Land of Oz

Homeland Security?

Reuters had this to say today:
Each year, more than 1 million undocumented migrants try to slip across the rivers and deserts on the 2,000-mile (3,200-km) U.S.-Mexico border in search of work in the United States.

Agents in the sector caught 122,600 illegal migrants in fiscal year 2005, which ended September 30, up from 104,000 in 2004, according to Doug Mosier, a spokesman for the El Paso sector border patrol.

OK - now for the past four years or so, we've been worried about nail files, Zippo lighters and dirty socks on airplanes. Car inspections and colonoscopies at the legitimate borders. Reams of paperwork wrapped in miles of red tape for legitimate immigrants and we're missing roughly 900,000 folks walking across the Mexican border alone. That means that something like 90% of the folks that try to cross our southern border - do. I wonder if any of them were carrying pocket knives, lighters or RPG-7s as they meandered over the border. Mexico even publishes pamphlets of instructions to make sure they do it right.

Of course, this isn't in vain. As a reward for this illegal behavior, Bush proposes to give them driver's licenses and access to the health care that legal immigrants and citizens are paying for. How many of these illegals do you think are filing 1040 forms and paying federal, state and local taxes? How many do you think are donating to churches, care organizations and hospitals to pay for the burden they put on those facilities.

There are legal alternatives to sneaking over the border. The USofA does have a legal immigration process. It's a pain in the ass and takes time, but it is there. I know this from experience. I can even understand the need for a lot of red tape and hassle involved. There are real cases of mail order brides/domestic slavery that need to be protected against. There are drug dealers, murderers, and other criminals that the immigration process weeds out. There are the mislead immigrants who are given false stories and charged many thousands of dollars thinking it's easy to sneak in. These need to be weeded out by an immigration process.

I have very little pity for those who sneak in. Am I supposed to believe that they really think simply paying $50,000 will get them a legitimate citizenship? Are they not supposed to know that crawling across a desert in the middle of the night isn't right? Yes, I feel sorry for the conditions they are leaving, but they should try changing those conditions. Not only should I think about them when they illegally arrive here, but they should also think about those they leave behind in conditions unchanged and unimproved.

Separated at Birth?

You don't suppose... nah, couldn't be.

Wasted Laws

Anyone who knows me, knows me as a pretty law abiding guy. You won't find me smuggling cigarettes into Michigan or using the company fax for my Ponzi scheme. However, I find there are so many stupid laws that don't work now, haven't worked in the past, and I very much doubt they'll work in the future. There are activities that people have done since the beginning of history and will continue to do until the end of history.

Instead of trying the impossible task of enforcing the prohibition of these activities - no matter how much sense they might make - they should be allowed and controlled instead. Prohibitions of desired activities will never work. Probably one of the greatest examples of this was the USofA's disastrous experiment with alcohol prohibition in the 1920s. Al Capone said, "I am like any other man. All I do is supply a demand." And there will always be someone to take his place. Why work in Macdonalds for $6 an hour when you can make thou$ands a week dealing drugs? Why be a seamstress at $8 an hour when you can rent your body for $500 a night?

Those are just some of the laws that seem to be ill advised. People aren't going to quit doing things just because the government says to. What got this rant started was a news article about a poker club crackdown in New York. Does anyone really think that will make the smallest dent in gambling for longer than it takes to buy new cards and chips? Why not take all the money, time and effort expending in this bust and apply it to murders, muggings and rapes? Now those are crimes worth fighting.

The so-called Drug War is a farce. For every kilo (why are drugs always in metric weight even in the USofA?) of narcotics that is confiscated, I'd imagine a few hundred make it to the streets without trouble. For every hooker tossed in jail, another one will take her/his place. For every law-abiding citizen who has to forgo the ownership of a finely crafted firearm, some hood on the street will get some piece of crap for $100. For every skin-flick that isn't sold by Wal-Mart, some guy in a back room on a side street will be happy to sell it to you for $40.

Give it up. Educate, not confiscate. Let people know why street drugs are bad and offer them a safer alternative. If nothing else think of the tax revenue that can be made from the vices. I'm sure that for every dollar $pent on making sure a hooker is disease-free, the government could make $5 in taxes. Don't legislate the tool - the firearm isn't doing any harm on its own. Legislate the owner. If a gun is used in a crime - no matter what the result - put that person in jail - for a long time. I don't care if you go into a bank and say, "give me the money, I have a gun in my pocket" and all you have is a strong attraction to the teller - you're going to jail. Let's get real. As long as there's a strong desire, no kind of law will stop that desire.

Things are Improving?

This week, as of yesterday, there've been 16 more of our GIs ranging from Private to Major killed in Iraq and one more in Afghanistan (Afghanistan is sorta like the Cambodia of the Vietnam war these days - you don't hear much about it, but people keep dying there). I just read there's been more than 90 Iraqis killed today in bombings - but they don't really count do they?

Over one-hundred-seventy Iraqi prisoners were found starving in the lower bowels of an Iraqi government building this week. According to some many were tortured - according to a senior Iraqi official, there were only a very few mistreated - and you can't really call it torture. It's not like they died or anything.

Bush wants to keep his options for torturing prisoners in other countries while at the same time saying the Iraqis shouldn't torture their prisoners. Who do those Iraqis think they are - Americans? Do you suppose if the Iraqi government shipped their prisoners over here to the USofA the president wouldn't mind those prisoners being tortured? Oh, that right, they did and we do and we call it Gitmo.

It was 24 degrees (Fahrenheit - we don't put up with that foreign metric crap) last night and my natural gas bill should be going up 60%. It's nice to know that our presence in the Middle East is helping the gas companies so much. Oh yeah, it is, they made about $30 billion last quarter (not year) while raising the price of gasoline nearly $60. This wouldn't be a trend or anything would it?

Sigh...

Ga$ Up - Ga$ Down

As you've all probably noticed the gas prices you pay at the pumps has gone down. While some deluded few may think this comes from the good intentions of the oil companies (who made bunches of billion$ in profit last quarter), I think it's more likely because gasoline demand has gone down. Most people tend to stay closer to home in the winter months and don't need the gas. Of course with a lesser demand in gasoline, the price will probably go down. It's also probably why I've been inundated with cable/sat television offers this month - sitting at home watching TV is much more likely than going out into the snow and cold and watching the lake freeze.

However, if you need heat in the winter, those gas prices are going up - way up. So any money you may have saved on gasoline in your car will be going for gas in your house. I've heard of 40-60% increases in the cost of gas and fuel oil) for the winter. Golly that's as if $2 a gallon gas suddenly cost $3 a gallon - who'd a thought?

And as much as I think billions of dollars in profit (not gross, but PROFIT) borders on the obscene, it is a market. They have a product that people need and will pay for. It sucks that the government is helping them make even more money (tax cuts! - really!!) but then the oil companies can afford to pay the government people to do their bidding. I mean if you're making white barfinkles and I need one, I'm going to pay what you ask for it. I'd like to think that you were nice enough to only make a reasonable profit and sell for a fair price - unfortunately I don't think that of oil and the government - as if there's a difference.

Hip-hop's bad Rap

Mariah Wins at Violence-Free Vibe Awards BY SOLVEJ SCHOU, Associated Press Writer
Sun Nov 13,10:49 AM ET

CULVER CITY, Calif. - Mariah Carey walked away with four honors at the Vibe Awards, a celebration of hip-hop and R&B that went smoothly after last year's ceremony was marred by a brawl and stabbing.

First let me say that I haven't and don't listen to rap/hip-hop. Excepting of course when certain cars drive by my house and rattle the windows. However, I have read a few of the lyrics and do read the news. Now, granted, most news is going to be slanted to bring up the worst in a subject, but now really -- when the headline for a music awards program has to qualify it with "violence-free," isn't that saying something is wrong?

When's the last time you heard of the country music awards being "violence-free" or the Miss America pageant being "violence-free." I mean, that's usually a given. Can you imagine Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise getting into a brawl at the Academy Awards?

Let's face it, hip-hop has a problem and it isn't lack of melodies. Why wonder why kids are shooting each other in high school and at the prom when the music they listen to promotes that very thing? Yes, the music when I was a kid promoted sex and drugs. But smoking some grass with your girlfriend is a far cry from shooting your neighbor over his wheels. And not say we didn't have some violence in our music. A sad affair with Hell's Angels providing security and murder to a concert rapidly comes to mind - but those were exceptions - we didn't have "Monterey Pop (violence-free)," we just had mellow music and clouds of purple cannabis haze.

Spacewalk

"The spacewalk by space station crewmembers was the first in 2 1/2 years from the U.S. airlock and under NASA's direction. The airlock and a pair of U.S. spacesuits were contaminated by rust and other materials from a corroded device in the airlock's cooling system."

Are we a superpower or what? We're supposed to be going to Mars and we can't do a space walk because of rust! Rust of all things. How the hell can you let a space station get rusty?? It's not like there's a lot of rain or spray from ocean waves. And I don't think it's from spreading out salt so idiots in their Monte Carlos can drive 80 mph on the highways in February.

I knew things sucked for us manned space-wise. The Russians are taking tourists up there at $20 million a clip and the Chinese are getting ready to open a takeout place on the moon. And what are we doing? Postponing space walks because of rust! I can see it now. In 2017 we'll be bogged down in some rat's nest of a country killing terrorists and begging the Chinese to bring back a chunk of green cheese from the moon for us to look at. Pitiful.

Huh?

Loss of hearing is an interesting handicap. There's nothing there to signal to others that there's a problem. I have hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in my ears). Tinnitus means that 24/7 there's a hiss that I hear. Sometimes it's loud and very noticeable, and other times it's not so loud and fades into the background.

People get pissed off at those who can't hear a lot. If I'm not looking at you, there's a pretty good chance, that I won't understand what you just said, and there's a fair chance I won't even notice. I have people who get upset with me all the time because they think I'm ignoring them - I'm not, I just don't hear them. When the background noise is high, it's even worse. Most of the time, I really have no idea what a waiter or waitress is saying to me. They come up to the table and say mumble, mumble, mumble and I'll say yes or no depending on what I think they want. But I really don't know what they want. I have to look at you and really concentrate to understand what you say.

I think my hearing problem also, paradoxically, makes me more sensitive to noise as well. If there is some stereo or music in the background it drives me crazy. I think what happens, is that while I can hear very low-level sound, I can't pick any content out of it. So while the stereo from two doors down is very irritating - I can't tell what you're saying to me while we're standing next to each other.

So before you get all pissed off at someone you think is ignoring you, give some thought to the fact that they just may not hear you. They aren't trying to get you mad at them, by making you repeat something - it's just that they can't hear you. If you're a gentle speaker, you're going to have problems. We just can't hear you. And if you talk to the back of my head - I probably have no idea that you're trying to tell me something.

So don't get pissed, just realize there are those who can't hear as well as you. We aren't missing limbs, we don't have a white ear-horn and don't have a handicapped sticker on our car - we just can't hear.

2fers: American Tinnitus Organization and American Academy of Otolaryngology

What's Wrong With This Equation?

"Exxon Mobil Corp., ConocoPhillips and Royal Dutch Shell Plc's American unit -- which together earned more than $21 billion in quarterly profits"

"Natural gas heating costs in the Midwest are forecast to soar by 61 percent this winter, while the Northeast will see heating oil expenditures rise 30 percent from last year."

(Reuters News)

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BTW, on the last post the blogger.com spell checker flagged "carjacking" as being misspelled. It's suggestion - "churchgoing!"

Sad

From the recent Golden Joystick Awards in London:

Hero of 2005 - Carl Johnson (CJ) from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Villain of 2005 - Officer Tenpenny from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

First let me say, that other than online reviews and articles I haven't played GTA, and most likely never will. That's not so much against GTA specifically, just about RPG based computer games in general. Be that as it may, I see a problem looming here. OK - maybe it's just that I'm old and gray and crochety. And it may have something to do with an escalating gang war here in my home town.

It has nothing to do with the recent "sex scandal" involving GTA. In fact, I find it pretty ironic, that while shooting cops and carjacking folks has been taken in stride - with minimal yelling and screaming - the fact of having a boob show up (OK, a blow job too from what I've heard) has brought the federal government into the picture.

I'm sorry, but if I have to choose between gangbangers shooting it out in the streets near my home or having Janet Jackson flash me, I'm going to take Janet Jackson every time. Come on people, get your priorities straight. Yes, there are crooked cops - and crooked politicians and crooked gas station owners and crooked doctors - that's part of life. However, the vast and overwhelming majority of all those folks are people who care and try to help. Really - if you're broken down on the side of the road, would you rather see a low-riding Chevy with hiphop blaring from the speakers and bandana wearing kids in it, or a black and white police cruiser. (and yes, that was just a stereotyped description).

What Happened?

We are supposed to be the last superpower - or even the first hyperpower country. The land of the free and the home of the brave. Look at what has been happening in the last few years.

We're supposed to be going to Mars. While many may not see the advantage of sending folks into space, they should make note of one big fact. Right now the only people going into space are Russians and Chinese. At least if we ever get back to the moon, we'll be able to order take-out. How on earth are we going to get to Mars, when we have to ask the Russians (they lost to us didn't they?) to send a glass of water to our astronauts in the space station.

We've got a higher percentage of folks in prisons than any other country in the world. And if that's not enough we have prisoners in Guantanamo Bay and other places were they aren't even considered human. Did you read the explanation of torture put together by our government? Basically if it doesn't kill them, it's not torture. As long as there's not enough pain to kill, it's OK. And yes, "they" do treat their prisoners much more horribly than we do which is completely besides the point. Our whole point is that we are not "them."

We are fighting to bring peace to the Middle East. Iran has just threatened Israel with being wiped off the map - literally. Is this the kind of peace and security our presence in Iraq is bringing? We haven't brought peace to Iraq, we've turned it into a graduate school for terrorists. Remember Osama? Wanted dead or alive a couple years ago - well, it seems he's still alive and still running around. Granted not with the freedom to travel he once had, but he's not behind bars either. Oh, and by the way, have you heard about the bombs lately in Thailand, India, Malaysia, Israel, and Iraq to mention just a few.

Yep - we're doing pretty good all right.