Absinthe, Immigration, Etc.

1. Last week I ordered my first bottle of Absinthe. I have wanted to try it for the longest. For those that don't know, it is a liqour that is not legal to sell or buy in the U.S.. You have to order it on-line. [But it is not illegal to have it.] What separates it from regular liqour is an extract of wormwood called thujone. It supposedly has hallucinogenic effects.
It isn't cheap, so I hunkered down and did my research. This is a great site to work off of: http://www.feeverte.net/
I had done some looking around a while back and favorite-placed some of the more-popular sites (if you search Absinthe on google). That is where I started. The brands seemed legit, but had a slightly commercial appearance and often talked too much about the amount of thujone. ("This is a good deal for beginners. But if you are ready for the big-time thujone, this is the grandaddy. 100mg of thujone!") So I was skeptical and wondered if these were the corporate, mass-marketed-to-American-college-kids brands (these are largely Czech brands and referred to as garbage by the rest of the Absinthe producers).

Alas, my skepticism turned out to be correct. Naturally made Absinthe averages at 10mg thujone, and rarely tips out at about 35mg. The stuff that Expressionist artists went ga-ga over 100 years ago had around 10mg. So the 100mg, super-thujone brands actually add liquid wormwood extract that doesn't really do anything. And they apparently taste like Yoda ass. Also, Absinthe doesn't give you crazy visual hallucinations or anything. So the "Let's get f*cked up!" factor largely comes from the makers of the big brands so they can sell, sell, sell to the misinformed. You can thank me for this lesson. Anyways, I ended up getting a nicely-priced, well-reviewed French brand. Hopefully it gets here soon. I will let you know how it is. Green Fairy, here I come.

2. A thought on immigration... Those that want immigration reform tend to ally with Republicans, as they are the party of tough-talkin'. Talkin' tough!! (say it out loud, it's funny) "You Mexicans better stay out of my backyard!" However, the Republican party is the political arm of large corporations. Before you dump your pants, hear me out. It is fact that the Republican Party loosens employer labor laws and restrictions, making everything easier on the employer (a.k.a. - corporations). On the other hand, the Democrats tend to pass the worker's-rights legislation including pesky details like hours-worked and minimum wage. Corporations throw their money at the Republicans. Why? Because they will do their best to ensure big business stays 'free-market and fat' (the title of my first album), not burdening them with rules that keep their employees healthy.
This is the reason that serious immigration reform will never happen. More corporations than you realize are affected by the trickle-down effect of illegal immigrants, whether at the top or bottom. They need illegal immigrants. They are so deep in cheap labor that quitting would be like a junkie kicking heroin. The withdrawal would be unbearable, so why would they kick it? When it feeeeels soooo goooo...d...uh....uhhhhaaaaahhhh (grabbing arm after a smooth injection of immigrant dookey rocks)
So why would Republicans stab their billion dollar campaign paycheck in the back? They won't. At least not with a knife, maybe a pin. Maybe money to finish the 'almighty wall' that will still be penetrated. It is an election issue used to get you to vote their side.

3. I want to live in Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater...

4. I lacerated my finger a few days ago. Cut-with-a-sharp-knife lacerated. Not put-my-hand-in-a-blender lacerated. I just ate some delicious 'Flamin' Hot' Cheetos. My cut is now dyed bright red, down into the flesh. If you cut yourself all over your body and rubbed your wounds in Cheetos, you could look like a red tiger. Or maybe even Chester himself? Don't get excited, you have to cut yourself all over first.