I went to the beach this weekend … an island called Holbox. It was really calm there…but a bit destroyed from the hurracane Wilma that beat up the penisula not to long ago.

Enjoy!

-Chris

Posted by drpoo as General at 12:48 PM PST

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Enjoy

-Chris

Posted by drpoo as Photo Album at 4:12 PM PST

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Wow, strange to say it, but i have many doubts about the idea of being rich. The meaning to me is that the wealth i have above that which is necessary for survival, takes away from others in the world and makes it that much harder for them to survive. When we depend on money as we do today - a world wide phenomenon with globalization and the destruction of local farming practices - every dollar that is not in circulation is a a piece of human life locked up from all to starve.

Anyway. I had a thought. There is a LOT of money in circulation. Mostly it is concentrated in a very small number of hands…but it is there.

I know i can get rich, very rich if i wanted to (unlike most of the people in the world, whom do not have this option available to them). Is it justified to get rich (… how ? business of course …) if the conscience is always aware of the significance of the money? And if there is a goal to redistibute the money into more hands for the future?

My idea is that in my hands, money will benefit more people than if it was in the hands of X, Y, and Z who spend their money on expensive cars, big houses, social clubs, and other things that make them socially rich as independent individuals. Does it justify becoming rich? (… that is if you have the same idea that i do about money…as being a tool of power for the already powerful…something phsyical that enable the slavery of other men, without having a bad conscience…something like,… they might say that money is neutral…but i would disagree.)

Or should we all really struggle hard to regain the time of DEPENDENCE rather than the independence so many seem to strive for now (the american way). Dependence on man and nature…or independence with money.

Damn. *bangs head against wall* What a crazy world!

Also…would money even function if it were distributed more evenly? Or does it work as i imagine…only because it is something most people do not have and must work work work work work for to get even a little bit of it. Mexico has a minimum wage of $4.25 a DAY!…Most people live with this…many just scraping by…but American´s probably couldn´t live as they (we) do if their wages were much higher! Because we depend on their lack of money, to build up our own dollar (those mexicans in the US, and those in Mexico). If they too (and everyone) had an equally strong currency (meaning money was well distributed…)…money would, as i imagine, cease to be functional. Catch 22? More, to me it is just plain fucked up.

-Chris

Posted by drpoo as Peace Works!, Personal Endeveavors at 1:26 PM PST

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I will be posting even more pretty soon (i´ll be getting photos from other peoples cameras!) Yes, i killed a chicken (the one hanging on the right, all bloody), but the photo of me doing it will have to wait because someone else took it with their camera. Quite an experience. Slice Slice Slice…WRAA!!!flap flap flap. dead. drip drip. FLAP FLAP FLAP!!!!! drip drip. really dead.

And sorry….for all the blurry photos….the camera i´m using (thanks by the way ryan, i appreciate you letting me borrow it!) doesn´t take very clear photos….or well, let me say it is very termpermental and only really likes to take pictures of things that are not moving…and only in very bright lighting…otherwise they´re almost always blurry. I´m working out how to customize each shot to adjust for not-so-perfect conditions, but it´s sooo picky. None the less, with the memory card i bought i was able to take like 150 photos! and still have room! BUT I RAN OUT OF BATTERIES! hehe.

-Chris

Posted by drpoo as College Of The Atlantic, Photo Album, Personal Endeveavors at 12:10 AM PST

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Ahhh, so i´m hanging out in Mexico, and i realize that, shit, after this term i only have one year left. And it left me thinking about a whole bunch of stuff.

Truthfully, i´ve been thinking about the fact that i have a senior project i need to do soon a lot. And well, i have a ton of ideas, but the tuff part is choosing which one and sticking with it. Please, READERS of this blog (mom, dad, … hehe… ryan.) Help me decide.

Okay. So here go a few. The latest first.

In short, draw up a business plan and understand all that it would take to start a small business here in Merida making selling dad´s already famous Jerky. *Tironito* Is my prelimanry name for it. *Small Jerk* o *Small Tug*. hehe. Lame! Why? well, because the damn stuff is perfect for Yucatan! I´m seriously saying that it would be a success, without a doubt. It would only be a matter of short time before everyone knew what it was and fell in love it. Put it this way, my host mother hear, who never eats red meat, could keep her hands out of the bag i gave the family! hehe. The fact that it is spicy, plus the fact that it´s meat (dried on top of that..meaning it won´t go bad in the heat for a long time) and the fact that everyone here loves to eat botanas (snacks) everywhere they go, give it´s high scores on the lovable factor. (i´m already having visions of the stuff being sold at all the local events, where there are always a ton of people selling little snack items out of the bag on their shoulder…and there are SO many events here you would not believe. Everyday there is something happening, it´s incredible. Then there is also the open air markets, and the parks, and the street venders…that are just always continuously walking around selling food products and other things…) Really, to say the least, Yucatecans are serious meat eaters! In fact, I hardly ever see green here. It´s a surprise when i do, my eyes are nearly blinded by the bright colors of letuce and fresh tomatoe.

The challenges i would be facing to implement this project are many. Well, that is if i wanted to do it legally and successfully (even then…it wouldn´t be exactly easy…but nor would it be extremely difficult since i´m focusing down to only one thing). Legally starting a small business in Mexico, Production, marketing, vending, etc. etc.

I know (well, i assume) i´m going to be starting my own business eventually and this is an excellent opportunity i believe. Especially because i have a lot of support here already, and i know the language, the area and the people rather well.

Let that one sink in for a few minutes. I know you might laugh…but with your support (i´m talking mostly moral here) it is definately possible. The most that would happen is i fail, have a good time doing it, and put it away in my bag of ´tried that already´s.

Now, the next idea is that i create … hmm…. should i give away my secrets online? Where someone like Microsoft…or hell, google for that matter…could take them before i get a chance to do it myself?? hmmm….i mean i´ll be releasing any software i do under GNU open source terms and anyone will be able to use them how they wish…but i´d like to get the chance to produce them and protect them with GNU liscence first. Let´s say i have an idea to put together a sophisticated online Peer Created Radio station. Think Wikipedia, but rather than text intries, it´s radio program entries. Where you as a user get to post your own home-brewed radio programs, and you as a user get to design your own custom streaming radio station using casts from your fellow users (perhaps some of those users could even be commercial). Yeah, big project, but i could break it down in some way so i could build the first basic prototype / beta system for my sr project and seek support from the open source development community to advance the software to production quality.

Now, another idea. I have many ideas for inventions…i could make a SR project out of one of them. The design, prototyping, production, marketing, and vending…etc. would all be a part of it. AKA. Plus i would look into patenting law..etc. I would start of with the most simple product idea that i have, then if i was successful in reaching my goals for the project, i could then move on to more advanced invention ideas that i have…

Finnally, i still have the idea to come down to Merida again and work on some sort of research project regarding Technology Development initiatives here. Which by the way, i´m working (volunteering) right now for a government organization that works in exactly this department…they are rolling out all sorts of cool stuff and i´m working with them to do it (well, it´s more like i´m observing at the moment, but we´ll see how things develop). And on top of that, i´m likely going to start working with the director of the Yucatan sector of the Nacional E-Mexico project, teaching some computer classes (or helping) and also going out to small villages around Merida organizing for more community computer centers to be setup in the local libraries. … so … if something develops while i´m here into what could be a good SR project, i´ll jump on it. Otherwise i might just end up coming down here to work in the future…perhaps…as a side job while i´m getting my Tironito (jerky) business up and running. :-)

Okay. There are others, but what do you guys think about those? I think these are pretty much the selection i´m going to choose from.

Though there is one more recent idea that i thought of…providing telephone services cheap through voIP Voice over IP (internet telephones…such as the one i´ve been using to call all you guys…) With this i could definately give customers a much better price rate than the people here that are using phone cards, cell phones or the Mexico Tel Mex telephony service. I´d likely be one of the first to the market here too…the people here are a little behind in the times still (though…i´m working on catching them up! hehe)

Also, Mom, Dad specifically, i have a question since i´m here….You guys know that i´m off sync for at COA for graduation. What do you think about me taking the spring term (the next term) off to resync myself with everyone else? I think it would make things easier for me, well at least less confusing in regards to deadlines and the like. I´m seriously thinking about it, staying in Bar Harbor probably, working working working, and planning for the Sr. Project, and the likes. Or perhaps for some of the spring term i would come and live in Merida again, to start researching for SR project.

Let me know what you´all´s think.

Peace…and happy new year!

-Chris

Posted by drpoo as Linux / Open Source, College Of The Atlantic, Live Mp3 Streams, Peace Works!, Personal Endeveavors at 2:57 PM PST

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