But, it was close.

I suffered heat stroke as I made my 29 mile grueling climb up the Maricopa Mountains. My kidneys had stopped functioning correctly and I had started retaining water. I swelled up like a big balloon as my muscles started to go rigid.

I remember a stream of expletives that I spoke as I came in from the convection oven like reality of the desert on the same mountain that caused me to hallucinate that I received a cell phone call from God the previous year during that marathon of endurance.

29 miles straight up a mountain pushing a cool 109 degrees would prove to be my undoing. That coupled with a week-long pace that was exactly twice as fast as my previous world record pace and should have propelled me out of the most dangerous zones of the skate. I would find the end of the skate 50 miles from a 10 degree difference in temperatures and possible northern route over New Mexico.

The physical signs had actually been happening over the course of the week, but, when I finally became uncontrollably dizzy, I knew I had hit a wall of immense proportion. I shut down for the night, only to find that I still could not remain vertical the next morning, with the sun further heightening the vertigo effects.

It wasn’t even the first time that I pushed myself past the limits.

I may have also suffered heat stroke, back in California, while I walked 2 miles across the Imperial Sand dunes in my skates to reach a legal road for me to skate on. My wife agreed to call me every fifteen minutes as I made that trek.

I made the last call to her on the phone, “Come and get me. I’m almost out of water”. Knowing that she was two miles away, I began the climb up the hill that would lead me to the highway. I clawed and trudged through the sinking sand. She called me half-way up to let me know where she was.

I stared at the golf ball in my hands that I found on the ground. It became a makeshift tool in the small existence that I was occupying. I was using it as an object of focus to help maintain my calm. I made the final push up the hill as I sucked down the last of my cool water, holding on to that ball with every bit of determination I had. I made it to the top gasping for air and sweating bullets of precious fluid. I moved past focus and began to descend into a panic attack as my body struggled to function in the heat that unmercifully attempted to desicate me in the arid desert. I held on to that ball with every ounce of focus that I could muster.

I saw my wife driving down the road and watched her as she continued on past. I frantically called her, “where are you going?” She said that she was driving to the next turn around and the signs in the median said for “emergency use only”. I pleaded that this would constitute an emergency situation as I began to spin on my feet. I managed the only words that came, “Get here”.

Her arrival at the hill where I stood culminated in my ducking into the rear passenger door. I couldn’t speak correctly for several minutes. The muscles in my mouth weren’t forming words correctly. My head was spinning as I sat there in the back seat taking off my gear. The basic movements required to remove my helmet, pads, skates and camelback almost defied me.

My wife’s general annoyed state at my shortness of words abated to a realization that I wasn’t functioning correctly. Her annoyance became concern when we stopped at a rest stop 2 miles away for me to finish removing my gear. We sat there for some 30 minutes as I regained a semblance of composure after my experience in 113 degree heat.

I truly believe that it was the Clif Bar supplements I was using that saved me from any real damage. The nutrients and electrolytes in those products kept me from finding an earlier end to that skate and possibly my life.

Even when I wasn’t skating, I craved salt. I remarked the first time that I ate a meal and didn’t salt my food, after the skate. I was amazed that I didn’t want the salt anymore.

I tweeted once after I escaped California that my wheels were wearing abnormally fast. I skated on road surfaces that were literally melting my wheels. It was that hot. I’ve never seen that type of wear on wheels before.

I learned lots of great techniques to use on a desert skate. I packed my camelback pouch full of ice and drank the cold water and electrolyte as it melted. I packed the extra space in my camelback full of ice to let it drip down my back while I skated. I began to pour water over my clothes and “run wet” to make up for the later fact that I wasn’t quite sweating like I should have been. Even though I was coated in sunscreen, I still burned in the remote areas that I hadn’t built a base tan over the summer, i.e. under my clothes.

These are just a few of the lessons that I learned on my journey across the desert. Many more will be realized as I recapitulate the experience again and again.

In the upcoming days, I will begin posting blogs that reflect upon the journey, and, relate my observations in my own conservative belief system.

I invite everyone to return and leave comments.

Along the way I will be interviewing Americans about their concerns in The Great Recession of 2009. I will ask the citizens of this great land what government means to them, what its role should be, and, what they want to see from it in the future.

I will also write about what I personally want to see from our government. I will describe my thoughts on bailouts, entitlements, failure, and, success.

Today we stand at a crossroads. People across the nation that have never held a sign of protest before are taking to the streets. The masses are just the tip of the iceberg in the conservative movement. I am one of those reluctant protestors. It is because of my sense of responsibility that I engage in this endeavor.

I, being just an average faulty human being, am gifted in the respect that I was fortunate enough to be born a citizen of these United States of America. That gift, I have come to understand, comes with so many precious freedoms that a certain amount of responsibility is mandatory. It is our duty to take an active role in government, no matter how that role is defined.

I have been told, by many of my Liberal friends that, “the American people have spoken”, but, they are still speaking. Situations are changing every single day. Priorities shift as the realities of our great land require. It is this ever changing voice that I am in search of. I also seek the voices of the often overlooked small towns that I was fortunate enough to skate through last year on my first Trans-USA journey.

Prior to this year, I wouldn’t have thought to engage in political activism. I struggled to end the destructive cycles that plagued me from childhood and continued to influence my decisions on into adulthood. Abuse, violence, alcohol, drugs, and, broken family structures eventually resulted in my being a ward of the court of the State of Texas by the age of 15. Eventual gang membership continued the trend of “being a statistic”. I was on a dead-end path of self destruction.

In short, I know how to do the wrong thing. I learned the personal costs that come from those decisions. I learned because of and despite my failures. It is from that series of hard lessons that life taught me, that I developed the value system that I have today. It is easy to tell someone what is right and wrong. It is far harder to learn for yourself.

My saving grace came in the form of inline skating. I have been head over heels for it
ever since I first put a pair on. Through my skating, I learned that the hard road is most
often the right road. Short-cuts came to represent skipped steps and missed opportunities.

Self-discipline and competition in the skating world gave me the personal strength I
needed to better myself.

My and my wife’s dear friend Natalie referred to the political scene and pointed out that many just don’t feel as if they know enough to comment, or, they don’t care, because, no one has asked them before.

I think it can be read a little further to point out that many think they don’t have the right to speak out. That is the category that I belonged in. I didn’t think that I deserved to speak out because I made so many mistakes on the road of life. I resigned myself to being a voter at best, and, no more than that.

Now, I realize that my one voice is the same type of voice that millions of Americans have. We are not perfect. We are human to the nth degree, but, we are also citizens of the United States of America. Each and every single citizen deserves to have his or her voice reflected in the halls of Congress. It is our birthright, no matter what.

I will be Tweeting my progress as I go at www.twitter.com/d_dannels. I will post regular updates and pictures there. I may not get to respond to all of my replies, but, know that I will read all of them.

I will also keep a blog at http://dannydannels.wordpress.com. There I will write about the people that I meet and their opinions. I will also write about who I am, how the recession is affecting me, and, my family. It will be updated on an irregular basis.

It will be a hard journey, and, I admit that I will need your help along the way. The best and easiest way to help is to follow my journey. You can talk about what I am doing with your friends and family. Tweet about my journey on twitter. Call your local news, congress person, and, papers to tell them about my progress. If you care to donate to our expenses, that will be honored beyond words. No amount will be too small. We will accept those at: danny.dannels@gmail.com through Paypal.

In my eyes, Left and Right, Republican and Democrat, Liberal and Conservative, are just labels. We are all Americans. Our gift is our freedom. The price we pay is responsibility. I am willing to pay the price for my freedoms with the blood, sweat, and, tears that skating across this nation will require, as I seek out those that care about our future. I hope that I bring the great stories of the proud Americans that are out there. I also hope that I influence people to stand up for their beliefs, no matter what they might be.

“Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap”, repeated the request as I made my way towards the continuing demand for attention, finally free of my project and associated debris. Right then I decided that it had better be important to make use of such an imposing style of knocking.

“Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap”, went the further insistence as I rounded the corner from the hall to the kitchen. I then realized the person outside must have been emboldened by the open front door being open to have knocked repeatedly, knowing that his persistence would be satisfied.

As the right hand and preliminary edge of that person gradually waxed into sight through the glass door and beyond, I prepared myself to dismiss a door-to-door salesman, until I realized the uniform he was wearing was that of an Irving City Official.

Using my best business voice I asked, “Yes, sir. How can I help you?”

“Is that your pile of fencing materials stacked on the sidewalk”, he inquired of the remains of a weary weathered wooden fence that I had removed to that location while pointing with the pen in his right hand.

I freely admitted that indeed it was. That was when I noticed the metal clipboard in his left hand, as it came up into our conversation area.

As he tore off the top sheet to hand to me, we began to engage in conversation about his appearance at my front door. Turns out that, even though the city collects refuse curb-side, remodeling materials are expressly denied. Citizens of Irving have to remand those items to the City Dump personally. Retrospectively I would think it’s because of safety issues for the collectors. Who knows what nails, chemicals, or asbestos could be looming in the midst of those types of materials.

The official document he handed me was not a citation. It was an information page to note why he stopped. It also had some other useful information regarding why he would attend to a person’s property.

I thanked the man for the information, remarking that I wouldn’t have known unless he had stopped to inform me. He seemed to ease as our conversation progressed. I’m sure that he finds conflict in his job when he stops to inform citizenry of restrictions regarding refuse collection. It can’t be an easy thing to stop to tell someone that the trash collectors won’t take your trash.

Returning to my project, I began to think about the story my mother-in-law related to me on Sunday. She and a fellow member of her praise team were having an unrelated conversation when she pointed out that “sometimes you need to stop, calm down and think about what is going on around you”. Often times, there is a much bigger picture. She further related it to the current news headlines in a fashion that I hadn’t thought about.

To her, Cambridge Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. seems to have missed the fact that his neighbor did him a favor by calling the police. She, my wife, and, I would want our neighbors to do the same. The police officers that arrived also did him a favor by coming and making sure that all was well, especially since there was a history of break-ins in that neighborhood. His community was operating in a manner that is expected by all members of our society.

I don’t know all of the details of the arrest, but, I can tell you this: I know not to yell at a police officer. There is just no good reason to treat the members of law enforcement, or any city official in this manner. These people are here to protect you and are your absolute best friends. That is, unless you are doing something illegal.

If an officer shows up and asks for your identification, give it to them and be nice about it. They are doing a job that is both revered and reviled. Everyone loves the officer that saves the victim. Those same people hate the cops that write them speeding tickets.

Every law enforcement officer is a person. They are sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers, and, sisters. They all choose to fill a position in the community that is required. Without them, we would all suffer. We are fortunate that they care enough to be there for us.

That sense of community that is so often lost in the big city is something that has protected and strengthened our homes and towns for ages. We each hold a certain amount of responsibility to watch out for each other. I can’t help but remember Hillary Clinton’s book, “It Takes a Village”. Politics aside, the concept is dead-on correct.

I’ve been there. Recently, I filmed and broke up a drug-deal gone bad out in the street in front of our house, and, posted it to Youtube. Apparently, my neighbors were having a get together and their daughter’s male friends were being juvenile delinquents. Those kid’s parents busted up the event and caused a huge scene in the streets, of which, I was able to capture a section of.

I have caught a group of kids vandalizing one of the other neighborhood youth’s car in the middle of the night. Her dad was appreciative that I was able to get a license plate number for him. Noticing a large group of juveniles out at midnight on a school night just didn’t make sense. I could have ignored it, but, questioning it and keeping my eyes open allowed me to help protect the members of my community.

I even chased down a meter reader that was wearing his oversized personal jacket, just to make sure who was walking around in the yards on our block. He gladly showed me his reader and uniform. It was a very cold day, and, I could understand why he would want to wear a more substantial jacket than the standard issue. Another alert neighbor expressed gratitude that I would take the initiative to help protect our community, because, they had stopped their car in question of who it was walking in and out of properties.

In know the topic of race relations is interwoven into the Gates story, and, I don’t pretend to think I understand what it means to be black in America. I only know what it means to be of olive skin, however, class discrimination causes people of all races to understand fear and animosity. Wealth, fame, position, and, prestige do not equate being a better person. I feel it is that type of communication barrier that causes so much of the discord.

Taking responsibility for your role within the community is the first step.

I smell like a wet stale cat. This isn’t a usual condition. I have been cleaning the shed, and, have picked up all of the stinking sweet odors that job entailed. A layer of grime that both itches and sits sticky to the sweat that builds in the humidity in Dallas covers me from head to toe. In retrospect, I am unsure why I didn’t shower first instead of taking this moment of inspiration to write. I guess that I needed to get it off my chest.

I must assume from the smell out there that a local cat got into the workshop the other night when I left the back door ajar. I must admit fault, since I know that it was me that failed to secure the door, much less turn off the light. I must have been too distracted to remember those details. Let down your guard for a minute and the workshop will smell like cat urine.

We keep our refuse in there until pickup day, and, the aroma of food in the bags is too much temptation for those local felines, and maybe the occasional opossum or raccoon. They never seem to be of much interest in the vegetable castings from preparing dinner that I add to the compost pile, just the meat scents from the bags in the workshop.

We used to leave the bags on the brick patio in the garden. I eventually tired of re-bagging them after they were carefully torn open in little areas to access the food. I really can’t hold it against them. It is their base instinct coupled with the positive reinforcement of having found something to scavenge previously. Once a varmint finds easy food, they keep coming back.

The point is, I learned my lesson, and, fixed my erroneous ways. I still make a mistake now and then, but, I alone am responsible for fixing them. I draw a striking similarity to what is going on in our government. Things are not functioning correctly, and, it’s up to me to fix it. By me I mean we, and, by we I mean the American people.

Trash pickup day is coming soon. We need to pick up the crap that is stretched out on the lawn by the feral animals coming to feed off anything within reach. Our refuse needs to be quarantined until we can dispose of it properly. Then, we need to clean the workshop as we go to ensure that we stay on top of our duties.

I know it’s a bit of an oversimplification comparing politicians to wild animals scrounging for any scraps that might be lying about, but, it might also be dead on correct. Our government almost seems like a parasite to me. It has found ways to tap into the money stream, and, keeps coming back for more. It’s time we locked the doors to keep them away from it.

The next presidential election is only 3 ½ years away. It may it seems like a long time from now, but, you know the Democrats are already building a campaign. Conservatives are planning too. We’re talking to other people. We won’t give up. We will retake our government and shut it down.

Lines are already being drawn in the sand.

In a December 2007 report, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the “unauthorized” alien population around 12 million persons. With 14.7 million citizens currently unemployed, and a possible 17 million in six months, we have arrived at a nexus where border security and alien status has converged with the recession and the pocketbooks of the American taxpayers.

While the good citizens of our country struggle to make ends meet, “unauthorized” aliens continue to take advantage of our weak security systems. Once here, they take positions that could be held by citizens or those aliens that have taken the necessary steps to enter our country legally.

The CBO stated that “most available studies conclude that the unauthorized population pays less in state and local taxes than it costs state and local governments to provide services to that population”. In short, it cost taxpayers for them to be here.

The report also cited a Pew poll that shows California’s “unauthorized” alien at 8% and further goes on to show higher rates of government service use coupled with lower levels of education. With many sanctuary cities, California is a shining example of how to mismanage taxpayer dollars.

Right now, Americans everywhere are debating the fate of the Health Care bill. An estimated 9.6 million “unauthorized” aliens are prohibited from paying premiums on page 170 of that bill. That means “unauthorized” aliens are not only taking away jobs, but, are and will cost American taxpayers more money as they freely take advantage of our health care systems meant for citizens.

E-Verify, a government program meant to check a worker’s valid status though Social Security, could easily be employed in its intended use to curb “unauthorized” alien employment. This would allow millions of citizens the opportunity of employment during the financial hardships brought on by the current recession. However, on the front page of it’s website E-verify states, “Federal contractors may NOT use E-Verify to verify current employees until the rule becomes effective and they are awarded a contract that includes the FAR E-Verify Clause”, referring to a Sep 8th, 2009 decision whether or not to enforce an Executive Order by President Bush to force government contractors to have a legal workforce, a policy dating from 1996, and the Clinton Administration.

A substantial decrease in tax burdens would occur, if we could just enforce border security and immigration laws. There is an existing process to enter our country legally. The process happens every day. Many valued international workers come to this country to engage in the different industries available. These workers enjoy the fruits of our society and contribute to our overall success as a nation, unfortunately, the millions that have not done so legally contribute to the dysfunction of our government. These “unauthorized: aliens affect the security and finances of our nation. As we struggle to find our way out of the mess of this recession, true reform is screaming for attention from many directions.

We can not afford to look the other way anymore.

Sources cited:

What I want to see in the Republican Party can be broken down into the following planks:

1) Smaller government, for real this time. Substantial reformation is fundamental with a minimization of entitlements. These monies come out of our pocketbooks. No one should be entitled to reach in to our wallets to take money, especially a government that has grown out of control.

2) Term limits to end long term control of any seat. Any seat should represent the ever changing face of the American people. Life time politicians should be required to run for a different office to stay in politics, or, go back to the private sector.

3) Elimination of corporate lobbying of government. The influence of money in our government is unacceptable. Corporations buying influence of politicians, is reprehensible.

5) Smaller federal budget with laws against deficit spending. This will include living within our means. It may include pay cuts for employees of the federal government. Some entitlements will have to be cut.

6) Tax reformation in the direction of a flat tax. Real equality in the tax system is the only way to move forward. Double and triple taxation need to be eliminated. Death and Inheritance taxes should be eliminated to help families keep wealth.

7) Campaign reform to keep politicians in DC working instead of on the road campaigning, while they are supposed to be doing a job. This will need to be coupled with a limit in the campaign season to avoid the two year long campaign season seen in the previous election. Full accountability in public financing of political campaigns with no corporate donations. Now that we are in the computer age, there is no reason to withold this information. Every dollar amount should be viewable. Real transparency from elected officials should be non-negotiable.

I feel that the Republican Party let us down. Graft and waste are just as rampant among the right as it is the left. “Pay to play” politics is situation normal in Washington D.C. where money is power. That doesn’t represent us in Middle America, or our spending habits. Even though we have often felt powerless, we have taken this moment in time to stand up Republicans are considered to be just the same as Democrats, just with guns and bibles. Both parties have lead us down the road to socialism. Left and right are both representatives of “Big Government”. We need Republican to represent “Little Government”.

I even had a fellow Twitterer tell me that Republicans want socialism too, just slower with a little Jesus sprinkled on top. I think he was right about the socialism part. If we are headed towards bigger government, the big government that is handing out the most money will win every time. That is why the Democrats beat the Republicans.

I, a reluctant activist, have now taken on the role of talking to as many people as I can. I am writing blogs that represent my view of conservative America. I believe that everyone wants freedom more than they want a government dole. We need a voice that accurately reflects this growing awakening of citizens. The citizens are standing up and asking for this type of representation. I and many others are looking for leaders that will represent us.

Please represent me and others like me, before we leave too.

It was awe inspiring. I could feel the roots of our American Revolution thrive as the historic voice of the people stood firmly in its resolution to be heard. A half-million people across the country went to the streets to protest taxes peacefully. The resounding will of the people chanted in full force that we were “taxed enough already”. Signs representing the voices of those truly free Americans ranged widely in context, but, the message was clear: Stop spending money.

To me, conservative values represent the exact opposite of acting out in public. It is about home, family, thrift, responsibility, and, upholding the documents that gave us the freedom to do pursue those activities. The last thing that the term conservative related to in my mind was activism. Yet, there I was on Tax Day, proudly posing with my sign telling the world what I felt was my best message.

I thought long and hard about what to say in my sign. I looked up quotes. I weighed the remarks of others, then I looked back in history to what stood out to me as “profoundly American”. I thought of the founding fathers and what risks they undertook in declaring the freedom that I relish today. John Hancock’s signature stood out in my mind as the right message. My name would be the message that I sent. There would be no confusion when the pictures were passed around at the Department of Homeland Security as they assessed possible “Right-wing Extremists”. They would see it in my sign. “For imposing taxes on us without our consent, I pledge my life, my wealth, my sacred honor. Danny Dannels”, would be the message straight from the Declaration of Independence.

I called my mother to tell her what my sign would say. She, a lifelong Democrat, joked, laughed and ridiculed me for my beliefs, until I told her about the disclosed documents from DHS. Then, she got real serious. The brevity of the situation turned from something that she could emotionally sweep under the table while hanging on to her beliefs, to something that she had to reconcile with the administration that she voted into office. She realized, even if she wouldn’t admit it, that waves of real change were underfoot. All at once she had to admit that freedoms were being limited by the government meant to protect us. That government was, in fact, turning against its own people and dividing them. To many levels it is dividing I and my sister from my mom and brother. The Civil War had the same effects, and, I can’t help but make that connection when I think about our conflicts.

I am a reluctant protestor like many in America that took to the street on April 15th. I was there because I felt a calling. I wasn’t there to yell angry and hateful words. I don’t remember anyone like that at the Dallas rally that I went to. What I did see were lots of families. I saw people that would have never dreamed of acting out in public, were taking to the streets in solidarity. Something profound had happened to drive these moms and dads to act out. I think that it was the threat against our country that the liberal spending agenda is having. Rational hard working Americans that live their dreams quietly in the backdrop of our nation said that, “enough is enough”. I will never forget it. What happened that day has had that kind of effect on me. It has changed my life forever.

As I began to assess the changes that I underwent and evaluate the reactions of my friends, I noticed familiar themes. My CNN friends were using the same words: hater, loser, and, racist. Those kinds of words I expected. I am more than ready to stand in the face of rebuke. My values are that important to me. What I wasn’t prepared for, was Obama saying that he wasn’t aware of any tea parties. I felt as if the POTUS was completely disregarding anything that we were saying. It was like a slap in the face.

Those series of events have created my new purpose in life. I will champion conservative values to the people. I will do whatever I can, and, speak to whomever I can about why I believe the way that I do. That is the lesson that I took from the Dallas tea party. That is a lesson that I will teach to my children

Stand up for your beliefs.

Well, times have changed. People have changed. American belts have tightened as we realize what we actually need to survive. The reset switch was pressed, and, the people have responded with returns to conservative roots. Well, at least some of us have. The people running our government aren’t hearing the roar of the crowds. I think Chrysler was a sign to government that the American people want fairness without government intervention, even if that means failure. We as a people needed Chrysler in bankruptcy long ago. Bailouts take the trust out of the financial system that we are all signed on to. Without that trust, those pieces of paper in your wallet are just that, pieces of paper.

People want failure. There are systems in check that allow us restart a corporation or have it be sold, to minimize loss to investors. That’s how it’s supposed to be handled to protect the people. Throwing billions into a hole of debt and pretending that the system is better just doesn’t make sense.

Demand for goods and services have come down to levels that represent the American public’s true level. The surplus of goods and services will have to come down to it. Artificial attempts to try to spend our way out, to an undesired level, doesn’t make sense. We don’t want it there anymore. In a few recent news clips, I’ve seen people saying that it is looked poorly upon to even look like you are spending money. After the excesses of the “Bling Era”, Americans are trying to at least look like they are being thrifty. It’s the new cool. I’m glad. I like being thrifty. I like cooking food from scratch. I like growing food. My wife learned to knit, and, makes gorgeous blankets. There is a reason why we passed this stuff down to each other through the passages of time. We need to be self-sufficient. It is part of being human.

If you don’t know how to sew, cook, knit, or, grow food, go find someone from “The Greatest Generation”, before they all leave us. Spend some time with them. Learn. I am so glad that I was able to spend so much time with my grandfather before he died in ’91. We talked for hours upon hours about family, life, travel, war, and, love. I think that I was his favorite, because, I asked him questions. More importantly, I listened to his answers. Everyone else wanted to be Grandma’s favorite. Don’t worry, she taught me how to cook, sew, crochet, and, cross stitch too. She said it was important. It’s really nice to get to use those skills across the road of life. It amazes me at how many times I’ve used them as grown man.

The micro industry of automobile manufacturers really fits into the homemade ideals that are catching on. You can already go on Etsy.com and buy handmade toys, clothes, and, many other things trendy. The concept of buying cheap electric vehicles from smaller manufacturers is right in line with it. The massive switch to everything green really doesn’t fit in with keeping huge production facilities operating. Green implies not being afraid to do it yourself. Perhaps, it is the evolution of the Industrial Revolution. Maybe we’re not supposed to live our lives in cubicles. Personally, I think being human is best done outdoors.

This new economic reality is a good reason to plant some vegetables in your yard, or, on your balcony. We have 5000 years of recorded history that point to us growing our own food. Why did some of us stop? I get a real connection to life when I work soil with my hands. Cultivating food for my own use gives me a real appreciation for the history that brought us to this age.

Part of the charm of doing things yourself is that you realize how much work goes into things. Things have value when you create them yourself. When the connection is made between time and value, money takes on greater importance. The sense of loss when you finally lose things that you had to make, become tangible. It is that sense of value that makes me sick when I think of the graft and waste that is happening in government right now.

This brings me back to Chrysler and the bailouts. Why do we continue to waste money in bailouts? Why was Obama so upset that the 30% of share holders that aren’t TARP banks didn’t agree to the terms offered, and, take the hit too? It’s really the American investor that said no. We don’t want to accept less than what is fair, even if it’s fairness in failure.

I think that it was important to Obama’s political capital, not considering the union vote. If the TARP banks that hold 70% of the investment in Chrysler were to take a hit this large, it would be another hit to the TARP program that has Americans disgusted with loss of taxpayer money. That translates into the current administration taking a political hit over waste. That’s political capital gone in a fight to convert us to a more socialist state.

It will affect the people’s appetite for more waste. Those that believed that intervention could save a business that that had died, are now going to realize that all government did was prolong the death by wasting our treasure. Conservatives were disgusted long ago. Independents and Liberals are realizing everyday that this waste is unacceptable. Any more just cannot be afforded by the American people. The Federal Government needs to tighten its own belt, and, reign in out of control spending.

To visualize how much our federal budget is out of line, take our four quarters, and, place them in your hand. Now take one of those quarters and give it to China. It’s really theirs, and, from other countries too in fairness. That leaves three in your hand. Who is really doing the buying in our country if the Government continues to spend at these levels? They are only really doing three quarters of it.

It almost looks like America is being sold to me.

First off, you have the option of opting in or opting out. That lets you control the conversations that you want to take follow, take place in, or block like spam that has been sitting on the counter since Tuesday. “Convo” (Conversation) takes place with others opting to even respond. Even in the silence, people are reading the words and processing the information. I have found myself going to other profiles and reading comments, when in search of adding a “follow”. I follow the links and look at the entire chain of tweets that created those comments. I use that method to decide if I even want to follow that person, though, when I do find a spambot, I block it on principle.

Granted, there is some spam. MLM marketers and opportunistic companies will set up an account that, using an automated program, will send out links for their product. Sometimes it is mixed with motivational quotes, but, a brief check of the homepage will tell the story. If it’s the same message sent over and over… it’s a spambot. I block them. That is the beauty of the “opt in” or “opt out” nature of Twitter.

I must admit that I didn’t get it when I started my account Jan 13th of 2009. I only posted 30 times in that first month. I didn’t understand the fleeting nature of the conversation style. I didn’t understand the relationships that are formed with the person represented by little square icon that is supposed to encapsulate and represent the entire personality of an individual. Twitter requires a learning curve. That much I knew from the start. I just didn’t realize that I would be able to develop my own following, or, that it would really matter to me what I said to the people that I met. I also didn’t realize how much I could say in 140 characters. I’ve learned to read and write Twitter shorthand. Some of the tricks I’ve learned include removing punctuation. I shorten words to make sentences like: “U nd 2 B some1” That is what anyone’s objective should be on Twitter, “You need to be someone”. I told one guy to just talk about what he ate and how his day was. It is those human exchanges that others are so intimately curious about.

I was actually quite pleased to learn how many times I ran across the words “Thank you”. It represents the humanity that exists on Twitter, even if it is just a “TY”. The sentiment is felt. Receiving communicative praise or condolences from another human next door or in China, really puts an emotional spin on the 140 character tweet that often represents so much more. Compared to Twitter, now, I am finding blogs and forums to be a one-sided form of expression. Responses can come long after the author posted remarks, and, may not even feel that way anymore. Anonymous comments leave an almost emptiness to the words.

The response time of Twitter is a sharp contrast to blogs. Ther is an interactivity found in tweeting. Emotional responses are received in real-time, so the receiver has a chance to interject, and, we know exactly who we are talking to. Well, at least I recognize the cartoon character that lives in a purple explosion of an icon.

The real “underground” aspect of Twitter is that ideas are being traded. Influences are being made. People are talking about heavy issues that range from abortion to big government. Of course, it is often broken up over a good recipe that someone shares or a random compliment or re-tweet that needs to be addressed with a thank you, but, it’s just part of the chatter that evolves on Twitter. The conversation today may be reflected in the tweets of tomorrow, but, it’s never the same thing twice, unless it’s spam.

So, Twitter is how I’ve decide to help change America. Influence comes from communication. Communication of ideas is how we will end the wasteful spending that runs rampant in our government. Talking to people across the nation is the only real way to initiate change we actually need.

I’ve decided that my “equality of responsibility” is to show others why I am a conservative. I believe that “We the People” are the owners, or even stockholders, of America. Turning over our rights and money to an ever increasing federal authority is just counter to our founding documents. The citizens of that age were willing to do anything they could to establish freedom. We should be willing, at minimal, to talk to others and let them know why we believe in conservatism. We owe it to America. We owe it to our children.

So, I will take my role as a communicator to Twitter, and, talk into the stream of conversations. I have made a few friends. I’ve agitated a few people. I hope that I have made them all think. I will continue to debate and encourage. I will accept and enjoy all of the challenges that I meet. I will also share my recipes with the masses as often as possible. It is a common denominator that everyone shares around the world.

Friends share food.

We are fortunate to find ourselves in the opportunity of having reached “Equality of Responsibility”. It is my term for the national consciousness that happened with this election. We are now charged equally with the responsibility of governing our country. With this charge comes an opportunity to educate the masses on the role of civics in our lives. To elect a president is one thing. To help govern a country is something completely different. That is the threshold that we are at. We have to charge those that helped bring us to this new era to become equally responsible in their accountability for governance. This opportunity for a shared experience is where conservatives can make our mark. Personal beliefs of how or why he was elected aside, it was a great moment in history.

Many of my black friends voted for Obama because of color. They either didn’t know his message, or, didn’t care. I know, because, I asked them. Many felt there was a chance to rally around a man that represented the final shackle of slavery being buried. The last great battle in the war for equality in civil right was won on election night. As the luster of the moment finally begins to wane, people will begin to listen to the message. It is already happening. They will and are seeing the results. They will make their own decisions, and, we must seize upon this opportunity to educate.

The stigma of race differences has held America in a choke hold for too long. When Obama shattered that last glass ceiling, he provided a chance to level the playing field once and for all. Discrimination and reverse discrimination, both the same exact thing, can begin to heal in its wound that has divided our nation for far too long. It won’t happen overnight. It will takes more generations before it is complete, but, it will happen. We just can’t allow it to influence elections. We just can’t afford to allow elections to be decided over skin color.

I believe that everyone is a conservative, deep down where the pocket book matters. I came up with a test that I sent out on twitter:

~This is a test to see if you are conservative or liberal, It is only a test… Gimme $5.

~If you would like to send me $5, you are a liberal. I accept payment at Paypal…

~If you did not send me $5, you are a conservative, and, don’t want to waste your money.

Granted, it was as loaded question, and wouldn’t hold light under the scrutiny of scientific observation, but, it expressed my sentiments. No one wants to waste money. Every one of us realizes how important each dollar that we have is. Waste in government is unacceptable, and, we can make that one of our strongest selling points. True conservatives won’t waste, but, we have to hold the holders of office accountable. True change in government will come with imposition of congressional pay and term limits. Civic duty is a responsibility, and, shouldn’t be a career. Alas, that is for another blog.

This fiscal responsibility will be a topic that we can challenge the left on. Americans are already taking to the streets, and, we’re only a few trillion into the wasting. As the tap of money continues to spew forth, more and more of the taxpayers will revolt. It will be hard to stomach, but, the only way we are going to get through this is by tightening our belts and working hard to get out. It is the only way anyone gets out of debt.

Obama will receive many second chances from the people that he entranced. It should be expected. I excused Bush’s occasional gaffes, because, I liked him. Meanwhile, my left-leaning friends went nuts and proclaimed Karl Rove the Anti-Christ. I didn’t care when they were going into convulsive fits. I often relished in seeing them writhe and spit. The same is going on right now. It makes for a communication barrier. There was no way I was going to listen to anyone that completely freaked out when the subject came up, however, I did have many good discussions with people that kept their game face and challenged me to think and defend my values.

That is the opportunity that presents itself to us now. Those of us that are true conservatives realize that we will never fix the future of the American economy without paring down Federal Government control and spending to minimize its intrusion into our lives and pocketbooks. The American people cannot afford it. The Revolutionary War was fought over it. We won’t put up with it.

Few people want to care for those deadbeat friends and family that refuse to care for themselves. Even with the best of reasons and worst sob-stories, someone under any of our watches would have to contribute back in some way. The case for national welfare hits harder at home when individuals begin to pay more. It’s coming. Don’t you worry. It will get worse, I’m afraid, before it gets better. When the cost of living compared to take-home pay gets higher and higher, they will begin to take notice. Many will rally around socialism. It’s ok. Just know that they are lying to you when they say they WANT to pay more. No one wants to pay more. They will just be the ones that want the handout.

The sobering fact is that we flat out cannot afford a national welfare of the levels that we are approaching. Some states are better off and some are worse off. I’m lucky to live in the State of Texas. We didn’t get the housing bubble. Unemployment is low, and, we don’t have a state income tax. If you do end up on unemployment and welfare, the state holds you responsible for getting off of it or you lose it. Recipients are held to such exacting numbers of hours of job hunting out in the real world and in the resource center that it is easier to just get a job than have to deal with it. It is a concept that should be considered nation wide for all doles and bailouts.

Different states have different answers. Texas is doing something right. We’re succeeding, and, we’re a “red state”. Why is it that the “blue states” are the ones that are in such fiscal turmoil? I think it is due to the number of handouts coupled with waste. Give someone $5 and they are bound to ask again and again.

This is our chance to begin to challenge our liberal friends to defend their positions. There will come a point when blaming Bush will no longer be a viable excuse. It won’t be soon, but, it’s coming. We just have to be patient, stand our ground, and, use logic. Use the diminishing spending power to point out what true conservatism means, and, show them why we have the values we have been holding on to, out here in the heartland. Show them why we believe so strongly about national defense, and, why we take great pride in “hanging on to our guns and bibles”.

Personally, I learned lots of lessons about wasting money before I finally caught on. My wife says I’m cheap. I prefer frugal. Either way, neither of us goes out and blows through money. We consider purchases through dialog all the time. Every dollar is considered before it is spent. Perhaps the eyes of America won’t be open until we waste every dollar that will ever be made. I’m hoping for not. I’m hoping that we are able to convince those that helped create this opportunity to help solve it.

That is where my own equality in responsibility kicks in. I am doing what I can to talk to people, trade ideas, and, connect. It’s the only way conservatives will win. The left has so many giveaways going on that education is our only real chance. Let them know that there is a better way to live than off the government dole. I wish yelling and screaming at people worked. I’d go yell my head off at everyone I could, but, I know that keeping an even head is the only way that I will make any difference.

So, that is what I am doing. I talk to people. I’ve come across many that agree. Some have disagreed and I appreciate their discourse. It makes me question my values. It opens my eyes to other sides and opinions. I like hearing them.

Me personally, I would go to war to defend Obama’s right to run this country as our President. I have great reverence for the seat that the President takes, no matter who, no matter what. We are Americans. We stand as one when our backs are against the wall. We may get back to squabbling when the battle is over, but that’s our business. Not theirs. Don’t come to our house and try to start a fight, we’re family. No one kicks our @$$, but, us.

THAT is what our enemies are underestimating.