The name of this blog is obviously, I Live in a Box.com, and it is named so for a reason; I am a 24 year old, single, male isolated in the middle of central Illinois (the United States’ Midwest) with no one around for a few miles. I spend too much time by myself, and even more so, too much time with my family (who are also afflicted from being isolated in the middle of nowhere). Day and night, I spend my time trying to figure out how to get myself out of this situation; essentially, being boon docked in the middle of nowhere (the closest town, with a population of “400” is more than 5 miles away).

Thankfully, the Internet has been my salvation from insanity and homicide (lol), so I have caught onto the blogging-trend. As is the rest of the world, I am trying to monetize my blogs in order to supplement my (lack of) income. Truly, I hope you, my readership, will understand and bear with me on this. Occasionally, there will be a blog post endorsing a company / website / product, but for the most part this blog will remain true to it’s purpose:  Helping others to understand what “freedom” truly means, the significance of freedom for you and I, and so much more… But, yeah, we all have to pay our bills, so I hope you all understand.

Nonetheless, I am have an infuriating day… I was simply staying to myself, trying to launch a new website (Web Development Videos), and avoiding the normal “family drama”, yet they could not help but pull me into it. First, they asked me for my opinion (which I opted not to give) and then called me an alcoholic because I was not on “their side”. What the fuck is wrong with American culture? I have been to far better places where people are not nearly as self-centered, judgmental, and one-sided… So, it truly amazes me when I come back “home” and have to deal with such (immature) behavior!

God, I miss the Nation of Hawai’i! Thus far, it is the most beautiful place I have visited… Due to it’s laid back nature, beautiful weather / landscapes, open and care-free people and, simply, it’s lack of American-media influence! God, how I miss home… ::sighs::

Well, all good things in due time, aye?

Everything happens for reason… Right?

Argh… I hate being frustrated… Let alone being pissed the fuck off…

You know, it would be easier to “love thy neighbor” if thy neighbor wasn’t related to you… Haha!

**Sorry, now, I’m just trying to humor myself before things get any worse; after all, Life really isn’t worth living if it’s not any fun…

I just wanted to check and see if this was going to update my Twitter account with the blog post information… So, sorry, please bear with me.

So, I was doing some research this afternoon and found out how to integrate Windows Live Writer with my WordPress and Joomla blogs! This is my first go to check it out and see how well it really does work, and later I’ll try adding some photos, videos and other kinds of media to see how it handles them. But, yeah, so far so good…

If you would like to be able to blog from your desktop, I recommend you look into WordPress and Live Writer; if you are looking to design, or already manage an existing website, I would suggest you look into utilizing Joomla! with Live Writer… This truly is a time saver, especially when you maintain multiple sites!

Well, this is going to help me blog more often and provide you all with even better content, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do…

Peace and Blessings unto All,

~ Dro Buddy

For my fellow travelers, vagabonds and anyone else who may be interested, a friend of mine recommended a real good guide on buying luggage.  It covers everything from proper stitching to finding the ideal luggage type for you… It didn’t help me determine which luggage would best suit my needs, but it did help clarify some other interesting things; such as, domestic carry-on policies and it has several useful links to help you find quality bags.

It is well worth checking out as it really is a quick read! Oh, and the best part is, their store front is similar to Froogle, except it’s not filled with spam, eBay ads and other nuisance material that you would otherwise have to sift through… Which, to me this was a huge plus! It helped me find my new Swiss Army duffel bag for less than $80 after shipping, so I’m happy with it.

IntoOutdoorsdotcom asked:

What would hurt mexican drug cartels more? Would it be putting a ban on assault rifles or legalizing marijuana?

MEXICO CITY – The Mexican army has captured 25 gunmen in northern Mexico who witnesses say disguised themselves as soldiers.

The men were captured at a ranch in the state of Chihuahua, across from Texas, after the army received a complaint, the Defense Department said in a statement Sunday. Soldiers also seized 29 automatic rifles during the Thursday raid in Nicolas Bravo.

Mexico has deployed 45,000 soldiers nationwide to crush Mexico’s drug cartels but corruption among police and other government officials has hindered the crackdown.

In Cancun, soldiers arrested the local leader of the Gulf drug cartel, the army said Sunday. It said Juan Manuel Jurado Zarzoza was arrested Friday and that he was in charge of drug sales, extortion and kidnappings in Cancun.

The department said Friday it had turned over to federal prosecutors 10 midlevel military officers accused of passing information to reputed drug cartel leader Joaquin Guzman.

Also Sunday, authorities in the western state of Michoacan said three federal agents were killed in two separate attacks along a highway.

The agents were on patrol along the Morelia-Salamanca highway late Saturday when gunmen opened fire, the state’s prosecutors office said in a statement.

A witness told police the gunmen were traveling in two SUVs. Investigators recovered more then 500 shell casings from the two crime scenes.

Mexico’s drug violence has claimed more than 10,800 lives since 2006, when President Felipe Calderon launched his anti-drug campaign.
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10,000+ people have lost their lives due to erroneous* “drug policies” since President Calderon has taken office… And, that’s only in Mexico! How many people on both sides of the borders have lost their lives..?

Ahem… rampant kidnappings in Arizona, as just one example…

* I say these drug policies are erroneous because they are based upon 70+ years of corporate lies and government propaganda which has lead us to believe that all illicit drugs are so bad that even under the most strict government control, they are still a detriment to our society. And, to top it off, we are not allowed to second guess them, because their “fact finders” are government fact finders and so their research is better than yours, or Harvard’s, for that matter. However, killing thousands of people, spraying crops, poisoning our environment, lying to our Society about otherwise proven health effects, and the worst of all… Imprisoning mothers, fathers, sisters, daughters, brothers, sons, aunts, uncles and even grandma and grandpa because they choose to exercise their own Will? That is too much for any sensible society to tolerate. Prohibition of Alcohol failed in the United States because it is beyond the Government’s right, and control, to tell you what you can and cannot do with your own body as long as you do not pose “a threat to the Public Safety”. Look it up.

So, Just Say No… To Corporate Lies, Government Propaganda, Media Propaganda and all other bullshit which cannot withstand the tests of Time… Or, better yet, your own research.

Peace,

- Ras Dro

America’s criminal justice system is broken.

How broken? The numbers are stark:

• The United States has 5% of the world’s population, yet possesses 25% of the world’s prison population;

• More than 2.38 million Americans are now in prison, and another 5 million remain on probation or parole. That amounts to 1 in every 31 adults in the United States is in prison, in jail, or on supervised release;

• Incarcerated drug offenders have soared 1200% since 1980, up from 41,000 to 500,000 in 2008; and

• 60% of offenders are arrested for non-violent offensives–many driven by mental illness or drug addiction.

Numbers only tell part of the story.

While heavily focused on non-violent offenders, law enforcement has been distracted from pursuing the approximately one million gang members and drug cartels besieging our cities, often engaging in unprecedented levels of violence. Gangs in some areas commit 80% of the crimes and are heavily involved in drug distribution and other violent activities. This disturbing trend affects every community in the United States.

Ex-offenders are also confronted with a lack of meaningful re-entry programs. With the high volume of people who are coming out of prisons, it is in the self-interest of every American that national leadership design programs that provide former offenders a true pathway towards a productive future.

An examination is required as to what happens inside our prisons. Our correctional officers deserve better support in dealing with violent criminals under their supervision. It is also imperative that we facilitate a safe environment for all inmates, and examine ways to better prepare them for their release back into civil society. The de-humanizing environment of jails and prisons compounds these challenges.

Without question, it is in the national interest that we bring violent offenders and career criminals to justice. The purpose of this legislation is not to let dangerous or incorrigible people go free. Rather, it is to determine how best to structure our criminal justice system so that it is fair, appropriate and–above all–effective.

No American neighborhood is completely safe from the intersection of all of these problems.

Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009. This legislation, which I originally introduced in March, creates a Presidential level blue-ribbon commission charged with conducting an 18-month, top-to-bottom review of our nation’s entire criminal justice system, ultimately providing the Congress with specific, concrete recommendations for reform.

The committee hearing can be seen via webcast live today at 3:00pm.

The goal of this legislation is nothing less than a complete restructuring of the criminal justice system in the United States. Only an outside commission, properly structured and charged, can bring us complete findings necessary to do so.

Fixing our system will require us to reexamine who goes to prison, for how long and how we address the long-term consequences of their incarceration. Our failure to address these problems cuts against the notion that we are a society founded on fundamental fairness.

Today’s hearing “Exploring the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009,” chaired by cosponsor and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, Senator Arlen Specter and ranking Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, also a sponsor, provides a platform for Judiciary Committee members to hear witness testimony from a wide spectrum of political ideologies and backgrounds including my own statement, about the need to make this commission a reality.

The National Criminal Justice Commission Act has already garnered wide support from across the political and philosophical spectrum, including 29 sponsors in the Senate, among them many senior members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. My staff and I have engaged with more than 100 organizations and associations, representing the entire gamut of prosecutors, judges, defense lawyers, former offenders, advocacy groups, think tanks, victims rights organizations, academics, prisoners, and law enforcement on the street. This engagement is ongoing, and support continues to grow.

My goal, shared by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, is to pass this legislation soon and to enact it into law this year. Obviously we appreciate any measure of support and assistance in this difficult undertaking. For more information, please visit my website, www.webb.senate.gov.