About Brian D. Hawkins

Brian D. Hawkins

Hi, I am Brian D. Hawkins. As boring as it is, I’m compelled by the oath of the loud-mouth blogger’s club to create an about me page. Here we go…

I’m Married

At the risk of breaking thousands of hearts, I must declare my undying love for my wife of 39 years and counting. We also have four grown children and six grandsons and two granddaughters on their way.

Online History

I’ve been in several online business ventures over the years, including link shortening, forums, blogging, and internet marketing. I’ve had hundreds of domains, dozens of websites, and a couple of somewhat popular blogs.

I have been earning a consistent and less than substantial online income for over a decade. That income is generated by blogging and affiliate marketing. I’ve had a couple of membership sites in the past and, for me, that seems the way to go.

A couple of years ago, I, for the most part, left blogging to chase money (internet marketing). I realized two things with that move:

I’m a better blogger than an internet marketer.
Blogging is my passion and I truly missed it.

More About Me

I Am… An American. A Homeowner. A reluctant taxpayer because I’m forced to be. A Law abiding citizen because it is the right thing to be. An Army Veteran. A Husband. A Father. A Grandfather. A Constitutionalist. A Voluntarist. An Anarchist. A Deist.

I live in S.E. Michigan, USA.

I’m a proud veteran of the US Army during peacetime. No, combat here, but I was ready and willing for 6 years. With that said, I’m thankful for the lack of experience and respect the hell out of those not so fortunate.

I’ve been a truck driver for most of my adult life. That was, in fact, my M.O.S. (Job) in the Army. Even today, I put in between 55 and 60 hours a week driving a tractor-trailer locally.

I’m somewhat opinionated, but that’s only because I’m more intelligent than you. ~joking. I am open-minded and have no time for prejudice and racism, and I’m one of those that mean it in private – not just say it in public.

I don’t care for crowds yet can be at ease when forced into it (usually by my wife) and handle myself like I was the host.

I’m one of the biggest animal lovers you will ever know. I’d rather be in a room full of dogs than a restaurant full of people.

I’m smart, talented, and have drive and dreams… Why am I not rich yet?

My Political Views:

My Momma always told me never to discuss politics or religion. She said no good could come of it. She was a smart lady. For the most part, at least on social media, I take that advice.

Here, however, I do give a little more of my political ideology.

So, If you lean to the left or the right, I’m okay with that. In fact, I encourage you to follow your heart and common sense. I respect that.

Me? As a Voluntarist, I recognize the need for a limited, very limited, need for the state and its authority simply because it’s already here and it is not going away. I feel that both the left and right wings of our two-party system are far too intrusive, expensive, and violate our freedom as much as protect it.

With that said, I am a law-abiding citizen and love the country, its flaws, and all. I will continue to obey our nation’s laws as long as the Constitution is followed.

After all, “We The People” decide how our country is run, not “Me The People.” I always feel the need to explain this since the terms “Voluntarist” and “Anarchist” are widely misunderstood, and that’s a shame.

Above, I stated that I’m a Constitutionalist, a Voluntarist, and an Anarchist.

Anarchism is usually placed on the far left of the political spectrum. A Constitutionalist is far-right. The idea of left or right makes little sense to me.

If I had it my way, in the perfect world, there would be no State. Since that is not the World we live in, and here in the United States was are a people governed by a Constitution, I accept and embrace that document. I’ve even swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.

I, Brian Hawkins, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
Brian D. Hawkins 1983, 1986

The oath never expired.

In my view, and this may seem a little radical for many, there is little difference between a Democrat and a Republican.

I sincerely believe the two-party system is designed to divide the people into two groups, causing them to fight amongst one another.

This is managed by the system itself, not some secret society deep in the recesses of political and corporate windowless boardrooms with dim lighting and snoop detection devices.

Think about it, while the two sides of the political spectrum fight and argue over who, what, and when the ruling majority gets to make at least half the voters feel like “they’ve” won. The other half is fighting for the other side, which is the same government, just different enough to make you choose sides.

The Two Party Political System - Divide And Control — Divide And Control. Land of the Sheeple.

I Love Music

I love all types of music. I like a lot of what you would expect for a 56-year-old white middle-class guy, but I like other stuff that offends uptight hypocrites – and that pleases me 🙂

Everything from Eric Clapton to Johann Sebastian Bach. From BB King to Rod Stewart. Norah Jones to Kid Rock. Bob Seger to Billy Joel. Janis Joplin to Beethoven, to Peter Frampton. John Prine to John Mayer. The Gourds to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Snoop Dogg.

Every night, I listen to (On a repeat for one-hour timer) Begin Again by the Piano Guys.

Blogging and Hobbies

I’ve always had a hobby. I was into classic cars, a woodworker, and many other pursuits to tie up my time and money. Now I have come to understand that my interests change every five seconds, so I go with it. Blogging comes and goes as well.

Bloggers, I feel your pain:

I know how hard it is to wake up with 4 or 5 hours of sleep, go to work for 10 or 12 hours and try to write a blog post, email a newsletter, comment on other blogs, social media, and on and on and on…

When you are so tired you can’t think straight but have hours of blogging work ahead of you – you aren’t alone; I’m right there with you when I’m in my blogging season.

With that said, I wouldn’t trade it in for the world, blogging that is. The truck driving job will not be missed after I pull those brakes for the last time. I will let you know as soon as that happens; it will be a big celebration.

Some of my Famous Quotes

Yes, I try to collect my own almost famous quotes. Don’t pretend you’re not impressed.

Proper weight and better health go together like nachos and pizza.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Feb 3, 2018

Social Media causes blindness – to your real life.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Feb 3, 2018

If I saved a dollar for every bill I ignored I wouldn’t have any bills.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Feb 3, 2018

Gardening is like children – only plants know when to disappear for a while.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Feb 3, 2018

I’d hike way further if I didn’t have to walk back. ~ Brian D. Hawkins
~ Brian D. Hawkins Feb 3, 2018

Homesteading is the modern name for life before we became dependents.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Feb 3, 2018

I’ll blog about my funeral if time permits.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Feb 3, 2018

Canning is the hardest chore you’ll ever love.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Feb 3, 2018

Taking a vacation from real life is a tragedy worth exploring.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Feb 3, 2018

Home improvement is wrapping all the things you ignored into a big ball of impossible.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Feb 3, 2018

Reading is the only way to shut off writing your life for a while.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Feb 3, 2018

Reflexion is a time for less accusing and more accepting responsibility.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Feb 3, 2018

You can bet your last can of sweet corn your family and friends will be the first to overrun you if they didn’t prepare for jack.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Nov 2017

A great apocalyptic novel gets me excited about the future.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Jul 19, 2015

My Kindle helps ease the pain of putting on pants and leaving the house.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Jul 19, 2015

A chapter a day keeps the reality shows at bay.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Jul 19, 2015

Making movies is how book gossip starts.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Jul 19, 2015

Amazon makes me feel like abundance is okay.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Jul 19, 2015

A great story cares nothing of its creator.
~ Brian D. Hawkins Jul 19, 2015

I do believe politicians, in general, want power. Democrats and Republicans alike, it’s all the same to me. Since the United States Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights, restricts that power we’re always going to see a constant battle between political power and the people’s rights.
~ Brian D. Hawkins January 4, 2020

Worth is not just gaged within the product but also in the value given to the customer.
~ Brian D. Hawkins February 2, 2020

Snapchat is video in your pocket – locked and loaded.
~ Brian D. Hawkins March 6, 2016

That human nature need to “impress” is a sure path to slow growth if not complete failure.
~ Brian D. Hawkins December 23, 2011

Listen, until we can see and admit the truth, we’re at risk of losing it forever.
Brian D. Hawkins January 24, 2021

Don’t follow the crazies into the darkness.
Don’t follow the sheep into the slaughterhouse.
Brian D. Hawkins February 1, 2021

Don’t confuse due diligence with paranoid panic and irrational action.
Brian D. Hawkins February 1, 2021

I know this because this I is.
Brian D. Hawkins February 7, 2021

People panicked. The government looked the other way. They lied the entire time. Let’s never forget that.
Brian D. Hawkins February 28, 2021

Prepping is a verb – a term. It is not a cult, religion, political ideology, or network marketing. Prepping simply means getting prepared for whatever it is you’re concerned with.
Brian D. Hawkins March 7, 2021