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The drive to Big Bend from Dallas is fairly flat until you reach the foothills around Austin.  At that point there are pleasant rolling hills for mile and miles.  Getting closer to Big Bend, as you turn southwest after Austin, the land begins to open up into endless pastures and distant mesas.  It’s quite beautiful.  There are numerous classic Tx ranches in these spaces with mostly cattle.  There are also a large number of people with herds of goats.  Goats seem pretty popular down there.  And there is a speckling of lamas and ostriches.  I hear ostriches are worth a lot of money.  On top of the large mesas far out in the distance are endless rows of looming wind mills.  They are enormous.  They are a force to be reckoned with even for the mesas themselves, who must feel at least a little jealous over their size and prominence.  This landscape goes on for hours until about 2 hours from Big Bend, where the rolling hills and mesas begin to multiply in size.  Mile after mile the land rises up around you.  Just outside outside of the park, you reach a border patrol check point where everyone must stop, at east when leaving the park.  I didn’t reach this point until about 2 in the morning on the way their and did not even realize their was a check point.  So apparently, you don’t get stopped driving in to the park.  Patrol guards question you and then let you through.  I had no issues passing through the check point.  It was a smooth seamless process.  Once reaching the park, their is still about an hour or more drive through the park to get to a campground.

The landscape is gorgeous in Big Bend.  Their are sizable peaks, towering mesas, and vast valleys.  It’s a scene straight from or at least very similar to Arizona or Utah.  The land is barren, dry, and apparently lifeless, except for the short shrubs and bushes that blanket the ground with a spotty distribution.  The temperature was very pleasant, in the 80′s and 90′s during the day and 60′s and 70′s at night.  The pleasant temps were due to the high altitude, but they do get very hot during may and june.  As soon as you come down from these altitudes surround the park, the temps shoot up and become oppressive.  The high park is a bit of an oasis from the hot sun, which makes hiking and exploring very comfortable.

Accommodations at the park are mainly for campers.  There is one lodge but it’s pricey, about $120 a night.  Campgrounds for tents are only $14 a night, and the views from Chios Basin camp ground are unparalleled.  Waking up to see your camp surrounded 360˚ by the Chios mountains is breathtaking.  These peaks surpass 7000 feet and provide some astounding scenic views, if you can hike to them.  The south rim of the Chios mountains has perhaps the best views in the park, overlooking a vast valley, the Rio Grande river, and other mountain ranges and mesas that extend into Mexico.  The park has many other great sites as well, like Santa Elena Canyon and endless back country mesas and mountains available for exploration.

The park is pretty much in the middle of no where.  There are a couple very small towns on it’s edges, but they are all at least 45 minutes or more away, and there is not much to them.  Maybe a couple places to eat and a gift shop.  And this is on the American side.  On the Mexican side, there are fewer towns and they are less developed.  Border crossings at these towns is highly restricted now, whereas it was more lenient in the past and visitors could cross with relative ease.

Mother nature is most brutal along this stretch of border.  When you stand at the Rio Grande River, which is the only visible sign marking the border, can imagine very easily the treachery of being exposed in this land scape for any extended period of time.  Without proper supplies, you would die after a couple days out here.  There are no safety net cities to flee to for basic needs.  The law of nature rules here with an iron fist.  Even with the proper supplies, you would not last very long.  You can only carry so much, and it wouldn’t be enough to trek the many miles from a small town in Mexico to one on the US side.

Crossing the border in Big Bend is the easy part.  I explored the border on the Rio Grande at a point called Hot Springs.  Tourists venture to this locale to soak in a natural hot spring that remains about 105˚.  Click on this map and check it out.  It’s a fairly remote area, with only Rio Grande Village nearby to the east, which is literally a small village with a handful of shacks on the Mexican side and some dusty campground sites on the US.  Outside of this, there is nothing for as far as you can see.  Not an ideal place to chart an illegal border crossing to.

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The whole spot feels very shady.  In the Hot Springs parking lot, there are signs warning about vehicle break-ins and theft.  Then as you trek the short hike to the Rio Grande river, there are abandoned stone buildings and shacks.  along the hike signs warn tourists not to buy souvenirs from illegals, showing pictures of trinkets you may see down at the river.  The signs site the federal fines and prison time for such actions.  Once you reach the river, sure enough, there are several spots where someone has left some trinkets for sale and a jar to put your money in.  One visitor, who had visited the park his whole life, explained there were a few dwellings across the river and the kids tried to sell their hand-made crafts here.  I was just amazed anyone could live out here.  They must have been from Rio Grande Village to the east.  It is only a moderate hike from the village to the Hot Spring area.

The Rio Grande is actually quite docile when water levels are normal or low.  I waded into the river to cool down while exploring.  The water is warm and murky with desert sand.  The bottom is sandy with rocks and the depth relatively shallow.  I ventured quite a ways out into the river and it never seemed to go past my waist.  The current is pretty strong, but not dangerously so.  There were several other people wading, but they left after a short time.  There seemed to be a correlation between me showing up and stripping to my speedo and their departing.  I bet they thought I was European.  Once they were gone, it was just me and my traveling companion, who was also in horror over the speedo.

There were no apparent eyes watching or surveillance of any kind.  The Barnum & Bailey Circus could have crossed and no one would ever have known.  The only thing protecting the border from illegal crossings was tyrannical mother nature who’s either an enemy or an ally depending on which side your on.  The border stretches on for hundreds of miles like this in Texas.  There is just no way anyone could hike to the border, cross, and then hike to a town to recuperate before migrating further inland to a major city.  The human body could not surmount such obstacles.  Exposure to the elements is the very reason there are so many border crossing deaths, sadly, in Arizona.  It’s that fierce down here on the southern border.  Life and limb hang in the balance for anyone attempting such a feet on foot, no pun intended.  Mother nature serves as the ultimate first line of defense for foreigners crossing over illegally.  Texas’ southern border is even more remote then Arizona’s however.  So the rate of illegal border crossings is much lower in this area of TX.

Hiking to the south rim of the Chios Mountains gives you even more perspective on what lies ahead for anyone trying to cross into the US illegally from Mexico.  The south rim stands at an elevation over 6000 feet and boasts a 2500 foot drop to the desert floor.  The view spans out over the southern US/Mexico border.  The hike to get to the rim is about 6 miles, one way, and 4500 vertical feet.  And if you live at sea level like I do, you definitely feel this altitude and breath a little more heavily.  Standing at the rim is awe inspiring.  The view is spectacular.  The land stretches out before you for hundreds of miles with not a single sign of life or development.  Just mountains, desert, mesas, and shrubs.  Staring at the border from this perspective makes it more clear that no one would have a chance in hell of hiking from some distant city through this barren landscape to cross the border into the US.  It is just not possible.  Even an expert in survival would likely not make the journey.  Mother nature, while beautiful and epic here, is deadly and cruel.  The easy border crossing here is not worth the peril of reaching it.

While much of our border is desolate like in southern Texas, much of the border is not, like in Arizona and california.  Mother nature is not enough to head off illegal border crossings here.  Though many die from the elements here attempting to cross, Mother nature is just not perilous enough to ward off or deter the most desperate.  Mother nature needs some aide in these areas.  Like a multiple layered border fence, which was begun but stopped.  A more streamlined process for becoming a citizen may help, as currently, it takes years and thousands of dollars.  The temporary worker card system seemed to be beneficial for keeping track of those that were willing to go through a formal process to work in the US.  An increased military or guard presence is needed, which is partially underway.  The systems in place need to be more efficient and the border needs to present more of a deterrence.  Our border must be a force to be reckoned with in vulnerable areas, just like Mother nature has been along so much of the border.

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This desperate grab for the minority votes is self evident in Obama’s directing the DOJ to drop the Black Panther case, which was already settled but for one last formality that was already certain, and his aggressive attack of Arizona, filing suit against them. This is boldness turned to corruption and ill-fatedness. It boggles the logical mind these tactics. Obama has shown his cards, and they say Chicago gangster scare tactics. He’s brought a new level of thugdom to the white house.

The events that will really seal this apparent and obvious role of Obama and his administration is if these cases fall in his favor. If the black panther case is permanently dropped and left to fade away, and Obama wins his suit against Arizona, it will be a complete and total failure of democracy with regard to these incidents. Thug politics and fear of the highest order will abound in Washington even more than it does now. What the hell is this country coming to when the president directs the DOJ to force states to stop protecting themselves only to offer absolutely no alternative or replacement for the protection? What the hell is this country coming to when voters can be blatantly intimidated at the voting pole doors and the dam president directs the DOJ to just drop it, when it is in the bag, and allow aggressive voting pole intimidation, harassment, and threats by men holding weapons? If I could relay a scream through this post, I would insert it here! I mean, holy shit Obama, what the hell kind of country are you running here? Why don’t you just have the military start taking over the country and impose your personal agenda on the people against their will officially, instead of doing it like no one sees, when everyone does in fact! it’s right in our faces every frickin day!

It is time for men like Christie and Jindal to step up nationally and start leading in the manner of an actual leader, not a bully child trying to force his own way. We need a Reagan desperately at this moment in history to get the country, government, and economy back in line. Since Bushes major departing and mistrust of the free market with the first bale out and even his liberal spending before, we’ve been heading in the wrong direction. Leaders wanted!

I’m definitely more conservative in my views and beliefs. But there are times when I try to wrap my head around politics and politicians without thinking in terms of conservative, liberal, or progressive. One such thought is, what do politicians really get out of pushing their agendas, policies, and politics on a personal level? Do they really receive some kind of personal profit from such actions? Does the president make money himself some how by pushing climate reform for example? Or does he take hold of some kind of personal power and persuasion over the country and people that enable him to benefit from that power on a personal level, apart from maybe an ego boost?

I think this is an important question to ask, because the answer has profound implications. I’m not saying I will or can answer this, but you know what I mean. If there is no personal benefit to pushing certain agendas and such, then it would lead me to conclude that politicians do what they do because they really think it is the best thing for the country and people in it. But if they do it for real personal gain, then its all pretty much what it looks like and their is little surprise. I would love to be surprised to discover that most politicians push their agendas because they think it truly is best for the country and people. That’s the sad part really though isn’t it? That we mostly think politicians push certain agendas for personal gain of some kind.

In the end, the answer likely lies somewhere in the middle, as answers usually do. There are probably some who do receive some kind of personal gain and those that are actually more concerned with doing good for the country and people, turning down personal gain on grounds of principle and national pride.

One figure that comes to mind when I think of whether politicians get some kind of personal gain from pushing their agendas is Al Gore. I think he is a prime example of one who exploits his political position for personal gain, both financial and influential (or power). He is by far one of the slimiest SOB’s out there, well, one of the slimiest out there that is dumb enough to make his efforts and evil agenda so obvious and visible. Al Gore has positioned himself to make millions and millions of dollars off of his “green” push. He is SO bold though in doing stupid shit completely contrary to his “green” preaching, sermons, and documentaries. Like his latest hypocritical move, buying that 9 million dollar home, on the dam OCEAN. The same one he warned everyone else not to buy land on because the rising climate would cause it to be completely covered by the ocean as ocean levels rise. Al Gore is just the tip of the iceberg though. His agenda is mild and child like compared to some of the darker more insidious figures in Washington.

Perhaps some of the worst offenders are those that push an agenda that is really bad for the country and people, but they actually and truly think it is the best. Like those that think gas prices need to go to $10 a gallon to force a “green” economy and permanent shift to electric, wind, and other power sources. Or those that push an agenda that leads American toward socialism, thinking that a socialist government and country if superior to our capitalistic democracy. These people are totally whacked and need to spend a year in an actual socialist country. They would shit themselves and cry for capitalism like a bunch of little scared girls.

What do you think? are our politicians and Washington in it for personal gain? Or are they in it for noble and principled reasons and motives? I sure hope more for the later.

Comic Dove will be rolling out some of the finest and funniest political comics in the weeks and months to come here on Noisy Dove.com   Please Enjoy the first of many savvy comics, and pass it on!

Its so dam obvious that the nation is fed up with the government, yet the dems and progressives continue to behave as though everything is as normal and carry on with the status quo. And the republicans continue to act like a bunch of spineless candy-asses. If ever there were few good choices among the available options, now is certainly the pinnacle of that dilemma. We need some big-balled, shameless, unapologetic, and uncompromising real people like Christie to take on these flagrant progressive’s who think they can rule the majority with their fear and scare tactics. Christie has done a great job taking on the unions and other progressive and liberal institutions that are bankrupting and destroying the country. If we had a bunch of Christies in Washington, we’d actually get things done and call out ignorance, incompetence, and waste.

We’ve got to get things rolling in the opposite direction with the elections in November. If we don’t, it will be terrifying to see what further destruction the dems do to the nation. They are already throwing out every liberal agenda and passing them like a sieve. They know the shit stick is coming and are desperately doing all they can before it slaps them in the ass right out of office. November just can’t come quick enough.

Despite the poppycock going on in government, there is a some amazing news! Noisy Dove is welcoming a new member to the team, Comic Dove! You have to stop by tomorrow and see Comic Dove’s first comic post. You’re going to love it for sure! Get ready to laugh your ass off!

Seriously, think about it, the dems would have never seen this guy coming, ever. No one knows him, he has no history, at least that anyone had time to dig up. There was either no reason to worry about him because of his obscurity or simply not knowing he existed. Either way, this was a HUGE oversight by the dems. They let this no name who’s also an apparent or alleged pervert walk in and take a huge and significant election with absolutely no contest. This is exactly like when people open credit cards in their dog’s, or even worse, their gerbils name. The dems ostensively let the “gerbil”, or in this case, horny rabbit, take the race without checking him out or even bothering to wonder why a fury rodent was on the ballot. No one should ever question or entertain the idea that the government knows best, lol. What a joke.

The other possibility, which I must say I rather hope to be shown to be true at some point in the near future, is that this was an issue with the physical elements of the electoral process. You know, like hanging chads, electoral computer programs problems, and the like. Why would this be preferable? Well, if the dems are dumb and dull enough to get their asses handed to them by horny-show-me-some-porn-rabbit Green, then I am even more afraid for our country than before. With the dems still in control, the only hope is they are not actually this stupid and incompetent. So I think I would welcome this scenario, which is not atypical or uncommon, and would explain a lot, taking the mystery out of it all and shinning light on the situation.

The only thing worse than either of the aforementioned possible explanations of this Green fellow winning this primary is that he won because an overwhelming number of voters, 59%, just picked the first name on the list or used some other arbitrary process to come to their voting decision. If this is what happened, holy shit, we’re screwed. The last great hope we have for change, making things right, and maintaining our freedom is the people. Even when politicians and the government start to go wayward, their is always the check and balance of the voting public. When this last and final safeguard fails, the whole ship sinks. If this wanker Green won because people just voted for the first name on the list, then they will get what they paid for. When you buy cheap crap made in China or Taiwan and it falls apart after a couple days of use, you have only yourself to blame.

I guess the best possible explanation for all this is that Green is secretly a genius, masterminding his advance to the presidency in 2012.