About us
from Ohg Rea Tone:
We are a Father and a Son. We live in different States – physically, mentally, spiritually, and geographically. My son was here in town visiting in the summer of 2007 and we had a nice chat. He was already logging his thoughts on the internet and thought about our conversations while driving home. He called and asked that we write together – a life discussion between a father and a son. Obviously, I agreed. There was no real forethought about content – only that we would discuss life issues. Sometimes we are very personal – sometimes academic – sometime boring – and hopefully occasionally entertaining or enlightening.
The Fireside Post has evolved into an online magazine.
About this format
from bryan:
Calling this magazine “The Fireside Post” was a very intentional decision. My father and I have had some great moments around the fire. Campfires, fireplaces, small arson projects. Ok, not the arson, but I wanted to capture the essence of that kind of conversation, one that allows us to be spiteful, funny, serious, challenging, sensitive, vulgar, weird, whatever the conversational mood brings about. Our fireside chats are agreeable, disagreeable, funny, sad, but they always have something valuable. There is almost always a point to be made, and when there is not I find myself glad to be meandering thorough the conversation anyway. And I find myself thinking and acting differently because of it. There is great value in that, and I hope that the world can share in that benefit. You might be looking for a theme or a common thread in the topics. There is one. It is in the title.
About Cole James:
October 6, 2008: Cole has joined our team as a contributing writer. Cole was a former reader who offered thoughtful commentary on our writing. Cole is much more conservative than Ohg or Bryan – but he is thoughtful, energetic, has a social conscience, and loves America – even representing the United States Marine Corp in Iraq. Cole throws fuel on the flames of cultural conversation- fulfilling the mission of The Fireside Post. He may add something to this commentary when he figures out how to get here. Readers – be sure to comment on his posts – Ohg.
About Dawn:
April 26, 2010: Dawn, a young mother of three, has returned to college as a full time student majoring in drama, theater, business, and acting. She enjoys the theater, as both an actor and as a spectator. Dawn is a gifted musician, playing keyboard and lead vocals. Her vocal talent has led to starring roles in a number of community theatrical performances. Dawn is a mature person who ponders the complexities of life.
About Suzanne:
June 28, 2010: Suzanne has been a teacher, corporate trainer, and workshop leader. She created diabeticdietrecipe.org in 2009 to help inform the public about healthy, credible, and objective recipes, primarily focused on the needs of diabetics. We at thefiresidepost.com are very much in agreement with Suzanne about the need for better nutrition information for both diabetics and the population as a whole. Diabetes is a major health issue in America. Adult onset diabetes will become much more dramatic in America as our nation continues to become more obese. Suzanne is offering healthy alternatives to the fast-food diet of America. Suzanne writes all entries for our category “Diabetic Recipes” and is invited to write essays on health and nutrition under other Fireside categories.
About our bias:
From Ohg Rea Tone:
We do not view our selves as either conservative or liberal. We are advocates of social justice. We also believe in fiscal responsibility. We do not believe in debt. We believe that debt contributes to social injustice. Inordinate, unfair, discriminatory taxation is contrary to social justice.
Social justice cannot be mandated – but rather the infrastructure of community provides opportunity for Social Justice. There are issues of education, health care, poverty, and Global Climate Change which should concern each of us as members of the fellowship of humanity. Again, deficit spending does not serve anyone in the long term. Short term gains in education that leave the children of the future in debt is not social justice. Burning fossil fuels for immediate economic gain at the expense of future famine is not social justice.
The role of Government is one of community infrastructure. Different levels of Government, Municipal, State, and Federal, manage different infrastructure needs. Debt impairs the ability of Government to adequately provide infrastructure. Heavy handed taxation robs people of individual discretion. We seek balance.
Domestic Tranquility is at the root of social justice. Crime, terrorism, defiant countries, poverty, poor health, drug addiction, and lack of education directly impact the tranquility of community.
Government is necessary to prevent anarchy, to provide structure. Government is not the problem, bad government is the problem. Good government is the solution.
Welcome to the fireside…
“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the
strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face
is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs
and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without
error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great
devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best,
knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the
worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that
his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew
neither victory nor defeat.”
— Theodore Roosevelt
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Ohg Rea Tone is the pen name of Gary L. Clark – a Missouri resident, Hillbilly – one generation removed.
Bryan lives somewhere in Iowa – fate sometimes plays cruel jokes.
Cole cannot help himself – he is compelled.
Dawn lives in Iowa and loves experiencing the drama of life.
Suzanne lives in Illinois and is an advocate of healthy life choices.
