Back in November of 2004 a very dear friend of mine had the great fortune of meeting one of his heroes...Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, who passed away on February 20, 2005. You may know him from his most popular work, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". Dr. Thompson was an innovative author whose eccentric style was dubbed "gonzo journalism", and he revolutionized modern journalism.

After his meeting with the Good Doc, my dear friend wrote in detail of his experience, and closed his email with these words:

"Try to find your heroes and meet them. I highly recommend it."

The manner in which he spoke of his ventures in meeting Dr. Thompson were nothing short of inspiring, and I felt driven to take the advice he had given. So when I had finished reading of his quest, I shut off my computer, eager to begin MY journey. A journey I too could write about in hopes of inspiring others. I sat down, grabbed a pen and paper and began to devise my plan.

Step ..1: Decide which hero to meet.

Many hours were spent trying to determine who this would be. Many wasted, cumbersome, hopeless hours. Until I came to the inevitable conclusion...I have no heroes. No one has inspired me enough to be driven to follow in their footsteps. No one sparks a fire within me and draws me to them.

I have no heroes.

Then it all began to make sense to me. Why I've never had a clear vision of what I truly want to do in this life. Why my "purpose" has been so diluted and vague. Why I struggle to understand my path and my existence. It is simply because I have never had anyone to look up to. Not a single influence in my existence that made my inner voice say, "THAT'S who I want to be when I grow up!" Who I am is what I have created within my own self. I am the product of my own defense mechanisms, my own fears, my own struggles, my own strength, my own perseverance, and my own determination. I am not like my father (or maybe I am, but will never know) and not entirely like my mother. My influences were minimal, and in order for me to make it through each day I was dependant on myself to ensure I survived.

So in my moment of reflection on who or what drives me, inspires me, and motivates me, I came to this conclusion: They are mountains I have conquered and the demons I have crushed that have lead me to where I am today, and have driven me to be the man I am right now. My heroes are the ones who didn't stick around, the people who never gave a damn, the people who were too self-involved to take an active part in a young man's life. For as shameful and meaningless as their existence may be, their negligence and abuse helped to create a man who is confident, successful, and kind. A man who now possesses a deeper appreciation for the things you have to fight for in life. Nothing is for free, and nothing is easy. But the person you become in overcoming your own personal struggles will ultimately determine the path of your existence.

To my dear friend Mr. Martens...Thank you for helping me to find the hero within.

Imagine if you will...the United States government decides that the state of Florida is now Puerto Rican territory and all Americans must leave the state within 60 days. For some of us this would be a blessing in disguise, but for the millions and millions of others, it would be a nightmare. For those who have established deep roots, lives, families, careers in this state...it is their home, their birth-right.

Sorry, but it's Puerto Rico now. This land belongs to them. We're sick of fighting them for it. They want it? They've got it.

The deadline approaches. Americans are forced to leave the homes they have spent lifetimes - even generations - building. Everything they have worked for. Slaved for. Is gone. And for those who refuse to leave, a visit from the United States Army is in store. Those who go with a fight, get a fight. Mothers, children, grandparents...dragged from their homes kicking, wailing, screaming....fighting with the same might and will it took to establish the land that is now being taken out from under them.

Can you imagine such an atrocity occurring in our country? Think about it. Think about your families. Think about the people who have given their blood and sweat to forge some semblance of a life on this flat, sandy land of ours. Sorry, but it's no longer yours. Those pesky Puerto Ricans are pissing us off - bombing our buses and cafes. They are a feisty bunch those Ricans. We bomb them back with missile attacks from our helicopters and tanks. But with every counter-strike, they bomb some more. Willing to sacrifice their lives for their cause. And now we have half the world pleading with us to come to a compromise. "Find peace" they scream. Years upon years...millennia upon millennia...the battles wage without resolve.

And finally one side cracks.... take it. Take the land you claim to be yours. Just stop the bombing. Stop the insanity.

As I write these meaningless words, this very situation is occurring. Thousands upon thousands is Israelis' are being forced from their homes, their businesses, and their synagogues. Land they once called home now belongs to the Palestinians. The government of Israel has conceded and has sent Israeli troops - THEIR OWN TROOPS - to FORCIBLY remove Israeli citizens from their land. And here we sit...in the comfort of our homes with our freedom, our liberty...eating our doughnuts and our cheese steaks. Gluttonous, spoiled, and ignorant.

For those of you who have Direct TV or any other cable or satellite TV that allows you access to the BBC News or Israeli news, please watch it. You will be amazed. The news you hear on CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, or any one of the dozens of slanted, blinded news stations who censor, edit, and shelter the facts from the US populace is absolute bullshit. You want to see the facts? Watch a foreign news channel. See the REAL news. Sure, CNN shows the evictions of those in the Gaza Strip. But you want to see what's REALLY happening? Watch the BBC News - see the acid attacks on Israeli troops by their own people. The people who are fighting and dying for the little bit of land they once called their own. It's shocking, it's horrifying...and it's happening RIGHT NOW.

Right now in the world, American Troops are forcibly removing Floridians from the state they have lived in for generations. It's happening...right now. Do you know about it? If so, do you know what's really happening? Or are you getting the "sugar coated" version?

You're on the internet right now if you're reading this...use it wisely. Find the truth. It's out there.

Yes, it took me 10 minutes to figure out how the hell to post this thing they call "Blog"! Up until a few days ago, I had no idea what a blog was. Now I get it, but I still have no idea why the hell it's called a "BLOG". It sounds almost like something that lives under a bridge...like a troll, but slimy...and fat. A Blog. Yeah...

"The children knew not to go near the bridge in Oakwood Park. For under this bridge lived a troll. He wasn't an ordinary troll. No...this troll was unlike any other. He was a Blog. A fat, slimy, good for nothing Blog..."

The story continues...kids cross the bridge, Blog eats kids, town revolts, Blog puts up fight, riot ensues, Blog terrorizes city...then the nation...mass chaos engulfs country, army attacks, Blog laughs, Navy attacks, Blog naps, the Marines attack...Blog gets his ass kicked and is vaporized. You know, the usual story.

But I digress - my point being...what a stupid fucking name. Can I say "fuck" in Blog land? Is there a Blog etiquette that I need to be aware of, or is it a speak your mind free-for-all?

So my first topic of discussion in Blog land is this whole war-protesting thing. Remember back in the day when war protesters rioted, tipped over cars, and threw Molotov cocktails at the "fuzz". Granted, I wasn't alive then, but I know my history. I know that people gathered by the hundreds of thousands with a common message and a common purpose...peace. Now I'm no idiot - I know that a large part of this agenda was free love and drugs. But what ever.... more power to them. Regardless of their overt displays of open-mindedness, they displayed a passion for something they truly believed in. Peace.

And here we are...2005. Over 35 years later, and we are once again a country at war. And while this war has not suffered a fraction of the casualties of Vietnam, the numbers are still astounding. Over 2,000 American Soldiers have died so far. It's a war that has torn the nation in two. So critical is our foreign policy, and what do we do as a nation, yet we continue to spit in the face of the world with our arrogance and ignorance. And what do we do to show our displeasure for the hideous decisions of the buffoon who calls himself "The President"? We send a middle-aged woman with a lawn chair and a megaphone to march on the lawn of the NEIGHBOR of the President's summer home!!! That's IT people!! Her son died and she is pissed. As well she should be! Her son died fighting for his country. Here we are, 3 years into this war, and the only true symbol that has come out of this oil-driven fiasco is a mourning mother protesting a quarter of a mile from the President's ranch. No massive peace rallies at the Washington Monument. No Woodstock. No riots. No peace, love, and happiness.

No my friends, we've become too advanced for that. We're too greedy and angry as a people to maintain peace. Nature has caught up with us and creates diseases to prevent free love. And with all the bullshit that it all evolves into, what is there to be happy about??

Sure, it's not all that bad...but it's not looking good. So what do you do? Do you take a stand? Do you speak up? Do you fight for what you believe in? Or do you stand idly by and watch. Watch as civilization once again brings itself to a boil. Loaf on the sofa of life while Bush and Co. feed your mind with lies and propaganda.

I'm not "one of those people" filled with anger and conspiracy theories. I'm just a concerned citizen who sees things taking a turn for the worse. My only voice has been my writing. It's my only outlet, and I have something to say.

If you're not concerned...you're not paying attention.