Brian's Travel Journal

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Quote

"We must not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time." -T.S. Eliot

Well I'm back in the states. Right where I started from and after 11 months exploring: it truly is to see and experience my country for the very first time.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Question

Why do we kill people who kill people to show that killing people is wrong?

This on the day that Stanley "Tookie" Williams was executed after a failed stay by the governor of California Arnold Schwartzenegger. Just a few weeks after the U.S.A. executed it's 1,000th prisoner since capital punishment was reinstated in 1977. And in view of the fact that we have only charged Saddam with murdering less than 200 people. To note, also this week in the news: George W. Bush put the estimated Iraqi dead at over 30,000. Are you serious?

Just a question to throw out there.

Friday, December 02, 2005

Heartland

I just drove 24 hours (2 - 12 hour days) across the United States from Colorado to North Carolina for the holidays. If you are not familiar with the I-70 to I-40 exchange it is mostly a straight shot and mostly quite boring. Not to mention this trail takes you directly through the heart of "Bush Country." The Colorado plains, Kansas, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky...yes sir, these are Big Red states and it shows. Pickup trucks, Vote for Bush signs rotting on the side of the road, "We Support our Troops" bumper stickers, and people smoking inside gas stations ought to sum it up for ya'll. It's funny because as I drive through the deep south I am amazed at the scenery. It's so beautiful here and I think to myself (because I'm the only one in the car to talk to for all those hours) that "I could live here!" "Yes, definitely. This place is wonderful." And then I step out of the car and hear people converse with each other and themselves. Try to get waited on at the deli-counter in the grocery store. They can change a spare tire for a NASCAR race in 6.2 seconds flat, but it takes a little under 20 minutes to cut my cheese?!