Echoes of a civilized Jungle

How is it as the only dude in Yoga teacher certificate in tropical paradise, Tulum?!?!

2018-01-03T09:13:00.001-08:00

How is yoga teacher training abroad as the only dude?

You are often called out as the male with, can you do this. Most men often have trouble with groin stretches, down dog, flexibility etc. Also, the teachers often don't address your cock and balls. They expect you to do ball crunchers in chair twists and seated pigeon, so do remind rare guys in your class to arrange for comfort; tuck or lift your members. I think my next yoga course will have a male teacher, as I feel I need to have someone who understands my male body, not just the majority of yoga students, the female body.

Balanced cactus sometimes needs lower bases

The teachers do address women's bodies in much more detail like pregnancies and menstruation. There is plenty of concern for pregnancies, obviously, and interestingly menstruation, so you get an nuanced take on the female body's needs during that time like inversions or cobra and lady's opinions of the male reactions. Be prepared for some fun convos over drinks after this class. I recommend being there to hear what females want a male to understand about their nonsexual bodies, especially if you will teach or have a daughter.

The only dude among fit yogi ladies

Initially, I was very aware of how lucky it is to be surrounded by attractive fit ladies in form-fitting clothing. Largely, it is not a crazy hookup situation, despite most women going through recent breakups, being on vacations, and largely being relaxed the first week. That is because you are being taught as they are and they are hanging out with each other mostly, not that random dude. Eventually, they see you more as a brother or friend zone you with some occasional hookup options, mostly by others wanting you to save one from her ex or whatever their intentions. So, do not expect to be the bro stud, yet you may come out knowing much more about the female body, and how female yogis practice and think, which has its own benefits as a teacher and an aware male.

Local yoga groupies do get some action with older women though

Still, most ladies are in life crisis mode so you could crash into a fun fling that may lead to something great. You just need to insist on one, as they hangout together, which makes talking with one harder.

Get the yoga group out together?

I imagined that after yoga, we would go to cenotes and enjoy the beach sunsets or healthy drinks. Sadly, everyone went home and or randomly met each other at a bar for happy hour drinks. I found group texts get good responses, yet little positive action, like actually meeting up. Also, do not underestimate the time at the yoga studio (9-5) with some homework reading and plenty of work obligations or a need to chat with distant semi boyfriends, jobs etc. So, send out individual texts or verbally agree to meet one or two in 10 minutes before they get relaxed at home. They loved nice drinks and cute styled restaurants or the beach early or at sunset, so keep them out of their homes. Do watch out for mosquitoes at sunset at cenotes or the beach, as well as the rain storms.

Hard studying/prepping requires funny costumes

Favorite take away from yoga teaching?

I learned that everybody is different with their bone on bone compression dangers vs tension of stretching resistance. This was highlighted by Paul Grilley's DVD. I have plenty of areas where I can improve flexibility, like groin, hamstrings, gluts, yet I can't change my hips internal rotation, as it is bone on bone, sadly. Firelog is not going to happen or lotus, yet I can be thankful for knowing without hurting myself too badly first. After this information, I will not have the urge to push everyone to make it to my flexibility level or the comparatively very flexible ladies. This is a common complaint by injured yogis, doing well improving health and flexibility before finding that yoga teacher that wants them to reach new heights and unnecessary injuries and a break in their routine. So, don't be that crossfit yoga teacher and motivate but don't expect everyone's downdog to the be same or flexibility to seem the same.

Sunset yoga is nice and better with margaritas, only if you are a relaxed yoga teacher lol

Do Yoga abroad or local community?

I really wanted to experience yoga intensively, as I get distracted and don't finish over the long haul. Yoga abroad does permit you to finish and get really into a daily practice. Sadly, when you return from abroad, your support network is dispersed and not local. So, you lose the routine and can't return to the studio or see your group in person. Instead, it is mostly online and often depends on your actively seeking community and a new yoga crew. As such, I recommend a local group to solidify your practice and routine. As I was traveling, I lacked one, yet routine is based on a yogi, not his external community. So, just deepen your personal practice and expand your yogic circle locally.

Get burnt at Tulum beach but felt nice then before military police rolled up

Yup, you pass out from learning all those moves and cues...

Yoga in exotic beautiful place, not necessary!

I wanted to do yoga in a beautiful place, warm, and with the beach nearby. Sadly, intensive yoga teaching certs tend to be 9-5 ish, so you will spend most of the time in the yoga studio doing yoga or learning, while you may enjoy the local town, you will be busy, not on vacation. I did enjoy cheap tacos for lunch and early morning beach rides, yet this was like 2 times over 3 weeks. We mostly had good drinks and food out, while I mostly cooked and relaxed at home. So, don't expect to be exploring the surrounding after a long day, as you need to relax. Also, the last week is a bit stressful like pre-performance in acting or dance performances, so take excursions early and relax later.

Explore the tasty food more with your friends before the last night!

Explore the iguana's homes in the rocks and Mayan ruins

Hang out at the park watching the birds fly at sunset chatting with locals

~Stopping to ssssay hi to the neighborhood green snake, (find it?) no rush be chill!

The beach has real appeal to me, yet is not ideal for yoga. If the beach has no palm trees, you will burn sitting out all day. While the beach IG pics are often the best, the actual experience is anything but orifice annoying sand fests. I'd recommend rocks for poses, instead of full classes. Either way, the sand teaches you a new appreciation for mats, grass, and forests, because the sand leaves much to be disliked and plenty of unwanted attachments. I'd only do yoga with shade, a limited time period, and for pictures mostly. Some of my best pics and memories are under the palm trees on the beach, yet the actual experience is less pleasant. Strangely, our mind idealizes the beach and palm trees, your guess why...!?

It looks lovely and may be better than your current location, just this is a rare day

Next time, I'll take a male-led, local yoga teacher training, where the excursions are to the park/forest, not the beach. Still, I do enjoy the warmth over the cold, so a retreat with the right group from my locale is still enticing.

Never forget when you graduate and have some epic parties afterwards. This is when the yogis let loose and the real person remembers they are no monk or seeking enlightenment via prana yamas just yet. Remember that your 1st yoga class is way more prepared than 90% of the other yoga classes, which tend to be adlibed due to your I have x injury or I want hips and not shoulders etc. You need just 4-5 standard flows and then mix it up with harder levels to start as a teacher and gain experience and confidence.

Graduation class post savasana puppy celebration, we be Yogis!

Besties getting down till the sunrise multiple days in a row, crazy!

Yes, we did take a fun excursion to a Cenote with videos of a croc and some mangrove jumping!

Mangrove jumps into cenote

Afraid but swimming up to the cenote's crocodile, don't touch!

Tour Leader life not Van-life: 6 take aways from a 1st year tour leader/driver

2018-01-01T10:27:00.000-08:00

1. Tour leader, not van living?

I kept reading and seeing great images of van life and wanting to bring people to lead adventurous lives. As I was not making any headway with a desk job, I jumped at an opportunity to lead road trips through the US, mostly to musical US cities and national parks with American Adventures. I learned that tour leaders and van life are not at all relaxing and the easy life, which could have been my leading tours on a strictly timed schedule and being in my 1st year. This is more about tour leading, so basically van living with random strangers that may or may not be ideal members of your crew. You really learn that some people are easy to travel with and others take the fun out of everything.

Training group is super fun and your time off is well spent(:

Traffic jam with passive-aggressive walkers, worth the stare off(;

2. Not sleeping in a tent or much

I found that the best part of leading tours is that I awoke with some of the best views and met some random cool travelers. I did not sleep enough and often gave up my best gear for my pax to stay warm, sleep better, or not sleep with ants, spiders, etc, which is part of being adaptable and giving up your comforts for others. I suspect that better planning on my part would permit me to have more sleep and also proper gear for the cold weather in Utah in September. You learn quickly that pitching tents for others take time, so you end up sleeping in a trailer, which is dusty, damp, dark, and not as scenic with stars, yet dark so sunrise does not always wake you but pax packing does. Thus, the sleeping requires good clean trailers and pax that have good warm gear and sleeping bags, so stop at an REI or Walmart for more than the cheap sleeping bag.

Sunrise Monument Valley

Copperhead den mating by campsite; uninvited dinner guests!

4. Yup, leading tours is hard work!

I hoped that I would just lead chill people to awesome places. Sadly, the time crunch for sunset or sunrise requires prep work after others sleep, rushed eating, running to grab things and plenty of self-sacrifices to lead to amazing experiences. I am grateful for the ability to J dock van + trailer easily, driving through narrow city streets in huge vans, and learning about the beauty of truck driver support. Sadly, the expressways and hazmat is a nightmare for you driving through NYC and the east coast. Overall, I gained much more confidence with a large vehicle and trailer in much smaller spaces, while also learning how to pass DOT inspections that require on the spot checks of vehicle's mechanics.

Dead Horse sunset in chilly Autumn Winds

Making the sunset almost but not the real deal at Bryce):

5. The Pax make the trip!

The group makes the trip wonderful, so whoever is on it will make your life easy or very difficult. The most important pax is actually you. So, do not forget self-care and not overpromising or trying too hard to please. There is no foolproof way to provide the ideal trip for partiers and cultured hikers. If you make an effort and can bring each to their ideal place, regardless the effort, they will be happy. So, make sure you do not burn out trying to solve everyone's demands without remembering your happiness on the trip is essential. While your pax's safety is paramount, their feeling supported and not overly protected is necessary. I felt that rainy windy Angel's landing was not ideal for less confident hikers. At the end, I did scare off several to make myself feel more certain I would not have a rescue. However, a tour leader should support more than protect. I now understand parents more, as I prefer safety over fun. Meanwhile, your pax are adults, so can make their own decisions.

Successful Bday celebration despite the monsoon season at GC, great experiences ruin the ordinary(;

Yes, anyone can make it up Angel's landing, even the white-haired

rain and wind led to floods and real waterfalls once I crossed the bridge back

Waterfall starts from rain, epic flash floods after down

6. Your road trip knowledge is unsurpassed

You start out unaware of the best parking for x location driving in circles to find free parking or find campsites overbooked and just doing the average trip with the standard itinerary. Then you realize that older leaders have so many ideal locations and the perfect trip they can pull out of their back pocket after 5 beers by the bonfire. They literally know the distance and hiking options adding in two more hikes and including some historical cabin tour, all free, in the great smokey mountains. Then they throw you a waterfall in Tenessee with water shoes and you gain suddenly TripAdvisor without needing your phone. The experience molds you into something of a travel ninja, yet this is mostly learned by doing and also from your fellow leaders. So, accept that you don't know everything, but work extra hard to check for those great stops and talk with fellow leaders. Then you can join the knowledgeable tour leaders.

Campsite overflowing with elk and calfs plus campers

camper kids having fun in Smokey mnts

Happy tour guide bouldering btw double arches after free early bird entry(:

Basically, don't worry everyone struggles. The key to making it is talking with leaders, listening to your needs first, and then trying your hardest to make things happen timely with a personal touch of support but not too overly protective.

Dear Facebook: WTF are you not speaking truth to power? Ask Congress about its data and trust issues or discuss our dataism future, porfi!

2017-11-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

Please ask the US government, why they have not used their own data and algorithms to inform us of “fake news” and provide $ for accurate speech, instead of criticizing a corporation for adhering to standard business practices and within your constitutional rights?

As a statist believing in the supremacy of the rule of law, Citizens United created legal precedent or a legal expectation of a corporate right that $s equal more speech and as such, any $ paid into the forum is considered beneficial. As Facebook is a forum and not directly speaking for or in any consideration for the campaign of any party, it is not a PAC. Also, Facebook, is not asking what is your purpose for the ad. It is merely providing a forum to discuss politics, cats, and plans with friends. So, any criticism of Facebook for failing to regulate its ads is like criticizing the newspapers for placing ads for coke and getting diabetes, causation triage statistically insignificant from the newspaper, while coke likely does. The paid ad is 3 or four links away from Facebook monitoring speech's intended effect of 3rd parties. Just think, thought police.

Naturally, many nationalists will claim that foreign corporations with ties to foreign bank accounts and eventually foreign governments are un-democractic (calling America a democracy is misinformation and has never existed at all in the US.) and anti-American. Courts need to determine the extent of corporation's rights, as discrimination on speech based on national origin is per se a violation of the equal protection. So, any legal entity or corporation, would likely obtain full protection (naturally the argument of corporations being merely denizens without equal rights is not completely established yet), unless the strict scrutiny of a clear and present danger of inciting violence or terrorist attacks, such as sending money to pay for an automized drone to kill individuals. This would be a clear violation, as the grounds are because of the foreign national corporation paying for the speech. Any suit would need to be against that individual, not Facebook, which is a jurisdictional question of course.

The government must have a compelling state interest that is narrowly tailored to the least restrictive means. Sure, the government can claim that election manipulation is within its national security interests. Yet, the least restrictive means would require the government to use its own money to voice its concerns and not restrict speech. Also, the government agencies can merely track the payments, organizations, and individuals with its extensive intelligence apparatus and arrest spies or freeze their bank accounts without prohibiting speech because of its content's specific communication. As the government monitors all money transactions over 10k and nearly all online communications, it can narrowly tailor this tracking to counter “fake news” with the real news. Unfortunately, the US government has little trust within its own population, so this is hardly possible. So, tell the US government to improve its own “fake news” campaigns to gain trust; and no, we don't restrict speech's content.

Instead of limiting speech, the government must accept responsibility for a free market of speech, as the Justice Scalia stated was part of a free society. While the US has “influenced” elections in Russia, Latin America, and countless other countries as a policy, the world will now do to the US. This is a natural state of the information age, not something to be fear. The real question the US faces, is what does it feel happens when you realize that an undereducated, semi-literate mass lacks free will to make its own decisions and trusts the oracle or a trusted source of power, information, and generally a community leader.

In the 1950s, we trusted the government as our protector from the evils of communism, fascism, and disorder. We trusted that the government would provide jobs, retirement, and work even when companies would not during the great depression. This lasted until the government, largely manipulated us to send our sons to war in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan with repeated “fake news” propagated by our misinformation bureaus to support corporations with cheap guards to protect their investments globally, not our freedom or the soldier's families. As with the UK, the empire was successful for some time making our corporations some of the largest and most influential capitalists, rivaling the old state monopolies like the East Indies company.

The current trust level of the US government is not at an all time low. Meanwhile, the system does not execute traitors, like the CIA and NSA directors for misinforming the public on permanent and total collection of all data of US citizens, as China does. So, citizens largely view the US government as a rent seeking mafia or regime, not a republic for the people or by the people. Who do you blame for this trust or misinformation, a foreign power or your own attempt to control data like your did in the 20th century with state controlled data and capital controls?

Humanists believe that humans have the ability to decide what is best for them by processing their desires based on analysis of their needs, desires, and past events and decisions taken. While I question this entire assumption and most modern economists would, the premise is playing out in politics now. Scalia had trust that Americans had the capacity to process data and information to make the best decision for them, the nation, and their communities. As such, we face Trumpism and the repeated US legislation written by corporations and or the highest bidder. The republican election process is an option, not the final state of human society, as Fukuyama used to preach. Will we continue to support a government that hides the truth from us and blames our dataists for the governance's trust/legitimacy problem, as it tries to gather all our data to exploit our labor, ingenuity, and capital? I doubt that our humanists will find this a freedom of choice, so long as there is no absolute transparency between the government and its citizens, absent current (within a month) military operations. Until we have complete freedom to know what is our best interest and that our choices are free and not manipulated by misinformation by those in the intelligence communities, we will not be able to have free will or a humanist ideal of freedom or liberty. While I think this is an ideal, I doubt that humans can currently process the data to make informed decisions with our current education deficit and states won't join the 21st century voluntarily. So, an illiquid democratic model would require experts and or AI to determine their decision for them, instead of the current illogical manipulative leaders.

As our government cannot currently protect our data (equifax), monitor our data (NSA fails to “protect” us due to data overload etc.), or actually manage the current data for the greater good (pro human freedom), we will face continued mis governance and distrust. While Facebook lacks legitimate governance rights of the US, I would suspect that efficiencies and trust would lead citizens to favor Facebook's leadership due to its sole purpose of making money and providing speech at any price and individually. As such, we likely will face a “Snow Crash” future of corporate states monitoring their own economies and employees as citizens, while the state may print passports and retains intelligence communities to give the masses a belief of security and belonging to those orders without any efficient dataist AI leader.

What will Facebook do with us the humans within its dataist ambitions? Will we the humans go the way of the cat clicks, Homo animalis, or will there be a push towards egalitarian dataism within governance by corporations for a free society with more homo AI that improves lives, not just misinformation to manipulate the masses to create a worse human society and world?

I feel humans will become either, homo animalis, like animists, nationalists, religious, humanists are now or Homo Deus dataists amortal AI cyborgs processing data to make freer decisions within a logical parameter mixed human synapsis using less of our old reptilian or mammalian brain and more our AI data processor. Hopefully, these Ubermenschen will solve our disparity dilemma and not merely resurrect only belief in subhumans and superhumans distopias, which are so vividly and accurately described in Daniel Suarez's many distopian novels.

Cycle Touring through Trumpville California and Immigrant Haciendas to record America's belief divide

2017-02-06T16:46:00.001-08:00

After Trump was elected, I could have returned to Germany with all its easy work life balance and government keeping everything running mostly smoothly. Instead, I decided to align my purpose and my joy to understand more deeply our societal challenge of "America's" future.

I keep running to the easy life, instead of staying and understanding the depth of a problem or challenge. Most recently, I was faced with the unusual threat of living in a world where Alabama from the 1970s is becoming a possible reality in 2017.

I know how this made me feel and how these persons believe that those times were better, safer, easier and less awkward being "white". So, I feel drawn to record their feelings and beliefs juxtaposed to the feelings and beliefs of the immigrant community that is so closely intertwined in the countryside and our less affluent non urban areas. I may write a book with a similar background to Hillbilly Elegy or incorporate his insider and outsider perspectives to empathize with both.

How do I propose I do this, when countless other people are there and able to record and carry the stories of the day? I will not report on shame, failure, or shocking news of soundbites. I will present a 360 degree view of a lifestyle and person, so that they get their fame and also present their imperfection in all its beautiful vulnerable humble humanity.

In order to not rush through the countryside, I will use my favorite means of transport, a bicycle. My Trek has always been stolen often, yet I have much better understanding of locking all bolts, seats, and getting German made locks. These are way better than faulty Kryptonite locks that are easily destroyed by fog, rain, and bike thieves. On a bicycle, I can travel slowly to have a gradual understanding of what an area is like and the people living there. Also I will be highly visible and hopefully not run over. I may upgrade to an electric bicycle, motorcycle or even a camper van.

My purpose is to recreate the cultural story of De Tocqueville from pre Civil War USA, so that the world and "Americans" can understand why non urban "America" feels and believes in Trump and his policy promises, despite the academic and educated feeling differently. I know many people cannot understand or try to understand the lifestyle of Trump supporters or of San Franciscan elites. They each feel and believe they are correct and logically accurate in their factual opinions based off their own lives and their friends' lives. Each has a perspective of the truth, yet screams at the other for racism or failing to understand data science, while the others claim lack of hands on experience in the country and or not accepting their lifestyle and all too real problems.

Sadly, the Mayans also faced societal collapse, as the scientists warned of drought and famine. Meanwhile, the kings over-farmed the last hilltop for corn, leaving no tree or natural growth, which led to muds slides washing away farms and villagers. They abandoned cities after annihilating most of the wealthy and scientists, leaving stone structures for a millennium overgrown and unknown by locals, as anything but bygone failures, not a vibrant civilized society that chose to fail.

Are we going to remain civilized or destroy our civilization over an inability to understand our human feelings/beliefs?

I hope to model my project on Louis "Studs" Terkel, whose collection will air in 2017. Prior to Vlog, Studs interviewed many individuals, both famous and less so, on the radio during McCarthyism, which led to his being blacklisted and banned from media. These radio archives are the social media archives of their time and made a substantial impact on what individual "Americans" were going through and felt. They projected real people, having real conversations, and often obtain candid opinions of feelings, beliefs, and life struggles.

Also I plan on interviewing immigrant populations, documented and un, so that there is also a real perspective of these driven, rough, and often mistakenly hated or pitied people. I hope to provide the real picture of them from my Peace Corps experience befriending all walks of life from garbage man to coffee picker and from banker to teacher. They all have a story that is talked about in macro terms, yet rarely in micro terms. These stories make the news real, social media worth reading, and will bring real facts told from one person to many using the best mediums.

I have no real experience, minus cycling, assisting with VR film and small short film productions. Still, I am drawn to explore the deeps bowels of the "American" beast that is growling at the world, its wealthy cities, its marginalized immigrants and its shocked millennial liberal middle class. So, as most millennials you rally your friends and like minded individuals to embark on an adventure. Let's go!

My goal is to join the RYOT team and focus on direct action within the environmental space with nature and animals. I am currently seeking film editors and or bike mechanics with an interest in film. I may just jump into it on my own and hope to find souls equally motivated and financially able to support themselves. We can bootstrap and I can fund the gear from REI, keep you fed, clothed, motivated, and housed in a tent and eventually more.

Glad to have any recommendations, connections, questions, and or suggestions, as I move from planning to taking action and riding out into the eerily familiar and distant "America".

Update: I am doing a mini trip through Alabama to join a film crew to humanizeUS. If you want to check out our progress with videos and posts we are live from Alabama.

Also there is a gofundme campaign to help with costs of the transport and investment in the camera equipment and google cardboards.

Unite Shareholder via Social Media to protect our Environment without costly proxies or anti-Trump street protests, change corporate boards instead!

2017-01-28T22:42:00.005-08:00

Why do most Anti-Trump or environmental protests occur in the streets and at the political offices of politicians, instead of mostly online by shareholders?

Currently, we have a corporate citizenry that does not have any obligations and plenty of rights granted under the US supreme court that goes directly against Scalia's traditionalist view, albeit Scalia believed the abhorrent corporations were like the love of slavery, a societal change.

Meanwhile, Non-Profits run campaigns based on recurring individual payments funded by canvasing (yes annoying street solicitation in sun/rain/snow and assaulting suits) and the occasional corporate sponsorship mostly for tax brakes. The NGO's tactic is to pick issues to attack from within their board. Then they figure out catchy phrases like "Keep it in the Ground" for a broad PR campaign.

NGOs send out petitions to their donors, largely annoying donors and wasting money, while having limited media impact. Finally, they sue corporations and government agencies to implement the law, which is like David v Goliath in funds, lawyers, and ability to counter file till the NGO runs out of money to force a settlement or even court case.

Basically, Non-Profits are under funded and trying to out compete a highly sustainable corporate structure that survives off providing a demanded and needed product that provides strong cash flow to fund legislation to grow their business. With increasing revenue, investors throw money at these growing businesses to improve the profits and eventually return dividends and gains to the share holders. So, any NGO is merely fighting like a beggar to slow the inevitable demise of the 4th estate or society's guilty conscious.

What can we change about this to bring about real change from within the corporate structure?

Social media provides us millennials with a unique ability to act like a huge labor union or traditional conglomerate of the 4th estate's attention. If we post on demonstrations and make the news, the well curated corporate releases or cleanly established slogans of the NGOs are drowned out by actual people acting in the streets directly on what happens.

Now we need to, not only unite with our political allies online, but also connect with the corporate shareholders, who are mostly baby boomers with a substantial portion being former hippies that started this initial protesting in the streets. What is stopping us from bringing all shareholders of Chevron or Exxon together on Facebook or twitter to ask them daily what they are doing to prevent climate change and or how they plan on investing in renewables... As their PR may have to respond, if it is continually tweeted about by shareholders, they may be forced to act via effective social media, not outdated shareholder proxies.

If shareholders do not want to expose themselves of their privacy concerns or guilty conscious. Then we can establish a anonymous poll to bring to the shareholder meeting to express environmental concerns. Naturally, this would go against the profits interests of most SH. Just the SHs likely have children and may think of future liabilities. So addressing these issues may be in the best interest of the SH and the corporations long term.

Shareholder proxies and gadflying at corporate meetings are first pricey and second hard to successfully accomplish, minus when Sierra Club surprised Dupont in 1997 to prevent degradation of the Okefenokee wetlands. Basically, the formalities cost thousands, you need to hold substantial shares (300 shares valued over 2k), obtain between 3-9% of vote, and there must be space enough at the meeting to present the proposition (arbitrarily determined by board of corp). The corporation can pack the hall (friendly employees, shareholder reps, or book a small location) or allege security concerns and prevent certain known 'disruptive' gadfly shareholders.

Most shares are voted along board lines, unless the shareholder actively votes, which is unlikely due to most shareholders leaving their banks as fiduciaries. The board rarely gives shareholders more than 3 minutes to voice their opinions at meetings, and often answers with 'so, sell your shares,' and rabid cheers by the bankers representing the other shareholders in support of the board. While the ideal of shareholder democracy exists, nearly every proxy has executive compensation as an advisory vote and non binding. This alone, is not enough to alter the executives from setting their own compensation without a real binding vote, nor fearing any shareholder protest beyond a few minutes of laughing off insignificant concerns.

Interestingly, political spending and environmental risks are now (2015) trending at 40% votes for addressing and disclosing these trends. While gadflies tend to be repeat (80% of proxies from 20% of shareholders) and often single family funds, they are often thwarted by the corps, such that the main gadflies are ostracized. John Chevendden was the most active gadfly, who has faced substantial legal filings and repeated attacks for his attempts to challenge management.

With a current Trump presidency, the issue of boards and corporate governance are front and center for our republic. If we want to keep this republic, the passive shareholders must take their vote to the boards and take it without holding anything back. As twitter and social media present the cheapest and most visible means to counter the 'reality' of corporate America, we must unite the shareholders to counter the board's disdain of their interests. In the end, the shareholder's interests direct the board, which directs the executives. For a long time the dog has wagged its tail well, yet the many grandmothers or parents of millennials can and should permit their socially responsible and environmentally aware children to lobby, not just the government, but increasingly the corporations causing the government and policy to shift toward an unhealthy future that no one desires with long to live.

I hope that people citizens can unite to enforce our enlightened vision of a future with a vibrant environment, so that we can stall and reverse many of our government's failings by entering and changing business from within, not from without. As with GMO in Europe, the failure to provide the cultural foundation led to a failure of such crops gaining acceptance with EU consumers. Thus, the US shareholders should find that any corporation that lacks a global environmental crisis risk strategy are gravely in violation of their fiduciary duties to inform and protect assets of shareholders from certain liabilities.

Now, how do we quickly and decisively unite shareholders (grannies, baby boomers & younger investors) online to lobby corporations using their unique social media status to reform corporate governance from proxy votes to social media crisis that leave corp PR teams discussing the global environmental crisis for more than 3 minutes to actually implement change from within the corporate structure and not just the stalling/blocking of NGOs and government regulations?

How can you actively impact board meetings? Do you know anyone that holds shares in any fortune 500 companies (you can go to the meetings or send others)? Do you personally or via a retirement fund own any shares (you can also go and voice your concerns)? What is holding back the 'investors' in our future from considering the environmental impact of our profitable investments harming our future generation's livelihoods?

Let's hack the outdated requirements to attend, vote, and follow legal formalities to barely impact board decisions. Instead, let's force boards to care by bringing their attention to the unusually flat attention of social media without the need to be well funded and merely be well connected online and vocal. While many will argue that traditional means are best, the actual impact of social media on shareholder meetings and boards is, as of yet untested, and needs to be actually challenged directly and continually with such rampant Trumpism and corporate rejection of environmental reality.

Bring #nodapl #divest #keep it in the ground# to the boardroom! Let's not wait any longer to utilize the corporate structure to implement change. Forget the government, let's hack the board socially from within and bring about real change with half the cost and twice the social impact.

When moving to San Francisco: my neighborhood, the Haight

2013-11-19T09:26:00.002-08:00

Before moving to San Francisco, remember that each neighborhood will define you and bind you. I thought that the bay area was one big community. Yet there are actually many like the Mission, Marina, North Beach, Richmond, Sunset, SOMA et al. My favorite neighborhood is the Haight, as I landed here a year plus ago. I like its central location and eclectic vibe.

Now, I am at home in the Haight. The pig sty smelling sidewalks piled with hobos and retirees snapping photos keep my rent down. The hills offer downhill bike rides to everywhere along ‘the WIGGLE’. I enjoy this cult classic riding through picturesque neighborhoods with lighter traffic. When I get visitors, I send them to the Haight’s Red Victorian for an inexpensive stay in a vintage Victorian B&B. Page street’s artistic and better kept Victorians fascinate me along my grocery runs, while Haight street’s vintage clothing shops intrigues me for new styles or Halloween specials.

I am often surprised that tour guides forget the best views of SF, Twin Peaks and Buena Vista. The path to Twin Peaks passes through quaint Cole Valley, while Buena Vista is a high rise for hobos, so be careful at night. I enjoy Twin Peaks for a nice city weekend hike with visitors or locals alike. Just to the north of the Haight is the panhandle, my front yard. From there, I jump on the panhandle’s bike route connecting to the museums in Golden Gate Park (10 minutes), the Mission or Richmond (15), Embarcadero (20), and Baker’s beach (30).

I live in foodie heaven with Haight’s grocery store selection including: Bi-rite (ice cream & priciest local quality produce), Falletti (europhile), Haight market (local grocer & produce), Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Lucky. Each has something for everyone, including good local coffee and deli sandwiches. The Mission has the best cafes and food for hipsters, yet Stanza Coffee, Bean Bag cafe (crepes/ bicycle hang out), Vinyl cafe (wine/hipster office), and Central Perk Cafe provide ample coffee stations with good snacks.

If I am too lazy to cook, I indulge in tasty treats at Napolito (Horchata & Pueblan tapas), Nopa, Green Chile Pies, Little Chihuahua (Tacos), and Rosamunde (bison Austrian sausage). Taxis are horrendous here, while lyft like apps make it easier to get around. Fortunately, I can walk to neighborhood bars such as, Madroneartbar (unusual cocktails tasting of old clothes), Page street, Tornadoes (best Belgian beer), Magnolia Brewery, and Club Deluxe (good jazz). After a night out, eat brunch at the Pork Store, Zazie, Velo rouge (breakfast burrito), or the local chain Squat and Gobble.

I noticed that I was becoming a local, when I forget about fast food chains existing. One day, some foreigners in cars asked me where any fast food was! I had to tell them to try ‘Pho’ on Clement, tacos at Chihuahua, or savory crepes at Bean Bag. Stumped, I completely forgot any franchise names, as they just don’t make the cut in the neighborhood. Annoyed at my not knowing about Amerikan staples, they drove off wondering how San Francisco survives without most major chains.

I lacked community elsewhere, yet here I have a neighborhood again. However, once I felt at home in San Francisco, I became a foreigner to the rest of Americans. Pick your neighborhood wisely, as commuting in cars or public transportation is not easy. I just walk a block to find what I need or bike along the ‘WIGGLE’ to travel outside of my community to neighborhoods representing many slices of the global culture. I am lucky to have picked the right neighborhood for me and am exploring its depths. So, good luck choosing wisely and exploring your neighborhood within this global American culture.

My morning commute: from West bay to East bay in pursuit of justice

2013-11-11T13:56:00.002-08:00

Awakening to a giant burning eucalyptus protruding from the smokey haze of San Francisco’s morning fog blanket, I grab my purple mat and a bio-dynamic apple before stumbling down a dark cold mildewy staircase haunted by Janice Joplin’s past, the remnants of the ‘Summer of 69′. As I glance at the morning news and some Facebook messages on my phone, I almost stumble over the dozen sleeping bags stuffed with mentally ill veterans living a drugged existence escaping from reality, but free to be in their Haight’s park commune.

Noticing my own lack of being present, I sigh and take in the beauty of tumbling fog swallowing up the bikes, cars, and buildings, as it rushes to the bay past the financial district’s swarming techies. Stepping into my yoga garden sanctuary within the city’s bustle, I strive to master my physical inner body and spirit. Feeling every last drop of salty stress squeezed out of me, I bend my body in ever less foreign ways following the calm voice’s instructions to place my slippery leg on my protruding elbow, while balancing my other leg and head suspended over a beckoning hard wood floor.

Emerging from the twin tree fern archway over a small wooden gate, I smile at the sun overcoming the fog and bite into my warm crunchy apple. As I near the sleeping bags, I notice an old shriveled lady is drawing perfect geometric designs of fir tree like buildings, as if she were an educated architect of nature stenciling in her next master piece, while siting on the dirty cold step of a church. Feeling guilty for judging her quickly, I recognize that everyone does something with their day, just some are more respected for their toils.

Jumping on my red hybrid bike, I join the rush of traffic wiggling downhill like trouts in a babbling stream. After reaching the Hayes traffic clog, I burst off the starting block entering the swarm to Market, only to see a pregnant woman on a trailer bike keep up and pass me with ease. Astounded, I ask her at the red light about her motorized ride, which has an electric throttle assist built into the wheel. She smiles, laughing at my question’s defeated tone; before she tells me of the challenge of pulling two kids and groceries up hills without the needed extra kick. After talking about what we do and our love for bikes, the morning’s road raging blond driving her black SUV interrupts our calm commute. Madly, this rearing beast tailgates, honks, and tries to force the school of bikes off their lane, yet the bikes calmly hold their formation and stay on the neon green bike lane. Suddenly, she jumps back into the tram and bus only lane, as if she were an Iraqi veteran speeding to avoid unseen landmines without a consideration for her fellow commuter. Before I can get too upset, I remember that Bart has lifted the commuter bike ban, so I jump into the sardine can with my metal steed securely in its place.

Upon arriving at my 14th street stop, red Bart strike warning signs jump out at me, as I enter Oakland in mid protest with horns, shouting, and the beating of drums. As predicted by my boss, Oakland’s heart is a chaos with the major bank’s broken windows being boarded up three stories, as the courts basically opened human hunting season in Florida. Strangely, I administer this system’s justice, where I seem to ride backwards on an ass, al estilo de Sancho Panza, wondering if I bring justice or a future society’s big joke. Can I bring justice from within this imperfect system or is each community better left to its own means of serving justice without a legal system?

Luckily, my clients are waiting for me at my historic Jungendstil high rise, punctual for a change, so I start my day with my daily dose of the saddest story no one realizes happens in our society. Surprise! It is another rape of a minor, which allows a ‘illegal’ family to be present after such a tragedy. My legal toils may decriminalize the entire family status in this society, which just legalized the hunting of humans. Confused, a blanket of haze envelopes my comprehension of this system’s alleged justice, as my blood boils with a fire contemplating a simpler form of community justice with less societal judging and more neighborly communication.

law to independent film making through meetup

2013-10-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

During my year off from Law school, I started with meetups, where I have met many interesting people doing fun and interesting projects.

I had no time to go to any meetup during my 1L, yet I did over my summer clerkship in Oakland. Now I have found countless fun ones like scuba diving (to volunteer to feed sharks, clean tanks and get free diving in the aquarium), crowd funding experience on pitching and meeting investors and entrepreneurs. There are countless language meet ups, yet only the Spanish or German specific groups are worthwhile, as the general language ones merely have many people speaking English poorly. This could be a good place to find students for English teachers, though.

We met the founder of Meetup, Scott Heiferman, who impressed on us the importance of the platform to find people and not to serve the organizers. The organizers pay a small fee to host 3 groups and set up meetings with members quickly discovering the creativity of the organizers. The trick is to get 7 members in the first week, keep having meetings and establish a group community.

I met with the friends of Europe group, which led to my sailing to angel island through the tail end of America's cup and started my film career. Actually, I just learned about the fun and work that goes into film production, while filming around my neighborhood the Haight. Here is my first attempt at acting with each person I meet expressing how they feel about San Francisco with body language. The film was for a music video in Switzerland. The video is really representative of the Haight and of the fun one can have with editing and walking around San Francisco before going to watch yourself in the Latin American film festival.

A short walk in San Francisco or my Haight

Basically, you can do anything in San Francisco, yet meetup is the best way to have many conversations with very diverse and connected society, so that you will make the right contacts. Through this group, you can pick the topic, type of people, and generally find something fun to do any day of the week.

Snowden and Max Schrems outing the NSA & facebook abusing human rights: is the EU a protectorate of the US or can it protect its citizen's basic human rights from violators?

2013-07-21T12:26:00.001-07:00

Everyone wants to talk about the messenger Snowden and his allegedly harming the US state's secret NSA prism program, while the US executive brazenly admitted to a program collecting everyone's phone calls, emails, and online data to allegedly be use to prevent terrorism. The US agencies also believe that this has helped stop some secret terrorist plots without any disclose-able evidence. Meanwhile, the boston bombers flight and stay in a terrorist camp in Chechnya went unnoticed with too much data and not enough relevant data monitored. It seems like the program is at best good for employing more data crunches, yet an ineffective means to hinder terrorism. An effective means to monitor everyone's associations and political leanings eventually may create a minority report world for law enforcement and citizens fearing arrest from the thought police.

Recently, the ACLU and EFF have both challenged the constitutionality of the prism programs. The complaint addresses violations of the 1st amendment for silencing speech by keeping a file for 5 years on every American and his political associations and opinions. The complaint also demands that the 4th amendment's warranty requires that "any relevant info" be limited to directly alleged relevant individuals, not a drag net. Also the broad reaching warrant from the secret court and warrant is only valid for past tracking even under the broad reaching D order, not future and unending tracking. The basic issue is that everyone in the world is not reasonably relevant for terrorism, unless the state considers every person guilty by association with humans and not innocent until at least big brother claims that you called or had association with a known or alleged terrorist and are relevant to the warranted search and seizure. Also prism lacks due process before taking private property and likely violates the 5th amendment. These all represent the Patriot acts violating the constitution, selling out our freedoms to gain alleged "security" albeit with enough terrorist attacks in a movie theater, a school, and a marathon.

The current US's unreasonably risky secrutiy policy has been shown to be highly dangerous, as it outsources top secret data of all CIA agents, all citizens, and everything that could destroy the US government, to a for profit consultancy organizations. This legal person's sole purpose is to increase its profits for share holders and only generally shares an interest to retain the US government as its client by using information to require continued outsourcing via semi-legal lobbying and black mail. The US government naturally does not charge the management with negligent hiring of a national security risk or the legal person itself, the corporation, alleging to be an expert on for online security. Instead the US government blames the individual bringing to light that the security risk is great and that outsourcing top secret data is best kept in house with stringent background checks. I wonder, who was responsible for the messenger's hiring, Ralph Schrader; and or are all of Booz Allen's online security services just security puffery, like S&P 500's AAA ratings system? If these alleged online security consultancy firms are "experts", yet not liable for security breaches at their own companies or for recommending their services as top secret secure, how can they be called security experts or professionals. Most professionals have a professional license with obligations to perform and a means to lose it, if they fail utterly in their professional obligations and expert services. So why not bring charges against the organization profiting from their failure or require security firms retain a professional obligation to keep top secret information secure or lose their license as a professional & face jail time. Should we, the citizens and owners of the US government, not have a better contract with Booz Allen holding the loss of top secret information, as a breach of contract or at least espionage and possibly treason, as are likely planned for Snowden, the messenger.

Somehow no one addresses how individual citizens lack basic rights to privacy of correspondence and information reserved for sovereign states and legal corporate persons, while the state is not following any established law. Rather the state is creating unlimited powers with secret courts outside of the constitution through some exceptional circumstances under the Patriot act set to expire in 2015. Can we wait until 2015 to regain a constitutional check on the executive branch or "security state"? Can the Europeans help us check the most powerful central government in the world or protect us from our security state, unlikely?

The German state is facing reality of being a protectorate of the US spy organization that has alleged that the German state's security need to spy on all its citizens outweighs the citizen's and state's obligation to abide by the fundamental constitutional and basic human rights to privacy founded in both the German federal statute §3.3 and the the European Union's human rights convention's article 8 of fundamental human rights. Article 8 is also legally binding on the UK, French, and Irish courts. The EU requires that the state actively protect the basic human rights to privacy in ones correspondence. So the recent factual disclosure of NSA operating with EU state approval show that the EU governments are breaking their own laws, albeit hiding it and claiming it was done without their approval. The question is, if the Eu governments can change the laws fast enough and or if the EU is really only a protectorate of the US's military and spy agencies, as during the cold war. The US legal system and its privacy standard are followed in the EU by firms, by local and foreign state run spying agencies. Nevertheless, the EU has been trying to give teeth and a perception of enforcing its own privacy standards on private and public enterprises through legislation.

The EU parliament was planning on establishing a higher limit on privacy with its data protection regulation to give legally binding powers to the OECD created working party 29. This would have put international tech businesses in between a rock and a hard place, as currently Germany, France, the UK et al fine these businesses small amounts around $50,000, while the US fines them millions. So, basically internet data companies like google, facebook etc take the individual European state's fines, while following US law, as they have to break one jurisdiction's data privacy laws. Now the data regulation would require these firms to split, as the legislation to come into effect in 2016 would fine them up to 2% of global revenue for not following EU laws. This legislation brought money and US style lobbyists to Brussels, as companies saw huge risks to their business models. They literally rewrote every last article, so that only reckless negligence may be fined. This requires that the government notify the companies of the breach, give them weeks/months, not days to correct the breach, and then only fine them if they purposefully with intent, not genuine uncertainty, posted it and refused to take it down in a reasonable time (undefined and left open to interpretation of the courts). Also they established that the business pick the jurisdiction, so that Ireland, trojan house jurisdiction with the weakest privacy standards like the US, will be used to destroy any attempt by the EU's other countries to try and use this legislation to protect their citizen's basic human rights and or constitutional rights. It will be interesting to see, if the EU will alter this legislation after Snowden reveled the truth of human rights abuse by the EU and or that the EU will accept its legal system being within the US's legal jurisdiction with occasional exceptions from yahoo v. France neo nazi paraphernalia case.

The only lawyer, so far, objecting to this protectorate state is Max Schrems, who was the law student to bring to light that EU parliamentarians were not writing legislation, instead the US lobbyist and US government. His non profit organization is outing politicians for lying or alleging that their legislation has nothing to do with the text presented to them by lobbyists, which somehow has the same exact text, including misspelling typos and grammatical errors written into their legislation. Max successfully established that he had a right to his own data under the Austrian constitution, which Facebook must provide to any user requesting his data, which Facebook owns in the US. Now he is trying to establish that the transfer of EU resident's data to a third party, the NSA, requires that this be disclosed and that any agreement between the company and third party is not relevant to the agreement between the company and the individual. Basically, the NSA is not being treated as the government in EU or above the law, so any 3rd party transfer is no longer private and any gag order is mute and null. So, Max's right to the information transferred is the property of the data creator or all the European residents whose data was transferred, not facebook or the NSA, which makes sense to own your own data you create. It will be interesting to see, if the EU can force a higher level of privacy to protect its basic human rights and constitution or just remain a legal protectorate along tech company's privacy restrictions. The only EU law that international companies respect is the abuse of a dominant position, which recently fined microsoft $561 million for not giving users chooses of browsers.Will the EU use this and or create a new law to protect its residents human rights from privacy abusers.

Between Snowden and Max Schrems everyone knows that the EU is a protectorate of the US legally within privacy law and data protection. It will be interesting to see, if the EU can actually write legislation that protects its fundamental human rights while not banning large tech companies. Unless we, the citizens, require that every public figure have google glasses or some filming/photo devise at all times in their public careers, we will never know the truth without many Snowdens. We do not know anything about what the politicians and spies are doing, yet they already know everything about us. I wonder how important the security of the government would be, if every citizen had a private Cspan with every waking/sleeping hour of Obama/Merkel and every meeting with secret service members or "lobbyists", so we know and can judge policy with all the data ourselves as citizens. If the politicians and spies have nothing illegal, immoral, unpopular to hide, there is no harm done, as they are public servants and or public people, not we the people, and we will always do what is in the best interest of our nation with all their data. Trust us NSA and US government, if we knew all the secrets we would not hurt our own country.

We now know that the government considers anyone and everyone relevant to terrorism and worthy of monitoring, so why not include the watchers and let everyone watch everyone. Why should the cameras not roll on everyone at all times, including every CIA agent, every president, every CEo, every mom, every 5 year old, and every bum on the street? This would really be entertaining and allow for a minority report like world, which is the way we are headed, as I was told by some data miners and programers in San Francisco. Then anyone could tell the police what their neighbors are doing and no crime or slight perversion will go unnoticed. This would make any slightly dangerous thought or idea mean the police come barging into your house to wake you, as happened in Germany recently. Some guy posted that he and some friends wanted to just take a walk to watch the watchers of the highly protected NSA before having the German police and countless agents burst into his house. It seems like any citizen wondering what the NSA and spies are doing is a terrorists in the eyes of the state.

Welcome to 1984. Thank you patriot act for the pigs. How unpatriotic an act, how unpatriotic a national security agency, how much we need real patriots who remember the constitution and forget this fear mongering of big brother's secret court, secret treaties, secret acts, secret data. Just enforce transparency all the way up to filming every politician 24/7, like Walmart, always open for lobbyists but citizens are only there to be spied on to know how to manipulate in November.

USF v American: My 1L law school experience and decision to take a break: You can become a lawyer without law school

2013-06-23T09:33:00.002-07:00

I am lucky to have finished my 1L law school without debt and for under 20k in tuition, as I wanted to test out how much I fit within the legal profession without paying up for tuition to go to American, instead settling for USF. I recommend that everyone works before studying law and or in law beforehand. I liked the mental logic games from the LSAT; and later the logical discussion of justice lacking a clear right or wrong and with only it depends being the best answer test.

I started noticing that most everyone is masochistic punishing themselves to get better or higher class rank. I found myself wanting to pay someone to write my legal writing papers or at least check for the exact citation style or perfection required to get above average grades. Unlike most other studies, the writing has basically the same information from a similar level of knowledge, which leaves clarity of definitions and perfect citations to determine the best grades. I enjoyed researching, learning the subject, and weighing/outlining the elements/factors, yet did not always find the need to define everything in strict legal terms, despite being easily understood from the facts. This includes wife is a legally married woman. So if X is the wife of y, as they have a marriage certificate, then they are legally married. This cuts out the common understanding that often is hard to notice needs clarification, as linguistically wife means that they are married. Yet wife is not legally certain without a marriage document. Still, these tiny details of logic and definitions are essential to include.

Legal writing is about making it impossible to be confused, so lawyers can fly through pages of complicated text without stumbling or suspecting the writer or reader is capable of an error in interpretation. Those with a talent to understand are left wondering how such people can live in a confusing varied human world. The answer is they do not, living within well order and structured legal society. Lawyers often loose the ability to understand why and how people come to the situation that leads to their breaking the law, as the letter of the law is so clear and punishment certain. This is probably why lawyers have a great disconnect from society's reality and the legal parameters, as perfection and clear logic rule the letter of the law and their minds. Yet lawyers work mostly with those with imperfect lives and desperate mental states, despite matching those imperfect facts to a mechanistic letter of the law.

The only rational means to meet this perfection was to live in the library until almost midnight with the occasional 9pm departure. When I was not there, I often tended to want to drink until I could not feel, think, or remember how much I needed to do to make the law review. This I noticed is very common, so I recommend not drinking. The stories and judgements one reads, numbs your feelings, leaving you only interpreting the facts to the law's legal element's tests. Then you think murdering a whole family and a couple of random people is normal, while laughing at funny turns of events that a lawyer can use to lessen or increase the sentencing, as if the criminal would have logically changed their behavior during an illogical criminal act. Also I found myself thinking in the library of the countless other things I would prefer to do with my life, trying escape from the mental jail of words, the laws, and the library's confounding walls.

I finished my 1L getting a grant for my internship, so I did well enough on paper grades and with work potential. Still, I was never any happier than the day I left the library, albeit we have one of the best views in SF. The 1st year teaches you the basics of our legal system, the way lawyers think, write, what a brief/memo is, how judges are, and what lawyers require or become. Our dean candidate showed us the data that 40k 1Ls start, yet only 20K jobs are out there in the entire US legal field. I noticed that nearly all internships were unpaid and most graduates were unemployed, which is not news. As I was studying for finals, I noticed that a couple of dozen partially employed/homeless ABA accredited lawyers were working with us. This showed me that this degree, which was increasing to 45K a year is a huge bubble in the making. Thus, I made the right decision to test the field, take a legal internship and realize that lawyers have a hard life, emotionally, professionally now, and socially dealing with imperfection.

Currently, I know that I am helping out the downtrodden, victims of assaults, rape, domestic violence, robbery to obtain rights given them by the policy makers and statues. This is fulfilling to see that they are thankful and able to live without fear of deportation, yet the sheer number of victims and disturbed individuals inundate a lawyer's office making a normal life impossible with countless persons needing representation and working on every essential cases unendingly essential. The only reason why work stops, is because the poor cannot afford representation. Thus, lawyers only have to deal with the wealthy, while the pro bono and public interest lawyers work directly with the helpless/rightless for as long as funding lasts. These people have no real rights or ability to get justice, when faced with a large law firm, a prosecution team or aggressive government agencies. Lawyers cannot solve the injustice or serve justice on a few injustices, if the system's foundation is not established justly. There is no difference between the duels of old with the sword, as cited in our civil procedure books, and the duels of the pen today. The richest or powerful can buy the best duelers of the pen in order for the famed God or judge now to grant the dueler his just right to be victorious in the eyes of the law/society.

I recommend a year of law school over public policy, as you learn a clearer thought/writing process and more rational just analysis of how and why policy is made, rather than the fashionable policy recommendations of the time. Still, I cannot justify paying anything over 25k a year for a legal degree, when you have countless unemployment issues, health issues, mental issues, and overall a very painful 3 years, and a professional future of serving neither justice nor ones conscious, instead the mighty $ and your lord. I would only consider working in law, if I were an apprentice, who earned a small wage, gained hands on experience (not only theoretical) and was familiar with both the lawyers, judges, and legal field first hand. Now I only know professors, debtors, and semi employed lawyers, yet every law professional that I have met wants apprentices over interns. The legal education is broken, as it goes for law schools.

I recommend taking another route to the legal profession. One can easily get a job as a lawyer without a JD, if you work for 4 years in a law firm, which sponsors you for the bar. This is allowed in California, Virginia, New York, Washington among others. Here is a group of young lawyers trying to return the legal field to an apprenticeship system that is sustainable with coworkers tested and prepared for work without crushing debt and a long working relationship within the legal field with clients and judges etc.

I will take a couple of semesters off to pursue my eclectic interests, instead of punishing myself with studies that promise huge costs with certain risks of unemployment for another title that merely means being an indebted servant to a lord of questionable morals. There are plenty of law students who only live and breath the law without anything else on their mind. They are well fit to be lawyers, yet most who find law merely a tool for business or contribute to a more just world should recognize that a lawyer merely presents the facts within the structure of the law. The facts and law determine the outcome more than your effort, so remember lawyers merely serve the law. Only the top 5% of lawyers can actually make that worldly difference, while the average lawyer is merely going to struggle to not be responsible for a client's death or loosing a client's fortunes on a slight error of writing lacking perfect clarity or just not having the financial means to defeat the countless arguments that waste resources, time, and force the settlement to the lords that be, regardless of the actual wrong.

Respect and honor is due the legal profession, as it is anything but easy. The decisions haunt, as the costs and benefits run high. Lawyers gamble with the legal interpretations to obtain something more than the parties think is just. At the end of the day, they make money but at what costs to themselves and others. I prefer to let them duel perfectly to the end, as I look on saying it depends but really does not affect me greatly. Now I know what I will pay for and how to know an honorable and capable lawyer, yet do I really want to dedicate my life to the law and not my other passions for development, language, and education. I think my skills and passions are best allocated elsewhere for now.

Do you think it wise to continue with my legal education? Are you only continuing, as you have so much debt or your dream was to be a lawyer? I am happy with my decision and course of studies, yet have not closed the door on the law, just the law school costs and suffering.

The best Honduran slang: Remembering Honduran slang from my peace crops time, Catracho estilo del cuerpo de paz

2013-06-16T15:48:00.001-07:00

Remembering the Spanish I used to speak, as I learn the local Mexican slang in California. In my memory I adopted most of the words/phrases, yet I must have only remembered always hearing them.

Catracho is a very different language with a copious quantity of local Indian Creole words. I am passively understanding many of them, yet still have not adopted most into my speech or into my active vocabulary. The few that I have are puchica, which is a word used when amazed or astonished by something. Paletas(lowlands eastern)/Topoiyoos(western mountains) is the iced juice that they sell from homes, on the street, or at the pulperias, which are general stores. After eating many topoyiyos or much food, one is lleno (estar) hasta los queques, which is a saying used to mean full, without free time, indebted or just full incapable of taking on more of something time, debt, food, etc.I have had much milk or ya he ido lechero, which means you are lucky. Que leche is what luck or what milk ie u have milk and are well off. Salado is to have bad luck or to receive salt, which lacks the positive nature of salt and more the medical affect. Codo refers to someone’s elbow and means tacanyo or cheap or stingy. It is used most to make fun of someone, yet refers to a bit of jealousy for their being well off and having money. Coco means intelligent, which is something I do not hear, as it may be from the north coast, as there are few cocos here. Pedo is an affair and is used most in que pedo (wassup), which I have also heard means fart. Mínimo is the most common word for bannana, as the other banano is very rare and mostly sold abroad. Also guinea is a fatter banana that is not exported and used instead of plantains to make sweet fired plantains. Datiles are the baby bananas, which taste great there. Un hijo de papi y mami is someone, who has both parents. This can mean spoiled or someone, who has enough to enjoy life, go out, dress well, and work at well paying jobs. It shows jealously and a disrespect for those that have both parents and the luxury to rely on a family. Fresa or strawberry is a more Mexican term used here, which means the same thing (can afford strawberries or is fragile like one), stuck up or with airs. This is often used to describe pcvs, as they have enough to enjoy life and like nice things from abroad. Pajas is often used, as bromas or jokes and tall tales often end with son pajas or im joking or it's just gossip.

Hondurans are proud to have many words for the same thing, which highlight their regional dialect, and often come from different indigenous languages and or foreign languages. The most common are pig, child, and woman. A child can be called chigúín or chichi, while a youth is a gúerro bicho zipote chino o echoce. These all mean the same thing ranging in age, while they differ regionally. Zipote and guerro are most common here, while the others seem to be mayan and from copan and santa Barbara (Bicho). Viejito-a are used as well to call the attention of a friend and talk about anyone from 2 and up. The word means old one, yet is used with affection for 2 year olds. Macanudo means excellent and is very common to hear. It can mean a cool person or just how one is doing. Chulo-a is used instead of bonito or pinto depending if it is a person or object. Chamba is work. Here it is almost always used instead of trabajo, while champa is an affair or asunto. Hule is to be without money, as well as acabado or to end/finish. The addition of andar or walk means you are walking without money. Caite is very important for my village, as it refers to a sandal or sandalia, which is also a regional thing. Irse a le chingada is used often to mean go to the US or go to a far off place. Gallo is often used to describe someone being cool, good, an expert or intelligent. Mero gallo is often tagged to make it the head rooster or cock. Andar con filo is to be hungry, while it means to walk sharply. A todo mecate is to go at top speed, while a vuelta de reuda is to go at a snails pace. Andar en once or a pincel or pata is to walk. Andar piano, andar aguja o yilet are all to go with caution, while andar buzo is to walk looking for something. Burra is a burrito or something to eat for the campo or mountains. Piperin is used for a snack or a small lunch. Rancho is the word for the military´s meal time/snack, which is a favorite amongst males, who served during the contra scandal.

This continues the short list of interesting catrocho words I want to remember. Grueso is used to mean much or enough. Nacha or natacha is used to mean domestic servant or maid, yet I have never heard this, as they do not have servants or the ones that do use their personal names. Chepear is the verb to cheat, which is also used for the police (chepo), as a derogatory word. Cute or zopilote is the most common sight and bird on the horizon, the vulture. Pijinear is often used to describe my actions on the weekend, as I go out to have fun, dance, visit bars etc. Cuero is my favorite complement for woman, as they wear clothes that fit their skin and are fit. It means a woman with a nice body, which is not very common here with most fat or pregnant by 18. Its direct translation is leather or a fit woman. Rigio is used to show a strong desire to play football or do or play something. Dar el palo is to destroy a relationship work or love. Dundo y papo are both used to signify a stupid action or instead of tanto. Pisto means money. Tunco is to limp or missing a leg. Yucca describes something hard, heavy, erect. Reventar Cuetes is what the bolos do at night during the fair, and everyone during Christmas and new years. Perra is a tall tale or a female dog. Chuña is feliz, mi abuela, as she never wears shoes. Pelarse la tusa is to leave or go quickly. Hacerse loco is to presume ignorance, which I have heard sometimes. Jalón is used to hitch hike. This is done by lifting the thumb and pointer and middle finger, as if lifting a plate with them or screwing on a top upside down. Pinche gringo or indio is used often for friends, which means insignificant person, yet really is a term of affection. Pendejo is used to insult slightly like huevon commonly for friends. Peludo is used for those with much hair, while pelon is used for those without much on their head or a mountaintop without trees. Pelado is used for someone without a shirt of nude. This I hear, as I leave the shower without a shirt or just take off my shirt, instead of just showing my belly as most guys. My favorite and most confusing words are ayote or calabasa, which means squash or pumpkin. This sounds almost the same as elote or maiz or corn on the cob. Jolote or pavo is used for my poor deceased friend, the turkey.

The English words are funny. Daime is 20 lps cents, which used to be the equivalent to a US dime. Guachiman or watch man is another word used. Chance is used for opportunity or chance.

Andarse por las ramas means beat around the bush. Andar loco enfermo means to be for a time or estar. Andar hecho leña is walk with great sorrow or after being destroyed. Andar en las nubs or distraido means to walk in the clouds distracted.

Echar de ver is to take notice of, while echar de menos is to miss. Echarse al pico is to have sexual relations. Echarme means to give me or do me the favor. Echar el puso test ones strength is used. Echar sal is to make mad or make things worse.echar en cara is to confront someone. Echarse atras is to back stab or to break a deal. Echar por tierra is to ruin or block ones attempts. Echar una cana al aire is to go out and relax pijiear. Echar carnes or to fatten oneself or eat more. Echar penca o maceta means to work hard to become tired. Echar un vistazo is to revise prior to presenting or taking a test. Echar la vaca is to beat until unconscious. Echar riata work hard and become tired. Echar los perros to sic the dogs. Echar un polvito is to have sex or leave a load.

Pegar el sol the sun shines often strong. Pegar metiras is to receive many lies or be told many lies or jokes. Pegarsele a uno is to acquire customs, habits, expressions. Pegarle picazón is the itch or or irritate. Pegar tiros or hits from a bullet. Pegarle al premio gordo to win big. Estar pegado is to fall in love, acquire a disease, gain weight, grow much. Estar pegado bajo el ala is to be pregnant or to be really sick.

Dares en la madre means to fight or discuss. Dar rienda suelta a to let go of something. Dar Guerra is to make trouble. Cancelar is used to mean pay a hotel room or a large bill. Darle a uno vergúenza o darle a uno peña means to make ashamed. Dar ganas de means to motívate someone or want to and is very common. Dares aires is to put on airs. Dar le pesame por to present on´s sympathy. Dares el taco means to give intelligence. Dar cuerda a to turn on something. Dares cuenta de means to realize. Darle a uno coraje or rabia is to get upset. Dar parte to inform or report. Darle a uno igual means to be indifferent to something. Darle a uno mismo means to be all the same to one. Dar el pesame por means to give ones sympathy for something bad. Dar por hecho means to expet or a given. Dar luz means to give birth. Dar a means to face something or someone. Dar un susto means to surprise or scare someone. Hacer caso means to pay attention or notice. Hacer leña means to play poorly or to be depressed due to someone or something bad happening. hacerse pasar por indio means to make oneself appear as an Indian. Hacer humo is to disappear or lose those following one.

Do you have any other catracho that you know or want to add? I find it amusing all the differences in language. Does anyone know Costa Rican (Tica) like this with so many differences, besides the well known pura vida and lonely planet words.

The NRA pro disorder & violence, not logical Australian gun regulation: NRA duty to reduce violence, if ATF can't regulate illegal firearms trade

2013-05-20T18:56:00.001-07:00

The gun control debate will not end without the gun market taking responsibility for its product or the law instilling a duty to control the unlawful use and possession of firearms. Bloomberg favors regulation of gun owners, yet recognizes the NRA argument.

Now the issue is guns or small accurate missiles largely controlled by humans, unlike the drones. Some would fear the Oblivion will be created, so they cling to their arms, as the only means to fight the government. However, a united citizen militia fighting the U.S. Government is as likely to be suicide, unless they have an actual command structure, nuclear weapons, control the air, the sea, and the net. As a couple of high powered rifles and bazookas will only pose a short distraction for the police or military, this argument is largely for the creation of a state militia or a real NRA mirroring the Swiss system or the local U.S military reserves becoming 2nd amendment militias with regional and local power structures. Thus, individual gun ownership will not protect individuals from the state monopoly on force, as it is a romantic idea, not a realistic one.

My meeting with the late NRA president highlighted that she and the NRA respect Australia and Switzerland's gun culture, yet do not follow it. The Swiss train every male for any invasion from European powers, as Switzerland has historically maintained superbly trained fighters since Machiavelli's time in order to protect one of the oldest democratic states. The ammunition and guns were kept at their homes in locked boxes until 2007 legislation, which moved storage to local reserve bases. Any sale of guns requires an electrical registration, and a license to own a gun. Basically, the Swiss have a well regulated (license required, with seller and buyer registered with a gun #) and highly trained and armed general population. The NRA is sad to admit that most US gun owners are under trained, which leads to children using negligent parent's unlocked guns to kill siblings, self or class mates. The issue solved by following the Swiss method is to eliminate negligent owners from hurting themselves, while requiring both a license to own and buy, which limits illegal sales or makes it traceable to theft or corrupt sales at gun shows or individuals. Still, the NRA is clinging to cultural uniqueness without recognizing the ability or success of regulation in maintaining their freedom to bear and use firearms legally.

Australia has made the news Colbert's gun policy skit on Howard's successful policy of buying back guns from 2007. This policy took unlawful & lawful guns off the street by purchasing the guns over market value to destroy them. The policy's success led to a statistically significant reduction in suicide and a steady decline in homicides after a steady increase in school shootings culminating in Tasmania. This policy contradicts the cultural need for guns in these similar gun-philo lawless societies. Still, the NRA refuses to accept any regulation of their faith in guns being good for society, as a slippery slope to gun banning. These societies have not lost their right to guns, merely reduced the ease of homicide and suicide.

Self defense is a good argument for well trained and licensed individuals, as Kleck argues. This would require the NRA to both train its members and take action against for negligent members. The original purpose of the NRA was to maintain and support a citizen militia. While the NRA does train and support its members, it defends its members right to guns, instead of regulating its negligent members. Thus, someone must step in to make the members or the organization responsible for their actions to reduce the violence endangering the general public's life.

Most explosives have strict liability attached to the usage, sale and possession, so there is a high duty to use or possess, as the danger to the public is high compared to the need for sport, hobby, or self defense. Most explosives are limited to less populous areas, which would allow guns to be used for hunting and shooting, while storage in urban settings would require high standards due to the owner's responsibility for anything going wrong. While this would increase ownership costs, it would limit negligent owners not able taking precautions to get free education, train, and get a safe for the gun and ammunition.

Self defense is necessary, yet pepper spray or non lethal weapons provide a deterrent without the end game of killing. Experienced killers will steal guns from under trained and often unprepared owners to kill them. Also the nervous parent will often shoot the kid for entering after curfew thinking it is a robber. The self defense argument is based on fear of a loss of property and robbery, not the ability to kill, rather deter. Simple alarm systems, camera systems, NRA signs, and well trained use of stun guns or pepper spray will leave your son, robber, or prankster alive, not dead with you facing prison or with a guilty conscious. This would hinder many more negligent or panic shootings, while still deterring robbers and trespassers without taking a life unnecessarily.

Illegal Guns are arguably a threat to the general public, as unlawful ownership and unstable/negligent owners keep giving gun owners a bad reputation. The source of guns is manufacturers, who should have a duty to track every gun with the option to shut it off or report it as stolen or lost. If the owner is not registered or the gun is listed as stolen, the manufacturer should lock the gun with its serial number and report it to the police, as a duty to protect society from such dangerous explosives falling into the wrong hands. This technology is not costly, as cell phones include small chips for this purpose. The serial number could also track the gun to a location, so that no criminal will possess and use guns for long. This is merely a deterrent from unlawful possession and dangerous possessors of guns. As an online publisher, the manufacturer would be liable for any shootings after the gun is registered stolen or unregistered, as this would be a manufacturing defect, if properly manufactured with this tracking and blocking device.

The seller should be required to register the gun with # to a register, so that people can check the history of ownership and for defects, as well as limiting their ability to sell on the black market online. Any regulation will increase illegal costs of guns, which could be regulated with tracking systems in order to limit sales to gangs, dictators, or unknown individuals. This allows duty-less owners to obtain guns without the responsibility, which law abiding citizens will have to follow. The duty of a seller to limit this would create a legal repercussion for such sales.

The owner should have a legal duty to keep the gun locked, registered, and report it stolen to limit the unlawful possession of guns. The cell phone tracking info is obtained semi unconstitutionally by the government without warrants with D orders, yet this would be likely used to determine gun's location. This should require a warrant, yet the overall need to know where guns are that are unregistered and stolen should allow such tracking ie a warrant for gun # x would give probable cause for a warrant.

Owner's will likely object to the government having such powers to track their gun and usage, yet the issue is only obtaining the location, if the gun is stolen or not registered to a licensed owner. The power to shut off could be overused by the government. So many would fear their self defense against government tyranny would be eliminated by such tracking and locking of guns. Still, without nuclear weapons or drones the limits of small groups of recreational or even trained survivalists is limited. As many desire high caliber guns, they really need armed drones and technology that only the defense department can furnish.

The NRA is fighting any encroachment on the 2nd amendment, yet the issue facing the nation is how to prevent unlawful ownership by gangs and the mentally unstable. If we had better controls over our firearms, such as tracking of it or registering guns with an online locking app we could eliminate much of the illegal arms sale. 3D printing now provides many with the ability to print a gun without buying, selling, or following such laws. Still, the duty would be imposed on the printer for all three counts, which should limit unlawful use. Meanwhile the US government took down the info and the seller repossessed the printer.

The NRA is pushing for school guards and arming citizens, yet refuses to take responsibility for these armed individual's actions. The NRA took the ATF's powers to regulate or inspect most gun shows and manufactures in the 1980s. The ATF has attempted to use such technology to limit gun runners funding 90% of the Mexican cartel's arms, yet the ATF and congress terminated the investigation and fired the head, Vince Cefalu, for uncovering the scandal. The entire purpose and many possible controls of illegal arms trade and illegal firearms usage have been blocked by the NRA, while the NRA alleges to be concerned about such issues. Basically, the NRA has almost succeeded in making America part of Latin America. Canada, Australia, Switzerland all have had substantially higher gun ownership, yet regulation has not interfered with gun owner's hobbies or usage.

Meanwhile, the US is emulating the situation in Colombia, where most wealthy neighborhoods must have armed guards increasing the cost of a secure life. Also Honduras increasingly requires that everyone with property have guns, as the society slowly falls into disorder. The NRA should recognize that more guns increase the ease of killing, not the safety of a society with life and property rights. While increased disorder foments gun ownership and NRA's funds and power, there is no need to emulate states without a rule of law or in civil war. Instead, the US should not further fall behind the civilized world to retain its historic romanticism for a lawless culture of old America with slavery, the law of the gunslinger, and little resembling developed secure societies without such violence.

The best way to reduce increased gun violence is with not just background checks of individuals, but also background checks of guns. If the NRA wants to replace the government with a law by the gun, it should be responsible for any gun death. If it wants to hamper the ATF and any regulation on the mentally ill from using guns, then the seller, owner, and manufacture must share the duty to protect the public from the mad shooter. Our society values security and freedom, we must choose one. The patriot act shows our leanings with terrorism, yet the more logical danger is local terror by rampant gun ownership. If we want the freedom to own guns, then let the manufacturer or self acclaimed gun owner's union be held responsible for any violence that reasonably could be prevented by registration tracking and locking technology.

The 2nd amendment is about a local militia, not your gun hobby. Regulation is not to limit your freedom to use a gun lawfully, merely to limit the cartel's usage and the market for stolen guns or use by the mad. It is time the NRA visits and explores the Honduran gun culture to run its own experiment on its ideal USA, so they stop arguing for a historic ideal from Cowboys and Indians, not our present modern society ruled by written laws, not by blood and guns.

OSGATA v. Monsanto: property rights or patent rights, legal check to control Monsanto's contagion

2013-03-29T23:10:00.002-07:00

Monsanto writes bills blindly adopted by the congress, has a near monopoly on the staple seeds, and patents on a contagious genes. While the scientists arguably have created many new break throughs in gene manipulation, the bill forbids regulation of any dangerous side effects or contagious spreading of GMOs to non GMO seeds. As Monsanto retains well over 90% of the seed monopoly, this will inhibit legislation and any federal health commission from controlling dangers from future GMO mutations.

Amusingly, monsanto's representative, Roy Blunt, colluded to write a bill for only $88,000 in contributions from last years campaign. Monsanto is only #6 in campaign donations. Monsanto's bill above the law now Hr 933 provides Monsanto with the ability to make the GMO salmon without any FDA testing required. This bill was approved to keep the government paying its bills, yet many congressmen never even read the late addition to protect Monsanto's welfare subsidies and from any regulations.

Monsanto has patents on 90% of all seeds for staples like corn and soybeans, so it can almost dictate prices being an oligopolist. If this invasive genetic virus or patented crop infects your own property or normal plant's seeds, you are liable for patent infringement, if you sell the crop.

Really, what many do not recognize is that Monsanto has patented a natural phenomenon that is invasive, dominant, and illegal to possess. Every time pollen crosses your property line, you could grow and sell not your property, but Monsanto's property for their profit. Disease and food are the best ways to profit unjustly, as in all the disease outbreaks in movies leading to one drug company ruling the world. Food security is essential for most states, which is why we subsidize Monsanto and many farmers. Still, it seems like the legislative regulations are gone, the business monopoly is almost secure, yet Monsanto's legal monopoly is not absolute.

As OSGATA has appealed the alleged infection of organic crops with the GMO virus, the dispute over organic farmer's property rights vs. Monsanto's patent rights may develop outside of property or tort nuisance law. Still, the courts must re-establish the integral right to have ones own seed's uncontaminated nature, and cross pollination on your land produce only your product, not Monsanto's patented product. Basically, this could require patented natural phenomenon to prevent cross pollination or fail to prosecute their negligent inability to control their patented genes, unless the farmer unjustly profits from the patent.

Here is the link to the legal analysis of the latest Monsanto case from USF law, which may shed some light on the ability to restrain the unchecked strangle Monsanto has on farming and the US's food security. The right to integrity of crops depends on the courts following dicta to limit patent infringement to legitimate circumstances.

Circumcision legal? law blog: secular law v sharia law: HR violation v freedom of religion, circumcision v mutilation, right of parent v kid?

2012-11-06T16:49:00.004-08:00

As many can imagine, law school is way more work than expected, yet I wanted to write on something international or non-class related for fun and to spend more time in the library on sunny days. I naturally picked a controversial topic from Germany, as the model city in Honduras has never really been established to discuss its legal parameters. I consider law the last location where religious law still attempts to rear its demonic head, supplanting reason, secular law, and basic human rights. Thus, I took on the issue of sharia law requiring circumcision. German law partially forbids the irreversible mutilation of a boy's bodily integrity as a crime, as it violates his freedom to choose a religion by being forever claimed by his parent's chosen religion.

I will spare you my opinion on the subject. Still, I think the US is most prone to this issue being a separate but equal or discriminatory law issue, as female circumcision is illegal, yet male is not. Thus, females have more rights than males, which is not based off of any hard science, nor reasonable nature, rather based on sex only. The only exception is that parents dominante their children in the US, yet children have gained many rights recently including the right to not be beaten etc.

While the US holds many religious acts to be illegal, I doubt circumcision is a viable legislative issue. Nor will the supreme court supersede any legislation, as the US is firmly a pro cutting society. Interestingly, only Muslim countries and the non-European states of Australia, S. Africa, Korea, Philippines, Canada and USA still have a majority cutting off foreskin.

Now with the push to criminalize female circumcision, legitimized by sharia law, will the male circumcision's religious excuse fail against human rights violations or not? Or will there be enough supporters to maintain the separate but equal discrimination of male circumcision, as a parent can mutilate only their boys? If abortion ever is banned, the right of the mother or parent's right to circumcise would probably follow. Still, the issue is that parents have a right to cut their children, yet how far is this right until it infringes on the child's human rights?

Here is the link to my blog article on the legal significance of the German court's ruling to partially ban male circumcision to protect the health of the boys. The article is widely liked and actually not bad, despite my being hardly knowledgeable enough on the subject to claim expertise.
http://www.lgjf.org/2012/11/circumcision-in-cologne-protecting-a-boys-freedom-of-religion-and-bodily-integrity/

Travel Wyoming Yellowstone & Teton: best route, stays, hikes, views, where to go in Wyoming

2012-07-27T01:04:00.002-07:00

The entrance to Yellowstone from Cody is usually the eastern one along route 20 to yellowstone lake. This trip has more grizzlies along the river by the grand loop heading north to the grand canyon, the one area we missed.

view from chief Joseph pass

Still, I recommend the north eastern entrance. Chief Joseph of the Nez Pez, one of the last native American tribes in Wyoming, was facing extermination, as the US cavalry was sent to eradicate non-reservation or concentration camp dwelling native Americans. The trail highlights the ineptitude of General Howard and the growing unpopularity of the heavy handed unconstitutional treatment of the non immigrant legal residents. Besides the history of a tribe following the river through the highest mountains in the area, the views are stunning and Beartooth highway was even listed as one of the scenic road trips by travel magazine's June 2012 issue. best scenic entrance to Yellowstone check out the views and route, only accessible during the Summer. The funny thing is that most Cooke city residents go to school in Gardiner, instead of Cody, as the roads are drivable, while 212 is only snowmobile accessible. Their trip is 2 hours snow mobile, 1 hour car.... It's funny to think of snowmobiles getting you to school and sad to drive some hours to school.

The natural place to stop is Cooke city, as it has restaurants, plenty of hotels, motels etc. Still keep going to silver gate, if you want a real rugged feel. The bison literally are grazing in front of your cabin, so make sure to carry a light or watch out for them at night after leaving the camp fire with locals telling of bear stories and deaths from dumb tourists messing with bison. Also all locals carry bear spray, which really made me buy some $45 pricey stuff for some peace of mind. There is a nice trout place near the pine cabins, yet prime rib and other western delights like huckleberry ice cream are to be had at the general store in cooke city. The Lamar valley is less than 30 minutes, depending on stampeding bison, while the park is about a mile. Thus, silver gate is the ideal location to view animals in the morning in Lamar valley, not Gardiner. The gas prices are steepest here, so tank up in Cody, as it just goes up in Montana and yellowstone.

views from hike minutes silver gate

The trout spawning season makes for a great stop and a short hike, yet get there early for parking. There are mountain goats in the very distant mountains, yet the trout are plentiful in the river, while the river otter are impossible to find. The lamar valley has bison everywhere, yet, unlike in the black hills, they are not used to cars driving by them, nor are afraid to gore a honking car, disturbing its warm napping place on the road. These are very dangerous wild animals, more so than grazing grizzlies. The wolf den is right by the entrance of Lamar valley on the hill to the north side of the road with countless wolf watchers, so stop and ask the groups to take a peek at a live wolf. Usually there are plenty of wolves just resting in the grass watching herbivores. The bears tend to be on the way to the grand canyon, so make sure to stop with everyone else. We got lucky with two cubs and a black bear right after the lodge turn off for the canyon.

two cubs by log and moms bear grazing grass

mountains and geyser falls at mammoth springs

The elk and moose are not in lamar valley, instead near mammoth springs or Teton respectively. The yellowstone resort of mammoth springs is lunch/breakfast for the elk, while Gardiner is dinner, as they literally congregate on the meadow by Gardiner in the evening and block traffic in the morning/day at mammoth springs. The geyser springs are impressive, hot, and create an impressive waterfall.

feisty elk, under 5 foot rule behind fence funny show of Im a charge and but u without horns hahaha

The canyon and old faithful are a must, yet lone star, 5 miles further without crowds, is bigger, longer, louder, rarer (every 4 hours) and has a nice walk up along a thermal pristine river. The geyser park has colorful lakes of not so hot water, 35 degrees or around body temperature. They really need to take the purist naturalists from yellowstone and let some health conscious individuals open up a real spa with the healing waters, instead of leaving it natural with planks, buildings, tourists galore, yet no healthy european spa making use of the healing waters. The canyon is beautiful and should be viewed up close, far away, and do not fall in... There was a nice glacier or ice remaining even in June, which was impressive for the heat.

walking is better, yet driving is easy

Yellowstone is named for the yellow geyser filled rivers and lakes, which are visible in the canyon sides, yet are most visible at the lake or largest caldron or crater of a giant volcano. The colors astound, as do the temperatures here. It provides natural ice fishing for otters, and perfect blue cooking pots for your catch, albeit the taste may be a bit too sulfury.

blue pure water, yellow bacteria loves the heat

Teton lake lodge is pricey but so worth it, despite having no tv and old hotel rooms. The view is better than any tv station, as sunset or sunrise makes the price worth it. You must get a room with a view! Really the dinning room is pricey, yet the food is good tiny and for the moose friendly. The moose sometimes graze outside the restaurant, yet are easy to find eating along the lake. They really do not mind spectators and stay at one location for weeks.

rockie and bullwinkle nearby

The view of the marshland, island from Grand view hike is great. The bears moved east toward yellowstone river, so there was hardly a bird in sight, yet the natural splendor of the views was worth it. Jenny lake has a nice stroll with a waterfall and friendly large and small chipmunks, happy to take your apple core from your hand, lap or backpack.

Bear Lake and the fires kept us on the move. The huckleberry ice cream turned to blackberry as we left Wyoming, yet the fires persisted. Bear lake is Utah's Tahoe cold, deep and on a mountainside, yet the huge fires almost caught us before leaving Wyoming for Idaho and clear sailing along the salt flats. In Utah, the land of honey, Logan was a quaint college town with nice inexpensive hotels with logan canyon offering a climbers paradise just miles away. These eerie views leave me wondering how the small town of Auburn, Wyoming survived the fire, as the view from the pass nearby was ominous of sad times ahead, reminding me of the fire of 88 that still leaves most of yellowstone scarred.

Forest fire near pass on route 89

bear lake hardly a beach nor public access, only private

The elk horns decorated the squares of most towns in Wyoming near the national parks. This was the best crossing with elk horns, which out shown Jackson hole's arcs of horns.

The trip was worth every minute driving, despite there being many hours behind the wheel. I would have stopped and camped in logan canyon for some hikes/climbs or even again in Teton, had the fire not been so close. The town names showed the residents backgrounds with paris and montpelier dotting the mormon landscape.
Really I'd have preferred to stay inside the yellowstone park, yet they book out a year in advance usually. Thus, Cooke city is my new favorite small town in Montana with Gardiner close second, as it has more shopping and the funniest montana postcards. check them out at hilarious postcards from Montana Travel Montana and Wyoming before visiting the coasts. Utah and Colorado are amazing, just watch for fires. Still they are a different trip too far south for the summer.

This is long, yet are there any questions or comments? Does anyone have a favorite hike, place to see wildlife, good eats or place to stay in the national parks of Wyoming? Let me know. cya in the state with no income tax and plenty of guns.

samsung nexus android vs iphone 4s: app for multi lingual

2012-07-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

Personally I like android and Samsung products, as they provide 4G, better apps, less weight, less hype, and overall fewer problems. Still, the old samsung is not as good as the iPhone 4s, due to it being competition to the 4G iPhone. I wish I had waited for the newer samsung or at least the newer iPhone. Still, I am happy with my nexus. Amazon has it listed all the way down to $1 or $400. I'd say the 1 is suspect, yet check it out.

rgi

The reasons I am not too happy with my phone is that the word guessing program is slow to learn that I type in Spanish, English, or German texts, so I often just have strange english words popping up confusing myself, the reader, and making it tedious to change the entire language on the phone to text properly. Still I found a decent program that does not guess words often and gives you all different language the keyboards. I'd enjoy the guessing function for more languages, yet I'd probably have to pay for this by buying the full version. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.klye.ime.latin&hl=en

I was very disappointed with my internet connect ability in cities, towns, and the wild west. I assume the Verizon network is to blame, as I set my data plan to only work with verizion's, so as not to have roaming data etc. I assumed that Verizon would have coverage, yet found no signal in Bronx, NY, Newark, De., and countless places along my trip in the Black hills, Montana, Yellowstone etc. I'd love to learn about verizon's gross over simplification of its network, which is much more splotchy than advertised. Basically many houses have no coverage, most cities lack coverage in apartments, no countryside village has coverage, nor any national park. The colors should not be red, rather pokadots.

My family members all have iPhones, which have had problems. They come from either faulty instillation or design. One had a battery that died within 2 hours with little use, despite being under 3 months old. The other had sound problems, which forced the phone to be reset to fix. Another just crashed with the only option to take out the battery to restart or take back to get a new one, which was done due to the warranty issue of opening an iPhone. Basically the headaches are large, while the product does take nice pics, is a overall good product with many options to fail you. Still, I wish I had it, as my battery dies quickly after some 8 hours of heavy usage. I think the normal iPhone has longer battery life, is easier to hold, the pictures rotate, typing may be easier etc.

My nexus has bad battery life, which I knew, so I take my plug with me during the day to plug into cafes, instead of just at home at night. The size makes it a bit bigger length wise and seems fragiler. I think verizon has much to work on, as it does not live up to its claimed coverage! Still, I find the apps for the android fun, yet I do wish the option to delete some programs were not interwoven with the operating system. This is with the iPhone as well, yet I hate the messenger text function, which I try not to use. Google talk or anything else is better. Still, I can't uninstall it or force them all to go through google, as I am not techie enough... Help if you have time and compassion for those less techie!

If anyone can help me set up google voice/talk, and confirm that I can delete programs without hurting my overall system that would be helpful! Anyway I'm just letting u know that verizon needs some work, the nexus is not great, nor the iPhone. Still, try the newest version of both and let me know, which is the best on the market....

The best part of my phone, is that I can now buy it for $1 on amazon, while I bought it for some $50 earlier... Gotta love the way technology is so pricey and then falls due to becoming obsolete, despite really being just a touch slower, older, and less cool.

American road trip Black hills to Yellowstone: western, not coastal USA

2012-07-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

After many trips abroad and anywhere but the fly over states, supposedly real America, I finally went to some beautiful parts of continental USA, not coastal. I must admit that the trip was really one of the most impressive landscape and people wise. First the must see in the northern west is Yellow Stone, Teton, Black Hills (constitutionally Indian territory, unconstitutionally US national park), and Bighorn national forest (lesser known therefore lacking tourists for real serenity, peace and quite of nature).

The black hills have the best bison herd along the wildlife loop, yet you must be lucky to get stuck in bison rush hour 10-12, the only cause of traffic jams there. The loop is a must, while the windy cave park is where you can see some of the lone males and antelope, missing the tourists and big herd. I hear the windy cave is better than the jewel cave, yet I went to the jewel cave, which was not impressive (you need a head light to see anything and the worthless crystals are dull, sorta why it's not a mine).

(buffalo take both lanes without a thought)

Naturally, for nationalisms sake, one must visit Mnt Rushmore, yet I'd personally not park and visit the base ($11 pricey), as the view is well published and the throngs make it feel like six flags. My favorite was the drive along iron mountain road, which let you really be awe struck by the impressive power of industrial thinking. Have a picnic from the hilltop 5 miles away to take in the real pleasure of the monument.

from afar it's ten times better than up close!

The trip through the needles is not that impressive, yet worth the slow traffic and hike around. Still, the most impressive and marriage favorite is Sylvan lake, where locals enjoy the water, hiking, jogging or just strolling after many hours driving, waiting on bison and elk to appear.

kids and adults love the lake at the peak of the black hills

The best places to stay along the trip are definitely Hot Springs and Custer, as they both have a nice feel, unlike big town blah hotel. Hot springs has amazing sandstone architecture, cheaper hotels with spas and healing water fountain for locals to actually bottle their own directly from the spring. Custer is a nice introduction to western living with a town center crossing and great food at buglinbull the best food of Custer , which has great prime rice, good trout, and handlebar mustache wearing real cowboys frequenting the local establishment. While Custer and Hot springs are great for the black hills and western and immigrant German cooking, Cody is the western USA's soul, while Cooke city and Montana the frontier.

Memorial to soldiers with warm real mineral water fountain for locals to fill up

The trip from South Dakota leads by devils tower and through Bighorn forest and eventually to Cody or Thermopolis (claimed world's biggest onsen or natural hot spring) to Yellowstone. We luckily took 14a along a stream filled mountain pass with elk, wildflowers, and hardly a tourist, minus trout fisherman form the area. This is one of the highest passes of 10,000 feet with snow cover even in June. I'd recommend this for any hikes, fishing trips, and just generally great views without tons of people like in the other big parks.

colder than ice, great fishing with views and elk grazing around

ladies racing around buckets

Cody is a fun place to be with its town full of Wild Bill Hickock tourist junk along with real history of the west, yet the life is the rodeo. Sadly the touristic town with tours is opposed to the rough and natural rodeo, so the tours often skip Cody's heart or the real western rodeo. They have locals, imports from Montana, Colorado, Utah etc that compete in everything including wild stallion (not really wild).

While I find the whole SD Wyoming area amazing. I think one must take the 212 Chief Joseph trail into Yellowstone. The whole trip was a lot of driving over flat and isolated towns with huge schools for towns under 10,000, so drive comfortably. It really showed what trailer parks are for others, while highlighting the poverty and wealth in Wyoming from mining, oil, farming, and industry to the lack of everything but desolate land.

Have you every taken this trip? we used Highway 90 most of the way with the occasional scenic route. Has anyone taken another route? What were your impressions.. any comments on the pics, or opinions are welcome.

Now to Yellowstone and Teton plus a shout out to Logan Utah and Bear lake...

law school decision USF vs American law, debt vs scholarship

2012-06-16T07:16:00.001-07:00

I have submitted and set myself up for my first year of law school, yet I did not get into an ideal law program, as nearly every school charges more than is worth attending. I scored top 20% on my lsat and had a top 20% GPA from a top 50 public university in international relations, yet my peace corps experience and overall multilingual international background did not help that much. I suspect that I needed to be more specific on my legal goals or experience, so do not write about international, public interest, comparative law or social justice etc. There are countless pitfalls in personal statements, including writing one or many personal statements. I wrote basically one, plus the public interest essays, which may have hurt my application, yet saved countless time.

I was admitted to American, yet did not get the full ride public interest scholarship. I was wait listed at Emory and Tulane, while I was offered between 10-20 grand at Catholic, U Santa Clara, and USF. I was rejected by Davis, Berkeley, and UCLA. While I probably would have been a better fit at American with the DC background, diplomatic studies, and mid ranging scores, I found that a degree is not very different between top 100 schools, unless one is really in the top 15. Basically the theory or academic schools are the highest ranking schools, while the practical and hands on tend to be mid to bottom 100 schools.

While I enjoy theory and perhaps some constitutional law or comparative law, I enjoy the practical aspects of law and obtaining a JD without paying 200,000 is paramount. If I perform well enough during my first year, I can study for free or nearly. Meanwhile, if I find that Berkeley or another higher ranked school with ample scholarship money, I can transfer up, while reducing 1st year costs and stress of debt. This all assumes that I do well in the first year, which is every 1st years thought. Basically if I do not score well enough to receive a scholarship, I will just move onto consultancy, finance, NGOs or IOs and save the years of studying and costs by working on the job to gain practical skills, instead of the JD that so many think is necessary.

While I know that I always wanted to study law, I do not know if being a lawyer is worth the debt, 3 years, and effort to just hope for a job. If someone is not willing to pay for my education or subsidize it, the university will not provide me with any necessary skills, instead I will be the client buying a useless tool that I do not need professionally, merely personally. Still, the first year will make me hate law, love it, or just understand enough to move onto my own business or working with some legal background.

I have chosen USF, as Santa Clara is very patent and corporate law focused, instead of NGOs, consultancy, maritime, and having students learn and enjoy the process of becoming a lawyer. The professors like their work, the students are treated well, and overall everyone looks back on the 3 years with pride, a fulfilled attitude, and happy to have gone, graduated and be employed doing what they like. Now let me highlight the change of nature in a year, yet for now I am happy to choose USF and the bay area over DC or New Orleans.

Do you have any questions on law school? What are you basing your decision off of for law school? Do you have any comments on the law school decision...?

Korean temple road trip, independence square, Japanese rape, and strolling through Seoul

2012-06-08T09:05:00.002-07:00

I took a road trip from Seoul, which took me through the small village of Ban Ki-Moon towards a famous temple with the largest turtle and an important historical temple and old fort protecting Seoul from the southern invasions. I was amused to learn of the Japanese invading to quell the domestic fighting in Japan by attacking the fellow Buddhist temple to the north in Korea. It reminds me of the christian churches infighting, yet it is always sadly funny to see how religion is used to destroy itself in the name of man/king/state. Either way the temple had many more stone sculptures with the largest turtle and a large Buddha from ancient times than Kyoto. It was definitely less well kept, as it was destroyed and burnt by the Japanese Samurai from the western provinces. Still it was fun to see everyone out and the kids praying and the different countryside mountains with excellent (health-wise but absolutely not for taste) root drinks and some of the best fresh mushrooms sold by sweet older ladies.

Throw a coin and have it stay on the turtle brings luck, the head is impossible, yet the back easy...

If you want to see traditional Korea, go to independence square, where you can learn of your future from fortune tellers, eat great street food with old retired men for a buck, or play chess with them in the park, or just learn about the fight for independence of Korea from Europe, Japan and western puppet dictatorships up until democracy emerged in Korea some 20 years ago. I wish I could speak Korea to converse with the many people, yet you can really experience traditional Korean society in public at independence square.

How dirty are the suits and who has the sharpest majcha mind..?

have a drink, something to eat, hang out with the retirees because their Korean kids work too much to care about them...

I found the wall paintings of the most famous artist of Korea to be well placed in alleys with some Korean barbecue at the end of the alley. The use of space is great, yet the seller was shy, hiding in the mirror.

These guys below sell some nice royal treats for your friends, yet the jokes are in Japanese, which makes the purchasing and overall experience worthwhile. Their English leaves the jokes and fun out of it, yet they do have a good product. They have honey and nuts plus chocolate, yet the sweetness is for a Japanese taste with low sugar and sweetness.

The only embassy with 100+ police patrolling the entire city block and the 30+ story building empty is not the US embassy, instead the Japanese embassy. It was really shocking to see so much protection and then I noticed this little memorial to the sexual enslavement victims of the Japanese colonial times. Strangely it is not discussed in Japan, nor the world. This issue of Japanese sexual slavery of the Koreans falls behind the occasional US soldier story in most headlines. I wonder why the Wednesday protests do not make the western news, like the ladies in white in Cuba or the pink in Buenos Aries. I guess they forgot to pick a color to have their issue stick or be news worthy.

This is embassy row with a nice temple and mountain view in the background. One can make out the inventions accredited to the intellectual/philosopher king and an Austrian flag from the embassy on the right. This square is worth a stroll, which connects to the shopping streets near the temple in the background.

In all, I was shocked to see all the bee hive like constructions with large tall 60+ floor buildings situated in rural or urban sprawls. Naturally, Seoul had entire old neighborhoods being torn up to build 60 story buildings replacing the old traditional houses from the turn of the 20th century with 21 century buildings. This really makes Seoul look very modern even for Tokyo and very much different than Kyoto with the traditions preserved and the tiny old houses there, regardless of their being dilapidated or being well kept. Still, you can find some districts in Seoul to have the old appeal with large constructions right next door or even an old temple. So you should definitely wander the streets of Seoul, visit a temple/museum/palace, try their street food and experience the metro, their beautifully functioning inexpensive public transportation system.

Do you have any fun atypical travel experiences in Korea or recommendations for the area? I enjoyed comparing the two cultures, yet I am sure those living in Korea would have a more accurate impression. Do you have any comments on my perceptions or criticism?

Seoul, JSA, and Japan vs Korea comparison temples, food, samurai, flowers and respect

2012-06-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

After leaving Japan, I visited Korea for a short visit, so most of my experiences will be comparing two similar but different cultures and experiences. The cost of visiting temples and public sites was very drastic, in the $20-8 Japanese fees to $2 - free Korean fees, while the city, temples, food, people and history showed a different mentality.
Naturally I enjoyed temples in Korea, yet I was shocked to see that most people prayed after work and they had a real faith, unlike the Japanese, where this was limited to the elderly and few. Also the temples were well funded with the original paintings still painstakingly maintained with expensive fruits and flowers offered to the gods in a sort of pagan Buddhist style that seems counter to Buddhas teachings, yet ever present in both Japan and Korea.

Naturally the food was spicy and had many more dishes, while lacking the subtle soy/miso flavoring of Japan. Still the best was the live Octopus, which really was a challenge to eat, in that the suckers could cause you to choke and pinched/tickled your mouth and throat, if you did not chew properly. Literally your dinner would walk off your plate, if you were not quick. The biggest ones got onto the table, as the fire made it too hot... This salad was nice and the pieces small enough to enjoy alive, while their attempts to escape were less successful due to their shorter legs.

Of course everyone needs to visit the longest running war of the UN or the 38 parallel. I went on the anniversary of the late god of North Korea and the failed missile launch, so it was rather fun with some US intelligence on the tour and some surprise north korean or more likely Chinese tourists. A Japanese friend was invited to N korea, yet the Japanese government restricted his travel, so I suspect that many foreigners were invited to visit N korea. All the rules that limit your freedom of expression are instilled by the UN, while the free north can point, wear slogans, bring nationals (south koreans cannot go to the border except as soliders), wave and carry on in a natural state. This made me really wonder how far one can go in restricting liberty in the name of diplomacy.

While I recommend that you only go to the actual border and the last train station before North Korea, I did not find all the other bus stops from the tour worth it. I did not pay for it, so I was happy to see everything. Still, the tour guide kept stopping at tourists shops and places to buy things. The tunnels were interesting, as were the rides along the river with the bunkers and soldiers in the forests behind the large barbwire fence, and the overlook of the north, yet these were not necessary. Still, I enjoyed this sculpture and the land mine infested woods surrounding the many tunnels the north dug south (must have really wanted that sun and fun of the beaches...).

The must sees for Seoul are the palace and the main square with embassies. The palace shows how the city sprung up around the ancient, unlike Kyoto, yet more akin to Osaka or Tokyo. I found the entrance fee reasonable 20 won or $1.6. It had a nice temple, the imperial throne, and a museum.

I have to mention the rules of the park, which are extremely limited to sitting and texting. Here is the pic with graphics to make sure foreigners can't get away with anything.

The city of Seoul is supposed to be very green, yet this is limited to mostly only the river. They also constructed an artificial river or open sewage system, which destroyed the original river for poor washer ladies and squatters. Now it costs the city a billion a month to run everything, which was upsetting to the locals. It is well used, as it runs down the main buildings.

The spring flower of Korea is the yellow lily, not the cherry blossom, yet they have plenty of both. There is really an overkill of flowers in the city, while the Japanese have plenty, yet their artful and more planned nature allows it not to be a forest of cherry blossoms, instead of a grove.

In Korea there were samurais or soldiers of the court, yet they held a lesser role in politics and society. It was the scribe or educated engineer or poet that was honored, while Japan honored their Samurais most, with education and poetry revered to a lesser extent or at least this is this foreigner's perspective.

Here is the most famous emperor of modern Korea, 15th century, who invented much. He was not the warrior to unite, rather the genius to create language, science, and foster a golden age of learning.

The Japanese had plenty of public exercise equipment, yet the Koreans really outdid their smaller neighbors with equipment everywhere to improve the standard of living and fitness. Like in Japan, the equipment was used mostly by the elderly and those living near the instillation in the evening or at a time when the sun was not too hot. The elderly enjoyed a sense of community and health all for nothing, while enjoying the fresh air.

I was overly obvious how much influence modern Japan had on the Koreans, yet the lifestyle was much more advanced and forward looking than the Kyoto I left. I suspect Seoul is like Tokyo, yet with the architecture of this century and the expansive city design of unknown China. The border (expensive), city center, and the public buildings like temples, museums, and gardens are great, as they are free and full of amazing art, scenes, while often lacking people and the masses of tourists in Kyoto with much more lavish buildings and better kept buildings, with gardens cleaner in Japan. I do not see the big pull to Japan, as Korea has everything Japan has plus the active cold/hot war. Still, I recommend that you really see both places in depth to better understand the depth of brothers of old always being compared, yet never appreciating the comparison, regardless of the similarities.

legal equality: with equal funds and asset percentages on the line... a look at a different justice

2012-05-23T18:43:00.002-07:00

Personally I find the legal system slithly unjust, as money and assets buys courts, lawyers, better PR and largely can render court cases against large corporations, socially asset powerful (financial and social coruption) and of course the dangerous monopoly of violence of the police and mob/gangs irrelevant and impossible. The ability to make people responsible to their asset percentage, instead of merely fining on a set numerical value, would increase the governments interest in controlling those above the law, while limiting the overly powerful at inhibiting the ingenious new entrepreneur from challenging old dominant corporations with insiders within government regulation boards and other groups no longer protecting consumers and the commons. Thus, the legal defense would be equal in value with the wealthier legally able to pay more for their defense or prosecution, only if they subsidized the others defense or prosecution to equal that of theirs. Also the possible settlement would be equal to a percentage of the overall assets of each party, which would reduce court cases on trivial matters, while increase the power of the courts by addressing large asset cases.

First the ability to outspend the other legal team is not fair, nor is it just, as the law should merely stipulate that each has equal (financing or assets to spend on the case) representation to find the facts and the correct legal findings. Also the fines should be alloted on a percental total asset (fixed and liquid) value. Certain basic assets for median of the community could be expempt, such as personal house/car if the median family owns their house and car for example. The industry side would allow exemption of fixed assets on a median for the community businesses and certain investments in relation to median business operations. Thus a large corporation would not sue an individual worth less than 100,000, as the costs could not be recouped even with a victory, while the corporation would limit its asset value or not be able to expand profitablly unless it was very socially conscious and respectful of laws, the community and the well being of the commons. The greater the wealth bestows greater responsibility to follow the law and not abuse the dominant position of wealth.

This would greatly limit the too big to fail and too big to regulate legal persons, as society and the courts would be able to easily fine a corporation or indivudal abusing their dominant position or breaking a law, as they would be able to cut into a percentage of those malignant societal member. Currently large agriculture, energy, banks, and countless individuals can literally break the law at will, paying fines that do not even make these illegal activities unprofitable, rather condone them with a small numerical fine, instead of a real asset percental fine. Imagine a too big to fail bank or ceo facing an investor law suit, where the prize is 5% of assets of the individual or company. This will really make management and firms interested in the shareholders and running a business for consumers and the commons. The brazilians make their management responsible for any failings or bankruptcy of the company, so that their houses, personal assets etc are all on the line with company assets at the bankruptcy block. This inclusion of management's personal assets to their work leaves them conservative and not interested financial turmoil or the opportunity to cut and run with huge severance packages right before the company goes under.

Naturally, this idea has a big problem, the assetless class of indebted and asset poor, who have a negative asset balance. They could in theory break laws without paying anything, yet the loaners or debt owners ie owners of the indebt would pay the fines, as they vouch for them and provide credit. This would limit the bad credit or make bankers really think before loaning with backround checks from the community. Also this would decrease the time banks keep debt and the length of debt accumulation in general, so that loans and debt are not a life long institution, unless banks want to take responsibility for their clients, rather a simple community based short term allocation of capital for industrious ingenious business ideas. Naturally, the bank can employee these people with salaries and training, so that the banks can recoup their loan, if the debtor has problems.

This would make the wealthy responsible for those lacking assets, which could create a second class of semi indentured servitude. While I think this would be better than our current debt servitude, the banks and wealthy would be liable for their servants, liable to labor laws, and responsible for these servants repaying. Thus responsibility would fall on those that make society, the asseted class, while the assetless class will be trained, taught, and raised to be productive members of society, while the asset class would not overstretch their dominant position for fear of society's laws that can quickly send an asseted individual to poverty, if they break laws.

Another danger is repeat crimes by the assetless class, which would not be punished by jailtime, instead servitude to the public or wealthy or whoever would train, pay, and employee these individuals. This would limit repeat crime, as the criminals will be trained both to work, live and produce in society instead of just sitting behind bars. For violent or societally perverse crimes, the worst punishment would be banishment from the community and state, whereby appeal can be tried by family and friends after the found guilty individual has left or complied with the law. The punishment upon returning is death with a 2 week grace period for family and friends and a final review of the case, as that makes banishment permenant with the ability to take ones leave of loved ones optional. This is by far the best deterent in my opinion, as it cuts off family and leaves one without the history and security of community, which one forfited by violent crimes that endangered the community. Meanwhile the banished one can start anew, which really is the boon for the criminal. A state will accept them for their skills or just because they need people, whereby the person can try to reintegrate into a society and be productive without the history of problems with individuals of old.

In theory, the societally unacceptable individuals will eventually run out of places to go, whereby making pirates and lawless societies a problem. Yet I think that state competition is positive, in that the elite are responsible to maintain a prosperous society, which can result in a lawless society with refugees and in the end those incapable leaders being left to live short gruesome and sad existences. While states and communities may maintain a UN force or a millitary to minimize such societies or viruses, this may be a necessary destructive force, as some literally prefer that society or are unable to respect others and the commons.

The use of citizenship will become irrelevant, as deziens or residents will have rights to vote on banishment, laws, governance etc. This would allow for more mobility of legal persons to their ideal state without restrictions, unless they are banished of course. Citizenship is granted by birth or blood, which punishes and imprisons innocent babies, while banishment would be a result of indivudals actions, so a just reason to bar entry, instead of merely random luck of birth. Once living, paying taxes, and being aknowledged by a percentale of the community, as a good member of society, one can be admitted as a resident with special rights to vote, make policy, establish rules and mantain a prosperous society. These rights would not be permanent, as anyone considered by the community to be a danger to the commons, failing to contribute taxes or societies well being, or having emigrated may loss this residency and ability to actively participate and affect policy. This would limit their rights to participate in civil society, yet expelling or banishing indviduals remains with the courts, not with politics, so laws must be broken and the community must find its existence threatened.

Basically human society must cut out those who hurt the commons and steal from others to amass assets, which are not obtained from ingenious productive actions, instead by abuse of a dominant position. Anyone knows that, like mitocondria, no society can allow cancer cells to grow or hugely subsidized companies without having the actual productive parts cutting those unnecessary viruses out to improve society's effective and just management of resources.
I question the equal representation and equal responsibility of legal (including corporations) persons, as it has been shown that a dominat position limits both the courts from judging, the government from regulating, individuals and smaller businesses from providing the opportunity for justice. Without equality of assets in the legal system one can not have equal representation and without equal responsibility (percental asset) one can not hold each person responsible for their breaking the law. Meanwhile the current laws allow for certain persons to remain above the reach of law, which does not mirror a just society, rather a corrupt society on the verge of having the productive members erradicating the virus or the society collapsing due to the over consumption by unproductive cancerous members of society.

yelp.com in Japan is http://tabelog.com/ best food with reviews and map: Japan's best website for restaurants

2012-04-11T02:56:00.002-07:00

I have written several blogs on good food in Japan, yet wanted to inform people of an all Japanese website with reviews, locations, prices and everything you might need, sorta like yelp. Basically, it highlights the best eats and prices with location and great reviews. My students pointed it out to me some time ago, yet I just got
around to posting it.

So the maps are located here http://r.tabelog.com/map/ and the website is here http://tabelog.com You can really use translator and a little knowledge of Kanji to maneuver through the many tabs. I recommend using this to find the hidden favorites matching a Japanese taste. I personally was impressed by the truly Japanese fare with reasonable lunch prices by an older Geisha and performer here. http://r.tabelog.com/kyoto/A2605/A260501/26000012/

I naturally could list many different restaurants, yet I want to draw you into the plentiful world and sights of Japanese cuisine and Japanese only websites with a treasure trove of inform to use. Really, enjoy the time and food, as the food varies with season, taste, and price. Everything is good, albeit there is always a convenient store near by for those still hungry looking for a onagiri.

I will have to look up my favorite places in Kyoto, yet do you have one? Have you used yelp.com or do you consider yelp to be a good website? I hope tableog.com serves you well in your Japanese cuisine search...

Sakura light ups: Sakura front listed online, google works poorly

2012-04-01T01:23:00.001-07:00

I have struggled with google to find anything in Japan using English to get the times for the light ups in Kyoto and to figure out if the cherry blossoms have bloomed yet. These two websites offer information on the cherry blossom front's development. This one lists all the many light ups with their times, dates, costs, and locations etc. This is essential to understand, so that one can find the best way to spend a night looking at the cherry blossoms with friends, food and drink or hanami.
http://www.digistyle-kyoto.com/event/lightup.html

Naturally, you do not want to enjoy merely buds, rather trees in full bloom. Thus, look at this website to figure out the developments in the cherry blossom front. This also lists countless of the best excursions like the miyako odori or the geisha spring public showing, which costs 2-4 thousand yen for an hour. Also you can check out the development of the cherry blossoms.
http://souda-kyoto.jp/

I hope you can find out the best time and place to enjoy Hanami this spring 2012. If you have any questions or recommendations for hanami in Kyoto, let me know. It starts now in Kyoto and the surrounding area. Enjoy!

Spring arrives! Better cherry or plum blossoms: where to go in Kyoto and why the cherry blossoms

2012-03-28T03:28:00.002-07:00

The spring in Japan starts with plum flowers and gets into full bloom with cherry blossoms. The plum flowers are more popular in China and were in Japan until shortly after Kyoto was made the capital from Nara or in the Heian period. Basically, while I love plums blossoms for their smell and beauty amongst snow and the cold, the modern Japanese preferred to sit under the cherry blossoms in full bloom with the warmth of spring, leaves and less smell. These flowers are much more abundant and leave the ground around them covered in a snowy petal blossom warm bath.

I personally enjoyed the Plum blossoms in early March this year, yet they usually come late February to mid March. Still the weather is a bit cold and the blossoms were late, as are the cherry blossoms, which come at the end of March are coming at the beginning of April.

Naturally the most famous places for flowers are the famous and my favorite expensive temple Kiyomizudera and the Kyoto Botanical Garden, which is right near my house. I recommend this guide for cherry blossoms below, as they have a little about the many places to experience spring. It gives you the highlights on hanami or seeing cherry blossoms usually from a picnic like style.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3951.html

view of tea house through plum blossoms garden 600 yen

waterfall plums at tenmangu

Personally, I find Tenmangu temple and shrine has the most plum blossoms and a great garden with some 30 different types of plums with the same tree having pink and white flowers. The fragrance of the whole event is impressive, as are the countless cameras snapping pictures and ladies in kimonos parading for the public to see their beauty with the flowers.

Tenmangu temple with plum blossoms in full bloom

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitano_Tenman-g%C5%AB

Tenmangu filled with plum blossom lovers on holiday

A short distance away from Tenmangu, you can find one of the earliest cherry blossom places to sit under the trees and enjoy a festival like atmosphere. Hirano has flowers throughout the winter and often has the first of the year. They are not the most impressive, yet are worth a visit in the beginning of cherry blossom season. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirano_Shrine

1st cherry blossoms perhaps

Hirano shrine with plum flowers

Maruyama park Yakasaka Gion area is famous for its garden and the oldest cherry tree. The tree itself is not much better than the rest of the waterfall cherry trees at Heian shrine, yet it is historical and carries a great value for the locals. They camp outside regardless of the weather being cold for weeks before the actual flowers come. These are mostly students or travelers, as they live under the trees until the flowers finally arrive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maruyama_Park

old cherry tree with amazing waterfall blossoms

Cherry blossom buds emerging

students below old cherry tree waiting and reading (Occupy the cherry trees!)

By far the most impressive and beautiful area of Kyoto is the philosopher's path, which has countless cherry blossoms and camellias from the winter to make your walk something to remember. The canal that leads down from the Nanzenji temple is also famous for its cherry blossom covered paths and of course the famous http://www.heianjingu.or.jp/ . So stroll down this path of great memories of being, which are best viewed in early April. If you have a bike, you must ride all the way north viewing the countless cherry trees lining the river!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosopher's_Walk

At Arashiyama you can view the hills ablaze with pink and reds welcoming the spring, yet they bloom later than the rest, as they are in the west behind the mountains.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arashiyama

Nannaji is great for late blooming cherry blossoms, as they were planted by the emperor for the nobility. It used to be only for nobility until after they fell. The special nature of the largest field of cherry trees is that they are short or less than 2 meters, which make for great sitting and a blanketing of the ground. They bloom late April and basically in May. This is great after a visit to the stone temple, as it is within a 10 minute walk and has an expansive temple grounds with many interesting buildings.
http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en/theme/sites/shrines/w_heritage/07/

cherry blossoms painting in emperors temple

The Nannaji temple has some of the best paintings on sliding doors and well preserved. The garden and paintings make the entrance fee worth the price, while they are not really necessary.

When you enjoy plum blossoms, you are smelling and walking around a cold but colorful and fragrant garden, which reminds you of the strength of plums and their beauty to withstand cold and be beautiful. Still, this strength is not treasured, instead the cute fragile cherry blossoms mirror the ideal beauty in Japan, short, sweet, delicate and bountiful. The cherry blossoms are much more plentiful, the weather is warm enough to sit and enjoy the flowers with friends over food and drink, while the glistening petals slowly descend to earth to blanket spring with warmth. Basically, cherry blossoms allow the Japanese to eat outside and underneath the tree, so that they can enjoy the first opening to last petal fall, while not worrying about being cold. They only enjoy the beauty and let it got with a bathing of cherry petals.

I hope to live this experience, yet let us see, if the spring comes early enough this year for hanami to begin before I leave. Do you have any fun experiences with cherry blossoms or questions on the best temples etc? I just listed a couple of cherry viewing possibilities, yet there are countless. Do you prefer the plum blossoms or cherry and why?

The last word is that the most fragrant traffic stopping smelling plant is pictured here. I literally ride by one in the night or during the day to turn around and find this intense sweet honey smelling plant that I can add to the countless flowering plants that arrive at different times, yet continually throughout the year in Japan.

made me stop find it behind the wall near the kamo fork or V

Learning Kanji: my favorite Japanese/Chinese character's funny meanings

2012-03-13T02:25:00.000-07:00

I have tried to understand or learn my first 1000 Kanji, which is not easy for the many variations or compound many line advanced ones that follow less logically than the basics. Still, I am fascinated by the construction and the ease of remembering certain roots and basic pictographs. Whether it is the root for all metals having metal in it with a random confusing addition that you must remember or just woman being a foundation for peace of mind, Kanji illustrates the thoughts of Asia or Chinese Asia. Thus, I have compiled some of my favorite compound kanji and will attempt to write them using a downloaded kanji writing adaption to windows.

So these words are not to help you learn, rather to show you the fun of Kanji and to help me remember and learn to write kanji with a computer. To learn without fun, is to struggle, instead of ecstatically gaining knowledge.

金朱　This means iron and is made up of metal and red or something. Either way the metal symbol is easy to pick out and gold is yellow metal.

母子　haha/ba shi/suko is the Japanese pronunciation possibilities. This means mother and child or principal and interest in financial terms. I may have interpreted it a bit out of context.

I enjoy Teacher or sensei, as it includes the life or to give birth to symbol and the prior or previous. So it means giving life or giving birth from a previously.　先生　previous life or giver of previous birth

Kanji loves opposites to mean everything, so all ages and places uses old, new, east and west. This is just fun to know that they do not look south or north for ages, nor places. 古今東西　

I personally find the use of woman to make words easy, while also conveying the importance of women for meaning and perhaps the basis of the language. Peace of mind or woman under a roof with a heart means peace of mind. Basically, this highlights that peace of mind comes with a kind woman inside your house or something similar. 安心　

Peace in Kanji is merely woman below roof with rule over or pacify the women under the roof. This highlights the importance of woman under a roof to pacify the people. The woman under the roof also can mean cheap or easy to do, which is used with character to buy or sell to mean bargain. There are countless and diverse usages of the woman character.
治安
女少扌支　myoogi: This means a short woman with outstanding skill or merely outstanding skill. The second part is broken down to talent and support, while the first part is litterally woman small or wondrous and strange. 女子 means like or can also mean good will including will or meaning character with sun, heart,

葉　This is just foliage or leaf of a tree, yet its symbol is complicated. It has grass or flower at the top of 30 years or aged or world above of the tree. Basically it means an old tree has grass on top or leaves/foliage. It helps me remember more than just one character, as it builds off the others logically. You can remember countless ones with just the first 500. I only know about 200, unfortunately.

Japan is the land of the origin of the sun or the land of peace. 日本　This is the sun origin or land of the rising sun.
和 This refers to peace and harmony or Japan the country of wa. 　平和会言義　This refers to the Japanese language to heiwakaigi. It means plain or basic peace group speak and loyalty.

国道 This means national highway or nation road. The fun part of nation is that it contains treasure inside a wall. This is often present in country names.

独　This means Germany or alone and is made up of dog and bug. The addition of stand or depart makes it independence. 独立 this is pronounced dokuritsu and Germany doku, which is why the Kanji was chosen, the sound was similar. Basically, the meaning does not match the country, merely the pronunciation. For instance the US is land of rice. 米国　This literally means rice country or Beigoku, which is used in Korean, Japanese and Chinese.

外交　This means diplomacy or become mixed or involved and foreign affairs. It is pronounced gaiko.

Water is always a fun character to recognize. Oil mixes reason or means with water. If you replace water with individual you get freedom or personal reason or personal means. 自由This means individual will and reason or means.　油 This means oil, while it is liquid means or usage. 　

西洋文明　This means western civilization, which is broken down to west and western ocean culture or writing and bright. This shows their respect for the civilization of the western oceans.

化学 This means chemistry or literally change and academic study. Meanwhile change of letters over history literally means cultural history. 文化史　

決意 This means resolve or determination, which is made up of decide and I/mind/will/heart. The last part mixed with see or the mind sees is opinion. ketsui is the pronunciation.

楽天家　This means optimist, which includes music or pleasant with heaven and home or pig under a roof. Thus, a place with music and pigs under the roof is pleasant like heaven and those there are optimists.

I find the pension system to be amusing when one breaks it down. 恩糸合　It is made up of obligation lineage and together or together we have an obligation to our ancestors. This highlights the importance of the pension system in Japan.

電　This means electricity and is a mixture of rain and lightning. It is very visual and easy to recognize in the subway and many signs.

富土山　This is very important to Japanese！It is fujisan or rich earth mountain. The first character is be rich earth and mountain. So now you know plenty of random fun kanji to impress others or just be amused with, as I am grasping the foundation of the northern Asian languages, their pictorial writing.

These are some of the many words that I have learned, yet there are countless ones to learn. Still, I am having fun and hopefully will continue learning Kanji or pictorial Hanjual or traditional Chinese in Taiwan. Simplified Mandrin uses a different group of characters, yet the old and rich are maintaining the old style through studying it and using it. Do you have any favorite combinations of words or symbols? Have you found a way to memorize the right pronunciation in Japanese or in any of the other languages.

It is much simpler to read, yet very hard to pronounce in Chinese or in Japanese. Still, it is by far the easiest to understand and perceive a bit of the culture through writing. Also it is linguistically very interesting, as it is not phonetic, rather pictorial and so well rooted in the cultures here.