality (and statistical facts).

Check out the post from “Bearing Arms.”

 

 

Your Obt. Svnt.,

Ichabod Ω

 

 

 

 

Muslims Persecuted in American Armed Services

The death of religious freedom in America cannot be denied when the men and women of the US Armed Services are persecuted for their faiths.  While it may come as a shock to the average Trump supporter, there are faithful Muslims who have sworn their oaths to the US Constitution and serve in our military.  Due to the actions of an extreme minority of Islam’s followers, the loyalty of its adherents serving in our military ranks is being questioned.  It is an affront to Americanism to read things like this:

“We used to be a balanced people. We used to be true to our values, but now we’re willing to betray our values because of a sense of fear? That’s not American,” said Hadzic. “What the hell happened to that America I immigrated to?”

 

The Washington Post ran this story today: For Muslims in the U.S. military, a different U.S. than the one they swore to defend

Religious freedom is a right given by God, intended for all.  The United States used to honor that.  What the hell did happen to this nation?

Your Obt. Svnt.,

Ichabod Ω

Donald Trump: Hilarious GIF Rings True

Trust animals. They use their instincts better than humans.  This includes eagles, which are seen as the truest symbol of American liberty.  For some in the United States, the ideologies of Republican presidential front-runner, Donald Trump, are seen as a major threat to freedom.  Obviously, millions of others believe that he will restore America to greatness.

Many of Trump’s supporters fail to see that he’s an actor in political theater.  Most of his antics are just for entertainment. In a nation where people form their political opinions from internet memes while taking a break from watching rigged sports, it is not surprising that so many people latch on to anti-liberty views.  It is also difficult to believe that Donald Trump actually agrees with his own supposed views.  From threats to restrict the rights of Muslims to practice their faith to calling to “close down the internet,” Donald Trump has certainly made many libertarians cringe.

 

 

The rights to free speech and religion are God-given and are the true cornerstones of American liberty.  If Donald Trump truly wants to “make American great again,” he can start by promoting all forms of liberty for all people.  If he does not, he will surely be bitten by liberty herself. Donald, you’re flying where eagles dare; you’ve been officially warned.

Your Obt. Svnt.,

Ichabod Ω