Billy and the Curley Brothers and the Gift of Music

Join Us for St. Patrick's Day (Week)

My older son, Josh Curley (on guitar), is a self-taught guitar player. My younger son, Eamon Curley (on violin), is a classically trained violinist who trained himself on guitar, banjo, piano, and mandolin.

Josh and Eamon create beautiful classic American music. 

They mix and blend Irish, rock, blues, folk, Appalachian, country, Western, and other traditions in weekly performances at microbreweries in the Frederick, MD, Northern Virginia, and the Martinsburg, WV, area for the past 3 years.

To hear Eamon's original American music creations, go here. 

Billy and the Curley Brothers 

After they have played in these local microbreweries and vineyards, weddings, and for other venues, many have told me it is great to hear their sweet American music live.

Often, they compliment my wife and I on raising such beautiful and musically gifted sons.

But the thousands of hours of practice to get to this level were done by them, so they deserve the credit.

I love to watch the way their music gets people laughing and talking and communicating at microbreweries, vineyards, parties, weddings and other places where they perform.

They took my Irish American roots and my wife's West Virginia American roots and created their own musical sound, tone, spirit, and beauty.

The world needs beautiful music right now.

I'm proud my sons, and Billy, are providing it.

The name of their group is Billy and the Curley Brothers. 

Billy Czajkowski is the drummer...and he is GOOD.

Both Josh and Eamon got degrees in mechanical engineers, but work as sound engineers. I think this professional expertise contributes to their American musical gift that comes through in the artistry of their live shows.

Music Heals the Soul 

The Government closed the country down in 2020 the day after they performed for St. Patrick's Day. Now, in 2023 the music continues.

After 800 years of slavery, the oppressor was never able to take the music, poetry, literature, language, joy, spirit, or life out of the Irish, or Irish Americans.

Despite the Vikings arriving every few decades and using their broad axes on them, the English and Cromwell slaughtering them and stealing all their land, livelihood and imposing the penal laws, and the horrors of the the Great Hunger, the Irish, rather than complaining, continued to laugh, loved, believe in God, and create...family, poetry, literature, laughter, love, dance, and music...lots of music.

And they passed on this dealing with disasters and horror with humor, music,, poetry, dance, stories, mature love, and beautiful smiles to Irish Americans, at least those who understand the ancient struggle, who celebrate the God's Gift of Life every St. Patrick's Day. 

A bit about St. Patrick here.

In a summary of this tough Irish survival mentality, my dad said to me once, "If a man pays you to clean up horse shit, you clean up horse shit. You can always wash your hands. You can't always earn another dollar."

And in a statement that indicated that the Great Hunger was still in the DNA memory, when informed I was going to Ireland after going to school in France, he said, "Why would you go to Ireland. It's terrible there. Why do you think they all left and came to America?"

I include a poem with my dad's humor and wisdom, "Eamon's Poem," below. I went to the American College in Paris when I was 19. They published in in their magazine, Au Courant, Summer/Autumn 2000, p. 6.

The Irish, and Irish Americans, always knew how to survive death, horror, disease, starvation, war, oppression, slavery, and other life difficulties with humor and music.

Enjoy Irish music with us if you can.

And Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

The lads will perform for many hours during St. Patrick's week.

Join us for some good craic!

Eamon Patrick’s Poem

Kicking your mother
from inside the liquid
universe of the womb
 
I feel so crippled
and broken
when considering
I have so much to teach you
and only the remaining
lifetime to do so.
 
It is hopeless, really,
except these two gems
that came down from a long, long,
line of men and women who survived
centuries of Viking invasions
whose barbarity was only surpassed
by the neighbor invader
who considered genocide
by the rule of law
such a jolly good adventure
and stole all the food
in the very middle
of the famine of all famines.
 
Through it all,
your ancestors survived
tenaciously creative
and green as moss
on the back of a stone
on the gentle Shannon river
and these two gems skip across
that great river to the Delaware
where once, when wondering
of ancestral roots I asked my father,
“Dad, what is it to be American?”
 
“Work.” “What?” I asked.
“Work.” he repeated. 
“Your grandfather worked.
I worked.  You’ll work.”
“That’s all?” “That’s all.” he answered.
 
“Then what is it to be Irish?”
“Hilarity.” He didn’t miss a beat again.
“Hilarity.  You gotta make ‘em laugh.”
So, there it is Eamon Patrick.  
 
If God takes me
before I get to teach you
all you need to know,
let these two words suffice: 
work and hilarity.
 
Work and hilarity
saved your people
over centuries of warfare, pestilence,
invasion, slavery, defeat, and famine
and eventually defeated
the greatest power on earth
so that I could write you this poem.
 
Work and hilarity
can carry you to the universe
and to the other planets
and when you find
a particularly hard planet,
name it “Work,”
and when you find
an especially funny planet,
name it “Hilarity.”
 
No matter what the planet or year,
work and hilarity are in your genes,
as am I, and all my dreams.
 
Bruce Curley
Germantown, MD
February 10, 1996

Data Situational Awareness: Ransomware and Bitcoin

Everyday You Exercise Situational Awareness

Maybe your son is about to do yard work. 

You remind him it is critical, as a red head, to put on and reapply sunscreen to avoid pain and skin cancer. 

As skin cancer can be prevented by wearing sun screen, applying sunscreen is an excellent way, or strategy, for preventing skin cancer.

The same strategy applies to your data. 

Like applying sunscreen to prevent skin cancer, you can apply a variety of measures to prevent your data from being stolen or compromised.

I’d like to suggest you apply that common sense situational awareness you apply to other areas of your life to protecting your data.

Hackers are like the Sun

They are out there 24/7 probing, locating data they can steal, and stealing it. 

Like the sun, they are a reality and you must deal with them. 

Also like the sun, they are not going away.

For your data situational awareness, be aware that hackers are always probing your device (tablet, computer, cell phone, etc.) but what they want is your data. 

Therefore, you must have a multi-layered strategy to protect your data from very real threats…like ransomware that can:

• Prevent you from accessing Windows.
• Encrypt files so you can't use them.
• Stop certain apps from running (like your web browser)

All ransomware will infect your device and demand that you pay a ransom to get access to your computer or data. 

DO NOT let that happen. 

Here are some tips to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Ransomware: WanaCry Example

One of the most recent hacking probes occurred on Friday, May 12, 2017. It was known as WannaCry. 

It attacked computer system data on approximately 350,000 computers in more than 150 countries within the span of 48 hours.

WannaCry is a unique ransomware strain that exploits a critical Microsoft Windows Server Message Block (SMB) vulnerability to spread like a worm, lending to its rapid propagation after just a few hours of initial detection. 

The exploit spread across network shares, encrypted data on the shares and left users unable to access their data unless they paid a ransom in the form of untraceable Bitcoin currency.

Thousands of users turned on their computers that day to see the following message:

"This massive ransomware attack was less successful than it would have been had they not sought their ransom payment in bitcoin. As criminals who use bitcoin to hide their activity to avoid being discovered, arrested and prosecuted, they assumed everyone knows how to obtain and pay them in bitcoins. 

Bad strategy on their part because, for all the computers they attacked the best estimate is that they only collected approximately $40,000 in bitcoin ransomware payments.

Although this attack eventually fizzled, we may not be so fortunate the next time. Hackers continuously analyse where they went wrong, redo their code, and send out a variation on the original ransomware several times after the original ones. Maybe you can take the steps suggested here before the follow up WannaCry code or other ransomware attacks your data."

You need a strategy to prevent data loss from ransomware and other attacks. 

Here are a few suggestions for how to get started.

Simple Ways to Prevent Loss of Data

•          Use strong passwords and change them frequently
•          Keep all your software up-to-date
•          Add the most recent software patches
•          Double check every email to confirm it is safe
•          Verify that you know the email sender before opening it
•          Verify any link in the email is safe before you click it
•          Back up your data (more below)

Back Up your Data

A basic strategy is to keep device, offline, or cloud backups of your data. 

And to be able to use your data, you will also want to back up your software programs at least once.

For ransomware attacks like this WannaCry, having backed up your data prior to the attack enables you to ignore it.

If you have all your data backed up, you cannot be fleeced out of your money.

Adopting a strategy of redundant backup is a good practice. 

The table below lists several tools that will help you ensure that you can back up your data so it is available when you need it. 

Chose one or two that are most useful to your circumstances.

Tools	Description
Cloud Computing	Cloud computing is taking services, including backup services, and moving to shared systems. Applications and services are accessed via the Web, instead of your hard drive.  The services are delivered and used over the Internet. The cloud infrastructure is maintained by the cloud provider (such as https://aws.amazon.com/).  This is a strategy that particularly applies for those who use their device and data outside their office.
Online Data Backup as a Company Service	There are many companies that will store your data at their data center on their servers, for a fee (such as Carbonite, Rackspace, etc.) and many other companies will backup and protect your data daily, for a fee online backup service that will automatically backup and synchronize your data across multiple devices. An online backup service makes it easy to access data from a mobile office.  Even if you have just one computer, this is a great way to ensure consistent backup and accessibility of your data after a system crash, ransomware attack, natural disaster, or other threats to your data.
External Hard Drive	An external hard drive is a storage device located outside of a computer that is connected through a USB cable or wireless connection.  An external hard drive is usually used to store media that a user needs to be portable, for backups, and when the internal drive of the computer is already at its full memory capacity.  These devices have a high storage capacity compared to flash drives and are mostly used for backing up numerous computer files or serving as a network drive to store shared content.  External hard drives are also known as removable hard drives. Available online or in retail stores such as Best Buy, Wal Mart, or Staples.
USB Flash (Stick, Jump, Thumb) Drive	Insert to your device USB port.  They are removable and rewritable. They are storage capacity has risen and their price has dropped.  It is a good practice to keep one with your keys so you always have it available to copy files, especially in an emergency.  USB sticks are constantly increasing in capacity and are highly useful for quick data backups.  They are highly portable.  Available online at The American Civil Defense Association (TACDA.ORG) website at our Survival Store. Our thumb drive is waterproof, EMP hardened as it is titanium, and contains our how to prepare for natural and manmade disaster course work you can master in your free time to keep your family safe.
Backup Ghost Computer	If you have valuable business or family data, you can invest in a backup computer or device.  Keep all your data on two devices and if one goes down you will have another one with all your vital data.  Computer prices have fallen so much in the past few years this is an option.

Do not risk being locked out of your data. 

Create a backup system NOW that includes archiving and routinely back it up. 

You can do this manually or automatically.

Auto Install or Manually Install Patches

Consider that those who applied readily-available Microsoft Windows patches on a regular basis BEFORE the WannaCry attack were protected. 

Other companies installed patches immediately upon hearing of the WannaCry malware and were protected. Both strategies worked, but is it always better to install the patches via auto install well in advance of an attack.

Anti-Virus, Anti-Malware, and Other Data Protection

There are many excellent antivirus, antimalware and other data protection software packages available. Prices and features vary. 

Many free ones are available online. Here is a link to a few: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2388652,00.asp

Don’t Fall for Phishing Scams

Phishing is a leading way that cybercriminals steal data. 

You receive an email that has an urgency to it. Inside the mail is a link that the sender urges the recipient to click. 

The link takes the user to a fake website and your data can be compromised. 

NOTE: NEVER open a phishing email!

Power On

Final Tip: Data depends on devices (computers, tablets, laptops, cell phones, etc.) that depend on POWER. To make sure you can access your data, make sure you always have power by maintaining extra that transmit power to your devices by remembering to have these items working and available.

• Mouse batteries.
• Computer batteries
• Power cords
• Surge protector
• Laptop batteries
• Generators (solar, diesel, gas)

Update: North Korea Source of the WannaCry Malware

For more tips on how to identify and fight ransomeware, click here.

James O'Keefe Breakthrough

I wrote about James O'Keefe's courage in 2013.

Ten years later, I stand by what I said.

I have have had the privilege of seeing courage, grit, moral fiber, certitude, and what what the Irish call "The Magics" only a few times in my life.
The Magics, for the Irish, are a God-given, extraordinary, almost superhuman ability, a special gift (poetry, politics, music, warfare, business) to understand and create for the greater good.

My brother-in-law, in addition to raising fruit for 48 years (no small task given the vicissitudes of rain, drought, too much sun, too little sun, pestilence, flood, rot, too much rain, deer who eat every seedling, and the 10,000 elements that prevent any orchard man or farmer from delivering God's good food and fruit every year to the millions) has The Magics.
I've seen it.
The first time I asked for my wife's hand in marriage, he came out of his 1972 Ford 150 and trained his sky-blue eyes on me and measured my mettle as a man...eyes that went right through me...and offered his hand in trust...knowing I would defend my wife, his sister, and his family and his neighbors and his nation...and I would. He knew it when he looked at me and I knew it. 

And we've been brother's ever since.
As a member of Delta Force, I respected his ability to defend us and to protect us from Central America to Vanuatu to Afghanistan. 

I honored him in a book loosely based on his character that I hope outlasts us both. 

Here is a link.
http://www.amazon.com/The-President-Hostage-Paybacks-ebook/dp/B00CG6NBX4
Kenny has courage, proven courage. 

So, too, does James O'Keefe.

I recently attended a book signing by James O'Keefe. He just wrote "Breakthrough: Our Guerrilla War to  Expose Fraud and Save Democracy."
Imagine a book that opens with this paragraph in the opening chapter: Through the Plexiglas.
"On the evening of January 25, 2010, I woke curled up in a fetal position, on a green mattress stained with seminal fluid, to the sound of my fellow prisoners chanting the Qu'ran."
Wow.
How the Feds can bring superior power down on your head if they believe you are not in line with their group think.
He won me over immediately.
He is real. 

His stories are real.
He is a Mic who has been tested in fire (the Feds have come down heavily on him with all their weapons) and he has come out stronger for the  bows, arrows, false accusations, the false arrests, government tyranny, and blind-sided by the horrors of a rogue government.
He is, as my working-class roots say, "real people."
Read his book.
It is a tale of courage.
Real courage.
Not manufactured media courage.

He lists a number of Veritas (truth) rules in the tome. Here are a few:
Veritas Rule #1: Content is king.
Veritas Rule #2: You must do what you can with what you have.
Veritas Rule #3: Use their own flawed construct to put them into a position where either way they can't win.
Vertias Rule #4: Find someone who can act and take action.
Veritas Rule #5: The law will always surround you. Learn it.
Veritas Rule #6: Always use props.
Vertias Rule #7: Resist the temptation to work or live in the Beltway. Restrict visits to twenty-four hours.
Veritas Rule #8: Expect the media to invest Gandhi: First they fight you, then they laugh at you, then they ignore your, then you win.
Vertias Rule #9: Think of the worst thing they can say and prepare your response.
Veritas Rule #10: Your manner matters more than your costume.
Vertias Rule #11: If you do your job right, expect to break new legal ground.
Veritas Rule #12: If you're creative, you can always make the news.
Veritas Rule #13: Safely extract the ta;e. If you don't, they'll say anything and be believed.
Veritas Rule #14: No journalist can speak truth to power unless they are willing to be slandered and arrested.
Veritas Rule #15: Stick to the facts.
Veritas Rule #16: Know who your friends are and stay loyal to them.
Veritas Rule #17: Never let your guard down. You are always behind enemy lines.
Veritas Rule #18: Obsess over getting your subject in frame.
Veritas Rule #19: When the content is strong enough, the publicity will take care of itself.
Veritas Rule #20: If you're doing your job, the government will be paying attention.
Veritas Rule #21: Stay on script.
Veritas Rule #22: Expect to be held to a higher standard than Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists.
Veritas Rule #23: Watch out for moles!
Veritas Rule #24: Walk a mile in your enemy's head.
Veritas Rule #25: If it feels wrong, abort and get out safely.
Veritas Rule #26: Guerrilla tactics are inherently antibureaucratic. It is sometimes necessary to operate at your own risk.
Veritas Rule #27: The truth is manifestly damning.
Veritas Rule #28: They may never understand your ideas, but they will be forced to understand your results.
Veritas Rule #29: Rock beats scissors. Journalism beats anti-journalism.
Veritas Rule #30: Don't blow your cover while inside the place.
Veritas Rule #31: Keep your mind open to people who know more than you do.
Veritas Rule #32: Brand your action, a nd it will have legs.
Veritas Rule #33: You will get a wave of creative adrenaline from to time. Go with it.
Veritas Rule #34: Double-check your facts before going public.
Veritas Rule #35: Be prepared to release your unedited tape. Ask your adversaries to do the same.
Veritas Rule #36: Mau-mau the flak catchers.

Veritas Rule #37: Ask forgiveness, not permission.
Veritas Rule #38: Remember, some journalists are more equal than others.
Veritas Rule #39: Big things have small beginnings.

(The photos you see in this post are from my son and his football teammates. I admire his courage on the football field. It is time for me to show the same courage on the life field.)

James O'Keefe spent time in the Federal Pen. 

He did the time. 

He kept his sense of humor, courage, class, humor, wit, intelligence, grace.
I have only met a few great men in my life. James O'Keefe is a great man. He is young, but he is creative, bright, courageous, true, independent, and funny.
He is a Fenian warrior, although he may not know it. 

I am at the other end of life so I can pronounce him and celebrate him for that.
This bizarre cabal of pretenders and sophists that have captured the power have no idea what they are up against.
Good.
Those who persecute him have control of all the levers of power...but it does not matter.
They are amateurs and in the end, the CITIZEN journalists like him will win.
And their time will pass as quickly as Nero, Stalin, Mao and all dictators do.
Celebrate James O'Keefe...his vision, courage, intelligence, wit, wisdom, and wonder.
And read his book Breakthrough.
It's a great manual.
I will defend him, American life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, freedom, my family, and Christianity to the end of my days.