Today I am posting an e-mail comment that I received from a reader of my website who lives in Mexico. Here it is:
“I loved your website! Even I didn't know you had that many articles published, or that much knowledge! It's very informative and interesting! I'm so glad you finally got it running. I was just wondering... You have so much writing and Mexico history experience, why don't you come down here and associate yourself with some journalism organization or a magazine or something? I think you should be here in Mexico because that is what the heart of your writing is about, but I think you need to be here writing or with some organization. You see what I'm saying? I really enjoyed your blog also! The 11:11 thing is kind of freaky. I have noticed it more often ever since your book came out. And the link you have for the wanna-be president Lopez Obrador--we're all hoping he doesn't become the next president because he is a pretty shady character. Have you been following all the legal happenings with him? I'll keep checking back at your website for all the new additions!”
Thank you for your kind words, questions and comments. This is the kind of participation I look forward to. This is one way we can encourage dialogue and discourse.
Lee Cuesta
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Thursday, May 12, 2005
More thoughts from Albuquerque
Be sure to visit my website, www.leecuesta.com for the (almost) complete report concerning my time in Albuquerque, at the University of New Mexico, with Dr. Charles Truxillo, and the students from ECDN. In fact, there are links to the ECDN’s website from my website (go to the Portal). I just wrote “almost” complete report, because only by reading my blog, which you are now doing, will you receive the elements that I decided to delete from my official report.
What stood out the most: Reflecting upon my conversation with Dr. Truxillo, I think a statement that stood out the most, was that he said he wanted to retire in Querétaro, a Mexican city (and state) in the central part of the country. This, in spite of his work to promote La República del Norte; despite the recent web-publication of his paper, “The Inevitability of a Mexicano Nation in the American Southwest and Northern Mexico.” If La República del Norte is going to be such a wonderful place, then why doesn’t he want to stay and live in it? I even checked the 2080 map of La República del Norte at the ECDN website, since the northern Mexico states will be included. I thought that he might be able to retire in Querétaro, and still reside in La República del Norte. But no. According to this map, Querétaro will remain in Mexico. (I just realized the answer to my question. Truxillo doesn’t expect to still be alive by the year 2080. So, since he won’t be alive to see the realization of La República del Norte, then he might as well retire in Querétaro.)
Before our meeting, I went to the UNM Bookstore because I had intended to buy Truxillo’s book that was published in 2001. The title is “By the Sword and the Cross: The Historical Evolution of the Catholic World Monarchy in Spain and the New World, 1492-1825.” I found it in the textbook section. But I was literally taken aback to discover that Truxillo’s book costs approximately $90.oo at the university bookstore. At Amazon.com, the price of his book is $85.oo, although there are six used ones starting at $76.88. And his book has only 136 pages! Unbelievable! Some people have said that my book was too expensive – 380 pages, trade paperback, for $19.95. But after seeing Truxillo’s book, I think that my book is a real bargain! Needless to say, I haven’t been able to purchase Truxillo’s book yet.
Dr. Truxillo said he believes that Catholicism is important in society as an institution; by this he was implying that it is an absolutely stable element in society, a foundational element; it has always been there and always will be. He compared this with the relatively recent uprise of evangelical churches in Hispanic and Latin American communities: when converts lose their first burst, he said, the experience is gone. (And then they have nothing left, he implied, because they’ve gone away from the Catholic church.) However, he stated that the influence of the evangelical church is beneficial because it “keeps machismo under control” re: drinking and womanizing. He also said that most Chicanos are simply secular – i.e., religion is simply absent from their lives.
After our meeting, it was raining in Albuquerque, with some sunshine, and there was a brilliant, complete rainbow; all the colors, glowing, from one edge of the city to the other; it was stunning – so brilliant, in fact, that people on the sidewalks were stopping to look at it, in spite of the rain. And it forced me to wonder what kind of harbinger this was – either for me personally, or for La República Del Norte.
What stood out the most: Reflecting upon my conversation with Dr. Truxillo, I think a statement that stood out the most, was that he said he wanted to retire in Querétaro, a Mexican city (and state) in the central part of the country. This, in spite of his work to promote La República del Norte; despite the recent web-publication of his paper, “The Inevitability of a Mexicano Nation in the American Southwest and Northern Mexico.” If La República del Norte is going to be such a wonderful place, then why doesn’t he want to stay and live in it? I even checked the 2080 map of La República del Norte at the ECDN website, since the northern Mexico states will be included. I thought that he might be able to retire in Querétaro, and still reside in La República del Norte. But no. According to this map, Querétaro will remain in Mexico. (I just realized the answer to my question. Truxillo doesn’t expect to still be alive by the year 2080. So, since he won’t be alive to see the realization of La República del Norte, then he might as well retire in Querétaro.)
Before our meeting, I went to the UNM Bookstore because I had intended to buy Truxillo’s book that was published in 2001. The title is “By the Sword and the Cross: The Historical Evolution of the Catholic World Monarchy in Spain and the New World, 1492-1825.” I found it in the textbook section. But I was literally taken aback to discover that Truxillo’s book costs approximately $90.oo at the university bookstore. At Amazon.com, the price of his book is $85.oo, although there are six used ones starting at $76.88. And his book has only 136 pages! Unbelievable! Some people have said that my book was too expensive – 380 pages, trade paperback, for $19.95. But after seeing Truxillo’s book, I think that my book is a real bargain! Needless to say, I haven’t been able to purchase Truxillo’s book yet.
Dr. Truxillo said he believes that Catholicism is important in society as an institution; by this he was implying that it is an absolutely stable element in society, a foundational element; it has always been there and always will be. He compared this with the relatively recent uprise of evangelical churches in Hispanic and Latin American communities: when converts lose their first burst, he said, the experience is gone. (And then they have nothing left, he implied, because they’ve gone away from the Catholic church.) However, he stated that the influence of the evangelical church is beneficial because it “keeps machismo under control” re: drinking and womanizing. He also said that most Chicanos are simply secular – i.e., religion is simply absent from their lives.
After our meeting, it was raining in Albuquerque, with some sunshine, and there was a brilliant, complete rainbow; all the colors, glowing, from one edge of the city to the other; it was stunning – so brilliant, in fact, that people on the sidewalks were stopping to look at it, in spite of the rain. And it forced me to wonder what kind of harbinger this was – either for me personally, or for La República Del Norte.
Monday, May 9, 2005
Two links contain insights concerning Mexico
Here’s a link to a great editorial in The Gazette:
http://www.gazette.com/display.php?id=1307495&secid=13
I am refering to only the first editorial in that section, which is entitled “Freedom under fire: Mexican journalists deserve combat pay.” It illustrates very well one of the themes of my book – “elements that render neighboring cultures so incompatible.” And here’s another link that reveals the current frontrunner to become Mexico’s next president:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/05/09/mexico.mayor.ap/index.html
I want this blog to be two things: a place that is an accurate and up-to-date resource concerning Mexican (and Norteño) culture, and an opportunity for dialogue. Please comment on any of the blog entries that I post. I value your participation.
http://www.gazette.com/display.php?id=1307495&secid=13
I am refering to only the first editorial in that section, which is entitled “Freedom under fire: Mexican journalists deserve combat pay.” It illustrates very well one of the themes of my book – “elements that render neighboring cultures so incompatible.” And here’s another link that reveals the current frontrunner to become Mexico’s next president:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/05/09/mexico.mayor.ap/index.html
I want this blog to be two things: a place that is an accurate and up-to-date resource concerning Mexican (and Norteño) culture, and an opportunity for dialogue. Please comment on any of the blog entries that I post. I value your participation.
Thursday, May 5, 2005
My website launched today, Cinco de Mayo
Today is Cinco de Mayo, 2005, which is 5/5/05. And this is the day that my website officially launched. This is its first full day of operation. My website is leecuesta.com. Here's the direct link:
http://www.leecuesta.com
Thanks to Mediaframe for all their help in getting everything posted, and for the great way that it looks and functions! So I just wanted to document the fact that today just happens to be the first day, 5/5/05, which was not intentional. And that forces me to contemplate the numerical significance (5/5/05), just like the title of my book, Once:Once (or 11:11).
http://www.leecuesta.com
Thanks to Mediaframe for all their help in getting everything posted, and for the great way that it looks and functions! So I just wanted to document the fact that today just happens to be the first day, 5/5/05, which was not intentional. And that forces me to contemplate the numerical significance (5/5/05), just like the title of my book, Once:Once (or 11:11).
Wednesday, May 4, 2005
11:11 experiences
I want you to share with me and my blog your “11:11 experiences” – how frequently and in what circumstances you involuntarily observe 11:11 on a digital clock or watch. Is it on the microwave oven? Is it on the computer at work? Or do you “just happen” to glance at your watch, and the time says “11:11”? What is your experience, and what does it mean to you? Why is this significant? Please vote on the poll at my website – leecuesta.com – how frequently you involuntarily observe 11:11 on a digital clock or watch. Feel free to post your comments here. Is there an impending 11:11 convergence? Be sure to read Appendix IV in my book, Once: Once, which means “11:11” in Spanish. Published four years ago, in 2001, my book, Once:Once (pronounced “OWN-say, OWN-say”), describes a convergence, both historical and mystical, which eleven:eleven signifies. In Appendix IV of my book, I wrote: “The 11:11 phenomenon includes several dimensions …yet they involve varying degrees of spirituality and mysticism. The most visible of these is the subconscious prompting to witness the flash of ’11:11’ on a digital clock or wristwatch. …So universal is this experience, in fact, that one leader organized an ’11:11 event’ in 1992. At 11:11 a.m., 11:11 p.m. and 11:11 Greenwich Mean Time on January 11, many thousands of participants across the globe, dressed only in white, presented dances that the leader had designed as an attempt to induce ‘those on high’ to open a mystical doorway, which will permit humans to step into the ‘next dimension of consciousness.’ …For many, 11:11 on a digital clock represents the only moment in time that looks the same in a mirror. For others, it signifies the moment at which there is perfect alignment, which the parallel lines of 11:11 indicate.”
Elsewhere, one psychic concurs: “All over the world, people are noting the 11.11 phenomenon. They see it on their watches, clocks, microwave ovens and computers. The 11.11 enigma is meaningful, they know, but there are dozens of theories about it.” He says that “for many years (he) has learned from and worked with his very own ‘group of Celestials,’” and that “11.11 is their worldwide ‘trademark,’ ‘call sign,’ or ‘courtesy reminder call.’”
For this reason (due to its mystical, spiritual and visionary elements), my book, Once:Once, has a five-star review at a website called spiritdimension.com.
Has your phone ever rung precisely at 11:11? Who was calling?
Some say that to pray precisely within the moment of 11:11 is to experience an entirely open channel to the Cosmic Awareness.
Elsewhere, one psychic concurs: “All over the world, people are noting the 11.11 phenomenon. They see it on their watches, clocks, microwave ovens and computers. The 11.11 enigma is meaningful, they know, but there are dozens of theories about it.” He says that “for many years (he) has learned from and worked with his very own ‘group of Celestials,’” and that “11.11 is their worldwide ‘trademark,’ ‘call sign,’ or ‘courtesy reminder call.’”
For this reason (due to its mystical, spiritual and visionary elements), my book, Once:Once, has a five-star review at a website called spiritdimension.com.
Has your phone ever rung precisely at 11:11? Who was calling?
Some say that to pray precisely within the moment of 11:11 is to experience an entirely open channel to the Cosmic Awareness.
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About Me
- Lee Cuesta
- LEE CUESTA, a journalist who worked in Mexico City, has written about the complexities in Chiapas for a decade, acquiring firsthand experience in both Tuxtla Gutiérrez and San Cristóbal de Las Casas. As a fully bilingual writer, the author has been published in periodicals such as Northwest, Eternity, World Pulse, Indian Life, Interlit, Prisma, El Faro and Apuntes Pastorales. The articles receive international response. In addition, Cuesta is the author of the novel entitled Once: Once, about religious intolerance and an independence movement in Chiapas, along with a conspiracy to recapture territory that once belonged to Mexico. In it, he combines the skills of a storyteller and investigative reporter to penetrate the historical, social and spiritual dimensions of this convincing tale. It provides a rare and stunning glimpse into the elements that render neighboring cultures so incompatible.