ly to you, then that's good. It's ugly to > me > >> too. When I look at what is happening I see stereotypes, though they are > >not > >> racial, they are cultural, they are constantly evolving and they are very > >> real. From around 1965 through 1995 I spent a good part of my life as > part > >> of one of these evolving stereotypes. > >> > >> I am old compared to most of the folks here, I think. I was born in 1950. > >> The town where I was born was a small town in the southern US which was > >full > >> of hypocracy and racial predjudice. I remember some very ugly things very > >> vividly. Without going into a lot of detail about this, the effect of > this > >> made me really angry and very willing to believe that there was something > >> wrong with what my parents generation was saying, but not doing. I also > >came > >> to distrust organized religion at a very early age because of these > >> experiences and the hypocracy I saw. > >> > >> My grandmother had a big hammond organ in her parlor and also a baby grand > >> piano. From the time I was about 5 years old, I would climb up on the > >> benches and play the keys. I was told I had a *good ear* because I could > >> listen to the radio songs and figure out how to play them on the keys > >> (though I couldn't reach the pedals ;o). During the 50's, I lived in south > >> Texas (part of the time in Erling's favorite place, Corpus Christi, Texas) > >> and travelled across the bo
rder into Mexico often with my father. He > was > >a > >> merchanical design engineer and a pilot and did a lot of work designing > >> large installations for the agricultural interests which were sponsored > by > >> both rich Mexican landowners and the Mexican government (which was > >basically > >> rich Mexican and other international landowners) I saw lots more ugliness > >> there as far as exploitation of people by other people. It was so > >obviously > >> wrong and when I would ask my father about it, he would excuse it, but > I > >> couldn't accept this. I became very rebellous and a what is called here, > a > >> *problem child* > >> > >> By 1965, this pissed off 15 year old kid was playing in a band that was > >> fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to be recognized in a fairly large > >> regional market. By the time I was 17 years old we were opening shows > for > >> touring acts. Our roadies were a bunch of disillusioned ex VietNam Vets > >who > >> were majorly into drugs (especially asian varieies of pot and also opiates > >> and LSD/hallucenogens) and the emerging drug/anti war counterculture > and > >> our management were a bunch of old school hollywood type entertainment > >> industry scumbags who would exploit their own mother if it would make > them > >> $$$. They had no problem keeping a bunch of young kids tweaked on > >> amphetamines to make sure they were *up for the gig*. > >> > >> By 1968, I had somehow managed to graduate from high school and had been > >> accepted to a number of universities. My folks were willing to do what > >they > >> could to help and I knew I couldn't sustain the music career (which was > >less > >> a career and more like a party) and continue my education, plus I was > so > >> totally burned out from the *lifestyle* that whatever creative spark that > >I > >> had tried to cultivate during this time
gt; >> didn't want to be part of America anymore and I had seen a place during > my > >> travels down there where I thought I might be happy. It was a deserted > >place > >> with a *feeling* about it. I can't describe it, but others who I have > met > >> there who are more travelled than I am tell me they feel the same kind > of > >> *energy* there that they have felt in places like Jerusalem, Katmandhu, > >> Mecca and other locations which are considered to be religious > >destinations. > >> In 1973, it was just a deserted beach with a little store owned by a > >Zapotec > >> Indian named Ramon Aguilar Villalobos and this exended family, two of > >which > >> were his in-laws, Manuel and Maria who basically founded this small > >village > >> back in the early 20th century and were very old. I spent a good part > of > >my > >> life in this place and lived with this family during those times from > 1973 > >> until 1990. Unfortunately, this place is nothing like it used to be and > >now > >> even has websites dedicated to it, but I guess that's part of the story > >> about thie place. > >> I am going to post a link to this place so that you can see it. You may > >have > >> been there or know people who have. There is more to this story but I > have > >> work to do today so I will stop now and continue later when I have the > >time. > >> This story actually does lead somewhere that is relevant to this > >> conversation. Sorry it has been so long but you have asked me a question > >> that is valid, but not easily answered, so I'll continue later if you > are > >> interested. Though I haven't been there for a while, this was my home > and > >is > >> still my second home- > >> > >> I know a lot of the people in these pictures. I watched them grow up and > >> taught a few of them how to swim and catch fish. the beautiful young > >woman, > >> Claudia is the > >> niece of my friend Ramon. The two people, John and Maria were guests at > my > >>
@linux..." target="_blank">1@linux... > >> > >> >> >> >>> > >> > >> >> >> >>> "Mr Simplicity" <animix_spamless_@animas.net> wrote: > >> > >> >> >> >>> >and it's a shame that they are apparently the only ones > on > >> > >earth > >> > >> >> who > >> > >> >> >> >saw > >> > >> >> >> >>> any > >> > >> >> >> >>> >merit in enforcing UN resolutions > >> > >> >> >> >>> > >> > >> >> >> >>> That annoys me too. I'm still anti-bush because I *hate* > >the > >> > way > >> > >> >they > >> > >> >> >> >went > >> > >> >> >> >>> about it... pretending it was an anti-terror thing (which > >> > was > >> > >> >> >clearly > >> > >> >> >> >>garbage). > >> > >> >> >> >>> The issue I have too is that to me it seems that GWB and > co > >> > >wanted > >> > >> >> >Saddam > >> > >> >> >> >>> out not really so much because he was a bad man, but > >because > >> > >they > >> > >> >> >noticed > >> > >> >> >> >>> Saddam was dealing with others, and figured "freeing" Iraq > >> would > >> > >> >give > >> > >> >> >> >them > >> > >> >> >> >>> more oil power. > >> > >> >> >> >>> > >> > >> >> >> >&gt
>> >>restructured. > >> > >> >> >> >>> That's my beleif anyhow. I felt that it was only a matter > >of > >> > >time > >> > >> >> >before > >> > >> >> >> >>> enough countries voted for it in the U.N. They could only > >> > >> >> >procrastinate > >> > >> >> >> >>for > >> > >> >> >> >>> so long. It was big news and the public was watching. A > >whole > >> > >swag > >> > >> >> of > >> > >> >> >> >>countries > >> > >> >> >> >>> weren't saying "no" but were saying "wait just a little > >> more". > >> > >> Sure > >> > >> >> it > >> > >> >> >> >was > >> > >> >> >> >>> getting tiresome, but I think holding out would have been > >> worth > >> > >> it. > >> > >> >> >The > >> > >> >> >> >>way > >> > >> >> >> >>> it was handled it came across too much as if GWB was just > >> hell > >> > >> bent > >> > >> >> on > >> > >> >> >> >war > >> > >> >> >> >>> for oil, which I think is true. Holding out a little longer > >> > >would > >> > >> >> have > >> > >> >> >> >>made > >> > >> >> >> >>> a big difference to the opinions of many IMO, whether the > >> U.N. > >> > >> >> >actually > >> > >> >> >> >>ended<br
> > > >doug, the "let me explain america to you" part was, of course, pure irony. but im somehow glad that you missed it, because it should give you a nice impression about how your ranting about the europe you believe to know so much about comes across to someone who actually does know a thing or two about europe because he happens to live there. the sad part being, in your case it wasnt irony. "Mr Simplicity" <animix_spamless_@animas.net> wrote: >First of all, now I am really astounded at you. You say you know so much >about America??????? You are also getting your information from a very small >sample. I know you lived here for a while and have visited here often, but >you don't live here *now* and you are obviously choosing very carefully what >you want to believe. If you want to consider your sources to be any more >valid than mine, then first consider where your sources are coming from and >make sure you consider them all. I will try to do the same..........but I >assure you that if you ignore cultural differences which, whether you like >it or not, are the reasons that stereotypes are created, they you do truly >have your head buried in the sand. > >"derek" <derekvonkrogh@gmx.net> wrote in message news:42d6bf8a$1@linux... >> >> wheres the part with the long visits to the countries you seem >> to know enough about to be sure that your stereotypes are >> "real"? you are really trying to tell ME (i LIVE here...) that your >> stereotypes are "the truth" because of the bunch >> stereotype-ish people that conveniently lived somewhere >> near you in the last 20 years? you know, i happen to know >> some americans that live here too. so let me explain to you >> what america is and how america works, because i do know. &g