About Awareness

Now I will ramble about awareness. First I will make fun of my Buddhist friends. Using zazen or any other perfect formula is like using good drugs for medicinal purposes, it is just stupid. Being truly aware is like getting a lightning enema. Not very fun and just disgusting for the guy that has to clean that shit up.

Put down your crackberry or whatever evil tool of SkyNet you are currently using (but not before you read all of the words in this post) and just live in the moment. I live in the desert and the air this remarkable quality about it. It is free of that wonderful smell of decaying vegetable and animal matter. Things just dessicate here. Fear not though, your humble guide in this journey is well hydrated with the Water of Life for this post.

You can meditate by just stopping the chattering monkey in your head. Pay attention! (Please insert the tone and sound of a strong father figure in that, I always do). He was right, that is all you need to do. Just pay attention. Pay attention to the color of the leaves while paying attention to everything else like the smell of the air, the clink of ice cubes in a tumbler, remarkable Latinas walking down the street, and the smell of excellent food being cooked somewhere.

Once you have that, then know that the best case scenario to all this wonderful goodness is entropy, sickness, and death. It will most likely be really painful too. Even if it only hurts for a very short while at the end it will feel like eternity. If you can accept that you can get over the pervasive sense of dissatisfaction and be content. In short, life sucks - get over it. It will be over in a just a minute or two.

The big problem is this universe will likely continue after you are working your way through the intestines of some scavenger. We just can't hold a snapshot of reality. This is really happening.

Legalize it

The War on Drugs has gone on a long time. The results, illegal drugs are still in use. Maybe it is because people want to get high. It would be interesting if there were something in our history that would could compare this to. Prohibition possibly? The misguided move to make alcohol illegal in the United States resulted in blood and death while lining the pockets of criminals. Prohibition just doesn't work. What do we learn from repealing prohibition of alcohol?

Well, lifting the prohibition on drugs would take money out of the pockets criminals. It would also alleviate the pressures of our growing prison population. The cartels would not like it because they could not directly control drugs and the money any longer. In other words, it would short circuit the black market. Another benefit would be money in the public coffers that could be used to pay off the huge debt that the USA has accumulated. We could even cut costs further by getting rid of the Drug Enforcement Agency. Right now the US government spends about $500.00 per second in the War on Drugs. The only results being them needing even more money later to continue to fail in every way.

http://www.drugsense.org/cms/wodclock

Don't just think of the money and the benefits of dealing more intelligently with crime. There is an ethical issue. How much of a mother state do we need? Is it really the place of government to tell adults what they can and cannot put into their bodies? Medical marijuana is a positive step but it is far too shallow of a step. End the war on drugs and end another manifestation of the nanny state.

der is wisdom in dem der hills

Yes there is. It took many moons for me to figure this out. I am sure that countless others had this figured out well before me.

"Gawd willin' and da creek don't rise." I used to think that this should a profound lack of faith in the faithful. In retrospect it shows a profound pragmatism about the world. "Gawd" can will, or at least things can happen that people think is the Will of Zeus, by the creek does occasionally rise and it would be stupid to try to cross then. Sometimes things just don't work out. Sometimes those "acts of God" really stick it in and break it off. So be it, you have to maintain because the world won't meet you half way.

"Dawgs gonna hunt." Yes they will, anyone who has ever had a dog knows this. A bit deeper, everything will act according to its nature. If you are dealing with a crook, know it so you will know what he will do or at least you will know what motivates him.

Aside: "Bless his heart" means "look how stupid that boy is" or, depending upon context, "look how well he deals with the cards that life dealt." Afterall, it is all in the cards.

Then there are rattlesnake roundups. I can't figure that out, it seems crazy to me but I have done dumber things (though with less venom).

American Culture

For those that have never been out of the North-Eastern United States, there a bunch of Americans who by tradition and culture are Hispanic. From the liberation of Texas from the dictatorship down South to the other treaties and secessions, and our dear brethren in Puerto Rico, much of our country is Hispanic.

What makes them different is that the flag they fly is Old Glory. They love this country, have fought for it, died for it, and support it now. I have read websites that spoke ill of our countryment that are Hispanic. This is wrong and should be resisted by every true blood American. When should never kneel down, in the name of multiculturalism, to people marching on our nation's capital with the Mexican flag. The last time something like that happened Old Hickory whipped the Brits at the Battle of New Orleans (as a response).

American culture is this: Irish-AMERICANS, German-AMERICANS, Anglo-AMERICANS, Franco-AMERICANS, hell just throw it all out and include Euro-AMERICANS. It is also Hispanic-AMERICANS. I put "Americans" in caps for a reason. Citizenship to the United States, the nation that I served, my mother and father, my grandfather, my uncles and many other of my kith, kin, and friends have served is based on a dedication to a philosophy that (sadly) many of our political leadership has forgotten. We are not Mexico or Ireland. We are the United States of America. We are not any dirtass country like Afghanistan, we are the United States of America.

Our troops should not be spent on the freedom of people that hate us. Our efforts should not go to those that resent it.

Every day when I come home I look over the river and I see Juarez. I see the poverty that the good people there have to live under. Every day I hear the news of the decent folk being killed by governments that hate freedom and thugs that love only power. I feel for them. I desire their freedom, I hope for their chance to live under a regime that will allow them to live their lives. Sadly, evil men care more about blood and profit and wish to kill more than wish to build.

The same can be said about a relatively small but vocal element of Hispanic-Americans. These ignorant bastards actually believe that freedom stole land from Mexico. They give textbooks to kids in California that state that a large chunck of the United States was stolen from Mexico. They neglect to mention the legally binding treaties and the murderous nature of the dictatorships that those people chose to not be a member of.

Freedom is not a party. The President of the United States, has demeaned himself to cowtwo to the National Council of La Raza (The Race). Imagine our leadership speaking at a KKK meeting. It is the same thing. For the weak asses that might read this. Read up on on La Raza and anti-semitism. I know that you are supposed to hate all Anglo-Americans but you have to kiss Israel's arse (Remember the U.S.S. Liberty and King David Hotel). That small group which unfortunately has twisted the minds of a few academics, politicians, and all too many people that hate our country also hate Jews. Because of the holocaust you now have to resist La Raza.

National unity and fidelity is not enough. So how about anti-semitism. The oath of office is not enought, so how about killing and expelling Jews and white people. Don't mention white folk because killing them will never be a hate crime.

"Hate crime," has anyone ever committed a crime in which they loved the victim?

Is this thing on?

Okay, some have misinterpreted my ramblings. I am not anti-Hispanic or anything like that. I am anti-dipshit policies. I stand by my statements that everyone that is hear illegally is a criminal. That won't change.

We need an intelligent immigration policy. If we don't have enough work for the carpenters that are citizens we should not be letting carpenters in. There are places that we need skilled and unskilled labor. The employers can sponsor the workers. I am all for this and I really don't care about skin color.

On a related issue, the National Council of La Raza (the race) and other such organizations that are hostile to the United States of America should not be funded on our publically funded campuses (MeCha) or by our federal government (National Council of La Raza). This folks are willfully ignorant of history.

Texas is not stolen land. The Republic of Texas seceded from a dictatorial Mexico and won their independence. After about a decade they petitioned to join the United States. They just barely made it in. There were also considerations in the treaty that ended the Mexican-American war in which a lot of land was ceded to the United States and a sum of 15 million dollars was paid for it. There was another land deal in which more land was sold to the United States and the bill was paid. None of this is stolen land, it was paid for. Not too mention that the Americans of Hispanic descent were obviously more than happy to live in the United States instead of a dictatorial Mexico, but that would be asking too much. Of course it isn't necessary to answer because the President of the United States and Senator McCain speak at the National Council of La Raza.

La Raza, I wonder if there would be outrage if a senator spoke at an organization called the Association for American Identity? In our great nation we have distinct cultures that have come together to build the greatest nation on the planet. Anglo-European descent Americans, aboriginal Americans (yes "aborginal"), Spanish Americans, Franco-Americans, Hispanic-Americans. Our languages have always been English, Spanish, and French. Cajuns leaving Canada and moving to Louisiana, then a small little purchase agreement. They are still French speaking. French is an American language because they are Americans.

The state of New Mexico has its constitution in English and Spanish, and has since the state has been around because of the ethnic mixture of the state.

By the way, speak the language(s) or get out of the country. Better yet, observe the laws that are designed to protect the American people (government, enforce the damn laws, I don't care if the Chief Executive's uncle is in trouble for being an illegal alien). All service members have taken an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Language and/or ethnicity is not the issue. What is on the table is a gross violation of American law and occasional rounds fired at agents of our government that are executing their duties on the border.

Get with it people. Vote and raise hell. Don't stop there, raise more hell. The government doesn't listen to votes. Raise even more hell, make them listen. They will do anything to keep their jobs, well, we can make them do what is right.

What about social justice?

I was asked this just yesterday after somebody read some of my ideas on immigration, "what about social justice?" A good question is, what makes "social justice" different from "justice?" I get suspicious when people use phrases like "social justice" because it suggests that it is something different from "justice." I get bothered by phrases like "African American rights" or "Latino rights" because that suggests that it is something different from human rights.

This question was asked in reference to my stance on immigration. The real solution is not open borders. It is Mexico and other ailing states getting their act together. The people of Mexico are like the people from any other state that you could ever meet. They are decent in that they care about their families and want to make a living. That is something that we can all applaud.

What is unfortunate is that several police officers, other officials, and innocent people have been the victim of corruption and far too many have been murdered. The real solution is to help Mexico be successful. Presidente Calderon needs to clean house. I am a little scared of the things that Mexico will have to do to clean house.

Every day will I move across town I see Juarez. I read about what the people there are going through. My heart does go out to them. I look forward to a day in which they can build their lives and their country without living in fear of thugs and gangsters.

So what can the USA do about it? Not much really. Throwing more money at the problem certainly won't help because of the corruption in different levels of their government. How about we legalize marijuana and cut a huge portion of cartel profits? How about we change immigration policy to where it is not stupid? How about we control the border and have serious consequences for those that come across illegally? I have no problem with people that want to work and be free. Having met many immigrants I can say that I want more of them. Hell, I will even work out a two for one deal. You send us one good one and I have two that I would like to give to Mexico. Win win all around. Of course those being sent from the USA would have to speak Spanish and actually attempt to become part of Mexico. Hmmm, that could be an interesting comparative government post.

Someone remind me to tell everyone the "typical machete fight" story.

FEMA reset

Though I am lucky to live in a place now that suffers very little in the way of natural disasters I am aware that many other parts of the country are prone to them. I am not the only person that is aware of this.

The basic concept of FEMA is cool. Too bad it is another stumbling bureaucracy. Here is a FEMA revamp. Close it down. Fire all the political appointees. The states can then establish some type of cooperative agreement, paying into an insurance plan. Of course states that are more prone to natural disasters should pay more but you might be surprised how often FEMA money is paid out. Floods, fires, and the rest of the apocalypse happens pretty regularly. Maybe we can get Madoff to run the disaster relief plan for the states.