Category: Story Time

 

I founded BeeZee Vision, LLC on July 15, 2003 in the City of Chesapeake, Virginia, USA.  It’s been more than a decade, and today she has my full attention.

What does that even mean?  Well, long story short I founded BeeZee Vision, LLC just a few months before my 10th anniversary in the U.S. Navy.  Life was a lot different back then.  I have just started a new specialty (or what is known in the US Navy as “cross-rating” for all those salty shipmates).  It might not have been the ideal time to start a company, but the truth is that I’ve been dreaming of making this a reality for almost ten years before that day.

If you have been familiar with my life, you’ll know that there is something unusual about my 10-year time span.  Anyway, along with my brother David, who had just moved to Virginia, we agreed to embark on this project.  He would run the operations with his multimedia & web-development background, and I would deal with the many administrative requirements.  This arrangement continues to this day.  But a lot has happened ever since.

 

 

Innovation & new beginnings!

The only permanent thing in life is change, and BeeZee Vision, LLC has been changing along with the times.  In fact, some of our earlier services have either become fully automated, or no longer needed because of how technology and society have progressed and adapted.  This dynamic is actually a good thing, because one thing all business owners need to factor in every calculation is throughput.

There are only 24 hours in a day, and there is just so much you can do, and that is an important variable as far as how much manpower is required.  When I started BeeZee Vision, this sustainability was key in ensuring I did not create something that would be ultimately unsustainable.  More than a decade later, that assessment was spot on, and BeeZee Vision, LLC still exists, and that was despite the fact I was only able to afford to give the company a fraction of my attention in the last 10 years.  And by the way, we are debt free!

As you might know, I am retiring from the US Navy on April 30, 2024, and as I type this article, I am enjoying what is known as my “terminal leave” – which means I’m burning those vacations days I was never able to afford to take time off while in uniform.  March 2024 is a key moment in my life because all those projects that had to be dormant for a while can finally sprout to reality, and they are better than ever!

While in the last several years we have mostly focused on our automated digital market place under www.BZVweb.com where you can get web-related products & services such as domain names, web hosting, security certificates and all kinds of tech-related information; our face-to-face services had to be tapered because quite frankly we just could not afford the time to provide the level of service we want to provide our customers.  I am adamant about never sacrificing quality for quantity.

 

What’s next for BeeZee Vision, LLC?

A lot actually!  As I sit here on my desk, in my home office, I sit and reflect on how COVID-19 changed the business landscape.  This also affects how businesses provide services to their customers.  For better or worse, the best part is that now I don’t have to do any commuting, hence I don’t see the need to get a venue outside my home for the services we provide.  Afterall, most everybody seems to prefer to work remotely using one of the many platforms designed to communicate over the net.  I’m fully onboard with that!

With that said, we are based in the Hampton Roads area, and I do enjoy meeting face-to-face with people, but I will limit how far I am willing to travel.  The Hampton Roads area is actually very large, and the traffic patterns are not always smooth.  Also, I set myself a rule that I will only work while my daughter is at school, and she has my undivided attention whenever she is home, if that is her desire.  If she wants some “me time” then I’ll do whatever else I want to do, but I am giving her that choice.  And she usually chooses to spend time with me, and I love it!

My daughter waited patiently for me to be home for 12 years, while I’ve been gone often for months at the time, and usually before she woke up, or return home after she was asleep.  Therefore, our new BeeZee Vision, LLC schedule allows for ample time for me to work while Sammy is at school.  Another thing you’ll see is  BeeZee Vision continuing to engage in our many social media sites as the family-business this was designed to be.  We are not a faceless corporation.  You’ll be working with ME directly.  Although our platforms have been mostly dormant for several years, we are adding new and relevant content every day that is both fun to watch and useful to you.

 

 

The 2024 plan for BeeZee Vision, LLC also includes the following:

BZVweb – BeeZee Vision, LLC automated Web Services Marketplace: Continue empowering our customers to use our hassle-free services, through our automated www.BZVweb.com website.  Our customers can get their web domain, web hosting, VPNs, security certificates, and so much more in minutes!  All the server farms that BeeZee Vision, LLC collaborates with are in the United States of America.

   

BZVR360 – One of the services we have provided to a few customers is 360 degrees photography and videography.  And yes, that includes aerial videography!  We have many samples on our YouTube channel, and hope we can book an appointment for you too.  At this time, we are only offering this service in the Hampton Roads area, but we are willing to make exceptions on a case-by-case basis.  These are ideal for real-estate, site surveys, touristic attractions, etc.

Check our 360 samples and more videos on our BeeZee Vision YouTube channel.

Customize Web Services– This service is offered to anybody from first-time beginners to established professionals.  As I mentioned before I recently retired from the US NAVY, and throughput is a huge concern of mine.  In other words, I am pacing myself in a manner that is sustainable.  Therefore, I am limiting the number of projects to ~2 per week maximum.  But we can start preparing your web-project even weeks, months, or even years before you’re ready to get your website up and running.

Why?  Well, there are a lot of steps to consider before starting a sustainable website.  During an appointment, even if you decide that you’re not ready to make a site or another digital media project (for example publishing a book), you’ll still learn a lot and a have a road map for whenever you’re ready to take that step – even if you decide to go with somebody else other than BeeZee Vision.  It’s a win-win for you!

You can expect to see a lot more from BeeZee Vision, LLC as we’ll be networking, collaborating, engaging.  We look forward to working together and taking your multimedia project from concept to completion!  As you can see, one of those collaborations is taking place with Half Life Crisis, which is powered by BeeZee Vision, LLC.  Afterall, I founded both projects, and they are both a reality.  Your project can also be a reality too – let me help you bring YOUR project to reality!  HLC

I put on my military uniform for the last time on February 9, 2024 until I retire at the end of April.  I finally get to spend quality time with my daughter.  

The wait is finally over!

Only about 1% of the population in the United Sates of America has earned the privilege to serve in uniform, and have been authorized to wear the cloth of our nation.  For a little over 20 years, I was one of those privileged few who have been authorized to serve.  For the longest time, staying in uniform was very challenging, not just because of the actual required sacrifices linked to the military service, but because there were some force-shaping tools that were hellbent in discharging as many service members as possible.

To be honest, a few times my name (like everybody else’s) was near the chopping block because of these manpower policies.  But based on my merit and performance I was able to make it above the cut.  While all this was happening, I kept moving up in rank and finally reached enough tenure to be eligible for retirement.  It is very humbling and almost surreal to see it from this perspective – as far as time is concerned.  There are literally thousands, if not millions of memories linked to my service, and it would take me 20+ years to recount them all.  But the coveted date finally arrived.

I joined the United States Navy when I was 24 years old, which is kind of late for many people who usually join after high school.  By the time I started basic training I was already 25, and at that point I did not know if I was going to make it a full career.  It was actually one evening while underway on my second ship USS LAKE ERIE CG 70, when my then-Commanding Officer was speaking with a few people in an area of the ship we used to call “Maine and Vine,” given by some novelty street signs we had placed in the ship.

The Captain was speaking with a few Sailors about reenlistments, and retirement, and asked me how old I was when I started bootcamp, and since I mentioned 25, making quick math he said, “so BeeZee (that’s me) can retire the Navy at the young age of 45…” and he was right.  I am 45 now.  So, in a way, ever since it was a goal of mine to reach the age of 45 and retire.  Afterall, I have recently gotten meritoriously promoted to Second Class Petty Officer.  And looking back, 20 years is a very long time, especially if you have been serving in the military.  And to be honest, I left a lot of interesting projects on the back burner because of my military duties.

Fast forward a few years, and I married Alicia and a year after Sammy was born.  I will be speaking in length about Alicia and Sammy in my articles, because there is so much to talk about them both… and they are indeed my whole world.  In fact, the reason why I decided to retire wherever 20 years of service got me was because I promised as much to Sammy.  Alicia, Sammy’s mom served for 24 years, but she retired from the Navy a couple of years ago.  Yes, she joined the Navy before me.  Being a dual military couple is very tough, especially on the family, and this of course means Sammy had to be very patient.

For so many years Sammy was patiently waiting for this quality time with either one of us.  We dedicated to her all the time we could, but the call of duty would take us away from home for extended periods of times.  In my case, for weeks and months at the time.  I would return home and Sammy already looked taller each time.  This was heart breaking for me as it was for her.  But I am happy that that time apart is finally over.

As I type this article, Sammy and I have been spending some quality time.  We have this nice couch in our house where she can pop a recliner, and we have been sharing a blanket as she is watching her favorite TV shows.  Whenever it's dinner time, she helps me enough, but I love seeing her clearing her plate.  She has a very good appetite.

She also likes playing with my newly grown beard, and when she does, I could not be happier.  We had developed a good routine, and the more time we spent together, the more I was amazed by how wonderful my daughter truly is.  She is such a fascinating child, and the more I get to hang out with her, the more I see how beneficial this closeness has been for both of us.  It was definitely well overdue.

 

Let's keep in touch on Social Media!

 

Becoming a stay-home dad.

After so many years of being away, and the countless times I saw my daughter looking at me from her bedroom window as I was leaving for work insanely early in the morning, I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am that those days are over.  Seeing Sammy’s saddening face as I was leaving every day was devastating.  Yet, whenever I used to come back home, she would receive me with a big smile.  I could see her smile behind the window from the street as I approached the house, she would then run to open the garage door for me, and wait for me to get out of the car to give me a big hug.  It was the happiest part of my day.

Fast forward to the time that I finally have a different level of control over my schedule – in other words, not having to commute to work anymore, it is so liberating.  But that does not mean that it is boring.  Not at all.  Although my house is very clean and well maintained, there are countless chores and other unfinished projects that I’ve been tackling little by little.  And there is so much more to do.  The good news is that they are no longer in the back burner, the bad news is that there are a bunch of items in my to-do list.

But every little line item I cross out makes me feel so much better.  Especially when it comes to some projects that were just lingering, even if they were minor projects, like changing the rubber gasket in a faucet, or reorganizing a closet.  These simple projects were put on the back burner for a long time, and finally I am tackling them down.  For example, I had to replace a light bulb for a while, but I just didn’t have the time to climb on a ladder to do so for several weeks, because the bulb was so high up.

But the best part of the day for sure is when I get to receive Sammy when she gets off her school bus.  The house becomes alive once again with her smile and her limitless energy.  This kid has a lot of energy, I only wish I was as energetic as she is… but I do my best to keep up.  But make no mistake, there is always so much to do at home, which makes me wonder how it is that I was able to do so much before I had this additional time.

The truth is that I never really had that much time, my catch phrase for years was “I’m busy” – that is still true today, but it is a “better” busy - if that makes sense.  When I put my post about my last day at work, I received a lot of love from my friends, and family – it was very heart-warming then as it is today.  I am so happy to be able to take care of my tasks without having to deal with a bunch of other stressors outside my control.

In fact, probably the most drama I have nowadays is when some people get rambunctious on the social media sites.  But as I am moving into this new phase in my life, engaging in social media is part of my new life as an author.  A lot of people I engage with are super cool, and once in a while I get a few people who clamor for a lot of attention, and some of those can be very frustrating to deal with.  But fortunately, at my age I don’t care about external validation, but still, it can be taxing trying to process some of the stuff that they are saying.  But fortunately, I can always look away and do something that makes me happy.

And to be honest, my house is super cool – I got all my cool gadgets and toys to enjoy.  And making my house even more cozy is one of my favorite things to do.  Having a nice comfortable home, or a place to work is always important to me.  I have many places where I can sit down and enjoy my time at home.  Either in front of my big TV, or in my bedroom, or the big jetted tub, or in my yard, or my home-office, my garden, or playing my musical instruments, or even painting what comes to mind on a canvas, it is awesome.  And of course, I get to write, and love writing.  And interesting enough, my favorite place to write is this… the very surface-pro tablet that I bought before my long deployment.  I love this thing.

At home, one of my favorite places to sit is on my big couch in my living room.  I have this “lap desk” where I prop my tablet and I can just type away, or design stuff where I don’t have to think too much while I enjoy my TV shows on my big TV.  It is a very good feeling.  I don’t really spend that much time outdoors because it is pretty cold out there right now, and the temperature inside my home is just perfect.  For years I’ve had to deal with weird temperatures – therefore I’m indulging now that I can finally do so, and it is a good feeling.

When Sammy is at school, I do all the things we cannot do together, so I can be more productive.  This includes errands, or other activities that are easier done without Sammy, such as phone calls, social media engagement, yard work, etc.  Then when she arrives, my attention turns to hanging out together and doing activities that are both entertaining and part of her development.  For example, we’ll do some combined chores, go for a walk, make dinner, fold the laundry, clean up the house.  Sammy likes to be part of those activities.  Then when we are done, we like to spend some time watching TV.  This is actually part of her development, because we use images as a way to chat and laugh together.

Most importantly, it helps Sammy know that I am here and I am not leaving – as has been the case for many years.  For years, Sammy was very patient while I had “to do something” – and I could not sit still for very long.  Now, we make a point that we can sit for a while, sip on our favorite beverages.  For instance, we have become big fans of fruit juices, and we like to try different flavors.  And of course, we enjoy our candy!  We have a cool tradition of opening a bag of jelly beans, or gummy bears, and we make a “shhh” sound, because usually mom does not like it when we have candy.  But this is like our little [open] secret.  And by the way, we don’t do that every day, but Sammy likes this tradition, so we keep it alive.

And no, this does not spoil her appetite.  Sammy can eat a gigantic NY strip in one sitting, and make all the sides disappear.  Not sure how she is able to pack all that food in such a little frame, but she does.  And I’m glad she is enjoying it, because she has a high metabolism and she is still growing.  That is good news, because she’s at an age that she can eat like a freight train and be ok.  I’m at an age that I look at a cupcake and I turn into a balloon.  But at her age I was able to eat an elephant and still be hungry.

And seeing this part of her is so refreshing.  For many years, I felt as though I’ve only got to see some glimpses from my child as the duties and responsibilities kept me away.  Sammy and I have always been very close, whenever I am around – but these long separations did create a lot of damage to her upbringing.  She patiently waited at the end of the pier until I returned.  She waited patiently when I had to finish projects for work even at home, she waited patiently when something work-related was robbing her the opportunity to spend time together.  And even when we were together, there would be something interrupting.  Being a phone call, text messages, etc.  Yet, she patiently waited, now my little girl does not have to wait any longer.

 

Let's keep in touch on Social Media!

 

How is life after the Navy?

Simple answer, it is great!  But with that said, I am grateful and would be dishonest if I said I did not enjoy my time in uniform.  True that this lifestyle is not for everyone.  And I’ll be the first to tell you that the military is not the right fit for everybody.  I won’t delve into all the reasons, because that can be its own article, or even its own book.  But what I can tell you is that I’m happy I joined and even happier that I crossed the finish line.

The part I like the most is that I don’t have to commute.  Yes, I can stay in my house, and travel the world via the internet if I wish to.  I do have a nice yard, and sometimes I hang out there, but most of the day is pretty cold, therefore I enjoy spending time indoors.  Also, because I do take different “chore breaks” – which is like a “reverse break” – what does that mean?  Well, it means that I am doing something I have fun with, or even watching a movie, and take little breaks to do stuff I wanted to get done.  It is fun, I recommend it.  I’ve actually gotten a lot done because of it.

And the truth is that for many years I haven’t really had a no-kidding vacation.  Every time I had off, or I was on leave, maybe I’ll have a day or two to just chill, but in reality, I had a bunch of stuff that I needed to address on that time when I was not “at work” – and that is another reason why some of those things have been accumulating.  And I knew for a fact I could not tackle them, because it would literally take a few hours to accomplish.  For example, I want to reorganize my attic.  That is going to take forever, so I am first doing little tasks that I can knock down quickly.

And THAT has been therapeutic.  How?  Well, it is instant gratification.  I do something, and it is done, and I don’t have to worry about it for a while.  It is great!  Other stuff does take longer, and I don’t’ believe in a “just get it done” type mentality.  Why?  Because that often does not really solve the problem, only patches it for a little bit.  I like my problem-solving sessions to yield long term solutions.  And that does take more time and effort.  And of course, you have to make a bit of a new mess before you clean up the old mess.  I know it sounds counterintuitive, but in my experience that is how it goes.

A big thing that I am doing with my new found free time is re-engaging in Half Life Crisis.  Particularly on the social media platforms.  Not all of them at the same time though, because engagement actually does take a long time.  It might not seem like much, but just tweeting alone can make time move really fast.  Not always in a fun way, but hey… I do get a lot of people to visit Half Life Crisis via Tweeter, so I guess it can’t be too bad.

Visit us at uwww.halfifecrisis.com

Let's keep in touch on Social Media!

However, all the groundwork being done right now will be laying the stage for many things that I’ve been getting prepared for a long, long time.  And to be honest, a lot of the things I will be doing are in some form a continuation of my Navy days.  Except that I am no longer subject to the many rules and regulations.  For example, I haven’t shaven my face, and I am letting my hair grow.  I can finally put back my earrings and there is quite a story behind each piercing.  So, it is like bringing a tsunami of memories that make me remember who I was before I joined the Navy.

And that is a thing we don’t normally get to think about.  Who were we before a chapter in our lives took us in a different direction?  When I stop and think about it, the answer is both long and nostalgic.  And little by little I’ve been remembering this.  The other day I had the pleasure to have some conversations with childhood friends we have not spoken to in more than 20 years!  And in their memories of me, I realized how much of me has both evolved and changed.  Yet, I cannot help but realize the obvious.  Time has flown and there is so much more of me left behind than I realized.

As I wrap this article, I want to reiterate that I am in the process of moving forward a lot of projects that have been put aside.  I realize it will take a lot longer than I anticipated.  But that is ok, because everything I am doing is getting me closer to reaching that ultimate goal.  Meanwhile, I set myself a rule that when Sammy is home, she takes top priority on my span of attention.  I’ve been doing that, and it is working great for both Sammy and me!  HLC

  History is written by the victors, yet the facts tend to be buried or edited in order to change a narrative.  If enough time elapses, these lies ring true.  

History seems fluid – but it should not be edited.

When I was growing in Ecuador – the country where I was born, patriotism was a big deal.  In fact, “amor a la patria” (love for the motherland) was the first lesson you’ve heard as a child.  For many would have the motto of “Dios, patria y hogar” (God, Country, and Home).  It was normal, and expected.  Many would argue “as it should.”

But patriotism by itself is not enough, sometimes blind patriotism can create a very false sense of reality.  And wanting to believe something does not make it factual.  Truth to be told, biases can be embedded in a story and create an enhanced narrative that distorts the actual events as they unfold.  I’m not saying this is done [necessarily] with bad intention.  But it is a slippery slope.

When a narrative that is “inaccurate” is allowed to be told without it being challenged, it opens the door to many unintended consequences.  Particularly, accepting the exaggerated version of the events taken at face value.  Give it enough tine, and this inaccurate version will seem plausible, and fast forward some more – accepted as the official version.

Yes, I keep saying version because I don’t want my words to be taken out of context.  Afterall, preventing narratives from getting out of context is the whole point for this article.  Yet, no matter how airtight we can try to express our facts and analysis – there will be somebody who will surprise you with an interpretation that is completely divorced from reality.  If you have been hanging out on social media long enough you know exactly what I mean by that.

Something similar, but spanning a longer term does happen when history is not being captured as it happened.  Especially if a bias gets implanted along the way.  Some records will be “misplaced” or altogether disappear – especially if somebody finds those inconvenient, and instead finds it pertinent to push certain narratives.  But the truth does come out if we seek it pragmatically.  It might take a long time to dig it out, but the truth is what it is.

When something is true, it does not matter how complex or simple it is – all the pieces will fall into place automatically, no matter how you try to legitimately measure it.  Conversely, a falsehood, no matter how well-crafted it might be perceived – math will not add somewhere.  By the way, that is how it is possible to uncover the truth and separate it from falsehoods.

This is happening right now all around the world.  Even as close as our beloved United States of America.  There is no shortage of propaganda and falsehoods permeating our entire media ecosystem.  Being propagated by bloggers, influencers, mainstream media, independent media, pseudo-scientist, etc.  There are many falsehoods disguised as facts.  And suddenly, “opinions” – no matter how misguided are given the same credence as empirical facts.  That’s problematic.

I’ve remember having my first instance of realizing history could be propagandistic when I was still a child in Ecuador.  It broke my heart so much that from then on, I became skeptical about many things.  It took a while to refine these skills (this journey does not happen overnight).  But it was the start of an awakening that has forged my critical thinking – but most importantly my intellectual honesty about what is true and what is fantasy.

 

Abdón Calderón the Heroic Child - Half Life Crisis www.halflifecrisis.com

Abdón Calderón the Heroic Child

Every child knew this story of patriotism and valor in Ecuador.  Growing up, I remember there was also a mandatory exam to ensure you (as a child) were able to regurgitate it as it was officially told by your teachers.  And of course, all grownups were also very familiar with the inspiring saga of this Ecuadorian Military Soldier who was not only a teenager – but also a Liberation Army Officer.

The story as it was told during the entire 20th century states that during the Pichincha Battle on May 24, 1822.  This is one of the most important battles in the history of Ecuador because it marks an important event in liberating the present-day Republic of Ecuador from the Spanish monarchy.  It was taught that during this battle Abdon Calderon was shot in every limb, yet he still was leading the troops to battle despite his injuries.  To the point that when he could not hold the flag with his hands, he used his teeth to keep the flag in battle. Yes, his teeth.

Subsequently, young Lieutenant Calderon succumbed to his injuries that same day and was promoted postmortem by Simon Bolivar himself to the rank of Captain after hearing this valorous recount.  How much of this story do you think is actually true?  Surprisingly quite a bit – but there are also a lot of “artistic license” specifically fabricated as a patriotic narrative to inspire children to love the country, as much as Calderon did.

The person responsible for editing history as occurred was Manuel Calle, who published the book “Leyendas del Tiempo Heroico” (Legends of heroic times) 80 years after Calderon’s death.  The book was a best seller on its time, and it targeted civics and patriotism for Ecuadorian kids.  And to be honest, Calderon’s life without having to resort to embellishments would have been impressive enough.  However, the embellishments were taught as part of official educational curriculums for decades!  Even when I was a kid.

So, what really happened?  Well, Abdon Calderon y Guaraycoa was born in the city of Cuenca on July 31, 1804.  He was the son of a Cuban Colonel and a lady from the city of Guayaquil.  His dad was shot and killed on 1812.  Calderon was a teenager when he joined the battalion for Patriotic Volunteers.  Calderon was actually very active, an served as a junior officer in many significant campaigns to liberate Ecuador from the Spanish Monarchy even by age 17.  He also fought alongside General Sucre, who is one of the most prominent liberators in Latin America.

Calderon did receive four mortal wounds in battle during the Battle of Pichincha in 1822.  And he refused to leave the battleground.  For this act of Heroism Simon Bolivar awarded him the rank of Captain postmortem – and they did not install any additional Captain for that post because his legacy was meant to last forever in the hearts of the Ecuadorian troops.

However, Calderon did not die on the battle ground.  Sadly, he agonized in pain for 14 days and finally passed away on June 7, 1822.  He was buried in the church located at the Convento Maximo de San Nicolas de Quito.  His cause of death was gangrene as a consequence of his wounds.  That is the real story of this inspiring young man.

Hindsight is always 20/20.  To this day, I don’t quite understand why Calle wanted to exaggerate Calderon’s legacy.  The way I see it, the truth is a lot more inspiring when it gets humanized – because it is real.  Fast forward to the 21st century and this otherwise heroic story has been tainted by many who don’t know what is true, and what is fiction.  And even discard the actual valor he achieved because of the exaggeration planted upon his actual legacy.

This has always been an interesting story for me, because it made me doubt what else was fabricated, exaggerated, or downright inaccurate – yet it was taken as empirical facts by grownups.  People I was supposed to look up to as the bearers of truth.  Maybe it was a blessing in disguise, because as a Military Analyst, now my job is to poke holes in narratives that make no sense, and find what is the truth buried between all the noise and distractions.

 

Bringing it full circle to the pages of modern history.

Like it or not, we write the pages of history every single day.  We are all part of it, sometimes we just don’t realize it because it might not seem obvious.  Yet, we can be on the correct side of history, or being in the wrong side of history.  This might not seem obvious for many years to come.  But what I can tell you is that if you’re treating other people well, that is a good indicator you’re not on the wrong side.

With that said, as you are in the midst of a battle ground what is right or wrong might seem very subjective.  In fact, a lot of people who perpetrated some of the worst crimes against humanity thought that they were doing the correct thing by enacting untold levels of terror against their “enemies.”  But remember, dehumanizing anybody is never acceptable.  That is why we have international laws that are punitive in nature for those who dehumanize other people.

However, geopolitical situations are a lot more complex than what superficially meets the eye.  In fact, they are a lot more complex than what already seems convoluted.  Why?  Because the truth about geopolitical circumstances is that they are abstract.  That is why sometimes they might make no sense to some people.  Trying to see something abstract in a concrete manner is not going to be fully assimilated.

And it is in these subtleties that opportunistic entities (or people) can insert additional narratives to the facts.  Maybe embellish then just enough to spark that visceral bias.  Some might say, “well a little exaggeration is ok” – but it is not.  If there is going to be some exaggeration, I am a firm proponent to make it obvious what is real and what is not true.  Because otherwise this false narrative might outlast the actual merit for a particular issue, and if discovered, likely negate the entire merit altogether. Like the example I mentioned earlier.

But also, because technically changing the facts constitute propaganda. Propaganda has “some facts” embedded into the narrative.  That is the hook, it creates some “attention” that can be scrutinized a couple of inches deep and pass the smell test.  But that is where it ends.  Propaganda will soon enough show all the flaws in the narrative.  As I said before, no matter how sophisticated, math will not add somewhere.

And this is where things turn dangerous.  Propagandists will release a very redacted set of datapoints to the people consuming this information.  They will hide the points that contradict their narrative.  This can happen either wittingly, or unwittingly – surprisingly enough.  It is all based on the predisposition of a person’s bias towards believing in a certain narrative.  Especially if this narrative has been seeding for years.

At that point facts will not matter – because it becomes about the “feeling” – about that emotional response.  And those are incredibly powerful catalysts.  It is fascinating to see how people will perform extreme mental gymnastics just so they can “escape” that truth.  For them - of course, the truth is considered a falsehood.  And if challenged enough, they will tend to become very snappy or defensive.  There is a reason for that.

We can call it intuition, we can call it a sixth sense, call it whatever you want to.  Many people have an instinctual “right or wrong” button installed.  This can be overwritten, but when that happens it creates some sort of bitterness.  In other words, unconsciously they know they are not on the right track – hence they get very contentious when challenged, and will naturally gravitate towards their bubble where a confirmation bias will bring them back to their “perceived” normal.

Since I am actually exceedingly cynical, I can tell exactly when this is occurring to people.  Sometimes I might engage in conversation – even make them think they are winning an argument.  But eventually it will come full circle until they have to realize they have talked themselves into a corner a few times.  And no, a lot of times they won’t realize it until perhaps several days or even months later.

But what I am really doing is planting those seeds to “deprogram them” from that false narrative.  They might not realize it, but it is for their own good.  And that is even why I entertain talking to some “trolls” from time to time.  I do it for two reasons.  Number one, because I am a decent person and I know they are in the wrong, but they might not have realized it yet – and I want to truly help them.  And Number two, because it is part of my research as I study the effects of propaganda on people.  From my point of view, that is a win-win.

And the reason why I am doing that is because history is being “edited” every day.  And it is getting a lot worse.  This is important because as I wrote in my books, authoritarians want to turn rhetoric into action.  And this action can turn into very violent campaigns if those people whose biases are being compromised have a proclivity for inflicting damage onto others. And the saddest part is that even good people who have otherwise good intentions can fall victims of that trap.  It’s designed to be that way.

This phenomenon is not even a political right- or left-wing type of vulnerability.  Sure, for some countries some people on the right will be the more vulnerable, but the same can be true for people on the left.  Again, this is not necessarily a political situation, it is a human trait that is extremely exploitable.  Although politics could be an optimal vehicle.  I have found from all sides in the political spectrum how these implanted biases can overwrite rationality on people, and become extremely defensive – or even go on the offensive when challenged.  But when it comes to propaganda, that is exactly the objective.  To divide people, and communication breakdown.

But keep in mind that this does not mean that we are just to be railroaded by somebody who is been irreverent during a dialog going awry.  At some point when people start to annoy me, I might start the session of making them hit that brick wall a bit faster, and at some point, I’ll plant a mental bomb that will give them something to chew on for a while – maybe give them a couple of nightmares.

They might think they have won a battle of wits (a battle I am not actually fighting with them), but their subconscious will bring them back full circle - eventually.  In fact, you can tell that is the case when they re-appear out of the blue with some sophomore-like remark.  I’ve seen it a thousand times.

I also do this because other people get to read those interactions and they reach out to me on Direct Message to tell me how they appreciate the dialog I’ve had with the confused person.  Most people will just not have the patience to deal with them.  And I cannot blame them.  But the sad truth is that these confused people can unknowingly be the next group who will perpetuate a lie that gets enough traction, and by the time the truth has time to catch up, the damage was already done – polluting the minds of so many.

 

Get your copy of "AUTHORITARIANISM & PROPAGANDA The Puppet Master Tools"

 

As I wrap my first article for 2024 – this is part of my personal mission and commitment.  Many might not have realized it yet, but 2024 is going to be one of the most important turning points in American History.  I am not naïve to realize that the battle is uphill, but it will be worth completing the campaign.  Afterall, [maybe] my story, just like the real story about the child soldier I mentioned before will not be anywhere as embellished as Calles claimed it to be – but the truth is always more meritorious!  HLC

 

I launched my book “AUTHORITARIANISM & PROPAGANDA The Puppet Master Tools” on paperback December 28, due to the symbolism linked to Innocent Saints Day.

 

 AUTHORITARIANISM & PROPAGADA The Puppet Master Tools - learn more here

 

The symbolism behind this day.

For many cultures around the world, the 28th day of December has a lot of cultural significance.  Each country has a bit of variation in their tradition.  Ecuador, which is the country where I was born and lived until the age of 16 was no different. This used to be actually one of my favorite days, because it was better known as a day to play well-intentioned pranks on your loved ones.  You know? Akin to “April’s Fools” in the USA.

But of course, that is where the similarities end.  There is a much larger story behind this tradition.  Much like many other traditions and holidays we celebrate today, but we don’t quite stop to think about the full context of them.  Symbolism and information are fluid.  People throughout the ages might change stories to fit a particular narrative or to concord with specific cultural traits.

That is why a lot of the traditions we celebrate today have roots, have been adapted, or even appropriated from other cultures.  It is fascinating because it demonstrates how what we have normalized in our lives is full of amalgamated stories that have morphed into what we have grown accustomed to in our societal environments.  I know - long sentence, but just like that – the complexity and context are also very much extensively encompassing.

For Innocent Saints, far from being what it was normalized to me even as a kid – a day to play well-intentioned and silly pranks on my loved ones; has a far darker connotation.  In reality, this day is meant to commemorate the “Innocent Saints” (Santos Inocentes).  These “Innocent Saints” are said to children two years old and under who were murdered by King Herod the Great, back in biblical times – when he felt threatened that the Messiah was going to dethrone him.  Is this story actually historically accurate?

Well, not quite (sorry for the spoiler).  Actually, King Herod who was the king of Judea, in an area that is considered modern-day Palestine – was not the nicest guy around.  Some consider him a great but misunderstood leader.  It is also worth noting that his reign was very robustly recorded even back then.  However, during biblical times there was also as much misinformation, half-truths, and propaganda as you would expect today.  Minus all the social media and fancy graphics.

But having dissenters on any political strata was not to be expected.  And it indeed happens.  So, it is not unlikely that King Herod (like many other monarchs) had plenty of people who did not care for them at all.  Especially if their power was contrary to whatever other goals they had (good or bad).  It is worth noting that history could have been written with a particular bias – regardless of actual facts.

You can see this phenomenon even today – and fact-checkers are a lot keener to spot BS when they see it.  People did not have the same capabilities back then.  Or even if they did, they could have risked life or limb if they were speaking out of turn.  Even today, there is no shortage of people who are speaking facts, and they drown in a sea of willful ignorant people who are enamored with whatever propagandistic narrative that best resonates with their confirmation biases.

Did King Herod sent his followers to kill all the children two years and under?  Who knows?  But most scholars (even biblical scholars) do not quite agree that is an accurate characterization.  Don’t get me wrong, people were brutal in those days, life was short and scary to the majority of people.  Also, comprehensive education was only limited to a very select minority (not in ethnicity but in number).  They understood even back then that the more you learn, the less proclivity it is to become naïve about something.  That is not convenient for a group who wants to control others.

And the realization that propaganda is as timeless as human history itself is yet another reason why I felt it was best to launch the paperback version of my debut book on this date.  My book pertains to authoritarian propaganda, and propaganda can become the prominent voice even if it is riddled with falsehoods.  Conversely, a message fostering critical thinking and intellectual honesty tends to get buried below all the misinformation.  Sadly, and realistically – that is how I feel my book is coming into existence on this planet – until it gains more prominence.

 

Exploited Biases and the King Herod Story.

A few quick facts about King Herod the Great.  As mentioned before, he was the King of Judea in what we geographically know as present-day Palestine.  He was born 73 years before Christ in Edon, when the region was ruled by the Roman Empire.  Herod died in Jerico. Although he was the King of Judea; he was actually born as an Arab.

Herod’s father was very amicable with the Romans, and as the Roman empire continued to expand, they knew how to use these relationships to their advantage.  The Romans were not very nice to others, they were occupiers with a formidable army.  But they were also able to maximize the cultural attributes for each region they conquered in order to create a lasting presence.  That does not mean that the occupied group was exactly happy about it.

For the most part, it was very well known that if you spoke out of turn against Rome your end would be a very unpleasant and painful one.  And of course, the dehumanizing consequences of your disobedience would be used as an example to others to chill out and carry on with whatever your new overloads mandated.  It would be naïve not realizing most people preferred to “accept” their new appointed place, or risk being brutally murdered along everyone and everything they ever loved.

In either case, Herod’s way to the throne was not an easy one.  And he made a lot of enemies along that route.  He is also very well known for his architectural achievements.  For example, the western wall in Jerusalem.  But he was not kind to criticism and was known for brutally killing people who fell out of favor, even burning them alive.  It is also worth noting that he was very much embedded with the Roman elite, and the people who were not happy about being occupied of course would harbor a lot of resentment towards him.  Unsurprisingly, some of the worst attributes from his character would stick like a sore thumb.

So, make no mistake, this dude killed people like crazy.  And that even included closest family members and even his own offsprings.  And yes, that also included ordering his troops to conduct summary executions.  According to the Bible on Matthew 2:16-18 Herod was worried that a Messiah was going to kick him out of power.  Thus, ordering every child in Bethlehem under the age of two to be killed.

As I mentioned before, scholars do not agree with this particular scripture being historically accurate.  It does not appear in any other gospel, nor in any of the actual historical accounts of the time.  However, Herod killing a bunch of babies would have not been out of the scope of his character, this dude was nuts.  His reign of terror fortunately ended shortly after that time mentioned in the gospels on 4 B.C.  Judea was divided after his death.

So, bring it full circle.  Did Herod himself actually perpetrate all those insane crimes against humanity?  Technically, yes – as the mastermind behind it.  But the ones actually executing those directives were his followers.  In particular his troops.  Not that disobedience was a choice Soldiers had at that time.  But it would be naïve to think that many of them did not feel anointed to do so with impunity.  Because after all “they were following the King’s Orders.”

 

An authoritarian is only as strong as its followers.

That is the title of my first book’s last chapter.  When you read my book, you can see the full context coming full circle once you reach that point.  But for now, I want to emphasize that even today we see instances of people blindly following orders or directives by an authoritarian.  They might not realize it, and even feel the authoritarian is even such a thing – that is what makes it so dangerous.

A lot of the crimes against humanity have been perpetrated by people who thought they were doing the “right thing” – even if this meant dehumanizing another person.  For instance, I’ve been having a tweeter (X) argument with somebody who feels it was correct for the Minneapolis police officer who killed a man by placing his knee on his neck for almost 10 minutes.  The policeman in question was the ranking officer.

Yet, he and all the other three officers were arrested because they did not follow a proportional use of force procedure.  The abuse of power resulted in the death of a man.  Regardless of the situation, law enforcement is given a badge, a gun and authority because they are to be trained to de-escalate a situation.  In other words, police officers are given that jurisdiction because better judgement is expected of them.

In other words, there are procedures in place people in authority positions that are required to follow.  They are meant to ensure we are not worse than whatever infraction a person has allegedly committed.  In other words, there is no room for double standards, and we are all equal under the law.  When their people live under authoritarian regimes, the laws are tilted against them.  If it goes on long enough, this dehumanization gets normalized, and it will take some extraordinary circumstances to break free from it.

This is why the significance of this date was important for me when I chose to release the book on “Innocent Saints” day.  Authoritarians are seldom the ones getting their hands dirty, but they are the master minds – and the truth about a historical event will get skewed if this narrative is convenient to those who write those pages.  And if what was written was accurate but inconvenient, then somebody will redact it in a way that will be convenient to whomever is in charge.  Yes, that happened today as well.  Hence my book is designed to help the reader identify if that has been the case.

 AUTHORITARIANISM & PROPAGADA The Puppet Master Tools - learn more here

 

This was meant to be a short article.  And it likely be the last article for 2023, but there is a lot of cool stuff coming in 2024!  I just want to end by saying thank you for all the support.  At the beginning of this year, I did not know where the year was going to lead – but I am very happy that Half Life Crisis has reached readers in every continent (minus Antarctica).  Who knows if we’ll reach somebody there too!  I’ve heard that the internet connectivity is not easy at all down there though.  Thank you for all you do!  HLC

 

As my little platform got more traction, the trolls started to appear.  I expected it, and even interacted with some.  I learned a lot about them and me.

 

Engaging with trolls.

Counterintuitive to many (even myself perhaps) the (very few) trolls who landed shortsighted comments on my platforms – they were quite entertaining.  Maybe not for the reasons most people think.  But for starters I am not a person who needs external validation, therefore no matter how offensively superior these keyboard warriors pretend to be, I just find them tragically amusing.

I also notified them that I might write about them, and the fact that when I interact with them – THEY are not my actual target audience, but rather anybody who might benefit from this interaction.  Also, however shortsighted their commentaries, it somehow counts as “engaging” for my platforms.  So, as I am steadily growing in social media it becomes a win-win.  I get entertainment and material to write, plus it engages with other viewers who get to see our interaction.

With that said, let me be clear that I do not intend to interact with every troll out there.  Fortunately, my audience for the most part is amazing people.  Whenever I was interacting with these trolls, I just so happened to be working on something else that was important but more akin to “busy work” on my computer - and these little breaks interacting made me laugh - but I did not spend more than a few seconds on each interaction.  Whenever I have important stuff to do, they would get no reply.

Yet once in a while, we’ve all been there – we have tasks that need to get done on a computer that are mundane enough but need to get done – well that was me during these interactions.  If you guys find this topic as interesting as I did, I might make it into a series. If these guys came unsolicited to start some ridiculous stuff – the least I can do is to share how ridiculous their assertions tend to be.

For today I am going to choose only one from a couple of examples that I encountered while hanging out on “X” (Twitter).  There is no shortage of trolls and others who are not necessarily trolls but definitely feel vindicated on spewing all kinds of ignorant opinions, disguised as facts.  Yet, some of them have a very substantial following, and that is one of the reasons why I decided to write this article.  Because in some instances their rhetoric does resonate with other people who are just as confused.

And yes, all of these trolls are supposed to be residents from “civilized” Western Nations.  But despite this, their tunnel vision perception of the world creates a concerning situation for me.  They are the microcosmos of a much larger problem.  I’ve written about it for years.  It does not matter what the topic is, some people are just divisive.  Conversely, I prefer to be a unifier and an educator.  That is what I did during these interactions.

 

A troll or just a very confused individual?

Well, in reality they can be both and one on the same.  Some people just engage because they are sophomoric enough to think that being a jerk is somehow the zeal of ingenuity.  Others truly feel compelled to voice their opinions because they either want attention, or because they feel they have “something to say.”

But let’s understand that having “something to say” does not equal “adding to the conversation.”  The examples I will talk about for this article are in one of many very different subjects.  For today I’ll cite a religious extremist – in this case he happens to be Catholic.  You can see the full exchange at the link below.  In a future article I’ll talk about an example with a climate change denier.

The religious extremist person did change the thread flow as the conversation continued, but hope this gives you an idea of the tenor of our conversation.  To be honest I don’t feel like looking frantically for every thread he started.  Because he often engaged in circular reasoning – so this is pretty much the gist of it.  But you’re more than welcome to read through this and any of my replies.  I stand-by my words.

 

ZakTheTemplar ✝️ on X: "@crisis_half @nytimes Yeah I did in regards to the LGBT community. You agree with their protests? May I ask what happened for you to take such a stance against Faith? Something genuinely must have happened for you to challenge It? Do you reject the Bible?" / X (twitter.com)

 

In either case, this one like all these trolls came with the usual tell tales of a person who start with guns blazing on attack mode as their own perception for being a “mighty keyboard warrior” feels like vindication.  In reality, as you will see in any examples I am citing, they were very confused about many basic facts, and they have no shortage of double standards when it comes to their thought process.

Eventually this and the others stopped bothering me, but I did take them for a ride around their own biases until they had to hit the proverbial brick wall.  My life is still as good as it was before we ever interacted.

If I was a betting man, both of them – none of whom I’ve ever heard of again, likely still have the ordeal of our conversation chewing inside their minds – even if unconsciously.  I am very familiar with putting the proverbial mirror in front of people if push comes to shove, and they will see their demons displayed in full sight.

We can try to run from the truth, but ultimately, we can never run from ourselves.  I don’t do this to be punitive, on the contrary, I might be the only person who is actually affording them the opportunity to see themselves for who they really are.  Even if they don’t realize it now and won’t realize it for a while why this was for their own good.

Are they going to change?  I don’t know – but I did my part.  Behind each troll I saw a scared lonely person.  Understand that people can be alone in a crowd and even when in a committed relationship.  In every case their avatar has “something” that was not them as their own person (not even a depiction of themselves), and of course their profile had no link to show who they really are.

That to me is cowardly because if you are “brave enough” to say something offensive, then you should be brave enough to show who you really are, and stand-by your words and actions.  It is worth noting my avatar though cartoonish is a depiction of me, and my profiles have links to my online presence, so you can see who I am as a person.  I’m not hiding.

In fact, I have been very vocal about everything you get to read on my site.  Actually, although it might seem paradoxical, I have been writing these cultural-propaganda-combating articles lately because I want to go back to writing more heart-warming things.  For instance, as I sit here overlooking my backyard and my daughter playing on her bike – I feel very sorry that a lot of confused people will be in the driver’s seat as she grows to the point where I can no longer function.  A lot of these confused people out there are gaining traction, and they are very much aligned with the example I’ve cited, and the others I’ll speak of in the future.

I’ll talk a bit more about each case if you guys want, and you can see this or any of our full conversations on our twitter page at the following link under the “replies” tab to enjoy all my comments.

Posts with replies by HALF Life Crisis (@crisis_half) / X (twitter.com)

 

Part 1 - The Homophobic Religious Intimidator.

To contextualize Pope Francis (Catholic) says he has changed his stance as far as blessing same sex couples to marry.  I commented that I am glad the Catholic Church is moving forward on this topic.  The homophobic comments soon after followed.  Apparently, they are very concerned about what consenting people do in private.  To me that’s creepy.

For the one I am citing, I came to find out that he is Catholic, he is definitely homophobic – but he is also [claiming to be] hiding because he is afraid of Muslim people in the United Kingdom.  As the conversation progresses you can see how his bravado lost a lot of traction.  I’ve had conversations like this one thousands of times throughout my life.  Usually, they end in a similar way.  They will realize they are indeed practicing double standards – even if they don’t voice it out loud.

ZakTheTemplar ✝️ on X: "@crisis_half @nytimes Yeah I did in regards to the LGBT community. You agree with their protests? May I ask what happened for you to take such a stance against Faith? Something genuinely must have happened for you to challenge It? Do you reject the Bible?" / X (twitter.com)

But everything I say to them is intended to create a sense of self-awareness and bring them full circle.  Especially if they are hypocrites.  By giving firm compassion (but not letting myself to be run over – that is not the same) – it flies in the face of their misconceptions.  They will get bitterly defensive and kick and scream – that is normal and expected.  They are actually realizing (even unconsciously) that they have been lying to themselves all along.

This is normal, and it is part of indoctrination and propagandistic purposes.  Paradoxically, this man is convinced that he is holding the truth – but his facts do not add up.  I would go on a limb to ascertain that he might actually lose his faith in the future – but not anytime soon.   He calmed down a lot as our conversation progressed – but it is because I know how traumatic this can be to a person like him.  He is lost, he needed help.  I don’t attack a person while they are down.

The man been attacking others ever since our interaction, and likely won’t understand what these double standards were for a while.  It would be extremely naïve for me to think this will resonate immediately based on his deep level of indoctrination.  But the seeds of this interaction will continue to be chewed in the back of his mind until one day he will wake up screaming with the epiphany.  That is normally how it goes down.

So why did I even entertain interacting with this person in the first place?  Well, because the problem is a lot larger than one person – like him many are thinking the same thing – but they are just not going to compel themselves to express their homophobic rhetoric openly.  It is worth repeating that this man just so happens to subscribe to Catholicism, and in no way, this implies that every Catholic out there is anywhere this extreme or confused.

My message was simple, why do you care what other consenting people do in the privacy of their bedroom?  He (like many religious parishioners – no matter their fate) threatened me with hell.  Which is funny because he actually thought I was perhaps a same-sex couple, I’m not – I’m a dude married to a lady and we have a daughter.  I am straight, but I am also not an asshole who judges people for their sexual orientation.  I say, if people love who they love as long as it is consensual – that is fine, and otherwise it is none of my business.  Just like what happens in the privacy of my marriage is none of anybody’s business – that simple.

Our conversation, after he started a keyboard attack, eventually met a head-on challenge to his stance on [misinterpreting the doctrines] on his own faith - while I was also defending other faiths.  None of which I practice by the way – but I am not a religious basher.  In fact, I always say that a person should be free to worship whatever makes them a good person.  It is when this worshiping start to usurp other people’s rights that I have a problem with.  And what he was doing was exactly that – particularly bashing same sex couples.

I realize he is still spewing a lot of divisive talking points – but I am more interested in shedding light on why these are so toxic.  Of course, I wrote an entire book about it, and it will be released sometime in 2024 as of the time I am typing this article.  But the reason is because some (and by some, I mean unfortunately a bunch) of people use their religion (whatever they subscribe to) as a catalyst and justification for doing some really messed up things onto others.

I find it especially atrocious when they frame in a manner that they are doing us a favor by imposing their doctrines by force.  And funny enough this very person says he is very much against owning guns – yet he is perfectly ok rejoicing if people would have an eternal damnation because they happen to love somebody from the same sex.  And again, why should that be any of his business?  An omnipotent deity does not need an errand boy to pass judgement.

But on judgement, they say in different sentences that only their God can judge.  But yet he started this entire conversation by attacking me for appreciating that the Pope was finally ending a centuries old prosecution of LGBTQ people.  For the more homophobic group I would emphasize – sure you don’t have to understand it, but that does not give anybody license for treating others with disrespect.  And plainly, it is nobody’s business if two consenting people love each other – except for those two people in that relationship.

That shortsightedness and negative rhetoric against LGBTQ really bothers me –Why?  Because they are people - we are all people, and we all deserve to live in peace.  All this extremist propaganda attempting to portray them as “groomers” in a derogatory manner, or any other nonsense is not only extremely insulting, it is also extremely dangerous.  Not just for the people who are targeted, but for the minds of those who tend to normalize this misunderstanding, and giving credence to a few ignorant people who speak from a self-proclaimed holier-than-thou platform.

And the [saddest] truth is that most people who have a problem with LGBTQ people happen to be also very much invested in whatever religion they profess.  Is that bad for religion?  Not necessarily, there are plenty of congregations who have evolved in their thinking and are not bigoted.  In fact, there are plenty of pastors who are LGBTQ.  I’m not a religious person myself, and even with that fact, I do not condone discrimination against any person whose faith makes them happy and fulfilled individuals.

In fact, I have friends from any faith you can imagine.  And some of them also have no faith at all – but we all have something in common - we are all human beings!  It is actually surprising to some people how many more similarities than differences we have – even when we span diverse cultures around the world. For example, that is what makes the United States of America such a wonderful nation.  We have living representation of essentially every corner of the world.

Our diversity is our strongest weapon – that is why outside entities who want to diminish America’s influence in the world first attack our diversity.  When we are fighting among each other, then we are weaker as a nation.  Somebody wins when that happens – and it is not America.  This divisive rhetoric has been running rampant in other countries around the world, and it has been successful at dividing their people.  Fortunately, most of the younger generations are a lot more open to the fact we are more similar than different.

The (perhaps) young man with whom I had this exchange did not care about those instances.  He was more interested in seeing the world from his own small viewfinder, and judging anybody else who did not see it the same way.  More than once I told him that his argument was not a compelling one.  I know for a fact that it hit him like a ton of bricks.  But regardless my message is unifying while his was divisive.  And I stand-by my words.

But it is worth noting that sometimes this division does not only happen on one side of politics.  Sometimes those who seem to be posing as “social justice warriors” might go on the opposition and ram way past the point of balance.  Hence, this makes people who otherwise would be like-minded and willing to be part of the combined solution instead take a wide “v” in a different direction.  What do I mean by this?  Sometimes people who might seem to be “on your side” from certain vantage points are actually more dead weight than help.

And it is this latter group that gives credence to these trolls.  It feeds their misconceptions and encourages that communication breakdown.  I am not advising people to engage with trolls, but I am saying that some of these trolls are just very sad lonely people who are clamoring for attention.  And because of that, they are actually quite vulnerable to exploitation by somebody actually smarter than they think they are.  And this exploitation can give them a “sense of purpose” – and this purpose can (and has) turn into a nefarious action.  Whatever this might be.

 

Part 2 (Coming soon) - The Climate Change Denier Conspiracy Theorist.

This dude even erased our conversation from his profile – which proves my point.  But You can enjoy it the next time you see this series, it is still immortalized under my own profile.

I originally wanted to put both parts in one article, but Part 1 took longer than I thought.  So, I decided while writing a mid-article that it was best to put it into a series.  You can look forward to the entire recount of that situation – it is tragically amusing, then eventually just becomes pathetic.  But it is worth checking out.

As I am getting closer to wrapping this article, please let me know if you want to see more of this topic.  I am not trying to bash these people; I want to use them as an example of how propaganda is alive and well – and how it is poisoning the universal discourse.  Yes, this is a global problem, not just a problem in the USA.

For future articles, let me know which one you want me to write first:

1. Please let me know if you want me to tell you the story about the “patriot who never served in uniform, but who is perfectly ok with stolen valor photos.”

2. Or the “dude who has an avatar with a depiction of ‘American Psycho’ and claims that his whole reason to join threads is to antagonize ‘liberals’ on the Threads app.”

3. Or the aforementioned “Climate Denier Conspiracy Theorist” who seems to be a lonely person who even his pet cat dislike him, and more than likely (and sadly) he will die alone.

Both of those gentlemen for 1 & 2 are very much enamored with Far-Right political views, and show how convoluted their world view can be.  For 3, I am not sure if he is left or right wing – but he is certainly a very confused individual.

In either case, my intent is not to put these guys out as the outliers – but rather to serve as a case study and as examples for how propaganda can rapidly spread misinformation.  In either case once they decide to comment on my site, that is consent for me to comment on their views.  I make it perfectly clear that I will do so if I find it important enough to create awareness.  Like them, there are many who will either vote for a crazy leader or even contemplate violence – even if in their minds they mean well.

Their profiles are also anonymous.  Like I mentioned before, they do not have the valor to show who they are behind their avatars.  I say this because I do not condone retaliation against any person.  If they had any actual identifiable information, I would not be using them as an example.  With that said, I hope you find as much value (or more) in our interactions as I did.  HLC

The social media world is a lot like high school, except that sometimes it can be a lot worse.  And much like each institution they all have their unique vibe.

Admittedly, I am fairly new to the many intricacies of social media. Each one is a fascinating world on its own right.  I recently started using “Threads” and I have fallen in love with this app!  It is like having hundreds of actual meaningful conversations with super nice people.  I Love it!

And no, I am not sponsored by Threads or Meta for that matter (not yet anyway, who knows if they would – ever).  But anyway, the point is that I’ve been fascinated by the candor and depth of the conversations I’ve encountered.  I went from one follower to double digits in a matter of hours, and far from worrying about racking “followers” counts – I am happy that I’ve been able to directly interact with most if not all of them in some shape or form.

That fills my heart because even the one contentions conversation I’ve countered thus far; it was very civil and respectful.  Far from the “debate me bro” that sometimes I see in other comment sections, this has been a very uplifting community.  People with very diverse points of view seem to be able to communicate and add to the conversation.  That is so refreshing to see.

I’ve been spending some time in Threads as I work around on my computer.  It feels like having a fun chat with somebody interesting without actually stopping you from getting done whatever it is that you’re doing.  It is awesome! I’ve added my threads Marcelo Baqueroalvarez (@myhalflifecrisis) on Threads to our contact page.  Looking forward to seeing you all there! Keep in Touch - HALF Life Crisis

I’ve been so happy to follow anybody who is following me.  They come from all walks of life and I could not be happier to see that we are more similar than different.  We are all people, and a lot of people tend to be pretty awesome!  Especially once you get to know them.  I would love to get to know more of our audience.

So yeah, I am following back anybody who is kind to follow me.  We don’t have to agree on everything, but I do appreciate the fact they chose to follow us.  We don’t discriminate against anybody on Half Life Crisis, we are very inclusive.  With that said, that does not mean that we’ll agree to every doctrine or world view out there.  But hey, that is true for everybody, we just give everyone the same courtesy.

I’ve learned that even when we dissent, the ideas combined are very insightful.  That way even if you still disagree, at least we know what the other person is coming from with their point of view – in a respectful and productive manner.

 

The social media ecosystems – as in plural.

As I said at the top of the article, I am still trying to figure out these social media platforms.  There are a bunch of accounts we “reserved” whenever I started Half Life Crisis a few years ago, but I did not really have any content.  However, I did not want to lose the name.

And yes, sometimes “Half Life Crisis” would be taken, that is why there are a few variations in my social media sites – that is also the reason why I made a page labeled “Keep in Touch - HALF Life Crisis" on this site to show what are the official handlers to each.  I don’t know how far Half Life Crisis will ultimately grow, but I figured it made sense to have it addressed as soon as possible.

I’ve come to realize the obvious, there are very unique subtleties to how the audience on each social media site interacts, and the overall vibe.  Some seem more personal than others.  And at least one of them I can’t figure it at all… but I don’t let that hold me down.

What I am finding out is that managing your social media accounts is quite an intricate process indeed.  Granted I am light years away to where some people have to manage.  But I am glad that I am realizing this early on because it will be worth getting some understanding of how I will have to organize this in the future.  Especially if the interactions continue to increase.  And I do love interacting so I want to make it sustainable.

The Half Life Crisis team is really only myself and my beloved daughter as my little visual artist (whenever she feels like painting) – sometimes my wife helps me with my language blunders (thank you Alicia), but that is out of her own loving heart.  Otherwise, everything you see here is really a one-man show, and I intended it to be that way when this whole thing started.  Afterall Half Life Crisis was created as a way for me to rant in exuberant detail about stuff I find interest and meaningful.  That includes my daughter’s art.

I am so grateful that Half Life Crisis is taking a life of its own, and that also means that the social media world becomes part of that existence.  And however relatively cozy-sized my social media audience has been, we are receiving visitors referred from our social media outlets.  And I don’t take for granted any visit.  My intent is to continue growing our social media presence and add fun stuff for our visitors to enjoy.

One of the reasons why I wanted to create Half Life Crisis is to be able to express my point of view in a manner that was not constricted by marketing or any other barrier that limits our train of thought.  That of course does not mean that we are blurting things anything that would be deemed offensive.  Speaking your mind and being an a-hole are two very different things – though for some people it can be one and the same.  We don’t play that way though.

It is very likely that you will see Half Life Crisis interacting a lot more often in a lot of different forums.  My span of interest is pretty wide, and my goal is to meet as many wonderful people out there as possible, and hopefully have a meaningful conversation.  That has been happening more and more across our different social media platforms and I look forward to increasing the engagement with our audience.

In the next few days, I’ll be updating some of our social media banners and our site – as Half Life Crisis continues to grow.  Please come visit us and follow us on our social media.  And no, we won’t get Ticktock… someday I’ll tell you more about why.  But if you see a “Half Life Crisis” in Ticktock, that ain’t us.  All our official social media are listed below and in our [contact] Keep in Touch - HALF Life Crisis page.

 

Facebook Half Life Crisis – MyHalfLifeCrisis https://www.facebook.com/MyHalfLifeCrisis 

Instagram myhalflifecrisis – Marcelo Baqueroalvarez https://www.instagram.com/myhalflifecrisis/

Threads myhalflifecrisis – Marcelo Baqueroalvarez https://www.threads.net/@myhalflifecrisis

YouTube HALF Life Crisis – @halflifecrisis4936 https://www.youtube.com/@halflifecrisis4936

Patreon HALF Life Crisis – HalfLifeCrisis https://Patreon.com/halflifecrisis

Twitter (X) HALF Life Crisis – @crisishalf https://twitter.com/crisis_half 

Tumblr HALF LIFE CRISIS – half-life-crisis https://www.tumblr.com/blog/half-life-crisis

Pinterest Half Life Crisis – halflifecrisis https://www.pinterest.com/halflifecrisis/

LinkedIn Half Life Crisis – Artists at HALF Life Crisis www.linkedin.com/in/half-life-crisis-465793260

 

Thank you as always for spending this time with us, if you haven’t checked out threads yet – give it a chance Marcelo Baqueroalvarez (@myhalflifecrisis) on Threads - it will make you happy too.  If you have Instagram, it links directly to your account.  I’ll be adding specific content to each platform – because each audience is unique, but every piece of content is of course in line with the premise of Half Life Crisis – which is: “Because life is what we make of it…” and this can be expressed in many ways.  We look forward to your next visit. HLC

A few years ago we started our little Half Life Crisis project with my daughter, for fun - and because we could.  Fast forward a few years and we are growing!

Thank you for welcoming us into your homes!

I often say, “I don’t know how far my words would ultimately travel.” I was very humbled and grateful when my latest analysis review for www.halflifecrisis.com revealed we've reached readers in almost 80 countries!

I want to say THANK YOU to all our readers, we at the Half Life Crisis team love you all! Separated by the distance but united by this site's language. Today's article is all about you!

Another important message I wanted to share is the validation that the Half Life Crisis audience spans every continent (minus Antarctica).  Comes to show we are more similar than dissimilar.  Throughout my life, I’ve been to every continent except for Antarctica and every major body of water except for the Artic...

...It is an indescribable feeling to see in these last few weeks how far these words and the Half Life Crisis message have traveled.  You welcomed us in your homes and spent some time reading our articles.  This is a very humbling experience we do not take for granted.

The 10 countries with the most amount of Half Life Crisis readers in order of audience size are:

🇬🇧 United Kingdom ☑️ 🇮🇹 Italy ☑️ 🇮🇳 India ☑️ 🇦🇺 Australia ☑️ 🇺🇸 United States ☑️ 🇨🇦 Canada ☑️ 🇻🇪 Venezuela ☑️ 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇲🇽 Mexico ☑️ 🇨🇴 Colombia ☑️ 🇵🇪 Peru

Listed below are the countries spanning our entire current Half Life Crisis audience. I listed them in alphabetical order.  I put a little quick-check ☑️next to the country which I have physically spent some time within their borders – however short or long the visit.

🇩🇿 Algeria 🇦🇴 Angola 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇦🇺 Australia ☑️ 🇦🇹 Austria ☑️ 🇧🇪 Belgium ☑️ 🇧🇯 Benin 🇧🇴 Bolivia 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇰🇭 Cambodia 🇨🇲 Cameroon 🇨🇦 Canada ☑️ 🇨🇱 Chile 🇨🇴 Colombia ☑️ 🇨🇷 Costa Rica 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire 🇭🇷 Croatia ☑️ 🇨🇾 Cyprus ☑️ 🇨🇿 Czech Republic ☑️ 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic 🇪🇨 Ecuador ☑️ 🇪🇬 Egypt ☑️ 🇸🇻 El Salvador 🇫🇷 France ☑️ 🇬🇫 French Guiana 🇬🇪 Georgia 🇩🇪 Germany ☑️ 🇬🇭 Ghana 🇬🇷 Greece 🇬🇹 Guatemala 🇭🇳 Honduras 🇭🇺 Hungary ☑️ 🇮🇳 India 🇮🇩 Indonesia 🇮🇷 Iran 🇮🇶 Iraq 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇱 Israel ☑️ 🇮🇹 Italy ☑️ 🇯🇵 Japan ☑️ 🇯🇴 Jordan ☑️ 🇱🇹 Lithuania ☑️ 🇲🇽 Mexico ☑️ 🇲🇩 Moldova 🇲🇦 Morocco 🇳🇱 Netherlands ☑️ 🇳🇬 Nigeria 🇳🇴 Norway ☑️ 🇵🇰 Pakistan 🇵🇦 Panama 🇵🇾 Paraguay 🇵🇪 Peru 🇵🇭 Philippines 🇵🇱 Poland ☑️ 🇵🇹 Portugal ☑️ 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico 🇷🇴 Romania 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 🇸🇳 Senegal 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇸🇰 Slovakia 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇿🇦 South Africa 🇰🇷 South Korea 🇪🇸 Spain ☑️ 🇸🇪 Sweden ☑️ 🇹🇭 Thailand 🇹🇬 Togo 🇹🇳 Tunisia 🇹🇷 Turkey 🇬🇧 United Kingdom ☑️ 🇺🇦 Ukraine 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates ☑️ 🇺🇾 Uruguay 🇺🇸 United States ☑️ 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan 🇻🇪 Venezuela ☑️

I realize this is a relatively short article.  I really just wanted to thank you all for visiting our site and reading what we posted.  I am at a loss for words, even though I am usually chatty.  We look forward to your next visit.  I would love to continue this conversation in our comment section below and in your social media of choice. HLC

Sammy is Half Life Crisis' main artist.  This site finally came to life when Sammy demonstrated affinity for the arts, and that was the start to this project!

When Half Life Crisis was created it was meant as a dad-daughter team effort.  Sammy is my little artist, and this site was also meant to do be a platform to showcase her artwork.  Sammy has non-verbal autism, and through artwork she opens a window into her world.  Today is a special day and I wanted to dedicate this article to her.

12 years ago, today.

 

Sammy was in a hurry to be born, she almost made it to eight months when she came into the world.  Being a preemie baby, Sammy spent several weeks in the NCIU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) before she was finally able to come home.  Today, 12 years ago, Sammy came home for the first time after being born.

Over the years Sammy has demonstrated that she enjoyed the arts.  Every person diagnosed with Autism is unique, and every day is full of discovery.  Some days are very challenging, but I would not change it for the world.  She is my daughter, and I am her dad – she is my world.  And when she invites me to partake in her life-expression I can’t help but feel like the luckiest parent on the planet.

This is especially true whenever I go back in time to remember when I was only allowed to see Sammy for a few hours while she was in the NICU.  At the time I was going to a rigorous military school, and every day after class I would stop at the hospital to visit Sammy.  My wife Alicia (Sammy’s mom) was also in the Hospital for several days after Sammy was born.  I would return every night to sleep at home by myself while both my girls were so close – yet so far.

Sammy’s nursery was waiting for her fully stocked with all the presents we had lovingly gathered before and after she was born.  My little girl was loved to the max.  Around this time my mother, who passed away a few years ago, was staying with us.  Things were so different back then.

My mother loved hanging out with Sammy, even though Sammy was too young to have any memory of her.  That does break my heart, but Sammy was still so little by the time my mother left, and she (my mother) was unable to return to USA as her health declined.  For many years Sammy had endured a lot of changes that have tested her resiliency beyond belief.

Autism can cause regressions, and Sammy suffered three major ones in her short lifetime.  Regressions are triggered when the surrounding stimuli are too much to handle.  It is borderline impossible to understand where these stimuli frontiers are laid out.  As I said, every person with Autism is unique, and these frontiers are not fixed, they are dynamic.  Over the years I’ve learned to identify them, but it has been a bumpy (euphemism for extremely challenging) learning curve.

But no matter what the challenges, every second is worth it just to see her bright gaze.  Sometimes her gaze has melancholy, often it is bright and smiley, but it is always precious.  The depth of her eyes is so profound that a million words cannot quantify all that is inside her beautiful mind.  Through art Sammy is able to share this wonderful world that otherwise goes unnoticed.  And there is so much to discover.

Sammy the Artist.

Sammy was a little chatterbox just until the time my mother left for Ecuador and was unable to return.  Sammy has never been chatty again.  For a long time, she was a remarkably quiet child.  However, I did notice she loved singing.  And when she did, her words would just flow effortlessly with the lyrics.  Sammy always enjoyed it when I sang and played music for her, and she would love chasing me around so we could sing together.

This was well before I knew she was diagnosed with Autism.  I’m not going to go onto details about it because that is a topic in its own right, but what I will tell you is that it worked wonders.  This was a game changer for Sammy’s confidence and diction.  She also has perfect pitch (and I say this as a musician, not as her father), but she only sings when she is exuberantly happy.  Even though she is a happy child, sometimes she sings a lot, other times there will be weeks between songs.  Regardless she has always loved music.

Her affinity for abstract art was not evident for several years after her interest in music became obvious.  Surprisingly, her first painting was a school project.  She had to collect some leaves and douse them in watercolor.  Until then I’ve never seen her so focused and how she enjoyed expressing herself through art.  I wrote an article on this piece and seeing her loving this form of expression is an important reason why Half Life Crisis was developed.

https://www.halflifecrisis.com/2020/12/sammy-original-watercolor-collection-2020/

 

I posted this article December 2, 2020 – this is the second article I wrote for Half Life Crisis – but her painting was created in October of the same year.  I have to admit that her first painting was only done with whatever materials we had at home – and I was not as prepared as I would have liked for that moment.  Yet she surprised me and I knew right away this was something she cared about.

From there I went all out and got Sammy all the painting materials she could wish for, and she was very happy to get her selection of paintbrushes, acrylics, watercolors, canvases, etc.  It was like she knew what she wanted to do.  During a period of time, she was happy painting every other day.  She does that when she is happy – it is always spontaneous.  I never know what she is painting until she is done.

Her artwork, admittedly, is very abstract.  Yet there is always something hidden and prevalent in the middle of all her brushstrokes.  The more you look into it, the more you find.  And to be honest the pictures do not make it justice as her artwork – for some reason – actually seems to morph based on the light conditions and the angles.  But in any case, I can always trace it back to an event she observed and captured her attention.  It is an invitation to see the world from her own point of view.

In the near term I will be posting all her images in a virtual gallery in this very site.  Sammy has painted a lot more pieces than the ones I’ve been able to compile in an article.  In reality is because it has been extremely busy, and I just need time to dedicate it solely in doing just that.  But in the meantime, I wanted to share with you that these pieces exist, and I will be posting them in the future.

None of her artwork is for sale because Sammy has not given consent on how to proceed with her artwork.  For now, they adorn her bedroom, and other rooms in our house, many of her pieces are framed.  As time goes by this allows me to put a timestamp on her creations.  That is why she is labeled in our site as Our Main Artist.

In fact, Sammy is the artist who painted the artwork that became the cover for my second book.  And yes, Sammy owns the rights for that artwork.  Sammy also collaborated with Alicia (her mom and my wife) on the cover for my first book.  It is very nice to see her expression shared in a way that features her front and center.

Among other visual arts, Sammy also discovered black and white photography.  It is amazing how technology helps bring out our vision in such an effective manner.  Sammy inherited pretty much all the cool stuff I ever got – and of course she is welcome to use any equipment I own.  Afterall, everything I do is ultimately on her behalf.  One of the things she inherited was one of my old iPhones, she loved especially the photo and video apps.

Before she inherited this device, she would use my phone from time to time and I would be finding all kinds of fascinating images she had captured with the camera.  But she would always change them to black and white.  When it is a memory she cherishes, she always changes it to black and white.  There is something about that that makes it unique to her.

In the aforementioned forthcoming Sammy-gallery, I will be posting some selected images she has taken over the years.  There are thousands of images so it will take me some time to go through them.  I especially cherish these images because a lot of them were taken when I was away – normally away from home while fulfilling my military duties.

As time went by, I’ve noticed that Sammy preferred taking photos whenever I was gone, and painting whenever we were together.

 

Renewed Artistic Spark.

A few days ago, finally – after so many months Sammy painted a new piece.  I will write a dedicated article to be featured in our “Original Art” tab in this very www.haflifecrisis.com site.  This was a wonderful surprise, because Sammy has not been wanting to paint for a very long time.  I never force her to paint if she’s not feeling it.  Sammy broadcasts her feelings in her own way.

I was gone for most of 2023, 2022 and a large portion of 2021.  There is no coincidence that it also matched the times Sammy did not feel the spark to express herself through painting in the same manner as before.   I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was when she took it upon herself to paint again.  This last piece spanned a few days.  And this renewed inspiration started a few days after I was on leave (vacation) and we spent quality time just the two of us, while mom was in the other side of the country visiting her family.

As I said, I will be writing a dedicated article about this and all the other pieces I have not been able to post.  But I will tell you very quickly what she painted about.  It is titled “Motion Blur.”  And this actually makes sense because she was helping me rake the leaves in our backyard.  For a while she would run over the leaves, and then she would twirl and spin as she laughed and smiled.  She would do that over and over again, having her innocent childhood moments as she made me company.

Admittedly, we have not had that much time to hang out together in such a long while.  My life seems always so busy and full of chores and responsibilities.  We hang out but we have not been able to be in our backyard for a long time.  This is significant to me because it captures a moment we spent together after so long.  Sammy is still not as chatty as when she was an infant, but through her art she shares millions of conversations.  Thank you for spending this time with Sammy and me.  HLC

My second book is a nonfiction historical analysis on how the term "woke" has been weaponized by authoritarian propagandists.  Are you "woke?" Is that good?

 

An important life milestone.

I can hardly believe it, yet it is true!  My second book “WOKE & PROUD The Charlatans’ Inconvenience” eBook version is ready for preorder in all major bookstores!  The official eBook release date is Wednesday, December 6, 2023.   And the Paperback will be released on Monday, February 5, 2024.  Both dates have a lot of symbolic meaning.

December 6th will be the 498th anniversary of the founding of the city of San Francisco de Quito.  That is the city where I was born in Ecuador.  Also, I will be having an interview on that day at 2pm EST.

February 5th will be my grandmother’s (who raised me as a mother) birthday.  And to a different extent it is the first day I checked onboard to my very first U.S. Navy, the now decommissioned ship USS SEATTLE AOE-3. This is the ship where I met my wife, Alicia.

 

WOKE & PROUD – my second book.

I decided to write the manuscript for “WOKE & PROUD The Charlatan’s Inconvenience” earlier this year for a lot of reasons.  The first one is because the terms definition became extremely elusive.  This of course became an incendiary catalyst to a lot of opportunists and [not surprisingly] charlatans.

The question then becomes: Is “woke” a good or a bad thing?  Since the term itself has become a parody of itself in some circles, demonized in others, and used as a tool for propagandistic divisive rhetoric by many – hence, it made sense to me to find the ground truth and present it in an organized manner.  A few months later I started typing this book, and it is finally available for the world to enjoy.

As with everything that I write, my intent is to transmit a unifying message.  There is plenty of division out there.  That is the whole reason why I wrote this book along with my debut book “AUTHORITARIANISM & PROPAGANDA The Puppet Master Tools.”  But as the polarization based on propagandistic methods was ramping up around the world – and especially in USA – I realized that my book “WOKE & PROUD The Charlatans’ Inconvenience” was sort of a relevant spin-off from my other book.  But an important stand-alone topic.

These books are meant to be read in series (no matter which one you start with), yet they are designed to be worked as a stand-alone.  When I was working on “WOKE & PROUD” – my intent was to bring that level of introspection that some of my readers have come to enjoy.  The way I write is the way I talk.  My Sailors seem to enjoy this manner in which we can talk about complex topics in a way that paints the different discussed factors in their minds – leading them to the see the full picture in context.

For example, I was just talking today with one of the Sailors in my ship who got my debut book from Apple Books – “AUTHORITARIANISMS & PROPAGANDA,” and he stated that it has expanded the way he was understanding the world and saw of the things that were hidden in plain sight that until there were not very evident.  He also realized what I intended with the book which is the following: It is intended to be a short reading, but it is meant to be read several times.  And each time you read it you will find something new.  The same is true with my second book “WOKE & PROUD.”

Why did I design my books that way?  Well, the reason is simple in principle but complex in dimension.  What does that mean?  I value my readers’ time; time is the one thing no matter how rich you are you can never get to buy back the time you lost.  Hence, I wanted to push the message as fast as possible, with added strategic redundancy, while sparking the reader’s curiosity.  Every person is unique; therefore, their experience will be unique as they read these words.  Then as they read the book again (even if at random), the layers hidden in the book will continue to expand on the context.

I was very happy to hear from my readers that they have been experiencing my debut book in the manner I envisioned.  This next book will be similar, with the only difference that it is meant to be a shorter initial read.  Yet, much like the previous one it is meant to be read a few times.  There are hundreds of easter eggs hidden in the pages, much like there are hundreds of easter eggs hidden in everything I do.  Happy egg-hunting!

  WOKE & PROUD The Charlantans' Inconvenience - Book Cover with Author J. Marcelo Baqueroalvarez and BeeZee Vision, LLC and Half Life Crisis Logos

ORDER THE BOOK HERE - WOKE & PROUD

Why am I releasing these books in such rapid succession?

Quick answer: Because the topics in these books are emergent, and the sooner the message is out the less damage we can prevent.  Of course, I am only one guy with a couple of books.  But it is thanks to you my dear reader that my little platform has been growing each day!  I don’t know how far my words will ultimately travel, but I want you to know that I am very grateful to you for being at the beginning of this journey.

Even before I was got to gain any platform or have gotten discovered – I was just a U.S. Navy Sailor growing every more concerned about all the madness going on in the world; to include the United States of America.

I would type these manuscripts at the end of every workday after all my tasks were done for the day.  I finished writing four manuscripts in all and have a few other manuscripts in the works.  While some people onboard would enjoy different activities (deservingly so) such as watching movies, video games, reading, studying, playing card games, etc., my goal was to put what was in my mind in manuscripts.  All of us onboard had “other than duty” goals we wanted to accomplish; writing was mine.  Not because you’re onboard 24/7 means that you are at “work” 24/7 – that would drive a person insane.  And that would be a vulnerability by the way.

As I finally returned to land, I started researching on how to publish my books.  I had saved some money over a determinate period of time in order to fund these projects.  I figured that having a manuscript living in my computer’s hard drive without its intended purpose was not an acceptable course of action.   Therefore, I chose from my finished manuscripts the succession for release.   Even though I did not actually write them in the order I am releasing them.

For instance, my debut book “AUTHORITARIANISM & PROPAGANDA” was my third manuscript, yet it was released first.   “WOKE & PROUD” was actually my fourth manuscript and released after this book.  The next book I will release is titled “LEADERSHIP Understanding the Human Factor” – yet that was the second manuscript I wrote.  My fourth book release details will be published after I retire in April 2024 – even though it was the first manuscript I wrote while deployed onboard USS COLE.

Every book is meant to be unique – although they are formatted in a similar manner.  But it is all part of the entire package.  For example, and among many other levels of symbology “AUTHORITARIANISM & PROPAGANDA” paperback version was meant to be in matte finish as it also represents the hidden world in plain sight of propaganda.   But “WOKE & PROUD” will have a glossy finish because it means to be bright as an awakening.   Whereas that “LEADERSHIP” will be hard cover and it is also a much longer read with 25 unique chapters.

For any of my readers who are more familiar with my writing style – I did not want to be like everybody else.  Because I am who I am.  I enjoy writing, and I love the fact that I can tell a different story with each piece.  Being this piece a book, an article, a video (script), or even other types of media such as paintings, photographs and more.   There is so much I like to add for my readers to discover.  I hope you have been able to see what is hidden underneath.  Even my idiomatic blunders.  At the very least you know for sure that what is written in my platforms did not come from an Artificial Intelligence (AI), but rather from [this] air-breathing – imperfect human being.

Also, I should probably make another shameless plug to my Patreon page. In my Patreon I can write about some additional topics, beyond the scope of this site, for a yet a different level of conversation.  Also, my top tier supporters get to read my entire books before they are released once they are in the process of production.  They are posted there right now.

I will keep adding more stuff on our social media, but as I said – I am just one dude with a couple of books and a site.  I do want to share whatever little bit of knowledge I’ve gathered through the years with my readers.  Perhaps selfishly, I just want a safer world for my daughter.  Right now, I see the world getting more and more volatile.  I’m just doing my best to be a good dad – as a person who has some say while being the generation in the driver’s seat.

As always, I want to thank you for spending this time with me.  I don’t take for granted the fact you chose to read my words.  I would love to hear from you, we can always continue this conversation in the comment section on this page – or in any of our social media platforms.  Thank you for being with me on this journey!  HLC

  Birthdays are a bid deal for me; yet I have to admit that it can be very painful, and I can't celebrate when it was a day for a loved one who had passed away.  

Memories are fleeting moments.

Happy Birthday Mom, wherever you might be.  Today my mother would have celebrated her 75^th birthday.  Instead, it has been eight years since she passed away while still in her sixties.  She died at her home in the City of Quito Ecuador surrounded by most her children.  All except for me, I was unable to be by her side on her final hour, though I tried. That’s a very long story I rather not tell today.  My mother was terminal already three years before her last breath.  Because of her condition she was unable to get in a flight.  That is another reason why my brother moved back to Ecuador, to ensure she would have the care she needed.  When my mother found she was unable to fly again she was visiting Ecuador at the time.  Fortunately, our family home existed, and she was able to live in a place she could call her own.  Especially as the nurses took care of her 24/7. Sadly, even if it was possible for my mother to come to USA at the time, the cost of healthcare she needed for those years would have been prohibitively expensive – and for a lot less than what she was getting.  It was a tough decision, but in reality, none of us had any choice but to make the best of the situation.  My mother was also well aware of this situation, and she agreed to the plan.  Again, neither of us had any choice. She passed away as her health deteriorated for a few years – a month exactly before her birthday.  If you’ve ever been around me during certain points of the year – such as the anniversary of her passing, then you will know that I mostly prefer to keep to myself.  Even if I am in a crowd or have to talk about something.  Which is another reason I would prefer not to post an article or anything else for that matter.  Although I can’t stop life from moving.  It is always a day of reflection for me. I have a few significant days like that every year.  Sometimes I get bounded with guilt – and to be honest, I don’t want to change that feeling.  It is that important to me to honor these solemn moments.  I don’t intent anybody to agree with me on that.  But I do find some solace in the fact I have moments of quiet remembrance and contemplation.  

Remembering my mother.

My mother was a pretty unique person.  She functioned with a very wide range of emotions.  She was one of the most caring and sweet people you could ever meet, and simultaneously she was also the most complicated person I’ve ever met.  Most times I know she meant well.  Especially when it came to her children.  None of us are perfect, and hindsight is always 20/20.  I do miss her a lot, and although I try not to think much about it – because it does consume me inside… today is her birthday, and the least I can do is voice it out. I’m not a particularly religious person – and neither was she.  So, I would not know for sure if “she is looking after me” from some vantage point outside the ethereal world.  It does not matter, because she lives forever in my heart and mind.  Though it has been almost a decade that I have not been able to really grieve her loss.  And it is not because I don’t care, but because, even after all these years, I am just not ready. The cover photo for this article in fact juxtaposes this dichotomy.   The left photo is when the process to bring us to live in USA was finally over in 1995 - after so many years.  She was a very stern lady back then.  And on the right, years later in 2006 during the last time I visited Ecuador.  That piano was a gift from her and my grandmother to me for my 18th birthday in Florida.   When I joined the Navy the piano found its way to the family home in Ecuador, and still there to this day.  She used to love to hear me play... now just like that old photograph all those once wonderful moments seem like a faded memory.   time stops for no one; we cannot take for granted those moments as they are occurring. A few weeks after she passed away, I wrote and composed a song on her memory.  I’m not going to play it and sing it on this article.  But I will share with you the lyrics.  And what you will find is that even though I can be chatty (admittedly).  I am a loss for words when it comes to this.

SILENT PRIDE By: J. Marcelo Baqueroalvarez

On the day you live then die, thoughtless words become the past. No remorse for crying eyes, was just a life who went to pass.

Found regret from silent pride, the memories will fade the smile. Turned to pictures I can’t hold on, strike that clock and now she’s gone.

Close your eyes, you’re free at last. Jn my thoughts you’ll be alive.

Now she’s gone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C4ZrJrXiTw

Whenever I think about this, I found myself back at a loss for words.  One of the biggest lessons my mother left with me is the understanding that time waits for no one.  So much I wanted to say is now a moot point.  It might resonate with other people, but she won’t be able to hear me anymore.  And I just wonder how much she would have loved seeing the world today.  I am sure she would have loved visiting my home and spend time with Sammy. I am sure she would have loved reading all my rants, and she would ask me a million questions about what is it that I trying to say.  But she would have been so proud.  And knowing this makes my eyes well, because I very well knew her, and I knew her reactions.  I very well knew her comments – and she sure did have an opinion about so many things.  And she would be so funny about it.  I don’t know if she intended to be funny, but she was. As I type this, I have my daughter in front of me.  Sammy inherited so many of my mother’s mannerisms.  Even though she was too young to assimilate those from her.  Sammy was still an infant the last time my mother was around Sammy.  I get to see in my child so much of her grandmother… even though neither would the realize it. If my mother could see today the world through my eyes, I wonder what she would say.  My life has changed so much since her last breath.  I certainly have changed so much ever since she passed away.  I know also for a fact a lot of the things she used to fervently believe upon have been either condoned or challenged.  I wonder how deep our conversations would be.  We used to have some very nice conversations.  And other conversations would be more challenging – but I am sure every child could say the same when speaking with their parents. I am one of four siblings.  She was an only child, and although we had aunts and uncles, they were not direct siblings to my mom.  My grandmother used to say that we were all her children, referring to my mother and her four children.  It kind of became our family inside joke, but we embraced it as such.  My mother was almost like an older sister for a long time.  We used to call her “Marcelita” or any rhyming way to call her name rather than Mom… some people might take pause on that, but it was endearing to all of us.  She actually loved that. I am not going to go onto describe many anecdotes in this article – mostly because the message is to live life to the fullest, and don’t let something important unsaid.  Time stops for no one.   We certainly learned that hard lesson, and to this day I remind myself of that reality.  If you forget anything I said today, please remember this:  Don’t take your loved ones for granted. Also, I prefer not to talk about many memories – because it is actually very painful to remember.  I know I will have to deal with that at some point.  Today is not that day.  Today instead is meant to celebrate her Birthday.  And to thank her for all the sacrifices she made through her life to give me the opportunity to have the life I have today.  We don’t get to choose our parents, but we do get to choose if we want to assimilate the lessons they leave behind. I choose to be grateful for what she did, even if there is a lot we did not agree when she was alive.  All those disagreements are menial at best, we cannot change the past.  Therefore I rather focus on all the good parts.  I will keep the challenging parts compartmentalized.  I have learned from those lessons as well.  It is easy to find faults on whatever or whomever is not flawless – and the fact is that nobody is perfect.  But once we focus on the good parts hundreds and thousands of better memories come pouring in.  At least that is happening in my case. And even the good memories bring melancholy, and dare I say sadness.  But as I said in my song’s lyrics.  A person remains alive in our memories.  I have millions of memories from my mother.  I cannot change the past – I keep repeating this because it remains true – and I need to tell this to myself as well… often.  But I can bring the best from these experiences and make it better for my loved ones.

Wherever you might be Marcelita. 

Other than the deep significance for today… today will feel just like any other day to most people.  Not for me though.  Of course, it would be irrational from me to expect anybody else to adjust their days to what is battling inside my heart and mind.  But what I can do is speak out loud – even if by “out loud” means in written form. I do miss my mom.  And I wish she would be here to see all the good things that have happened after she left this world.  I know she would have enjoyed it very much, and she would have a lot to say – about a lot of things.  And I would have listened – even if there was a healthy chance I would disagree.  But we would be talking, and that is something we cannot longer do.  And it saddens me. And it saddens me because the memories fade more and more every passing day.  And I wish that was not the case.  I have millions of memories, and not enough time to just sit down and revisit them.  Although I intent to do just that.  But I know for a fact that when that day arrives, I will not be ready to be around anybody else.  I know that I will go through an extreme emotions’ rollercoaster. Wherever you might be now Mom, even if that is only in my mind and heart – and the minds and the hearts who loved you.  You’re missed and loved.  Love transcends life.  Where do we go after we die?  Ask that to 100 people all over the world and you will get possibly 100 possible answers – even if several of those answers are very similar.  To me, I will only say what I can measurably attest and what it is in my own heart and mind. And those are the millions of memories, even the faded ones.  But it is not so much the actual memory of what happened – but rather of how you (in this case me) felt.  It is easy to let life move fast while are we left behind.  I’ll close by saying again, time stops for no one, and if there is something you would like to do or say, it is best to do it when you still have a chance.  Sadly, for my mom, a lot of what she wanted to say or do became impossible as her condition cut her life short. Do me a favor, if you can - after you read this.  Just give a hug to your loved ones, or give them a call, check on them.  Take it from a person who cannot longer hug or give a call to his mother.  I am sure it will make their day to know they are appreciated.  Thank you for spending this time with me.  HLC