RGVblogQuestions

Depression

2008-02-08T04:21:00.000-06:00

I have been reading that depression is either an epidemic or it is overused. Clearly it is a cause of overuse of both prescribed and unprescribed treatement. Depression was once explained to me as what we all feel when we meet with disappointment or sadness (defeat or loss), but rather than being an exception to normal moods, it is the more common mood with less and less time feeling happy or "normal". What do you think?

What are the new blogs

2008-01-18T05:30:00.000-06:00

Living in the Rio Grande Valley, it seems we are short of blogs on the social and political front. Not that there are not a few that I (and others) enjoy, but insomnia requires that I have more. Maybe I am missing the new ones. If you have read any (good or bad) tell me where to find them.

Flouride vs Xanax

2008-01-14T03:55:00.000-06:00

Well, hmmm, I guess there are no new questions. I am curious with regard to all this talk of recession. There are those of us that have been in one for some time, but I guess now that it may effect Wall Street, it is more of a main street/mainstream topic and worthy of Presidential banter. Being anti-Iraq war makes me a little negative about our hopes in the matter, since we still have to pay for the war and the long term effects of the War. We will have to pay a heavy price for the peace like continuously propping up a government that will likely never be able to stand on its own feet and to take care of our men that return and the families of those that don't (in any sense of that meaning). And even if we do get out of Iraq, we still haven't finished (and some would argue that we have a larger job) in Afghanistan. But I have digressed.... Anyway, I am wondering if our recession will settle on us hard. It was interesting; at least I thought so, that one commentator spoke of us in a National Depression. Not in the financial sense but as a clinically depressed Nation, looking for hope in a message of change. Should we remove the Fluoride from the water and insert xanax? Should Dr. Phil be mandatory in school or for us all (we could combine it with the National ID, like a National Therapy/Voter/DNA/GPS/Border Crossing Card.) What do you think?

New Year Coming

2007-12-26T08:34:00.000-06:00

Well, another year is fast approaching and I wonder how much I have learned in the passing of 365 days. I won't say it was an either an easy year or the worst, but looking back a lot has happened and yet everything is pretty much the same. Trying to decide if the coming of '08 is a landmark or a curse is interesting, another year older, wiser (?), deeper in debt (as the country western song goes (?): I am not to sure yet. Has the year changed the world? Most years do, but I don't think the calendar has made that clear yet. Where do you stand? Where do we stand?

Time to Ponder

2007-11-11T06:25:00.000-06:00

I have been busy reading the other blogs and the questions I have don't seem to have any answers. I mean, there is some really good thinking going on out there, but there also is just a lot of venomous bull that doesn't even require response. Sure it is an election year, very few contested races, but a few have garnered more than there fair share of personal attacks. I have talked to a few of the candidates that are targets and they shrug it off. But I am not that close, so I can't say what they may actually be thinking. Most eyes are wondering who will be the next president, if they are worried about elections at all. Most I talk to are wondering about money. I know I have read that the economy is booming and doing great, I guess, maybe I missed it or I am in the wrong business. I see that what started as a terrorist scare has become the immigration issue of the new century. It's happened before. Personally there seems to be a lot of bigotry and hypocracy involved, but that is nothing new to immigration. I just wonder what they that are so strong for the borders really think, I mean is it a money issue, is it a crime issue, or race... don't you wish you knew what they were really all about?

City States

2007-09-25T04:08:00.000-06:00

With the aligned interests of many of our school and political subdivisions hemorraging money and resources, and often duplicating services at various levels of competence, why do we continuously continue to act like Greek City States and avoid consolidation. It often amuses me that you can identify a Rio Grande Valley transplant by the fact that they identify themselves as being from the Valley, while most life long residents identify themselves by the city of their birth. I mean, I certainly agree that in most incidents all politics is local, but we seem to like to push that to the extreme. More often it is to the detriment of the citizens of the area. One example is the failed Hospital District that both Cameron and Hidalgo County needed. Another example is the duplicated fiefdom of the County Commissioners with regard to crews and equipment. As our cities continue to run into one another, with only obscured city limit signs to distinguish that we are moving from one to another, shouldn't we also move to consolidate some of the services and protections. I am not naive. I know it has to do with power struggles, but does it make sense?

Puro Mexicano

2007-09-16T06:05:00.000-06:00

You see I have been reading bogs quite a bit and talking with some people in my work, and some of them have used the term "puro mexicano" to descibe themselves and I am not sure I understand. I would imagine that to each it means something a little different, but each time it seems to attempt to say that they are one with their culture. Some I have noticed use the term to fault others for what they deem a lack of retained culture. But what does the term mean? I mean if you are a Citizen of the Republic of Mexico the meaning is clear, but what if you are or you wish to become a Citizen of the United States?

Got Over It

2007-09-05T04:03:00.000-06:00

Well, I got over the fact that either no one is reading or no one is commenting so I decided to keep posting. Must have been an ego thing. So back to the questions, I am perplexed by the state of affairs in some Valley Politics. I can never get a grasp on the lack of cooperation of the cities in the Valley. We jealously guard our civic independence as we continue to grow into intertwined communities. I can understand when it was a 10 minute drive between cities, but Pharr, McAllen, Edinburg and Mission (I am not trying to leave any out, just got tired of listing them) are one continuous community for the most part. Except for the street names (ie McColl and its double North/South and the whole Ferguson Pecan (which is a blvd) East Griffin (which is a parkway)/495 thing. Why do we behave like Greek City-States?

Heroes

2007-07-30T04:44:00.000-06:00

I've often written here about my admiration for strong women. I was brought up with a strong sense of right and wrong and a duty to serve one's community. That foundation is what drew me, like other members of my family, to politics. Unfortunately, politics has very little to do with right and wrong and duty to one's community and country. For that reason, when I identify with a political leader that meets those criteria I feel validated in my own strong beliefs and hold out hope that someone will step up and I will have someone to admire and respect.
-Barbara Jordan
She, like Socrates saw something more in politics than self-interest. We need heroes, but is the price for those heroes too high, monetarily and personally?

Why is the Right Wing Talk all we hear on the radio

2007-07-15T17:57:00.000-06:00

I have a theory as to why we only hear from the Right Wing talk shows (this does not include the RGV where without satellite radio you have no choice). Most Democrats are more diverse that the right, not as likely to be so single minded or non-diverse in their thoughts. Take the abortion question, where the right wing media including Planet Fox would have America believe that it is a vast left wing conspiracy of card carrying Democrats that, in league with Satan and the ACLU (you won't convince them that it is not one and the same), is the hardcore belief of every democrat. When actually, here in the Valley you see a diverse stand among Democrats as in most of the country regarding that issue. The issue, is not as hard an fast among traditional Democrats. Some of my favorite liberals (and I use the word with affection, not contempt) would rather listen to music or a book, than to have a commentator with questionable credentials, tell them what to think. I, of course, do not include the common sense commentators like George Lopez or Carlos Mecia and others. What about you?

So What is the Status- Mystery Employee

2007-07-15T17:54:00.000-06:00

After the initial hoopla over the FBI office raid, not a word of what or rumor. No questions regarding background or PSJA? Is there fear or does no one really have a clue?