Feliz Año Nuevo

With the new year merely 3 and a half hours away I want to contribute all I can to my own well being and state of mind before the beginning of the new year. In order to enter said year with a fresh outlook and an intelligent implementation of ideas. Instead of doing the normal new years resolution or in my case new year "list of things I want to accomplish and embed in to my character", I plan on going in to the new year with absolutely no plans, goals, conceptions, dreams, notions or worries. I want to enter this new year the exact way I entered the world, as a blank slate. As a person who is ready to except all possibilities and challenges with a broad imagination and basic understanding of the people and things around me.

Time to gather all my strength and wits, in order to face head on, the obstacles which lay ahead of me. Time to let go of the past, quiet my concerns of the future, and seize the opportunities of the present.

I'll be back...!

Obamarijuana

Last week Change.gov opened a section called Open for Questions. The number one question:

"Will you consider legalizing marijuana so that the government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs and create a billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.?"

Sadly the response later in the week was:

President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of Marijuana.

This coupled with his selection for Attorney General Eric Holder makes even the slightest of chances that Marijuana would be legalized under Obama vanish.

Holder has fought to create mandatory 18 month sentence for Marijuana sellers.

"Worse than this he defended his client Chiquita Banana Corp’s financing of death squads in Colombia by stating that such activities are not against international law. Please spread the word and write to congressmen and senators on the judiciary committees to block his appointment."

~Psychedelic Salon

At the very least Obama will most likely end the DEA raids on medical Marijuana clinics and if we are incredibly lucky maybe the entire country, or at least more than 14 states will be voting on legalizing medical Marijuana.

A step in the right direction, but a very small one. We need a president who understands the reality of the war on drugs in America. That it is failing terribly and wasting millions of dollars.

We need drug treatment, not mandatory jail sentences.

We need an intelligent differential between classes of drugs. Separating the harder drugs like heroin and crack from Marijuana and Peyote.

We need to completely decriminalize natural substances such as Marijuana, Peyote and Psilocybe Mushrooms and avoid going after others such as Salvia and San Pedro.

We need to create new multi billion dollar industries right here in America by producing and distributing these newly legalized "drugs"

We need to send hard drug addicts to treatment and follow up on them with social work instead of sending them to jail.

We need to spend more money on drug awareness and education than on trying to get it off the streets. Drugs will always be there, but if we have informed youth they will know to avoid them.

We need to spend more military and economic might on strengthening the governments of the countries who are run by drug lords and war criminals instead of oil tycoons.

There are alot of things this country need to do. But with all of our attention drawn to two wars, the economy, and our every day struggles, no one is demanding too much right now, just the bare minimum of security and a semblance of comfort.

I demand more of my Government and Society though. And so should everyone. Even if it isn't about prohibition, everyone has a beef with how things are run. In a country of by and for the people we should all have the chance to have our voices heard and our concerns dealt with.

Rights Shmights

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

"

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."



"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."



"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Oh My Stars & Garters

It amuses me how items come back in to style. Retro as it may be. Rummaging through parents closets. Thrift stores. Hand me downs. I don't understand fashion and trends. New clothes being designed and made every day, when there are millions of articles sitting at the bottom of someones dresser, in a donation bin and hidden in peoples basements. We don't think of clothes as something that needs to be preserved or recycled. Just throw them out or donate them and get new ones each season. WTF?! Waste money, buy new clothes only to get upset the moment they stain or rip, contribute to the multi millions of a company like the Gap making a fortune off sweat shops overseas.

Preserve your clothes, appreciate them, some people don't have the abundance of cloth that this nation seems to take for granted.

Cluttered Minds

Living in cluttered environments create cluttered minds. A never ending stream of thought, with no focus and no destination. A mess of objects and possessions strewn about your personal space. Emotions, tempers, exuberance or will power constantly fluctuating from one extreme to the next.

Become centered, flow with the universe, clear your mind, organize your possessions. Live a focused and determined life with good cause and just resolve. Know the goals and aspirations that are achievable and those which should be left behind. Share with others and care for yourself.

Live Life.

Till 6 in the Monin'

The crack head hours, when almost everyone at the party is gone, but whoever is left is either passed out on the couch or searching for any left over beers. Coming down from E or still smoking bowls. The crack head hours are my favorite part of any party. Somehow I always make it, 6 in the morning, 7, 8, going on my twelfth hour of drinking. But hey, that's nothing to an alcohol enthusiast like myself. Wandering from room to room, finding some of the weirdest situation and left over party items that anyone could possibly imagine. Hell most people can't even imagine the things I've seen at 6 in the morning, because usually the person who did it was so fucked up they weren't even aware of it. It is all instinct and insanity. Beer, bongs, drugs, dancing, girls, guitars, and a whole lot of anarchy. Happy Thanksgiving...

Parkour

Coolest "sport" ever... massively dangerous, incredibly diverse, and readily achieved in any location.







...

Twilights Last Gleam.

At the end of every great accomplishment, whether it is a small or great task, there is the last gleam of achievement just before the onset of completion and the personal responsibility of caring and nurturing for said accomplishment while moving on to achieve even more.

Don't let that last gleam steal so much of your attention and emotion that it makes it hard to accept the inevitable end of an era and the dawning of a new one. Let that shimmer of light fade in order to create space for a new spark to ignite the limitless possibilities inside of us all.

Just Breathe

Air, Water, Earth and Fire. Breathing, Drinking, Eating and Warmth. These are the only things we need to survive. I used to include companionship in that list but it occurs to me that if a infant was abandoned at birth and some how managed to survive and never knew the companionship of the mother, family and friends, s/he could still survive on the four necessities, which are more commonly known as the four elements. Life is in abundance all around us, there is no need to work to make money to survive. Just breathe. Just drink of the fresh rain water and eat of the wild vegetation. Plant a garden, build a cabin, start a fire.

But you say, I love civilizations luxuries. I do not want to go back to simpler days. Well then use the fire of the sun to power your solar powers home. Fill said home with only the simplest of luxuries that you deem to be necessary. Maybe a laptop or a TV. A fridge or a blender. But in using the power of fire to enable these devices to work you are going back to simpler times, while incorporating modern technology.

Use the water of the clouds to fill your reservoir, don't be duped in to being stuck to a grid in which you have to pay for a free substance. Not only pay but be subjugated to drinking water which in contaminated with fluoride, iron, surfer and all sorts of nasty chemicals. Save rain water, drink it, shower with it, water your garden, live.

Fire isn't the only manner of generating heat and electricity, invest in wind power and the very air around you will come to life. Learn to love the environment around you. The very atmosphere that sustained this planet long enough to give us the ability to inhabit it. Take care of the air around you and it will take care of you.

Earth is the easiest element to take advantage of. Buy a plot of land, plant some vegetables and fruits. Save money at the super market that way. Go even further and you can plant grains to make bread, hops and barley to make beer, Ginseng, Ginko and St Johns Wart to cure illness, sugar cane or corn to create bio fuel. The possibilities are endless, the fertile ground around us can give us more than we even recognize.

Money is not the solution to all of life's problems, it is the cause. It is the fact that we have been trained to believe money is the only way to survive that we are stuck in the rat race work place, the never ending debt and this all consuming consumerist society. Everything you need in life is right in front of you. It is all around you. It is the planet, atmosphere, and elements you stand amongst right now. Just Breathe.

Sleep Walkers

People who go about their lives in an unconscious state in which they allow their emotions and their initial impressions to dictates their every action. People who start fights over parking spots, who threaten employees who need the day off to visit a sick family member, who become vindictive and vengeful over getting cut off. These people truly are living a life of absolute absurdity. They don't understand the need for calm, rational examination of the current situation. They don't think of repercussions or ulterior alternatives. They are endlessly drifting through life reacting to events they think they have no power over, giving them the need to stress their perceived social strength over the individual or situation causing them to feel powerless. Instead of living life in a state of re-active response we must start being pro-active in our ability to form the environment around us. We must start being pro-active in our ability to adapt to others perceived or actual projections on our ego. Just cause someone "unjustifiably" damages your character doesn't mean you have to give them the extra joy in indulging in their level of social stupidity. Laughing them off and treating them as the immature party, or telling them straight up what's real and what they are going to do for you, or just straight up completely ignoring the situation is IMO the best manner of dealing with people who are completely sleep walking through life.

Real News

Ted Turner, General Electric, Rupert Murdock, The Walt Disney Company, Bill Gates, Viacom, these are the people and corporations controlling the news you receive every day. These are the people whose opinions dictate the level of attention a certain story will or will not get. Based on liberal, moderate, or conservative idea's these people decide how they want their news stations and papers to report the news.

I guess it's an ok system if every individual understands that concept of biased control and uses each station equally to try and balance the coverage to find a happy medium. But who actually does that besides me and a few other dedicated individuals? Most people don't even watch the entire news cycle from the station they choose, just the commercials, the taking points and the repeated loop of the same 3 news stories over and over all day long.

How are we to be an informed and concerned citizenry without actually being given the true information we need to make up our decisions properly? If we are being bombarded with biased news such as Sean Hannity labeling Barack Obama a socialist or Keith Olberman calling Sarah Palin out on unverified claims of not knowing that Africa was a continent, how are we to actually focus on the real issues at hand?

If ABC decides that the civil war raging in the Congo isn't worth covering, but Barney the White House Dog biting a reporter is worth their time, how are we to know what is going on around the world? Is CNN interviews Mitt Romney for a half an hour and Ron Paul for 3 minutes how are we to get any real perception of who we want to run our country?

If most people don't even watch the "news" that is most prevalent in our western culture, and get their information from second hand sources who are just barely paying attention to what is going on around them, that makes us a society of completely uninterested, unconcerned, uneducated, buffoons. This is not a generalization, I am not offering up that everyone is like what I just stated. However the sad truth is that MANY, MANNNYYY people are. They get their news about the election from chain e-mails and neighbors who get their information from Bill O'Reilly or Chris Matthews, leaving everyone completely in the dark.

Don't get me wrong, all the pundits I have named thus far are incredible at what they do, and that is rallying the base, "reporting" on certain daily events, and entertaining their audience. However they do not report the news, they are not real reporters, they just watch the news as it comes in and give their opinions. Like I already stated though, that news that is coming in to them to discuss is strictly limited to what their parent corporations want them to report on.

So these pundits are being fed the news to discuss in front of camera in order for the America people to feel a semblance of understanding of what is going on around them. The sad part to me is that I truly believe they hire certain pundits knowing that they won't question their position, they don't want to be real reporters, they just want to be in front of the camera. They don't care if what they are reporting is hear say or completely false, they just word it in a way that they can't be blamed for the accusations.

Read a book, search the internet, vary and limit your corporate news intake, subscribe to private, uncontrolled, YouTube news stations, talk to experts, and when all of that comes together to the point of true understanding, create or report the news yourself. This world is much larger than the 2008 Presidential Election, or the Olympics, or a 100 MPH car chase. There is alot more out there to learn about if you truly want to be an informed and concerned citizen of your country and your world.

Music

Truly is the vibrational and inspirational wave to be ridden to absolute perception. Being able to vibe with an instrument, especially with the addition of multiple people jamming, is the ultimate. Being the notes, being the beats and the silence. Being the music you are making. Feeling only the present moment, no concern with the sound that was there and no thought of the sound that will be there, only a deep investment in the sound that is here! No teacher can instill this skill in you, the ability to be here and now. It is something each individual has to nourish in themselves. By taking control over your consciousness, taking control over your own mind. Not letting it dictate what emotional state or what memories are going to pop up today. We have to take control over our mind just as we have control over our limbs. We have to tell our mind to stop wandering off, to stop being in the past and the future. There is so much to experience right now that is missed out on because of this wandering. The present is the meaning of life, it is all encompassing, it is the potentiality of any and everything and the accumulation of everything that has been. Just be. Just be.

Time Travel

I just realized that you can look up years on Wikipedia and it will tell you what will happen on what date. Now that may not sound too interesting when thinking about looking up past years, but the thing is you can look up future dates as well. Important events like the winter solstice, the super bowl, and election day can easily be predicted, as the dates are set in stone. However the interesting part is entries like these for the year 2012:

February 7 - Scrambles the Death Dealer will attack Washington D.C. and the end of the world as we know it will begin....also meatloaf will be served.

September 11 - Britney Spears runs for president.....oh damn, shaves her head again, and marries Tom Cruise to start an evil cult of Scientology

December 12 - Happy day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Obviously someone got their Wikipedia editing privileges and no one has noticed their contributions yet. Thank God for that!

Reading about the future on Wikipedia almost seems like being able to... well read the future!! Is that what we are coming to eventually? Is that what time travel may start as, our ability to foresee future events with such great precision that we'll be able to know when and what of importance we will be facing in years to come? Then again if we are supposedly writing the future out for all to see, it being written may be the reason that certain events do come to fruition.

I think with powerful computer simulation programs, intelligent human futurist, ancient divining methods, and a strong understanding of the past and how it impacts the present we will be able to very commonly and precisely predict future events, technology, and cultural fads. Only time will tell.

Dichotomy

Does anyone wonder where our candidates for President come from? Who chooses the people who will be running in the primaries and then in the general? Sure it was the American people who voted Barack to be the Democratic candidate over Hilary, however it wasn't us who chose who we wanted to pick between. Dennis Kucinich and Bill Richardson never had a chance, same can be said of Mick Huckabee and Ron Paul. We knew before the primaries even began that it would be either Barack or Hilary VS either Mitt or John. Is that real choice? No all that is, is the dichotomy of a two party system. It is a bunch of pawns being put in to place, to allow the American people to feel a semblance of control over our system. The truth is no matter who won between the four front runners true change will never occur. We will still have an imperialistic military playing Risk with the world. We will still have a Federal Reserve taking loans from the World Bank in order to print money out of thin air to distribute to the American people. We will still have corporate media control of the majority of TV and print news that makes up most people's opinions on the world around them. We will still have secret meetings between high ranking government officials, CEO's, royalty and billionaire investors in order to make decisions about the things we believe our government is actually in control of. We will still have 1 percent of the population controlling 90 percent of the wealth. Maybe, just maybe if we're lucky we'll get some semblance of universal health care, start moving towards energy independence, and begin to intelligently use science to our benefit under an Obama administration, but the change we truly need to get this country out of it's downward spiral of weakening civil rights, economic woes, and military over extension hasn't been mentioned once by any of the candidates the media has focused on.

True Change will not come about until the people of the world stand up and demand it!

HR 1959

The Violent Radicalization and Home Grown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007.

Is a freaking joke. It is worded so loosely that almost anyone that dissents to the actions of the government can be labeled a terrorist, have their rights taken away and be thrown in to Gitmo without a trial.

Is this the land of the free, the home of the brave that you were taught about in school? A place where your government thinks you are an enemy. A place where, even if this bill doesn't pass the senate, it has already passed the house with only 6 votes against it. Just the fact that a bill like this has been written makes me scared and worried about the current state of our Republic.

You know why these kind of things can happen right under our noses. Because most Americas just don't give a fuck. They're too busy working to pay the bills, taking care of kids, and watching reality TV. So instead of wondering what their elected government is enacting, in order to take away even more of our rights, they are being corporate media zombies!

Then the next problem is most people that would find out about a bill like this just don't care. They truly think the Patriot Act and HR 1959 will keep them safe from "terrorists". The only terrorists you have to worry about are the ones on capitol hill. The ones systematically and knowingly destroying our constitution. Them being able to check our library records, and tap our phones, and label us terrorists will not keep us safe. It will keep them safe from us when we realize the horrific acts they have been committing against us. By the time we want to do something about it, it will be illegal to say or do anything and anyone who dissents will be rounded up and jailed.

Scary shit, and hopefully something that never comes about, but the facts are that it really is a 50/50 chance. This bill could pass within the next year or so and then out first amendment rights are completely trash. So while I am sure you are very happy with your menial job, your VH1 Celebreality, your addiction to prescription anti depressants, your ebbing and flowing oil prices, your President Elect Barack Obama, your Starbucks and bar hoping, there is alot more to life and alot more to the government than you will ever realize. Start paying attention and start demanding accountability, or else you may never be able to.

Or you can dig your head in to the ground and ignore the truth, ignore the real issues we face today, and make believe that our only problems are health care, education, energy, abortion and gay marriage. Don't get me wrong, these are issues, but they are just very broad one's that the government uses to take our attention away from the thousands of agendas on the table which they know the American people ignore and could care less about. Giving them the ability to do whatever the hell they want!

Read a book, become informed, take your mind off menial events and people and start actually being an informed and concerned citizen of your country.

Renewable Energy

Every time I hear people complaining about electric and oil prices the first thing I tell them is "You know, for the price it is going to cost you to fill your oil tank over the next 4 years you could buy a solar panel and never have to pay for heat again". Most of the times I get a response that acknowledges it's awesomeness, yet seems very uninterested in actually making that investment. Do people just not understand the idea of free electricity? Or are they scared of spending so much at once? Would they rather spend that much, TIMES 20 over the next few years as long as it is in smaller increments? Ridiculous. Over the past year and in the coming year I have started my investment in to renewable energy. Slowly but surely I am acquiring small portable solar and wind power generators to change small things from my camera to my phone, a heater to a fan. While I do not have the capability to power a TV or a PC yet it is a start. I am saving a little bit of energy now, and working my way to more expensive and more powerful solutions for energy efficiency. Within the next 5 years I hope to have enough power generated through the sun and wind to power everything I own that needs electricity, including my VW bus. Which I am in the midst of attempting to convert in to either completely electric or hybrid electric/biodiesel. Get with it people, start investing in renewable energy now, and you will never have to pay a power bill again for the rest of your life!!

I Love Lucy

Old TV is incredible. I Love Lucy, Get Smart, Dick Van Dyke, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched. These shows have such great characters, premises, plots, and dialogue. Don't get me wrong, I love TV today too, but for the most part it seems that TV today is moving more towards serial drama's than sitcoms. I am quite thankful for that as Lost, Heroes, and Chuck are my favorite shows right now. Not to mention sitcoms have been pretty lacking the past few years, asides from maybe My Name is Earl. I guess the 90's was really the last time they had any sort of staying power. With Home Improvement, Rosanne, Seinfeld, etc. Just like everything else in this world TV goes through ebbs and flows. Sitcoms will come back, but I don't think they will ever be as endearing as they were 50 years ago in their heyday. I guess all kinds of media can be considered at their best form at the beginning. Video games for instance may be much more graphically exciting today, but does that mean the stories and characters are better? Music may be a little more polished and produced today, but nothing will ever compare to the Beatles or Run DMC. Older media, original media, will always be what we look back at for ideas, for inspiration and for pure entertainment.

Ear Wax and Bugers

Ewwwwwww. I have some gushy shit coming out of my ear right now. Ear infections suck. During the fall I had some crazy allergies going on causing a running nose constantly. Attractive right? From what I understand our ears and noses make these fluids in order to expel foreign objects from the body. Pollen, dust, animal hair, etc. Then the ear and nose, even when the object has been expelled get confused and forget to stop creating the fluid. WTF?! Shouldn't our bodies be a little smarter then that? Shouldn't they know when to stop creating fluids, whether it's the liver or the ear or the eye or the gallbladder. Secondly why can't our brains control that? Our brains control our hands and mouths, but not our inner workings? They don't control our heart and ears. How weird is that? That our brains can only control parts of our bodies and the rest are on autopilot? What does control them, different parts of the brain or do they just work because of the blood flowing through them? Odd way to state that, can't think of another way to word it though. But whatever the case may be, what controls my insides?!

Eventually

I just read an article about how research into nuclear fusion may lead to a break through in the technology we need to protect astronauts in space, allowing them to get to Mars or beyond.

Yesterday a man named Barack Obama was voted to the highest office in the land, ney the world. The first black man in the history of civilized western culture to be the leader of a nation.

Yesterday Wolf Blitzer did an interview on CNN, with the hologram of Jessica Yellin, Star Wars, Obi Wan style. Bill Gates and Prince Charles have already sent their hologram selves cross oceans, but now it's becoming mainstream.

This leads me to believe, truly and completely believe that everything and anything is only an eventuality. People said there would never be a black president, at least not in our life time, that we'll never go to Mars or outside of our solar system.

People think we're never going to find out how the universe was created, what the higher power is, never going to be able to teleport or travel in time or clone a human or cure cancer.

I say that it is all only a matter of time. Human beings will do some amazing things over the next hundred years. I can't wait to be a part of it. To experience things that we never thought were going to be a reality.

Imagine the possibilities.

Hussein

Franklin Delano Roosevelt
William Jefferson Clinton
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
John Quincy Adams
William Howard Taft
Lyndon Baines Johnson
George Walker Bush


and


Barack Hussein Obama!!!

What a drastic turn around from protestant white presidents. Any black man could have been elected president with a name like Jason, Bryan, David, Brandon, Chris, Kevin, Micheal, or Justin. But instead of that we got ourselves a president with a name that sounds eerily like one of our FBI's most wanted and a dictator we recently took out of power! How freaking weird is that? Also how freaking awesome is it that the American people were willing to look past something as silly as a name. We were willing to look past race, Barack wasn't elected because he is black and he will not be known as the black president, but a president who happens to be black. Hopefully the first of many minority leaders.

Tears keep coming to my eyes every time I watch the scene outside of the white house last night with hundreds of George Washington University students cheering on Barack, and in Grant Park where Barack gave his acceptance speech and in Kenya where hundreds of people were ecstatic that a descendant of theirs became the leader of the free world. I am so happy, so incredibly happy to see the youth vote finally keep their promise of showing up at the ballot. I am so incredibly happy to see the enthusiasm and overwhelming power that last night had amongst not only Democrats, not only Americans, but THE ENTIRE WORLD!

The Taliban want's to negotiate with us, Hugo Chavez wants to let our ambassador back in the country, the President of Spain said this is a new age in American European relations. Jesse Jackson and Oprah Winfrey were in tears last night. John McCain and George W. both called Barack to wish him well. ::sigh::

It took till today for this to all sink in. I have been pushing for this day for well over a year now, paying such close attention that I feel like I was on the campaign trail with Barack. Change has not occurred yet, hope has not driven away fear entirely, but we have taken one giant step in that direction. We as a people have shown the world what America is all about, dreaming big and accomplishing what we set out to do. We will lead the green revolution, we will tend to the sick and needy in our country, we will invest in infrastructure and education, we will be that shining beacon to the rest of the world again.

This is a new age, not just in politics or in our society. But a new age in the history of mankind. Sure that sounds grandiose, but sometimes things are that important. Cynicism has rules for too long it's time for optimistic to take it's rightful place once again.

Yes We Did!!!

Europe

Don't ya love how the rest of the world, especially Europe, talks shit about America constantly, calling us ignorant, fat, sloppy, aggressive, etc etc etc? I'm watching Morning Joe on MSNBC right now and someone just said "do you think France would ever elect a black candidate?" and the answer was overwhelmingly no. Do you think they would vote in a woman. I think not. Yet no matter what happens today America has shown the world that, the people of this country, not the government, not the elites and not the corporations, the American People! are willing and ready to take that giant step towards true equality. We as a people are incredible, we are caring, progressive, inventive, strong willed and well informed (when we want to be). We are showing the world that it is us, US that everyone else should be envious of, not because of what this country gives us, but because of what we give this country. Not because of something as menial as health care or media coverage, but because of the minds and hearts of the American people. Sorry world, we've proven once again that we are the best.

Ephemeral

Something that lasts only a short period of time. A blossoming flower, a cloud overhead, a rainbow. These things, in the human terminology of time, last not very long. However the same can be said of human life when compared to the existence of a rock, an ocean, a star.
Our lives are ever fleeting, constantly out of our own grasp. We are always waiting for that one moment where everything clicks and life seems perfect. How long will that perfection last though? Is perfection possible?
Do we live our lives in this constant struggle to find peace and happiness only to find ourselves at the end thinking "I had it all along but didn't see it right in front of me?"

One Week

Life is a continuous strand of moments entwined together in to hours, days, weeks, months, years and everything in between. We let these moments and these weeks slip by without notice. We consider how to value our lives based on what we perceive to be the pros and cons that have occurred to us in the past year or the past few months, but we rarely think to ourselves, have I become a better person since last week? Have I advanced my personal agenda, my spiritual understanding, my intellect and wisdom, or anything about myself? If you haven't found yourself advancing in that past week or that past month, did you decline or did you just stay stagnant? Either way the response should be the urge to stop standing still or taking steps back, but to start taking the steps necessary to advance yourself.

Life is a continuous battle against oneself, forever trying to be better than what you were the moment before. If you don't find yourself being better at your sport, or your career, or you technical skill, than you can never find yourself advancing in rank or pay. If you don't advance your spiritual, intellectual, physical or emotional understanding of the world than the same is true. You will never advance in rank or consciousness. It is not right to think that learning is done in schools and religious practice in churches. It is not right to think that you should exercise to stay skinny or attractive. It is most importantly not right to think that psychiatrists and drugs are the answer to all emotional stimuli. We should learn all the time, especially after graduating school. We should be moral and spiritually aware everywhere, everywhen, not just on Sundays. Exercise and healthy eating should go side by side with being aware of the air and water pollution around you and preventative health care to take care of our organs and prevent cancers that aren't there yet. Our health shouldn't be something we take care of in retrospect after finding a disease, it should be something we carefully care for our entire lives. Lastly our emotions and mental drama that we create in our every day lives should be understood from the inside. Meditating, introspective thought, mind expanding stimuli, close friends and family, education, exercise and so many other activities help calm the mind and the emotions. They help us understand why we have emotions; the good they cause and the bad. It helps us to realize that there is nothing wrong with us, we don't need to be fixed by someone else or by some medication.

One week is all it takes to become a brand new person, a better person, a healthier, smarter, moral person.

Stu's Chews and Stupendous Cakes

February 13th 2009

Entrusted to the Gods

Ever wonder what Nintendo actually means? Well roughly translated it is "entrusted to the heavens" or "in the hands of the Gods". That's just a little tid bit of info before I get to my excitement over DSi! Check this video out.



Freaking awesome stuff. Beyond gaming, beyond a kids toy, this stuff looks incredibly fun and immensely innovative. I don't think I need to get in to a dialogue about how innovative and futuristic Nintendo is, we all have played the Wii by now. But they never give up, they're always pushing the boundaries without worrying about what Sony and Microsoft are doing. Nintendo I love you!

Calculated Enlightenment

I cogitate over the idea that a structured life may lead to some kind of calculated enlightenment often.

Measuring one's state of mind, creativity, and energy throughout the day and making auspicious decisions on what kind of activities should be undertaken at what times and how often they should be repeated. Deciding that I should exercise in the evening, meditate in the afternoon, read in the morning. These are the kind of actions I speak of. However the ubiquitous manner in which work finds itself overwhelming the middle class leaves me with very little hours left throughout the day to do the things I truly want to do. I want to spend my day keeping up with current events, writing, drawing, reading, meditating, exercising, watching movies, eating, enjoying a beer or a cup of tea. These are the things that bring me peace of mind and a sense of calm. But when I am forced to leave my sanctuary for 8-10 hours each day, that leaves me with very little time to accomplish these tasks.

The question I raise though is this, does working give me a better appreciation of the little things or does it steal away my ability to enjoy them? Am I happier to come home after a long days work and enjoy a beer and watch a movie, or am I better off having an entirely stress free day filled with only the things I love. If I only do the things I love though will there be a counter balance to them to remind me why I love them?

I spend alot of time not working, I am very good at saving money and living incredibly frugally. I can go 2 months without even considering getting a job. Those months give me the best opportunity to just sit back, relax and do the things I love. However sooner or later I have to get back in to the work force to save up for the next 2 month hiatus. My goal is to start to appreciate work much more. To co mingle the things I love with the things I feel are responsibilities.

It is more than possible, it is probable. Too many people spend the entire work week miserable, coming home to sit in front of the TV for an hour or 4, eat some dinner, go to sleep and do it all over again the next day. Leaving their enjoyment to the weekend when they end up going overboard, becoming a weekend warrior (not necessarily with alcohol but with any excessive enjoyment) or even worse spend their weekends doing the choirs and errands they couldn't take on during the week because they were so busy.

Where does this leave time for enjoyment of life? What is the point of working and paying for all these fancy luxuries we take for granted if we don't spend time simply relaxing and enjoying them? It's time to stop worrying so much about money and start worrying more about joy. We need to get away from this overly consumerist, overly worldly, society we live in. Be an intelligent consumer, and an intelligent citizen and you will not need as much money. Then you can use the excess overflow as free time, or as accumulated savings.

Live on the cheap, make sure to find something you enjoy that is free, and do it every day, don't go out to expensive places so much, find places that are free to enjoy like parks, museums, forests, libraries, etc. Rid yourself of excess possession weighing you down. Cleanse your mind of negative or menial thoughts. Find peace in the present, and you will always be happy and relaxed.

Best Quote Ever!

"Sooner or later, people are going to figure out if all you run is negative attack ads, you don't have much of a vision for the future or you're not ready to articulate it."~John McCain discussing George W. 2000

Seems he forgot his own words.

Who gets in to Heaven?

"I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

"Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."

~New Testament Matthew 19

So how does one get in to "heaven" when everyone is actually kept in the ancestral genetic codes inside human beings? What about the more commonly perceived notion of heaven as being an unearthly and blissful place?

This idea of heaven is accurate, it is real and it is attainable. However to die is the last thing you want to do in order to enter this state of consciousness. The only way to enter heaven is to do so while alive.

Jesus states very clearly his prerequisites, and they can be easily translated to any religion the world over. You must perceive the kingdom of God as if you were a little kid and as a person without an abundance of riches.

Only an innocent, imaginative, and unsullied mind can have the will power and vision to see passed the illusions that hide heaven from us. Only a person who has completely abandoned worldly riches and achievements can go beyond the world.

Only a person who is willing to let go of everything that makes them comfortable and everything that supposedly defines their existence can find heaven on earth. A person who still imagines and wonders and finds richness in friends and family.

Hoarding riches in life and giving up on imagination for logic will not get you to heaven. It will only bring you closer to death and the inevitable embrace of nothingness that the grave holds.

There are no definitive actions needed to be taken, only a state of mind to be had in order to fully perceive that heaven is already around you. Find heaven before you die and you will live forever, metaphorically speaking.

Where is Heaven?

Heaven supposedly is where all of our ancestors go to live out eternity. Huh?

It is such an illogical and outlandish theory, that the "spirits" or consciousness of a human being transfers from the earthly plane to a higher plane of existence upon death. With absolutely no spiritual or psychological advancement actively being pursued by most people how is it that their consciousness can rise itself out of the ashes in to the netherworld?

I would personally assume that it takes years of personal growth and insight to be able to advance to the next level of human consciousness and that level would itself be available to us not after death but during life. In altered states of awareness, in greater understanding and perception of the world around you, and in a more reliable mindset concering your worldy affairs and your internal dialogue.

So with all of that being said, where is Heaven? Heaven is inside you, it is inside me, it is inside all living beings. DNA and cellular atomic structure hold in themselves the entirety of human affairs, and life's long climb out of the primordial sludge in to the industrial type. Inside every single one of us we hold the genetic material of all those who came before us, meaning we hold the lives of our ancestors in our own bodies.

Where is your dead grandma, where is Gandhi, where is Jesus? All of these people are held inside of us. Where is the future of humanity, where is all that ever will be and can be, also inside of us. Each individual holds the entire future of our species inside them. Which makes heaven the home of our ancestors and our grand children. Heaven is within, not without. God is within, not without. We just have to take the time to look inside of our own minds and consciousness, take time away from worrying about the job or the TV and actually put some thought in to the very fabric of our existence.

1928!

When was the last time the Republicans won the White House without a Bush or a Nixon on the ticket? 1928!! Unbelievable but true. Every single election that the Republicans have won since 1928 has had Nixon as a VP or President or one of the two Bush's as VP or President. Astonishing.

Wiki

Top Five Reasons I think 9/11 Was an Inside Job!

In no specific order, here are the top reasons I question the official story about the events of September 11th 2001.

1) BBC Reports collapse of WTC 7... before it happens.


2)The girders of WTC, notice the diagonal cut and the melted steel dripping down.



Then notice these two guys setting up explosion for a controlled demolition.. . any similarity?





3)Bin Laden is a scape goat...

Can you find one mention of 9/11 on the FBI's official wanted page for him?

"I have already said that I am not involved in the 11 September attacks in the United States. As a Muslim, I try my best to avoid telling a lie. I had no knowledge of these attacks, nor do I consider the killing of innocent women, children and other humans as an appreciable act."~Bin Laden Sept 28 2001 Ummat News Paper

Then there's this.


4)Practicing for an attack the day it happened, yet couldn't foresee it?!??!?

"We knew he hated us, but there was nobody in our government at least and I don't think the prior government that could imagine flying planes in to buildings on such a massive scale"~George W. Bush



5) 19 Saudi Arabians highjacked these planes? Then why are 9 of them still alive?



"...Further, the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event – like a new Pearl Harbor..."~Project for a New American Century

~Elliott Abrams Gary Bauer William J. Bennett Jeb Bush

Dick Cheney Eliot A. Cohen Midge Decter Paula Dobriansky Steve Forbes

Aaron Friedberg Francis Fukuyama Frank Gaffney Fred C. Ikle

Donald Kagan Zalmay Khalilzad I. Lewis Libby Norman Podhoretz

Dan Quayle Peter W. Rodman Stephen P. Rosen Henry S. Rowen

Donald Rumsfeld Vin Weber George Weigel Paul Wolfowitz

True Patriotism.

"America," is a state of mind. "Being an American" is a set of attitudes and actions, not a nationality or a posture of reflexive loyalty. This tribe of true "Americans" consists of people who have crossed a personal Rubicon of a specific kind and can no longer be satisfied with anything less than absolute liberty."~Naomi Wolf

Absolute
1. free from imperfection; complete; perfect
2. not mixed or adulterated; pure
3. complete; outright
4. free from restriction or limitation; not limited in any way

Liberty.
1. freedom from arbitrary or despotic government or control.
2. freedom from external or foreign rule; independence.
3. freedom from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering conditions
4. freedom from captivity, confinement, or physical restraint

Having freedom from government control and captivity not restricted in any way, is apparently the ultimate definition of "Absolute Liberty". Sounds awfully for from where America is today.

FISA allows warrantless wire tapping of our conversations.

The Patriot Act allows government to follow our internet habits, library usage, and even allows for cops to enter your home and snoop around without a warrant.

HR 1955 is an act that passed the house and is currently in the senate that would take away our rights to have certain political idea's and share them with others. Meaning protesting and speaking bad of the government could be considered domestic terrorism.

The $750 billion dollar bail out was deeply protested by the American people yet the Government passed it anyway, leading me to question, what happened to "government of the people, by the people, for the people"? Not to mention the government buying in to big banks is closing in on socialism.

The War on Drugs is perpetrated not with the mindset of curing people and ending the addictions, but with a mindset of throwing people away and trying to hide the problem. Stealing peoples freedom and liberty because of a disease, when talking about harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin. But than even worse is taking away peoples freedoms based on a harmless pass time when it comes to marijuana.

Government executive orders are in place that at the stroke of a Presidents pen would give government control over the entire infrastructure and work force of America, essentially creating a police state or a military junta.

I could go on, but I think the point is made. Absolute Freedom is not nearly what we the American people have. What scares me is how many people actually don't mind this. How many times I've heard, "They're not listening to my conversations I'm not a terrorist" or "If it keeps me safe let them listen". Don't these people get it, it's not about keeping us safe anymore, it's about keeping us under control. Keeping us nervous and scared so we are willing to slowly give away all of our absolute liberties.

All I can say is I hope a majority, or even a strong minority wake up and see that being American isn't just being born in America. Serving your country isn't following orders blindly. Truly being an American and serving the ideals of your country is constantly questioning those in charge and demanding their response. It's always withholding the ideals of absolute liberty and freedom that are outlined in our constitution and in our very souls. Be your own revolution.

McCain and Obama... trying to be comedians.

What is Enlightenment?

Enlightenment is:

~Not necessarily an alteration in ones actions, but more succinctly an alteration in ones perception of action.
~Having the ability to take in to consideration any perspective and any theory without skewing said idea with ones own prejudices.
~Building the strength of will to be ones own teacher and ones own guide; always pushing one's self further and correcting mistakes before they occur.
~Being able to see things anew each day, because nothing is as it was yesterday therefore it truly is something you've never seen before.
~The understanding of the entire body as a microcosm in relation to the macrocosm of the Universe around you.

I shook Bill Clintons hand today!!!

"Sarah Palin"

Debate Fact Check

McCAIN: Said that Obama has voted to raise taxes 94 times.

THE FACTS: As fact-checkers have constantly pointed out, that is an exaggeration. Per Factcheck.org:

* 23 votes were for measures that would have produced no tax increase at all; they were against proposed tax cuts.
* 7 were in favor of measures that would have lowered taxes for many, while raising them on a relative few, either corporations or affluent individuals.
* 11 votes the GOP is counting would have increased taxes on those making more than $1 million a year — in order to fund programs such as Head Start and school nutrition programs, or veterans’ health care.
* The GOP sometimes counted two, three and even four votes on the same measure. We found their tally included a total of 17 votes on seven measures, effectively padding their total by 10.
* The majority of the 94 votes — 53 of them, including some mentioned above – were on budget measures, not tax bills, and would not have resulted in any tax change. Four other votes were non-binding motions related to conference report negotiations.
— NBC News' blog First Read

Appalachian Trail

The Future of TV...

...is much like the past. From what I understand TV shows back in the day used to have one sponsor, not dozens. Meaning not as many commercials; welcome to Hulu. TV on the internet. Hundreds of shows and movies, from old classics to brand new shows the day they air. No more words, check out the full season premiers of Heroes, My Name is Earl, Chuck and Family Guy below.

The Debate VP

The Dictator of the US!

...

Could you be a US citizen?

In order to become a citizen you would have to answer 6 out of these 10 questions right. These are only a sampling of 100 possible questions incoming citizens could be asked. How would you do? I got 7 out of 10.

1. What does the Constitution do?
2. What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?
3. Name one branch or part of the government.
4. We elect a U.S. representative for how many years?
5. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
6. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
7. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
8. There were 13 original states. Name three.
9. Who was president during World War I?
10. Name one U.S. territory.






1. Sets up the government, Defines the government, Protects basic rights of Americans
2. Bill of Rights
3. Legislative, Executive, Judicial, Congress, the President, the courts
4. 2 years
5. 9
6. 18
7. April 15
8. New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
9. Woodrow Wilson
10. Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam

Bush Knocked Down the Towers.

The Debate Pt 1!

To Be or Not to Be

We've all heard the saying 'it will be if it's meant to be'. I say though that nothing is meant to be, everything is meant not to be. It is our minds that create these illusions of something 'other' than what is. Something that can, should, could, would, be. We have to stop striving to find something and creating stuff and we have to start losing everything and destroying our world, in order to truly BE.

Nuclear Bombs

"The time for nuclear bombs has ended, it is a time of thought, a time for culture and reason to prevail."~Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Why is throwing money at something our first and most commonly used solution to problems. From something as huge as the Governments buyout of our entire financial system to our every day habit of throwing money at boredom. Is money truly the solution to all lifes problems or can we find a way to address our daily needs without money?

Who Votes?

"It's not who votes that counts, it's who counts the votes. Besides the fact that we don't live in a real true democracy. We don't elect the president, the Electoral College does. "United States is the only current example of an indirectly elected executive president, with an electoral college made up of electors representing the 50 states and one federal district. Each state has a number of electors equivalent to its total Congressional representation, with the non-state District of Columbia receiving three electors. The electors generally cast their votes according to the winner of the popular vote in their respective states, but in many cases are not required by law to do so." The left\right paradigm is a FRAUD. Its an illusion meant to separate you into red and blue flag waving idiots. The act of voting for the president is purely symbolic, Do you want the puppet on the left, or the puppet on the right? Don't think for a second Washington gives a fuck what you think."~Suburban

"While I appreciate the lesson on the electoral college, I am already very aware of how our election process works. It is true that Democrats and Republicans are slaves to their party, and their left right paradigm, but that doesn't mean that a new generation of free thinking political activists who actively support independent candidates or just sweeping reform in the current parties, can't make a difference. Not everyone is part of the system, not everyone can be bought and sold. If enough people rallied behind someone like Ron Paul or a brand new radical candidate outside the two party system we could put that person in to power. That is the great right of a democracy, and while the government has definitely skewed our ability to partake in the democratic process, it is our right and our duty to retake the ability to vote in and possibly be leaders of our nation. I support Barack Obama because he will make changes that are better for this country than what John Mccain would do. He will implement beneficial programs that would only be possible under an Obama administration as opposed to a McCain admin. The same as a Barr admin or a Nader admin would make much different decisions for the nation if either of those candidates had a greater chance of winning. If your response to "the elite" and higher ups in our governments attempts to make voting inconsequential is to not vote, than they've already won."~Zen

Baracks Plan!

Next time someone says "What is Obama's plan, and what does he mean by change?" show them these videos.

ECONOMY:


ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:


EDUCATION:


There is a just a couple examples, you can find detailed explanations on any issue though on YouTube. For comparison here is what John McCain has said on each issue.