and justice for those who can afford it

Since I was small I've been saying the pledge of allegiance. As I get older and wiser I've discovered the without money and a lot of it you can't get justice. The truth can't set you free but end yourself in jail. Lies work. Never say anything without a lawyer. It's only when you can buy off people do you get your justice, what you paid for anyways.

If you look at stock brokers who steel billions, they got to jail for a few month if that, while some poor back robber excluding John McCain who robbed a Savings and Loan they end up in jail for 20 years. Fraud is a bigger crime affect more people but has less jail time and you get to keep the money too.

We need to change the laws where someone like a elected office convicted of fraud or what every it is, they go to jail for the crime plus go to jail one year for each person they affected. So it they affect every tax paying in the country that would be about 300 million years. It would keep our elected official on the up and up and doing the right thing for this country and not doing what's right for them.

There are more white collar crimes that affect the whole country then any one single crime that one person does with a gun. Judges are biased in favor with the rich people because they get funds to get re-elected or they end up with a house addition, a new car or sky box for a season. They call it the cost of doing business. When judges get busted from smoking crack, do they go to jail. No, they get a teaching job to tell other future lawyers how to stay out of jail and still get favors. They still get to practice law at their same high rates which is ridiculous. No one is work $400 dollars an hour or more. Even CEO take home so much for failing a corporation.

We need federal laws to balance the playing field and that field can't be changed without a act of congress who seem to vote themselves a raise any time they feel like it.

Working for hourly rates in this day and age is a form of oppression or what I see as a form of slavery. Sure you get something but there is always those changing the rules so you'll never get ahead. Right now energy prices are going up faster then inflation which I think inflation was invented to keep the masses down. Say you put money in the bank. The bank uses it and makes money with your money but they never pay you enough to keep up with inflation. The interest is always 1% less then the inflation rate.

Fluctuations right now in the value of the dollar are going to help the rich and not the masses. I really think that this past 7 years has been a big manipulation of the market and the people to benefit the extreme rich. As they collect your money right now saying everything cost more they are always coming out ahead. When the dollar regains it's value, like when the next democratic president is in office those inflated dollars will be worth so much more.

Today Bush said he has a way of solving the oil or gas problem by drilling in Alaska's wild life refuge. Exxon is just doing the same thing they did in the 70's by diverting oil to other countries causing a shortage here. It's been suggested that gas tax be suspended during the summer months, money which is supposed to go for road improvements so bridges won't fall down but that money that is suppose to be set aside is spent on other things in the general fund.

How people can start wars for oil and lie about it amazes me but the American is so stupid and believes everything on TV unlike countries where it gets to be debated to find the truth. Mike Moore's movie talked about a pipeline going through Afghanistan. Everyone discounted that and most likely don't even remember the movie since they don't remember last week.

If it's one thing I've been learning is that crime pays and it pays very well. Look at Waste Management, a mob owned disposable company squeezing out the little guys over the years until one company is in every city across the country. You would think there's money in trash but the mob so it as a long term investment.

A billionaire in Texas who made his money in oil is now buying up the water rights around Texas and surrounding states. He said you can't drink oil. He's true and he's going to put a price on water just like oil. He's not the only one companies from other countries are coming here and buying up water right because we will sell anything for a short term profit.

Is there anyone out there that wants to do the right thing for this country without taking away a big profit? Some one that will do something for the long term goals of this country. So far all I've seen is people talking telling me lies.

Old Dogs can't learn new trick

It seems the people of the dust bowl want to continue and prove the scientists are right about global warming be doing everything they shouldn't. I have met all the brainless people that think they know what they are doing is right even thought scientist tell them they are doing the wrong things. Being a observer and photographer I study people. I see so much in there faces that tell me they don't know what they are talking about. For instance, if you have a well it's not a good idea to flood your property with chemicals which soak into the water table. Trying to tell them that is like talking to a wall. Telling people that longer grass keep water in the ground and you need to water less but that is another brick wall. Looking at the presidential race is a good example of idiots that don't want to learn but believe sound bytes in slanderous commercials. From the stats I heard most of the republican believe that weapons of mass destruction were found even thought it's been in all the news papers and on all the news channels that it wasn't. They believe that 9/11 was partly caused by Iraq even though the fact show and even came out from the 9/11 commission that Iraq had nothing to do with it. These must be the same people that watch sport and think that's more important then the facts. Then again people who watch sports all drink to excess which is pushed by the government so that you wouldn't look at the real fact of what's going on in this country. Why are there s many idiots and inbred people here, that are totally mindless of what is going on in the world. Last years Miss America was a good example of brainless people. You can get so for with your looks then become someones trophy wife because you won't make it in the real world where you have to work for a living. Then again, your good looking so you could become a high priced call girl with your good looks. I don't understand how people pick the people running for office, it must be a dart game where they place the ballot on the wall and throw darts at it.

People move to the mountain where I live and want to bring the city with them destroying nature a they go. Why plant plants that take more water then natural plants that have been growing here for millions of years. Erosion is another problem that they can't grasp. Since you strip the plants off that hold the soil in place and it washes away and they wonder why. It also creates flooding in low lying areas because there's no water sheds in the mountains anymore. Then when there house is floating away they wonder why.

They is one thing I've noticed about the air, that there is no sunset that doesn't have a brown sky. I was watch Carrier on PBS last night were they were in the middle of the ocean and there sunsets were all brown and red because of air pollution.

What's wrong is these people can't learn. They do the same thing over and over even though smarter people tell them the right way of doing things.

It serves man right that he destroys the planet he lives on because he could do the right thing but what was easy. The planet will go one without man and it will be a better place like it's done in the past and will do in the future.

WHAT? "Amarican voters are idiots"

Yes it finally came out that American voters can be idiots because they don't learn and repeat themselves every four years. I've heard people say they want a moral president, I guess starting a war for oil isn't immoral. I guess dropping bombs on women and children and unborn babies is a moral thing if your republican, just as long as you fight against anti-abortion. What the people don't get is how wedge issues which mean nothing and will never be acted on but are brought up to get your vote. If a republican says he's against abortion, he might be but he's never going to do anything about it because it might cost him a vote. They are not going to take peoples guns away but should take Chaney's so he doesn't shoot any other person in the face. Then again you can see what happens when you go shooting while drunk it's just like driving drunk with the same results. I can't see how the American voter elected Bush twice but we never take into the fact he was appointed by the supreme court the first time and the electronic voting machines that were rigged but still they believe they need to vote republican, why they don't know, they think there's something they believe in even if there isn't.

Some of the latest poles show that McCain has a good chance of being elected even thought the democratic voters are coming out in record numbers and even republicans are voting democrat. I just wonder how they are poling and what the sample size is. What gets me is Bush has been gesturing to invade Iran. McCain made a joke about it singing a song from the sixties with the words, "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran" taken from the song "Barbaraanne." Why don't they pick these things up? A vote for the republicans means a vote for more war and more dead people. Well that sounds rather moral doesn't it.

McCain isn't much of a leader but more a follower listening to the little birds speaking in his ear telling him what to say. So he's not a good pilot and crash. That's no reason to vote him president. For the most part republicans are elitist because they are all lawyers graduating from the top schools. When they play dumb except George Bush, they know how to push peoples buttons calling others as elitist. Everyone in office has gone to school even Bush. Some people have ideas to help people some good and some only to help out there friends at the expense of the people of the United States.

Back to the idiots at hand. There are a lot of uneducated here hanging on to religion as the word and not just using it as one reference book of live and not the only one. That just gets me. All those books out there and they choose to only read one book. Well our school are pumping out children of the none book readers to follow in there foot steps. When they hear a sound byte they don't try to find out it's true. It's got to be true, it's on the TV and they said it so it's got to be true. Even though the country is getting run down by Bush there are idiots that want more of the same.

What gets me about Bush is he believe that going back on a decision is a sin of weakness. This is a guy that failed in the oil business but still wants to think he know what business is about. He keeps "Yes Men" around that won't contradict him so he gets no real input. He's got a wet brain from drinking and that's why he stutters and stammers. He made his money off the Rangers baseball team and through tax payers money. Yet he says he want to cut taxes which only help out him and his friends. He doesn't do anything for the good of the people of America but for the few rich friends of his.

Morals, what idiot wants to vote for a so called moral person that wants to start another war to improve the bottom line of military contractors. Who doesn't take anything said by scientist as truth but looks at it how it would benefit cooperations.

McCain is getting his butt kissed by the republican shadow government, the same people that put Bush in office. The same people that called the "Clean Air Act" as a way to put more coal fired plants in, to put more lead into the environment. To sell people crap stocks and call it good business. That didn't like the numbers of the unemployed to reflect a better outlook. You call these people moral. The richest people how made money last year made it on beating that the sub-prime loan business would fail. Yet the people loosing there homes will vote again for a republican even though they are paying double the price for energy. A president that took a wait and see approach on everything. When the war is going bad, which it's never been doing good at all, sat back and watch things fall apart just so he wouldn't have to go back on his earlier decisions. Generals told him he would need so many troops but didn't listen but fired the general because he contradicted what their grand idea.

This has been the worst president in the history of the country and yet people are planning to vote the same way and like the outcome believing the crap spewed from the TV. Only catching the a brief blurt of what is going on not knowing if it was taken out of context. I'm just discussed at those people that want to believe in myths over truth like science. What's in your little heads, not much because you want more crap for four more years.

The Quail Family

Momma bird ducking under a bunch of daffodils.















Daddy Dan Quail watching out while momma bird eats.

My take on a couple PBS shows

Watched Frontline last night about Health care around the world and how countries solved the problems of providing care for everyone. Taiwan was interesting because they said they looked at all the other country and didn't use any of them but started fresh and took the best parts of all the countries. You can see a doctor any time you want including a specialist type doctor. Everyone own a policy that cost the same for every on. The state picks up policies for the poor people. Canada has somewhat the same type health care system but like UK where richer people tend to opt out. In Taiwan you can't opt out. All have a single payer system and doctors or hospitals get paid as soon as the bills are sent in. Over all they are spending half the money and getting twice the quantity.

After that I watch a video about some media students growing a acre of corn and finding what all goes into growing corn in Iowa. They grew a genetically modified corn that can stand the herbicide. They have many varieties some made by Monsanto or there's called Liberty. They got a tank of Ammonium Nitrate gas and injected it into the soil as they turned it. Since they did this as a coop which many of the farmers are in they used a large tractor to do this. They seeded the acre with seeds and took about 15 minutes to do an acre. When the first corn came in they were checking it and decided to taste the corn, "Tasted like chalk," they said and spit it out. Since this was special corn that needed to be processed first you can't eat it. They were growing corn to make corn products. The other farmers gave there few words about the fact how cheap the corn is and that you can't do anything like eat it but sell it for the bottom line. They looked into the products like cattle feed that was made out of the corn materials. There's was one other product that seems to get into everything we eat and is used to sweeten processed foods, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup. It goes into soda mainly. They interviewed a guy that said he was 300 pound and when he stopped drinking soda he lost all that weight. It was to late to reverse the diabetes. They looked into some hospital settings about diabetes. Then it was the look into the subsidies the farmers get. Seems that the farmers can't make any money by just growing corn without any federal subsidies. If they stopped the subsidies the farmers would stop growing corn because they wouldn't grow anything to loose money. I don't know when this was shot but from what they were saying, there is so much of this product that there's a surplus on the market which is making me wonder why the prices are going up.

The new slavery

The new slavery isn't so much like it was 400 years ago. Now it's paying people so little they are all living in poverty. One republican said, "Well they might still be happy even though they don't have everything they want." The rich are getting richer and the poor and middle class are getting poorer. It's not about saving money for the future but just getting by. For those that are connected they get government benefits even though they don't need it, it's that they're in the right place with the right people in power. I heard about a subsidy for people farmers with damages to their live stock due to the shuttle re-entry explosion to the sum of 5 billion dollars. This event happened a few years ago but farmers are getting money for damages even if they didn't have live stock just that they were in the right area with the right republican in office. The farm bill is up for renewal. So many corporations get money not to grow crops or get a guaranteed a good price and when that falls below market they get a check. Selling the crops when the price goes up. Food riots are happening around the world, it should be a warning to the people in government.

For many years now the prices of peoples wages have been going down not keeping up with inflation. That's a word I wonder about and how the markets are being manipulated so the rich can profit during these times and when the dollar gets stronger they would be setting pretty well off with more buying power besides the power they already have for being so rich.

Our view of slavery is a master and his slaves owned like property. Now times have changed, and the owners now use temp slaves. People that are expendable and get just enough money to keep them coming back. They also have rules where you can take time off for yourself to say, look for a better job. You end up driving a couple hours each way to work each day so there's no time to do anything else in your life. Your stuck in this endless loop of getting by.

Republican's talk about the American dream but you can get there from here unless you were born with a platinum spoon in your mouth. Starting from nothing you can only go so far these day. If you have money you can make money which poor people don't have and never will.

Lately I've been hearing about illegals, aliens getting college scholarships and student aid. It's funny thirty plus years ago when I was in college I was working full time while going to school full time. When I applied for student aid I was turned down. When I ask how do I qualify to get student aid. You see I haven't been living at home for years at that time so I didn't understand why they ask me about my parents income. They told me to change my name to a Mexican surname. I didn't understand my father wasn't making that much money, it was a factory job. My mother worked part time. They were just getting by but I was turned down because they made to much even though I didn't live there for years. My parents kept telling me to get a job in a factory somewhere. They never went to college and could understand why it would be good to go to college. When I dropped out at the end of a semester a couple times my GPA went from a 4.o to a 2.5 because I needed to eat and keep a roof over my head. Now illegal fence jumping students are getting a free ride because they are poor fence jumpers that down want to work to put themselves through college like I had to do.

This influx of cheap labor is driving labor prices down except for people like fireman or policemen who have unions that are going to cause the depletion of cities wealth and are really over paid if you ask me. They have a real good retirement package too based on their salary at the time they retire. Most of them get promoted just before they retire too, it's a real trend. If you ever see a cop of fireman at a event, where it take one person there will be at least six. I guess you could make a joke about that. How many cops does it take to change a light bulb? One to do the actual work and six others to bring coffee and donuts for moral support.

If you look at what corporations are doing these days by cutting retirement programs and health care benefits making the worker a disposable commodity. The airlines that went through bankruptcy got the unions to take less money and less benefits then gave the office managers big bonuses for saving the company so much money. This FAA fiasco that's going on right now is part of the cost cutting looking at statistics for saying how safe a airplane is to fly. Playing the odds that if one out of the whole fleet crashes, the insurance will pick up the tab. No loose to the airlines. What gets me is that some airlines get government bail outs while outs get to fold. That has to do with who you know and how much money you donate to campaigns.

If you ever noticed that when people get discounts on things it's always the rich that seem to get prices cut. I never heard a poor person say since I was poor they gave me a huge break. No it doesn't work that way. Say you want to do something to be green and put solar cells on your house. You can get a tax credit for that but the poor who don't have the money to lay out for solar cells that could really use the help get nothing. Every time there is some idea on capital hill it's always people get tax breaks for doing what would benefit them.

It would be a good program to start putting solar cells on all the poor peoples houses free of charge. They would get a benefit for lower cost for their power consumption and there would be more power out there for peak times of the day.

For the most part the energy companies want to have their claws into everything power where you are going to be paying all the time, every month. Just think how much power would be generated if ever person in California had solar cells on there roofs. What is getting me right now is the power companies are telling you to save power but that turns out to be so that more houses can be built. There are so many sell out in offices every where. They are only in office to push through a development for buddies or their self.

When I moved to Northern California I started a series of picture with I called "We Used To Get Food There." It's about the farm lands that are getting homes and econo building put up. This is taking the best farm lands in the world out of productivity and putting a burden on the land. Still working on the series of pictures. Looking at a Google Earth of this area I noticed that the land had what from space looked like a skin condition. It was mini ranches striping the land of water shed plants making bare lands also increasing the heat on the surface because the land was bare. These for the most part are using well water which is depleting the water table making the creeks flow less.

So, as people get less and less for doing more and more without having a master to take care of them because they are now disposable, there's no reason for improvement since there's another worker around the corner that is desperate for work. They say slavery ended after the civil war but has it really. If you making tons of money from a person and not sharing the benefits of those profits, then it's just like slavery. You get a few trinkets for breaking you back and if you get damaged in the process your on your own. The master isn't going to take care of you. Your broken and can't work so what do you do? Some people turn to crime and sell drugs to make ends meet. Some like the cop that started robbing banks to pay his bills.

From the beginning of this countries history it's been about taking advantage of people for your better living. Now it's the republicans mantra. They say in the bible which I doubt that most of these religious right republican haven't read, the meek shall inherit the earth. What does that mean. My best guess is that when things fall apart and you have to live off the land again, the meek, which live off the land and use the least share dominate the earth. It would be great to get these meek people who think they don't count start voting for a more perfect world, stopping pollution, ending hunger, making it where money isn't the root of all evil but people working because they want to work because their efforts would be for the benefit of man and not for a few people that think of scams to get peoples money selling them useless junk and food. No more paper that is worth nothing and getting to be worth less as time goes by. No more people rolling the dice of the economy beating that things would fail and making money off that. This is the communication age maybe this could be the start of the communication world government where we can leave these scamming, swindling leader out and do what's right for the world.

What I've seen today

Every day there's always something new to see. It always amazes me on how much I see every day. Some the same some things totally new. It's spring and with spring brings the flowers and blossoms on the trees. That brings in the bees which haven't been out all that much since it's been cold.

I have been making updated bird bath watering bowls for the birds and mammals. Been watching a woodpecker building a nest. Not sure if it's two birds or one bird making a hole on both sides of the tree. He didn't like me getting close to his work as I worked on the bird bath. Even at the water, about 20 feet away, the bird wouldn't come down and start working.

While moving stones for the bird bath I saw a small lizard like creature. It's almost a snake with real small hands and feet. The other day I saw a real small snake not much bigger then the lizard, about the size of a pencil but half the size around.

There were two quail that come by the last couple days. That's real good to see them. Hope to see a lot more. Waiting to see some baby turkeys soon and also baby skunks, maybe next month. Still trying to make up a housing complex for the skunks so they don't need to live under the house. I don't mind, for the most part they are well behaved as far as you can expect for skunks. They sure are miss understood creatures. For me they come up and walk around me and I never have any problems with them. Last year one of the babies would lean up against my warm foot, just like mom.

Humming birds don't even use the feeder and are taking advantage of all the flowers. I got a few great pictures of the little birds while gardening. They don't seem to be bothered to much by my presents.

The varieties of grasses are growing and the deer are grazing on the grass and trees.

Been hearing owls at night. Can't see the stars with the on and off clouds and rain and cold.

Well, "Wait-wait don't tell me" is on so time to take a time out.