Picture the frozen Delaware River on Christmas night, 1776. A howling nor’easter drives ice and sleet across the black water. Oars creak against the current as Durham boats grind through floes. At the prow of the lead boat stands a towering figure in a blue cloak, tricorn pulled low, jaw set against the gale. George Washington, forty-four years old, stares toward the New Jersey shore where Hessian mercenaries sleep in warm barracks.

SHASTA UNFILTERED is starting a weekly post to honor our greatest patriots who have helped shape our great Nation. Issue 1 - Alexander Hamilton

In an era before the internet, social media, or viral memes, Thomas Paine achieved what we now call "going viral" with his revolutionary pamphlet Common Sense. Published anonymously on January 10, 1776, this 47-page tract sold an estimated 120,000 copies in its first three months and up to 500,000 by the end of the Revolutionary War. With a colonial population of about 2.5 million, it reached roughly one in every five colonists—men, women, and children.

Leadership is the art of guiding individuals toward a shared vision, sometimes under duress or resistance, to achieve extraordinary outcomes. The premise that organizations only accomplish great things through sound leadership holds true across epochs, as effective leaders provide direction, inspire commitment, and coordinate efforts amid chaos.

On January 24, 2026, the New California State Convention in Redding drew a large crowd of attendees from across California. Organized by the New California movement—which seeks to create a new state from rural counties under Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution.Following earlier speeches by Lara Logan and Joe Hoft, Donald E. Wilson and Kathleen Goble addressed the audience with perspectives on history, governance, and emerging technological challenges.

Over three electric days at the Red Lion Hotel in Redding, nearly 300 fired-up patriots gathered for the New California State Convention. This wasn’t just another political meeting—it was a rallying cry for a bold vision: splitting California into two states. “Old California” would keep the coastal and government power centers (San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and Los Angeles), while the rest of the state would rise as New California, the potential 51st state with its own