Dispatches from The Mayan Empire

“When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.” - Nelson Mandela + + + Woke up feeling good despite some setbacks. All in all it wasn't a bad day yesterday except for Tessa running off in the middle of the night and no coming home after an hour or to as usual. So far she has been missing almost 20 hours, so I have been unable to administer her medication... then my right front tire went out on me (It developed a bubble the size of a tennis ball) and I had to use the last of my cat-related savings to keep Greta from becoming an expensive lawn ornament. Thats life, you win some, you get kicked in the balls with a steel toed boot. Many hours later, nearly 24, Tessa has returned. She is clearly fond of our giant yard and the local businesses nearby, Thankfully the neighborhood is fulled with generally nice folks, and her collar clearly states where she lives, That said, seeing a couple of apparent cart...

"I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots." - Hunter S. Thompson + + +                                                                            A 3:30am drive in a futile attempt to find tacos instead found a gorgeous girl that I made a passing acquaintance with shortly after I moved here. She was walking down the street with the same half sexy-half in the bag swagger that makes her strangely eas...

 "The global phenomenon of poverty tourism - or 'poorism' - has become increasingly popular during the past few years. Tourists pay to be guided through the favelas of Brazil and the shantytowns of South Africa. The recently opened Los Angeles Gang Tour carries visitors through battle-scarred territories of urban violence and deprivation." - Leslie Jamison + + + March 21st is kind of a big deal here in Nuevo Progreso. It marks the end of the winter tourism season. "Winter Texans" are the lifeblood of the local economy, mostly retirees fleeing the cold winters of their home state, or country, there are more than a few winter Texans that hail from Canada.Most of them seem to hail from the Midwestern United States. At least as far as the ones I've spoken to, and the shirts proclaiming their home state along with some slogan about being a Texan when its convenient (winter). [[And so the Day of Tourists begins...]] Dia del Turista its called...

"You bravos had better be ready to fight, or we'll never get out of East Texas tonight, but the trail is long and the river is wide, and my ride's here" - Warren Zevon, My Ride's Here + + + My day tends to start around 10:30am or so most of the time. No more early mornings on the corners barking or occasionally DJ'ing for Vampiz has allowed me to set my own schedule for work (writing, which tends to be in fits and starts throughout the day unless I'm on a roll). Which is nice, since I am not a morning person. I tend to shamble out of bed like something from the 'Legend of Boggy Creek' films, swallow my morning fistful of pills (allergy meds, the price I pay for my lovely cat, vitamins, and acetaminophen with codeine to allow me to move without wincing in pain constantly). After that its typically a lovely hot shower thanks to my miracle shower head with a built in heating unit. I admit its not the safest of showers, but it is hot, with...

"There is nothing wrong with spending a night in jail if it means getting the shot you need." - Werner Herzog + + +  It has occurred to me that in my posts here on 'Dispatches' I only occasionally share with my loyal readers my photography in small doses. Which is a bit of a crime, as there are so many interesting this to see here. Not that I am some fantastic shutterbug, I'm mediocre at best, but I never the less have always greatly enjoyed it as a hobby. One could always tell how desperate I am in life if I start selling my cameras, with my primary rig being the last to go. Letting go of my favorite camera has always been just a little bit like chewing off a limb to escape a trap. Sure, it works, but it leaves one slightly on the crippled side. Not that my loss of cameras in times of extreme financial desperation compares in any meaningful way to someone actually becoming disabled due to an accident, its just to illustrate how hard it is for me to...

"Texas is an outrage when your husband is dead. Texas is an outrage when they pick up his head. Texas is the reason that the president's dead." - The Misfits, Bullet + + + UPDATE: Looks I might be revisiting my semi-famous breakdown of the Kennedy assassination.  Until then please enjoy the original version, found via the links below or just read the whole damn thing on this page. Might as well back it up here, as this is where the finished product will end up. Enjoy! + + + While I work on more legitimate journalist pursuits which I occasionally post here, and the novel which is now more than half way done, I've been thinking. About conspiracy theories and the like, a subject always near and dear to my heart. So here you go, easily the most famous and popular article I published on my old conspiracy blog (even linked to and listed as 'required reading' on the subject by the Huffington Post, the assassination of JFK. Hell, all those recentl...