My name is Tom.
I am a husband.
I am a father.
I am a retired U.S. Marine.
I am politically independent, typically voting my conscience on issues rather than along party lines. My point of view, once conservative, is increasingly liberal.
I am an introvert. More on that here.
I am a cancer survivor. Thyroid carcinoma, papillary, one each.
I like books, movies, ideas, and discussions on politics and religion - and I don't get angry about it.
I like guns, knives, and gear - with a strong emphasis on things that keep me warm and dry.
I am a search and rescue volunteer.
I really like gear - cool gear. That's the whole search and rescue thing. I really do it as an excuse to buy gear. Helping people is good too, I suppose.
I drink too much coffee.
I like cigars.
I am a Christian.
I am a flawed human being.
I am a gentleman or at least believe in trying to be. Now that I work out of my house, I don't use profanity as much as I used to in the Marine Corps and am trying to stop altogether, but it's never far below the surface.
I am increasingly prudish. My daughters are in high school - maybe that's it.
I am over forty and seem to be getting more irritable with each passing year. What happened to increased patience and wisdom as you age?
Why am I doing this?
Have you ever seen something in the news that irritates you? You have something to say about it, but no audience to say it to except maybe to your spouse and a few friends? Your opinions are intelligent, insightful, erudite (I just looked it up to make sure I'm using it properly). Yes, erudite. They - your opinions - deserve wider dissemination. My opinions do, anyway. The stupid visits me every so often, but I am usually a smart guy. I am fairly empathetic as people go and can usually see both sides of an issue - unless you're a nazi or something like that. I know I can make the world a better place if people will just listen to me. Hence, this blog.
Unfortunately, it takes time to move from brain waves to well articulated opinion, so don't expect too much of me with regard to the important issues, and I have a day job. So, in the gulfs that will appear between my keen observations, it's fun, fast, and a lot easier to talk about other stuff. Therefore, I will use this blog as an outlet for me to express opinions on pretty much anything that has my attention. Good blogs should have some sort of topical focus, but I have such a wide range of interests that I'm afraid focus will be impossible. Just think of this blog as a sort of Time magazine - a nice packaging of a wide range of issues of interest to the thinking citizen. No...wait...think of this blog as BETTER than Time magazine. It isn't - not even close or even close to close, but think of it that way just the same. In fact, I am hereby changing the subtitle of this blog to: "The Blog That Is Better Than Time Magazine." If I use Time magazine as a key word, maybe that will get me quicker results on Google searches. Someone's looking for Time magazine and up pops results for The Rolltop Manifesto. Who knows.
I will shamelessly promote books and other stuff I like on this blog. I am an Amazon Associate. This means if you click on an Amazon product link on this blog - usually a book - and buy the product on Amazon, I get money. Maybe a nickel or something. This will help pay for this blog, buy me gear, cover my mortgage, and fund my retirement . I can't wait for the millions to start rolling in.
And yes, I am writing this from a rolltop desk.
And now for a little unpleasantness. Bear with me, this is important.
Civility reigns on this blog. I invite you to comment on my posts or whatever you like and engage other readers of this blog on the important (or unimportant) issues of the day. No topic is prohibited at this time, though I would ask that we keep things rated PG or below. Every significant or profound issue or idea facing us can be well debated within these confines. I won't police this blog on a routine basis, but if I notice impropriety, I will act semi-swiftly. The comment will be deleted and depending on it's nature, the offender may be barred from this blog. There is simply no excuse for lost tempers, insults, profanity, or any other uncivil, weird, or creepy behavior. There a too many places you can go on the internet for that. Take your dark side to them. Better still, banish your dark side from your life altogether. On this site, civility reigns. But this is not a police state. On this site, we choose to walk in the sun.
Thanks for dropping in,
Tom
I am a husband.
I am a father.
I am a retired U.S. Marine.
I am politically independent, typically voting my conscience on issues rather than along party lines. My point of view, once conservative, is increasingly liberal.
I am an introvert. More on that here.
I am a cancer survivor. Thyroid carcinoma, papillary, one each.
I like books, movies, ideas, and discussions on politics and religion - and I don't get angry about it.
I like guns, knives, and gear - with a strong emphasis on things that keep me warm and dry.
I am a search and rescue volunteer.
I really like gear - cool gear. That's the whole search and rescue thing. I really do it as an excuse to buy gear. Helping people is good too, I suppose.
I drink too much coffee.
I like cigars.
I am a Christian.
I am a flawed human being.
I am a gentleman or at least believe in trying to be. Now that I work out of my house, I don't use profanity as much as I used to in the Marine Corps and am trying to stop altogether, but it's never far below the surface.
I am increasingly prudish. My daughters are in high school - maybe that's it.
I am over forty and seem to be getting more irritable with each passing year. What happened to increased patience and wisdom as you age?
Why am I doing this?
Have you ever seen something in the news that irritates you? You have something to say about it, but no audience to say it to except maybe to your spouse and a few friends? Your opinions are intelligent, insightful, erudite (I just looked it up to make sure I'm using it properly). Yes, erudite. They - your opinions - deserve wider dissemination. My opinions do, anyway. The stupid visits me every so often, but I am usually a smart guy. I am fairly empathetic as people go and can usually see both sides of an issue - unless you're a nazi or something like that. I know I can make the world a better place if people will just listen to me. Hence, this blog.
Unfortunately, it takes time to move from brain waves to well articulated opinion, so don't expect too much of me with regard to the important issues, and I have a day job. So, in the gulfs that will appear between my keen observations, it's fun, fast, and a lot easier to talk about other stuff. Therefore, I will use this blog as an outlet for me to express opinions on pretty much anything that has my attention. Good blogs should have some sort of topical focus, but I have such a wide range of interests that I'm afraid focus will be impossible. Just think of this blog as a sort of Time magazine - a nice packaging of a wide range of issues of interest to the thinking citizen. No...wait...think of this blog as BETTER than Time magazine. It isn't - not even close or even close to close, but think of it that way just the same. In fact, I am hereby changing the subtitle of this blog to: "The Blog That Is Better Than Time Magazine." If I use Time magazine as a key word, maybe that will get me quicker results on Google searches. Someone's looking for Time magazine and up pops results for The Rolltop Manifesto. Who knows.
I will shamelessly promote books and other stuff I like on this blog. I am an Amazon Associate. This means if you click on an Amazon product link on this blog - usually a book - and buy the product on Amazon, I get money. Maybe a nickel or something. This will help pay for this blog, buy me gear, cover my mortgage, and fund my retirement . I can't wait for the millions to start rolling in.
And yes, I am writing this from a rolltop desk.
And now for a little unpleasantness. Bear with me, this is important.
Civility reigns on this blog. I invite you to comment on my posts or whatever you like and engage other readers of this blog on the important (or unimportant) issues of the day. No topic is prohibited at this time, though I would ask that we keep things rated PG or below. Every significant or profound issue or idea facing us can be well debated within these confines. I won't police this blog on a routine basis, but if I notice impropriety, I will act semi-swiftly. The comment will be deleted and depending on it's nature, the offender may be barred from this blog. There is simply no excuse for lost tempers, insults, profanity, or any other uncivil, weird, or creepy behavior. There a too many places you can go on the internet for that. Take your dark side to them. Better still, banish your dark side from your life altogether. On this site, civility reigns. But this is not a police state. On this site, we choose to walk in the sun.
Thanks for dropping in,
Tom
