Nov 26th, 2009 by Oz Jaxxon
Before we dive into the deep let’s dip in the shallows. Okay?
“What do you have in mind?”
‘Water’ is a simple word. But consider the associations: Steam. Mist. Fog. Cloud. Rain. Tornado. Hurricane. Snow. Snowflake. Avalanche. Flood. Waves. Tsunami. Stream. River. Brook. Sea. Lake. Ocean. Ice. Ice cube. Glacier. Iceberg. Drink of. Bottled. Distilled.
There’s more, but you get the gist. Continue Reading »
Nov 25th, 2009 by Oz Jaxxon
The clouds had shifted their priorities, waltzing in numbers toward a distant horizon. The Sun’s intent fluttered (its shadow) among them. Songs of silence filled the air. Chill strutted his stuff.
“Excuse me, Sir. I was asked to deliver this.”
Glancing at it then folding it again, he tucked it halfway among the ambered pages. It quietly disappeared.
Thank you, Na-iem. The answer is yes.
“I have read your works,” her voice shattered the silence. “Racism as the Cancer of these United States is not among them.”
After the 7th edition it became a collector’s item.
“And yet it remains applicable?”
Some things exceed infinity. Truth exceeds infinity. Matters of the heart exceed infinity. Life exceeds infinity. Continue Reading »
Nov 13th, 2009 by Victor Escalante
Growing up in the Texas Hill Country we were glued every evening to find out the way it really was out in the world. Those days of yester year are over and so is the news legend that told us, Walter Cronkite. These days news is not the journalistic truth and reporting meter it once was.
Is it any wonder that in a poll of 9410 conducted by Time Magazine Jon Stewart is the most trusted newscaster? Watch this and you be the judge.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| 11/12/09 in :60 Seconds | ||||
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Nov 12th, 2009 by Victor Escalante
Yesterday Hispanic blogosphere was buzzing with the news of Lou Dobbs exiting CNN. Some claimed victory from their efforts to force CNN to muzzle Mr. Dobbs on his anti immigrant anti Hispanic vitriol.
Personally, having worked in media for so many years I understood his strategy of content branding. With the explosion of cable leading to the fragmentation of audiences it’s a free for all to get any meaningful traction with ratings. I periodically tuned in to his program and what I saw was an old man who only saw what he believed. As the managing editor he exercised great power to turn opinion into psudeo journalism. See for yourself from this 60 Minutes interview a sampling of misreported facts.
Today we find out from The New York Times that CNN/US president Jonathan Klein had ordered Mr. Dobbs to vent his opinions on his radio show or else. This second option seems to have been the prefered choice.
What are people saying about this incident? It’s all over the place from two extremes. Here is a sampling of words.
“ Gee, CNN, Lou Dobbs was the only show you had left that I watched. I admire a man who stands up for what he believes. I didn’t agree with everything he said, but he was bringing up important issues that our government seem not to want to fix or answer. If you never have taken a stand in your life, maybe you don’t stand for anything. Good luck, Lou Dobbs.”
”Sorry to say this but Dobbs is an idiot! . Day after day we are introduced to new and inventive ways that the illegals are taking over the US, and undermining the very fabric of our society!
Outsourcing is the work of the devil, Mr Dobbs would have us believe! But is it really? When asked, the big players explain that outsourcing is cost effective. When you translate that, you get ‘We can actually get workers that can understand the customer’s requirements and be nice to them.”
Source of quotes Yahoo News
Nov 11th, 2009 by Oz Jaxxon
“Bet that went over well.”
He continued writing. Words invisible at pen’s tip emerged in its wake.
He abruptly ceased. A quiet forceful sigh emerged. Pen settled, he closed the pages thus revealing Palubian leather covering the Bogandora. Gold words inlaid the upper front cover. Translated, they read
………………Gifted by The Ancient Elder of the Mensharians
His hand rested upon the cover as a father’s hand upon a beloved child.
He beheld Sunrise cloaked in muted fuchsia dancing among melodious clouds of purpled blues, crimsoned reds and sassy greys that splashed a shimmering blue sky. Composure restored, he whispered, Thank You.
Giving attention to his now-seated unexpected guest, pause gave way to an impish glint of his eye.
Not at first, he replied. It amazes what a little marinade uncovers.
“’Not at first…?’” Continue Reading »
Nov 10th, 2009 by Victor Escalante
These last few days have been hard on our country and our fabric way of life. On the economic front while we are no longer hemorrhaging, the recovery is going to take a long time. Unemployment is high and perhaps higher than what the numbers tell us because some have just stopping trying to find a job. Many Americans who once held a good paying job have been decimated to working as contractors or resorting to any job they can find.
Then comes along John Perkins to tell us how all this pillaging of main street has been by design.
Some can no longer hold it together and have cracked such as the Muslim psychiatrist in Fort Hood killing and wounding many as well as the shooter in Florida and other places.
Today one killer is executed for his crimes when he went on a shooting spree. I saw the interview of both of his wives, truly sad and horrible consequences.
It is times like this that only hope and faith in a new day, a new beginning and a new opportunity to do good for self and others. The human spirit can and has risen to incredible heights to fight injustice and tyranny. I bring you one dead man’s perspective on the human race.
Nov 9th, 2009 by Berkeley Grimball
Few phrases bring apoplectic rage to the free market loving social contract averse than “redistribution of wealth”. How dare some bleeding heart take from me and give to those undeserving, too lazy to earn their own. But there is an unacknowledged piece of this distribution equation. Every time we open our wallets we are redistributing wealth. It ebbs and flows in eddys and rivulets through the economy. But no one ever mentions the metaflow, the vast movement of wealth from bottom to top, so deeply and historically ingrained in our economic DNA we no longer even see it. For two hundred years this country engaged in the most efficient system of wealth redistribution ever devised by humankind- Slavery. Destroying unions, not raising the minimum wage for decades, regressive tax codes, unaffordable health care are among the many wealth redistribution techniques used to insure that this river flows in only one direction. Not to mention treasonous war profiteering and multi billion dollar corporate bailouts. So pause long enough in your righteous indignation at being asked to help your fellow citizen and ask- did some higher power dictate this, did my God write in stone that wealth is only distributed in one direction?
Nov 1st, 2009 by Oz Jaxxon
..“We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all ..our exploring will be to arrive where we started… and ..know the place for the first time.”
………………………………………….~ T.S. Eliot
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“Love is metaphysical gravity.” ~Buckminster Fuller
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“All our arts and occupations lie wholly on the surface; it is on the surface that we perceive their beauty, fitness, and significance; and to pry below is to be appalled by their emptiness and shocked by the coarseness of the strings and pulleys.”
~ Robert Louis Stevenson, 1905
…but the nonconscious perceives the beauty that fitted them unto a significant whole that smells the rose, that radiates the sunset and whispers the snowflake. ~Oz
Oct 28th, 2009 by Victor Escalante
Before the second part of CNN’s Latino in America aired the voices of Latinos were pouring in complaining that the documentary did not accurately depict Latinos. A common criticism was that Latinos were painted with the same stereotyping brush used by Lou Dobbs. A far stretch if you ask me, none the less a protest worth factoring in the debate.
So who are Latinos in America? Well let me show you some of the faces I have photographed in the last decade. These Latinos come from all of Latin America, from different socio-economic levels all pursing the American dream. They all have unique stories of their acculturation and assimilation into America. See if you can spot the difference. If you click on the image the picture will be amplified.
Oct 22nd, 2009 by Victor Escalante
The whole Latino story needs to be told facing honestly the not so pretty chapter of illegal immigration. It’s a story some Hispanics would like to sweep under the rug and only present the shiny varnished version. You saw portrayed the primal drive of survival that drives people to risk their very lives to come to the States.
The story of Marta is a good warm and fuzzy victory of a compassionate immigration judge. The bigger story is that thousands of other children and families do not fare as well and they are sent back. Some of these have no close family or support system and left to fend for themselves. In relation to the eons of time it really does not matter, this is the same story of survival of the human species.
So what it the solution? Fix the broken immigration system and improve the border security.
Pico Rivera is a small Hispanic community like any other city in American that has some bad apples. The senseless killing of the grandmother by some gang banger thugs is what gives Latinos a bad name. Some Latinos are sure proud of their low rider cars and the life style. It’s not my thing but different strokes for different folks.
How many times can you try to reform wayward kids? Some give it one try and give up while others keep trying till they enlighten hope in the kids at risk. It took me down memory lane of the time I created and taught reform programs for persons on probation in El Paso, Texas.
Luis Ramirez is the story of a sacrificial lamb for Shenandoah Pennsylvania’s hate against Latinos. This melting pot of European immigrants does not like what one called them brown n_ _ _ _ _. How can you fight racists? Simple put the spot light on the real issues and not the outer edges or the straw man arguments.
Note to self, it’s 2009 and not Selma Alabama in the 1960’s civil rights fight.
Latinos need to learn to speak English stat, this I believe. It’s great to speak Spanish in America it’s even greater to speak good English.
Houston Cinco de Mayo parade volunteers
Latinos face the stereotyping of being Mexican just because they are brown. Not so good if you are a very prideful Boricua, Venezuelan or some other country. I’m a Mexican native at times confused for being Indian or Middle Eastern, ay caramba.
Even though many of us look alike and even have the same last name we are very different in pursuit of the same thing. The American dream for us and our families.
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