In late January, life, as we know it today, was quite different.  We were free to come and go as we please, to get a haircut, dine at a local pub, and mingle with our friends.  The news of the day was mostly about politics and as disgusting as that can be at times, it was what it was.  Or was it?

More and more I became enmeshed and outraged by the news of the day and the bias of the mainstream media.  This was nothing new since my disdain for the MSM actually began over ten years ago and was part of the catalyst for becoming a prepper and starting my first website, Backdoor Survival.  But what was happening now was worse – a lot worse.  What was being passed to the unenlightened was opinion disguised as news.  It was disgusting.

As much as I dislike the term “Fake News”, indeed, that is what I was hearing and reading.  Hypocrisy was the rule rather than the exception and I was mad.  Do you remember that line from the movie Network?  “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!”  That is how I felt.

In order to vent, I reached out to my pal George Ure (Urban Survival) to vent a bit.  As some of you know, George spent part of his career as a broadcast journalist and was the news director for a top Seattle radio station.  He was both well respected and well connected in the industry and was nothing if not 100% credible.

What follows is an interview I did with George before COVID-19 dominated the news.  I have sat on it for a few months thinking that in the big picture of things, perhaps it was no longer relevant.  Of course, I was wrong.  Questioning the ethics of journalism now, more than ever, is important.  As our liberty is being challenged and our right to free speech suppressed, what George has to say is timely.

Life as we know it has indeed changed and may never return.  Corrupt politicians and their partners, the lame-stream media, are accelerating changes I thought I would never see in my lifetime.

Enjoy (if you can) my interview with George and let me know what you think.

There was a time in the not so recent past when I had a lot of angst.  I wrote about the need for personal independence and the protection of individual rights under what I perceived as big government and tyranny.  It may surprise you to learn that those thoughts have not changed and if anything, have accelerated in light of our current divisive political climate.

Today I feel I can no longer remain quiet.  This week is Independence Day in the United States and I for one, am fearful of what we may become.  I am full of angst.

Let me explain.

Since I began blogging in 2010, I have championed our right to freedom, free speech, and independence from cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary use of power or control.  That is, by the way, the definition of tyranny.  In support of that,  I have done my best to stay focused on what we as individuals can do on our own to become self-reliant and prepared for the uncertain times that we face. 

There have been the expected bumps along the way, including a change in my perspective on certain aspects of prepping that no longer seem relevant.  Likewise, there have been the ebbs and tides of the risks inherent in my personal situation.

All that being said, one risk I have personally prepared for is the dismantling of one of the basic tenants upon which our nation was formed, namely the Declaration of Independence. That brings me around to Independence Day and the 4th of July. 

I have shared Independence Day sentiments in the past and quite honestly, nothing much has changed since my first Independence Day article in 2011.  The bag of woes we face as a nation still weighs a ton with the only difference being the contents of that bag.

This is not going to be your traditional Thanksgiving message. Instead, I am going to share my personal feelings about this time of year and buck the trend to stuff your inbox with  “deals of the day” just so I can make a buck or two.

Thanksgiving and this time of year, in general, is not an easy one for me. There are many reasons that lead me to dread the frantic effort to bring people that may not like each other together, prepare meals that give you indigestion and make you feel ill, and, of course, rack up debt by purchasing gifts that may or may not be welcome.

For me, it is all too much.  That doesn’t mean that I am not thankful for many things, but rather that I make Thanksgiving and the holidays more personal, with a private bucket list of things to do and to be grateful for.

For that reason, I tend to hunker down on this day and spend time on this day doing things I love and to heck with obligation and tradition. But that is just me. Perhaps your circumstances are different.

Does this make me antisocial? Perhaps, but read on.