Archive for the 'Rants' Category

bigger is not better (unless you’re a coke head)

Published by
Jon
at September 19, 2008 in Rants. 3 Comments

i saw this in the news today, and had also the other bust a few days ago:

“An Alameda-based Coast Guard unit intercepted $196 million in cocaine at the high seas.

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett and a U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft teamed up to interdict a stateless, self-propelled, semi-submersible vessel Wednesday with 7 tons of cocaine aboard approximately 400 miles south of the Mexico-Guatemala border.

The Coast Guard quickly boarded the ship and found 295 bales of cocaine, valued at more than $196 million, in a huge forward compartment, the Coast Guard said.

The submarine became unstable and began to sink during the transfer of the bales of cocaine from to the Coast Guard ship, the Coast Guard said.

The condition of the vessel made it unsafe to tow and Midgett’s crew sank the vessel as a hazard to navigation, the Coast Guard said.

Wednesday’s interdiction follows a daring nighttime boarding and seizure of another ship on Saturday in which the Coast Guard seized cocaine as well

‘I’m proud to tell you that over the past five days, Pacific Area Coast Guard units, with the help of our U.S. Navy and interagency partners, seized more than 14 tons of cocaine with a street value of more than $383 million from two self-propelled, semi-submersible vessels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean,’ said Adm. Thad Allen, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.”
-nbc11.com

it strikes me that the admiral was “proud” about over $383 million in cocaine attempting to be smuggled into the U.S. all that really means to me, and i think that this is the logical conclusion, that this is just another blow to the catastrophe that is the “war on drugs.” if the busts were getting progressively smaller, then i would say that’s fair evidence that the war on drugs was succeeding. are the people in charge really that dense, or do they think we are for gobbling up their propaganda? there is much more informed literature on the internet about the fallacies of the drug war, but i thought this was a pretty basic observation that anyone could make from reading this story. it scares me how many people will read that and not even grasp the real meaning. whatever your feelings on the war on drugs, the much more terrifying thing is people that can’t or don’t want to think for themselves.

pinched nerve brutality

Published by
Jon
at September 16, 2008 in Life and Rants. 1 Comment

this pinched nerve thing is getting more brutal by the day. it seems to not hurt as bad in the morning, but as the day wears on it gets worse. by the time night rolls around, it’s harsh. forget sleep. i don’t think i’ve had any good sleep in about three days. also, eating seems to make it worse, so i haven’t been doing much of that and i think i may give it up until i can get some resolution. it’s also making it quite difficult to look for a job, and i’m very tired of not working. the days get looong. especially when you’re broke and in pain.

i’m sorry, i guess i’m kind of wallowing in it today. hmm, lemme think of something positive…. still thinking……. still thinking…..

i’ll get back to you.

[update]

ok, ok, i thought of something and i feel really terrible that it took me so long to think of it. i guess i just had to get my head out of that mode. there are a lot of people around that really do genuinely care when things get rough. they say prayers and help you in any way you can. maybe i’m more fortunate in that area being a pastor’s kid. i’ve got a whole church behind me, and that’s pretty positive.

pinched nervous

Published by
Jon
at September 10, 2008 in Life and Rants. 2 Comments

so, it’s been quite some time since i posted here (or anywhere). i think, though, that i’m going to try my damndest to post at least semi-regularly. admittedly, i have been inspired by my buddy tony’s (noodle) sweet blog. check him out. also, the beautiful and talented shalina has inspired me. she regularly posts her great photography. so i guess i just want to be hip and cool like them. when it comes to blogging, obviously there’s no point in posting if nobody is reading. you might as well just keep a diary.
it’s about 2 in the morning and i’m having trouble sleeping because of a pinched nerve in my back. not having having health care makes it quite difficult to get the necessary help to expedite the healing process. i’ve been trying to get on with the county health care, but it’s a joke, really. it’s like the fast food equivalent of health care.
“shuffle you in, shuffle you out. send in the next desperately ill immigrant that we’ll do our bare minimum to treat.”
believe me, i could write an eighteen page post about the rigors of seemingly chronic health issues and not having access to health care. good health care. you would think that i would favor some manner of universal health care, but my experiences in public programs have left me feeling quite the opposite. don’t get me wrong, i would love if everyone could get the care they need, but what’s the point if it’s not quality? from what i’ve seen and experienced first hand (which is more than i care too), it’s all bandaids and maybe they’ll kiss your boo-boo if you’re lucky.
fortunately, as there seems to be an epidemic of chronic conditions as the population continues to grow, especially among the lower class and immigrants, we have the internet. though i don’t necessarily like the idea of diagnosing yourself and wouldn’t recommend it, sometimes that’s the only option many of us are left with and the internet has made that as easy as spelling webmd. at the very least, one can hop online and learn ways to live healthier lives, even though actually implementing that change is much easier said than done.
i know i’m rambling, so all that to say there’s really not shit i can do about this pinched nerve that’s had me hobbling around for the past few weeks except putting ice on it and looking up stretches and exercises online. i feel like i could spend more time on this topic, so even if i can’t summon the motivation to start working out everyday, maybe at least i can work myself up enough to write another post. maybe.

Question Marks

Published by
Jon
at August 20, 2007 in Rants. 3 Comments

So I have this tiny little corner of cyberspace that nobody looks at, but that’s ok. Maybe better, depending on the level of revelation contained van-gogh-vincent-starry-nightwithin. I try to keep it clean, try to think of normal things, try to be motivated. I try to find the value of the variables in the equation of which I am the sum. Find a way out or find a way in. Maybe find out whether i’m outside or inside first. Is it cold or is it hot? Is it wet or dry? When is a reason not motivation, even if you think it should be good enough? Or even the most cohesive train of thought is impossible to follow, when thought begets thoughts ad infinum. Maybe trying something different, but that begs the question of motivation again. Or not trying something different, just trying something. That’s still proactive, right?

The dilemma: to accept the muse in a black cloak? Indulge to create? It’s a self-destructive process, but worthy of evaluating the psychological economics. How much of your sanity can you afford to spend? Maybe I could be less vauge? Or maybe… I’m being chased by question marks. ??