Author Archives: chefpocket

Social Commentary

This is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do you, punk?”

Florida father arrested for allegedly shooting at naked roommate who got in bed with teenage daughter.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/florida-father-arrested-for-allegedly-shooting-at-naked-roommate-who-got-in-bed-with-teenage-daughter-police/ar-AA18q7sm?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=b317bcc4246e420d8ae4c974433957f5&ei=7

As a father, my heart is filled with anguish and fury at the mere thought of someone violating the sanctity of my home and threatening the safety and well-being of my loved ones. Parents like myself have an unbreakable responsibility to shield our children from physical and emotional harm. But what happens when that sacred boundary is breached? The overwhelming emotions that bubble up inside can be almost too much to bear.


I would do anything, absolutely anything, to protect my family, even if it means resorting to violent actions. When I think about the possibility of someone breaking into my home and getting into bed with my teenage daughter, the mere thought sends shivers down my spine. The rage and fury that fills me is almost too much to contain.


While it is never ideal to take violent actions, it is vital to acknowledge the profound emotional and psychological trauma that such a violation can cause a family. The father’s alleged actions can be seen as a warning to others that certain behaviors will never be tolerated, and parents like myself will stop at nothing to keep their children safe.


While the father’s alleged actions may have been extreme (?), it is paramount to understand the devastating emotional and psychological impact such an invasion can have on a family. As a father, I stand by any actions that are necessary to protect my loved ones from harm. The protection of our children is our highest priority as parents, and we will stop at nothing to ensure their safety.

Ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do you, punk?”

P.S. This applies to dating, but that goes without saying.

By Shaun Sima
https://chef-pocket.com/aboutme/

I post for my edification as part of my dedication to jumping into the deep end of the internet brand pool. My posts are part raw life journal and part discovery of my voice.

There isn’t very much satisfaction in getting the world to accept your viewpoint and praise you. If you only want to hear your opinion, talk to the mirror.

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Not So Private Thoughts

Reincarnation impacts you, yes, YOU!

My heart ached as I sat there, listening to my dad speak. The wound of Aaron’s death is still so fresh, and my strained relationship with God only amplified my raw emotions. But my dad, or Opa as my sons lovingly call him, had suggested something that caught my attention: Aaron’s spirit may live on in my son, Andrew. He referenced the relationship between Elijah and John the Baptist.

I was uncomfortable with the idea at first, but as a human, it’s only natural to want to hold on to the ones we love. So I delved into research, hoping to find some answers.

Tears streamed down my face as I read through the Gospel of Matthew. In chapter 11, verse 14, Jesus spoke of John the Baptist as the embodiment of the prophet Elijah. And in the prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6, it was foretold that Elijah would return before the day of the Lord, turning the hearts of parents to their children and vice versa.

I couldn’t help but wonder if John had indeed been Elijah in spirit, preparing the way for Jesus just as Elijah had prepared the way for God’s people in the Old Testament. Theologians may still debate the nature of their connection, but one thing was clear to me – we must celebrate those who have come before by cherishing those who are still with us.

In that moment, I couldn’t help but think – if I had only an hour to live, who would I call? What would I say? What was I waiting for? Life is so precious, and we never know how much time we have left. So I made a vow to endeavor to cherish every moment, to hold my loved ones close, and to never take a single day for granted.

By Shaun Sima
https://chef-pocket.com/aboutme/

P.S. I post for my edification as part of my dedication to jumping into the deep end of the internet brand pool. My posts are part raw life journal and part discovery of my voice.

P.P.S There isn’t very much satisfaction in getting the world to accept your viewpoint and praise you. If you only want to hear your opinion, talk to the mirror.

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Social Commentary

The intentional taking of innocent babies’ lives by the millions

Our nation’s past is not just a collection of dates and events. It is the fabric of our identity, the story of our struggles and triumphs, and the legacy of our heroes. It is a precious inheritance that we must cherish, honor, and protect. But today, this heritage is under attack.

The war against our nation’s past is growing balefully. It seeks to erase, rewrite, and discredit the achievements and sacrifices of our forefathers. It aims to demonize and dehumanize our heroes, even those who gave their lives to secure our freedoms and preserve our union.

George Washington, the father of our country, is now denounced as a slaveholder and a white supremacist. Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, is accused of being a racist and a tyrant. Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of America, is portrayed as a genocidal maniac. And the list goes on.

But we must not let this revisionism and defamation go unchallenged. We must stand up for our heroes of yesteryear, for their virtues and their flaws, for their contributions and their limitations. We must recognize that they were human beings, not saints or monsters and that they lived in different times with different challenges and opportunities.

We must also acknowledge that our past has its share of injustices and tragedies, such as slavery, segregation, and discrimination. But we must confront them with honesty, compassion, and humility, not with hatred, resentment, or revenge. We must learn from them, not erase them, for they teach us the value of freedom, equality, and justice.

So let us defend our nation’s past, not with swords or guns, but with words and deeds that inspire and enlighten. Let us honor our heroes, not with blind adulation or mindless idolatry, but with critical reflection and constructive dialogue. Let us build a future that honors our past, that embraces our diversity, and fulfills our destiny as a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people.

I wonder. What will be the perception of future generations regarding our stance on abortion? So many seem to disregard the gravity of the matter – the intentional taking of innocent babies’ lives by the millions.

By Shaun Sima
https://chef-pocket.com/aboutme/

P.S. I post for my edification as part of my dedication to jumping into the deep end of the internet brand pool. My posts are part raw life journal and part discovery of my voice.

P.P.S There isn’t very much satisfaction in getting the world to accept your viewpoint and praise you. If you only want to hear your opinion, talk to the mirror.

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General Ramblings

People say that as if there’s something wrong with it.

People say that as if there’s something wrong with it.
Becoming an acquired taste is a testament to your unique and valuable cultural contribution. Those who appreciate and understand your work are likely to become loyal fans, willing to pay a premium for something that stands out from the crowd and goes beyond just fulfilling a fundamental need or desire.

Having the courage to create something truly exceptional and meaningful is a true asset that those who follow the trend will never be able to attain. So embrace the challenge and know it will set you apart in the long run.

By Shaun Sima
https://chef-pocket.com/aboutme/

P.S. I post for my edification as part of my dedication to jumping into the deep end of the internet brand pool. My posts are part raw life journal and part discovery of my voice.

P.P.S There isn’t very much satisfaction in getting the world to accept your viewpoint and praise you. If you only want to hear your opinion, talk to the mirror.

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General Ramblings

Understanding your boundaries.

I wrote about my new year’s resolutions for the country as a whole in my blog post: https://chef-pocket.com/2022/12/31/new-years-resolutions/

Today I feel called to share one of my own that I believe I am succeeding at: Understanding my window of tolerance as it relates to self-care and drawing a line when circumstances are outside my window of tolerance.

The window of tolerance is a concept in psychology that refers to the range of emotions and physiological states a person can tolerate without becoming overwhelmed. When a person is within the window of tolerance, they can regulate their emotions, think clearly, and respond appropriately to their environment. The window of tolerance can be influenced by factors such as past experiences, current stressors, and the individual’s coping skills. If a person’s arousal level exceeds their window of tolerance, they may experience emotional dysregulation, such as anxiety, panic, or trauma response. In contrast, if a person’s arousal level falls below their window of tolerance, they may experience emotional numbing, disengagement, or feelings of depression.

I’ll share more of my goals for 2023 as I’m called to do so, but in the interim, I wish you success with your goals.

By Shaun Sima
https://chef-pocket.com/aboutme/

P.S. I post for my edification as part of my dedication to jumping into the deep end of the internet brand pool. My posts are part raw life journal and part discovery of my voice.

P.P.S There isn’t very much satisfaction in getting the world to accept your viewpoint and praise you. If you only want to hear your opinion, talk to the mirror.

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Social Commentary

Well before chattel slavery was a thing.

This is where we are as a society.

Stick with me on this – I’ve thought it through.
Most academics believe society and humanity were formed at the cradle of civilization and split off over time with mass migration. And then, at one time, there was a shared language. And when you go to the Indian subcontinent to, Southeast Asia, African countries South America, and Aztec language tribes, you start to find words that have certain sounds that seem to be very common. And over time, it became the idea of the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) language that, essentially, there was a first language, and it was the common tongue.

One of those originals, I discovered, is the word, Master. Master is a word that we can trace back to 4500 BCE. With original writings and languages of the PIE language, we discover that virtually every single tribe and tongue on planet Earth wherever they are, use the word Master.

Stick with me on this – I’ve thought it through.
Well before chattel slavery was a thing, the word Master existed. The first common occurrence of the word Master bedroom was 1910. Some people, by the way, attributed to the Sears Roebuck catalog in the 1950s. That’s not true. It goes back to 1910. Its origin was after the Civil War when Master bedroom became the terminology to designate the bedroom of the head of the house because the head of the house going back to Roman times, was the Master.

To say that the master bedroom has master-slave connotations is to distort the word’s history, the root of the word, and the logic of the word.

Stick with me on this – I’ve thought it through.
If you are so sensitive to think it has a racist connotation, you are the racist. Because it has nothing to do with it. And yet, the entirety of the real estate community is rushing to drop the phrase master bedroom, in favor of the primary bedroom. Because they’re afraid, people will be offended. Because they’re afraid it may hurt your soul.

My goodness gracious.
There’s another word that begins with Master, I will beat you figure out what it is, what do you do with that too? I don’t know. There are all sorts of other words where the root is Master, and what are we going to do with those?

And it’s going to get more and more pervasive.

And by the way, Hispanic people do not use the word LatinaX the only people who use LatinaX are white progressive elites.

I profer that some white person thought up the word LatinaX because literally, no one in the Latino community uses the word LatinaX. There’s also been a very recent survey of black Americans, not a single one cared about the phrase master bedroom, and none of them thought it was related to slavery. And yet, the white elite is concerned about offending people. The academics of America are the ones doing this. The academics of America want to get rid of the word “field” and use “practicum”.

But there’s really nothing wrong with the phrase, primary bedroom. But why must we devolve all of the English language for the feelings of people who don’t know better? It’s like the use of pronouns. We must pollute, degrade, and append all of the English language because some people feel different than others, and we’re worried about their feelings. This rearranging of society’s opinions and grammar rules so we don’t hurt feelings is absurd.

This is where we are as a society.

By Shaun Sima
https://chef-pocket.com/aboutme/

P.S. I post for my edification as part of my dedication to jumping into the deep end of the internet brand pool. My posts are part raw life journal and part discovery of my voice.

P.P.S There isn’t very much satisfaction in getting the world to accept your viewpoint and praise you. If you only want to hear your opinion, talk to the mirror.

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General Ramblings, Social Commentary

New year’s resolutions

There isn’t very much satisfaction in getting the world to accept and praise you for things that the world is prepared to praise.

Hopes for 2023. (Warning it’s a long opinionated read based on my personal experiences.)

From early childhood to Gen Z: Invest heavily in education – Providing high-quality education to all Americans, focusing on early childhood development. A teaching entrance exam similar in difficulty to the bar exam. Passing the exam would result in job security, a higher salary, and a guaranteed pension which would attract more people to the profession. All are deserved benefits and are embarrassingly lacking. (Side rant: Passing an exam should be a requirement to vote. If you don’t know who lives at 1600 Penn or who the VP is, you shouldn’t be voting.)

Speaking of childhood development. Teach young boys that true strength is about vulnerability—understanding what they are feeling, learning to express how they are feeling, and healthy outlets for anger. I can’t comment about girls – Having only boys, I’m not qualified.

For a more immediate change, we must not fail to grasp and address the modern realities of millennials and Gen Z sentiment. In chatting with them, it’s clear to me that they refuse the idea that this country is remarkable in its opportunities and potential. And disturbingly, it’s apparent that they manifest sympathy for the idea of socialism more than they do for capitalism. If we are to craft a new culture that is more in touch with 21st-century realities and opportunities, should we not focus our efforts on the young Americans who will craft that world? 

Fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship: Encouraging creativity, risk-taking, and entrepreneurship can help drive innovation and the American economy forward. Don’t kill your start-ups and scale-ups; instead, listen carefully to their needs and act firmly.

Supporting small businesses: The expansion of government policies hinders economic growth and opportunity. The unchecked proliferation of tax and regulatory requirements is impeding new business formation and expansion nationwide. Even the well-intentioned government-sponsored programs that aim to bolster business formation and economic development are destroying the economic opportunity for our nation’s families. Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and should be encouraged to succeed.

Smaller Government. Don’t legislate all of our choices.

Energy dominance. Another way to phrase it is “energy interdependence,” achieving this milestone is marked by export-led growth of oil and natural gas. And to bring this home for the typical U.S. household, the bottom line matters, and we have a lower cost of living, not to mention increased security and political benefits. 

Immigration: Provide a more straightforward path to Work visas, Green Cards, and Citizenship for those that meet the criteria to become active participants in the country’s success. Entry into the southern border is uninhibited — which is a far more sensible way to go than making the mistake of trying to immigrate legally, which comes at the cost of copious amounts of red tape, tens of thousands of dollars, and wait periods of a decade or more to become a resident or citizen. As someone who has been through the process, legally, I can unequivocally confirm that the system is broken. 

In closing, we can absolutely do better but only if we remove the yoke of the status quo.

By Shaun Sima
https://chef-pocket.com/aboutme/

P.S. I post for my edification as part of my dedication to jumping into the deep end of the internet brand pool. My posts are part raw life journal and part discovery of my voice.

P.P.S There isn’t very much satisfaction in getting the world to accept your viewpoint and praise you. If you only want to hear your opinion, talk to the mirror.

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Social Commentary

Hunting Rudolph

It’s getting out of hand – We are focusing on bubble-wrapping the world when we should be wrapping our feet.

If there is one thing that we can take away from this recent example of the western world gone wild, it is that if a song published in 1964 is genuinely offensive, we as a society are really really really slow to catch on.

50+ years later, we are finally paying attention to the so-called bigoted comments, verbal abuse, and name-calling contained in the lyrics of Rudolph, the red-nose reindeer. It’s hunting season on Rudolph.

Between the outrage for “Rudolph”, “Baby it’s cold outside” and “Charlie Brown’s Christmas,” those outraged are effectively trying to wrap the world in bubble wrap. Let’s scrutinize every prose and phrase to ensure our fragile sensibilities are not offended.

Oh, the irony!

We live in a society where rappers, pop artists and alike are propelled into the stratosphere of fame with lyrics condoning everything from violence to infidelity. They’re idolized but poor Rudolph has a big red target on his head.

If you’re that easily offended, chances are you were mollycoddled as a child by overprotective parents who insisted that you receive a ribbon or trophy for coming in dead last in your kindergarten 50m dash.

Who am I to tell you what to do or think (even though society tends to want to tell me what to do and think)?! I’ll tell you what I tell my young boys.

Find opportunities for joy in the world, not condemnation. Everyone has a right to their opinion, but no one has a right to determine yours for you. Don’t give up control over your thoughts, ideas or emotions, and above all – USE COMMON SENSE!

(A quick tangential detour to rant:

Being human is acknowledging our differences and accepting them, not asking Joe public to subscribe to the opinion that is the average of those that shout the loudest or have the most followers on instagram! If we blindly agree with what everyone else says is “right” then we are giving up our individuality. Please, I beg you with tears in my eyes, show me one example of a truly successful man or woman who was exceptionally good at being average. Don’t follow the pack!)

By Shaun Sima
https://chef-pocket.com/aboutme/

P.S. I post for my edification as part of my dedication to jumping into the deep end of the internet brand pool. My posts are part raw life journal and part discovery of my voice.

P.P.S There isn’t very much satisfaction in getting the world to accept your viewpoint and praise you. If you only want to hear your opinion, talk to the mirror.

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General Ramblings, Not So Private Thoughts, Social Commentary

Jesus was bullied.

Jesus was bullied, so was David and many others in the bible. Bullying is as old as time and will never be eradicated. There is no vaccine for the afflictions caused by the human condition.

People are social creatures. We all have the desire to fit in and to be liked. It might be an oversimplification, but the cause of bullying and the lack of abuse reporting by the victims stems from a desire to be loved. As social creatures, people search out ways to fit in, which provides the momentum for the bully, and unfortunately, it also leads to abuses going unreported.

As a child, I often stood out. Identifying a target is considerably easier if he/she is not following the crowd. Different gangs of bullies imposed different degrees and methods of torment. Some resorted to physical tactics to illustrate to their gang that they were an alpha male and “worthy” of being part of their click, while others succumb to peer pressure to execute a seemingly never-ending barrage of emotional provocations.

My response to the emotional bullies was never to engage, or at least try not to. It’s easier said than done. Their goal was to provoke a response from me and by not providing them that satisfaction, their immediate interest in me waned. They moved on. At least for the time being.

Physical bullies, of which there were only two during my entire schooling career, were those that laid hands on me in some form or another. It ranged from minor actions, such as tripping me up, to violence. I ignored the small stuff, but unlike the emotional bullies, the lack of response drove the physical bullies to escalate. One day, following a punch in the back that forced me to the floor, I stood up, turned around, and calmly punched the bully in the face, bloodying his nose. That was the last time anyone bullied me. I don’t advocate violence and would like to think that I exhausted every possible remedy before deciding to take that action. Sometimes, you need to shout in a language that your audience understands.

My advice to my sons, one of whom has already experienced some minor bullying, is never to act out of anger. When you give others power over your emotions, you give them authority over your life.

Bullying is never caused by the target of their unwanted attention. It’s never the victims’ fault! It is an overwhelming insecurity that drives bullies, and they overcompensate to fit in. To quench their anxiety, the fear that they won’t be liked and that in turn, will lead to them being ostracized, they act in a manner that they deem to be in alignment with the gang’s wishes.
“Gangs are where cowards go to hide.” Mickey Mantle.

Bullying is a much larger issue than we want to admit to, with nuances and consequences. Sadly, there isn’t a panacea to this problem. It’s ineffective and arrogant to apply adult logic and the experience that comes with time and hindsight to a mindset that doesn’t have that luxury. To attempt to do so is flat out wrong and skirting our responsibilities. This is not an adultescent issue, it’s a societal issue. As a society, as parents, we need to accept some responsibility for what our children do and hold them accountable.
Often both parents work; ipads and tv are acceptable babysitters and forget the quality time spent around the dinner table. Life is busy, complicated, and messy; frankly, we are oblivious to our surroundings. Have you ever driven to the store and wondered how you arrived there? Not remembering the traffic, turns, route? We all have. We put life on autopilot until someday something terrible happens to wake us up, and we do just enough to address the issue so that we can put life back on autopilot.

As a society, we have become more accepting and welcoming of the significant issues, but we are overlooking the small ones. Our children do what they see others do. We need to teach our kids to love each other and themselves. We need to demonstrate acceptance, and responsibility and exercise accountability. Making a difference starts at home and must be continued in class.

By Shaun Sima
https://chef-pocket.com/aboutme/

P.S. I post for my edification as part of my dedication to jumping into the deep end of the internet brand pool. My posts are part raw life journal and part discovery of my voice.

P.P.S There isn’t very much satisfaction in getting the world to accept your viewpoint and praise you. If you only want to hear your opinion, talk to the mirror.

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General Ramblings

$5,368,709.12 at the end of thirty days

Like most things, it probably won’t go on in perpetuity, but that’s hardly the point.

The almost 60-year-old Moore’s Law describes a simple engineering principle that has impacted every one of us.The number of transistors that can be put on a chip doubles every two years.

Take a penny doubled every day for thirty days; you’ll have $0.01 on day one, $0.02 on day two, and so on.
While those numbers might seem insignificant initially, look further as you keep accruing 50% interest on the whole investment daily. As you keep doubling that $0.01, you’ll end up with $5,368,709.12 at the end of thirty days.
Or double 2 thirty times, and it increases to more than a billion.

From the day that Moore first described the principle, experts have pointed out that it can’t continue and will reach a point where we’ve exhausted any chance for more progress.

Like most things, it probably won’t go on in perpetuity, but that’s hardly the point.
Instead of predicting that things won’t get better, perhaps we should create conditions where they will.

By Shaun Sima
https://chef-pocket.com/aboutme/

P.S. I post for my edification as part of my dedication to jumping into the deep end of the internet brand pool. My posts are part raw life journal and part discovery of my voice.

P.P.S There isn’t very much satisfaction in getting the world to accept your viewpoint and praise you. If you only want to hear your opinion, talk to the mirror.

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