#RWC2015

Boy oh boy was this an exciting evening (if you live in England, day/morning if you live in the US). The game literally just ended. Here are my thoughts on the game. 

What the heck is wrong with you Fiji? You had so many chances to score and keep it going. The defense wasn't that good, hence the high score against them, and I'm not sure why you guys can't kick. 

I think there were 4 missed opportunities in kicks alone. The game wouldn't have been as bad score wise. 

And about that score?

England: you did not deserve that try at the end. There was a leg in the way blocking the ball from going over the white line. I understand that you really wanted it but if you didn't cross the line, you didn't cross the line. The leg just happened to be in the way. 

Honestly though, I could not have done what happened here tonight. I'm not obese but I'm not athletic either. These guys played their heart and should out. I mean, one try that was made, a team member was laying the ground in agony because he has been running and tormenting his body for about 60 minutes. I mean, holy cow!

These guys in this tournament are the best when it comes to the game. Every player is better than anybody in the world. Having the chance to play in an event like this is a true dream come true. 

It's the first game of the month long tournament and let me tell you, I am super excited even as this sport has yet to really catch on here in the states. 

Speaking of which, in pretty excited to see how many viewers this game had in the US. I wonder if the syndication of Universal Sports and NBC has helped grow the sport to a broader audience. I think it can only help it. 

I don't have tv but I have Sling TV on my phone. With the help of Verizon's Unlimited data, I'm still golden. At least for now. 

If you have any time for an hour or so, or even time for a small glance at this event, take it. 

Rugby has changed my life, I know it will change yours. 

The U.S. Constitution

Today we celebrate a document. A document who is like that one kid in school who everybody knows, but decides not to go to his party for whatever reason. He's in all the lunchroom conversations. He's never looked at, talked to or really, truly, acknowledged though. 

Some people may look at this signature above as just another signature. It's only when you look closer, you realize the letters start to make sense.

In school, I've read about Paul Revere. I have read about Thomas Jefferson. I have read about George Washington. I have read about Samuel Adams. They were all just names to me. Names in a story. 

That changed when I took a trip to Boston, Massachusetts a few years back. 

Here I was, 21 years old (at the time) and I was walking down a road that wasn't fit for a car or a horse and carriage, for that matter, anymore. I look to my left and I see a sign saying Paul Revere's house. 

I now had a name and a location. 

I continue to walk down the old road and I see a church steeple over shadowing some trees. This is the church with the light. I realized at this moment why he was chosen to do the 'British are coming' ride. He lived so close. I had another location. I looked around at what he saw all those years back. 

After walking for a long while I saw a cemetery. That cemetery is where I saw a final resting place. The name written was Paul Revere. 

This guy wasn't a name in some story I've heard all my life. This was an actual guy who actually did something to change history. It was more than voting for the black guy so I could be part of history to elect a black president. Like, this guy actually did something. He actually lived. He actually did exist. 

I know it sounds silly, but when I saw that grave site, everything changed for me. It hit me at a deep level. 

That same feeling resonates with me today. I know that, since he existed, George Washington existed too. I know that James Madison existed too! It's so exciting!

That signature above is from the hand of George Washington. I look at that and I am frozen in its awesome sight. If this document could talk in more ways than it does..

If it had eyes to explain, in detail, what they looked like on that room. If it had ears to explain, in detail, or even just a slight bit, of what it heard when they walked up and grabbed that quill to score on its face. 

I look at this document and I see a perfect document who was designed by men from different backgrounds. But they all understood what the future of being an American meant. The idols and inspirations from all the men came together in it's simplest and complex forms. They created a document of checks and balances. They created a document that would be meant to be a living, breathing document that would stand the test of time. These men were smart. They new human history and how humans worked and realized the methodology of men ruling men and how it progressed. They new a people, United, would fight together to keep this going so they created ways to limit government while at the same time, empowering liberty to we the people. 

On this Constitution Day, read it. There's a constitution app with easy to read typography. There's even helpful historical references. 

Read the notes from the framers themselves. Read the federalist papers. Read the anti-federalist papers. Learn from history because I can tell you, the names that we've read all our lives actually did exist. They lived under the iron fist of tyranny.

They made sure to protect the future generations from such oppression so we would be blessed in not having to feel that fear. 

Thank you again and Happy Constitution Day. 

The Great American Spirit

We live in the greatest country in the world.

I'm not saying that because I am an American, rather because I know it to be true. 

Our daily lives, however, are at a risk. We our blind by stupidity, or blind by ignorance/choice. We refuse to look and see the lessons from

History being repeated, time and time again. 

We look to people such as Bernie Sanders because free college sounds good. We look to Barack Obama because free healthcare sounds good. We refuse, more so, to hear the ideas of right wing artists and spit on them as if they are the waste of the earth. 

These people, say warnings, not from thin air but from what history tells us. 

When a country is gaining power and says death to a country, we must take them seriously. We must not appease them. The average person doesn't know the countries Hitler destroyed and took over. They just know it was Europe and it was bad. They also know we (The U.S.) kicked his butt. 

We not only did that, we also kicked Japan's butt, too. 

Fighting two major powers and winning is something that we used to be proud of. We created world peace by strength and unity. And we have people in power who lack strength as they continue to divide us.

What can we do to keep the republic alive?

We can speak our minds. We can continue to preach the word of the constitution. We can continue to say what we should and attempt to keep people educated. 

I think there's a fine line between keeping Liberty, and having tyranny. As Reagan said it, we are only one generation away from losing Liberty.

One generation from losing what we have..or had. 

10 years ago, racism wasn't that big a deal, in fact, it wasn't even brought up as often. I remember in school, they were just average people. Just like you and I. Now, from what I heard and read, black families are having conversations to let their kids know that white people, specifically police officers, look and judge them by how they dress and act. 

Back 10 years ago, the threat of ISIS or Al Qaeda was virtually non existent. Now, along with an open southern border, we know they are in this country, waiting, sleeping if you will, for the right moment. 

Why do we have this problem today?

What happens to this country?

Yes, the unemployment percentage is down, but not because the the economy is getting better but because people have stopped looking for work. They have left the work force. 

Yes gas prices are low, not because of some Iran deal, but because demand isn't as high. 

Yes, more people have healthcare, but have they tried using it yet? How well do they like it after one or two visits?

We have school prices higher than ever. We have a debt that tops $20 trillion. 

I read, the United States government took over $2 trillion last year in taxes. The left always talks about raising taxes. People think this is a good idea. Do you know how much $2 trillion amounts to? Around $19,000 per citizen. 

I don't know about you, but that's a years worth of money for me. For people who make $30,000 a year, that's 2/3 of your income. Try living off of $10,000 for the year. Now try to imagine living off  of less than that. That's what I mean by the government wants to take more of your money away from you. How can one not be angry?

The truth is: we are. 

People like Donald Trump and Ben Carson are leading the polls for the presidency next year. 

They aren't politicians! They've never had any kind of governing or legislative power before! How can this be?

The simple reason is because the American Spirit cannot be taken down so easily. The human experience and condition hasn't changed in over 200 years. Why do we have people saying the constitution is outdated and old, if the writing of the founders and the framers are still true to this day? 

Government is known for growing. It is up to the people to keep it small. And we are doing that right now. 

The American people are strong. We are a proud group of citizenry. We do not quit when placed against a wall. We continue fighting and revolting against those who want to oppress. 

The American doesn't quit when faced with a problem. 

If we give up now, how do we tell our kids without disappointing them on how we failed to keep this republic free?