I  live in Cuenca, Ecuador.  There exists a large expat population.  People expatriate here for a number of stated reasons.  The reasons change the longer they stay here.

When the people come to Ecuador they have a logic system that eventually they cannot sustain.  It starts with “aren’t the people here wonderful.”  For the most part that appears true in Cuenca.  It has a different meaning in Guayaquil and Quito.                                                    The cultural differences aside from the language presents many challenges.  Once average people in the U.S., they find themselves a “niche” of friends and  see the world with restricted lenses.  Their voice has a sound.

That sound gives them a sense of being.   They are isolated in a sea of foreign people within a culture that they can only understand through Expat eyes.

  There are many FaceBook sites in which the expats share information.  First rule, 1,  number one, premero, uno — Expats make shit up.  Rule number 2 — go back to rule 1.

I recently read a post on a gringo site that said  that a guy had gone to 8 different banks and found his debit card no longer worked.  I took immedate action.  In the time I checked only one ATM machine and after much searching for cash I tried my ATM machine that I always used and voila –no problema.

 Then I read more and more MISINFORMATION to my experience.  I had a friend withdraw a large amount of money in what she believed a tax saving maneuver.  It turns out after I investigated, that the maneuver was a ruse to have her feel obligated to waylay funds to cover a scheme by the bank official.  The person who explained this to me has been wrong on many things in the past but that has never stopped her from not only telling me the ‘correct’ information but encouraging me to stop the spread of misinformation.

In the States the level of sophisticated theft and deception is “business as usual”.  Here it is a crap shoot.  The laws work differently.

I watch bright, highly educated, moral people make risky investments based on limited understanding and the promise of an attorney.  I learned that promise and attorney have no business in the same sentence.  The best crooks I know are attorneys.

I recently read a post asking for information.  I read the responses, obviously from people who just wanted to feel helpful.  I went through the scenario described and gave a response very different from the pther responses.  I have learned to keep quiet and only intervene when truly strong MISINFORMATION is given.

My point is simple.  DO NOT rely on the information you read on blog sites.  Read many responses and the disparity will alert you to the need to investigate further.

Find a reliable person/friend who begins their sentence with, “that happened to me…” or ” I know of a person we can contact because that happened to him/her.”

After reading posts from educated, well meaning individuals, I am reminded of my training.  Crazy people don’t advertise.  They tend to find lines of people just waiting to believe. (actually my mother said that right after she cautioned, “Don’t run to your death,  It will find you in due time”)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a word YES.
You can waste it with poor exposure. Playing by the rules. Or not understanding how things work.
The question of a wasted life came to me in two dissimilar actions.
I was setting up a series of wildlife cameras in Yellowstone Park. I hoped to capture the movement of the recent wolf reintroduction.
I set the cameras up by myself. Being in the wild by oneself, well, you get a little Jeremiah Johnson. You don’t shave, you don’t bath, you basically return to nature.
So one morning I got up, crawled out of my tent buck naked, stretched and started to make coffee. A huge black bear decided that coffee might be a good idea. I dropped the coffee pot and started running down the narrow path. I had no idea if the bear was following me or not, but I was really running fast.
The path I chose was the same path that I set the cameras on. My running triggered the cameras, filming my escape. When I returned, after circling the campsite as I was wearing nothing and needed clothes to reenter the world of man, I reviewed the recording of me running down the path.
“What was I thinking?” Here I am running from a 600 pound bear and I am holding my junk. Besides slowing me down as my arms were busy keeping things from swinging, I wondered who I prevented from seeing me naked.
Had I just let things be, maybe the bear might have stopped because of laughter or he might have felt sorry for me. Either way the camera did not even see my junk.  But the look on my face was priceless.
I sat down and repaired what the bear had decided needed adjustment. Apparently he didn’t even bother chasing me.
I noticed plum pits on the ground. I saw the torn bag and realized the bear had eaten the plums and left the seeds. No big deal, as the plums had spoiled. The bear did not mind my wasted fruit.
That’s when I realized, like Newton with the falling apple, only in this case, me with plum pits, that had it not been for the bears intervention these seeds would have gone to waste, as only humans waste things of value.
I sat with my back against a log and had one of those enlightening moments. A moment about life. And I asked the question, “Can a life be wasted?”
A cascade of stupid, dumb things I had done that changed and formed my life rushed into my awareness. I actually shivered with the remembrance of these life events. The thoughts were a time lapsed version of me triggering cameras of my life, holding my junk, as I ran through life.
Sorry to say, there are useless eaters, there are worthless people and there are too many of them. Sounds harsh, bigoted and non-compassionate. But I believe it to be honest.
I brought many examples to bear. What if I had brought a mongoloid child with me to show him the wonders of nature. Would I have stayed to defend him or leave him to the will of the bear? Would I have sacrificed my life for the defective genes of this child? Even if I fended off the bear the authorities would have charged me with a sex crime for being naked in the wilderness with a special minor.
That’s when I had that glimpse, that moment of lucid understanding, where you see clearly the path you are walking. We have rules. They are not good rules for you but rules to supposedly protect the innocent. At that point I realized there is nothing I could do to help mankind because the rules do not take into consideration the realities of life. So my life would be worthless following the rules. In fact, following the rules would only bring on more trouble.
I know two educated women: college degree and medical degree. They are nice people, but I stand in wonder at how little they know about the American culture, the American way of life. One did not know how to set up a dog’s choke chain for collaring. Sounds picky. But that seems something that you learn growing up. Maybe she didn’t have a dog? Maybe she never saw a neighbor with a dog? Maybe she had no understanding of common everyday physics principles? I can understand that, but then to get a college education and not connect the dots.
The other woman  didn’t know Hank Aaron’s claim to fame. I can accept that because I don’t know the most famous ballerina in history.(neither did she) Partly because she was not on the front page of the newspaper section every day for 17 years or on TV news regularly. But I know where to look up the information and can appreciate the dedication a person places into any art, craft or endeavor.
I know the basic fairy tales and think that any  educated person would know then either from being told them or telling them to children. Oh but they didn’t have a good childhood and they don’t have children. Well that’s my point.
A person weighing in on how life works who has never been exposed to life as it works is a wasted life. I think it is essential to kick the can down the road. First you have to have a can. Is it a special can? No, it isn’t. It has regular life experiences.
I have no plans to destroy human life. We elect people to do that for us. In fact, those elected officials understand the can and look for people who believe that all cans are created equal. These people prey upon the educated, the egg heads, those who have money and believe they know something about life, about people, about culture.

I only hope they come across that bear.

BY Kimberly Kross
I browse the web for information daily. I avoid certain websites and certain FaceBook posters. I occasionally check to see if their message has changed. It hasn’t. Like Sisyphus they roll up the same hill every day. No growth, no acceptance, no change.
I do not possess the answers. I do not access a special deity. I do not hold to a certain political party. I look at facts, not truths, but facts. Then I read the vitriol on FaceBook and on the web and in the media. It no longer presents a shame as it now takes the form as “business as usual.” That is a psychological tool that has changed American thinking.
I came across a blurb that said that gun violence had decreased significantly in the U.S.  I assumed the article to be a ruse. Sort of what the Huffington Post does with a scare headline that turns out to not be a scare at all. Then I remembered a graph showing the gun crimes PER CAPITA in the U.S. as being ranked 114th in the world.
Sometimes, it is not what you read as when you read it or what you are doing when you read it. A friend stated that she had much regret in having voted twice for President Obama. A FaceBook friend posted all the great things the President has done citing a myriad of statistics to support his claims. Two good friends with two divergent viewpoints.
As I looked up “theories on gun violence in the US” the lead article said, “Theories on recent drop in gun violence in the U.S.”
How could this be?  I wanted to write a nonfiction piece on possible reasons for increased gun violence and the facts cannot support my article. Maybe you get these results if you count the number of incidents alone or discount the gang shootings in the tough gun law cities? No it included those. But the violence exploded into an “I can break that record with these weapons.” We have game shows that promote this, why not reality?
So I typed in “Theories on mass shootings.” Without going into the worldwide mass shootings, just staying in the U.S., the theories revolve around the media’s presentation of these events.
If I could be SO WRONG about gun violence based on media agenda and presentation, what else have I been tricked into believing?
Normally, a summary and a scolding would close these points. But research shows it only affects those with open minds.

The question before Jane and Dan is, “Where is the line between free speech toward a candidate and out right malice?

by Plain Jane

I believe that the truth must be told.  If a political candidate is a bigot or racist this must be exposed.  If a political candidate goes against the values of the real America that also must be brought to the attention of the American public.

Fairness and objective reporting are critical for an informed debate.  All opinions must be allowed but when those opinions stand opposite the opinions of human rights, those opinions must be exposed for what they are.

Let’s take an example.  Donald Trump has no business in politics yet he garners support from a right wing element of haters.  This inflammatory speech, his desecration of Muslims must be exposed for the bigotry it spews.

by Dan the Man

Jane, your reasoning is the very source of the divide in America.  Because you believe that your opinion and your values are better than others.  There is no free speech in America any longer.  There is only information that the liberal press reports — a one sided view.

Trump is a viable candidate because he is NOT a politician.  He can stand aside from the game played on both sides of the aisle.  He is expressing a form of logic foreign to the left — common sense.  Your side calls it bigotry.  When ISIS, a Muslim group, tells the world they will terrorize America after the Paris incident and the President then wants to bring in between 10,000 and 250,000 refugees, common sense says “DANGER DANGER.”  Heck, Jane, their religious book really does say ti kill the infidel, the non believer.  In many ways your view toward the conservative is the same logic — kill the other viewer.

You speak of the truth being told.  The Huffington Post has launched a media campaign to discredit conservative candidates.  I suppose that is their prerogative.  First they should not purport to me a news organization when they give their slant on any story.  And as for the truth, maybe if they exposed the lies of their candidate, Hillary, and the absolute sham of the DNC in the preordained selection of the candidate without the attempt to show discussion to a large audience their message might have a meaning.

How can I make this clear?  The horrible things the liberal media says about opinions they disagree with, the attack on candidate’s family members, the total control of the media to get their one sided message across, cannot be seen by them.  The party of bigotry shows as the party of non acceptance.

Despite the Democrat  history of voting against civil rights and demeaning religious beliefs of a Christian faith, they are willing to accept the faith of a religion that wants to kill the Americans and the American way of life, they have garnered the vote of the very people they opposed,  But we don’t see that in the press.

REBUTTAL

by Plain Jane

You are making a case for Hitler.  You are saying that we should accept the points of view of immorality, the very fabric of American goodness must be ignored.  It is you and your bigoted point of view that is holding back the growth of this great nation.

Your arguments against Hillary are politically based as you and your conservative thought cannot stand the thought of a woman leader on the after a great black leader.  Admit it.  You are simple a bigot who cannot stand to see real change.

Response to your other arguments are pointless because you return to the same dialogue,

 

 

 

My view on religion has changed since I came to Ecuador.  I finally figured religion out.

As a graduation requirement, I took three courses in religion.  I learned much.  In fact, I learned that my Catholic training has many loopholes.  Add to that, all religious beliefs have loopholes, some are just richer than others.

Having practiced trial law I had a black female client who  needed to escape the clutches of the mentally ill diagnosis that surrounded her.  I knew I could convince a jury to find her not guilty.  The testimony and evaluation of a psychologist found her delusional and in need of treatment.  She claimed she did not hear voices and bggfed not to go to the mental hospital.

I knew this psychologist had said in a previous case that a clear sign of auditory hallucinations could be readily verified because the person turned their head to address the voice.  So I had witnesses who all claimed she did not turn her head.  I would finally best this doctor.

I presented the witnesses during this pretrial hearing.  They said she looked straight ahead during the supposed auditory events.  I put the doctor on the stand and reminded him of his earlier statement about head turning and auditory hallucinations.  He agreed.

Because of the pretrial rules, or lack thereof, the psychologist asked the judge if he could clarify my question by asking the witness a few questions.  I objected.  I got what I wanted.  He had plenty of time to evaluate the witness beforeY no need to subject my client to open court evaluation.

The judge loved this psychologist and said, “This is a pretrial hearing and knowing the doctor’s reputation for honesty and accuracy I am interested in his findings.”

What about me?  I served my client well and you don’t give me kudos.

The doctor reminds my client of their earlier evaluation.  She giggles at some references he makes to things she said.  Then he asks, “Remember when you heard those voices telling you to do things?”

“yes.”

“Why didn’t you turn your head toward the voice?”

“Because Jesus said, ‘Don’t turn your head child when I’m talking to you.'”

Bested again.  Everyone laughed, including the judge.  He sent my client for mental health services and took the psychologist into chambers where I am sure they had a good laugh.  I’m not bitter.

This leads me to the topic of religion.

If you asked me the reason I came to Ecuador today I would say, “freedom of religion.”

You would counter that I came from the U.S. where freedom of religion is a right.  It used to be.  You see my definition of religion has broadened.  A religion to me is ANY belief in something you can’t prove.  The issue in the States, currently, is any belief outside the total acceptance of the progressive liberal thought is open to ridicule.  The ridicule is bad enough but the media, the name calling, the misinformation does not allow you freedom but rather condemnation.

Since my entry into Ecuador I have encountered Shamans and a variety of healers.  In a country that is 97% Catholic, the ex  par community believes in a variety of things.  I say things because I don’t know how to classify them

The Ecuadorian culture lives off of fear.  Since I believe they only received seven of the ten commandments (missing 6.7, 8 –look them up you heathens) they have to somehow absolve their transgressions.

They blame others.  They have a scapegoat for every issue.  They care little for proof or rights they just need someone to blame.

The ex pats have varied religions.  Religion as defined by me above.  They believe in Shamans, healers, massage therapists, energy fields, different ways to adhere to God and a wide scope of searching for higher power.

I am truly in awe of the different beliefs the expats bring here.  They have beliefs that can only exist if they blame someone.  They blame the government they came from, they blame political parties, they blame the blacks and the gays (only not so much).  But they never answer the big question — so where does your belief take you after you die?

I recently got an answer from a man who said he has followed the Bible faithfully and will fit the criteria necessary for heaven.  I challenged him on his belief on homosexuality.  He gave me several Biblical citations about this “abomination.”  As I attempted to discuss the 16, 800 known discrepant translations from the original Bible, I believe in Greek, (he didn’t know either), he got angry with my  deviled temptation.  But he and his Bible friends knew they followed the road less traveled.

Lest you think I am anti-religious, I have several friends who believe in energy.  (Apparently the only people who understand energy work for General Electric or similar agencies.)  I digress..  My energy friends first know very little about energy, each has a differing opinion of how they will be transformed and all state that I don’t understand because my mind is closed.  They say that science has clouded the receptors to my energy field or chi or cha or some such thing.  Then to validate their belief they cite scientific studies.  Albeit pseudo science.

The belief in a political party is a religion.  You believe that the people you elect have your welfare in mind.  First, you were forced to choose between two people that you would never have chosen in the first place.  The local grocer had better ideas.  Secondly, the party only exists because it has something to push against — the other party. The thing about each party is that your rationality must be checked at the door.  Another blog, another day.

I had only one question for them, “When you have these beliefs, do you turn your head?”