Changes in perception on libertarianism

For a while I considered myself very libertarian, and in many ways I still do, but perhaps now I am more of a little L Libertarian. I am finding myself ever more conservative, especially in light of recent events.

As the news sources continually pour out stories of Russia invading the Ukraine, the rise of the Islamic State, and general belligerence from other nations in the world, I find myself reassessing old points of view on libertarianism.

Point of View

During the 1800’s, from the time of the Napoleonic War all the way until the start of the first world war, Great Britain ruled the oceans. Being a mostly free nation, concentrated on trade, the world entered a boom phase. Not only did the United Kingdom lead the industrial revolution, it brought peace and relative stability to the world, allowing capitalism to flourish.

Today the United States of America is the world’s foremost superpower. It is a mostly free nation, concentrated on trade.  Since the end of the second world war, America has been dominant, maintaining relative peace and stability in the world.

Now, there have been many wars, and many lives lost over the last few decades, but those numbers pale in comparison to the lives lost in the two world wars. The US took up where Britain left off in maintaining trade and capitalism in the world.

America’s foreign policy is one of a projection of force. Most countries have the understanding that if they are peaceful toward us, we are glad to trade with them, if they are hostile toward us, we are likely to obliterate them.

There have been many mistakes in America’s foreign policies over the last few decades, many of which will be argued over for many more decades to come. A lot of people say that we should never have gotten involved in Iraq to begin with, and I can understand these arguments.

However. The rise of the Islamic State is not something the world should sit by and allow to happen. The Islamic State is a barbaric and backwards regime. Not only do they kill thousands of innocent people in droves, but they are totally hostile toward western civilization. They will not stop until we are either all Muslim, or all dead. Forget Al Quadi, they’re soft in comparison, these guys mean business.

As the world’s foremost superpower, we do have a duty to maintain order in the world. As a friend of mine once said “nature abhors a vacuum” Do you really want the likes of communist China, or soviet style Russia to be the world’s new superpower? Do you really think either of these countries will be even close to as fair as Britain and the USA have been to other nations throughout the last two centuries?

Do you really think if we just sit back on our hands that everything will just be alright?

I think not.

We, and we alone can stand up against these tyrants, we and we alone can restore capitalism, free trade and free thought to the world. The American way is one to be proud of.

Here’s to praying that the house and senate are swept with conservative republicans this fall, so that we can finally begin proceedings against our limp wristed, golfer-in-chief, The world will be a lot safer when we finally impeach this anti-colonial, communist traitor from the white house. Barack Obama’s lack of leadership has the world teetering on the verge of a third world war.

Real leadership is needed, and that starts at the grass roots. I am at least thankful for libertarians at that level, helping alter the progressive tendencies the republican party was heading in.

Another issue I am reconsidering is my old stance against Israel. Now, the very creation of Israel after the second world war, much like the creation of Syria and Iraq after the first world war, has caused nothing but problems for the surrounding area for the last few decades. But to say, as I did over a year ago, that Israel is inherently evil, is perhaps naive. Now, the Zionist Illuminati, and other such organizations, those are I believe not healthy to the world, but the Israeli state now exists, for better or for worst, and I do not want to see the killing of innocent women and children. It is not the fault of those born there that the state exists. It is evil however for an organization to launch rockets at peaceful population centers and use women and children as human shields. As the state now exists, Israel does have a right to defend itself. Hamas is an evil terrorist entity. Their emblem includes the communist hammer and sickle. This has made me rethink everything.

As for the general rule that many libertarians are atheist, I do not believe a lack of faith is healthy in society. Lack of faith leads to empty vessels, and after a couple generations of this, they tend to be hungry for new faith, which can be easily steered toward evil. The rise of radical Islam seems to take place right behind the rise of socialism. Socialism is the moral decay of a society, which puts altruism above self interest on the national level. Once this takes foot, it is hard to stop.

I believe in morality, in doing good to others, but also doing well for yourself, and setting a good example.

As for drugs and gay marriage, I do not like the idea of legalizing drugs, but I can see that the drug war has done no good to communities. For gay marriage, how can you support a notion which is generally not accepted by the populace, and damns the very idea of marriage itself?

These are questions I pose not only to my self, but to all libertarians. The fact that a group of people within a country can discuss ideas of freedom in such a way, is a miracle unto itself, but I do not know if all inclusiveness is sustainable.

I pray for the restoration and growth of this great nation and of her people.

The filth of socialized medicine

As many of you know, I was born and raised in the UK. I have seen the NHS (National Health Service) indeed I was born in one of these glorious socialist hospitals.

As many of you also know, I absolutely and emphatically deplore anything socialist, including said healthcare system. As Ringo star once said ‘Everything the government touches turns to crap’ and this can be said of the healthcare system in Britain.

health 1

While the US system might not be perfect (and I draw it down to government interference to begin with) we can all agree that it has the best services to offer. The US outspends every other nation on the planet for healthcare, and it really does show in its services. We have more beds, more equipment and more staff.

Some of my friends and family in England will argue with me about this, saying that the US healthcare system is too expensive, and that we should have FREE healthcare like Britain does. It truly does grind my gears to hear them say this because they are all mostly very intelligent people and I love them dearly. On this particular issue though they are dead wrong. In fact, I would go as far to say; ignorance is bliss.

The UK healthcare system is a broken socialist nightmare, with long waiting lines for treatments in germ ridden hallways. While my friends and family claim that it’s free, and that everyone is covered, I have to point out ‘covered by what?’

In the UK, if you get injured; you get treated, in the US, if you get injured; you get treated. There’s not much difference, except that in the US if you don’t have health insurance you’ll get a large bill for the service. This doesn’t mean you won’t get treated, just that you’ll have to pay for it. There are systems set up to help you pay for this service. And while it can be a financial burden on your family, the choice for health coverage is your own, and there are plenty of services to help you pay for said treatment.

In the UK if you get cancer, you can wait weeks or even months for treatment; the difference between life and death. In the US, you can receive treatment immediately, with far better resources at hand to help combat the disease.

I remember a story my friend told me once about his grandfather; it was discovered that he had heart problems and urgently needed a quadruple heart bypass surgery. Without the surgery he was told he would have only 6 months left to live. He was put on a one year waiting list. The socialist system he had paid into his entire life had failed him in his hour of need. Luckily for him, his old friends all got together and set aside some money to send him to another country for private treatment.

Another story; this time about my sister. She gave birth to her son in the UK, and was put on a ward with three other mothers who had just given birth. My Mum told me the story the other day, of how the IV was held in place by masking tape, and how there was a restroom at the end of the hallway, that all the mothers who had just given birth had to walk down in order to relieve themselves. Add on top of this the fact that in order to free up bed space, they discharged my sister the day after she had given birth, before my nephew was fully stabilized and had begun feeding. The next day he was rushed into hospital because his blood sugar levels weren’t right, and he was shaking a lot. They ended up spending the next week in hospital to monitor him.

Compare this with my sister in law, who gave birth to her son in the US last year. She had her own private room and rest room. There were clean beds galore and sparkling new equipment decorating the hallways and private birthing rooms. There was even a food delivery service for meals. Compare this to the food service in UK hospitals, one of which is the hospital I was born in:

Revealed: The NHS hospital kitchens overrun by mice and cockroaches… and how three in four break food hygiene rules

By ROB COOPER

PUBLISHED: 08:10 EST, 13 October 2013 | UPDATED: 09:17 EST, 13 October 2013

Hundreds of hospital kitchens across the country are dirty, have cockroach and mice infestations or are stocking out of date food, a MailOnline investigation has revealed.

Inspectors found that three-quarters of kitchens are flouting basic food hygiene rules while nearly a third were not properly cleaned.

Six NHS hospitals had mice, two had rats, five had cockroaches and another hospital had an unspecified problem with ‘pests’.

 

 

 

The figures will raise fears that patients are being put at risk by dirty kitchens and staff ignoring proper hygiene policy.

Nationwide, hospitals spend as little as £3 a day per patient – and 82,000 meals a day are thrown out.

Campaigners said it is unacceptable that the public never find out about dirty kitchens ‘until they are teased out using Freedom of Information requests’.

An analysis of 769 environmental health inspection reports revealed that 581 hospitals across Britain are breaking the rules.

Inspectors found 229 kitchens were dirty while a further 62 were stocking out of date food.

The MailOnline obtained copies of reports carried out by environmental health teams under the Freedom of Information Act.

Inspectors at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup, Kent, found mouse droppings and a ‘serious cockroach infestation that posed an imminent risk to health’ in an undercroft last November.

The Bexley Council workers found there had been a cockroach ‘population explosion’ – but it had been missed by pest control teams.

Pests: Mouse droppings are seen on a shelf by inspectors at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup. They carried out four follow-up visitsPests: Mouse droppings are seen on a shelf by inspectors at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup. They carried out four follow-up visits

 

Dirt: A fat and grease deposit is seen in the undercroft at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup. After the inspection in November 2012 they carried out cleaningDirt: A fat and grease deposit is seen in the undercroft at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup. After the inspection in November 2012 they carried out a deep clean

Mess: Inspectors take pictures of rubbish abandoned beneath lockers during their inspection at Queen Mary's Hospital, SidcupMess: Inspectors take pictures of rubbish abandoned beneath lockers during their inspection at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup

Cleaning concerns: Inspectors took this picture which shows dirt in the corners of the kitchen which had not been properly cleaned at Queen Mary's HospitalCleaning concerns: Inspectors took this picture which shows dirt in the corners of the kitchen which had not been properly cleaned at Queen Mary’s Hospital

HOSPITAL KITCHENS WITH COCKROACHES, RATS AND MICE

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2441248/NHS-hospital-kitchens-overrun-mice-cockroaches.html#ixzz2hcALi7Fz 
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

You can read more by clicking on the link.

As you can see, while many of my friends and family claim that his service is ‘free’ I have to point out that it is not, and that their taxes pay for it. That money would be better spent on private healthcare. When they tell me healthcare is too expensive and that the poor will suffer, I tell them that there are charities that can help with getting the poor coverage when they need it most.

The same people that tell me the US healthcare system is too expensive are the same people who deny there is anything wrong with the UK health system. While I agree there are flaws in the US health system. I’ll take it any day over Britain’s socialist healthcare system. The difference in service is undeniable.

Britain postpones World War III by seven votes!

Seven votes are all that stood between Britain and America firing cruise missiles at Syria Thursday night. Only seven people made up the difference that stopped World War III from starting in the middle east.

Mideast Syria

Now the ball is in our court. Call you representative, put pressure on Obama. Unless a country posses an imminent threat to the US, the president cannot start a war with another country. This president has already performed multiple impeachable offences. Let’s put the fire to his feet and begin the process of chasing him out of office.

While I applaud my home nation for denying the war mongers their chance at starting World War III, we must remember that we are not out of hot water yet. There are many false flag scenarios that could easily come into play. There could be more chemical attacks by the rebels and blamed on the Syrian government, and there could even be a false flag attack on one of our ships in the Mediterranean. Watch out also for more cyber warfare stories.

Even Donald Rumsfeld says Obama has not justified attack on Syria: Architect of Iraq war expresses fears over intervention as President comes under pressure from Congress

Keep your eyes peeled, and don’t lay off the pressure on your representatives. Street movements in England, and the calling up of members of parliament was just enough to prevent the UK from authorizing deadly force against the Assad regime.

syria 15

Individuals can make a difference. The more you pressure your representatives, the more they will cave in to common sense. You can make a difference!

The final drums of war

The final drums of war are currently beating, heavier and steadier until the order is given. The order that will start World War III. Mr Obama, Mr Cameron, I urge both of you to reconsider action against Syria.

syria 4

While the world is distracted by Miley Cyrus and barbecues over Labor Day weekend, Syria will be bombed by the west, and the east will retaliate ten fold.

syria 3

How do I know this? Because I’ve been awake for over a year now, ever since I started this blog. The signs are there and history is repeating itself. It’s time to wake up and speak out.

syria 1

Where is the anti war left? Where are the demonstrations against Barack Obama and his war agenda?

syria 2

The only people who can stop this atrocity from taking place is you. You must say something, you must condemn these actions, or else you give up your free will and take a quiet seat beside our self imposed dictators.

syria 5

The drums are beating, faster now than ever before. Will you stand up or will we fall?

syria 6

Only a dumb @$$ would invade Damascus

Last year I wrote of how World War III was approaching. I said that if we invade or bomb Iran that it would trigger a World War III scenario. Well the same can be said of Syria.

Without digging too deep into the oddities of the Syrian civil war which appear to have many factions. Lets look at who our genius senators are meeting with and arming; Al Qaeda. Yes folks the same group we’ve been fighting for the last decade. That sounds like a great idea doesn’t it? Arm the same people we’ve sacrificed thousands in battle against since the begging of the war on terror.

OK so why would you be a dumb ass to invade Damascus? Well, aside from the fact that it seems completely illogical for Assad to randomly gas a bunch of civilians, lets just say he did. Has every one forgotten the fact that Syria and Iran have a mutual defense pact and that Russia and China have vested interests in these countries?

Do we really want to spark a wider war with Russia and China? Not to mention completely setting the middle east ablaze. Assad is right about this, a direct conflict with Syria will engulf the middle east.

So lets put all of the if’s but’s and maybe’s aside and just look at the numbers. Lets say the US and UK are stupid enough to attack yet another middle eastern country, and trigger a wider war with Russia and China.

These are the numbers for the US & Britain vs Russia & China, all of which can be found at www.globalfirepower.com

challenger-tank

Man Power USA & UK vs Russia & China
Total Population: 376 million vs 1.5 billion
Available Manpower: 175 million vs 819 million
Fit for Service: 144 million vs 665 million
Reaching Military Age Annually: 5 million vs 21 million
Active Front-line Personnel: 1.7 million vs 3.5 million
Active Reserve Personnel: 1.7 million vs 1.5 million

Land Systems USA & UK vs Russia & China
Tanks: 8500 vs 10,700
Armored Fighting Vehicles: 23,800 vs 29,400
Self Propelled Guns: 2000 vs 5100
Towed Artillery Pieces: 1900 vs 27,000
Rocket Projectors: 1400 vs 4000
Portable Mortar Systems: 10,000 vs 18,600
Portable Anti Tank Weapons: 32,000 vs 55,000
Logistical Vehicles: 13,2000 vs 190,000

Air Power USA & UK vs Russia & China
Total Aircraft: 16700 vs 9500
Helicopters: 7000 vs 2500

Naval Power USA & UK vs Russia & China
Total Strength: 360 vs 1200
Aircraft Carriers: 11 vs 2
Frigates: 37 vs 52
Destroyers: 66 vs 43
Corvettes: 0 vs 72
Submarines: 81 vs 121
Coastal Warfare: 36 vs 382
Amphibious Assault: 32 vs 250

Resources (Petroleum) USA & UK vs Russia & China
Oil Production: 11.2 million vs 14.5 million
Oil Consumption: 20.5 million vs 11.6 million
Proven Oil Reserves: 23 billion vs 80 billion

Logistical USA & UK vs Russia & China
Labor Force: 185 million vs 870 million
Merchant Marine Strength: 1000 vs 3100
Major Ports and Terminals: 31 vs 15
Roadway Coverage: 6,900,500 km vs 4,842,000 km
Railway Coverage: 241,000 km vs 173,000 km
Serviceable Airports: 15,700 vs 1,700

Financial USA & UK vs Russia & China
Defense Budget: 747 billion vs 193 billion
External Debt: 26 trillion vs 1.2 trillion
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold: 242 billion vs 3.7 trillion
Purchasing Power Parity: 17 trillion vs 13.8 trillion

Geography USA & UK vs Russia & China
Square Land Area: 10,070,000 km vs 26,500,000 km
Coastline: 32,000 km vs 52,000 km
Shared Border: 12,000 km vs 42,000 km
Waterways: 44,000 km vs 212,000 km

So you see, without a shot fired China and Russia already have more in the way of oil resources and monetary funds. We could sling as many rockets at each other as we want but at the end of the day they will recover much faster. Of course, if we decide to go nuclear; well, I guess we can say bye bye planet earth. Perhaps Al Gore’s global warming fantasy will become a reality.

Quality of life

I’ve been back in the US for three weeks now, which is almost twice as long as my trip to England, and yet I can’t help but draw comparisons and get annoyed at how far this country has slipped from ‘the land of the free’. When I first came here I felt that it was more open than England and had more opportunities. Indeed when my wife and I got married we decided to stay in the US because of this very reason. The house prices and cost of living in England far outweighed that of the US. On our trip I was astounded to learn that prices had remained reasonable in the UK and yet here food prices have all but doubled in the few years I have been here.

The thought of moving back is there, but I still love this country despite all its faults, and I’ve already sunk my roots in. To me it does not really matter where I live and I have discovered that I am not particularly loyal to any one country. What I am loyal to though is an idea. That Idea is freedom and self liberty, the ability to do what you want and to make what you want of yourself. That is why you see me supporting Ron Paul and trashing the establishment. This ‘establishment’ has grown like a fungus on the statue of what used to be a great idea of liberty. Lately all you see is the basic shape with the moss growing all over it. I’m sorry that it looks ugly as I strip away sections of it, but truth is truth, and I will show it to the world for all that it is, the good, bad, ugly and the upsetting truths about where we are and what we have done.

One of my old work friends said it best when he said that he’s from ‘the party of leave me the hell alone’. He was for all intents and purposes a conservative and voted so. And yet he did not care that his neighbors were gay. He said that so long as they were not intimate in front of him that it didn’t particularly bother him. ‘What you do in your house is none of my business’ he would say, and that ‘if they could find a preacher who was willing to do the service, I don’t care if they get married either’. This coming from a guy born in deep eastern Kentucky, really has a lot to say about freedom and not being prejudice. He embodies all the great things about the appellation culture. Recently I went to a firing range with him and he let me try out some of his rifles.

As you can see that is another sport I enjoy here that I cannot do in the UK. Though in the UK you are treated like an adult everywhere you go, and can even drink in public places including on trains. Unfortunately here we now have ‘sobriety checkpoints’ which awfully represent the checkpoints of Nazi Germany during its heyday.

So it does not matter where you live, so long as you stand up for what is right, and make the most out of life for yourself and the ones that you care about.

As for me, I’ll stay here as long as I can. I’ll defend liberty in any way I can, and teach others who are willing to listen. Eventually a time will come to either fight or to shrug. I suggest you read Atlas Shrugged so that you can point out the looters on both sides of the political spectrum. There is a virtue in selfishness and you should always take care of yourself first. Never allow yourself to become a victim of ‘the system’ and never tie your own chains.

The quality of life is whatever we make it, so make it a good one, and ask yourself the question ‘what is freedom?’

Welcome back to the USSA

It is with great sadness that I write this. The USA is no longer a free country. Any illusions that you may have that this is the symbol of hope and freedom in the world are false. It is a sad day indeed when you feel more free in the old world than you do in ‘the land of the free’.

When I walked through the immigration line upon entering the country; what I saw reminded me about what I had learned about Nazi Germany during the late 1930’s in the buildup to the second world war. As you walk through the cattle lines toward the immigration officers, you are made to feel like a prisoner, like you did something wrong for traveling abroad. When the stony faced immigration officer calls out ‘next!’ resembling that of a Nazi officer, he very bluntly asks you why you traveled outside of the country, as if it is a sin to do so. After he stamps your passport, as if you are visiting the country instead of returning home, you walk through customs, where the looters have a chance to go through your bags and personal belongings. After all, how dare you bring back anything of value without paying taxes on it. Once you make it through customs, you drop your bag off for your connecting flight, and are then sheep-herded over to the Nazi SS in blue uniforms under the guise of being called the TSA. The bright blue dressed morons then march you single file, like the prisoner you are, through the cancer giving x-ray machine, in a complete violation of the constitution and your basic human rights and self dignity. If you have any metal of any kind on you, you will then receive a liberty stripping pat down. By the time I had gone through the X-ray machine and watched my wife do the same, only to have her head and hair felt by the rubber gloves because of her berets, my blood was boiling. My arms were crossed, and I bit my lip as I trembled with anger, while it took everything in me to not cause a scene. I very promptly picked up my bag, my jacket, put my shoes back on, and helped my wife retrieve her personal belongings. We then made our way to our departure gate in silence as my anger at all the fat, stupid, lazy people that call themselves Americans allowed themselves to be herded like sheep without any recollection of what the founding fathers had gone through to give them freedom, which has now been completely and utterly stripped away.

I was glad that our connection flight took a while, it took me a very long time to calm down. Had my wife not been traveling with me, I would have refused the body scanner, and gotten myself into trouble the same way Rand Paul did earlier in the year. But, it being the last leg of our vacation, I did not want to spoil it for her.

This is no longer a free country, the sad realization I had after calming down from the Nazi TSA pat downs, was that it was not only at the airports that the blue dressed morons now operate at. They are beginning to set up checkpoints just like Communist Russia did in its heyday. They are now infiltrating public transportation, and busing. And what’s worse is that its not only the TSA, or homeland security, which oversees all departments, going against the checks and balances of the constitution. It’s the police force. ‘To serve and protect’ does not register in your mind when you see cars being pulled over left and right on a daily basis for silly little infractions. It is not much comfort to know that the USA has a larger prison population than any other country on earth. It is not much comfort to know that many of these prisoners are there because of non-crimes. Why should you go to jail when you have not harmed anyone else?

This really is the United States of Soviet America, and if you think otherwise; you are sadly mistaken. This country certainly needs new leadership, but it will not come in the form of Mitt Romney.

We do not need another Barack Obama or George W Bush. We need a George Washington. We need a man who will stand up and defend the Constitution. Better yet, we need men, women and children to learn and understand the Constitution, and to realize just how many liberties have been stripped away from us, and are willing to put their principles first.

Jet lag

It’s 3am UK time. I am wide awake. It seems that my body clock has been spun completely off-center. It’s funny, I always used to sleep fairly well on my return trips to England when living here, but now that I am more of a visitor than a resident, my body can’t seem to adjust, at least not yet anyway.

Today Brooke and I will be heading up to London on the train to see The Phantom of the Opera. There are three things that I wanted to do with Brooke on her first visit to the UK, which I didn’t get a chance to do last time. One was to eat at the Punch Tavern, which we did yesterday. The second was to go to a theatre production in London, which we’re doing today. And thirdly to head to Paris for a day or two, which we’re planning on doing next week before we leave.

Whenever I used to travel to the US; I used to compare prices between products and services in the Canterbury area, and in the Cincinnati area. Now, after having lived in the US for 4 1/2 years I find myself doing the same in reverse. What I remembered is the high cost of housing and petrol/gasoline, but what surprised me was the day to day cost of food, clothes and various home products. I remember thinking how cheap everything was in the US when I used to visit, but lately it seems that everything is so expensive. It is true, many items have gone up in price in the US, inflation it seems, is far higher than you’ll hear about in the media.

I can see now why both the UK and US governments behave the way that they do when it comes toward oil and gasoline/petrol. The UK has made it practice to restrict its citizens usage of the resource since it needs to import more of it. Whereas the US economy is built off cheap oil, and the US government builds its blunderous foreign policy off retaining its dominance on the purchase of cheap oil. Of course, both governments are wrong in their policies, since there are alternative energy resources readily and cheaply available. But it does explain why prices and inflation are higher than ever, and why energy prices are so high.

I was amazed at the cost of a meal at the Punch Tavern; £5.79 for a meal with a pint of beer. That’s amazing! Brooke and I would easily drop $40 – $50 for the same meal each back home, and yet my dad only paid about £22 for himself, my mum, Brooke and I.

On recollection. There really isn’t a ‘better place’ to live in the world, your home is where you make it, and what you enjoy out of it. Sure, there are better places, and I enjoy the 28C/86F warm sunny weather back home in Cincinnati compared to the 9C/50F cloudy drizzly weather in Canterbury right now. But the walk that Brooke and I took yesterday evening along the back woods where I used to jog as a teenager were so quite and so peaceful. The wooded areas were full of bluebells, something that I’ve wanted to show Brooke since I first met her. And the fields were quiet and rolling. There wasn’t a sound in the air, except a few rumbles of cars in the distance and the chirp of birds in the air.

I think life is meant to be lived, and it doesn’t matter where you are, nor too much what you’re doing. But how you’re doing it, what you’re doing it for, and whether you’re enjoying it or not. Life really is too short. I grew up in this country, I’ve lived here 4/5 of my life, and yet I feel more like a stranger now than anything, even though I am used to the customs and find myself easily able to blend in and get around.

I’ve grown up a lot since I left England. America is the land of opportunity, though not all Americans, perhaps even the majority don’t use the opportunity. I think England has as many opportunities as America, but perhaps not in the same context. You can get a good education in England far cheaper than in the states, but to buy a place to live here in Canterbury you’d need to be practically a millionaire, whereas in Cincinnati they’ll pretty much give you any mortgage you want, and you can buy a house for not much more than a car in certain places.

I feel bigger now than when I left England, bigger in mind body and soul. I left the old country with many ideas, expectations and dreams. I have achieved many of them, and am proud of myself for doing them. I owe all my successes in life to my wife and my parents, without their support, I doubt I would have achieved half of them. It makes me very happy to be spending the next week and a half with all of them in the place where I grew up. I shall make the most of this, and enjoy eating my favorite meals and seeing old sights, friends and family.

Now to try and grab a couple extra hours sleep, so that I don’t feel like a zombie while walking around London!

Back in blighty

Brooke and I arrived this morning in England. I feel very jet lagged right now, but it is nice seeing familiar sights. We have a lot planned for the next ten days, but we’re going to take it easy and enjoy every minute of it.

My mum made us bacon sandwiches and my dad made me a cup of tea, aside from feeling jet-lagged, I feel great!

More posts after I get over the jet-lag and get some sleep!

Back to the old country

It was a very busy and productive weekend after a very busy and productive week. We shot photographs for my friend’s wedding and we had a blast. It was probably the smallest wedding we have done to date, but it was a great crowd of people, and everyone had a good time.

Last night I packed my suitcase and gathered all my important possessions, including my Columbia jacket, wrangler jeans, leather jacket and Canon Rebel camera. Brooke and I have been working very hard lately and are in need of some down time. I haven’t seen my extended family in England since we got married, and it seemed like the perfect time to go back for a visit, since I am now a US citizen, and tickets are cheaper this time of year, before the summer rush.

Today we set off for 10 days in old blighty. It will be strange going back, I’ve grown up a lot since I left. I was barely 20 years old when Brooke and I got married and I decided to stay in the US. By the end of this year I’ll be 25. Since moving here, I’ve been married, bought and ridden three motorcycles and two cars. I’ve adopted a puppy, who is now our loyal dog. We rent a large town-home in a nice suburban area of the Greater Cincinnati area, we have furniture and all kinds of utensils and other homely appliances. We run our own photography business, and we’re looking at buying a house and studio later this year. All in all, we’re doing quite well, and I’ve gone from being a teenager in love, to a devoted husband and striving toward being a successful businessman.

I’m looking forward to seeing my family again and seeing familiar sights, and sitting down to old favorite meals. For those of you who I’m flying out to see, I’ll see you soon! And for those who I am leaving here; I’ll be back!