Tag Archives: United States of America

Life Experiences

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Everyone residing on our planet has the same basic life experiences, or so I remember someone telling me once.  Some are more extreme than others but basically, we all have the same emotional experiences.  I didn’t give this much thought and might have even thought that it was not true.

And then the other day, while we were in America, We were eating in a McDonalds.  There was a man sitting on a breakfast bar in the middle of the restaurant speaking loudly on his phone.  He was an older man whose nourishment didn’t seem healthy.

HIs clothes were obviously that of someone that hadn’t changed them in a few days. And he wore a green, Saint Patrick’s day, hat on his head. The best way for me to describe him is as being homeless. But he did have a cell phone and in a couple of instances spoke about having a job that would last for a few years.

“I just got something to eat,” he said into the phone, and bought me a little hat so you tell them if they need anything I will be willing to pay for it.”

The voice on the speaker of his phone came back muffled and inaudible but it was obviously a woman voice.

“I think I”m feeling better,” he continued, “and after this, I think I am going to need a bottle.”

His conversation continued like this for some time. Then he started speaking to the woman on the phone about her being his girlfriend. “Because we are in love…” I heard him say.  and the reason you love me is because I am amazing.”

At this, I was a little surprised. From the way he looked one would never have thought that he thought of himself as amazing.  I believe that most people have a very high opinion of themselves and that most would describe themselves as amazing.

His conversation then turned to God.  “George Burns smoked every day and he lived to be 105. He smoked because God told him to smoke and God allowed him to live for that long. I believe God has done all of this for me and I’m one of the most fortunate people that have ever lived.”

Now I believe that all people, no matter of circumstances consider themselves amazing and fortunate. But for some reason, I never thought someone like this man would have thought this about himself.

The people around him were not happy about his presence in the restaurant.  One even commented that the woman he was on the phone with was a “Lucky Girl”. The manager eventually asked him to leave. He was very courteous after this and left after cleaning up his mess and bringing the trays from the trash cans to the manager.

I sat there looking at this man that never got angry about being asked to leave or about the people talking about him.  A man that believed how fortunate he was.  I thought about what I had been told and I guess that on an emotional level we do all experience the same things.

 

Freedom

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I have been reading a lot of new from back home lately and have really been giving all of this freedom stuff and government structures a lot of thought lately.  For the record, I have lived in China for a year now.  The job that I do involves talking to approximately 20 Chinese couples a day and I work 6 days a week. This would equal approximately 6000 Chinese couples that I have had the opportunity to meet and get to know if only for short periods of time.   I am the only foreigner in the office where I work and have about 50 employees around me that are all Chinese.  I have my own personal translator in order to communicate with them.

The reason I  decided to write this is because I was reading a news article.  During a visit to China by Joe Biden the Chinese government felt it necessary to detain six Chinese farmers. It never said what Mister Biden could have done for them but someone didn’t want them to see him.  I love reading the comments on stories like this.  Keeps me abreast with the way American mentality is working and how Americans are thinking.  The majority of the comments seemed to play on the idea of, “damn communist’s, who do they think they are violating human rights in such a profane fashion?”

Meanwhile, yesterday I was reading about an American woman, who is a housewife. She, as well as two other passengers, were humiliated and brutally removed from a plane on the anniversary of 911. They were also detained and strip searched. It seems the two gentleman sitting with her, that she did not know, spent to much time in the bathroom.  Not sure what the strip search included but the thoughts of cavity search do come to mind.  Hope the BM was successful.

Again I love reading the comments and the theme of those were, “Yes, America the greatest country in the world!  Who the hell does this Arab, Jewish woman think she is flying on 9/11 and who the hell are these men to defile the sanctity of the “white bathrooms” on our planes?  They got what they deserved. If we treated all passengers like this maybe we could stem the tide of terrorism!” Others included:  “Well that’s what happens when you’re making sure we’re safe. An isolated incident such as this is bound to happen”.  So here’s the bad news. The news reported that fifty such incidents happened that day.  I wonder if you would say that if it happened to you.  Give it time and it could be.

What the hell is wrong with you people?  Has American propaganda really been that effective on you?  Do you really believe that Osama Bin Laden started his holy jihad against American believing that they could win on shear strength or do you believe that the plan was to exhaust America, just as anyone would do who is fighting a much bigger foe, and then use the egotism of the individual to drain all the power economic or otherwise from him in order to defeat him?

Did you ever see the movie where the aliens started the fear in a neighborhood and then sat back and watched as they went crazy and killed each other?  No, I don’t think that we have much to worry about from the Chinese, I think while we divert our attention to a country like the Chinese, the Taliban will see their opportunity and finally bring us to our knees.  Think their plan has been working?

So what are governments and what exactly makes them different?  Well in the simplest of forms, a government is nothing more than a business with many sub businesses paying the main business to keep it going.  We call this a tax system or protection.  So, while America is struggling with how to keep their business of 300 million employees operational and keep the bad elements out, China struggles with the same challenges only on a scale that is 5 times larger.  How do you do that?  Well America chooses to put the majority of its citizens in jail in order to isolate them and to give more revenue to the system, while making it impossible for them to find lucrative employment and puts a burden on the family.

China controls their people as well, but more in a protective way and it is evident in the fact that when you talk to someone you quickly find that a 30 year old in China is the equivalent of a 24 year old in America.  Is this a bad thing or is it actually a good thing to let them live the life of a child a little longer and keep them away from the bad elements of the world?  Unfortunately this is rapidly changing with the internet and the slow infuse of the western culture. Its evident the younger generation is embracing American culture. You can see it in the clothes they wear and the attitudes they have.

So what exactly are the freedoms we get to enjoy in America that the rest of the world doesn’t? If the truth be known, there are more freedoms in other countries than there are in America. However the ones that we as Americans seem to embrace the most are as follows.

1.  Freedom of speech.  Yes we can talk bad about our government if we choose, well unless you decide to threaten America or the president or an elected official.  Then see how much freedom of speech you have.

And while we are on this subject, have any of our leaders ever been tried for war crimes? Even if they killed thousands of innocent people in the quest for our freedom?  No but it does seem to be our favorite thing to do to other leaders.

Freedom of speech also gave us American media.  What I consider to be one of the biggest evils in the world today.  What started out as a way to keep the American people informed of the going ons in the world turned into a way of destroying anyone in the public eye we might be jealous of.  I don’t care what you did Tiger Woods. I still believe you’re one of the greatest athletes the world has ever known. With America pushing sex down your throat from cradle to grave, how in the world could you not be tempted?

And speaking of that, Freedom of speech does allow our children to access unlimited porn on the internet with a click of the button. It also allows movies like faces of death to be made so our children can be more and more immune to what the realities of these things are.  It teaches them that using four letter words after every statement is not only good but necessary.  And it teaches them that being a bad guy is not only cool and a way to be famous, but it has a great soundtrack to go with it.

2. The Right to bear arms.  “You can take my gun when you pry it from my cold dead hand”.   Well unless the government thinks your hoarding guns for the use of over throwing the system as we know it.  Can anyone say David Koresh? I have to admit, I have been around guns all of my life. It was nice to live in a country where we could kill birds and squirrels when we wanted.  It was a very interesting way to learn the dangers of such a powerful weapon. But that was a different time.  However, we would never have taken a gun to school or a mall or a restaurant. We never thought of becoming famous by opening fire on innocent people.

How many crimes like this occur a day in America?  Think of how many kids die when they find Dad’s loaded gun and it accidentally goes off?  How many drive by shootings occur every day in the major cities in America?  How many murders are committed from a gun  that’s stolen from a regular citizen? Or from any gun for that matter?  How many people die every day by standing in the wrong place at the wrong time? Yes the right to bear arms and defend ourselves is a wonderful thing.  Providing you’re taught how to use them and shown the damage they can inflict.  Without this knowledge, and most Americans don’t have it, it makes America one of the most dangerous places in the world to live.

3. Freedom of Religion.  Now this one I do agree with but it goes for all religions.  I don’t know if any one has lived in a Muslim community or known many Muslim people, but they are actually very good people. They have more commitment to their faith than most westerners have to anything.  Let’s face it; there are radical Christians that kill in the name of Jesus just as there are radical Muslims that kill in the name of Allah.  Just because someone is Muslim it doesn’t mean they are Taliban or bad people!  And just for the record you can find Buddhist temples, Muslim temples, and Christian churches in China as well as Thailand, Mexico and pretty much any where you go.

4. A government by the people for the people of the people.  Two words.  Not Happening.

5. All men are created equal.  To steal a line from Charlton Heston in the planet of the apes. “It seems some men are created more equal than others!”

Any others you can think of that you don’t have in the rest of the world?  Not really, and these are the ones that they talk about when they say “we are fighting this war and killing our children for your freedoms.”

Well I really wanted to talk more about China and of Thailand and other countries here but it seems that my space is up for this blog.  Three pages is all that I will allow myself.  So I will try to do a part two to this as soon as I can so keep an eye open for Freedom Part 2.  In the mean time, check out all you need to know about Timeshare and the timeshare industry at www.timeshareadvisor.net

America

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Oh, say does that Star – Spangled Banner yet wave
Over the land of the free and the home of the brave?

What can I say about the country I spent the first 40 years of my life in?  Well I guess I would have to say that I, like many Americans are not very happy with the way things are going there now. But that would require a long political discussion and this blog is about travel and not politics.  Unfortunately they do sometime go hand in hand. With a legislative body dedicated to doing nothing but thinking of new laws to pass, some as inane as it is illegal to cut off a cow’s tail, it truly pays to know the laws before traveling there. To elaborate on the laws in America. I don’t think most Americans know all the laws established here.

When I lived  in Thailand a few years ago, I read on the internet about how America passed something like thirty thousand new laws that year.  The thing to remember is that America is a Republic with Democratic overtones. China is a Republic with Communistic overtones. My pledge of allegiance when I was a child was: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the REPUBLIC for which it stands. One nation under god, indivisible, for Liberty and Justice for all.”

Now I think over the years, with the separation of Church and state, the term under God has been removed. But never has this said “and to the DEMOCRACY for which it stands”.  This means it is a police state and as such most Americans will see the inside of a jail cell at least once in their lives.

We have starving children homeless on our streets. Yet we worry about helping the rebels in Libya and of fighting an incredible war in the Middle East that was really never any of our business to begin with.  We spend our time passing laws to make our society equal for everyone and to try to take the hate crimes and the violence out of it. Yet I believe that America is one notch below Mexico in the most dangerous place that I have ever lived.  We have now killed bin Laden and are having debates on how ethical it was to take this man out and to execute him.

My God, violence is a part of the world and these people have no problems taking American Citizens, cutting off their heads and posting it on the internet.  What happened to showing the world that we are strong?  What happened to the Inglorious Basterds way of making these people fear us?  Now we have become the laughing stock of the world and we are losing our position as a super power.  What will happen when these other countries over run us? Even the greatest superpowers of the world have lasted a short time. What happens to all of our laws and the alienation we cause our own?  What will the world be like then?  Isn’t it time to take a lesson from the bible and remove the thorn from our eyes before we attempt to remove the splinter from theirs?

I’ve learned a lot of things the world could live without that America brings with its culture. But that will be a topic for another page.  As dangerous as America can be, and if you read all the news that American media spits out (one of the things I believe the world would be better off without) you will find that America is probably one of the most dangerous countries to live in.  I mean let’s face it, one wrong turn in a city or being in the wrong place at the wrong time could lead to an untimely death, beating, or mental and physical scar for the rest of your life

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Now with all of that being said, I would like to steal 10 cc’s lyrics and say.  “I don’t like America, but I do love her.”  And here is why. America has some of the most diverse and amazing landscapes’ in the world.  From the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean there are some of the most interesting and beautiful places in the world.  Los Angeles, Hollywood and Disneyland in California are something that every one should see.  The diversity in people and languages can not be equaled anywhere else in the world.

One of the man made wonders of the world is Las Vegas Nevada. I say that because its built in a desert most thought could never be inhabited. Bugsy Siegel lost his life proving it could be. However, with the resilience of the American people and some help from the Mafia, the City of Lights is one of the most incredible places in the world that everyone should experience at least once in their lives.

Being situated in a valley with soaring mountains behind it, Salt Lake City is one of the most beautiful and picturesque cities in the world.

The Grand Canyon in Arizona and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming are two of the greatest natural wonders of the world. Living on this planet without seeing them and learning about them would indeed be a shame.

Colorado is my home state. The Rocky Mountains run through it. Not only does it have some of the greatest snow skiing in the world, it also has some of  the most beautiful scenery anywhere you could travel.  Take the drive from Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek. Cripple Creek’s location is in the bowl of an ancient volcano.  As you drop into that bowl, you can view the entire continental divide stretching from New Mexico to Utah. Tell me that’s not the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.

New Mexico hosts Roswell where the conspiracy of space aliens are still in the air and Carlsbad Caverns boasts some of the most impressive underground views in the world.
Texas is the largest State in America, and as such has some of the most diverse scenery there is.  From the western plains and the oil fields to the Hill country outside of Austin, (where you will find Lake Travis, Lake Buchanan, and a string of lakes found on the old LBJ ranch), to the Pine trees of Eastern Texas. There is something here for everyone.

The people of Texas are some of the proudest people in America and proudly display the star of Texas on all the gates leading to their domicile as well as flying the Texas flag in front of their homes. The term “Don’t’ mess with Texas” is taken very seriously in these parts. And its no wonder why these people feel the way they do.  This is a state with large ranches and beautiful countryside. And lets not forget the Alamo. These attractions shouldn’t be missed. If you’ve never tasted Texas Bar-b-Que or Whataburger, might I suggest these taste sensations are worth the trip itself.

Branson Missouri is the Grand Ol Opry capitol of the world. In Memphis Tennessee you will find Elvis Presley’s mansion Graceland. Beal Street, which is where the blues was born, still remains one of the greatest blues music streets in the world. Its also a place that Elvis Presley himself used to spend his time on when he wasn’t on the road or spending time in his beloved home.

New Orleans is the birthplace of American Jazz. A trip down Bourbon Street will give you a taste of what its evolved into. It will also give a special treat to you ears.  It’s also the site of one of the greatest hurricane disasters in American when hurricane Katrina made her way onto their shores. And of course, Its the site of Mardi Gras. One of the greatest festivals you could ever attend.

The Great Smoky Mountains are another beautiful mountain range. They run along the border of Tennessee and North Carolina.  It’s the only place I’ve seen a town with the proud and prominent name of “Buck Snort.”

The northern, East Coast is a Mecca of history. With the original 13 colonies being found there, it also has sites of some of the greatest battles of the civil war.  Here you can take tours through these sites and learn about this tumultuous time in our history. A history lesson while you have fun. What a great idea! You can find the original slave quarters in Charleston South Carolina. This is where the slave traders would bring slaves, house them and put them up for auction.  This is indeed a very dark part of American History. But as they say; those who don’t learn from past mistakes are will surely to repeat them.

New York City is of course one of the cities that everyone knows and would like to visit.  And who can blame them?  With amazing architecture, shopping, entertainment, and social diversity its truly one of the greatest cities every built.

Florida houses Disney World which is indeed the happiest and cleanest place on earth.  It also has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world found on the Gulf of Mexico side as well as on the Atlantic Ocean side.  Of course it is also home to one of the most famous spring break destinations called Fort Lauderdale. Daytona Beach is the site of the Daytona 500, of one of the greatest car races in America.

The citizens of America are some of the friendliest and most considerate people in the world. When there is a problem or crises we do love to chip in and help.  I still consider America to be one of the most dangerous places in the world to live. But if you watch the neighborhoods you’re in, and use some common sense, you could come away knowing that we are some of the kindest people you will ever meet.

America, America, God shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!

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