Turning The Other Cheek

(Written last year)

I want to thank each and every one of you that have reached out to me with your love and sympathy from the attack I am receiving from one of our brothers. We have all walked down many battlefields together and I invite each of you to draw your own conclusions from the time we have spent together.

Some of you have traveled with me to impoverished countries to deliver relief. Some of you have helped me load containers or duffle bags to deliver relief. I have gone to film festivals and funerals and have worked to help those less fortunate. I have been honored to walk amongst you all as we do our part to leave humanity better off.

I see no reason to address each accusation line item by line item but wish to categorically deny any and all allegations. When we should all be celebrating we find ourselves embroiled in controversy and infighting. When we should all be uniting to help those less fortunate we find ourselves distracted from what is really important.

In a month and a half I will be celebrating my tenth year publishing my local newspaper. Those of you that know me well know that I have lived a Spartan existence and that is the only reason I am still in business today. I ride my motorcycle to save money. I live in my studio apartment and I spend my time and resources enriching my local community through the newspaper as well as participating in various charitable activities at home and abroad.

My brother throws daggers at me. For what reason I do not know. The brain is an amazing thing. When it is damaged the rewiring that occurs is not easy to explain. It is the only conclusion I can draw.

These past ten years have been a struggle. I have been in the newspaper business during one of the low points of journalism and publishing. In July I plan to have a quiet celebration to recognize the achievement of publishing for ten years without missing a deadline. I plan to reminisce over the decade I have spent serving a local community with news and an advertising platform.

None of us is perfect and I certainly have my flaws but the struggle has made me a better person. The struggle has shaped my life. When the wolves were at the door I did my best work. The wolves are at the door again growling and threatening. I vow to you all that I will keep working and attempt to do my very best.

My brother strikes me. I forgive him. I know that he has shaped so much about who I am now and has done so much for humanity that if his anger toward me is what gives him the will to survive and get healthy. If his anger toward me is his struggle to reconnect those synapses then I gladly accept my lot in life because the world is better with him in it. Humanity is better off when he works to deliver relief to the needy and helps heal the sick.

I recently completed a documentary feature film called “American Federale.” I spent time in border Mexico during the height of the danger. Prior to my brother having his stroke he was concerned for my safety as I entered both Juarez and Ojinaga. He had me text him upon entering and leaving so that he would know I was safe. I owe so much of what I have accomplished to his love and giving hands. I see no need to meet anger with anger. I also completed a book that is really a companion piece to the documentary called “Rise a Knight.” The book looks forward to a better world that we can all help bring to fruition. My brother also was the guiding hand behind this work too. I invite you all to read the book as it is available on iTunes for free. You can then judge for yourselves if the vision I have understood is the correct vision for the future of humanity.

I ride a motorcycle on the streets of Los Angeles. I know the danger that is lurking around every corner. I get on the bike every day and ask myself if today is the day I will meet my Maker. I know that even if I get another forty years on the planet that it will go by in a blink. I hope we all are in touch with our mortality and agree to work hard to leave this planet better than we found it.

I salute you all for all of the good that you do and hope we can all function together soon as brothers and sisters in the cause of elevating humanity.

80 Pounds Lost Using The 4 Hour Body

There I was huffing and puffing walking around Century City looking for a front cover story for the next issue of the Century City News. I was tipping the scale at 270 pounds and I was a cheeseburger away from a triple bypass. I was tired all of the time but I was coping with the symptoms as best I could.

My oldest son had ridiculed me for years about my weight. His snide remarks pushed me toward the food. One day when my youngest son was in town he would pull me aside and speak to me in a way that would change my life. He wasn't insulting or hurtful about my weight. He put his arm around my shoulder and said, "Dad, I need your help."

There isn't anything a father will not do to help his sons. My son was getting ready to enter a military program where upperbody strength would be essential for success. He needed to gain muscle mass if he was going to succeed. He presented me with a book by author, Tim Ferriss, called The 4 Hour Body and asked me if I would help him gain his muscle mass. His plan was to follow the instructions outlined in the book. We would read this book together and achieve success through the buddy system.

He postulated that it was the same plan to gain the weight that he needed as it was to lose the weight I needed. That day was a day that changed my life. How could I refuse my son? He needed my help. I agreed to support him by getting on his program.

I have read many diet books. I have also read many bodybuilding books. I was familiar with how bodybuilders manipulate their bodies. I found the book to be the best interation of how it really works. Tim Ferriss breaks it down in ways we can easily understand.

That first week was a little tough but as my son and I texted each other photos of everything we ate I was able to cope with the hunger I had for carbs. This buddy approach was huge for me and for my son. It lead to a much tighter body and a closer relationship with him. We were working on something together.

The other part of the program that was huge was our once a week cheat day. We would cheat in epic proportions. We would text each other photos of our epic cheat meals. All week long we would be planning out our cheat days. When we found ourselves in the same city we would plan our cheat days around our visits. Those days were epic. They were some of the best days of my life and the laughter we shared will echo through time.

As promised in the book he was gaining muscle mass and I was shedding fat. Tim Ferriss' advice was working. My son gained his muscle mass and has achieved his goal. He has a career in the U.S. Military. I remember hitting 240 lbs. and thinking I was in heaven. People around me started asking me what I was doing. They also started asking me if this was a health problem because my weight dropped so quickly. I have bought a number of copies of the book for those I care about.

When I hit 220 lbs. I started getting female attention again. That was a big motivator to keep the weight off. It has been 2 1/2 years since I began the program. 

Recently I found myself slipping into cheat day every day and it took six months to gain back 15 pounds. But I got on a scale and determined that I will never go back to the 270 pounds I once was. I am back on the program and ten days later I have shed 6 pounds. Thank you Tim for writing the book. It changed my life and created an incredible relationship with my son.

Capitalism vs. Socialism - Why Not Have Both?

(This article originally appeared in the Century City News as authored by Michael Douglas Carlin)

There rages a debate in America about Capitalism versus Socialism. The fact is that there is middle ground where both can peacefully co-exist. The best of both systems will bring about the greatest era of peace and prosperity.

We can have peace in our lifetime if we all do our part.

This must be a partnership of every individual, non-profit organization, corporation, and government - all working together to bring the basic needs to all of humanity.

It is time for humanity to grow up. Our "Identity Crisis" is ridiculous. We run around like little spoiled brats sweeping our messes under the carpet rather than deal with them in a forthright manner. Turning a blind eye to problems like homelessness ends up costing more than facing the problem with housing, meals, and services that recycle lives and get them back on the road as productive members of society.

The debate between Socialism and Capitalism continues because of the merits of both systems. We hear the entrepreneur say, "I pulled myself up by my own bootstraps and was never given a thing…why should we give them anything?" We also hear those that have been helped by social programs say, "I reached out to the government for help during a time of crisis in my life and now, I own my own business." The engine of capitalism cannot be refuted. It is what has driven the global economy. The benefits of socialism cannot be refuted either. That is why the debate is so compelling.

The overused phrase, "give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime" also has merits. We need to assume nothing during the education process that teaches men, women and children to "fish". We need to understand that in today's complicated world the process of teaching men women and children to fish is a process that may take time. Not everyone has the ability to fish while learning. The reason why we should help people that can't pull themselves up by their own bootstraps is that it is the right thing to do. Helping people while they learn is more humane and costs less than sweeping them under the carpet.

Let's put the debate of Capitalism and Socialism to rest. Turning a blind eye to people who have no ability to "fish" is no longer acceptable. A layer of socialism where not only do we teach men, women and children to "fish" but where that burden is shared by government, corporations, non-profits, and individuals, fueled by Capitalism for those who take personal responsibility and want all that capitalism provides. Two systems living side by side coexisting and flourishing.

Let's move the debate forward to renewable systems that prepare and plan for the next thousand years.

This is A Prescription For Peace:

1. Food
2. Shelter
3. Health Care
4. Personal Safety
5. Education
6. Livelihood
7. Empower Women

All leading to HOPE


Thomas Jefferson wrote the words: "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among them are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"

If we have the right to life then we have the right to three square meals a day, a roof over our head, access to quality health care, personal security, an education and a job. For how could we ever begin to experience liberty or pursue happiness without the basic needs being met.

"Our work will not be done until every man, woman, and child alive has three square meals a day, a roof over their head, access to quality health care, personal security, an education and a job." - Michael Douglas Carlin

Michael Douglas Carlin is the director of the movies Luvicide and American Federale. Recently he completed a ten-year stint as the Publisher and Editor of the Century City News. Here his articles turned into three books: Rise a Knight, A Prescription for Peace, and Peaceful Protests. Michael Carlin was born in Los Angeles in 1962. He grew up in the entertainment business. His grandfather was a teamster whose last movie was Jaws with stories of working for Cecil B. DeMille, Howard Hughes, and Samuel Goldwyn. His father was a lighting director and Michael grew up on the sets of King Kong, Who Will Stop The Rain, The Fury and the series Chips. The family founded lighting and grip company Keylite PSI that supplied equipment on Ordinary People, The Untouchables, Boyz In The Hood, Platoon, JFK, Reservoir Dogs, and hundreds of other feature films and thousands of hours of television. For many years Carlin ran the family business and managed independent studios. He worked also in the entertainment industry as an actor, lighting technician, grip, cameraman, production manager, producer, and director. Carlin also published The Entertainment Funding Sourcebook, The Studio White Pages, and Media and Entertainment Institutional Investors.

Would You Support an Independent Candidate For President?

Twenty million of us need to march on Washington. Either in person or on Facebook and Twitter. We need to elect people that are not aligned to special interests or big corporations. Each time they create a piece of legislation they need to ask, "is this good for the American People?" We have two parties that have missed their market and we can move the country in a positive direction.

William Winokur creator of "The Slice" says "You know the difference between Republicans and Democrats? One steals your money and gives it to their friends; the other steals your money and gives it to strangers. The only thing they got in common is that they wanna keep us fighting over the stupid shit."

So here is a radical idea: why not get 20 million of us together to march on Washington and demand that this government support the actual people.

Two of my close friends have come to me this past couple of weeks to share with me that their career is over. Technology has made them obsolete and they are now in need of reinventing themselves.

We all sat on our hands and watched as the auto workers jobs, telemarketing jobs, and many other healthy segments of our economy were shipped overseas. We all did nothing. Now we can see the writing on the walls. Accounting jobs are being shipped overseas. Next it will be lawyer jobs.

Are we really this apathetic that we are going to sit on our bark loungers and let the cable TV wash over us and do nothing?

We are 300 million Americans being held hostage by 535 people in Washington. They come out and give speeches that make us feel good and then act in opposition to their own very words. We buy into it and keep re-electing the same people.

2012 is the opportunity for us to take back what is left of this country and move in a positive direction. We can restore America to the greatness we once held in the world. 

Why not try...

We need independent candidates to run for political office against every incumbent and we need to rally the people to vote new people that represent us into office.

What happened to government of by and for the people? What happened to our Constitution? What happened to being able to look into a child's eyes and promise him or her that if they work hard and study and become educated that there will be a job waiting for them at the end of that road? Can you honestly promise children of today that they have a future with an income to look forward to?

I want to be able to make those promises and mean it. I want to be able to give all of the people of America access to opportunity and the American Dream. If we don't act the jobs we will be outsourcing might be yours...

Let the Healing Begin

Europeans don't date the way Americans date. They all hang out as friends and then slowly two people gravitate toward each other. The divorce rates in Europe are much lower than they are in the United States. Europeans understand the three types of love: philo, eros and agape. Friendship (philo) is a tremendous foundation for marriage.

Relationships between two people who are immediately attracted (eros) to each other are often a flash in the pan. Those hot and heavy emotional roller coasters can leave behind a damaged soul. There are other aspects that can damage too. Trauma from dysfunctional relationships within the family as well as trauma from extraordinary events can also leave behind scars.

Healthy relationships don't happen immediately – they take time and hard work. Believing that you deserve a healthy relationship can be the first step. Finding someone that isn't afraid of hard work is a large part of the battle. Developing a friendship and trust is a foundation that can be built upon.

Healthy relationships validate us. Healthy relationships reinforce our confidence. Healthy relationships heal. Feeling love can mitigate those scars and start to smooth them. Feeling loved can remove them entirely. Delaying physical bonding can also be healing. Once a relationship has grown sufficiently through the friendship stage the eros stage can begin with fullness and healing qualities.

Few couples ever experience agape but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be sought. Agape is the deep abiding love that comes through the testing of a relationship over time. Agape is the unconditional love of two people who know each other's faults and choose to overlook them. Agape is the love that two people have for each other and they will do anything to keep the team safe.

End Racism Forever... One Person at a Time... Starting With You

Racism is ugly. Racism is hurtful. Racism is dangerous. Racism eliminates logic and reason and leads to violence and personal attacks. Racism leads to war. Racism leads to genocide. Racism leads to conflict. Racism tears at the fabric of humanity. Racism is unnecessary and inefficient for the future of our world. But how can it end? It seems do deep rooted within our DNA.

Hope springs eternal from each of us. We want a better world and that world is just a moment away as each of us decide within ourselves to be the catalyst for change. Warhol called it six degrees of separation. Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter are proving that humanity truly is a number of degrees of separation from each other. I am often amazed at how many mutual friends I have on my facebook account with my friends. We are all so connected to each other and we are only just discovering how connected we really are. We can build upon those connections to change the world but it all begins with the individual. 

Each time a life changes for the better the world also changes. Waiting for government to solve all of our problems isn't the answer. Change must come a single person at a time. Then one by one each raindrop falls into a puddle, a stream, a lake, and then an ocean of change. Each of us is a raindrop. Change begins within each of us.

The power to end racism is in your hands. Politicians take an oath of office. Doctors take the hypocratic oath. Witnesses take an oath in court to tell the truth. Knights have taken oaths for over a thousand years. Oaths are also deeply rooted within our DNA. What if each of us took an oath to never discriminate against any human for any reason? What if we all asked our friends to do the same and they in turn asked their friends to take the same oath?

Wouldn't we see a wave of tolerance followed by an even more important wave of understanding? We might see the end of racism in all of its ugly forms swept from the world. We might see all negotiations on the global stage void of anything except logic and reason to bring about a new era of world peace.

There are so many things that divide us... can this be the single thing that unites us? Can we all take an oath never to discriminate against any human for any reason? 

I have taken this oath and I implore all of you to do the same. Make it meaningfull! Make it sacred! Kneel on both knees and have a few witnesses share this moment with you. I promise you that you will feel the change deep within your soul. I promise you that you will get up and walk a different life. It seems so simple yet so powerful.

We have it in us to end racism forever. Let's all kneel and take the oath together. A better world awaits...

The Cartel Will Continue

Forbes magazine listed the net worth of El Chapo Guzman at one billion. That seems a little light in that Acosta expanded the Cartel to new heights. In 2003 the estimated annual drug trade was 321 billion dollars. On February 22nd El Chapo Guzman was arrested; his cartel stretched across 50 countries. His drugs are responsible for 40% of all illegal drugs distributed around the world. His operation was able to outspend the government on training and equipment and for 13 years he lived in a network of safe houses many of which were designed with escape tunnels to flee from threats.

To put this in persepctive in April 1987, when druglord Pablo Acosta was killed he had a net worth of 25 billion dollars. That wealth allowed him to buy politicians, police, and military to protect his vast network of criminal enterprise. The film "American Federale" is available on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play and it illustrates the scope of this corruption. Lobo worked for the Federal Government in Mexico and he spent half of his time collecting cash that was filtered up to the high officials with each person in the chain taking his or her pinch before sending it up the ladder. When orders came down to take down Pablo Acosta it was for good reason.

When Lobo was tracking Pablo Acosta they would receive information and by the time they passed it up the chain Acosta had been tipped off and was a few steps ahead. In order to execute him they needed to maintain a circle of secrecy. One day a tip came in and they coordinated with the FBI to make a daring dawn raid on his compound. They circumvented normal channels and kept the information close to the vest.

Guzman's aprehension was done in a similar fashion. Doubtful that many of the rank and file Mexican Marines even knew the identity of their target. The Army wasn't informed and neither were local officials for fear they would leak information to Guzman and he would simply slip away. Guzman was known for coming into a restaurant and collecting all cellular telephones. He would dine and pick up the tabs of every patron of the restaurant. I would bet that the Mexican Marines cell phones were all collected prior to the raid. The sincerest form of compliment is emulation. 

American Drug Enforcement Agents, U.S. Marshalls, and Mexican Federales joined forces to track Guzman. They observed the Mexican Marines make the bust without a gun battle. The cat and mouse game that happened with Pablo Acosta and continued with Guzman is now over. The difference that isn't being discussed is that Guzman is alive.

In "American Federale" Lobo tells us that the Mexican Government emphasized that Acosta was to be killed. Nobody wanted him talking about the innerworkings of the cartel. Guzman can provide Mexican and American authorities with insights into who, where, when, and how the cartel operates. 

We have all grown tired of the body count along the border. There is a true desire to end the corruption and this may be the first step. But we all know that power does not give up easily and if we are going to see a new era in the war on drugs be prepared for a long fight.

"American Federale" teaches us that corruption is at every level of society in Mexico. Uprooting it may take a few generations. We all need to be prepared to replace the income ordinary people can earn by participating in the drug trade with real opportunities to put food on the table, a roof over their heads, and a quality of life. Stopping Government officials from looting and fleeing the country will go a long way to keeping avenues of opportunity open in Mexico.

Many are citing this as the end of the war on drugs. I see this as a new beginning... a hopeful beginning...

Michael Carlin has worked in journalism, film production, and publishing for over 30 years.
Carlin recently directed the documentary feature film, "American Federale." This film tells the story of the only American ever to serve as a Mexican Federale – the man who killed drug lord Pablo Acosta. Follow Michael Douglas Carlin on Twitter @MichaelDCarlin

He began with his family owned business, Keylite PSI, Carlin worked in many capacities including Controller, Executive Vice President and Board Member. Keylite supplied the equipment on over 500 feature films and over 3000 hours of television including: "The Untouchables," "Platoon," "JFK," "Hoosiers," and many others. Carlin also spent several years managing studio operations including the Osmond Studios, Valencia Studios, and the Earl Owensby Studios. Carlin left to produce a number of low budget films including: "Prision Planet," "Fraternity Demon," "Campus Hustle," "Now You Know," "Star Trip," and "Knife to a Gunfight." He worked as a Unit Production Manager on "Never on Tuesday," "Campus Hustle" and "Now You Know." Early in his career he published "The Entertainment Funding Sourcebook," "The Studio White Pages," and "Media and Entertainment Institutional Investors." He spent time working for Auto Trader Magazines learning the science of publishing and has launched a number of independent publications including a ten year stint as publisher and editor of the Century City News. He is the author of "A Prescription For Peace," "Peaceful Protests," and "Rise a Knight."