HUGE thank you to C.R. for his open and candid answers. Really appreciate getting to know him a bit - its thru relationships a community - even an online community - thrives. - Darin

Can you share with the board a little about yourself and your background?

I’m 52 years old and 3rd generation born in Southern California. The Italian side of my family moved here late 1800’s or early 1900‘s because of a family dispute over religion. My great grandfather walked away from the Catholic Church so he was cut off from the family. He left Holyoke, Mass and came to California to get as far away from them as possible. Not being content to just cut him off and let him go, many followed him here and the war continued. For context as to how Catholic the family was, his nephew - born in Fresno, CA - is a cardinal in the Catholic Church and was Pope John Paul II personal secretary while the Pope visited U.S.A. He also had a daughter who is a nun at the Vatican. My line is the only non-Catholic line on the Italian side.

My parents took me to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Birch_Society ]John Birch Society[/url] meetings when I was 12 - 16 years old, including sending me to their summer camp. My dad took me to Tax Protest meetings from about age 15 - 19. I took courses on the Constitution by https://www.skousen2000.com/]Dr. Cleon Skousen[/url]. The John Birch Society predicted that our country would be where it is at today back then which was about 1975. So I saw this coming a long time ago. I got to see Reagan campaigning for POTUS and was able to vote for him in 1984 – my first vote in a general election. I have voted in every election since I turned 18. I have abstained from voting for specific candidates when I believed they were in favor of murdering Americans through abortion.

High school was an epic failure for me. My dad being a political rebel and bragging about his troubled escapades as a teen carried over into my school life. I was completely rebellious. I got out early when I passed the California High School Proficiency Exam. My options were fairly limited. Get out on the CHSPE or go to California Youth Authority which at the time was referred to as juvenile hall. Something about me being the worst truancy case in the history of the high school.

I got into the Millwrights union when I was 17. Worked 24 years in the trade mostly as a foreman running crews. Then I had 240 - 480 volts of electricity go through my left forearm and exit my head on both sides. Melted the fillings in my mouth which ended my career. That was after knee and ankle surgery plus a couple car wrecks where I rolled my truck on the freeway in one of them. I had planned to get my 30 years and then go to college to embark on a career change.

I’m on my 2nd marriage. My sons are 30 and 26 are from the 1st marriage. My 21-year-old daughter is from my 2nd marriage. I fought for and got custody of my sons when they were about 6 and 3. They were my boys so they were my responsibility. I have a different perspective than most I guess. I’m their father so they’re mine and my responsibility. If my wife or ex-wife wanna help great, if not get out of the way. I got it!

In 1995, God got my attention. I don’t know how else to look at it. I was outside pacing in the alley behind my house smoking a cigarette contemplating the direction I should go with my life. My wife was miserable it seemed. My sons were miserable. For me, it was like having 3 households in my home. Me and my boys, me with my wife and daughter and then all of us. That balancing act was tough. My ex-wife was doing everything should could to sabotage things and as it turns out so was someone else. Anyway back to the alley. As I was contemplating the thought came to me “what about God?”. Ok, what about God? After to some wrestling with that a bit because I despised nearly all those who claimed to be Christians for their hypocrisy. I did not want to be like one of those hypocrites. I believed in God but there was no way that God could be who they said he was. They acted like He was a genie in a bottle they just need rub to get their wishes while feeling no obligation to Him or any need for personal holiness whatsoever. I said, “Ok God I’m willing to find out whatever it is that you would have for me to do”. I started reading the Bible my parents had given me and praying to ask God for the church He would have me go to. Long story short I ended up at a Baptist Church which was actually the last place I expected to be. I expected to end up in some squishy non-denominational church. I was saved about 18 months later. Been there ever since. I plan to live out the rest of my life doing my best to serve God there.

You've mentioned your daughter - My daughter is 16 and approaching 'that age' where she's about done being a child. Any tips for other Dads? Asked another way, which years were the 'toughest' in your experience, and any tips to get through them?

That’s a great topic. I love my girl! She is going to Chiropractic college as a full-time student. No way she can work with the study load she has. She puts in 12 - 18 hours a day for school during the week and studies on the weekend when she’s not at church. She graduated high school at 16 with a 3.8 GPA. Then she worked full time for my chiropractor and went to jr. college full time until she had enough credits for Chiro college.

She is the best birthday present ever - being born on my birthday; that girl stole my heart the 1st time she twirled around the front room. One of the things I did with her was too stop my world and take her to breakfast or lunch to just let her tell me everything she wanted to tell me 2 or 3 times a year. It would take her about 90 minutes before she was quiet. Was a privilege to comfort her hurts, too. She could go to her mom if she wanted but I made sure I was always part of it. We talked about every situation that arose. I would ask her questions that would lead to her to coming to a logical and reasonable conclusion. I would answer all her questions. What I think she remembers most about being little was when I would watch while I gave my wife a break. I would nap on the couch with her sitting on my stomach watching Tail Spin. I’m a very light sleeper so she couldn’t scratch her nose without waking me up. When the tape ended she would squirm around to wake me so I would notice and rewind it for her to watch again.

With my wife there accompanying me I was the one who told her when she was about 9 or 10 about the changes her body would go through. I told her that her mom would help her with it but it was normal and natural so we could talk about it if she ever wanted too. I figured if she could come to me and talk to me about her period there was nothing that she couldn’t talk to me about. I helped coach her basketball team. Went to most of her volleyball games. Took her to Jiu Jitsu. Since she was old enough we would debate each other on random topics so I could hone her skills. The topic was irrelevant it was about winning through reason, wit, facts or charm. I taught her to shoot when she was about 12. We found that due to a vision problem with her right eye that isosceles worked better for her than Weaver. It shrunk her groups down to about 3”. Girl loves 12ga pump with 00 buckshot. Although she was raised in church she did not become a Christian until she was 16.


I guess my tip would be to love your daughter, hold your daughter and make her know that her world matters to you, because it is part of your world. That you will move heaven and earth to protect her and be there for her. Just talk to her plainly but even as importantly listen to her. No matter how small her problem sounds to you it may seem like her world is crashing down around her. You can gently and lovingly make her realize that in the scheme of things her problem is probably small and temporary. Hug that girl often. I used to wake my kids up every morning on my way out the door to tell them I loved them. I would kiss them on the forehead and go. I knew they weren’t sick and if I didn’t make it home that day the last thing they heard from their dad was that he loved them. I figured that was the minimum I could give them every day.


Who do you look up to? Who are your heroes?


Growing up my heroes were Audie Murphy, John Wayne and Jim West’s character in The Wild Wild West. My grandfather had a huge influence on me as well. He would just take me places with him and talk to me. He always made the time to listen to me as well. We would sit and talk for hours. I learned my work ethic from my dad. I modeled myself after those old timers for the most part. For the last 20 years, my pastor has been my mentor. I have learned so much from him and the men of my church. I have met pastors and missionaries from all over the world. Their lives and testimonies inspire me.

I have the utmost respect for those men who fought for and served to protect our country! They will always be heroes in my books. I’m not sure what to think about it but nearly all the Vets I worked with and know shared their experiences with me. Some of the darkest stuff they went through. I realize it’s easy to say but it will always be one of my greatest regrets that I did not join and serve.

Father’s who don’t abandon their kids hold a place of high regard in my heart while fathers who do I have nothing but the vilest contempt toward. My wife and I took 3 such kids into our home while their mother was working. We helped raise them as much as we possibly could.


Can you tell us about a time in your life you wished would have lingered? A time where, perhaps, you felt 100% at peace and happy and all that?


In all honesty, I have been at peace since I became a Christian. Sure there’s been some turmoil and trials but overall I have been at peace. There are things in my life that I wish I had not done but as a whole, I would not go back to change it. It all brought me to where and who I am today. I don’t think about happiness or dwell on things that cause me to want. I know me so I don’t go to car shows and stuff like that because I will dwell on wanting what I shouldn’t have. I just live each day grateful to God for being here.


How would you use three sentences to argue intelligent design, or Creation, vs traditional evolution?

Something cannot evolve from absolute nothing. No matter what that very 1st thing was it could not have evolved or generated from the vasty nothingness. Therefore, someone which I believe to be God or something had to have created the very 1st thing no matter what you think that may be.


What are you afraid of?

Since the moment that being a father really hit me I have feared not being able to provide for my family. I didn’t go snowboarding and things I wanted to do where I could get hurt and not work. I couldn’t live with myself if my family suffered because I was out playing.

I also fear doing something to harm the cause of Christ. I’m human and obviously fallible so it scares me.

I fear for the future of the grandchildren I expect to have someday. Our country has been slowly and systematically hijacked by Leftists while Conservatives were busy working to provide for their families. I saw this day coming from afar off because we lost the schools.

When a man takes his family on a vacation for the ages, Nothing could possibly ruin the moment; that is until they pick up a hitchhiker whose quirks nearly break the family apart. You are a do-good father who is desperate to impress your family, jimnyc is the quirky stranger with a penchant to say the wrong thing at the wrong time - and Ed Norton is a nosy innkeeper who constantly looks for an opportunity to supplant YOU as the leader of the family. How does this end - what do you do to keep your family together?

No worries! I am the glue that holds my family together. I have established myself with them and they trust me. Because I am consistent they rely on me. They would know that something is up and take my word for whatever I had to say. We have friends like jimnyc that we love dearly. They are uneducated redneck mountain people who are the kindest, sometimes rudest and other times say the goofiest things. We just love them and accept them for who they are.

If you had to sing one song in front of 40000 people, what song would you sing?

LOL, You just had to ask that question now. Oh, how I feel sorry for those people. I have the absolute worst singing voice. I recently bought a karaoke system for my wife and daughter. So I have been practicing 2 songs they would never ever expect from me whenever they are not around. John Legend: All Of Me and LL Cool J: Mama Said Knock you out. So probably All Of Me. I can’t wait to see their faces when I start singing those songs.


What sports did you play as a kid - and how did playing shape who you've become as a man?

I played baseball but wasn’t very good. I had a great arm but not much control. I didn’t like letting the team down so I stuck with things where I was the only one hurt if I failed. Then I became a father and that all changed. I had to be a team player. I had a very difficult time relying on anyone other than myself. That changed once I started running work. I put on 27 pounds in 3 months from stress because I wouldn’t rely on anyone. My friend and former business partner gave some advice. He told me I couldn’t do everything myself and that I had to let the guys work. So I did and it worked out.


If you were a restaurant owner, what would be the best thing about your place - food, decor, service, atmosphere, or price and why?

Service! I could make up for deficiencies in all the other areas with service. I’m somewhat OCD from my years of running work. I looked for and demanded that we give our customers the very best service we could for their money.

People all over the nation speak to things like 'a new civil war' or 'revolution' again - do you foresee a time, say, within the next 50 years, where the US of A might fall into civil war again? If so, how might that happen - if you think it won't, what will prevent it?

I think we are at a tipping point. These last 7 years of Obama have pushed us there. I believe this is exactly where he wants this country. The have-nots believe they are somehow entitled to what the haves worked for. The patriots who understand what our country was founded on are fed up from the continuing push to eliminate our God-given rights. The old timers are fed up with seeing how far we have fallen. Once again this is where I believe we reached this point, we lost the schools. Liberals changed the narrative to their propaganda instead of reality. The heavy burden of taxation drove mothers out of the home and made schools the place where our children are formed. Personally, I think we have gone too far down this road and our country cannot be saved as we know it. That does not mean I will not continue to fight for her. We are a representative republic protected by our Constitution. We are NOT a democracy. The majority and the mob should not matter if what they want conflicts with our Constitution, personal rights and founding principles. Our Constitution does not grant our rights it protects our God-given rights. If it grants our rights then they are in fact privileges that are revocable. I quit smoking shortly after I became a Christian. I am opposed to smoking however I do not believe that the government has any right telling business owners what they can and cannot do inside their business. I believe that smoking bans were a test to see how far the government could insert their foot in the door.

I’m not saying this to provoke anyone but I absolutely believe that Trump will finish us off just as likely as Hillary. Although I have seen some actual intelligent responses on here about why some of you support Trump I still just cannot believe it. I really am beside myself with disbelief that people are still backing him. Regardless of how this shakes out I think the Republican Party is done. There will be no more trust or reliance among us. We are divided and angry with each other. Battle lines are drawn and enemies declared.

I think we will see war in our streets. It will start out as one thing and evolve into a civil war.

Are you still practicing photography? I remember some pics years ago from the Chihuahua hills/mountains? - what are some of your hobbies?
I actually fell in love with GoPro. They take the most amazing video and photos. The last few years I had quit recreational photography because I was focused on trying to get a vacation rental going. I sold the vacation rental and went on vacation. I have some amazing photos and video from that vacation. I wanna go on vacation soon just so I can use my GoPro’s.

If you could travel back in time and speak to Christ, but had only 1 minute with him, what would that conversation be like - what would you have him tell you?

I have 2 questions so I would have to choose.I would ask Him about when He ascended to heaven after His resurrection but before He returned to be seated at the right hand of God. I know He took His blood to heaven to sprinkle it on the mercy seat but He is the mercy seat. What was that like. The other option would be to ask Him about Abraham’s bosom. I often think about the pictures we see of Jesus while he was on the cross. His feet would not have been clean. They would have been cut up and scraped up. They would have been caked with His blood and dirt as would the rest of His body.

how's your thyroid?

It seems to be fine now. I think that the problem was from the reflux medicine I was taking. I was taking double the maximum prescription dose for a few years. The medication causes osteoporosis. So I’m thinking in an effort to combat that my body was over producing calcium. Thanks for asking.


seems you went about FOUR YEARS between starting threads here on the board - why did you take a break? Can you get us up to speed on your life since then?


I burned out on debating and discussing. I don’t argue just to argue and that’s what it got to be. When people (mostly Liberals) are governed by emotion rather than facts, logic, and the reason there is no ability for rational debate. So I’m out! I couldn’t care less what they feel and emote over, if it isn’t logical and reasonable while supported by facts.

If you were king for a day - what changes would you make to the board to make it better?

Well, now that’s an interesting question. I absolutely believe that Jim is doing a great service with this board. He is ultimately the daddy and so it’s all his call which I support. I decline to state beyond that.

Will you stay in California despite how 'progressive' it gets - will there be a breaking point for you?

I stay in California because I am convinced that God saves people where He wants them to serve Him in most cases. I would have left in 2007 were that not the case. I would have moved to northern Arizona.

Who are you liking or hoping to be the next president? apart from that who do you believe will win?

I have been a supporter of Ted Cruz since he ran for the senate in Texas. My parents lived in Texas at the time so we spent a good deal of time discussing him. I believe he is the best man for the job and have supported him since the day he announced. Trump and Paul were my 2nd choices. Paul coming off as a petulant child and his support of Mitch McConnell caused me to drop support for him. Trumps constant changing of positions which in my opinion make him a liar began his undoing with me.

I believe Cruz will win a contested convention and go on to be the nominee.