SORRY FOR THE DELAY...

This past year of 2016 has been very hard on my goals, as stated on my previous blog I had had a very stressful semester and this coupled with my severe depression complicated things even more. I took it upon myself to seek professional help despite me being apprehensive about it and strongly feel that it was the best thing that I could have done at the time. Now going about close to over 8 months receiving treatments and utilizing satraline a.k.a. "Zoloft" to keep my depression from overtaking my life I feel a bit of freedom without the dire need to feel more productive. My lack of productivity and the need to find employment took it's toll on my emotions of which I kept under wraps without having any way of venting out to anyone that could have given advice to motivate me. I guess that at the end of the day it is we who control our lives and decide what we allow to enter in our thoughts whether it may be positive or negative. I dare say that thanks to my condition, that I can at least find some consolation in having had this experience with this illness. I have learned albeit rather slowly to better understand myself through my depression. And thus have more respect towards myself and all others who had no way of understanding what i am going through. I am more appreciative of the simpler things in my life that I took for granted when I was economically stable. Life has a way of throwing the so called curve ball at us in our most inconvenient times in our lives and some handle this better than others. I am just grateful that I had somewhere to seek the guidance I needed when my turn came. I have also gained more interest in my writing of which I am very passionate. I hope that for the sake of a better word, that I can continue to "Summon" my inner strength and rational to continue on my path as a writer. I have gone so far as to volunteer as a creative writing instructor at the Poe Park Writers guild where I can at least remain in something that can contribute to my growth as a writer. I have met a group of very interesting people each with their own special set of talents that have both served me as inspiration and motivation to be the very best that I can be in this profession. I know that at this moment I am not making any money, but never the less as life has taught me that it is in giving that we open new doors to better and bigger opportunities. I now have a little more appreciation for myself. With this said, never forget that it is we that allow many of life's adversities with the thoughts we allow to enter. May anyone that reads this find comfort if their going through depression. Remember that you are special and very significant to all of those that know you and are part of your life. 

BLUE

This past semester was pretty much the most overwhelming semester in my academic history. To say that it has been a challenge would be an understatement. Having started college at the ripe young age of 45, I have to admit that I felt pretty much intimidated on my first semester. I was under the misconception that college was for the younger people in our society and or people that wanted to become doctors. Boy was I wrong. Sadly, I have been plagued by a series of personal problems due to my depression. I have been suffering from depression for over 10 years now and it has gotten to the point that I cannot bare it any more. So I decided to do something about this. All too often read that a person has taken their life because of depression. Although that I would never even consider doing something as selfish and foolish as taking my own life to rid myself of my problems, I still have to admit that I've imagined how such a thing would affect my family and those that still love me and how much negative impact this would have in their lives. I visited the counseling center at my University yesterday and was interviewed by one of the counselors which were very eager to assist with my situation. A series of questions were asked to help pinpoint my situation as well as to help determine what type of resources they could use to help me. I was very reluctant at first and you may understand why. Many people view therapy or counseling with scrutiny because it is related to the mental health field. They erroneously assume that if you see a shrink or psychologist, that you have a mental problem or that you’re crazy. That is far from the truth and I have to admit that I too was one of these people. It goes to say that yes; depression is a serious mental condition, but it does not mean that you’re crazy. It means that the brains capacity to provide the chemicals that help us deal with difficult situations has been to some degree compromised. And that it also has the proper type of therapy and medications that help us stabilize the problem and or help control and eliminate it altogether. I really do not know how many more sessions I have to undergo to rid myself of my depression but I feel optimistic that soon I can achieve it with this help and continue on with my normal life as well as return to the good college student that I once was. Wish me luck!

Olsen’s “Free rider problem” To consume more than what is deemed fair to contribute. In economics also it could mean to pay less than their fair share of the cost of a common resource. Another example is the person deemed a citizen that is defended in a war like the situation or natural disasters and benefit from the same without either a contribution as well as paying much less of a tax. The rich fall well into this category in that they contribute to charity when they know that it is a dirt cheap price to pay when if they paid the fair amount of taxes the middle class pays it would cost them a vast amount of money that usually amounts to three times the amount when compared to the charity they contributed to avoid paying taxes altogether and earning a massive tax break.

Although that I do strongly agree that there are a series of different groups of people that contribute the “Free-Rider” concept and pose a serious problem with it, it is safe to say that from my point of view that this topic can act as a double-edged sword to particular ethnic groups that favor this behavior. From a Latin standpoint I can safely say that in issues like that of public assistance programs, I fall into the category that represents it. Now although that I do not like nor agree with any public assistance program, I do agree with a much more productive plan that can promote the groups that are more likely to take advantage of these programs and remain idle this type of project can prevent minorities from being scrutinized by whites which are the majority of welfare aid programs in the United States. Blacks here in America, as well as Latin groups, are all blamed for depending on public assistance like welfare. Now I really do admit that in the more impoverished neighborhoods where there is very little chance of finding permanent employment that some of these groups only income does come from public assistance, they should not be scrutinize and judged as whole by being labeled and placed in the “Free-Rider” category without first asking the question as to what the cause may be. In reality, if we really sit down and go by statistics, there really is no bigger welfare recipient than Wal-Mart which by far is a major player as a Free-Rider corporation which utilizes public aid to help pay for entry level poor employees. This not only helps in making Wal-Mart richer but also allows it to qualify as a Free-Rider corporation in that it pays fewer taxes and profits more than what it contributes. Wal-Mart achieves this by hiring entry level labor at an entry level salary and lays workers off as soon as they are almost eligible for benefits like a medical plan (If Any was available) as well as unemployment aid which normally is given if laid off in about six months, then once the worker realizes that he or she does not qualify for unemployment benefits they are immediately referred to welfare aid where through their job placement system they are recruited to work for their welfare and food stamp benefits which are nowhere near the same income that they made when they were working full time even if they were on a minimum wage salary for the corporation. This is not only disgusting, but also very evil, and also legal thanks to our dear Republican friends. Lately, since the early 90’s this has also been applied to city park workers of whom over 80% of them that help keep and maintain our city parks clean and healthy are working for their welfare checks. So who really is a Free-Rider here? The poor city park worker who is working for their welfare check? Or the rich guy who enjoys these venues and takes credit for it just because he pays taxes? Well, when you round out the numbers he is receiving these city services for pennies in that with all the tax breaks he is getting literally amounts to nothing. And to add insult to injury, most of these park workers are laid off since they are seasonal workers anyway! And those that remain are the permanent workers who work for a full salary with an average health plan which by all means is far better than any plan that you would get as a welfare recipient. And yes, you guessed it; those that stay and are, have permanent status are generally of some Caucasoid decent like either Russian or Irish. I know that with all that is truly going on in this country lately may make this sound like a cliché, but facts are what they are and there has got to be some suitable and fair solution to this situation. We are all part of the American melting pot and only after we can see each counterpart as such, then we can focus on more important things like trying to make America great once more where the American dream was a possibility for all and not based on the size of your pocketbook.

The American Political System: 4/2 Equal Rights

The American Political System: 4/2 Equal Rights: Welcome back everyone! In the last class we looked at the idea of civil liberties through some of the most famous champions of liberty in Am...

My two sense on...

Despite Negativity, Americans Mixed on Ideal Role of Gov't

By Frank Newport: This story is part of an ongoing series on Gallup.com on Americans' views on the role and performance of government.

In the first paragraph in the start of the page I am asked if I can make a choice in regards to where is my stance along with the 35% of Americans who believe that they prefer an active Government that tries  in every way to improve the lives of its citizens or the other 37% of Americans that  prefer a government that provides only the most basic government functions with the remaining 28% somewhere in the middle. But before I can answer this question I would like to give some input as to what are my feelings towards politics and their functions. I will start with my own experiences with how people that I know feel about politics, how they affect their daily lives and just overall how important politics are to them. About a week ago I was talking to my friend who I will call CF on his thoughts about the current elections and his feelings on one particular controversial candidate who we all know and is getting a lot of attention for his unethical solutions on a series of complicated issues that are supposedly affecting the American economy as well as adding to the unemployment situation at a national level. now I do have my views on this particular subject and am one that firmly believes that albeit there some types of jobs that are overwhelmed with this particular work description from this ethnic group, that this particular area of "WORK" is usually not the type of labor that are highly sought after by Americans. And that most agricultural work which is filled by this group of immigrant workers is the type of labor that most if not the vast majority of American's frown upon anyway. I mean if those that are inclined to follow this ideal imposed by this candidate and if he would actually win and achieve something as outrageous as this proposal should congress accept, who fills in the gap left behind? I seriously doubt that the lower class like people from where I live to know what a tomato let alone a potato plant looks like, hell I myself do not know. Or maybe even perhaps fall back on the correctional system? I am sure that this is a grand solution to allow convicted felons whom maybe not all really bad ones work in their place. I can see this now, in Americas heartland all of those convicted Latinos, Blacks and all other none white ethnic groups picking veggies and fruits with armed deputies whilst longing to get a closer look at that farmer's daughter's butt. Yes this although not politically correct as not all convicts are rapists and killers and a threat since there are some that do go to jail as "Paper criminals" who for one reason or another fell behind on their child support and were thrown in there alongside the more aggressive cons that are sent in for murder and or robbery. And besides, the real bad ones are the white collar criminals that steal from the weak in order to live opulent lives with other people's money. Yes, while their poor black poor counterpart is in a crappy correctional system, these crooks are somewhere in a minimum security facility playing tennis and golf whilst receiving weekly family visits from family and friends.

But back on the topic at hand, the third paragraph on the first page of the column by Mr. Frank Newport states that overall the majority of people who make 57% of Americans believe that our Government has too much power. Now whether they are referring to the military aspect of the Government or the political aspect does not say, as most people do forget that our military although that it does rely on congress to decide budget spending for their new toys or the more appropriately called Department of defense budget, they still do whatever they think is best for us and keep it under wraps. I mean who do you think pays for areas like the "Dreamland" facility out there in the Arizonian desert lol! And no... I do not think E.T. lives there either.

But if you ask me whether our Government has too much power my response could very well be that it does, but so much more when it is convenient for it. Because I take into account that although it shouldn't be this way, that Government has a tendency to keep secrets from us. You can choose to accept this or you can choose not too, but anyone with common sense and a good education knows that throughout its history humanities politicians have always done this since people ceased to be hunter-gatherers and formed structured communities. In other words, it is our nature to do so for our own good. in fact I would rather have a few ambitious greedy people taking charge of important matters such as infrastructure and whatever part within a communities that require that complicated issues like our welfare, health, and overall well-being to help pay for all of this instead of having a Government similar to what some Dictator like Saddam would have done which is basically to eradicate the needy and see them as a nuisance. (So I guess you can get rich on my money but just do your job and don't over do it.) So yes, politics are a necessity, problem is that people are hard to trust, especially where vast amounts of monies are involved. Conservatives on the other hand would agree that this should not be the case, that the Government should do as little as possible without affecting our social structure and that if it can avoid things like taxing it's citizens (Rich citizens mind you.) to help keep and maintain anything that pertains to social help and aid that it should not be their responsibility to do so, and to this I respond with a resounding no... Because it should. if we are supporting them through our taxes then they have to give back to its citizens if they are going to tax us, and besides the one most hurt is the middle man anyway since the conservatives mostly are all rich Republicans in the first place so of course that they want to minimize being taxed as much as possible. So where do I choose to stand with respect to the first question on paragraph one? I choose to stay with the 28% and wait a while because this is what anyone with common sense would do. Yes, I know that it is indeed not a response that can give you the reader an explanation as to the why it is much more intelligent to just dwell on it to see in what direction the tide decides to turn. It can either be favorable towards one end or towards the other and like the rich do when it is convenient for them to make a choice I must have this same right to do so too.

My views on Transnational America first parargraph by Randolph S. Bourne

by Randolph S. Bourne

First paragraph

First and foremost one of the main reasons that Europeans came and  settled in this country was mainly due to the fact that England and other European countries restricted freedom of belief as well as thinking along with other liberties that in this day and age we all take for granted. They were supposed to abide by a system imposed upon them by the monarch who ruled in the particular region whence they came. I can imagine myself as a person from anglo decent living at this particular time in history and even though that I would more than likely have a very different mindset brought upon me by my experiences of having been born in that time period it would make it very difficult for me to accept being hearded like cattle and led to believe that my King or ruler  in charge was the only reason to be thankful for my existence and be content with the fact that as a gift from GOD that he would be all that I would live and die for. And maybe as wishful thinkers do today maybe get lucky enough some day from this idiotic loyalty and possibly even be rewarded for this un recognized loyalty!

                                                Might it be possible that many people from so long ago maybe had these very kinds of hopes or expectations? My opinion is that quite possibly this may be the case for some, but I assure you not all. I remember the movie the PATRIOT starring Mel Gibson which took place during the Revolutionary war which although was glamorized to some extent if we put into account that for Hollywood’s sake for the movie to sell had to be filmed in this fashion that I am sure this must have been far more complicated than it was made out to be. A movie can touch on some of the topics that led to this terrible but necessary war in a few hours but it sure as hell would not be possible to achieve this in such short order. However touching on the subject in question on the first paragraph of Mr. Randolph S. Bourne he states and I quote…

NO reverberatory effect of the great war has caused American public opinion more solicitude than the failure of the 'melting- pot.' The discovery of diverse nationalistic feelings among our great alien population has come to most people as an intense shock. It has brought out the unpleasant inconsistencies of our traditional beliefs We have had to watch hard- hearted old Brahmins virtuously indignant at the spectacle of the immigrant refusing to be melted, while they jeer at patriots like Mary Antin who write about 'our forefathers.' We have had to listen to publicists who express themselves as stunned by the evidence of vigorous nationalistic and cultural movements in this country among Germans, Scandinavians, Bohemians, and Poles, while in the same breath they insist that the mien shall be forcibly assimilated to that Anglo- Saxon tradition which they unquestioningly label 'American.'

Now correct me if I am wrong, but if I did not know any better is it any different than it was before? Are we as Americans not repeating the very same sins that our European counterparts did 300 or so years ago only in reverse? Should we; the great nation of unlimited freedoms not allow these who come to our shore’s their freedoms as well?  And allow them to manifest their existence in anyway which way they choose to see fit in the way that they want to live their lives in this great nation? Are we contradicting ourselves after fighting to fulfill our way of living? Are we not now imposing our Americanization onto others for the privilege of living here and they themselves have this so called blessing of being called an American? A product of our assimilation process to correct them? This is wrong in so many ways. I myself am an American with a rich background in European culture. My lineage although mainly influenced by Spain is no different than my other European counterpart the Anglo-Saxon. And even though that my culture too has America deeply embedded in its own culture, it is something that was more by choice than by force. Every time I log online I read some topic or discussion  with some American person downsizing, criticizing or just exercising their bias towards some other poor souls that just want the right to have what they themselves want. Do they too want assimilation? Who can tell. Is the so called American dream that lures them here in the first place their way of saying "Hey, I wan't to assimilate" or are they just looking for some type of freedom all of their own other than. This has never been anything new since early on in our American history. But if we analyze for a moment the very same term “shall be forcibly assimilated to that Anglo- Saxon tradition which they unquestioningly label 'American.” In itself is flawed. Because you see; to be an American and the very meaning of what it is to be an American is not Anglo Saxon alone. Race has nothing to do with it in the very least. It is a way one chooses to live. A way of living and does no ever represent a race. It was never ever meant to be, you choose to be.

The start of my Spring semester at Lehman College

Well Christmas Vacation is over and all of the calories I piled up whilst I stuffed my pie hole mercilessly like most people do and later live to regret by swearing a new years resolution promising to lose weight soon after is all behind me; albeit the calories which refuse to hide and persist relentlessly as they continue to show are my grim reminder that I am no longer the young hot stud I was once way back when and that I have to start taking better care of myself whether I like it or not. interestingly enough though I am currently enrolled in a political science course which is my main reason that I have started using this abandoned blog in the first place. I got to admit that I thought that it was going to be one of those classes we all love to hate but I fear that this may not be the case. Could it be that my age may be playing a part in all of this? I really can't answer this right at this moment but so far so good. I will keep updates as we move along this interesting subject.