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Work 4 Peace,Hold All Life Sacred,Eliminate Violence! I am on my mobile version of the door-to-door, going town-to-town holding readings/gatherings/discussions of my book "But What Can I Do?" This is my often neglected blog mostly about my travels since 9/11 as I engage in dialogue and actions. It is steaming with my opinions, insights, analyses toward that end of holding all life sacred, dismantling the empire and eliminating violence while creating the society we want ALL to thrive in

Monday, December 12, 2011

No veggie oil in New Mexico - tears...

So Dean calls me back. He has arrived at his plant full of 100,000 gallons of unprocessed veggie oil. He has tested the oil, that he is really preparing for distilling into biodiesel but will sell to me if it's good.

He tells me there are 1500 parts or percentage or something of water in the oil, which is not good for an engine. I've already had enough truck challenges so I appreciate his testing the oil and being honest with me.

Back to the drawing board. My contact, Will, in Scottsdale is trying to get 100 gallons of centrifuged veggie oil for me! YEAH!!! So I only have to worry about another 350 miles maybe, until I get there.

Occupy Las Cruces

I find the Occupy Las Cruces! Right in front of the library and to the side of City Hall, just as the woman from the co-op has said.

When I get here, I see about 5 tents set up on a broad, thick grassy lawn with a couple of trees, between the parking lot and the road - so there is great visibility of the site from the busy streets that border two sides of the Occupy.

About 5 people, 4 males and one woman, are hanging around talking. I introduce myself, let everyone know I am coming from Occupy D.C. going from occupy-to-occupy, offering workshops, and Anndrea quickly grabs me and asks me if I'll give them a workshop on how to build their Occupy.

Apparently the white male who was bottom-lining the physical site for 2 months has just stormed off in a huff, quitting on the spot. Earlier, he had given a 2 week notice, but tonite he abruptly left.

I want to do a workshop on Racism Awareness, especially because of the proximity to Juarez, and on DRONES, especially given the proximity to the UAV testing site.

But I am asked to help them with the organizing of their Occupy, now that Sasha has stormed away.

I agree and think I can do kind of a "pitfalls and successes" workshop. So I will stay until tomorrow evening.

I also meet a fellow Jason who is an environmentalist. He is helping me find veggie oil, I hope! We call several restaurants but are told they already have contracts with companies to pick up their oil. I'm wary of getting restaurant oil along the road anyway, because I only have a filter that removes particles, not water.

One day I hope I have the funds for a centrifuge so I can eliminate the water from the oil immediately. At home, or if I'm stationary for a few weeks, I can let the oil sit and the water will sink to the bottom.

Jason has given me the number of a biodiesel manufacturer in Anthony, on the state line of Texas & New Mexico, and I am waiting for him to call me back after he checks the water content of his oil. YEAH! Workshop and veggie oil! I'm in heaven! Altho I do need to get home!

Animals? Humans?

I find the food coop quite by accident, coming into Las Cruces by a different route than Barbara has suggested.

The spiffy white male with the glistening shaved head behind the counter, helpfully goes on line to figure out where the Occupy Las Cruces is. In the mean time, a womon gently bouncing a beautiful little baby, maybe 6 months old, on her hip tells me she knows exactly where it is.

She gives me great directions, much to the other guy's surprise. He then points out the window to my truck and tells me I should add "animals" to the sign on my truck.

It hurts me some human beings are so much more compassionate when it comes to animals then other humans. I smile wanly, wanting to tell him to paint his own goddamn vehicle, but merely indicate I'm done painting.

He insists I should add "animals" as didn't I know that many, many more animals are killed each year than people? As I look at him, most likely not hiding my distaste and shock, he insists that is true: 9 million he claims, and this is so much more than human deaths.

I tell him I am not into ranking suffering and that my first priority and commitment is to ending wars against people. I am thinking is he counting mice and rats? Species?

He continues to attempt to get me to paint animals on my truck. I ask him if he knows that a baby dies of starvation ever 6 seconds in our world? He shrugs, as I see him trying to do the math - can he divide 9 million by one year times how many seconds divided by 6?

Again I urge him not to rank suffering. He REALLY wants me to paint animals on my truck. It is almost like the fight over wanting to claim all the oppression for my 'category' of victim.

He doesn't really care about all those baby humans because he's too busy caring about all those baby animals. I'm pissed. I say I guess it must be because his baby is not in danger of being killed. He tells me all animals are someones baby.

I ask him if he thinks the murder of his baby has the same impact on him as on the father of a murdered baby rat? He blinks his eyes rapidly and I notice his eyelids are also hairless although he does have eyebrows.

I take my leave, to his disgusted men-hate-loosing stare. The woman with the baby smiles & waves.

Occupy El Paso

I decide to return to Sprouts, the supermarket that has taken over Wild Oats in El Paso. As I drive into El Paso, there are tons of billboards aimed at capturing the military business, including sweeping discounts for military members, special deals, added incentives to buy, join, partake in capitalism.

And of course, thanking them for their "service"... to corporate greed. My addition of course!

And the usual, the recruiting military billboards spouting honor, glory and all that stirring-up-the-boys crap.

The military hype is over the top here. I peer south through the scummy fog, trying to look over the stark mountains separating El Paso from Ciudad Juarez, right across the border. I am told 15 womyn every day are murdered now - a holocaust that started before this recent attack on Mexico under the guise of "war on drugs".

When I return to my truck with a few organic sweet potatoes and miso that I have been craving, two older, very dykish-looking white women are standing near by, taking pictures and smiling broadly at me.

Barbara and Helena, both in their 70's, live in Columbus, New Mexico - right across the state line and close to the Mexican border. We talk, about ending wars including the war against Mexico, their home town, the UAV training base down the road from Las Cruces, and the Occupy movement.

Barbara is a former costumer for the theater department at the University of New Mexico. She has lived and worked mostly in Wyoming and New Mexico and recalls warmly her time with the womyn's movement during the 70's.

Barbara tells me there is an Occupy Las Cruces - yeah!!!! although she can't remember where they are at. She calls her friend Annie, who is not at home, but gives me her number. It is still an hours drive to Las Cruces.

I get good directions to the food coop there, whom my new friends are sure will know exactly where the occupy is. Barbara gives me $20, all the cash she has, to support my work! YEAH!!!

Off to Occupy Las Cruces!