Ale for the Soul

Upon losing the job at Paladin Cigars, I was at a loss for how to proceed with looking for work.  I consider myself largely unskilled and lacking in formal education.  In addition, I have a black mark on my record which makes passing a background check a crap-shoot.  With those three strikes against me, I nevertheless had to make some kind of strategy in looking for income.  About the only goal I had was to place three applications a day to some sort of retailer for whom I felt qualified to work.  In the end, I only spent about two weeks out-of-work as I began working for Johnston & Murphy (J&M).  After three interviews in rapid succession, my first day of work was on Sunday, February 10th.  Even though I was elated and extremely thankful for the gainful employment, I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.  This almost seemed too good to be true.  There was good reason to know I wasn't out of the woods just yet.  The manag...

Located near the intersection of Interstate 45 South and Beltway 8 in Houston, Texas, Sagemont Church has been an oasis of hope to many who live in this part of town.  Upon moving to Houston in November of 1994, I experienced Sagemont Church for the very first time.  Not much time had to pass before realizing this would be my spiritual home.  Even now, decades later and hundreds of miles away, I still consider this church as my place of refuge and rest.  Some of my fondest memories were made here.  As part of the singles group, we would often meet for dinner after the Wednesday evening service.  Another memory is of my friend, Charles McKinney.  I would always sit behind him during the worship service.  Often he would slip me a piece of candy or simply tap me on the leg as a sign of friendship.  The good times weren't always about what I would gain from attending this church.  During a particular season of life I did volunteer in the boo...

Thank you very much madam speaker, vice president, members of Congress, the first lady of the United States. And my fellow Americans. We meet tonight at a moment of unlimited potential, as we begin a new Congress, I stand here ready to work with you to achieve historic breakthroughs for all Americans. Millions of our fellow citizens are watching us, gathered in this great chamber, hoping we will govern not as two parties, but as one nation. The agenda I will lay out this evening is not a Republican agenda or Democrat agenda, it is the agenda of the American people. Many of us have campaigned on the same core promises, to defend American jobs and demand fair trade for American workers, to rebuild and revitalize our nation’s infrastructure, to reduce the price of health care and prescription drugs, to create an immigration system that is safe, lawful, modern and secure, and to pursue a foreign policy that puts America’s interests first. There is a new opportunity in American polit...

At 12:34 p.m. yesterday afternoon, I was summarily fired from Paladin Cigars.  Almost from day one, there had been a running issue between the owner and myself.  What was the issue?  Well, that's no easy answer.  For almost a year now, another customer has wormed his way in to the owner's confidence, making himself seemingly indispensable.  Since the customer in question has been out of work, the owner of the cigar shop "hired" him as a consultant of sorts.  (Keep in mind the customer is a very obese individual who is probably unemployable due to his health liability.)  To top it all off, the customer is offering his "consulting" services gratis (free of charge).  The owners freely confess the new consultant does not work for the store; however, the consultant continually emanates that vibe to the point most people are mislead in to believing he works directly for the shop.  He has gone full throttle in establishing is "authority" by hanging ...

Be seated. Men, all this stuff you hear about America  not wanting to fight ,  wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of bullshit. Americans love to fight.   All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle.  When you were kids,  you all admired the champion marble shooter ,  the fastest runner, the big-league ball players and the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time .  That's why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war.   The very thought of losing is hateful to Americans .  Battle is the most significant competition in which a man can indulge. It brings out all that is best and it removes all that is base. You are not all going to die. Only two percent of you right here today would be killed in a major battle.  Every man is scared in his first action. If he says he's not, he's a goddamn liar.  But the real hero is the man who fights even thoug...

My fellow Americans: Tonight, I am speaking to you because there is a growing humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border. Every day, Customs and Border Patrol agents encounter thousands of illegal immigrants trying to enter our country. We are out of space to hold them, and we have no way to promptly return them back home to their country. America proudly welcomes millions of lawful immigrants who enrich our society and contribute to our nation. But all Americans are hurt by uncontrolled, illegal migration. It strains public resources and drives down jobs and wages. Among those hardest hit are African Americans and Hispanic Americans. Our southern border is a pipeline for vast quantities of illegal drugs, including meth, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl. Every week, 300 of our citizens are killed by heroin alone, 90 percent of which floods across from our southern border. More Americans will die from drugs this year than were killed in the entire Vietnam War. In the ...