Abyss Rising

A few months ago, a friend of mine offered to do some pro bono graphic design work for my publishing company Abyss Press for a class assignment; however, the assignment changed so I paid him with a book for the work. To get an idea of what to design he asked some questions.

Answering a question on the company’s values and beliefs I stated: Values: Integrity, Honesty, Thinking For Yourself. Beliefs: Questioning Everything, Accepting Nothing Blindly, Even the Answers.

Then one on what I promise to those who read my work to which I replied: Honesty, I write what I believe, nothing less. Quality, 110% my best, Fair Price.

What is the significance of the word Abyss? The depths of the mind. Then I summed up the company overall:

Abyss Press is very small, owned and operated solely by me. Usually focuses on politics and societal and cultural issues. What I like to do with my writing, is to break down the subject matter where a 6 year old can understand it in a conversation, much like the Albert Einstein quote.

From that came two eagle designs, a samurai, abyss kanji and broken chains; along with font designs for Abyss for me to pick or discard. I liked the eagles so he went back and tightened the designs.

From this came a black distorted eagle with Abyss overhead and an Eagle attacking a snake with the words Question Everything below. That last one was good enough to be on a flag but did not really fit Abyss. It felt…too American. I liked the concept of it though, the courage to attack the lies. However, the black eagle, yeah that fits with Abyss.

I suggested combining the two and my wife said put Ronin inside the eagle. I liked the idea so I went with that. It didn’t fit so Brandon used the kanji for truth and it was love at first sight. He sent the black eagle with a white kanji and a white eagle with the black kanji, opted for the white eagle since my books are black. Nevertheless, the black one is my phone wallpaper now.

Therefore, I present to you the finished logo, mission statement and slogan of Abyss Press:

Mission Statement
“From the depths of the mind we present honesty and integrity after questioning everything with a critical eye. Welcome to a dark reality.”

Slogan

From the darkness, the truth shall emerge.

(Brandon Ryals came up with this one)

Thoughts? Also the new website and webstore is up here

Ronin’s Journey: Which Direction To Travel

I learned through a combination of answers from the questionnaire, and insights from the 17:06 exercises that are in the book Unchained what direction I should pursue. From my goals, passions, psychological tendencies, and personality it gives me a place to focus on, and a mission statement to remind me. It is my mission, chosen by me, so let us break it down.

“I will live my life on my terms…”

Everything I have previously laid out in the previous two posts, these are my terms.

“…beyond the best of my ability, I will find a way.”

I have to have a goal, it is my very nature; everything I have laid out before is working towards this. To quote my dad, “Can’t never got nothing done.”

“I will become a warrior supreme…”

An odd statement in today’s world I know. However, I value fitness and martial arts, with my personal responsibility and the history of my life reminding me that I am the first line of defense so be prepared. The difference to me between a fighter and a warrior is that the warrior fights for something on so many levels, not just a physical opponent. Survival, code of conduct either personal or group’s, and possess more than just technique. Like the Ronin I take my name from.

“be the kind of husband my wife has always fantasized about…”

Because she shares my life, meets my needs and desires; so to must I meet her’s.

“…educate by example and patient answer while remembering I don’t have all the answers or even the best answers…”

This curbs my self-righteous, criticizing tendencies; people are no more required to live up to my standards as I am to theirs. Being myself, an example to some possibly instead of me beating them over the head with my words. Patient answers…answers…a response to a question, do not volunteer it. It is something I have a habit of doing too much. Instead as an outlet, I will do it through my writing people choose to read that. The last part of the statement reminds me that I still have much to learn. And the ‘awesome as fuck’ is just my happiness of this journey.

Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum

Latin for ‘If You Want Peace, Prepare For War’ is my motto. This is my life, if I want peace I have to be prepared to defend it. Like I wrote in ‘When Is War Justified’ I am peaceful, not a pacifist. I love Sgt. Rory Miller’s quote: “The only defense against evil violent men are good men with more skill at violence.”
This is my mission and my motto in life. Do you have a mission, a direction to travel?

Related articles

• The Blueprint: Becoming Me (Overview)
• Ronin’s Journey: The Soul And What Drives It (Step One)
• Ronin’s Journey: The World and How It’s Processed (Step Two)
• Ronin’s Journey: How To Deal With The World and Yourself (Step Three)
• Ronin’s Journey: What Do You Value Most? (Step Four)
• Prelude
• Rebirth? A Journey Within (roninsjourney.wordpress.com)
• Rebirth? It’s Time To Meet the Three People You Are (roninsjourney.wordpress.com)

Ronin’s Journey: The World and How It’s Processed

Having discovered how to find our primordial desires in the last post, today we will see what kind of operating system that nature gave us. Have you ever taken a personality test or an enneagram? I took both, different tests on multiple occasions. I like the Briggs and Meyer personality test for the reason of the logical detail it goes into.

Your brain is the most powerful computer in existence, so what is the operating system? This is where personality traits come in. It is the first line of interpretation of all the data we take in through our senses.

Well using me as an example, I look at the world and process it as an ISTJ personality type, also known as the Inspector. See how that ties with the learning drive we covered last time? ISTJ stands for Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging. I am happiest with my own thoughts and social settings drain me after a while, even in the best of company. It is just the way I am wired.

Breaking down and summarizing ISTJ’s process like this:
• Introverted Sensing (dominant) is deeply analytical of surroundings and while all this is being taken in through my senses the information is pushed to the second trait…

• Extraverted Thinking is where I process and evaluate what I am taking in against previous experiences, knowledge, etc. This is usually running in the background and occasionally goes off on a tangent if nothing new is stimulating my senses. If you are holding a conversation with me and my eyes go blank, do not worry, I am still listening. It is just me focusing on using this to understand you.

• Introverted Feeling is the third trait that is instinctual to what’s true and false, most likely due to the heavy storehouse of knowledge my learning drive as stocked up over the years and quickly able to weigh new info against that. This also helps me (being a logical personality type) understand feelings and causes. Something I am not that good at. Nevertheless, I am working on it.

• Extraverted Intuition finds hidden meanings, scenarios, what ifs, and theories. The realm of spiritualists, philosophers, and religions. I’m a just the facts kind of guy so it takes awhile for me to use my weakest trait to understand.

So this is what I came up with, what I have to work with and it’s good to do some introspection and understand the why and embrace these; you will be happier in the long run since you’re not working against your nature. Now notice how well these works with what drives me, my self-interests. This is all in harmony, so next, now that I understand what drives me, how I process it, and how to use it to my advantage I can build my spiritual base, my mortality. However, that will be the next post.

Related articles

• The Blueprint: Becoming Me (Overview)

• Ronin’s Journey: The Soul And What Drives It (Step One)

The Irony of Religious Values in Politics

One of politics biggest ironies to me is when people try to line up their vote with their religious beliefs, and then get self-righteous about it.

“I voted for Obama because he will help the poor.”

Alternatively…

“I voted for Romney because he will keep America’s traditional values and a God-Fearing man.”

Really people? I’m about to reduce your soapbox to kindling. Let’s look at a few relevant scriptures in the Ten Commandments first.

“You shall not murder.” Exodus 20:13

If you were bombed at a wedding, would that be murder? What if, you were minding your own business and someone kicks open the door, you run and get shot down. Oh, it was a drug task force, raiding the wrong house. Murder? Let us go on…

“You shall not commit adultery.” Exodus 20:14

How many politicians have been caught doing this? Clinton, Gingrich and the one Governor with the Brazilian mistress spring immediately to mind. Not exactly people you can trust, let alone with a tool as powerful as the government.

“You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15

Taxes? Civil Asset Forfeiture? Eminent Domain? Answer this honestly, how big of a check are you willing to write to the government? Should I have to write one too? What if I don’t want too? Then what? It is my money, I gave up time and effort to earn it, so who has a right to it?

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:16

What are politicians caught in all the time? Lies! Yet, people elect a person who has proven they cannot be trusted and get all self-righteous that they voted for them and when caught in a lie they cannot escape from, they quickly make excuses for them. Way to live by your principles people.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” Exodus 20: 17

What is Obama practically famous for? His ‘spread the wealth’ line in that interview. If you think along those lines then you are coveting.

Let’s look at the Golden Rule.

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12

Good Principle? I think so, lines up well with the Non-Aggression Principle; however, when you force your morality on others but recoil when they do the same, then you both have broken the Golden Rule.

Now some may quote the Sermon on the Mount’s Beatitudes to me, however that is Jesus advocating charity from the goodness of your heart and property. That can be admirable, however saying ‘those poor souls, you go help them or else’ isn’t by any stretch. One is charity, the other is welfare.

Think about all this before you consider yourself a good Christian by voting for your particular political flavor to act as your proxy. For them to do what you ask they are committing sin so do not be so proud of yourself, after all you’re an accomplice to everything you proclaim to be against.

Is A Voter Accountable for the Ballots They Cast?

One of my favorite podcasts/radio shows is Free Talk Live and one of the hosts Ian is fond of saying, “not my government” which to a point is correct. However recently I have been thinking voters should be held accountable for the actions of those they voted for, especially if it is an incumbent politician! They have a track record you can look at, instead of the big game they talk. Technically, they do “work” for you in theory.

What if you had not voted though?

I would ask why? Was it apathy, or none of the several (there are more than two) running just didn’t line up with your principles? I can respect the second. If you are not involved in politics and making sure the government does not overreach then we will have few option since diplomacy failed. Fight or retreat. With the state of the electorate, I would leave and let the country fall, they deserve everything that comes to them.

People complain about things that affect them (understandably) but are so damn short sighted they do not realize and/or care about the ill effects on others. Yes, you may be having a hard time making ends meet and sign up for government assistance; but do you realize that your neighbors on the block just got saddled with the burden of your life as well as their own. Selfish if you ask me. Yet your vote in November made it possible by keeping the status quo.

On the other hand, as another example, you see unrest overseas and say someone should do something about it, so you vote for the neoconservative politician that will send troops overseas. The admirable thing would be if you went, not by sending proxies. That vote you just cast does more than waste money on things that does not matter to our well-being as a whole, you just ripped men and women from families to handle someone else’s business instead of their own. Because you are such a busybody, some will not make it home on his or her own. You were an accessory in their death, and a family loses a father/husband/son or mother/wife/daughter because you chose someone with a track record of sending troops overseas.

A voter’s hands are not clean. Those hands hit a button far more powerful than the trigger of a fully automatic weapon. It keeps a government that steals (taxes), enslaves (prison), murders (current wars/death penalty/civilians killed in battle or police raids), invades your privacy and subjugates everyone (victimless crimes). The common criminal only wishes they had it so good and Al Capone would be jealous he hadn’t thought of it.

Voting has consequences and you are fully accountable for those votes.