An Introduction

In 1899, while giving a speech in Chicago, New York Governor--soon to be Vice-President, then President--Theodore Roosevelt made the following declaration: "I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life." Little did "Teddy" know how his words would inspire millions to do great things; for instance, leading Scott Joplin to write a famous rag ("The Strenuous Life," no less) a few years later, and helping crystallize the ideas and intentions of a small-town student and blogger from Michigan...or at least giving that blogger the basis for a snappy blog title.

"The strenuous life"--a fitting description of what Teddy Roosevelt, our first 20th century President, so boldly "bullied" for. What exactly did it consist of? The simplest I can put it is this: active patriotism, both on the part of government and of the citizenry. Here are some concrete examples, which I fully endorse (not that I agree with every little thing TR said or did): deep morality both in office and in society, a strong military and defense, a profound respect for the uniqueness of the American republic, a willingness to stand up for young democracies in the face of tyranny, an active but not obsessive protection of the environment, equity as a step to social equality, and a commitment to confronting corruption and corporate greed without hurting the ifnrastructure of free enterprise. Sound like a lot? It is. Worth defending both at home and abroad? You bet. A desirable alternative to the "ignoble ease" we see manifested in today's increasingly shallow, lazy, impatient American society.

This site is dedicated to the preservation of true Jeffersonian liberty, and that of good old conservative American virtues, those of Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln (my favorite) and Teddy Roosevelt: public morality (what a drag, right?), honesty in government ("Is it snowing in Hell yet?" you ask), and above all a fervent desire to bring back the America we once knew...strong, united, decent. I'll look mostly at American history and politics, but won't shy away from our society (and world) as a whole: religion, books, music, entertainment, sports, etc. I like to think that all is fair game. You may be surprised at some of the views this conservative holds--no political ideology is a perfect mold...That being said, let the strenuous life commence.