'Murika: Chain Email

Anyone who has ever created an email account has gotten one of those political chain emails. You know the kind, right? One that has a big eagle flying in front of an American flag and tells you all about how we should be mad as hell and take our country back. Well, I got one the other day (I usually average someone sending me this type of thing a couple of times a month), from a co-worker. I thought I'd share it with you and then maybe take a little bit closer look at it.


Borders : Closed...




Language : English only .. .




Culture : Constitution, and the Bill of Rights!!!




Drug Free : Make a drug screen mandatory for congress and
For anyone on welfare and/or food stamps!




NO freebies to Non-Citizens !
Support Our Military!




Put God back in schools!

This one also came with a bunch of anti Barack Obama propaganda, but I didn't bother to post it. It's the same stuff that circulated about Bush, and Clinton before him. Nothing new.

So, I want to take a closer look at this, point by point;




Borders : Closed...
So we want to seal up the borders. I think it's no secret that our borders can cause a lot of problems when they can be so easily breached. That's a real issue, but it's much bigger than just saying "close the borders". From the tone of the rest of the email, I'm going to take a guess that closing the borders means keeping anyone from coming in to our country who is Mexican. I'm sure you wouldn't mind paying a few bucks for an apple or an orange, right? Yeah, shut the border down. How dare those Mexicans come over here, work for very little, doing jobs that most Americans will not take. And just like in Georgia, we can run them all off and just let the fruits and vegetables rot on the ground. Not everyone who crosses the border is a criminal. If you believe that, then you should stop reading right now, because you sure the hell won't like what I have next for you, Mr. Limbaugh. If you are not a native American Indian, you need to pack it up and go back the hell where your mutt ass came from. Because the last time I checked, our ancestors encroached upon (you can't discover something that already has people living on it) a native people and screwed the hell out of them for their land and in many cases, simply killed those native people. We brought disease, rats, and other segments of hell with us and dicked up a good thing that the native American Indians had going. Oh, and if you are black, forget all that I just said. Your ancestors were brought here to work the land and do the dirty work for the Europeans who decided there was a great deal of wealth to be had if one didn't mind taking over the land and enslaving human beings to take care of that land.












Language : English only .. .
 English only, huh? Well, whatever happened to expanding your horizons? Did the native American Indians speak English? Didn't think so. Now, you don't have to speak any language except English and you don't have to understand it either. But to alienate an entire segment of our population (ie, Mexican immigrants) simply because they don't speak English (and by the way we don't do such a great job of it ourselves) is foolish and hard headed. I do believe it would make it much easier for Mexicans to get along here if they did speak English, but what the hell is it to you?









Culture : Constitution, and the Bill of Rights!!!
Alright!!! I'm all for following the constitution and the bill of rights. So, where does that leave people who immigrate into this country legally? If we close the borders off, are we not slapping the hell out of what this nation was founded upon? And if you say you are for the rights of Americans in regards to the constitution, the bill of rights, and in civil matters, then you really can't be against gay marriage, abortion, and a myriad of other social issues. You are not allowed to cherry pick and shape what you like about our liberty to suit your life and beliefs. This country was founded on freedom. Not just freedom for white people. Not just freedom for straight people. Not just freedom for Christians. All of us should be free to pursue happiness and the famous "American Dream" and not have obstacles put in our way just because some people don't like what someone who is different says happiness is for them. If you believe in the laws and conditions that the founders of our nation enacted, then you need to read up on what they said. And with that, regardless of how you feel about an issue, you should direct yourself to the bill of rights and constitution, as well as consider the civil rights of others, when you think about whether something should be allowed or not. If one person is not free.....none of us are.









Drug Free : Make a drug screen mandatory for congress and
For anyone on welfare and/or food stamps!
 Sounds great doesn't it? Hell yeah!!! I don't want my tax money going to someone who is doped up all the time!!! Yeah....it really does sound good. Until you stop and think about it. Is it worth taking food, clothing, and maybe even shelter away from children because a welfare mom or dad puffs pot? If they are doing crystal meth and not taking care of their children, that's one thing (and probably need to have their children taken away), but a lot of people use alcohol and cigarettes to their detriment and to the detriment of our tax dollars. What's different about that? Why is that OK? If you don't like the poor drawing welfare, go look at how they are living and tell me what the alternative is. How many jobs are out there that someone can support a family on? Even getting a part time job or getting married can reduce benefits (if that's what you want to call them). What kind of fair is that? How many people are driving Porsche's and living in 100K homes and drawing welfare? Seriously, take a trip down to your local ghetto, if you dare. You'll see just how great the people on welfare and food stamps are doing. And we want to restrict them in a way that would hurt children? Sorry, but we have to come up with something better than that. As for congressional members using drugs......show me anyone who drinks alcohol, drinks cola/coffee, and smokes cigarettes/cigars and I'll show you a drug user. Oh, and by the way.....who is going to pay for all these drug tests? More of your tax money....so it will be you! It's about time we let each state decide what drugs are legal and which are not. You have heard of states rights.....right? No? Well, look it up...it's in the bill of rights. Skip ahead to amendment 10.



NO freebies to Non-Citizens !
 I guess I'm OK with that, unless we are talking about children not eating or someone having a health issue that requires immediate attention. No person, anywhere on earth should be hungry. PERIOD!!!!!!!!!










Support Our Military!
We do.....right? Don't most of us have quite a bit of respect and admiration for those who will put themselves in harms way to defend our nation? But, we don't have to and shouldn't have to feel like we are less of an American if we don't support the mission that they are sent out to do. 4,000 Americans, mostly civilian, were killed on September 11th, 2001 by Islamic terrorists (17 of the 19 were Saudi Arabian). Since then we have killed hundreds of thousands Afghan and Iraqi civilians in response. Read that again. OK....still don't get it? Read it again, or better yet, let me simplify it for you; 4,000 Americans killed by what are mostly Saudi Islamic terrorists. Hundreds of thousands of non Saudi Islamic civilians killed by us since. Yes, the Taliban did need to be toppled. But why did we go to Iraq and fuck their shit up? Because of UN resolutions that they had been ignoring long before 9/11/01? 9/11 provided us with a great opportunity to sell us going into the middle east on a war with no tangible goal, to make sure we have our finger in their oil when we really need it. We didn't build a billion dollar base in Iraq because we are skating our asses out of there. We are NEVER going to leave Iraq. So, support our people in uniform, but don't ever think you have to support the old fucks who are sending us to die for their ideas.








Put God back in schools!
So, here we are again......read the bill of rights and the constitution. Not everyone believes in "god" and when someone in this country says "god", they are talking about Jesus, not about just any god. Christians....you are the majority. You are winning. God is on money, it's in our pledge of allegiance and you are free to practice your religion anywhere.......except for on property supported by tax payer money. It's for your protection too. You can be free of government interference. It's your right to worship as you want. Just don't believe for a minute that it's your right to make others follow the same moral conduct or god that you do. If nothing else, you should be supporting the rights of all people to live the way they want to. To be free. That's why the country was founded. To be free to practice your religion your way.....or not at all. Schools are public institutions. They are not churches. Last time I checked, a church could start their own school. Have at it.


I sure hope that anyone who reads this (all 2 of you) will take the time to think about these issues on a deeper level and with that, think of all issues on a deeper level. Does your wants and needs mean more than someone else's, when looked at from a larger point of view? Is the kind of America we want, the kind of country who will deny people their civil rights, oppress people because of their skin color, sexual orientation, religion, education, or politics? Isn't there room for everyone to do their thing? Can we be truly free if we oppress the freedoms of anyone else?








Too Much Time On The Boards

Why? 

Why do I do it?

I am talking about my addiction to Internet message boards. I'm an argumentative person (not in a mean, shouting sort of way) and like to debate topics and issues that are meaningful to me. But, many times, I'm just venting and not really getting anything out of an Internet conversation. Or, the person on the other end has an agenda that doesn't really involve discussing the core of an issue and how to understand others points of view. 

I know that it's basically pointless, sort of like offering me a salad at dinner, but I keep going back to it day after day. What is it about my personality, other than the arguing thing, that makes me subject myself to talking back and forth with someone that I KNOW doesn't give the first shit about my opinion or thoughts? 

"I don't know."

In case you have never visited an Internet message board, I'll explain a few things to you. First, you are going to get identified with one group or another pretty quickly and it will take some time for you to break into conversations where people actually even acknowledge you. If you are a newbie, you can expect to get ignored a bit, unless you say something really provocative. You also will have to learn who the trolls and morons are. They are the people who basically say the same things over and over, without regard to topic or try to steer the intent of a post or topic into the direction they want it to go. They show little regard for what anyone is trying to get across, they just want to make sure they get to say what they want to. Hey, it's the Internet and they won't be held to account, so they act like assholes.

One of the most important things I have learned, and it has become increasingly obvious to me lately (with the help of my cousin) is that nobody is going to change their mind about anything, just because you have a good argument and good case against them and their beliefs. Most of the time, you are just going to entrench them and that will only lead to insults and degradation. Most people do not care to learn about anything other than what they know. Most people do not want to change their minds about anything, they just want to try to win an argument by shouting down and insulting the other side, or by making absurd and many times, hypocritical points. When a person is not willing to examine their worldview, there is no sense in trying to discuss issues. It's wasted time. Many times people will start a topic that is absurd and they are just looking for a place to find a "gotcha" moment and use the 1/2 ounce of wit they have to make an ass of themselves.  Taking the obvious and running with it can be useful in a conversation. Sometimes it's good to push the envelope and carry a thought out to it's illogical conclusion. But, on a message board, it's usually fruitless.

So, with that, I am weening myself off the distraction of the Internet message board, unless it is tailored to my interests or topics that I am interested in. I frequent a sports board, that has a political forum and have enjoyed some conversations there. But, the topics are fairly random and most of the folks on the board that are regulars, have become characters. They play a role, so there is no real room for a discussion, just new ways to express an inflexible point of view that allows them to fulfill a need for recognition. I have found a couple of message boards that are relevant to where I am in my life and I'm going to use those as outlets for discussion. Those boards tend to be less about staunch ideology and more about issues and how to better understand those issues.

I've been through the fire of losing my religion, controlling my depression, and putting myself in a better state of mind and I've found that the open message forum that I've been "enjoying" is not moving me forward. It's holding me back. I need to talk with people who don't project their view of me on to everything I say, because I've been open about myself. The Internet has some great uses and there are some good people on message boards who actually want to hear differing opinions and think about them. But, sadly, the majority are not. I'd be better off if looking at naked pictures of Jenny McCarthy and pulling my tool, than putting an idea out there for someone to slap down and reject out of hand.

So, I've been challenged to not post on my regular forum for 7 days and I've accepted that challenge. There are more useful things for me to do, including;

1) the aforementioned pud pulling.....to Jenny McCarthy (goes without saying)

2) spending time with the kids chatting

3) reading 

4) watching a documentary and learning something

5) creating by writing more

6) did I mention pud pulling......oh, yeah.....that was number one right

Well, time to get busy. Anyone have a tissue?

What Matters?

Sometimes, it's tough to get one of these started, because I write off the cuff and don't use an outline. So this one may be all over the place. I've tried looking at our world from an alien perspective. And it kind of makes me sad to see it that way. Once you suppress the notion to fall back into the safety of how we usually see the world and you look at what's happening, you can't help but feel like we have gone WAY off track.

On a global level, our world is in disarray. Because of nationality, race, religion, and borders, we are in a constant state of conflict. War is real. It's not a TV show. People die every single hour of every single day. Should it really matter to us if they are not American? I say it should matter. And you know it matters too. There are people starving and without shelter all over the planet. Should it matter to us if they are not American? I say it should. And, I also think you KNOW that it matters too. Life should be valued.

Television seems to matter....quite a bit. It's become our pacifier. Reality shows. Game shows. Shows about rich fantasy worlds that we mentally masturbate to, wishing we could have the perfect body, perfect mate, perfect house, perfect car, and a life of celebrity. If you need to get away from reality that badly, how about turning off the TV and creating a reality for yourself that will make you as happy as possible? We are allowing TV to live the life we want for us as we waste our precious time. Television can be a great tool for entertainment and education. But, we've started making the programming that discourages thought. We have shows talking about shows. We have shows that bring us the lives of others and how either "great" they are living or how "poorly" they are living. Opinion shows that tell us how we should feel about the news. I'd guess most people learn more about the world from Hannity, The Daily Show, and Hardball than they do from hard news sources or taking the time to learn about issues and hash them out on their own. Quite a bit of network television programming has become a drug. We have locked into the superficial or the lowest common denominator without thinking of the reality that lies in between.

Most of us look at issues like gay marriage, drug legalization, capital punishment, and abortion from a very staunch, unwavering viewpoint. That's all good and fine, but are we gaining anything as a human being by being so firm that we don't consider others? We need to form opinions.....educated opinions. But, we also should be taking into account the person on the other side of the issue. Why do they want what you do not? If you drop the preconceived notion of what you think their agenda is and actually bother to find out, you may bring yourself to a point where you are actually thinking about the issue without the many coats of paint (religion, up bringing, peer pressure, misinformation, distrust, fear) you have used to color your opinion. It's not that anyone has to really change their mind, as much as giving your mind a chance to change. Pull out your given ability. Let your mind work. Social issues matter, but understanding one another and being able to come to logical, workable conclusions should matter even more. Right now, the disagreement and political lock down we've allowed ourselves to fall into are prevailing and the solutions are not being approached. Ever wonder why we have the same issues come up in every election? We are not looking for solutions and common ground...........we look to impose. We look to win, no matter the cost to the other side and eventually, to ourselves.

We (human beings) have the ability to make this world what we want it to be. We have the tools to do so. But, we have allowed the foxes to run the hen house for so long, we may be past the tipping point. Our world is full of plague, death, hunger, and oppression. We are trashing the planet and exploiting it. We don't have to be. We don't have to be (to paraphrase Joe Rogan) mold just devouring up the land and resources. We don't have to find it acceptable that after 4,000 people (mostly civilians) were killed on 9/11/2001, that we go out and help to create over 100,000 civilian deaths (and that is a conservative estimate) according to a study by Brown University. Civilian Deaths-Brown Study  We don't have to find it acceptable that we take political military action against Libya because their government is fighting rebels, while we allowed the inhumane slaughter of hundreds of thousands in South Africa because of their religion and/or ethnicity. We don't have to accept that we actually pay farmers NOT to produce, while we have children going hungry here in the USA and all over the world.

We have made it socially acceptable that we are putting our children on synthetic meds to control their behavior instead of teaching them the value of having respect for themselves and others. We have stopped trying. We are just fine with alcohol, tobacco, sugar, coffee, tea and harmful man made drugs destroying our health industry and lives, but will pound the table and fight tooth and nail to keep marijuana (a benign substance) illegal. Why is it that drugs that keep us motivated to think a certain way and to follow a certain path in our lives are allowed, even encouraged to become parts of our lives, but the natural substances that cause people to think in a different way and are non-toxic (marijuana, DMT, psilocybin mushrooms, salvia) are kept illegal for adults? Our job is to consume and follow a path of production that will allow others to consume. But, as we become more and more locked into that, we are giving up the ability to realize that we have the power to shape the world the way we want it to be. Become aware....or conscious and then talk to others. Write your congressman or senator. Vote out those who are enslaved to corporate interests. Party means nothing. We are all in this together. It's time for the division to be over with.

At one time, when we were far less "advanced" than we are now, we lived on this planet in a manner that could be considered cooperative. Early civilizations worshipped both female and male gods. Women were considered the equal of men and there was a shared existence. These cultures used natural substances to gain insight. They used natural substances for food. They used natural substances for medicine. I wonder how much cancer, starvation, heart disease, and mental illness they had? We don't have to go back to living in the jungle or in caves. But, we can begin to get control of what is happening. We can feed the world. We do have enough energy sources to last us until the end of our existence. We do have the ability to understand each other, compromise, and to leave each other to our own pursuits in life. We have to take back the planet from the few who run it. It won't be easy. It won't be soon. The revolution must begin with you and you alone.

Ever heard someone say "Change yourself and change the world"? I've heard that a lot. I never understood it. Recently I sat and thought about it after reading some Terence McKenna, watching a documentary about different philosophies of life (both religious and non-religious) and conversing with a couple of friends. I get it now. If I don't change, the world won't. You have to allow yourself to think differently and to react differently to what you find acceptable and unacceptable. We are all different. If you want to be loved....love. If you want to be treated with kindness.....treat others with kindness. If you want respect....give respect. See the world in a different way. People will notice. Over a period of time, you can have an effect on a lot of people in your life. Friends, family, co-workers.....you can influence them in a way that will be beneficial to you, them, and our culture. We can't get started without starting.

I challenge you to value your life and the lives of others in a new way. Realize that you have a short time on this planet, you can make it more enjoyable, and you can be a part of changing things. Even if it's 100 years down the road, if we care about humanity and its' existence, we should be willing to put our best foot forward and begin the change right now. I know it all seems to big and we, as individuals, seem to helpless. That's why you have to think locally. Think about what you can do for yourself. Change yourself and change the world. See the world differently. I'll lay down a challenge....and if you do it, I'd be surprised if you didn't come away from it, at least feeling like it was worth trying.

1) Go two weeks without watching any sort of reality program that deals with how people live (Cribs, Lifestyles, etc). Instead, during the time you would usually spend watching those things, read a book on a science subject or watch a social or science documentary. Watch "Through The Wormhole" or "Universe".

2) Pick a subject that you are very passionate and firm on. Then learn about the opposing view or find a person who is in disagreement with you and find out why they feel differently. Interview that person, without adding your argument. Just ask questions and listen.

3) Find a couple of pieces of music that you really love (Beethoven, Beatles, whatever...) and listen to them with headphones on. Lay down in quiet place and just let yourself enjoy the music without thinking on subjects that have to do with your day, your job, or anything that you usually think about.

4) Spend some time thinking about "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and what it means to you. What does it mean to others? Are those things available to everyone? Why or why not? Do you have an obligation to speak up for those who are not being able to enjoy those basic rights? Do you have the right to keep other adults from those things? What if it were you who felt slighted by that promise?

5) Go about your work and "have to's" in a different way. It's what you do. It's what most of us HAVE to spend some of our time doing, so why not put a different spin on it. Enjoy the feeling of purpose and accomplishment. If you have to spend your time on something you wouldn't ordinarily choose, either stop doing that job or change your attitude towards it.

6) When a family member talks to you during a task....stop what you are doing and be present with them. Stop and listen.

I don't know if doing those things will change your worldview, but I do know that those things have worked for me and a few others I know. I have a ton more I could write on this, but this isn't a book, so I'll have to stop somewhere. I'll provide a few links that may be useful to anyone who wants to put an effort into being a more understanding, aware, and perhaps even a happier person!

Recommended Programs

The Nature Of Existence    I highly recommend this one. Travel the world and get the thoughts of all sorts of people of different religions and cultures, about life, death, and in between.

BBC-The Secret You  A mind blowing 60 minutes. This show explores consciousness and just how little control we have over the very inner working of our mind and free will. If you choose to watch only one link I've provided....watch this one!

Netflix: The Corporation  

Change Yourself, Change The World

Netflix: Flight From Death

Through The Wormhole w/ Morgan Freeman

Marijuana: Evil Drug or Natural Medicine

Science Saved My Soul

The Union

Recommended Reading

Food Of The Gods: Terence McKenna

The Moral Landscape: Sam Harris

The Ragamuffin Gospel: Brennan Manning   Although I am no longer a religious person, this is an excellent book about grace, acceptance, and forgiveness. I highly recommend it, as it should apply to everyone, not just Jesus or Christians.

Letters From Earth: Mark Twain

The Greatest Show On Earth: Richard Dawkins  If you don't understand evolution, this is the book to learn with. Very thorough.


Finally, I leave you with a few quotes from Henry David Thoreau...........

If a man believes and expects great things of himself, it makes no odds where you put him, or what you show him ... he will be surrounded by grandeur.

Have no mean hours, but be grateful for every hour, and accept what it brings. The reality will make any sincere record respectable.

Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.

That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.

You can hardly convince a man of an error in a lifetime, but must content yourself with the reflection that the progress of science is slow. If he is not convinced, his grandchildren may be.

Bill Hicks: A Man Ahead Of His Time

"We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free."

If you have not heard of comedian Bill Hicks, you need to get your life in order. Hicks is one of the rare comics who can make you think beyond the joke. Like Bruce, Carlin, and Pryor before him, he spawned many comics that are making us laugh while turning the world around us around, just a little, so we can get a better look at the absurdity of our society and culture.

"Watching television is like taking black spray paint to your third eye."

"Children are smarter than any of us. Know how I know that? I don't know one child with a full time job and children."

Hicks died of cancer in 1994, but is more popular now than he has ever been. The topics he was tackling at that time are still very relevant today. War, drugs, politics, personal freedom, and how we treat the less fortunate. There is a message to his comedy and when you see him really starting to get into it, you know he is coming from a real place. The comics that have followed in his footsteps include Doug Stanhope, Bill Burr, and Joe Rogan. Kick ass comedians who push the line between what's funny and what's funny but shouldn't be.

 "I love the Pope, I love seeing him in his Pope-Mobile, his three feet of bullet proof plexi-glass. That's faith in action folks! You know he's got God on his side.”

"They lie about marijuana. Tell you pot-smoking makes you unmotivated. Lie! When you're high, you can do everything you normally do, just as well. You just realize that it's not worth the fucking effort."

The BBC just released "American: The Bill Hicks Story" last week on DVD/Blu Ray and I highly recommend it. There are quite a few of  his bits on You Tube also. Do yourself a favor and give a few some of your time. I have been captivated by how he viewed the world and I have found myself realizing that he was spot on about quite a bit. One drawback for me....after seeing him for the first time, I realized that there is no reason for me to even try.

"It's just a ride and we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings and money, a choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your door, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one."

Sooo.......what to watch on my last day on earth???

"Armageddon" or "Left Behind"?

Bruce Willis or Kirk Cameron?

Great special effects or effects that are anything but special?

A totally ridiculous plot or a totally ridiculous plot?

Michael Bay or Vic Sarin?

Yes, THE Vic Sarin, who has done such great films as "Sea People" and "The Insurance Man From Ingersoll".

"Armageddon" it is. Even if I have to put up with Liv Tyler.....yuck!