I just watched "the road" with Vigo Mortensen, and Charlize Theron. This movie is not acceptable for most people. It is a realistic view at a post appocolyptic society that, unlike most feel good movies, does not end happily. I must say that it is masterfully done, and as for me, I quite enjoyed it, but then I am not normal. In this movie, there is no hero, no one rides to the rescue. There are however, plenty of villians. Robert Duvall gives his typical great performance, although in a bit part, and Charlize Theron is totally beleivable in her role, albeit a little vague.
It takes a strong constitution to watch, and enjoy "the road", and the typical human will not. It brings to stark reality just what will happen if we as humans, and americans fail to save this society, indeed, "the road" is a wake up call.
The yellow rose of Texas was born into providence, and priveledge, near the end of the eighteenth century, to Mexican nobel mother, and a politico father. She was given a formal education in Madrid, and Paris, and was known to be quite a lovely woman, with a gift for conversation. At the age of twenty two, her mother died after a lengthy illness, and she took her place in the Mexican heirarchy.
The events in Texas interested her greatly, and she saw an opportunity for a powerful ally, should the Texians be freely given independance. The greed of the government surprised, and distressed her, and when violence broke out in Gonzales, she became an ally of the Texians, secretly providing them with guns, ammunition, and food. When news of the fall of the Alamo reached her, and the massacre at Goliad, she realized drastic action must be taken to gain independance.
Assuming the identity of a madam, she turned a modest hacienda into a house of prostitution, and used her gift of conversation to gather intelligence on the mexican army, and secretly passed this information to General Sam Houston, hiding her communcations in bottles of wine.
According to a secret plan between she and General Sam, a good supply of wine was furnished to Santa Anna's army on the twentieth of April near San Jacinto, and The Texas army attacked the next morning, Texas independance was won.
On his trip back to Mexico, Santa Anna realized he had been manipulated, and by whom. He sent a small contingent of soldiers to the converted hacienda, and The Yellow Rose was secretly executed.
Some years after her death, a city in Texas was named for her. What is not well known is that her name literally means yellow rose. The name of The Yellow Rose of Texas is Rosa Amarillo. Rosa meaning rose, Amarillo meaning yellow.
To this day, in Texas, we honor her memory, for her sacrifice, and love of freedom.
I have read much lately about remembering how it used to be. I have seen old television shows revisited, how cheap things were, and remember how easy things used to be. When I turn on my memory, I can remember with great clarity how it was. While alot of life was easier, some of it wasn't.
Life today isn't so bad. I have seen my children grow to be adults, and have families of their own. I must admit that sitting in front of a computer screen with a coke, and a smoke, beats the hell out of hours in the library trying to research a report for history class. Things were cheaper, yes, but I also worked for 1.25 an hour. As I remember it took years for us to learn of the watergate scandal. today we broadcast the scandals as they happen on a satellite channel called C-span. I remember it was alot harder to seperate the crooks from the basically honest. Today it is alot easier, they are all crooks.
I find it comforting living in the moment. I once heard it said that if you have one foot in yesterday, and one foot in tomorrow, you are pissing all over today. Yes I know the world is going to hell around me, but I also know that come what may, myself, and my own will survive. Living in today with the full knowledge of surviving tomorrow is one part preperation, two parts attitude. Focus, and vision are parts of the equation. If I focus on the bad, the bad increases. If I try to see the positive, the positive increases.
The place I am in today is a result of the screwups I got through yesterday, hoping to not make the same mistakes tomorrow. My only true course of action, live in the moment.
It has been quite a while since I last posted. Much has happened, I have gotten lax in my preps, and in my homelife. This ends today. I have much to say, and it is difficult to use analagies, as there are none. I intend to simply write what I feel, and think.
Amnesty cities-
There are a number of cities in these United States that have made it a matter of public policy to ignore, and thereby condone, illegal immigration. Pheonix in paticular. City officials have directed peace officers to "don't ask-don't tell" in all dealings with persons illegally in this country. This is NOT a race issue, as most of the pro-illegal try to pretend. The biggest arguement we hear is that it could lead to...could promote feelings of.... raises certain issues of... etc.etc.etc. CRAP! In its purest form, this is an issue of law. An example of this is, illegal wiretapping. Not only is it invasive, dangerous, and expensive, it is simply illegal. illegal immigration is also invasive, our social services, have become immigration services, and previously strict laws, and policies have been extremely relaxed to accomodate illegals.
In the early 1900's immigrants came to our shores by the millions. They came by way of Ellis Island Immigration Center, and while it is true they brought with them their own cultures, and language, they came legally. America has been called the great melting pot, with many diverse cultures, and people lending their own identity to our common heritage as Americans. It is easy to see we are not isolationists. The issue of illegal immigration is the first word in the term, illegal. Immigration is NOT the issue.
How can any elected official, in any city in America, who has taken an oath of office to uphold the law, direct police officers not to contact, or even make issue of, a persons citizenship status, and still expect to retain their office? When a person commits a crime (illegally immigrates), and another person condones that action, or turns a blind eye to it, that person is guilty of conspiracy to commit.
