Gear Review: Rapid Dominance Messenger Bag, w/GHB Bag Drop

  This is my first gear review (of many, I hope) so please feel free to leave feedback for me whether it is about the bag itself or my bag drop.  I am a cautious buyer at best, and for online shopping I usually need a solid review to commit my hard earned cash.  That's what I am going to strive to provide in my gear reviews: a warm and fuzzy for anyone thinking about purchasing the gear without getting hands on themselves.  Whether that warm and fuzzy leads to purchasing this bag or another I don't care so long as I helped someone make a thoughtful decision.  So please let me know how I can be more helpful and I will do my best.

The Gerber Multi-tool is the closest thing to a ruler I had on hand.

   I bought the Rapid Dominance Messenger Bag on Amazon and with the Amazon Prime Free Trial I got free two day shipping, can't beat that.  It is made in China, unfortunately, but it was $33 and has a Lifetime Warranty.  This is an awesome bag.  As soon as I pulled it out of the box I was impressed with the quality; for the price I wasn't expecting something that feels so sturdy.  The 100% cotton canvas is an inconspicuous olive drab, right between a desert tan and ranger green.  The material seems bombproof, and I think this bag will last forever.  The stitching feels solid, but may need some reinforcing after heavy use with heavy loads.  From the brass zipper pulls and buckles to the 100% polyester liner this bag seems practical and rugged, suggesting a quality surprising for less than $40.

For the price, this bag is nice.

The flap covers the main pocket and the two front pockets.  It is secured with a hook and loop closure, but with the weight of the material you really don't even need it.  The main pocket has a 15 inch wide zipper closure and a stash pocket with zipper closure built into the polyester liner. 

Simple but functional organization.

  The two front pockets are zippered with 5 inch mouths and two pen slots on each pocket.  The side pockets are plenty large enough to fit a Nalgene bottle, flashlight, or spare ammo (it looks like three or four 5.56mm magazines could fit in each one, I will dig some out and update later).

Spare mags in side pocket with snap closure fastened.

 The rear map pocket runs along the entire length of bag and is secured with a small hook and loop closure.  I am excited about this pocket because when I adjust the sturdy 2 inch wide strap to the correct length it holds my Steyr M9A1 in the perfect place for a smooth cross draw.  I am going to mount a simple holster in here to secure it better, and with practice I'm confident it will be an effective concealed carry style.

Snug, but accessible.

Secure with slight modification.

Bag carry is more practical in summer clothes.

 I will update later to see if this bag stands up to my expectations, but from playing with it over the weekend I feel confident that with minor work and proper care the Rapid Dominance Messenger Bag will be one of my favorite multi-use bags for years to come.  (Did I mention that it comes with a Lifetime Warranty?)  If you have any questions at all about the bag just ask and I will do my best to answer them, but if you think this is the bag for you I highly recommend it.

The 100% polyester liner adds padding and weather resistance without much weight increase.

Notice the pen slots.  One on each end of the front pockets.

 Next I'll move on to my bag drop to show you what I carry and give you an idea of the capacity, but first I want to finish the review of the bag itself by pointing out that fully loaded the wide strap does a great job distributing the weight and the profile remains relatively slim when full.  However, being a fairly large bag it is easy to overload and you might want some extra padding on that strap.  With all of this in the bag it weighs in at just over 10 lbs and I can carry it comfortably throughout the day without the strap giving my shoulder a hard time.

Bag Drop

All of this and I can still fit daily additions dependent on situation.

Main Pocket: IFAC, hat, weatherproof pouch, keffiyeh, playing cards, softcover book, and 'necessities' pouch (firestarter, compass, whetstone, 550 cord, lip balm, mini FAK, and Clif Bar).

Bare minimum essential gear.

The pouch can fully protect wallets and phones from moisture and the keffiyeh is great for a number of uses.

Front Pockets: Notepad, 2 Pencils, all-weather camera, wallet, knife, multi-tool, Surefire, and phone.

Side Pockets: Front: spare mags, rear: water and a flashlight.

My double mag pouch belt clip fits in side pocket and allows quick and easy access.

Plenty of room for a much bigger water bottle.

Map Pocket: Handgun.

Once I get that holster sewed in it will be just as secure as wearing it on my hip.

If you are tempted by this bag I say go for it.  It is cheap, solidly-built, and functional.  I hope the pictures helped and if you have any questions just ask.  If you have input about my GHB/EDC packing list I would greatly appreciate it.  Hope this helped!

COMING SOON...Gear Review: Kelty Flyway 43L backpack!  Definitely excited about this one and I will get it done as soon as possible.

Awesome, updated Redwing with built-in rain fly and separate 'dirty clothes' compartment.

Gear Wishlist Item of theWeek

Innovative product, interesting design.

Zippo 4-in-1 Woodsman

Axe, bow saw, mallet, stake puller.

Happy St. Patrick's Day.
-Grisocles
   "The key to survival is ferocity, adaptability, discipline, and awareness."

The American Dream

I was in a waiting room recently and the TV was showing thousands of rabid fans layered in thousands of dollars worth of NFL merchandise screaming their excitement to the sky over the start of the season.‭  ‬The zeal and devotion displayed is a testament to the strength of our commitment‭  ‬to an idea,‭ ‬but I cannot help grieving the loss of great opportunities.‭ ‬ That passion and energy is an inheritance from our forefathers and it is being spent on our own entertainment‭?  ‬Not all Americans can build a car or perform surgery,‭ ‬but all people have the ability to seek and implement knowledge for the good of themselves and others.‭  ‬As a nation we must turn our passion towards directing our path and improving our community.‭  ‬I can imagine the collective power of the people if we watched our government as closely as we watched Hollywood.‭  ‬I can‭’‬t begin to imagine the advances we would make if we focused as much on building scholars and philanthropists as we do on building athletes and celebrities.‭  ‬I am in awe of the caliber of citizen we could produce if we focused more on parenting than we did on generating income for chrome wheels,‭ ‬Playstations,‭ ‬and iPhones.‭  ‬The United States of America has an exponential amount of potential and the key to harnessing this incredible power is using our passion and energy to advance our communities.
   
My father and mother shifted their entire lives around my brother and I.  They did their best to continue pursuing their passions, but more often than not we were included in them or our own activities overshadowed them.  My parents were not perfect but they understood that they were responsible for demonstrating and reinforcing a strong system of values.  This system of values provided the foundation for who I became as an individual.  With the rise of technology it has become too easy for parents to distract their kids with video games, television, and Facebook.  This gives the parents more freedom to focus on their own interests, but it also allows someone else to imprint their ideals on the children and alter the foundation of their character.  I love technology and I know I’m not alone in America.  The ease with which we can explore the ideas of others and share our own is astounding.  Technology provides us with amazing capabilities, but we must recognize the dangers inherent to them.  When I was young I did not have cable television or Internet.  Farther down the road when I had more access I bemoaned the lost opportunities of bygone days, but looking back I am thankful that my parents maintained such control over the information my young mind had access to.  If I had been glued to the television I would not have been asked about my day or heard about my parents’ days while sitting at the dinner table.  If I had had headphones on during car rides with my dad I would not have had as many opportunities to learn from him and his point of view.  Parents must place themselves in the limelight and be the primary role model in the lives of their children.  Children very literally are the future of America and parents must recognize the opportunity and responsibility that comes with having them.
   
Parents are not alone in underestimating and misplacing the value of young people.  The entire community must be conscious of its effect on children, too.  Our culture as a whole has become focused on individual achievement over furthering the common good.  This is exemplified in our fascination with sports, movies, and music.  When I was in school the cool kids were the athletes not the scholars.  More often than not students dreamed of winning the World Series or an Emmy, they did not want to cure cancer and win a Nobel Prize.  This is because most kids’ watched more television than I did and every day they saw the role models that the media placed before them.  I did not grow up watching Deion Sanders and Michael Jordan set records and win games, I grew up seeing my mom run out the door to fight a fire.  I grew up helping my dad pick up trash and shovel a random elderly lady’s driveway.  We took pride in helping others and bettering our community.  My school’s pride was in its sports programs.  The whole community would turn out to support our football team, but debates and science fairs were sparsely attended.  I am not trying to bash on sports.  I still love participating in them and occasionally I enjoy watching them.  However, our culture needs to get its priorities straight.  We can celebrate success in sports, but we also need to celebrate success in academics.  We need to cultivate a thirst and passion for knowledge.  We must glorify advances in science as much as we glorify winning the Superbowl.  We must show our young people the importance of bettering themselves through bettering their community.
   
Americans love to be entertained.  We love listening to music, watching movies, and enjoying a cold beer while we discuss our fantasy football leagues.  What many Americans fail to remember is that we are free to do so because our system of government was designed by men who were not free to do as they wished.  We are free to do so because Americans have fought and died to gain and maintain that freedom.  We must never forget the sacrifices that created and protected our ability to be seek entertainment, fame, and fortune.  Out of respect for our forebears we must be active in our government and defend not only our rights, but the rights of those who will come after us.  We need to be outraged when the media places more importance on celebrities than the possibility of sending men and women into harm’s way.  We need to be more interested in what laws are being pushed through Congress than what movies are opening this weekend.  There need to be more eyes on Washington D.C. than Hollywood, and we need to fill our Town Halls like we fill music and sports venues.  We must not allow our love of entertainment to be the wool pulled over our eyes.
   
American citizens have more control over their destiny than any people in the world, but as Ben Parker said, “With great power comes great responsibility.”  Americans are passionate and consistently demonstrate their ability for intense enthusiasm, but unfortunately we utilize this predilection in the wrong places.  As individual citizens and members of a national community we have a responsibility to contribute to the direction of our country in whatever way we can.  By focusing on parenting and idealizing positive role models we can better prepare the next generation to fulfill their roles, and by respecting and fulfilling our heritage through government activism we can ensure that those roles will still be available to them.

Principled, Fierce, & Armed Citizens > Gangs = Tyranny < Undefiled Second Amendment

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Food for thought: As written by our forefathers, the right to keep and bear arms is only preceded in importance by the right to speak.

When the constitution was being written, the debates around its wording were mostly about “mal-administration of the the government.” 

These men had experienced tyranny under the British, they understood that what they were creating was “necessary to the security of a free State.”  They were not talking about hunting when they were writing the Second Amendment (although we can’t blame them, it was a much bigger part of our culture than it is now and they would think it crazy to need to protect the right to hunt), they were writing future generations a  never-ending stack of “Get Out of Tyranny Free Cards.” 

As stated in the constitution, the militia is meant to be a defense against tyranny.  This tyranny could come in many forms, and one theoretical form of tyranny is the government forgetting their place.
 

The fifth Vice President of the United States, Elbridge Gerry, said Whenever Governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins.  The militia is the People.  The American people were meant to defend themselves.  Allow me to explain.

The United States Code states The classes of the militia are: (1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and (2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.  The Dick Act (aka the Militia Act of 1903) pretty much places the organized militia under control of the government, allowing the President to call up Guardsmen for any amount of time “to repel invasion, suppress rebellion, or enforce federal laws.”

Considering that the government already has relative control over the organized militia, if there were someone who wished to completely take away our freedom the only thing protecting us is the unorganized militia.  The United States Code defines ‘militia’ as all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and...under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States.  So the unorganized militia is every able-bodied man between 17 and 45 years of age who isn’t a part of the organized militia.  We, the American people, are responsible for defending ourselves from tyranny.

Gun control advocates think that they are mitigating bloodshed by stepping on our Second Amendment rights.  The only effect of this infringement is diminishing the power of law-abiding citizens in the United States.  This is an undeniable truth.

The only people unrestricted by gun control are people who do not follow our laws: criminals.  Organized groups of criminals that violently oppress entire communities in the U.S., commonly known as “gangs,” are responsible for up to 90% of violent crime in some areas.  Across the United States gangs cause an average of 48% of the violent crime.  This means that nearly HALF of all unjust violence in the United States is committed by GANGS (which we have already established as organized groups of people that don’t follow our country’s laws).  So why do gun control advocates think that laws provide the answer to America’s violent crime problem? 

Just to clarify, mass murders account for less than 1% of all homicides, but you get the idea.

Police in some communities have developed ways to disrupt gang activity, but they can’t stop it completely.  Laws which erode the Constitution, the foundation of our country, fail miserably to stop the bloodshed.  By limiting law-abiding citzens’ ability to keep and bear arms, gun control advocates are protecting the very thing they are fighting against.  The only thing that can stop gang activity in its tracks is the People.  Americans must stage a two-pronged attack to stop this tyranny running rampant on our streets. 

The first prong is parenting.  Gangs get their power from youth, and they get their power over youth by providing things that should come from family.  If the American people can provide their children with a happy home and strong values, then we have effectively stripped gangs of their power.  The second prong is where people get skittish.  If the American people can come to terms with the necessity of guns, we can sweep our country of this criminal movement and simultaneously strengthen our defense against tyranny.  We must be able to meet these threats head on and the only way to do so is by being principled and fierce.  Our principles have degraded and our fierceness is in all the wrong places. 

Tench Coxe, a representative of Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress, wrote Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birth-right of an American ...the unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people.  Americans are stewards of something greater than themselves, and as such have a responsibility to defend this Great American Experiment.  Instead, some Americans are ignorant of their birthright, and that ignorance leads to fear and scorn of that which we can use to protect ourselves.  These fearful people then try to disarm those around them, unknowingly eroding their own defenses. 

Firearms were once indispensable tools of the American people, used  to provide for and defend their family and community.  Criminals have taken that idea of guns and turned it into an idea of fear, loss, and anger.  Whether we like it or not, the streets of our country have become a battlefield and we must defend ourselves. Another excerpt from Tench Coxe’s writings is this: The militia of these free commonwealths, entitled and accustomed to their arms, when compared with any possible army, must be tremendous and irresistible. Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves?  We must be entitled to our weapons and accustomed to their use.  We have to have guns and we have to know how to use them.  We must teach our children to be decent and conscientious, and we must teach the People the importance of keeping and bearing arms.

Patriots Defending America: Imposing Term Limits on the U.S. Congress

Patriots Defending America is a page dedicated to Imposing Term Limits on the U.S. Congress using Article 5 of the Constitution.  This is an integral first step in the fight to take back our country.  The following is a compilation of information taken directly from their page.

With the ongoing addition of new members in our effort to use Article 5 to impose Term Limits on the US Congress without the approval of the US Congress, I am posting and pinning to the top of the page a simple outline of the steps we are taking to make this happen.

1. Increase our numbers as much and as quickly as possible by making others aware of the option to Amend the US Constitution to include Term Limits for the US Congress without their approval.

2. Become educated on the topic. If we want to be taken seriously, we must know what we are talking about. There are certain arguments that will continuously arise regarding Term Limits. Read the FACT image/articles on the page so that we ALL have an understanding and foundation from which to build.

3. Create the actual Amendment. We must be able to approach the public and the State governments with an actual Amendment, not simply a request for Term Limits. Without a defined Amendment, each State will end up creating its own and we will find ourselves spinning our wheels while the State governments battle over whose is better.

4. Strategize and coordinate. We will need to map out whom we have and where they are. We will need a central contact point for each state and contact points throughout each State. We will need a baseline petition that defines our Amendment and request to the State governments, so that all completed petitions will be in a unified format for consolidation of petitions at the State level. We will need to coordinate with other organizations. We will need to build a realistic timeline of events. By taking the time to coordinate in advance, we can provide a professional and consolidated front across the entire nation.

5. Begin the Movement. There will be petitions, flyers, town hall meetings, rallies, and door-to-door efforts.

There is no waiting until tomorrow. There is no hoping that someone will fix our problems. It is time that we stood together and changed the direction of our Country’s future. Every day the Aristocracy in the US Congress continues to eat away at the freedom and strength of our Country. The health of our nation has reached a critical stage.

THIS IS THE FIRST STEP AND IT IS A STEP THAT ALL AMERICANS MUST TAKE TOGETHER.

It’s true.

Article 5 of the US Constitution provides us the “means” to amend the US Constitution to include an Amendment Limiting Terms in the US Congress without needing the approval of the US Congress.

This statement has confused a few people. They have looked up Article 5 and responded by saying there is nothing there about Term Limits.

Article 5 provides TWO options for amending the US Constitution.

One is for an Amendment to be presented by a Super-Majority in the US House of Representatives and a Super-Majority in the US Senate.

OR

Second, for 2/3’s of the STATE Legislators (State governments) to present an Amendment.

Following the presentation in either option of an Amendment, the Amendment then has to be ratified (approved) by ¾’s of the States.


What this means to us is that we can start a grassroots effort to add an Amendment to the US Constitution limiting Terms in the US Congress and push the Amendment at the State level until 2/3’s of the States present it. After the States present it, and ¾’s of the States Approve it, it becomes a new Amendment in the US Constitution WITHOUT the US Congress ever having had a say-so…..

In an idealistic world, every American would be continuously aware of the actions and inactions, the accomplishments and failures, and the beliefs and morals of any politician whom they vote for. If that were the case, elections would never have allowed our government to reach the state that it is in.

In reality, this is how it works:

Even should Americans become upset with the actions of a particular politician, there is little that can be done unless his or her actions are so extreme as to have garnered the media’s attention for an extended period prior to an election. The reason being that the majority of Americans know little to nothing about those who have been elected to represent them. All that they know and hear is from the media before an election.

Prior to an election, a party uses its money and influence to determine who will be elected. Most campaign contributors will contribute to the politician that the party supports. Without the contributions from the party and those who support the party, a politician does not have the funding to generate the media exposure that will guide the votes of the otherwise uninformed public.

This process guarantees that even the few politicians with commendable goals must toe the line of their party if they wish to continue their political careers. If they do not support the party’s agenda, the party will select another member from their party to support during the primaries and guarantee the political demise of the shunned member.

We have a choice. We can turn our backs on the future of our country, saying that it’s not worth the effort if so many others are irresponsible.

OR

We can stand together and create an Amendment that will limit the damage WHEN so many Americans are irresponsible.

Term limits are the only means of cracking this nearly impervious shell surrounding the aristocracy of congress without the violence of a revolution.

Imposing Term Limits on the US Congress is an incredible rarity in that it is an issue that so many of us can agree on, regardless of our political affiliations, religions, nature, or many of the other factors that often find us butting heads with one another.

Coordinating efforts with others on a topic such as Term Limits is definitely beneficial and will occur. But, COMBINING tends to give the impression of becoming a single entity.

Even though we have just started out, we have over 13,000 people on board. These 13,000 come from very diversified backgrounds, but as I mentioned, Term Limits is a rare topic that we can all agree on.

Now let’s use Mark Levin as an example. Mark is a highly known conservative. He supports Term Limits, but many other Amendments as well. Should we combine our efforts with Mark, I can guarantee that there would be far FEWER than 13,000 of us that would end up in his camp.

He often ridicules the Democratic Party. Those here who are Democrats would not join him. He has alienated some of the Republican Party. Some of the Republicans on here would not join him. Many of his ideas are very conservative. Some of those with a more liberal attitude would not join him. Each of the Amendments that he is presenting would call to some and alienate others.

As long as we keep our goal simplistic and pure, we will call to Americans from every walk of life.

It will take 34 States to present an Amendment. It will take 38 States to ratify it.

WE WILL NEED EVERYONE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

WE CANNOT ALLOW PERSONAL OPINIONS AND POLITICAL BELIEFS TO TAINT OUR GOAL.

Do you remember playing the game as a kid where everyone sits in a circle, you whisper a secret to the one next to you and by the time it goes around the circle the final secret is completely different from how it started?

That is a pretty good analogy for the story of US Congressional Retirements. Every time it is passed on it seems to grow and change until the average person is left with the impression that EVERYONE coming out of the US Congress is leaving with an outrageous retirement.

It is not true.

Rather than listen to the stories, I found the ACTUAL US Congress retirement document.

Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress
(Due to linking problems I have copied it as plain text and loaded it as a "note" in the Notes section of this page under the title "2013 Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress" )

It reminded me very much of Social Security requirements and was nearly Identical to the retirement packages in most large companies/corporations, including the aerospace industry from which I came.

Just like most companies, they're vested at five years and their retirement amounts are dependent upon years served, age at which they begin to draw, and previous salaries while serving.

I can’t help but think that the horror stories that some are hearing are being based on these career politicians who are retiring after 30+ years in Congress and their 30+ years are the reason they’re drawing such significant benefits.

With Term Limits imposed, there will NOT be any 20, 30, or nearly 40 year terms that will result in significant retirements.

They will still be vested at five years, but like any other person with a job in a big company, they won’t be able to draw any retirement until they hit the minimum age and how much they draw at that point is limited by the both the number of years served and the salaries they made while serving……

With an example of a 12 year Term Limit for US Congress,
NONE WILL EVER DRAW ANYWHERE NEAR WHAT THEY MADE WHILE IN THE US CONGRESS

While being a member of the US Congress is supposed to be a service to your country rather than a job, unless your comfortable with allowing only the wealthy to decide our country’s fate, you might want to give it a little more thought.

Let’s say the Term Limit set was 12 years and let’s use YOU as an example.

You feel that you have more to offer to help the future of our country that some of those in office. You run and are elected into the US Senate.

Can you survive for 6 years without a paycheck? Personally, I would have a rough time going six weeks without an income… LOL

Now let’s say you did a great job and were re-elected to serve a second term before hitting the 12-year limit.


Most people don’t become involved in a retirement plan until they hit their thirties, which gives them maybe a 35-year window to prepare for retirement.

Now without a retirement plan in Congress, you lost out on 12 of your 35 years. When you hit 65 and retire, you’re only receiving 2/3’s of the income that all your friends who didn’t serve are receiving. Will it be enough to pay the bills? Maybe.. Maybe not…


The point of course being that without a paycheck and benefits, the average American will not be able to afford to be a member of the US Congress. The only people in the US Congress would be the wealthy.

Whenever the topic of using the option in Article 5 to amend the Constitution without the approval of the US Congress arises, there are always those that start screaming, “The sky is falling!”

Using our intent to exercise the option to amend the Constitution to impose Term Limits on the US Congress without their approval as an example, the process goes as follows:

We present the desired amendment to the State governments.

If 34 States support the amendment, they request that a Constitutional Convention be called.
(Also referred to as an Article 5 Convention or an Amendments Convention)

At the Constitutional Convention the Amendment is presented.

If 38 States ratify the Amendment, it becomes part of the Constitution without requiring approval from the US Congress.

There are those that fear a Constitutional Convention being called.

There is an organization working to establish a “Limited” Constitutional Convention, where the States agree in advance that the ONLY Amendment to be proposed is the one for which the convention has been called.

Regardless of whether a “Limited” convention occurs, a full Constitutional Convention is not something to fear.

There will be some that scream, “The sky is falling!” and will claim that once the convention is called ANY amendment can be presented and at the conclusion of the convention, our Constitution could be demolished or completely overhauled.

This is not a Reasonable or Rational fear.

Any Amendment CAN be presented at a full Constitutional Convention. But, consider this:

Over the past 50 years there have been NUMEROUS groups and organizations that have tried to use the option in Article 5 and call for a Constitutional Convention. Not a single Amendment over this period has had enough support to CALL a convention (34 States), let alone to garner the support of the 38 States needed to ratify it.

If, over this entire period, not a single time could even 34 States agree on anything, it is irrational to think that 38 States will suddenly agree on multiple, diversified topics.

Term Limits on the US Congress is the SINGLE Amendment that I have seen that crosses the boundaries of political affiliations and hot topic beliefs.

TO GIVE IN TO A FEAR OF CHANGE LEADS ONLY TO STAGNATION.

STAGNATION LEADS TO DECAY AND DEATH.

WE WILL NOT LIVE IN FEAR.
NOR WILL WE WATCH THE DECAY AND DEATH OF OUR NATION!

Using the option created by Article 5 of the US Constitution to impose Term Limits on the US Congress without their approval is a mission long past due and necessary for the future of our country and our freedom.

The question then becomes, “What should the limit be?”

Before we can make a logical choice, we must have a firm understanding of what the current terms are and why. A great deal of thought and intent by some brilliant minds went into the original design and we would be foolish to not take their efforts into consideration.

Let’s start with a quick overview.

A very common mistake that I hear repeatedly is a misunderstanding of the US Congress. The US Congress is composed of two houses. One is the House of Representatives, often referred to simply as “the house”, and the other is the Senate.

The original intent, prior to the 17th Amendment (ratified in 1913), was that the Senate would represent the will of the State Governments and the House of Representatives would represent the will of the people.

The 17th Amendment changed that intent. Rather than Senators being appointed by the State Governments, they now receive the position by popular election. This is an ongoing point of contention, with the State Governments feeling that they no longer have any voice in the governing of the country or the laws being made that impact the governing of their own States.

Now on to why the Senate is currently a 6-year term and the House is currently a 2-year term.

The short, 2-year term in the house was intended to create a more dynamic environment, where the fluctuation in the opinions of the people would be reflected more quickly. If a Representative was not reflecting the will of the people in his/her district, they never had to put up with him/her for more than two years.

The decision to make a term in the Senate six years was come to for a number of reasons.

Many do not realize that the Senate is divided into three groups. Every two years, the members of one of the groups are up for election. This ensures that at any given time, 2/3’s of the Senate has a minimum of two years experience. Never will there be an instance where an equal number or majority of Senators are in the learning curve and thereby ineffective.

A second reason for the 6-year Senate term was the accepted belief that fluctuations in opinions and needs at a State level of government do not fluctuate nearly as often or as quickly as public opinions and needs at district levels.

A third reason was to create an intentional overlap in terms between the two Senators with offset election cycles and the State Governors, who usually serve a 4-year term.

Between a Representative serving 2 years, a Governor serving 4 years, and two Senators serving 6 years with offset election cycles, you create a well-meshed system that maintains a level of experience for the States.

The reason that I am pointing this out is that if we throw a stick in the gears by deciding on a term limit that doesn’t blend well with the system, we put at risk the entire well thought out system. And, we greatly reduce the possibility of States supporting us if they feel that our numbers complicate their lives or result in the cost/pain of legislative changes to the election processes.

This is why I originally came up with the idea of 12 years in Congress. Keep in mind; this is in the combined House and Senate. This allows the limit to blend well with the existing 2-year House term, 4-year Governor term, and the offset 6-year Senate terms. 12 years is a great deal of experience, but not long enough to be a career.

Now let’s hear what you think.

Should the term limit be a blanket for all of Congress or should it be an individual limit for the House and a separate limit for the Senate?

What should it be and why? What about it would appeal to the States?

Simplicity will be the key to success in imposing Term Limits on the US Congress.

Let’s use this page as an example. At the time that I am writing this, we have 21,000 people who are here to support imposing Term Limits on the US Congress.

21,000 for Term Limits

We have had input ranging from 1 year limits to 20 year limits and all in between. We have had suggestions that the Term Limit should be a blanket number of years in Congress (House and Senate), and we have had suggestions that the House and Senate should each have their own maximum number of years.

For the sake of argument, let’s say the final decision is 12 Years max for Congress (House and Senate).

The odds are that we will lose at least 15% of our support due to members disagreeing with the final number.
21,000 – 3,150 = 17,850

Now we add a part to the Amendment controlling retirements. The myths of the Congressional retirement are covered in another FACT image, so I won’t go into detail other than to say that the “actual” retirement is similar to many mid to large size companies. Adding this opens a whole new can of worms. Some say NO retirement. Some say Social Security only. Some say a “regular” retirement plan keeps the door open to average citizens being able to serve in Congress without jeopardizing their ability to retire at 65.

Whatever we agree, it will take much longer to come to a decision and it guarantees that at least another 15% will leave because they don’t support the conclusion.
17,850 – 2677 = 15,173

Now we add in healthcare insurance after leaving Congress. Currently, after leaving, they have to pay a percentage of the premium and the government pays the rest. Some will say no healthcare insurance. Some may say there should be a similar option such as COBRA, which is what many businesses offer. Some may say that it is fine as it is, but with a smaller percentage of the premium paid by the government.

Again, whatever we decide, some will disagree.
15,173 – 2276 = 12,897

Some have mentioned including a Term Limit on Justices in the Supreme Court.
12,897 – 1,934 = 10,963

Some have suggested no Salary or the Salary being paid by the States.
10,963 – 1,645 = 9,318


Of course the numbers being lost are fictitious. They could be higher or lower in each case. But, the point remains the same.

Even in an environment such as ours, where 21,000 people have gathered to support a single topic, Term Limits, the more details that we add, the more support that we will lose. In an environment where all involved do not support Term Limits (such as the State Governments), the reduction in support would be even more drastic.

Now take into consideration that an Amendment must be ratified by ¾’s of the States to be added to the Constitution and let’s compare that to the example we used.

We started with 21,000 people. Three quarters for ratification on this page would be 15,750 people.

By the time we hammered out the actual Amendment, we were down to 85%.

By the time we added just the retirement, we were down to 72% and no longer had enough people to ratify the Amendment. We still had the numbers to call a convention (2/3’s), but what would be the point if it won’t pass?

Regardless of how many great ideas we have and how strongly we feel that they would benefit our country, we have to force ourselves to maintain our focus on our primary goal, Term Limits.

Anything more will limit our chances of success. Each idea will have to be a separate battle, fought on a separate day.

Patriots Defending America

Grisocles

Grisocles.

A manifestation of my ever-evolving ideology and stalwart value system.

gump·tion [guhmp-shuhn] noun Informal. 1. initiative; aggressiveness; resourcefulness. 2. courage; spunk; guts. 3. common sense; shrewdness.

1. Pride. Your voice and actions are a direct representation of your ideals and spirit.
2. Integrity. Your choices belong to you and define you, take responsibility for who you are.
3. Purpose and Motivation. Every single thing you do has the potential for greatness. Every ounce of strength and spoken sound can have an effect on the world around you. Constantly strive to better yourself.
4. Respect. Do not disturb another’s harmony and expect others to do the same. Remember that you are a part of something greater than yourself.
5. Strength. Be capable and willing to defend yourself and what you believe in. Be efficient in your use of force, and remember that all actions have an equal and opposite reaction.
6. Independence. Maintain your freedom, and be deserving of it.
7. Tolerance. Hold firm to who you are, but keep an open mind. Every new idea is a piece of information that can be used to better yourself.
8. Knowledge. Never stop learning, information weighs nothing and no one can take it from you, and it is your greatest tool.
9. Happiness. Love life, be happy, and share that love and happiness with others.

I like this profile picture. It's a motorized patriot from Bioshock Infinite (which I have yet to play.) This formidable looking fellow is pretty beat up. He's seen better days, but he is still proud and ready to fight. America needs some TLC and a changing of the guard. Americans need to remember that they are stewards of something greater than themselves.

Grisly is interpreted in one of two ways:
1. causing a shudder or feeling of horror; horrible; gruesome.
2. formidable; grim

and Kleos is the Greek word often translated to "renown", or "glory". It is related to the word "to hear" and carries the implied meaning of "what others hear about you". A Greek hero earns kleos through accomplishing great deeds, often through his own death. Kleos is invariably transferred from father to son; the son is responsible for carrying on and building upon the "glory" of the father.

Grisocles

So by naming this manifestation "Grisocles" I am shuddering at what America has become due to the negligence of its Citizens and the corruption of its servants, but I realize that America is still formidable and Americans must don their Patriots' grim countenance if we are to become worthy of the title again and carry on our forefathers' kleos.

American Preparedness Community

"...you're seeing average people taking smart moves and moving in intelligent directions to prepare for the worst. (...) So survivalism in every way possible. Growing your own, self-sustaining, doing as much as you can to make it as best as you can on your own and it can happen in urban area, sub-urban area or the ex-urbans. And it also means becoming more and more tightly committed to your neighbours, your neighbourhood, working together and understanding that we're all in this together and that when we help each other out that's going to be the best way forward." -Gerald Celente

Consider this a content advisory.

I don't think I should run outside with a cardboard sign proclaiming that the end times are nigh.  I'm not crazy, but you know what is?  The world, not to mention the universe.  Did you know that the Earth is one third the age of the universe?  I just read that shit on Wikipedia.  Blew my mind.  Imagine all that has happened since the Earth was created, and compare it to what we know.  We don't know jack.  Looking at our situation from a logical viewpoint, I would say we need to do whatever we can to prepare for what we can't imagine, because WTSHTF (when the shit hits the fan) we have to be prepared for anything.

We'll do the best we can.

Even if the S doesn't HTF, we could pass on valuable lessons to the generations that follow us.  Imagine a family of four completely providing for all of their own needs.  Imagine a neighborhood that was it's own bastion of civilization in an uncivilized world.  Imagine if entire cities began to work together to be self-sustaining.  What if mankind stopped taking from the Earth and began giving back?  Prepping, survivalism, whatever you want to call it, it is more than being ready for TEOTWAWKI (the end of the world as we know it).  It's about living better.  Taking care of yourself.  Using our freedom as Americans to be actually be free.

'Merica.

Realistically, I don't plan on changing the world, but I do plan on gathering a group of like-minded individuals and founding the American Preparedness Community (APC).  It is the AMERICAN Preparedness Community because I believe that our founding fathers had the right idea.  I believe the Constitution is something worth upholding and I believe that freedom is important and America is still the home of the free.  It is a community because we will believe in our cause and in each other. 

Now, I don't want the APC to be a group of preppers who get so deep into their preparations for change that they don't take advantage of what we have right NOW.  We can make this beneficial to ourselves pre-SHTF as well as post-SHTF.  Not only through becoming self-sufficient in a culture of sheep, but by helping sheep not be sheep.  More on that later, but I'm sure we can convince people to throw money at us. 

"A fool and his money are soon parted."

Which somehow leads me to another point: opsec.  Operational security.  It sounds all action-movie-esque, but it's simple.  "Speak softly and carry a big stick."  Get the biggest most badass stick you can find and carve it into a blunt object of exquisite beauty, and then DON'T show it to ANYONE.  I don't think APC members should retreat from the world, I just think they should try and maintain a tactical advantage over it.  Want to be a part of the APC?  Create a pseudonym.  Build an entity out of your ideals and beliefs, your humor and personality.  For any Robin Hobb fans out there, carve a dragon.  You might just learn something about yourself.

 I don't want to be the leader, I want to be a leader in a community of leaders.  If the APC had a mission statement, I think it should be something like "Survive, Secure, Sustain, Syndicate."  I think that the APC should have what I like to call the "Cabinet."  There will be four "Chairs" in the "Cabinet."  The "Survival Seat" will be in charge of health: medicine, fitness, sanitation, etc.  The "Security Seat" will be in charge of shelter: from weather, stupidity, disasters, people, animals, aliens, etc.  The "Sustenance Seat" will handle food, water, energy, etc.  Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, is the "Syndication Seat."  Syndicate means 'a group of individuals or organizations combined or making a joint effort to undertake some specific duty or to promote a common interest.'  This seat will be in charge of building the community as a group of people.  It will handle communication, organization, public affairs (bartering, crimes, etc), and also maintaining and expanding knowledge (education, the library, etc).

All seats are required to look dashing.

I don't have much, just an idea, but we can put our heads together and build something legit.

Which does not include this.

Noli me vocare, ego te vocabo

Nowadays people don't seem very worried about their privacy.  They actually seem to want no privacy at all!  They post everything to their Facebook and their Twitter and Youtube and yell "OTW TO TACO BELL!!!" from the rooftops!  If you are someone who likes to share with everyone then this post isn't for you.  This post is for anyone who wants to make sure their Facebook isn't being broadcast to anyone they aren't expecting.

Just today I saw this post from a friend of mine on Facebook:

"FACEBOOK HAS CHANGED THEIR PRIVACY SETTINGS ONCE MORE!!! DUE TO THE NEW “GRAPH APP” ANYONE ON FACEBOOK (INCLUDING OTHER COUNTRIES) CAN SEE YOUR PICTURES, LIKES, AND COMMENTS. The next 2 weeks I will be posting this, and please once you have done it please post DONE! Those of you who do not keep my information from going out to the public, I will have to DELETE YOU! I want to stay PRIVATELY connected with you. I post shots of my family that I don't want strangers to have access to!!! This happens when our friends click "like" or "comment"... automatically, their friends would see our posts too. Unfortunately, we cannot change this setting by ourselves because Facebook has configured it that way. PLEASE place your mouse over my name above (DO NOT CLICK), a window will appear, now move the mouse on “FRIENDS" (also without clicking), then down to "Settings", click here and a list will appear. REMOVE the CHECK on "LIFE EVENTS" and "COMMENTS & LIKES". By doing this, my activity among my friends and family will no longer become public. Now, copy and paste this on your wall. Once I see this posted on your page, I will do the same."

 I have always kept my privacy settings on Facebook set so that only friends can see anything, but this post alarmed me. I complied with the request and then set out looking for more information about this "graph app" and the warning itself.  I found posts in TechCrunch, Snopes, and About.com that better explained the warning.  Graph Search will not show anyone anything that you haven't already given them permission to see.  Also, following the instructions in the post will only block your friend's updates from appearing in your News Feed and your updates from appearing in theirs.  So following these instructions (to keep your friend) have only blocked you from seeing what they post.  I was relieved that my privacy settings on Facebook still overrode this new search feature, but it got me thinking about my overall Internet privacy.  More on that later, but for now, I would like to highly recommend you revisit Facebook's privacy settings.

***Now remember, you can change your settings so that only friends can see your posts, but if another person is tagged in the post that person's settings apply to it through their Timeline.  For example, if you post a status update that is set to "Friends," but you tag Joe Snuffy in it, then anyone who can see his profile can see your post.***

At the top right of your screen you'll see a little gear icon, click this and then click Privacy Settings.  Clicking on any of the options on this page will show you a brief description, and I highly recommend reading everything under Privacy AND Timeline and Tagging.  Change everything to "Friends" or "Only Me" and you will have a relatively private Facebook page.

If you haven't always been tracking Facebook's privacy settings or are just worried that you might have posted something that is viewable by the public, Facebook provides an easy fix.  This will change anything that you've ever posted as "Public" or "Friends of Friends" to "Friends."  Click Limit Past Posts --> Limit Old Posts --> Confirm

You can also choose whether to allow search engines to link to your profile, whether to be notified and asked for approval whenever someone tags you or tries to tag something of yours, and view your activity log.

Under Ads you will see this: "Facebook does not give third party applications or ad networks the right to use your name or picture in ads. If we allow this in the future, the setting you choose will determine how your information is used."  I'm not sure what that means, but if it has anything to do with giving my information to third parties then I'm against it.  Click Edit --> No One --> Save Changes.

Once you change everything to "Friends" or "Only Me" your posts are as private as you have set them to be, but remember that if you aren't the only one tagged in something then you are depending on the other tagged people to be privacy-conscious as well.