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42% would conditionally support Bush's impeachment
In the FWIW Department, Zogby's latest poll shows that 42% of those asked would support the impeachment of president Bush "if it is found that President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq". If you added his stance on immigration and U.S. sovereignty into the mix, that would probably get over 50%.
Posted to Politics at 02:57 PM | Comments (0)
Guess who's blogging at the Huffington Post?
There are so very many angles with which to approach this, but let's try this one. Which of these do you think has a post at the HP?
1. Dr. Phil
2. John Edward (the spiritualist, not the VP candidate)
3. Deepak Chopra
4. the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
If you care, click here for the answer. Note the advice about 10pm, then note the post time. (OK, time zones might be involved, but let's not let that spoil yet another chance to make fun of HP).
On the other hand, at least the poster is not as objectionable as Paul Krassner or Tom Hayden.
Here's an idea for Arianna: an HP cruise! It would be like those National Review cruises, except it would be for everyone who's posted or who will post at HP. And, instead of hum-drum locations like the Caribbean, Arianna could pilot the cruise into the South China Sea. Arrr, me liberals!
Posted to Bloggage at 02:47 PM | Comments (0)
Look! It's Insty, and he's talking about immigration!
Once every month or two, America's favorite blogger turns his attention to the most critical issue facing this nation. This time around he links to a Mickey Kaus blurb about Bush's "Amnesty" Magnet, which discusses the story we posted here two days ago about the Border Patrol survey showing 45% of illegal crossers came because of Bush's "temporary" worker plan.
Insty has this to say:
This won't play well among the Republicans who are angry at Bush over immigration, and there are a lot of those. Kaus also draws a parallel between welfare reform and immigration reform that seems apt to me.
Kaus (for the most part) understands these issues, but he could do more. For instance, he calls a quote from the National Immigration Forum "idiotic", but, unlike me, he didn't provide a link to more information on that fine organization.
However, to Insty matters involving immigration, sovereignty, and similar are more like a minor annoyance in his libertarian worldview and his support for the Bush administration. He'd much rather discuss important issues like Rathergate. Here's a hint: every American should be angry with Bush and our other leaders about these issues, not just a segment of Republicans.
Posted to Bloggage at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)
New Americans welcomed to Iowa, Arkansas
The U.S. Department of Labor has recently given $850,000 grants to at least two states to establish "immigrant centers".From this:
[The office of AR Gov. Mike Huckabee] was informed of the grant by U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao... The centers will provide job placement assistance, translation assistance, resettlement assistance and legal assistance for immigrants, according to the release... "With our growing immigrant population, we're delighted to receive this grant," the governor said. "These immigrants are adding much to the culture and the economy of Arkansas. We want to do everything we can to make the transition easy for them."And, from this:
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced an $850,000 demonstration grant to Iowa Workforce Development to establish three New Iowans Centers to help immigrants transition into their new communities and the workforce... "One of the biggest and most immediate hurdles that many immigrants face when they arrive in our country is not being able to speak English... The centers will provide assistance with language and occupational training, resettlement, community service referrals and job placement with local area employers who are seeking skilled workers.Open borders advocates have made it difficult to tell exactly what types of "immigrants" we're dealing with here. There's a good chance these are not those in the process of naturalization, as English is a requirement. Could they be legal workers, or are these centers open to the "undocumented" as well?
About the only thing I've been able to find even approaching an answer are the 2001 minutes here, and they're inconclusive:
A presentation on the New Iowan Centers was recently made to the legislative Appropriations Committee. Two New Iowan pilot projects were established in Muscatine and Sioux City last September with $160,0000 to provide employment-based services to employers and new Iowans. Jane stated a question had been raised on whether IWD is providing free legal services to undocumented /illegal aliens. The answer is that no tax dollars are being used in this manner. IWD is not providing free legal services. Staff are referring individuals who request the service to the appropriate noon-profit organization.However, perhaps we can find a clue to at least the spirit of those involved by looking at Our Leader's efforts in this area.
As for Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, see "Vilsack regrets English only bill". I really don't think I've ever seen a politician pander so cravenly. I mean, this is Abject Pandering:
"I brought my staff into the office and said, 'I'm not going to sign this legislation because I don't think it's right,"' Vilsack said to applause. "They said, 'Governor, you're facing re-election and 80 percent of the public thinks this is a good idea. It's a terrible symbol but we think you should sign it."'As for Arkansas' Huckabee, let's hear what a Mexican consul had to say:
"I said, 'Well maybe I should just simply not run for office,"' Vilsack said.
"I was seriously willing not to run again because I thought it was so bad," Vilsack said in an interview. "It's one of those difficult situations that governors find themselves in - when you've got a split Legislature and they try to create political difficulty for you."
In weighing his options, Vilsack said he called officials with the National Council of La Raza ["National Council of the Race" -- LW], a Hispanic civil rights group which had honored him in 2001 for creating New Iowans Centers as a way of welcoming new immigrants.
"I said, 'This is the choice I have. I'm willing to send the award back and I'm willing not to run for office.' And I was committed to doing it...
"I'm here today to apologize personally and for the people of my state," Vilsack said. "It is a bad law. If I had a Democratic legislature, I would get rid of that law."
"[I came to Arkansas to] continue the negotiations with the state and city authorities for making sure that we are going to inaugurate a Mexican consulate in the coming year in Little Rock... Governor Huckabee was a large part of this... He went to Mexico City and met with President Fox and proposed this... [when you get your MC we] don't care if you are documented or undocumented... I like Arkansas... It is so green. It's so clean, nice, with very warm, open people, and many friends of Mexico."See also:
"Arkansas: discounted college for illegal aliens blocked"
"AR Gov. Mike Huckabee goes on the attack"
"Efforts against illegals broaden" (in Arkansas)
"[AR Gov.] Huckabee plan would give aid to illegal aliens"
Whether the centers are for legal workers or not, American citizens deserve much better than those two.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 05:48 AM | Comments (4)
Dubya's Dep't of Propaganda
The report "USDA plants its own news" is from June 16, but better late than never. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has produced three dozen TV and radio "new reports" supporting CAFTA. The reports feature various Bush administration officials extolling that anti-American plan. At the end of each report the fact that it's a government production is given, but many stations have been omitting that part to make it look they were produced by the stations themselves. While it's certainly a neat dodge to blame the stations, our government really shouldn't be doing things like this.
Is there an Impeach Bush petition that isn't run by Ramsey Clark, ANSWER, democrats.com, DU, etc. etc.? Is Professor Francis Boyle of www.impeach-bush-now.org more or less a non-loony?
Posted to Politics at 07:39 PM | Comments (0)
AVWatch: Why are foreign leaders coming to Villaraigosa's inauguration?
According to the L.A. Times ("Inauguration Is the Place for Politicians to Be Seen") and the L.A. Daily News ("Who's who list set for inauguration") here's a partial guest list for the inauguration of Los Angeles mayor and former MEChA leader Antonio Villaraigosa:
Al Gore former V.P.
Carlos de Icaza Mexican ambassador to the United States
Michael Bloomberg mayor of NYC
Fernando Ferrer candidate for mayor of NYC
Arnold Schwarzenegger CA Gov.
George Deukmejian former CA Gov.
Jerry Brown former CA Gov.
Pete Wilson former CA Gov.
Gray Davis former CA Gov.
Lazaro Cardenas Batel governor of Michoacan (MX)
Francisco Ramirez Acuna governor of Jalisco (MX)
Eugenio Elorduy Walther governor of Baja California (MX)
Carlos Rivas Zamora Mayor of San Salvador, El Salvador
"Several [other] officials from El Salvador also plan to attend... including... members of the national congress..."
Gavin Newsom San Francisco Mayor
Willie Brown former S.F. mayor
S.F. city attorney
S.F. district attorney.
Shirley Franklin mayor of Atlanta
Anthony Williams mayor of Washington, D.C.
Fabian Nunez CA Assembly Speaker
Cruz Bustamante CA Lt. Gov.
Bill Lockyer CA Atty. Gen.
Phil Angelides CA Treasurer
Don Perata CA Senate President Pro Tem
Barbara Boxer (D-Outer Space)
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco)
Warren Christopher former Secretary of State
Richard Riordan former Los Angeles Mayor
There might be more.
So, why are foreign leaders attending the inauguration of a Los Angeles (CA, USA) mayor? Perhaps we should look to AV's past as well as more recent news like "AVWatch: Mexico to play important role in Villaraigosa's policies" for guidance in this matter.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 05:50 PM | Comments (0)
"CAFTA Should Be Rejected Just Like The EU Constitution"
Phyllis Schlafly:...Just as the French and Dutch were suspicious of the dangers lurking in the 485-page EU constitution, Americans are wary of the dangers hiding in the 92-page CAFTA legislation plus the 31 pages that purport to spell out the administrative actions the U.S. must take in compliance. No wonder CAFTA's supporters are bypassing our Constitution's requirement that treaties can be valid only if passed by two-thirds of our Senators.Unfortunately, now see "Senate panel narrowly endorses CAFTA":
The Senate Republican policy paper argues that CAFTA "will promote democratic governance." But there is nothing democratic about CAFTA's many pages of grants of vague authority to foreign tribunals on which foreign judges could force us to change our domestic laws to be "no more burdensome than necessary" on foreign trade.
We have had enough impertinent interference with our lives and economy from the international tribunals Congress has already locked us into, such as the WTO (World Trade Organization) and NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Americans don't want decisions from another anti-American tribunal any more than the French and Dutch wanted their lives micro-managed by Belgian bureaucrats...
The Finance Committee, which approved the agreement by a voice vote, sent the bill to the full Senate for approval either this week or after the Independence Day recess. Passage in the Senate, traditionally more sympathetic to trade agreements, could give the measure some momentum in the House, where there is stiffer opposition.Also see "AP: U.S. Blocked Release of CAFTA Reports":
The Labor Department worked for more than a year to maintain secrecy for studies that were critical of working conditions in Central America, the region the Bush administration wants in a new trade pact.
Posted to NAU at 01:15 PM | Comments (3)
Yet another picture of someone with a giant fish
Because no one can get enough of things like this:
Tim Pruitt, of Alton, Ill., holds a 124-pound blue catfish that he hooked on the Mississippi River near Alton. The fish is 58 inches long and 44 inches around. It took Pruitt more than a half-hour to drag the fish into his boat. It is the largest of its kind in state history, and is expected to be certified a world record by the International Game Fish Association.
Previously: "More pictures of people with giant fish".
UPDATE: See also the new site Fishosaur.com for more giant fish pictures.
Posted to WackyHumor at 11:18 AM | Comments (1)
Massive crack opens in ground; Texans stunned, confused
All across the Texas panhandle, Texans have been asking themselves, "what caused a giant crack to open in the ground in Claude?" The tiny hamlet is located east of Amarillo.
The finest scientific minds have so far been unable to answer that question. Amarillo Globe News reports that the crack is hundreds of yards long and up to 50' deep. Was it caused by recent rains? Or, could it be a "joint" in the Earth's surface? Or, is it the result of an earthquake fault? Note that that Claude crack is just miles from the much larger trench Palo Duro Canyon.
Through my telekinesis Sputnik mind control ray, I've determined that both Steve Quayle and Whitley Strieber will soon be considering the possibility that this could be the result of a space alien experiment gone horribly wrong.
Posted to Miscellania at 09:08 AM | Comments (0)
"A glowing illegal alien alert"
Terence P. Jeffrey takes a rather scathing look at the Bush administration's lie about caring about "homeland security":...because the Bush administration has not made a priority of securing our border and enforcing the immigration laws within the United States itself, it has also failed in at least one instance to secure a weapons-of-mass-destruction facility on our own soil...
The location was the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tenn...
Now count the presumed layers of homeland defense these illegal aliens defeated: First, they defeated the defenses we put at our borders to stop people from entering the country illegally or from entering with the intent to stay beyond the terms of their visa. Second, they defeated the defenses we put within the country itself to discover those who are living and working here illegally. Third, they defeated the defenses put in place by the Energy Department to stop unknown foreign nationals from working inside a nuclear weapons facility.
"Also, we learned that the Office of Counterintelligence was not aware of the presence of foreign construction workers at the Y-12 leased facility until notified by the Office of Inspector General during this inspection," reported Mr. Friedman. "Counterintelligence checks had not been performed for these individuals to that point..."
Posted to Immigration2005b at 06:42 AM | Comments (1)
Take the MIT Blogger Survey!
Because you believe in personally enforced diversity, even if it's not 100% accurate.
Posted to Bloggage at 05:39 AM | Comments (0)
Let's all just use Google News instead
Yahoo has "inked" an agreement with the Huffington Post under which HP content will appear in the Opinion section of Yahoo News. It will also occasionally appear in the Celebrity section.
If you go to news.yahoo.com you can see a link in the upper right corner to HP's new content page. Here's a screenshot of the hugely important content Yahoo considers to be worth your attention:
If that's not enough, read the sickening exchange between Arianna and a Yahoo rep. Have a bucket handy.
While I have problems with google's attempts to control just about everything online, I rarely use Yahoo News, and I'm going to scale that back even further in the future.
Posted to Politics at 09:22 PM | Comments (1)
How many illegal aliens is Bush responsible for?
Part of the answer can be found here. Judicial Watch used the FOIA to request a survey that the Border Patrol did of detained illegal aliens.The key findings from the survey:
1. President Bush's proposal lured greater numbers of illegal immigrants to violate the law. Approximately 45% of respondents crossed illegally based upon rumors of a Bush amnesty program.JW also obtained a memo entitled "White House Approved Talking Points":
2. Approximately 63% of the illegal aliens surveyed received Mexican government or media information supporting the notion of a Bush administration amnesty program.
3. When asked if they would seek amnesty if offered, 80% of apprehended illegal immigrants answered, "yes."
[It] instructs Border Patrol agents to withhold information about the negative impact of the president's proposal. "Do not talk about amnesty, increase in apprehensions, or give comparisons of past immigration reform proposals... Do not provide statistics on apprehension spikes or past amnesty data..."UPDATE: Additional reports in:
KRT/DMN: Administration accused of withholding information on immigration
CNS: Bush Encouraged Illegal Aliens, Congressman Says
AP: Lawmaker wants probe on immigrant survey
Human Events: Survey Analysis Indicates 'Guest Worker' Proposal Lured More Illegal Immigrants
Press-Enterprise: White House accused of hiding data
WaPo: Bush Proposal Prompted Surge in Illegal Immigrants
AZ Republic: Group rips Bush gag on border surveys
Posted to Immigration2005b at 06:25 PM | Comments (2)
Gil Cedillo's SB 60 passes Transportation Committee
Gil Cedillo's latest attempt to get ID into the hands of Mexican citizens who are in California illegally has passed the Transportation Committee. It now goes to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, and if it passes there it will be voted on in the Assembly. Passage there would send it to Arnold, who will most likely veto it.Details in the biased Copley News report "Immigrant license bill under Republican fire" from James P. Sweeney. However, for the real story see this first-hand account:
Ric Oberlink referred to SB976, implemented in 1993, and observed that Sen. Alquist and others in the legislature at that time recognized that California had a problem with illegal aliens and we should not be facilitating it with driver licenses. At the end of his testimony, Chairperson [Jenny Oropeza (D-Long Beach)] interrupted to clarify that Mr. Oberlink was referring to Sen. Al Alquist, and not the current Senator Elaine Alquist. Oropoza explained that she didn’t want the current Senator to take the "blame" for the 1993 law...Someone really needs to ask Cedillo which country he thinks he represents.
Assemblyman Simon Salinas, D-Salinas commented, "Superman was an illegal alien, and we made him a hero."
Dennis Mountjoy R-Monrovia asked Sen. Cedillo directly, "Is it your intent to issue driver’s licenses to those who are in this country illegally?" Cedillo never directly answered the question.
Yes
Oropeza, Chair
Chan
Karnette
Liu
Ridley-Thomas
Salinas
Torrico
No
Huff, VChair
Bogh
Horton
Mountjoy
Niello
Not Voting
Pavely
Posted to Immigration_dls at 01:44 PM | Comments (1)
Repeal the 22nd Amendment?
U.S. Rep. Howard Berman (D-Van Nuys,CA) is co-sponsoring legislation to repeal the 22nd Amendment so that presidents could serve as many terms as they could win. The sponsor is Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), and it's received the support of James Sensenbrenner (R-WI). Report in "Two-term limit under fire".
Note that even if this passes it wouldn't apply to Our Leader, just future members of the Bush family. In any case, this is a horrible idea, and will entrench even more our political elites.
Note that Howard Berman's immigration votes earn him an F grade long-term and an F- recently. Perhaps he should concentrate instead on more important constitutional matters like this: "Under bill, illegals wouldn't count toward political clout".
Posted to Politics at 01:33 PM | Comments (0)
Al-Jazeera won't be reporting on our porous southern border
Al-Jazeera had planned to shoot a special feature on our porous southern border. The reports, of course, would be shown in the Middle East and, of course, there's a major problem with illegal aliens from that region entering the U.S. The reports might have given even more people the wrong idea.
On the other hand, they would also have pointed out that our "homeland security president" is anything but that.
However, al-Jazeera has called off their report because Chris Simcox of the Minuteman Project not only refused to be interviewed, he contacted his reps and various others. Details in "Al-Jazeera kills Arizona border reports".
Posted to Immigration2005b at 12:40 PM | Comments (1)
Leland Yee's most important legislation ever
Pictured above are California's Assmblymn Leland Yee and Lonewacko heartthrob Paula Abdul. The former is sponsoring legislation for tougher hygiene standards at nail salons, apparently prompted by a year-long ordeal suffered by the even-more-foxy-than-before Abdul. In closing, super-sexy Paula remarked:
"I was publicly humiliated... That is why with an open heart and a selfless agenda, I implore you to pass this bill."
I only wish I were a California legislator so I could help make her wish come true.
Note that Leland Yee also proposed feng shui'ing the Capitol, so this is actually a step up for him. He was mentioned in "When is an Asian-Pacific Islander not an Asian-Pacific Islander?" but the main post about him is "Feng Shui, non-citizen voting, and invasive plant species?"
Drawing sight lines on the photo above is left as an exercise.
Posted to Celebrities at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)
Charlie Norwood on CATO's latest anti-American proposal
For future reference comes this statement from Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA):A CATO Institute-sponsored report intended to discredit efforts to secure the U.S. border has instead bolstered findings that immediate deployment of troops in support of the Border Patrol is the only means of stopping the current hordes of illegal immigrants invading U.S. territory.
CATO author Douglas Massey's report also contends Americans should abandon traditional national sovereignty as a sacrifice to libertarian principles of "free trade", including trafficking in cheap labor. Massey says the United States should "abandon its illusions" and "accept the reality, the necessity, of North American integration."
Norwood says Massey's study, while confirming the need for an immediate deployment of up to 50,000 troops on the border, should serve as a horrifying wakeup call for all Americans who love their country.
"Dr. Massey has pointed out with jarring candor the real agenda of the 'open borders' movement - the destruction of the United States as an independent nation," says Norwood. "We can fight and win this war right now without a shot being fired through a relatively minor deployment of state and federal forces, or we can let our children either surrender their nation, or be forced to fight a major civil war to defend our Constitution and liberties against globalism..."
Posted to NAU at 07:56 AM | Comments (4)
California Teachers Association to move for higher salaries
BREAKING... Through sources we've learned that the California Teachers Association is considering a very major move... The union is considering moving its headquarters - and recommending the relocation of tens of thousands of its members - to another country: Cuba!What initiated this shocking plan is the report "Cuba Raises Salaries of Teachers, Doctors":
Cuba increased the salaries of its teachers, doctors and nurses, highlighting the importance the nation's communist government puts on its health and education sectors.But, as the article goes on to state, everything is paid for, so the $12 a month average income goes a long, long way!
Workers in these fields will receive an average of 40 to 50 additional Cuban pesos a month, or the equivalent of about US$2 (euro1.7). The increase was to take affect July 1.
"It's very modest, and can be improved upon," President Fidel Castro said in a live televised address to announce the news Thursday...
Link via the DUmmies, the first two of whom chime in with, "Cuba becoming more humane and civilized toward its workers while the US does the opposite..." and "The day is soon approaching when Americans get on rafts to flee to Cuba seeking freedom and democracy."
Posted to WackyHumor at 06:45 AM | Comments (1)
Texas, Iowa, Indiana speed limits: now 10 to 20 MPH more than most can drive
According to this, Texas, Iowa, Indiana will be shortly raising their speed limits on some stretches of roadway:
Iowa: 70MPH
Indiana: 70MPH
Texas: 80MPH
In other news, most people can't safely drive more than 60MPH, if that. And, 80MPH translates into people doing 90MPH and some even pushing for the century mark. At that speed it's no longer roadkill, it's hamburger. And:
This new [Iowa] limit better reflects the actual speed of cars on rural highways which averages 69.8 MPH according to sensors embedded into the pavement.
My guess is they'll be saying that same thing when the sensors read 79.9 MPH.
In other, oddly enoughly related news, see "City may end speed limits in high crime areas". Yes, that picture is from the lovely city of Rio de Janeiro, which is dropping their speed limits in some parts of their fine city at night. The reason? So people can get the fsck out of the slums and avoid getting 'jacked.
Posted to WackyHumor at 05:28 AM | Comments (0)
Suffolk County's Steve Levy has a spine
Newsday's Bart Jones offers us an immigration story that isn't a PIIPP. It reports on yet another "marcha" for "immigrant's rights." In this case they were protesting the decision of Suffolk County's Steve Levy to finally evict residents from a clown house; see "Help Bart Jones of Long Island Newsday find the border!" for the backstory.Jones' latest is "A protest over evictions":
Waving signs and banging sticks on plastic buckets like drums, about 200 people, mainly undocumented Mexican immigrants, marched through Farmingville yesterday demanding the right not to be evicted without notice and thrown into the street.Well, Bart, obviously they don't. I mean, that really shouldn't be an issue, now should it? Most other politicians would be intimidated by a little march, but thankfully someone has a spine:
Some residents, however, questioned whether the immigrants have any rights without documentation to enter this country...
...Levy shot back yesterday, saying his campaign is supported by wide swaths of people fed up with overcrowded houses in Farmingville. "The 99 percent of the county that supports the closing of this hellhole need not worry," he said. "I will not back down to this 1 percent lunatic fringe. They evidently don't like me much because I am one of the few officials who are not intimidated by their politically correct histrionics."
Posted to Immigration2005b at 08:42 PM | Comments (1)
"America is ours... This used to be Mexico"
The Vail Daily newspaper offers up "Migrant brings his family to Colorado". It's truly a charming tale of someone who's been working illegally in the U.S. for 13 years, doing the field work that Americans won't do. Now, he's brought his whole family here: wife and four kids. They entered on tourist visas, but they're staying and three of the kids will be going to school. He's going to have to find an additional job to pay for their clothing and books. (He won't, of course, have to find ten or so additional jobs to pay for their schooling.) His illegal status has never been an impediment: he's always found enough documentation to get jobs.Oh, and it contains this absolutely wonderful bit:
[The illegal alien] said it doesn't bother him when people call for him and other illegal immigrants to return to Mexico.Just another one of George Bush's "kind-hearted people".
"It doesn't bother me because America is ours," said Dominguez in Spanish. "This used to be Mexico ... I don't feel bad at all."
Meanwhile, American citizens have little recourse against those - dare we call them - traitors who are hellbent on stocking this country with Mexican citizens who hold such views. In case you think the "migrant's" views are unique, see this: 58% of Mexicans AGREED with this question: "the territory of the United States' Southwest rightfully belongs to Mexico."
No doubt the corrupt apologists will now say that the "migrant's" children will not think the same as he does and they'll assimilate just fine. But, there's a good chance that will be wrong. Why needlessly take the risk? From a non-corrupt, American perspective, isn't it better to import people who don't think of our country as their homeland, or, even better, simply use machines whenever possible to do such jobs?
Posted to Immigration2005b at 08:13 PM | Comments (3)
Dude! Mad props to Rno Paul!
Dude! This Ron Paul guy from congress wants to make hemp farming legal! Send out a 420 to all your buds and buddettes, dude! It's called the H.R. 3037, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2005, and it would like make hemp farming like legal. Think of all the products that can be made, like natural clothing, and baskets, and stuff. Details in "Industrial Hemp Farming Act Introduced at Packed Capitol Hill Hemp Food Lunch; HR 3037 Would Give States the Right to Regulate Farming of Versatile Hemp Plant". Harshing my buzz, Common Dreams says "You can smoke a bushel of industrial hemp and not get high." Dude!
Posted to WarOnDrugs at 12:24 PM | Comments (1)
China, Unocal, and "protectionists"
The elites appear to be referring to those opposed to China's proposed hostile takeover of Unocal using the smear word "protectionists."
As an example, the WaPo column from Sebastian Mallady entitled "China's Latest 'Threat'" uses that word no less than 8 times in just 12 paragraphs:
...The Unocal bid brings China one step closer to stirring up the sort of full-blown protectionist fury that confronted Japan two decades ago. Critics were already anxious about China's global strength in low-end manufacturing, its allegedly manipulative currency policy and its piracy of U.S. intellectual property. Now they can also worry about China's acquisition of U.S. companies...
There's much more to be concerned about concerning China, as will be covered below. And, there are big differences between that country and Japan.
...The Japanese paid inflated prices for Hollywood studios and landmark New York buildings. The exiting American owners made off with a nice profit. The Japanese got burned...
So what? Is there any indication that China is bidding an inflated price? Even it's a little high, wouldn't the acquisition serve China's other goals?
You can see why this is not the dominant view in Congress. China is, after all, a communist dictatorship, and we shouldn't assume its intentions are friendly.
This is the only reference to the larger, not-completely-financial issue.
The same blindered viewpoint is presented in the LAT article "Greenspan Opposes Sanctions on China":
As the proposed Chinese purchase of Unocal Corp. fanned protectionist passions in Congress, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warned senators Thursday not to let their frustrations with China's economic policies breed reactions that would do the U.S. economy more harm than good... Schumer said his bill was not protectionist...
For those who are intelligent enough to see that the market is not the be all and end all, now see "Chinese dragon awakens":
China is building its military forces faster than U.S. intelligence and military analysts expected, prompting fears that Beijing will attack Taiwan in the next two years, according to Pentagon officials.U.S. defense and intelligence officials say all the signs point in one troubling direction: Beijing then will be forced to go to war with the United States, which has vowed to defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack...
Unfortunately, the China hawks appear to be Rumsfeld and other Neocons. But, at least it's good to know that there are some adults around.
See also the 2000 article "Is China in Control of the Panama Canal?" and search for "Hutchison Whampoa".
Posted to Politics at 09:24 PM | Comments (2)
"Immigration reform featured at hearing"
A blurb in the Seattle Press-Intelligencer informs us:A community forum on immigration reform will be held today from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Town Hall Seattle... U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels are expected to attend. There will be a short time for the public to comment following the morning hearing... The event is sponsored by more than 30 organizations and is free to the public.Sounds good! I'm all for immigration reform. However, based on other forums and on other factors, I got the feeling that something else was involved, and as it turns out I was right.
This page tells us:
Immigrants from across the state will testify before US Senator Patty Murray in the first hearing on immigration held in Washington State. The hearing features testimonies from individuals from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Beginning at noon, groups from across the state will participate in a series of workshops with those working to reform the immigration system. The closing plenary features a panel of interfaith leaders, as well as comments from US Congressman Jim McDermott. Sponsored by Hate Free Zone Washington, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and King County Labor Council, AFL-CIO.So, in other words, it's going to be about immigration "reform."
The hatefree press release is here:
[...code words for amnesty and massive chain immigration deleted...]Oh my, the euphemisms are running strong in that last sentence. You can see a list of their partners here. They tend to use the phrase "undocumented" a lot.
In addition to Hate Free Zone Washington, NW Immigrant Rights Project and King County Labor Council, the hearing and workshops are sponsored by a diverse group of over 30 immigrant rights, peace and justice, labor and community organizations.
The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project is mentioned here, and there's even a Beltway Sniper connection.
At the very likely risk of being called a hater, I'm going to call this forum a far-left attempt to confuse "reform" with "open the floodgates."
Posted to Immigration2005b at 11:50 AM | Comments (3)
I'm missing the Watermelon Thump?
Apparently my calendar program malfunctioned, because I just found out I'm missing this year's Luling Watermelon Thump. Luling, of course, is about 45 miles south of Austin, and 40,000 visitors come to the town with a population of just 5,000 in order to thump watermelons, eat same, spit same's seeds, meet carnies, and so forth.
Local resident Lee Wheelis holds the watermelon seed spitting record: over 1/5 the length of a football field. There's even a Howie Mandell connection.
No, really, I knew this thing existed, I did not find out about it when I ran across this site. And, yes, I'm literally itching to make a joke, but I'm trying to take the high road. Plus, I get another chance to use the word "carnies." (also used here and here).
Posted to WackyHumor at 07:37 AM | Comments (1)
Catholic workers for open borders
El Paso Times:The time for immigration reform has come, U.S. and Mexican Catholic workers assembled in El Paso said as the groundbreaking Binational Migration Conference opened Thursday...We already welcome almost a million strangers a year via legal immigration. I'm sure there's something in the Bible about defense against invasion. And, I'm sure there's something in there about personal responsibility and the requirements of governments to look after their own people rather than trying to take advantage of other countries.
"The simple truth is clear: We must welcome the stranger, for in his or her face we see Christ," [Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington, D.C.] said. "Sadly, the migration experience today, according to the bishops of both countries, is far from the Kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed."
If you have counter-arguments from the Bible, please leave them in the comments.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 11:03 AM | Comments (5)
Bush, Kissinger urge Congress to pass CAFTA
Thankfully a Reuters cameraman was on hand to prove that a CAFTA picture is worth a million words:
U.S. President George W. Bush (L) greets former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger following his remarks about the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in the Old Executive Building in Washington June 23, 2005. Supported by senior members of former administrations including Kissinger, Bush asked that congress ratify the CAFTA trade pact, which has languished in Congress since the president signed it in May 2004, to stimulate the growth of commerce between the U.S. and five nations in Central America along with the Dominican Republic. Photo by Jason Reed/Reuters
Full story in "Bush urges Congress to work together to pass CAFTA". See "What's good for CAT would be terrible for the U.S." for more, and see this site for much more.
Posted to Politics at 10:19 AM | Comments (1)
About that PBS "poll"
You might have heard about the recent poll that showed that just 35% of Republicans think PBS has a liberal bias.
A quick scan of the PDF of the poll reveals something a bit... interesting. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it look like:
* at least one of the questions has a very large "unsure" percentage, and
* they polled "consumers" of PBS and NPR. A "consumer" is someone who watches PBS at least once or twice a month.
In other words, they asked people who don't really know all that much about PBS what they think of PBS. While some of those taking part might watch more PBS than others, a good portion of their sample just aren't familiar enough with the subject to make a determination.
The better way would be to find regular viewers, or to show people several hours of programming.
Based on a fair amount of personal experience, the idea that people involved in public television or non-profits in general are not completely liberal is ludicrous. Yet, we're somehow to believe that people to whom virtually any conservative thought is anathema are able to produce programming that doesn't reflect their biases?
Hopefully someone else will look at this survey in more depth and help further discredit those who are pushing it (like MMFA).
Posted to Politics at 08:02 AM | Comments (1)
That isn't the "peace" movement I know
Harold Meyerson discusses the "peace" movement in the WaPo's "No One to Demonize". I'm only going to discuss this bit:
...Confronted with a choice between U.S. occupation and chaos, millions of Americans -- chiefly liberals and Democrats -- who'd been against the war decided to give occupation a chance...
Actually, they thought we were going to be spectacularly successful, and they decided to back away slowly. Of course, the Communists far-lefties continued their protests no matter what.
Posted to ThePeaceMovement at 05:56 AM | Comments (0)
Anyone want to help with a wacky prank?
Anyone in Los Angeles want to help me with a wacky prank? I want to do something like make all the lights at an intersection flash red. I also want to turn traffic signals around so they face the wrong way and mix up the audible signals for blind people. I have access to a cherry-picker truck, so we can turn signals around.
What's that you say? This is most likely highly illegal, and these aren't pranks or the actions of a trickster, these are highly dangerous sociopathic ideas?
Well, apparently not to the AP, since they described someone who's doing these things in Sunnyvale as a "prankster" and a "trickster" rather than more appropriate language. Details in "Calif. Prankster Changing Traffic Lights".
(Via this)
Posted to WackyHumor at 10:52 AM | Comments (0)
New York City blacks have a friend in Mayor Mike Bloomberg
Last year the NYT published "Nearly Half Of Black Men Found Jobless" (pay-only link here, possibly reprinted here). From the abstract:Community Service Society reports that only 51.8 percent of black men ages 16 to 64 held jobs in New York City in 2003; bases figure on Bureau of Labor Statistics data and focuses on employment-population ratio... [ratio for whites: 75.7%, Hispanics: 65.7%, black women: 57.1%...] researchers say racial gap may have worsened since 2000 because of welfare reform, gaps in job histories due to incarceration and competition with immigrants for low-skill jobs...Now, over to Mayor Mike's recent comments in "NYC mayor: Make immigrants legal":
Forget about temporary status for undocumented immigrants, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said - let them stay here permanently and legally...I don't know whether he's corrupt, pandering, or just an idiot, but based on his other actions I tend to favor the latter.
"Give them some kind of permanent green card," he said at a meeting organized by the Carib News, a Manhattan weekly newspaper serving the Caribbean-American community.
In an article in the paper's June 21 edition, Bloomberg is quoted as telling the gathering of community leaders he wouldn't go as far as granting citizenship, but he called for illegal immigrants to be granted immunity from deportation.
"We have a half a million people [undocumented immigrants] in the city and 12 million in the country. We are not going to deport them; they are being exploited," he was quoted as saying. "Let's get serious and let's do something about it."
..."Give people documentation that says you don't have to worry about being deported," the mayor added in the article. "It seems to me to be the only intelligent thing to do, given our current situation."
Posted to Immigration2005b at 10:37 AM | Comments (4)
"Change U.S. law on anchor babies"
Al Knight of the Denver Post's editorial staff says:A measure pending in Congress would change the Constitution to deny citizenship rights to babies born to illegal immigrants. The proposed amendment is currently given little or no chance of passage but it certainly helps to focus attention on the nature of the problem...
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States."
At the time the amendment was approved, the author of the clause, Sen. Jacob M. Howard, said the phrase relating to jurisdiction meant, "This will not, of course, include persons born in the United States who are foreigners...."
In subsequent years, the courts invalidated the assurances of Howard; at this stage, an amendment to the Constitution seems the only means available to change the law...
[...Ireland changed their law, and we can too...]
Posted to Immigration2005b at 08:45 AM | Comments (5)
Our "homeland security president" strikes out again
From the NYT's "U.S. Borders Vulnerable, Witnesses Say":The federal government's efforts to prevent terrorists from smuggling a nuclear weapon into the United States are so poorly managed and reliant on ineffective equipment that the nation remains extremely vulnerable to a catastrophic attack, scientists and a government auditor warned a House committee on Tuesday...Just remember: only George W. Bush can keep America safe.
Dirty bombs, crude devices that widely spread low levels of radiation, are relatively easy to detect. But highly enriched uranium, a crucial ingredient in a nuclear bomb, could easily be shielded with less than a quarter-inch of lead, making it "very likely to escape detection by passive radiation monitors" now installed at ports and border stations, Benn Tannenbaum, a physicist and senior program associate at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, testified at Tuesday's hearing...
Nationally, less than a quarter of the radiation detection devices needed to check all goods crossing the borders have been installed, federal officials said. In New York, for example, none of the cargo that moves through the largest ship terminal or goods leaving the port by rail or barge are inspected for radiation, Bethann Rooney, manager of security for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, testified...
Members of Congress have also recently questioned a proposal by the Bush administration to spend $227 million in the coming year to create a Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, skeptical that it will do more than add a new layer of bureaucracy.
"I am not too hopeful about this situation," Representative Bill Pascrell Jr., Democrat of New Jersey, said.
Posted to Terrorism at 06:43 AM | Comments (0)
Tamar Jacoby on immigration "reform"
Tamar Jacoby is back with another column entitled "Getting Beyond the 'A-Word'".
It was printed in the Open Borders rag known as the Wall Street Journal. She support immigration "reform" and the Kennedy-McCain amnesty. And, in other news, the sky is blue.
There's really no point in discussing her articles, as she's usually wrong when she's not making misleading statements, building strawman arguments, and the like.
But, just for giggles, I selected one small snippet:
...National security, too, demands that we come to terms with the existence of these 11 million workers. As is, they live entirely beyond the reach of authorities...
They do? What do they do, spend their days living in caves in the hills? No, actually what they do is live in our cities, consume public services, and work jobs at "respectable" businesses.
If there are no more non-emergency public services for them, and the Bush administration cracks down on the employers of illegal aliens, then a very large number of them will simply self-deport. So, they are in fact in the reach of our laws.
The problem, as usual, is that our laws aren't being enforced. See "Bush to illegal aliens: once you're in the U.S., you're home free" for how few companies have been targeted for employing illegal aliens, and see the cases of Arizona's Prop. 200 and California's Prop. 187 for examples of the American public trying to restrict services to illegals and our elites blocking the public's wishes. Note that Jacoby was opposed to Prop. 200: "Next time just stay inside the beltway".
Previous coverage starts in "Tamar Jacoby on the Kennedy-McCain mass amnesty", and make sure and listen to her interview on the John & Ken Show: "Tamar Jacoby gets her arguments shredded into tiny bits of straw".
Posted to Immigration2005b at 05:54 AM | Comments (1)
Could the blogging bubble burst already?
Please, please burst, little bubble, burst! From "AO/Technorati Open Media 100":AlwaysOn and Technorati are pleased to present the first annual "Open Media 100," the power list of bloggers, social networkers, tool smiths, and investors leading the Open Media Revolution...It's like they left their multimedia costumes in the closet, and now have found a new trend to latch their worthless selfs on.
The purpose of this list is to provide an initial, helpful framework of this emerging industry and highlight its key players who are influencing the adoption of open media and proving the impact it is already having on the technology industry, journalism, and marketing. To achieve this goal, we created the following categories: Pioneers, Trendsetters, Practitioners, Toolsmiths, and Enablers...
...This list will evolve and change just as quickly as the Open Media Revolution continues to take hold...
Most of their politically-oriented choices are people who have worthless or childish or childlike opinions. Hatrios indeed, although he's just one of their several duds.
I left the following comment:
I'm a reporter for a major newspaper, and I'm writing an article on the New Media. I'm a little confused and hope someone can help me out.
How will I be able to tell whether someone is (frankly) moving up on the list or moving down? Are any of those on the list showing their age, so to speak?
I'm glad I was already familiar with some of the names on the list, but some I wasn't and they're quite interesting. Thanks for the helpful list.
P.S. Can I just re-write the columns I wrote during the MultiMedia Revolution, re-purposing my old content for the new revolution? Or, are there major differences between multimedia and blogging?
Posted to Bloggage at 07:59 PM | Comments (2)
"Texas has been conquered by Hispanics"
The titular quote is from Rev. Julio Barquero, the Arkansas state chaplain of LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens). The quote is taken from the article "Border state", and here it is in context:"Little Rock is the border between Mexico and the U.S.," said the Rev. Julio Barquero, who operates the Centro Cristiano Fellowship in Sherwood, and is the LULAC state chaplain. "Not Texas anymore — Arkansas. Texas has been conquered by Hispanics."Yes, it's quite unfortunate that he told us what he (and LULAC) think. As for Texans (who still live in the U.S. last time I checked), it's definitely a quote as many as possible should hear. If you know any Texans, please send them the article, post it to Texas blogs, send it to Texas illegal immigration apologists, etc. etc.
Barquero explained that Latinos in Texas have networks and institutions to help them navigate in society, whereas the Latino population in Arkansas is struggling because it is so new.
But his unfortunate choice of words, which might seem to confirm fears about illegal immigration, at least demonstrates the work that needs to be done to build effective Latino advocacy here...
The article also mentions that our friends in Mexico are opening a consulate in Little Rock. And, it includes this:
Ana Lorena Hart became one of the primary lobbyists on Latino issues at the legislature this year almost by default. The multicultural community relations manager at the Tyson Foods headquarters in Springdale (she emphasizes that her political activity is separate from her professional work), Hart was pushed into service in the absence of any organization prepared to undertake Latino political action...Hart advocates for driver's licenses for illegal aliens and all those other Latino causes.
Further:
Barquero, who runs the Sherwood church, started a program that issues identification cards to undocumented Latinos in conjunction with the Sherwood Police Department.It goes on, including a quote that claims Latinos only have limited access to public services. Then, a few paragraphs later, all the public services they can get and all the ones that activists want are enumerated.
"With the IDs issued at the church, miracles have happened," Barquero said. He says the cards enable Latinos to purchase cars, obtain insurance, and even eventually qualify for state drivers licenses. Church officials will issue a card to anyone who can produce a birth certificate or other form of identification from his or her native country, and Barquero says they have distributed 4,500 IDs, all of which bear the seal of the Sherwood Police Department...
Note that Sherwood, Arkansas was mentioned in "Their money or your safety". That includes a story describing a visit by the Mexican consul to that city to hand out Matricula Consular cards (IDs for illegals).
California has a "private attorneys general" statute that can be used by lawyers to sue over public policy issues. I wonder if there's something similar that would allow the American public to start charging people who are assisting this invasion with treason.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 06:03 PM | Comments (1)
Bush to illegal aliens: once you're in the U.S., you're home free
A Government Accountability Office staffer told a House panel yesterday that workplace enforcement of immigration violations had fallen sharply under the Bush administration.
For an example, here are the numbers of employers who received formal letters warning about fines for possible violations of immigration laws:
Clinton in 1999: 417 employers
Bush in 2003: 3 employers
They claim this is because they've been focusing on possible terrorism, such as by concentrating on the border and on illegal aliens working at sensitive sites like Navy shipyards.
However, no doubt a major reason for the drop-off is because of "other factors."
See "Employer sanctions decline" for the details (also here as "Auditors find drop in immigration enforcement at worksites"). Separate report in "Critics cite lax efforts to enforce federal worksite immigration laws".
One of the stock lies from the Open Borders crew is "America's immigration system is broken, and needs to be fixed". This current report is further proof that that's a highly misleading statement: you can't say a system is broken if they system isn't being implemented as designed.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 10:51 AM | Comments (3)
Help Bart Jones of Long Island Newsday find the border!
Bart Jones is Newsday's immigration reporter, but he has a problem and he needs your help. Bart has trouble locating the United States border. If only Jones could find the border, he wouldn't have named his latest Strutherseque work "Dozens of men now left with nowhere to go":The man from Mexico City said he came to Farmingville looking for work so he could give his wife and two children a better life back home.Now, if you didn't know any better you might think some great injustice had been delivered upon these "immigrants", none of whom are identified as being all or mostly illegal aliens anywhere in Jones' tale. In fact, he doesn't even use "undocumented" or even more complicated euphemisms.
Yesterday, he found himself homeless in the land that was supposed to fuel his dream. He was among dozens of Mexican day laborers evicted from 33 Woodmont Place in a crackdown on overcrowded housing by authorities...
Thankfully, those who want a little truth to go with their pap might consider another Newsday report entitled "Farmingville flophouse landlord arrested":
Suffolk police yesterday arrested the owner of a rundown 900-square-foot house in Farmingville that has been home to as many as 64 Hispanic immigrants at a time, each paying $200 to $250 a month in rent...It further describes the long legal process that lead up to the eviction, and it discusses the wacky activities of the Coalition of Landlords, Homeowners and Merchants that supports the landlord.
"They used every square inch of space to squeeze in more clients," said Suffolk Deputy Inspector Douglas Rilling. "It's a house that was built for a family with a couple of kids."
...The house on Woodmont Place first came to the attention of authorities on April 2, 2003, when soot buildup in a chimney sparked a fire. Firefighters found 45 mattresses, according to records...
The NYT report "L.I. Home Held Up to 64 Men, Authorities Say" has more, and if you haven't had enough Jones, see the related report "They 'ran us out of there'", which in a slight nod to the truth briefly mentions "an influx of undocumented Mexican immigrants".
Previous pap from Jones in "More pro-illegal immigration puff pieces noted".
But, most importantly, please contact li *at* newsday.com and suggest they buy Bart Jones a map or something. But, you have to wonder why Newsday would print pieces like this that attempt to apologize for illegal immigration. Why would that be?
Posted to Immigration_piipps at 08:05 PM | Comments (1)
Should Escondido finance giving Matricula Consular cards to illegal aliens?
Two officials of that California city are asking whether Escondido should spend money on an event to which the local Mexican consulate was invited. The consulate drew a crowd: hundreds of people lined up, many to get "IDs for illegals", aka Matricula Consular cards.
Details in "Two Escondido officials angry about Mexican consulate's presence at fair". So far no one has fessed up to inviting our "friends" from south of the border, and note that other city officials wanted to turn a blind eye to this issue.
See also "Conferring Legitimacy, This Card Draws a Crowd" (our friends pay a visit to south Orange County), "Mexican president vows to fight for continued U.S. acceptance of matricula identity cards", and "Consular IDs help illegals evade immigration law". In somewhat related news, see "Who exactly does Gloria Molina work for?"
UPDATE: Our friends have responded. "Mexican diplomat: Escondido officials' comments 'irresponsible'" includes the following hilarious quote from Luis Cabrera, Mexico's consul-general for San Diego:
"Issuing these documents has nothing to do with immigration."
That's a bald-faced lie: these cards have everything to do with immigration, specifically with providing ID cards for illegal aliens. See the links above, especially this.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 03:55 PM | Comments (0)
Ecuador busts Hezbollah funder
From "Ecuador Police Bust Alleged Cocaine Ring Suspected of Financing Hezbollah":QUITO, Ecuador (AP) - Police broke up an international cocaine ring led by a Lebanese restaurant owner suspected of raising money for the Islamic militant group Hezbollah, which the U.S. government classifies as a terrorist organization.
Ecuadorean authorities declined to elaborate Tuesday on the group's alleged links to terrorist activities "until further investigation."
But an internal police report obtained by The Associated Press said preliminary evidence "confirms the relationship between this organization and the terrorist movement Hezbollah." The document said the gang sent "up to 70 percent of its profits to the Islamic group..."
Posted to Terrorism at 02:52 PM | Comments (0)
Is Mexico overstating their income from remittances?
Rodolfo Tuiran, who's with Mexico's Social Development Secretariat, says that that country might be overstating how much it receives from its citizens abroad (98% of whom are in the U.S.) The previous figure was $16.6 billion, but he thinks the accurate figure is more like $9.65 billion. See "Debate grows on whether Mexico overestimates money sent home by migrants" for the details.
Whether what he says can be trusted remains open. They could be trying to downplay the amount to avoid it being a PR issue or to avoid it being taxed by the U.S.
Previously:
A massive tax break for remittance companies?
U.S. Amb. Tony Garza: "Reliance on remittances from the U.S. is not a viable economic policy."
Perhaps you should choose MasterCard (or just cash) instead
"Mexican remittances head for new record"
Posted to Immigration2005b at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)
Not everyone happy with Minuteman Project in Texas
It seems that lots of people are happy about the Minuteman Project coming to Texas, except for a few grumpy Gusses. From "Warm Welcome in Texas for Minutemen":(GOLIAD, TEXAS) -- There was no shortage of volunteers last night as the controversial Minuteman civilian border patrol organization gathered in this historic south Texas town to organize anti illegal immigrant activities in Texas...Gosh, what an allegation. Think there's any slight chance Lopez could ever come up with proof? Think there's any slight chance the reporter could have asked him for proof? I don't know if this is the same person, but this page describes him as a leader of the Southwest Workers Union, which participated in a march calling for open borders.
The location of the meeting in Goliad was significant. The city was the home of many of the volunteers who died fighting the Mexican army at the Alamo in 1836. The unit which delivered a cannon the Alamo along with a flag that carried the defiant message 'come and take it.'
..."We have met with our senators, we have sent letters to President Bush, we have gone all the way to Washington, and still no response," Parmley told 1200 WOAI's Charity McCurdy. "All we're doing is what President bush asked us to do after 9-11, to be observant citizens and look for suspicious activity and call it in. That's all we're doing."
But several civil rights leaders at the rally said the Minutemen go a lot further than that. Che Lopez compared the volunteers at last night's rally to the Ku Klux Klan.
"Just basically racially profiling people. Pulling them out of their cars. Intimidating them."...
...But not all Texans are excited about the presence of the Minutemen in Texas, and one of them is Senator John Cornyn...Cornyn is involved in the pro-"North America" testimony described here, and previous coverage of him starts in Rep. John Cornyn: "It is very clear to us that there are no Mexican terrorists".
Another group of people who oppose the MMP are described in "Thinking not so welcome among Texas Democrats".
I'm beginning to see a pattern here: almost all of the people who oppose the MMP are just on the wrong side.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 10:20 AM | Comments (2)
Is the Old Mount Wilson Trail possessed?
Almost a year ago I described an outing up the Old Mount Wilson Trail above Sierra Madre during which I twisted my ankle.
On Saturday I hiked the same trail and on the way back I started a slow jog and I twisted my ankle yet again, just about 1/4 of a mile further away from civilization than the last time. Thankfully it wasn't as bad as the last time, and I might be able to take a hike tomorrow or Wednesday.
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Why would this happen twice in almost the same spot? There are other trails I take much more often and I occasionally do a slow or even a fast jog on them without a problem. Is this trail... possessed by anti-Lonewacko daemons?
Alternatively, it could be because:
* both these instances have occurred in gently sloped sections, so I don't concentrate as much as I do on steeper sections, and/or
* this section of the trail is shaded, making it somewhat more difficult to notice rocks and such, and/or
* I simply space out
Next time I go hiking there I'll be sure and pay more attention in the "easy" sections. Note, however, that there are steeper and rockier sections during which I make sure I don't space out. Fast jogging through those sections is quite entertaining.
Posted to OutdoorSports at 08:17 PM | Comments (0)
FAIR to completely discredit Kennedy-McCain
In a move he will probably long regret, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) challenged FAIR to a debate on immigration. FAIR immediately accepted. No date has been scheduled, but at least one debate will occur this summer.
McCain also said that immigration is the most important issue facing America today.
Somehow I don't expect this to go very well for the Kennedy-McCain camp. In fact, if it receives any attention it might scuttle that and similar legislation. The key is to make sure that it receives attention and isn't just shown on C-SPAN at 3am.
Details here and in "FAIR Accepts Senator McCain's Offer to Debate Comprehensive Immigration Reform".
Posted to Immigration2005b at 06:19 PM | Comments (2)
What's good for CAT would be terrible for the U.S.
Reuters alerts us that CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) might be voted on before July 4th. And, if it passes our exports could grow by $1 billion a year, and:Jim Owens, chief executive of construction and mining equipment maker Caterpillar Inc., is one of the industry leaders urging lawmakers to approve CAFTA.Well, it's good to know that CAT would do well. However, CAFTA could be a precursor to the FTAA, and both would result in a loss of sovereignty and massive immigration. Next to those concerns, CAT's concerns mean nothing. There's more information on CAFTA here and on the FTAA here.
"For Caterpillar, the benefits of free trade are very real," he wrote in a May letter to House of Representatives Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois...
Please contact your representatives and urge them to vote no on CAFTA and similar plans.
Posted to Politics at 01:46 PM | Comments (2)
Quislings in Minnesota
Yes, I realize the title is a bit... strong. However, sometimes it's good to call things by their real names.
The report "Mexican Consulate Opening in Minnesota" informs us that the new consulate:
will issue passports and an identification card called a "matricula consular," which can be used to open bank accounts, cash paychecks and obtain marriage licenses...The opening follows a long courtship, lead by luminaries such as:
St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly and his predecessor, U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, had worked to entice Mexican diplomats to locate in the state's capital city, despite efforts by Minneapolis claiming a large and fast-growing Latino population.Yes, and our "leaders" either believe him or want the rest of us to believe him.
In announcing the opening of the consulate, Kelly acknowledged potentially high-profile controversies over Mexican nationals but said the city would not become actively involved in enforcing federal immigration policy.
Mexican Consul General Carlos Sada said at November's press conference that consulates do not promote illegal immigration or pose national security threats.
For a sickening editorial on the new outpost, check out "Mexican Consulate enhances community" from the St. Paul Pioneer Press. I think we know which side they're on.
Coverage of this troubled state starts in "Would Al Franken be any worse than Norm Coleman?"
Posted to Immigration_consul at 11:29 AM | Comments (1)
I like Raisin Bran too!
Actually, I combine 99 cents store bran flakes with raisins from the same place, thus saving money over both the Raisin Bran brand and the supermarket generic equivalent.Other than that, there are only minor differences between me and Saddam Hussein:
[SH's American guards found Hussein] to be a friendly, talkative "clean freak" who loved Raisin Bran for breakfast, did his own laundry and insisted he was still president of Iraq, says a report published on Monday.Other than the mass murder, torture, chemical weapons,
The article quotes the GIs on Saddam's eating preferences - Raisin Bran Crunch was his breakfast favorite. "No Froot Loops," he told O'Shea. He ate fish and chicken but refused beef at dinner.
For a time his favorite food was Cheetos, and when those ran out, Saddam would "get grumpy," the story says. One day the guards substituted Doritos corn chips, and Saddam forgot about Cheetos. "He'd eat a family size bag of Doritos in 10 minutes," Dawson says.
Saddam believes he will be restored to power.
(More here)
UPDATE: In an exclusive interview with Saddam's guards, FHM will reveal Saddam's most unrequited desire: to eat a corn chip straight off the line.
Posted to Iraq at 11:09 AM | Comments (1)
Combover Boy wins on appeal
From our WTF file comes, "Tom Leykis Prevails on Appeal in Dismissal of Age Discrimination Lawsuit Brought by Caller". Someone called in to Combover Boy; on the air, CB described the caller as someone who is "not just older than my demographic" but is "the grandfather of my demographic." CB went on about how his demo is much younger, and the caller wasn't welcome to call in, etc. etc. Said caller sued, claiming that the radio station was a public accomodation and he had been discriminated against.
Apparently "Tom Leykis" is Combover Boy's real name, so you learn something new every day.
Previously: "More bad news for Phil Hendrie?"
Posted to Celebrities at 09:12 PM | Comments (1)
So, where are the original Downing Street Memos?
Apparently the BushBot blogosphere is trying to relive old glories and desperately trying to draw a parallel between the DSMs and Rathergate. It seems that the typewritten DSMs are in fact facsimiles: the reporter photocopied the original memos he was given, returned to the originals to the government source, and then a "legal desk secretary typed the text up on an old fashioned typewriter". This was apparently done to protect the original source, but as to the re-typing on the old typewriter, that's a bit more suspicious.
In any case, another BushBot makes a bit more sense. No one has denied the accuracy of the memos, and in addition there's also the matter of the legal desk secretary. Would they testify to the accuracy of what they typed?
And, there's also the matter of the original memos, which as we know were returned to their government source. If the minutes of the meetings are different, surely someone should have leaked them to the press by now, no?
Note also the (deliberate?) attempts to confuse matters here: the "originals" which were destroyed are not the originals, they're the photocopies. Expect the Emily Latella-ish Bush supporters to use "originals" when they're actually referring to copies.
Posted to Politics at 04:24 PM | Comments (4)
"For Illegal Immigrants, a Harsh Lesson" made me cry
Dear public *at* nytimes.com:Your June 19, 2005 tale "For Illegal Immigrants, a Harsh Lesson" made me cry. As soon as I read the first paragraph, I could feel my sympathy begin welling:
Esteban Navarro's disappearance broke a lot of hearts at Trenton Central High School, where the dropout rate among Hispanic students is triple the state average...I knew what was coming next, because I've seen so many very similar stories. In fact, there have been so many stories printed almost exactly like this one in tone, content, and structure that I've almost been programmed to give illegal alien advocates everything they want, and more. First they describe just how wonderful an affected child is and his or her plight. Then, like a bright, golden ray, comes hope:
...One solution is embodied in the In-State Tuition Act, first introduced in the New Jersey Legislature in 2003, which would allow illegal immigrants like Mr. Navarro to attend public colleges at in-state tuition rates...Why, it's almost like a sales pitch in its wonderful use of the language! It's unfortunate that you printed hateful thoughts however:
..."If someone from Philadelphia wants to go to school in New Jersey, and an illegal is getting in-state tuition, that angers students a great deal," said Jean Oswald, executive director of New Jersey Commission on Higher Education...Boo! Grown-up talk about policy is such a downer! I want to hear wonderful heart-tugging stories about immigrants struggling against oppression! Thankfully, you didn't explain what she means by "litigious" (example: "Twenty-Four Americans Challenge Law, Claiming New Policy Discriminates Against American Citizens").
..."One of the underlying issues from a policy perspective was the inequity this bill would create in a litigious state like New Jersey," Sharon Ainsworth, director of state relations at Rutgers, said in her testimony. "There is a whole category of students whose parents are here working on visas. We would be providing a benefit to an undocumented student and not to a documented one."
Thankfully, you didn't include the thoughts of some who worry that bills like this might encourage even more disrespect for our laws, that foreign countries are taking advantage of us, that this will take educations away from U.S. citizens as well as legal immigrants, and that this will just encourage more illegal immigration.
And, I'm very thankful that you didn't include the thoughts of those who wonder how so many very similar stories come to be in the first place. Are these stories in fact advertisements? Or, could they be part of an astroturf campaign and are papers aware they're being used to spread a particular ideology?
The last thing I want is for the NYT to look into the story behind the story and try to figure out who's behind all these wonderful tales. And, the next to last thing I want is for the NYT to wonder whether any state employees or others mentioned in the article are aiding and abetting illegal immigration, a federal offense.
I was also heartened by this bit:
A National Honor Society student, Dina was awarded a scholarship to a local two-year college, where she is studying to become a nurse. Since Dina is an illegal immigrant, she is using a false Social Security number...Isn't that wonderful?
[If you're new here, turn your sarcasm meter up to 11 and read the post again.]
Posted to Immigration_piipps at 03:29 PM | Comments (0)
Huffington Post: only the little people scale their pictures
Once you achieve a certain level of "liberal" eliteness, you can do things like the following:
I'm sure one of Arianna's manservants will be along presently to rectify this situation.
In the meantime, visit Huff and Blow. If I start getting visitors I might update it.
Posted to Bloggage at 02:34 PM | Comments (0)
Home Depot doesn't support illegal immigration
The group Save Our State recently held a protest about illegal alien day laborers in front of a Home Depot in Alhambra, CA. It was counter-protested, but apparently peacefully. The AP reports:
Home Depot said in a statement it does not support illegal immigration but can't stop workers from standing near its stores.
I'll avoid making a joke at this point in time, instead I'll point out this rather interesting fact:
Home Depot is paying a lobbyist $10,000 a month to lobby the L.A. City Council about day laborer sites ("Home Depot, Antonio Villaraigosa, Fernando Guerra, and Microsoft").
And, L.A. City Councilman Ed Reyes has proposed an ordinance that all big box hardware stores should have day laborer sites ("...and our day laborer sites won't encourage illegal immigration").
Any math experts out there want to help me add 2 to 2?
Note that the San Gabriel Neighbors for Peace and Justice were involved in this protest; they were also involved in the Baldwin Park protest where a 66-year-old female Minuteman Project volunteer was hit in the forehead by a full water bottle, forcing her to spend the night in the ICU.
There are pictures of the counter-protesters here. As I say in a comment, eventually the MSM will realize that covering up for groups like this is a bad long-term strategy, leading to most people considering them completely discredited.
As for what you can do about Home Depot, there's a very effective suggestion here.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 01:55 PM | Comments (7)
More microbiologist wackiness
Microbiologists and other scientists sure seem to have been having an awful run of bad luck these past few years. I see that Steve Quayle's List of Dead Scientists has expanded to include a few new names since I last checked.
One of the latest is Dr. Robert J. Lull, who was the chief of nuclear medicine at San Francisco General Hospital. He was found in his home's entry hall, stabbed multiple times by one or more assailants. The police found several cherry stones on the floor, and there were cherries in his refrigerator, but they don't know where they came from: him, the assailant(s), or perhaps they fell out when he was taking out the trash. As of May 21, the police were stumped: "Doctor's murder stumps police in San Francisco". His car and credit cards were taken, but the police say something other than robbery could be the motive.
Then, there's the case of Todd Kauppila, who had worked at... Los Alamos. He was fired from there last year in a matter involving two computer disks which had gone missing. It was later determined that the disks never existed in the first place, and his boss later left his job. This case might have just been a medical issue, or it might have been something else entirely...
Snug down your tinfoil and enjoy these prior cases:
Los Alamos whistleblower Tommy Hook: bar fight or setup?
"Death of [chemist] at treatment plant [in NJ] ruled a homicide"
The Microbiologist Mystery gets weirder and weirder
Thank gosh I'm just a blogger!
Posted to Miscellania at 07:52 AM | Comments (0)
Satirizing the Open Borders cheerleaders
The Seattle Times offers us a guest editorial from software executive Greg James entitled "A pragmatic approach to illegal immigration". At first glance you might think this is a factually-incorrect, simple-minded, ethically-challenged Open Borders screed. But, would a responsible newspaper like the Times print such a thing? Of course not!
I believe this editorial to be an excellent attempt at satire, and I'd like to assure James and the Times that we're laughing with them, not at them. Some clues:
A decade ago, there was a big fuss in California when some concerned citizens decided that the illegal immigrants in their state were a big strain on the budget... An interesting thing happened next. Someone else did a follow-up study, and found that what the state saved in economic costs from the use of migrant labor in agriculture was over three times what it cost in health care and education to those same workers... The big fuss quietly went away and nothing much changed in California...
Oh man, that's good satire. Now, at first you might think referring to Prop. 187 as a "big fuss" is sub-Patt Morrison, but in actual fact he wants you to learn about what actually happened concerning Prop. 187. It was passed by 59% of the voters, then left out to dry by since-recalled governor Gray Davis with the assistance of a judge, "American" legislators, and... the Mexican government. As for that study, I'm sure a little research would reveal who funded it and its biases.
Simple questions need to be asked: Are Americans willing to pay $4 instead of $1 for a head of lettuce?
You'll note that he didn't go overboard and tip his hand to this being satire by discussing $10 a head lettuce. No, he kept it reasonable. Of course, everyone knows that the labor costs account for just 10% of the cost of lettuce, and James has probably even read "How Much Is that Tomato in the Window?" and knows that without illegal labor costs would rise only slightly.
The big owners of agribusiness know the answer to these questions, as do the politicians they support.
Of course, James now wants you to say something like, "do we really want agribusiness to determine our immigration policy? Can we trust them to put their country ahead of their profits?" A true master satirist at work!
Then, he goes on to discuss how our politicians are corrupt and how we're employing desert Darwinism to get the strongest workers, including this:
As a bonus, if the "illegals" cause trouble, they can be deported without enjoying any of the rights a U.S. citizen would enjoy.
Of course, James knows it would be nearly impossible to deport millions of people, and he knows you know that too. In fact, he knows you know that if we tried to deport millions of illegal aliens it might result in thousands of casualties and billions of dollars of property loss due to the riots that would probably ensue. And, he also knows that you know that the more illegal aliens who are here the more difficult it will get to deport large numbers of them. Rest assured that he knows this.
He ends with this:
What's more, it would appear obvious, looking at recent history, that several presidents before George W. Bush figured out the same thing. To care about national security is to often make compromises. In this case, the angry voice of conservatives in his own party is the price this president pays for continuing a policy that, while difficult to actually articulate, really makes quite good sense.
Dean Swift has some competition that's for sure! Congratulations to James and to the Times for this cry for a sensible immigration policy.
--
(COTB readers may also enjoy "Think of yourself as a North American, citizen")
Posted to Immigration2005b at 10:51 AM | Comments (2)
Lynd0n LaR0uche asks: Is Dav|d |cke credible?
To the best of my knowledge, LL has not asked whether DI is credible or not. However, for that same rush of surreality, you are welcome to enjoy the DUmmie thread that asks, "Is Alex Jones credible?" As you might expect, the consensus appears to be that he's a bit high-strung, but he has some really good ideas.
Posted to WackyHumor at 09:08 AM | Comments (1)
Camp Goahomahippiesa
I realize I'm out of the loop and this might make me look bad, but I'd never heard of the Rainbow Family before. If you've never heard of them, what do you think they are? A Grateful Dead cover band? A kindler, gentler Mans0n Fam|ly? A bunch of old hippies who get together to have their 60s flashbacks in a social setting?
The latter appears to be the correct idea. They apparently have yearly gatherings consisting of thousands of people camping out. Money's out, barter's in. More information on the group here:
Some say we're the largest non-organization of non-members in the world. We have no leaders, and no organization. To be honest, the Rainbow Family means different things to different people. I think it's safe to say we're into intentional community building, non-violence, and alternative lifestyles. We also believe that Peace and Love are a great thing, and there isn't enough of that in this world. Many of our traditions are based on Native American traditions, and we have a strong orientation to take care of the the Earth. We gather in the National Forests yearly to pray for peace on this planet...
Which brings us to the present day. The DUmmies direct our attention to this news report. The Rainbowians want to hold this year's meeting in the Monongahela National Forest, but the Forest Service is trying to prevent it due to endangered bats. Apparently the FS has allowed them to camp in another area of the forest however.
Surprisingly, the DUmmies offer mixed reviews of the peace and freedom lovers, including this:
when I went to a gathering some years ago the leaders were having to remind people not to sh|t in the river!
That's pretty bad. And, this:
I am working two jobs to keep my head above water and don't have the time or finances to take off for weeks on end on some kind of Magical Mystery Tour like it was 1967 all over again...
Heh indeed. To determine whether you're Rainbow material, look at this picture of two cousins. To which are you closer?
Posted to Miscellania at 07:54 AM | Comments (0)
Should you link to discoverthenetwork.com?
Let's turn that question on its head: should you link to discoverthenetwork.com, or should you link to the version with www? Wait, there are even more choices ahead. You can also link to either version in the .net and .org TLDs. And, it gets even better, because you can link to all six at discoverthenetworks. And, all of those return a 200 instead of 301s pointing to a main domain.
Let's look at a few PR values:
www.dtn.com: PR5
dtn.com: PR3
www.dtn.net: PR0
www.dtns.org: PR0
So, why am I telling you this? Because I've already sent them two emails telling them to fix and the many other problems at their site, and they've failed to do so. Which is a bit frustrating for me, since I've linked to them from many posts here and elsewhere, but they don't seem to be able to do their part to try to make their service as effective as it could be.
I mean, this blogger is hardly an SEO expert, and this site has its own problems, some of which I'm still fixing or have given up on. But, DTN is a newer site, and they (I would imagine) have enough of a budget to actually do something.
So, if you have some pull with them, please suggest they finally fix their site. Some of these changes - like redirecting all 11 alternate URLs to one URL - would take about 15 minutes of work if that.
Posted to Bloggage at 08:20 PM | Comments (1)
Non-biased groups propose California redistricting reform
A coalition of groups - all of which are completely non-biased and are not left-wing groups by any stretch of the imagination - have proposed a "model bill" to serve as a replacement for the redistricting plan proposed by California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. AP report in "Groups propose model for redrawing legislative boundaries".
Under Arnold's plan a panel of three retired judges would redistrict in time for the 2006 elections, and their plan would be put to a vote.
In contrast, the proposal from the groups would have a nine member panel of retired judges, they would only redraw the lines after the 2010 census, and their efforts wouldn't be voted on.
According to Arnold's spokeswoman, "It's great that they are throwing out ideas." It certainly is, isn't it? I too thank them for their input.
As for who's pushing this plan, bear in mind they are completely non-partisan, non-biased groups without even a hint of a left-wing bias.
Groups include:
* The Center for Governmental Studies, "a nonpartisan research group in Los Angeles" per the AP. If that's not true, please leave a comment.
* Common Cause, which:
declares itself to be a non-partisan organization, but has been ardently outspoken against the Bush Administration on everything from the War in Iraq to the President's environmental policies. Recently, Common Cause joined forces with Moveon.org to "institute a complaint against Fox News . . . for deceptive practices in the advertising and marketing of the programming of Fox News Channel..."
* Asian Pacific American Legal Center (mentioned here as a left-wing group)
* League of Women Voters ("A leftwing organization that masks its support for radical agendas behind a veneer of non-partisanship...")
Bear in the front of your mind that the census includes illegal aliens. See "Under bill, illegals wouldn't count toward political clout" for a clue as to why these absolutely unbiased groups would support waiting for the next census.
Posted to California at 08:01 PM | Comments (0)
A Yucaipa earthquake update
In addition to yesterday's shake near Yucaipa (4.9 magnitude), there was an earthquake on Sunday in Anza (5.2). Not only are those two temblors just 25 miles apart, but Anza is 25 miles from the San Andreas fault, and the Yucaipa shaker was just 8 miles from that fault. And, "The Big Quake Question: What Comes After Four?" informs us that "Some scientists believe one earthquake can shake loose, or trigger, another nearby or elsewhere in the world."The Big One is coming.
Previously: "Tremor Watch 2005"
UPDATE: Holy Moley! From "Experts' Heads Shake After Quakes":
Lucy Jones, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, believes that the 5.2 Anza quake June 12 probably triggered the 4.9 Yucaipa quake four days later.Everyone must leave California immediately.
She noted that both quakes were within about 25 miles of each other and occurred on secondary faults — the Anza quake near the San Jacinto fault and the Yucaipa around the San Andreas...
[...her fellow seismologist husband disagrees...]
It has long been held that earthquakes relieve pressure on fault lines, potentially decreasing the threat of a massive quake.
But experts said it was not that simple...
Jones said modest earthquakes do relieve some stress and may redistribute it elsewhere, but not in a significant way.
"The net change is a decrease," she said. "But there are some locations where there is an increase."
Posted to Los_Angeles at 03:20 PM | Comments (0)
How much trouble is the U.S. in?
The Patriot Act contains what pretty much everyone who isn't speaking in legalese calls "sunset provisions." Such things are, of course, written into laws when circumstances might change and making something only temporary is considered the wiser choice.This is a dual-use entry. Firstly, I would like to point out that it might not be in the U.S.'s best interests to make everything in the Patriot Act permanent. I'm certainly no expert on that Act, but if I were I think I'd say the same thing.
Secondly, this entry is here because I believe Our Leader has said one of the dumbest things I've ever heard Our Lider say. Considering that I live-blogged the presidential debates, that is truly saying something. Over to our homeland security president:
Some people call these sunset provisions. It's a good name because letting that...those provisions expire would leave law enforcement in the dark.It's good to know that Bush (aided and abetted by his speechwriter, of course) has managed to reduce such an important debate down to a folksy, third-grade-educated, attempt at a joke.
Posted to Politics at 07:31 PM | Comments (0)
Tremor Watch 2005
I'm going to go for a 4.5.
EARTHQUAKE WATCH UPDATE: Preliminary results: 5.3 just north of Yucaipa (about 100 miles to the east of EQW HQ). Our Richter Reporters are standing by... [DEVELOPING: downgraded to a 4.9. Given the distance, my estimate was right on target. Plus, hours before the MSM got to the story...]
BREAKING HARD: Our Inland Empire reporting crew informs us that Yucaipa is actually just 70 miles or so east...
BREAKING: *** QUAKE-CRAZED ANIMAL ATTACKS BLOG REPORTER ***
It appears that one of our blog reporters, citizen journalist pioneer Lonewacko, has been attacked by a quake-crazed animal. Where are you now, LW?
"I'm at EQW HQ. However, the incident occurred in Griffith Park."
Are you OK?
"Yes, I appear to be fine, although I'm still a little shaken up."
What happened?
"After the big quake, I decided to go for a hike. I need to keep in shape so I can cover the breaking stories, plus I wanted to head towards high ground in case of a tsunami. Plus, if any rifts opened in the Earth due to the quake, I wanted to be there to cover it. So, there I was, enjoying a bit of a view... when suddenly I was attacked... I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my right lower upper arm... I realized that the quake had caused animals to go nuts... in this case it was a member of the Apoidea superfamily that attacked me..."
And, that would be?
"That's a bee, Chuck. I was stung by a bee. However, I'm pretty sure it had been agitated by the tremor."
Posted to Los_Angeles at 01:54 PM | Comments (0)
14-year-old steals plane; I blame video games
In Fort Wayne, IN a 14-year-old was wandering around an airport, found a plane with the keys inside, and decided to go for a spin. Surprisingly, he was able to fly for 30 minutes, including taking off and landing twice. The second landing doesn't appear to have been such a good job, since the plane suffered major structural damage. However, no one appears to have been injured.
The kid had never flown before, but I think we can assume that he had played around with Microsoft Flight Simulator or similar.
Posted to WackyHumor at 01:45 PM | Comments (2)
Contra Costa Times: no driver's licenses for illegal aliens
The Contra Costa Times comes out against CA Sen. Gil Cedillo's latest attempt to get documents into the hands of people who shouldn't be here in the first place.From "Reject the license bill":
...AB 60 [They mean SB 60 --LW] is supposedly designed to answer that concern, but it still contains the fundamental flaw of giving government sanction to people who have entered the country illegally.
That flaw is the one that the majority of voters in this state seem to see, even if their elected representatives do not. [Au contraire: those legislators see the same flaw. It's just that some of them don't really represent the people of this state. -- LW]
[...Arnold will probably veto it...]
[...Cedillo says the bill's not about immigration]
That is nonsense, but we must give the senator credit for creativity. The view of Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, is much more to the point: The proposal's purpose is "to make a very strong statement that it is the policy of the state to ignore our nation's immigration laws."
We agree with that position and urge the California Assembly to reject SB 60.
Posted to Immigration_dls at 07:09 AM | Comments (1)
U.N. reform or World Government?
Holy black helicopters and blue-helmeted foreigners, citizen!Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) offers us "NeoCon Global Government" (also here as "UN Bill Not What It Appears to Be"):
This week Congress will vote on a bill to expand the power of the United Nations beyond the dreams of even the most ardent left-wing, one-world globalists. But this time the UN power grabbers aren’t European liberals; they are American neo-conservatives, who plan to use the UN to implement their own brand of world government.
The "United Nations Reform Act of 2005" masquerades as a bill that will cut US dues to the United Nations by 50% if that organization does not complete a list of 39 reforms. On the surface any measure that threatens to cut funding to the United Nations seems very attractive, but do not be fooled: in this case reform "success" will be worse than failure. The problem is in the supposed reforms themselves – specifically in the policy changes this bill mandates...
This new policy is given teeth by creating a "Peacebuilding Commission," which will serve as the implementing force for the internationalization of what were formerly internal affairs of sovereign nations. This Commission will bring together UN Security Council members, major donors, major troop-contributing countries, appropriate United Nations organizations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund among others. This new commission will create the beginning of a global UN army. It will claim the right to intervene in any conflict anywhere on the globe, bringing the World Bank and the IMF formally into the picture as well. It is a complete new world order...
Posted to Politics at 09:26 PM | Comments (0)
"Under bill, illegals wouldn't count toward political clout"
The Detroit Free Press reports on U.S. Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI)'s attempts to prevent illegal aliens from counting towards representation in Congress. See "Should illegal aliens count towards Congressional representation?" for the previous report.As I expected, illegal immigration supporters are starting their campaign:
U.S. Rep. Charles Gonzalez, D-Texas, [his immigration-related votes earn him an F-minus; perhaps he's worried about the effect this would have on his district or perhaps he's thinking about all those illegal aliens who are the same race as he is --LW] said Monday that stripping noncitizens from the census would penalize states with a large population. Each would receive less federal funding, but still have to support noncitizen populations.
"We should stay focused on what we attempt to accomplish when we conduct a census," said Gonzalez, chairman of the Hispanic Caucus' Civil Rights Task Force. "I think this only stokes the fires of any anti-immigrant feelings that occur."
But a spokesman for Miller says her legislation wouldn't necessarily change the distribution of federal money.
Marshall Fitz, associate director of the American Immigrant Lawyers Association in Washington D.C, [here's more on the AILA --LW] said of Miller's proposal: "To try to pretend they are not here really is a sad commentary on the way we want to treat people in this country."
Posted to Immigration2005b at 04:23 PM | Comments (0)
More pictures of people with giant fish
There's something strange, funny, and downright other-worldly about pictures of people with giant fish, isn't there? Of course, there are fake pics of giant animals, but I'm talking about the real deal here.
So far, the best site for photos of people with huge fish has to be this. "Mark with 106 lbs of Siamese Giant Carp" indeed. There are other pics at this site. In recent news, see "Four Giant Catfish Released Into Mekong".
The Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) pictured to the right gets up to 10' long and 660 pounds. Fire up your industrial fryer.
UPDATE: I just started a new site with more pictures of huge fish: Fishosaur.com.
Posted to WackyHumor at 01:12 PM | Comments (1)
The ADL should learn about logical fallacies
The ADL has emitted a press release entitled "Racist Groups Exploit Immigration Issues in Effort to Promote Anti-Hispanic Agenda". A similar game to the Where's Waldo series can be played with this charming document. The challenge for the reader: locate all of the logical fallacies present. So far, I've noticed several instances of guilt-by-association and selective quoting. The latter instances result in outright lying. How many lies can you spot?
Expect the usual suspects to refer to this document, so if someone would be kind enough to compile a list that might be helpful in helping to further discredit far-left supporters of illegal immigration.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 11:46 AM | Comments (2)
Well, I'm back from Santa Maria
And, what a trip it was! I spent a total of 118 days in Santa Maria camped outside the courthouse, cheering on MJ, or "Little Mikey" as I call him. Surrounded by other fans of the King of Pop, we quickly formed a tight-knit community united by our love for the world's most famous singer. Ah, the memories. I'll be posting full reports and pictures to my MJ blog.
Now that I'm back, I can resume full blog coverage here at Lonewacko. Our first and only coverage of MJ is this column from Robert Hilburn: "Long Before Trial, Hints of a Destructive Obsession".
BTW: Those of you who appreciate fine satire might want to see "The marketeers have invaded Blogdom". That's something I wrote some years ago about Duke, Sun's mascot for Java. If you don't know who Duke is, you probably won't get it, but anyway, I tried to write it in the trademarked Hilburn style.
UPDATE: Just to make it clear, I was never in Santa Maria. I've driven through there a few times, but I don't know if I've ever stopped. And, yes, this is indeed our first, last, and only coverage of the MJ matter. And, yes, it took my continual interest in laughing at Robert Hilburn (or at least his style) to finally get me to post on this matter. Let's never speak of MJ again.
Posted to Celebrities at 11:39 AM | Comments (0)
Immigration reform versus the scare-quoted variety
FAIR offers "7 Principles of True Comprehensive Immigration Reform":
...Recently the political winds have shifted. As opponents of reform learned that the majority of the public were "pro-reform", they changed their tune and have tried to wrap their defense of unchecked illegal immigration and record levels of legal immigration as being "reform measures" when, in fact, they are measures that will "deform" our already broken system...
Bear that in mind as you read articles about politicians proposing "immigration reform." See the link for their seven principles. I don't fully agree with all of them, but they're about a million times better than the alternatives being offered by Bush, Cornyn, Kennedy-McCain, and the rest.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 07:16 AM | Comments (1)
The Akaka Bill... and Aztlan?
A few months ago I posted What is the "Akaka Bill"? It's a proposal in Hawai'i (did I get that right?) that would enable a racially-based government to which only native Hawai'ians could belong.Now, see "The Akaka Bill Could Give Birth to the Nation of Aztlan":
[...the formation of Aztlan] could never happen legally you say. There could be no legal precedent for the formation of a new sovereign nation within the borders of the United States that could form the seed for such a new nation. Well, the irony is that legal precedence may come from, of all places, Hawaii.
The intent of the Akaka bill is to do just that, create a new sovereign nation within the borders of the United States. The criterion is the "blood quantum" or traceable lineage of anyone who qualifies according to the established definitions as "Hawaiian." What kind of government will be the ultimate result of such an arrangement is anybody’s guess.
Now, there will be those who will quibble as to the actual nature of the "sovereign nation" and they may be right. That is not the point of this editorial. The point is the precedence this bill will set if it passes. If Hawaiians can lay a claim to the ceded lands of Hawaii then why can't Mexicans who were forced off their land in 1848 have a similar claim?
Posted to at 07:44 PM | Comments (0)
Are you a lawyer who likes money?
Tired of PI? Want to make a difference? Maybe even start a political career?
Please take a look at "11th Circuit OKs RICO Suit Involving Illegal Aliens". Mohawk Industries Inc., a very large manufacturer of carpets and flooring, is accused of working with employment agencies to hire illegal aliens with the intent of depressing the wages of their American workers. They're being sued using RICO, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
Previously in this story: "Forging a New Use for Civil RICO".
Posted to Immigration2005b at 07:34 PM | Comments (0)
Morgan Reynolds: anti-American liberal
Sadly, Morgan Reynolds - former chief economist for the US Department of Labor during President Bush's first term - has been unmasked as an anti-American liberal.In a preposterous screed without even a semblance of facts, Reynolds asks, "Why Did the Trade Center Skyscrapers Collapse?"
To explain the unanticipated free-fall collapses of the twin towers at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, mainstream experts... offer a three-stage argument: 1) an airplane impact weakened each structure, 2) an intense fire thermally weakened structural components that may have suffered damage to fireproofing materials, causing buckling failures, which, in turn, 3) allowed the upper floors to pancake onto the floors below.Needless to say, the DUmmies are ecstatic about this anti-American screed.
Many will nod their head, OK, that does it and go back to watching the NBA finals or whatever, but I find this theory just about as satisfying as the fantastic conspiracy theory that "19 young Arabs acting at the behest of Islamist extremists headquartered in distant Afghanistan" caused 9/11. The government’s collapse theory is highly vulnerable on its own terms, but its blinkered narrowness and lack of breadth is the paramount defect unshared by its principal scientific rival – controlled demolition. Only professional demolition appears to account for the full range of facts associated with the collapses of WTC 1 (North Tower), WTC 2 (South Tower), and the much-overlooked collapse of the 47-story WTC building 7 at 5:21 pm on that fateful day...
P.S. Just to make this perfectly clear, the title and first paragraph are my sarcastic prediction of what the BushBots will say about this article and its author assuming they pay any attention at all. Also note that I am not a structural engineer and I have no way of determining whether what he says is accurate or not. However, I do think it's possible. Unlike others, I'm not going to come right out and say it happened as he describes or that there was some conspiracy involved. However, there have been similar cases all throughout history (please, stop chanting 'Reichstag fire!'), and since I don't trust Bush or his associates all that much I'm certainly willing to admit this is a possibility.
P.P.S. The preceding paragraph is a free and voluntary statement.
Posted to Politics at 12:30 PM | Comments (6)
We need to build a land bridge to China and India
The title is my attempt to outdo the WaPo guest editorial "We Need a Deportation Deadline: A statute of limitations on unlawful entry would humanely address illegal immigration." Wouldn't a land bridge be a great thing for our great nation? A few hundred million Chinese and a few hundred Indians would come over in the first few years. Think of all the wonderful new restaurants!
Meanwhile, the "deportation deadline" mentioned in the editorial is not a date by which all illegal aliens must leave the U.S. Oh no, that would be too simple. Instead, Mae M. Ngai of the University of Chicago wants to bring back a statute of limitations on illegally residing here in the U.S.
So, all the millions of illegal aliens who've been here for more than a set number of years would automatically be granted something, presumably citizenship. And, future illegal aliens would only have to manage to avoid being deported for that same number of years before they'd be granted that same thing. As we know, the vast majority of new illegal aliens would never be deported. So, in effect this would just be a recurring automatic amnesty: citizenship by squatting.
Even the WaPo should be ashamed of printing such an idiotic proposal.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 10:32 AM | Comments (3)
Think of yourself as a North American, citizen
Isn't it going to be great when the U.S., Canada, and Mexico give up their old-fashioned ideas of national sovereignty and join hands and forces as the North American Community? I can hardly wait. If you too are ready to think of yourself as a North American rather than just an American, then you'll really enjoy this exciting testimony that was given by American University professor Robert Pastor before a hearing of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.Bear in mind, that isn't just a dream, that is actual Senate testimony. I have no idea how many of those fine Senators agree with this plan, but I doubt whether any of them strongly disagree. Some of them might even be working towards making this professor's dream a reality. Our own president Bush - who many think is as American as apple pie - appears to be quite the North American.
A snippet of the testimony:
...This trilateral approach should be institutionalized in a new North American Advisory Council. Unlike the sprawling and intrusive European Commission, the Commission or Council should be lean, independent, and advisory, composed of 15 distinguished individuals, 5 from each nation. Its principal purpose should be to prepare a North American agenda for leaders to consider at biannual summits and to monitor the implementation of the resulting agreements. It should be an advisor to the three leaders but also a public voice and symbol of North America...What a wonderful plan. By the way, here's a copy of The Constitution of the United States of America in case you want to see if there's anything in there about an "integrated North America."
...North American governments can learn from the EU's efforts to establish EU Educational and Research Centers in the United States. Centers for North American Studies in the United States, Canada, and Mexico would help people in all three countries to understand the problems and the potential of an integrated North America--and to think of themselves as North Americans. Scholarships should encourage North American students to study in each other's country. Until a new consciousness of North America's promise takes root, many of these proposals will remain impractical...
Posted to NAU at 07:42 AM | Comments (5)
Why doesn't U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) fully support the Minuteman Project?
The Minuteman Project is starting a new campaign entitled "Operation Spotlight". (See "'Minutemen' gear up for mainstream movement", also discussed here). Rather than just monitoring the borders, they now intend to branch out to going after those companies that employ illegal aliens.U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson used to support the MMP, but now, because of Operation Spotlight, he appears to have changed his mind. See "Immigration vigilante group now unfavored" for the details:
"I would really prefer that people work with the existing structure that we already have," Wilson said this week. "I actually thought they were doing a commendable service in backing up the border patrol."There are certainly good reasons to raise questions about this latest plan. For instance, without subpoena powers and without prior enforcement action to point to, how are they going to determine whether a business is employing illegal aliens? They can't just say that because a business' workers don't speak English or because they're Hispanic that they're illegal aliens. And, you can bet that some pro-illegal immigration groups might try to entrap the MMP by making the MMP make false charges against legal workers. So, perhaps Wilson should clarify his remarks. Is he opposing this campaign because of those reasons, or because of... other reasons?
While describing the border patrol effort as "very professional and very constructive," he said the latest effort seemed to intrude on the jurisdiction of federal, state and local law enforcement.
As for the following group, I think we can understand why they're opposed:
While agreeing that the country's immigration law needs reform, the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce strongly disagreed with the group's approach.Hey, kids! Can you outdo that? Here's my attempt:
"The Minuteman Project has been noted for some of its radical tactics and inflammatory language," spokeswoman Charlie Clark said.
Immigration, Clark said, "is a complicated issue and one without a quick solution." While the chamber encourages all businesses to abide by U.S. immigration laws, she said many local businesses are heavily dependent on the Hispanic labor force, many of whom do not have legal status to be in the United States.
She said members of the Latino community aren't just workers, but an integral part of the community as consumers, students, business owners who will continue to come to the area as long as it has a strong community and desirable quality of life.
"There is no doubt that the U.S. immigration system is in need of change," Clark said. "Until that time, the Minuteman Project's divisive tactics don't solve the issue, and it serves to further divide communities."
"While our members fully oppose selling rotten fruits and vegetables, some studies show that it's entirely healthy and economical too!"
Posted to Immigration2005b at 06:16 AM | Comments (3)
Should illegal aliens count towards Congressional representation?
Currently, the 14th Amendment says that all "persons" in a state should count towards Congressional representation. Now, Candice Miller (R-MI) has proposed legislation that would change that to just include "citizens."From her press release "No Congressional Representation for Illegal Aliens":
"I find it absolutely outrageous that people who are not in our country legally are having such a profound impact on our political system," Miller said. "Every 10 years the census determines the number of Congressional districts allocated to each state and how those districts are drawn. If we continue to include illegal aliens in that count, we'll allow non-citizens to steal the Congressional voice of Americans. This is about fundamental fairness and the American ideal of 'One Man; One Vote."If this gains any traction, you can already see what would come next: anti-American and pro-illegal immigration groups and "American" legislators will fight tooth and nail to keep it like it is now, using an endless series of strawman and other specious arguments.
And, the "so-called" liberal media will probably be right there to stenograph the statements from such groups and pass on their smears. And, the Democratic Party will probably join in as well.
If you want to head them off at the pass, please contact your representatives and tell them you favor this legislation.
Some of the numbers involved are analyzed here:
If Amendment had been adopted before 2000:One of the districts used as an example is actually near Lonewacko HQ.
* California would have 6 fewer seats in U.S. House of Representatives
* New York, Florida, Texas would have 1 fewer seat
* Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Utah would have 1 additional seat
Posted to Immigration2005b at 04:49 PM | Comments (1)
How to rank really high for worthless terms
If you go to G00g|e and search for $pr|nger rad|o (as in Jerry $pr|nger, of course: replace $ and | with letters), you'll find that another Lonewacko project, BoreAmerica.com is currently #6. Wow, I've finally made the Big Time. Except, as I discuss in "Jerry Springer radio career questioned", it's a pretty worthless distinction as out of about 35,000 searches for his name in April, just 200 were for that term. Plus, although it seems to be changing, G00g|e seems to first link to the terms on the front page of that site, then as they disappear from the front page it links to the individual entries but it only does so at a lower position in the SERPs.
Posted to Bloggage at 12:39 PM | Comments (0)
No terrorists in Mexico?
FWIW, see "Mexico's blind eye to al-Qaida activity. Intel sources see porous border posing major terror threat to U.S.":...Gen. Jorge Serrano, the head of the Attorney General Office's special terrorism investigation unit, says no Muslim terrorists have been found living in Mexico.Now see Rep. John Cornyn: "It is very clear to us that there are no Mexican terrorists".
Yet intelligence sources in the U.S. and Canada say Islamic jihadists have been working with zealots in Mexico for more than 20 years. Early activities were sponsored by Iran. Later, the recruitment activities got support from the Egyptian, Pakistani and Saudi embassies. It is known the Egyptians paid the rent for a prayer hall and allocated funds for students who wanted to study at the Islamic al-Azhar University in Cairo. The Pakistanis organized Muslim converts and others to visit madrassas in Pakistan, a golden opportunity offered to the Taliban and al-Qaida to reach a larger pool of recruitment candidates. Saudi funds created a range of activities linked to Hajj or studies in Saudi Arabia where young zealots established contacts with Sufi and Wahabi activists one way or another connected to master terrorist Osama bin Laden.
Mexican authorities revealed in 2002 they knew Spanish Muslim converts of Basque origin were present in Chiapas state preaching the ideas of Islam and jihad as they mingled with local aboriginals. At least in two cases Mexican authorities, unable to determine the whereabouts of Basque Muslims, sent letters to their last known address informing them their stay in the country was illegal. According to a CISEN official, most Basque and Spanish Muslims were linked to the North African-based al-Murabitun World Tzotzil Movement, known for its blend of socialism and Islam. Information on Basque activity in Mexico is regularly collected by the Spanish government, but is not shared with the U.S. by the Mexicans...
Posted to Immigration_terror at 11:16 AM | Comments (2)
Mexicans flocking to Framingham, Waltham Mass.
If you read the report "Mexicans flocking to region" about large numbers of Mexicans moving to various cities in Massachusetts, you might notice something a bit strange. It spans three short pages, yet there's only one brief use of the noun immigrants in relation to these Mexicans. In fact, there are so many uses of that latter word I'd quote some of their text but I'm afraid of being accused of keyword stuffing. So, suffice to say these flockees are almost completely identified by their nationality rather than the usual use of "immigrants."There's one small clue about many of these flockees' status:
...Census figures undercount the Mexican population because many Mexicans don't fill out Census forms because they fear the information could be shared with immigration officials...The article is based around a study conducted by a UMass professor with the assistance of (guess who!) the Mexican consulate. A consul has the following to say:
"We're not as big or active as other (immigrant) communities," said Marquez. "But that is how it is in the beginning."Yeah, until the Mexican government gets their hooks in. It looks like the Northeast might be getting some of the "liberalism" they've forced on the Southwest fed back to them.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 08:05 AM | Comments (2)
"U.S. Campaign Produces Few Convictions on Terrorism Charges"
The WaPo analyzes this statement from Our Leader:"federal terrorism investigations have resulted in charges against more than 400 suspects, and more than half of those charged have been convicted."And finds:
Among all the people charged as a result of terrorism probes in the three years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, The Post found no demonstrated connection to terrorism or terrorist groups for 180 of them.
Just one in nine individuals on the list had an alleged connection to the al Qaeda terrorist network and only 14 people convicted of terrorism-related crimes -- including Faris and convicted Sept. 11 plotter Zacarias Moussaoui -- have clear links to the group. Many more cases involve Colombian drug cartels, supporters of the Palestinian cause, Rwandan war criminals or others with no apparent ties to al Qaeda or its leader, Osama bin Laden...
Posted to Terrorism at 07:45 AM | Comments (2)
Rep. John Cornyn: "It is very clear to us that there are no Mexican terrorists"
In something that apparently hasn't been covered by the U.S. press, American and Mexican legislators met in Rhode Island over the weekend to discuss issues of importance to the two countries. Similar annual meetings have been occuring for decades, and this year's event was apparently focusing on immigration matters. Details in "Strategy sought for migrant plan". I don't know how many U.S. legislators attended, but the two mentioned in the article are on the wrong side of this issue.Of note, we have Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) saying, "It is very clear to us that there are no Mexican terrorists." First of all, that's incorrect. There are various terrorist organizations operating in Mexico, but they're concerned with internal politics so they aren't that much of a threat to the U.S.
And, of course, there are growing numbers of Muslims converts in Mexico, some of whom may take on militant points of view.
But, on the larger issue, that's also an extraordinarily naive thing for a high-level U.S. politician to say (assuming he believes it). Anyone who's an adult about this issue realizes that whenever you have millions of citizens of another country in a host country that can cause problems, including riots, agitated mobs, revolutions, civil unrest, and so forth. I mean, that's just a lesson of history. Denying that possibility is like denying all those history books in the library. He might not want to say that out loud when in discussions with our buds from the south, but I get the feeling that I'm one of the few people who's even thought about that, which isn't exactly a good thing since all those politicians are supposed to be worried about such things on my behalf.
The article also includes this charming quote from one of our friends:
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) Dep. Alberto Aguilar, of Sinaloa, agreed it was important not to unfairly demonize Mexican migrants.Translation: Send money home.
"They see monsters and ghosts where there really are none," he said.
Posted to Immigration_terror at 06:16 AM | Comments (2)
Something else Mexico exports to the U.S.
Anyone want to go swimming in the New River? That flows from Mexicali in Baja - where it receives a helpful heaping of untreated sewage - to the Salton Sea in the U.S. As of 1979, the level of intestinal bacteria was 1 million times higher than is permissible for U.S. rivers.From "Clean it up: The filthy New River is a disgrace":
On any given night, scores of Mexican migrants seeking to enter the United States illegally float down the New River, hiding amid its coagulated white foam and counting on the river's noxious filth to keep the U.S. Border Patrol at bay. After their immersion in the most disease-breeding water on the continent, some of these migrants then move on to work in agriculture and food-service industries in California.There's some sunshine on the horizon, but the SDUT suggests that the U.S. should lean on their counterparts upstream to do more, like no longer using a river that enters our territory to dump their raw sewage.
Border Patrol agents who accidentally fall into the New River while pursuing illegal migrants are immediately sent to a hospital to be disinfected...
On a related note, see "Line the canal: Mexico's opposition to U.S. project unfounded". Basically, one of our canals has leaks, and our friends south of the border have been counting on those leaks to mooch our water. They get water from the Colorado, but they mismanage it. As with the other article, the SDUT suggest we get a bit more forceful in our dealings with our friends.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 05:55 AM | Comments (0)
This is just a link blog
I would like to make it perfectly clear that all I do here is just link to stories appearing elsewhere.
In other news, I didn't know that the author of the George W. Bush biography 'Fortunate Son' committed suicide. Or, "suicide" to delusional, pot-besotted far-left liberals.
This 2001 article (alternet.org/drugreporter/11881) - which originally appeared in High Times magazine - has the details. Not only do I not believe anything in that article, I encourage everyone else to treat it with extreme derision. See also pre-accident coverage from Salon and this McLaughlin transcript that makes the completely correct point that all the charges in that book were completely baseless.
Posted to Politics at 08:23 PM | Comments (3)
Employers can verify social security numbers electronically
Did you know that employers can verify that a social security number belongs to the person who's applying for a job and not to someone else, and that they can do it electronically? The program is called "Basic Pilot Employment Verification Program", and it's been available in California, New York, Florida, Illinois, and Texas since 1997. Nebraska was added in 1999, and all the other states were added in December.
Given those facts, you might say, "why, that could make it much more difficult for companies to plead ignorance in the unlikely event they're found to have hired an illegal alien."
Ah, but there you'd be wrong: the program is completely voluntary. Not only that, it's received little publicity and it's used by very few employers. Apparently, out of 5.7+ million companies in the U.S., just 4,385 use it. In Arizona, it's 101 users out of 96,000 companies.
More details in "Few firms use migrant ID service". As for the competitive disadvantage suffered by patriotic companies that use this service and don't hire illegal aliens, well, that's why we have courts.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 06:40 AM | Comments (1)
Illegal immigration for real DUmmies
How DUmb are the DUmmies when it comes to illegal immigration? About as DUmb as they are about other things. To see how sheep-like and gullible some DUmmies are, check out the MSNBC story "'Minutemen' gear up for mainstream movement". Notice anything interesting about the accompanying photo by Robert King of the Zuma Press? Here's a screengrab:
And, here I've (very roughly) divided the photo into nine parts:
And, here are two parts of the photo:
Now, if you were a DUmmie, you would end up saying something like:
Are they armed or just kickin' back with binoculars, brews and a cel phone?What gun? Anyone see a gun in that photograph? Oh, that! Why, that's barely visible. It's not like the Zuma Press was trying to make the gun as huge as possible and put it front and center so everyone would immediately notice it or anything. Here's another DUmmie comment:
On edit:
I just checked out the link and the photo shows a guy with a gun...
Of all the problems this country faces, illegal immigration ranks pretty damn low.Obviously, anyone who's spent some time reading this blog knows that it's one of the most pressing issues currently facing the U.S. Just because the MSM continually denies the existence of problems doesn't mean there aren't problems.
And, what would a DUmmie thread be without an absolutely idiotic comment? You know, the kind that puts all the other comments in the thread to shame:
The minutemen are nothing but republican brown shirt storm troopers who have been given the power and authority by the republican majority and the Patriot Act to shoot first and ask questions later. This is now beyond dangerous, because American military troops sworn to protect the U.S. people against all aggressors, are off fighting an insane war for the president and republican controlled corporations and interests, while the people are exposed and vulnerable to literally hundreds of thousands of these vigilante minutemen thugs.For all we know, some of those "republican controlled corporations and interests" might be posting things like this in "liberal" forums like DUmmieland. What better way to keep the money flowing than to have the "liberals" on your side?
Posted to Bloggage at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)
DUmmies discover study trains
Thankfully, there are some sane people over in DUmmieville. When I saw the post "anyone ever seen a train at night that has two very very bright lights on" I was half expecting some half-baked conspiracy plans involving lizardian beings or something. Instead, most of the comments rightfully mock such conspiratorial thinking. No tin foil hats needed there!
BTW, these are simply study trains. They film animals and the landscape around the trains looking for things like migration patterns, foliage that needs to be trimmed, etc. etc. They really are nothing to worry about.
UPDATE: As pointed out by the second comment, I have indeed made the bigtime. Thanks to Archae for noticing this blog. And, once again, study trains are nothing to worry about.
Posted to WackyHumor at 03:36 PM | Comments (2)
Why does anyone take libertarians seriously?
I mean, seriously now. Two San Diego libertarians attended a meeting of the group People for the USA in Yuma AZ. There in the heart of Invasion USA they advocated for Open Borders, among other wacky libertarian ideas. Now, granted, these are probably third-level loony liberaltarians, but even so you might expect a bit higher level of argumentation than:Metti said America is a country of immigrants that should be accepting of more immigration. He said more workers can take low-level jobs, pushing everyone else up economically. He said this would also decrease the number of corporations exporting jobs overseas.
"I respect people who will do anything to live free," Metti said of immigrants. "We as Americans should respect that. We've fought a war and killed thousands of people in what we say is a fight for freedom."
Those in the audience staunchly against open borders said that corporations that hire illegal aliens should be punished by the government. Metti disagreed. "You want to punish people for giving people jobs?" he said...
Posted to Politics at 01:31 PM | Comments (1)
Ronald McDonald back from fat farm, now trim, healthy
America's lovablest corporate shill is getting more than a face lift: he's getting a body lift as well. The new version of Ronald McDonald will be trimmer and instead of that clown outfit, he'll be seen sporting basketball and soccer outfits. He'll also be 'boarding, dude. Complete story here. "This is just another in our long line of pathetic attempts to avoid being sued into nothingness," a clearly disgruntled Mayor McCheese was heard to mutter.
Posted to Miscellania at 11:06 AM | Comments (1)
Jackie Goldberg, 200 page textbooks, and the Marxist dialectic
California Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg is the author of a bill that would limit "instructional materials" to be used in kindergarten through 8th grade to 200 pages in length or less. Yes, that's right, Sacramento now wants to micro-micro-manage the lives of Californians right down to the number of pages in textbooks. There's already a law - yes, a law - that restricts the weight of text books.Now, laughing at Jackie is certainly good fun and all, but the most pressing, nagging need for me is to know why the hell is she doing this? I mean, whatever she or the bill says, there's got to be something else going on. What is she after? It can't just be a desire to make students google for historical details and such. There's a start of speculation from a comment here:
...One can speculate on corruption (wiping out textbook contracts with some publishers, in favor of others) or ideological motives (wiping out use of some books in favor of new, more in-step books). If you simply take Goldberg at her word, she wants students to get more involved in the internet world, which of course abounds with all manner of, shall we say, eccentricity. It's one more way to attack parental authority over their kids...For more, see "Assembly sticks nose into textbooks", "A textbook case of stupidity", and this thread.
Leave your speculation in the comments. Best use of the phrases "Marxist dialectic" or "means of production" wins a red star.
Posted to California at 10:05 AM | Comments (0)
Mark of the Beast phobia revisited
The old post "Dispel your Mark of the Beast phobia, citizen!" discussed a company that wants to replace credit cards with fingerprint scanners. One old coot Old Testament reader balked, something about the Book of Revelations or something. A company marketeer noted, "Must continue to educate the public on how biometric technology works to dispel the 'Mark of the Beast' phobia."Now, that phobia is back as another company is trying something similar. WaPo reports in "Cash, charge or fingerprint? Retailers experimenting with biometric payments."
And, from "Activists flood board meeting for news shows":
AMITE [Louisiana] -- Nearly 200 Christian activists attended the Tangipahoa Parish School Board meeting Tuesday night where they prayed and protested the fingerprint scanners at two schools that some liken to the biblical end of the world...Apparently that report has since been edited, because google news shows it as having once contained the phrase "mark of the beast." Obviously the lizardian masters got to this small town TV station and forced them to change their report. There really is nothing to worry about, citizen.
Posted to Privacy at 08:42 AM | Comments (0)
Los Alamos whistleblower Tommy Hook: bar fight or setup?
A few days ago I posted "Los Alamos whistleblower Tommy Hook assaulted". Hook is going to testify before Congress on financial irregularities at Los Alamos National Laboratories, where he's an auditor.One will note that in that post I used the following hedge words: "reportedly" "apparently" "it doesn't look" "according to". I had a suspicion that something else might be afoot, and now we're told that the beating was because he backed into someone in the parking lot. And, the police have identified the perps and the case has gone to the D.A. for possible charges against either them, Hook, or both.
What's that you say? You have the nagging feeling that this is all too cut and dried? I mean, how difficult would it be for someone to stage being backed into, then get into a fight supposedly over that when in fact you were paid to intimidate someone?
Far-fetched you say! Not so to...
...colleague and fellow whistleblower, Chuck Montano, said he had secluded himself to recover from his injuries, but that Hook stands by his version of how the attack happened.But wait, that's just what you'd expect him to say. And, that's just what the conspiracy wants you to believe...
"What's unfortunate about this is that it appears to be Mr. Hook's word against the word of four or more assailants," Montano said. "These individuals involved would have every incentive to portray a different scenario than what Mr. Hook portrayed. That says volumes about how difficult it is as whistleblowers to bring issues to the surface."
Posted to Miscellania at 06:10 AM | Comments (0)
The liberal case against illegal immigration, Part 2
Welcome liberal friends! Could you please go read Victor Davis Hanson's "Illiberal aspects of illegal immigration rarely voiced". If you think of yourself as a liberal or a Democrat, you really should read the whole thing. Here's the ending however:...For too long the debate over illegal immigration has been demagogued on hot-button issues of economics, ethnicity and relations with Mexico. The subtext always has been that those who support open borders are somehow more caring or ethical than their purportedly insensitive opponents who wish a return to measured and legal immigration.See also the first installment of this feature.
In fact, the opposite is true. More frequently it is an uncaring elite - made up of both Democrats and Republicans - that advocates not enforcing immigration laws. And it is past time for them to explain why it is moral or liberal, rather than merely convenient, to import millions outside the law to do the jobs we supposedly cannot.
Posted to Immigration2005b at 08:02 PM | Comments (0)
I hate Vancouver too
Both Vancouvers: the one in Washington state, and - but much more so - the one in Canada. Visiting the latter city was a bit too disorienting an experience for me. In fact, it was almost like visiting a foreign country.
If you're not yet a V-Town hater, this report might make you change your mind. Warning: not for those with weak constitutions.
Previously: "Why I hate Seattle, Part 4519".
Posted to WackyHumor at 04:05 PM | Comments (0)
The Cyprus Caper
A Greek Albanian truck driver in Larnaca, Cyprus made a mad getaway from police, including driving around an airport's tarmac for 20 minutes forcing airplanes to slam on their brakes, even forcing one airplane to take evasive maneuvers.
What was he running from? He stole two trays of cookies valued at $87. I love my cookies too, but not that much! Full story here. Oddly enough, Reuters has a report here.
Posted to WackyHumor at 02:48 PM | Comments (0)
Is George W. Bush the anti-Christ?
Some site I've never heard of weighs the evidence in "Nice Guy? or the Devil's Spawn?" It's so hard to tell nowadays: does the author really believe this, or is it satire? I didn't read it closely enough to find out, but what I did read is pretty darn funny even for those of us who aren't particular fans of our homeland security president.
Posted to WackyHumor at 02:11 PM | Comments (0)
Illegal immigration advocates... want CAFTA changed
Let's send out a big "heh indeed" to Reps. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles) and Linda Sanchez (D-Lakewood) as well as to Sergio Barahona of the Central American Resource Center. They say that CAFTA will lead to increased illegal immigration. They don't want to completely stop it, nor do they wish to join with pro-borders groups to stop it, they just want to add in some protections:[the fine advocates] maintained that the pact, known as CAFTA, would depress wages and exacerbate poverty in the region, particularly among farmers.Full report in "CAFTA leads some to think illegal immigration could rise". I have absolutely no idea why advocates for illegal immigration would now raise questions about something that would seem to increase their ethnic power base. There must be something else going on, but what that is I don't know.
That, they said, would spur a move to cities, and if jobs are not plentiful enough to sustain migration, people will seek jobs outside their countries both legally and illegally.
"Guess what we're going to have? More immigrants from Central America coming to the United States," said Barahona, whose Los Angeles-based organization represents an estimated 1.5 million El Salvadorans in the United States, more than 700,000 of whom are believed to live in Southern California.
Added Becerra, "CAFTA will do nothing to improve the situation when it comes to immigration, particularly undocumented immigration..."
UPDATE: From "Bush seeks to ease concerns over Cafta":
The White House on Thursday offered to negotiate with congressional Democrats over enforcing labour rights provisions in a trade agreement with Central America and the Dominican Republic, the latest sign that the administration fears the proposed deal is in jeopardy...As if you needed any more reason to oppose CAFTA, see "Former President Carter backs Cafta".
Posted to Immigration2005a at 12:17 PM | Comments (0)
Leader Bush to promulgate immigration stance clarification
The AP or the Boston Globe actually calls their report "Bush to try to clarify immigration stance":In a meeting with members of Congress, President Bush said he needs to do a better job explaining his position on immigration changes, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said Wednesday.According to a spokesman, Bush's immigration ideas haven't changed, he just needs to explain them better. In related news, experts predict that Bush's popularity could reach single digits sometime in the news few weeks.
"He admitted he hasn't done a very good job in being clear to the American people where he's coming from, and he's going to try to do better," said DeLay, who attended the White House session where the president discussed his legislative agenda.
In January 2004, Bush urged an overhaul of immigration policies and said he supported a temporary guest worker program...
Posted to Immigration2005b at 10:03 AM | Comments (0)
Howard Dean is the Democratic Party
Howard Dean, on yesterday's Today Show:
...[Republicans] are attacking immigrants, two Republican congressmen, Jim Sensenbrenner and Tom Tancredo have incredible anti-immigrant legislation...This might be the least shocking and most mainstream "liberal" thing he's said recently. How many times have you heard these same (false) statements from other "liberals" and from the non-liberal news media?
As #4 commented:
...As to Sensenbrenner and Tancredo, they're not against immigration. It's illegal immigration, Dr. Dean, that they are talking about and you know it. And you know it. Both parties are on the verge of blowing this. This is something got people in the country riled up to the point that whatever party champions this is going to get a leg up, and the Republicans and Democrats both seem reluctant to do it. The Democrats are looking at future voters in illegal immigration. The Republicans, at some level of their party don't want to upset their contributors who hire illegal immigrant labor. Party interests here diverge, but they end up basically not doing anything about a program and a situation that just has an increasing number of millions of Americans upset and outraged that nothing is being done about it. Now, here's the bite I told you about at the beginning of the program that pretty much establishes my point that Howard Dean is saying what the Democrats want him to say... [example follows]Surprisingly, Dean's latest outburst made the AP: "Sensenbrenner and Dean trade insults over immigration". They don't mention that they've used "anti-immigrant" time and time again. That AP report covers Sensenbrenner's letter to Gov. Dr. Dean:
I was extremely disappointed to hear of your latest outrageous political assault this morning on The Today Show. You accused me by name of "attacking immigrants" and having "incredible anti- immigrant legislation," an apparent reference to the REAL ID legislation that enjoyed strong bipartisan support in the House and Senate as well as by the Bush Administration. By implication, the 42 House Democrats who voted for the REAL ID Act and Senate Democrats like Senator Byrd who proved invaluable in moving this antiterrorism legislation through the Senate are also guilty of "attacking immigrants..."
Posted to Politics at 09:19 AM | Comments (0)
Colorblind casting, indeed
AP:When Jackie Gleason was growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn in the 1930s, many of his neighbors resembled his family, Irish and working-class. Today, the residents remain mostly working-class, but almost all are black.Obviously - obvious to everyone but the AP - this isn't colorblind casting. This is about the money: apparently that studio decided that they'd make more money with this configuration than with, say, Alec Baldwin as Ralph and Janeane Garofalo as Alice (just to choose two names). Also, let me know when - for instance - The Color Purple is remade with an all-Bollywood cast.
Perhaps, then, it makes sense that a film remake of Gleason's classic TV comedy "The Honeymooners" would feature a mostly black cast, with Cedric the Entertainer as the new face of loudmouthed Ralph Kramden.
The film, which opens in theaters Friday, reflects a growing trend in recent years called cross-casting - casting minorities in roles originally played by whites...
Colorblind casting in remakes, some say, is a hopeful sign that Hollywood executives are increasingly understanding that talented actors of color can fill prominent roles - and drive ticket sales...
Posted to MultiCultiCult at 08:51 AM | Comments (0)
Did Barbara Boxer lie about Priscilla Owen?
It's moot now ("Owen Takes Oath for Seat on Appeals Court"), and I've taken to ignoring VRWC action alerts, but what I'm about to discuss is pretty outrageous, albeit not too surprising.Buried in this long anti-Owen screed from California's wackier senator is this:
...Let's check those cases out. How about this one: Rape victims; she was the only member of the court to vote to overturn the conviction of a rapist of a 17-year-old girl because she believed the victim gave mixed messages to the rapist. She stood alone on the side of a rapist, alone as a woman on a court that has six Republicans and one Democrat...I believe #4 might have already commented on this, but because it's for subscribers I don't know. In any case, my VRWC sources tell me that this was a case of consensual sex at a party, but the girl told the 17-year-old boy to stop since she had to get home. The boy tried to get her to continue. Owen apparently wanted to reduce his sentence because she didn't think he should receive the full sentence due to the circumstances. Now, I don't have the complete details at hand, and I'm not going to look them up, but - if my source is correct - what Boxer says is, if not completely false, then quite misleading.
Looking up this case, and discrediting all of Boxer's other statements in her screed, is left as an exercise. Part of the answer has already been filled in.
Posted to Politics at 06:11 AM | Comments (0)
Do disposable video cameras make sense?
CVS is going to start selling a disposable video camera (USA Today). It costs $29.95, then you need to pay an extra $12.95 to get your video burned onto a DVD. And, of course, you don't get to keep the camera. Meanwhile, the company can most likely keep using the camera's innards over and over, since it's all digital. It also only records 20 minutes of action, and you can only play back the most recent scene you shot.
CVS is the exclusive vendor, and Pure Digital Technologies is the manufacturer. They currently make all-digital disposable still cams, and they appear to have some heavyweight backing and executives from larger companies.
On the other hand, you could always go to Fry's (or a nicer store) and spend a couple hundred bucks on an open box cam. You can find an even better price on a used videocam from craigslist.
But, for those special moments when you've, (just as an example) got Paris Hilton cooling her heels in the car, this might make sense.
Apparently the parts costs on this camera is $35, so just as long as they can find enough people in a similar situation it might be profitable. It also doesn't make that much sense for hobbyists, since they could assemble something probably even better for a similar price. But, if this becomes popular, it will probably also have an effect on the prices for related components like memory cards.
Posted to Miscellania at 05:52 PM | Comments (1)
Debra Bowen disfavored by Kremlin, voted off Politburo committee
CA Sen. Debra Bowen (D-Marina del Rey) - a candidate for Secretary of State - was recently voted off California's Senate Appropriations Committee. By her fellow Democrats.
Why? Because she failed to blindly agree to spending millions of dollars. Apparently she spent six years getting information on what the Dems were freely spending on a day or two before. However, recently Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) demanded that others on the Committee sign on to her spending proposals sight unseen.
Bowen balked, and she was voted off the Committee by her fellow Dems, apparently lead by Migden and Don Perata (D-Oakland). Gritty details in "Bowen punished by her own party".
There is no word yet on whether she will be sent to Siberia, or whether she can be rehabilitated. A quick check revealed that she had not yet been airbrushed out of the Party photographs.
For more on Bowen, see "Texas bans hunting over Internet". See also "Don Peralta, Regency Outdoor in the news".
Note also that this could be a secret operation designed to disassociate Bowen from her fellow Dems in the minds of voters. Once she's elected to Sec'y of State, she could resume her Democratic ways. That's a remote possibility, but it needs to be considered.
Posted to California at 03:57 PM | Comments (0)
OTMs on MSM radar
For some reason, OTMs ("Other Than Mexicans") are now on the MSM's perspicacious radar screen.The AZ Daily Star combines their own reporting with the AP's reporting to create "Entrants not from Mexico big concern".
The L.A. Daily News' Washington Bureau offers "Most illegal aliens freed on bail, own recognizance".
Neither of those reports have much new to report, but if you aren't familiar with this issue they're worth a look.
UPDATE: There's yet another roundup in "Non-Mexican migrants swamp immigration, border agencies".
Unlike the other reports, there's actually news in "Release of non-Mexican illegals questioned":
...three U.S. senators Tuesday pressed federal officials to stem the flow by halting the routine release of thousands of non-Mexican illegal immigrants every month by the Border Patrol.Expedited removal is only used in the Tucson and Laredo sectors, not in the other seven along the border.
"Tell me what we can do and what it would cost," asked Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala...
"There is a vision, and it's already started," responded Wesley Lee, the acting director of Detention and Removal at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Lee, like Border Patrol chief David Aguilar, touted a program of "expedited removal" that puts illegal immigrants on a fast track for deportation...
Posted to Immigration2005a at 01:53 PM | Comments (2)
"Teen reporter targeted for immigration column"
According to our sources at WND, a student at Corvallis High School in Oregon wrote a column for his school newspaper in which he called Our Leader to task for his support of illegal immigration. How did it work out?Demarest said those participating in the first protest of his column were not necessarily Hispanics, but rather "the uppity-ups in the English Department."
The second protest, held on Thursday, was more about "brown pride," Demarest said, and was sponsored by the MEChA chapter at Oregon State University, which is also located in Coravallis...
The protest consisted of about 50 people marching around the campus in silence behind a Mexican flag.
According to the Corvallis Gazette-Times, about 10 percent of Corvallis High's 1,400 students are Latino, many of whom refer to themselves as Mexicanos...
Posted to Immigration2005b at 12:34 PM | Comments (3)
AVWatch: An Antonio Villaraigosa roundup
There's a roundup of the events and associations that the Los Angeles Times and all other MSM sources refuse to cover here. I'd suggest sending that link to public *at* nytimes.com and onlinenewshour *at* newshour.org and ask them to cover the issues that the LAT, Newsweek, and all the rest conveniently ignore.
Posted to Los_Angeles at 09:49 AM | Comments (0)
Katherine Harris to run for Senate from Florida
Big Republican Hair victim, over-user of makeup, bringer to us of Bushes, and conserva-babe U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL) has announced she's running for Senate from Florida in 2006. Ride 'em cowgirl!
Posted to Politics at 06:10 AM | Comments (2)
JAMA: Immigrants bringing drug-resistant TB to U.S.
The Journal of the American Medical Association has a special issue on tuberculosis. From "Drug-resistant TB coming to U.S. from abroad-study":...Dr. Reuben Granich of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told a news conference that while TB fell overall by 33 percent in California between 1994 and 2003, the proportion of cases that resisted more than two drugs, called multidrug-resistant or MDR TB, remained steady.Oddly enough (as they say), this is from Reuters and it doesn't sugar-coat the issue. The same cannot be said for, for instance, WebMD's "Drug-Resistant TB Continues in California". It mentions CA, NY, and TX as leading the nation in TB cases. What else do they lead the nation in? The reader is left to figure that out on their own.
His team studied all reported cases of tuberculosis on California, the state with the most cases of TB in the United States...
See also ""Catastrophe in Care: Hospitals are being crippled by the costs of treating migrants".
Posted to Immigration2005a at 04:55 PM | Comments (1)
"U.S. officials promote programs for Mexican immigrants"
Can you spot the contradiction in this introductory paragraph from Knight Ridder's "U.S. officials promote programs for Mexican immigrants":U.S. government officials convened Monday in San Francisco to promote programs, services and benefits available to Mexican immigrants in this country, including those who are undocumented, under a binational effort aimed at protecting workers' rights and improving the health of families...Those of you who are old fuddy-duddies will probably have a problem with the U.S. government encouraging illegal immigration. But, wait, it gets worse. They're doing so with our friends from Mexico:
The officials from the Department of Labor and Department of Agriculture spoke to dozens of representatives of Mexican consulates from throughout the Western United States in a daylong training seminar aimed at jointly promoting immigrant rights...While I don't want to see workers exploited, I believe a far better way to avoid that would be for the federal government to fight against illegal immigration. That would also be consistent with our laws. And, no matter what we do, we should keep the Mexican government and their consulates at arm's length.
While the government representatives seemed careful to not publicly emphasize how illegal immigrants can benefit under federal laws, the consuls and a top official from Mexico's Foreign Ministry in interviews spoke openly about how the undocumented often don't complain about working conditions for fear their employer will have them deported...
Maybe it's time for the American public to consider their options. If you don't want to go that far, contact your representatives and make clear to them that you oppose these sort of activities.
Posted to Immigration2005a at 02:52 PM | Comments (1)
Welcome libertarian Open Borders advocates!
Because you have a special ideology, I have a special treat for you: "Does the Free Market Require 'Free' Immigration?"
Note also that even someone as libertarianly pure as Michael Badnarik is opposed to illegal immigration.
Posted to Immigration2005a at 12:10 PM | Comments (0)
Monkeys to ride dolphins, join forces, attack mankind
The pace of evolution seems to have... accelerated. First we had monkeys using tools. Meanwhile, one of their brother monkeys started walking upright, just like we (that is, assuming you're a human) do.
Now, "Dolphins Observed Using Tools". Our mammalian brothers off Australia use sponges to protect their snouts while foraging on the sea floor.
Join PETA before it's too late, and make sure and wear your membership card around your neck.
Posted to WackyHumor at 10:11 AM | Comments (0)
"Report Card on America’s Schools: Illegal Immigration Provides Lesson in Negative Numbers"
A new FAIR study shows just how much we're spending to educate another country's children. From the press release:With the traditional end of the school year, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) has updated its study of the impact of illegal immigration on America’s public schools. Breaking the Piggy Bank: How Illegal Immigration is Sending Schools Into the Red estimates that nationwide, the cost of educating the children of illegal aliens in the U.S. now runs an astonishing $28.6 billion...
Posted to Immigration2005a at 06:46 AM | Comments (0)
AVWatch: what's the SacBee smoking?
I just ran across the 5/18/05 Laura Mecoy article "Villaraigosa wins L.A. mayor's race", which contains this:For instance, he quickly renounced Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, or MEChA, a controversial group he joined in college, and avoided the criticism Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante faced after he refused to renounce the organization during his unsuccessful 2003 gubernatorial campaign.Perhaps Mecoy lives in a separate universe or something.
Because, as I recall and as I believe to be accurate in our universe, Antonio Villaraigosa ("AV") didn't renounce MEChA until a week before the election. A local reporter who closely followed the race confirmed that as having been the first time AV renounced that group.
And, that was after refusing to renounce that organization, saying "I was in the Boy Scouts too."
And, four years ago he also refused to renounce that group to a KNX reporter. He played the "help I'm being oppressed" race card at that time.
And, of course, Mecoy's "quickly" is apparently meant in the geological sense, as he was a member three decades ago.
He avoided the criticism because papers like the L.A. Times (and probably the SacBee as well) simply ignored his involvement in suspect causes and groups.
Now, he can move on to renouncing his involvement with a parade which was lead by the Mexican Army band and that concerned demanding rights for Mexican citizens who are in the U.S. illegally. But, wait, that's not the even more shocking association that the LAT and the SacBee can ignore. Details in "AVWatch: Villaraigosa's under-reported associations".
Posted to Los_Angeles at 10:22 PM | Comments (0)
Los Alamos whistleblower Tommy Hook assaulted
Whistleblower Tommy Hook was at the Cheeks Night Club in Santa Fe early Sunday morning, reportedly to meet someone else who had information on financial irregularities at Los Alamos. The unknown informant didn't show, but as Hook was leaving he was apparently assaulted in the parking lot. It doesn't look like robbery was the motive, and according to his wife the assailants told Hook, "If you know what's good for you, you'll keep your mouth shut."
AP report here. Backstory here. Previous problems at Los Alamos in this Wired series. See also "Chinese diplomats rush past [Los Alamos National Laboratory] guards".
UPDATE: Now see "Los Alamos whistleblower Tommy Hook: bar fight or setup?"
Posted to Miscellania at 08:54 PM | Comments (0)
Would Al Franken be any worse than Norm Coleman?
Air America Radio's Al Franken is considering running for Senator from Minnesota. If he wants a plank that would get a lot of support and would be pro-American, he might want to take a look at the June 19, 2004 press release "Coleman calls discussions with president Vicente Fox of Mexico positive on issues important to Minnesota". If you've just eaten, come back to this post in an hour:Senator Norm Coleman, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotics, emerged from an appearance and one-on-one meeting with President Vicente Fox of Mexico with good news on several issues of importance to Minnesota, including the announcement that a Mexican consulate will be opened soon in Minnesota...Hardly suppressing his schoolgirl-like glee, Coleman (a United States Senator) continued:
Earlier in the afternoon Coleman was also with President Fox at Cesar Chavez Charter School in St. Paul when he made the surprise announcement that he wanted to open a Mexican consulate in Minnesota as soon as possible...
"In his speech he did say there would be a Mexican Consulate, 'aqui', and he was in St. Paul... In my basic Spanish that translates as 'here,' so I take that to mean St. Paul. The details still need to be worked out."I'm sure Fox said some other things involving the word "aqui", but Coleman didn't understand them. See the links at the end of "Minneapolisians celebrate diversity, global connectedness, sweetness, light" for more on that troubled state. For a later report on the consulate, see "Is the Onion based in Minneapolis?"
Posted to Politics at 02:51 PM | Comments (0)
ACLU: "Cowboys" enforcing immigration laws
Welcome to the Los Angeles Times' little world. In that world, it's unusual to enforce our immigration laws. Needless to say, the ACLU lives there too. Unfortunately, our "homeland security president" and his underlings live in that very same world.From the LAT comes "Local Police, U.S. Agents Differ on Raids" (AP summary in "Local police didn't tip federal agents in SoCal immigration sweeps"):
When U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested more than 400 undocumented immigrants a year ago in controversial Southland sweeps, they said they acted partly in response to tips from local law enforcement agencies.The Border Patrol says the tips may have come through unofficial channels, have been made by citizens, made confidentially, etc. etc.
But hundreds of pages of documents about the raids, released by federal officials in response to a lawsuit from the ACLU, show no specific evidence of such tips, and several police agencies told The Times last week that they did not inform Border Patrol agents of the whereabouts of suspected illegal immigrants before the sweeps...
...The Escondido Police Department was the only one of seven agencies contacted by The Times not to dispute the Border Patrol's claims...
...The sweeps raised protests among politicians, church leaders and the Mexican government because they extended well beyond the border and caused fear in immigrant neighborhoods, even among people in the U.S. legally.Despite the overwhelming cultural presence of 'Born in East L.A.', those who are here legally have nothing to fear except the possibility of a slight inconvenience. As for those politicians et al., do some or all really have the best interests of the U.S. at heart? (See "AVWatch: Villaraigosa's under-reported associations" and "Rep. Joe Baca is making sense") As for the Mexican government, should we allow them to dictate our immigration enforcement policies? Aren't they - like some or all of the politicians - just on the other side?
Subsequently, the Department of Homeland Security determined that the agents did not get required approval from headquarters and did not coordinate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency primarily responsible for immigration violations away from the border. Homeland Security officials then clarified that the Border Patrol should concentrate on the border, major transportation hubs and travel routes north...There's a story for the Times: why did the DHS cave in? Are they corrupt or just scared of far-left racial demagogues?
...The documents, sought by the ACLU in a lawsuit alleging possible violation of immigrants' rights...So, the ACLU says it's "harrasment" to enforce our laws. And, those who do so are "cowboys." Did we need reminding of which side they're on? See "The enemy within".
...ACLU attorney Ranjana Natarajan said she believes the dozen agents harassed "day laborers and other vulnerable workers" out of frustration over the Inland Empire's growing immigrant population.
"It looks like it was a bunch of cowboys at the Temecula office who wanted to do more," she said. "They clearly wanted to do interior enforcement... They didn't bother to get any approval."
...The sweeps had a profound effect in some areas: Some immigrants said they were scared to go to local markets or schools...Memo to the Times: legal "immigrants" have nothing to fear from the BP. Those who are here illegally shouldn't be attending schools in the first place.
Also see:
Reports on the Temecula townhall meeting
"Homeland Security? Not Yet"
Search for Hutchinson for more
Posted to Immigration2005a at 12:02 PM | Comments (1)
(Jorge) Castaneda has a vision
Jorge Castaneda, Mexico's former foreign secretary, recently spoke at a conference in San Antonio, and:For the U.S., Mexico and Canada, a secure and prosperous future hinges on an increased level of integration that would create a type of "North American Economic Community," Mexican presidential hopeful Jorge Castaneda told reporters during a speech in San Antonio on Saturday.I can imagine how Castaneda's lunchtime conversation went:
"I think the best possible alternative (to the status quo in North American relations) is an intensifying of NAFTA in the direction of a European Economic Community..."
Castaneda's vision is that the three nations can strike a "grand bargain" by tackling each country's most vexing problems simultaneously...
Another approach would be to take the biggest current issues - such as homeland security and immigration - and try to solve them from a North American perspective, rather than one country's, he said.
So if the U.S. wants Mexico's cooperation to secure its borders from terrorists, and Mexico wants the U.S.' help to ease the flow of migrants north and south of the border, there is an incentive to work together, Castaneda argued...
"If you give me half your steak, and I don't take the salt away, well, then it's a win-win!"I kid, but this is quite a serious issue.
See also:
2002: "Mexico pushes for continental integration"
"Jorge Castaneda proves just how right Samuel Huntington is"
"Mexican Aggression And Its American Collaborators"
"The New Hemispheric Order"
The "New Partnership in North America": double-plus NAFTA
And, for a classic older quote from Jorge, see "Mexico to begin "propagating militant activities" in the U.S."
How much would it cost to extend the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific?
Posted to NAU at 07:18 AM | Comments (0)
Mort Zuckerman: Massive illegal alien amnesty is a "second chance"
U.S. News & World Report's Morton Zuckerman offers us "A Second Chance", all about "immigration reform". There are only three good ideas in this editorial: first, at least this magazine is covering this; second, he wants to end or reduce chain migration, aka "family reunification"; third, he wants to bring in more skilled labor.
However, like others, he comes out in favor of "immigration reform", such as that offered by Bush's horrific plan or by the McKennedy amnesty. It includes this:
...We have to figure out how to fully integrate these illegal immigrants into our nation so that they become productive, law-abiding citizens, paying taxes and learning English...
We have to do no such thing. "Having to" integrate millions of illegal aliens now will just provide an incentive for millions more to come, all of whom will "have to" be integrated. How about we reduce the incentives for remaining here illegally at the same time as making it unprofitable to employ illegal aliens. As pointed out many times before, hundreds of thousands or even more illegal aliens will repatriate themselves, and we won't have to go out of our way to accomodate them.
The hope would be that once the available jobs were filled by authorized immigrants, those unauthorized would stop coming because employers could no longer hire them. This would free the Border Patrol to look for terrorists--instead of people just seeking work...
Yeah, it's good to know we're basing policy on "hope." What will actually happen is employers will keep employing illegals until it's unprofitable to do so. They'll donate some money and get exemptions in return. Or, Bush will just not enforce the law as he's doing now.
He goes on to say that these "reform" proposals are not amnesties. And, perhaps in some extremely strict, legalistic definition in some dictionary somewhere he might be right. However, in any case it will be perceived as an amnesty in all those countries that have sent us millions of people. And, it will show that the U.S. is "easy", leading to millions more coming here in expectation of the next last non-amnesty amnesty.
Posted to Immigration2005a at 02:40 PM | Comments (0)
Poll question: Is George Bush the Anti-Christ?
Question: if nine people "aren't sure" or think the anti-Christ is someone else, but 21 say there's no such thing as Beelzebub, and 35 say that yes, Our Leader President Bush is indeed the Evil One (for 54%), what site do you think you're at?
Aww, that was too easy. See also the "Official Freeper lurker piss off thread...." Zzzzz...
Posted to WackyHumor at 02:10 PM | Comments (1)
America's immigration system is broken, and needs to be fixed
America is a land of immigrants. Today, immigrants come to do the jobs that Americans won't do. Today's wave of immigration is just like past waves. Everyone agrees that our immigration system is broken and needs fixing.Oh, sorry. I was just reading this card I found on the ground... let's see, what's on the other side... Party Line Printers, Berkeley CA???
Oh my.
Anyhoo, while reading the rather unremarkable "news report" entitled "Immigration forum Sunday in St. Helena", I ran across the only quote they provide from "noted immigration law expert Mark Silverman" from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center:
"Everyone agrees immigration is broken and needs fixing, but nobody can agree how to fix it," Silverman said. "We're talking to people about their legal rights."I don't know whether he said more than that, or whether that was the first and only thing he said to the "reporter." But, you can see the same exact comment from others here. And, when we change the wording slightly, we get even more hits, including one from Sen. John McCain of McKennedy amnesty fame.
Posted to Immigration2005a at 01:10 PM | Comments (0)
"Catastrophe in Care: Hospitals are being crippled by the costs of treating migrants"
Leo W. Banks has a long, depressing article about the health care crisis caused by massive illegal immigration. Print it out, take it to a "liberal" you know, and stand there while they read it.
Posted to Immigration2005a at 12:09 PM | Comments (0)
Mexico's Political Agenda Behind Migration Talks
There's a good roundup of the threat posed by massive illegal immigration in "Mexico's Political Agenda Behind Migration Talks: Americans Should Heed Warnings to Preserve National Unity".
The author has first-hand knowledge of the mindset she describes. In 2003 she spoke at the California hearings during which "American" legislators discussed accepting Mexican ID cards. At the hearing, former Sen. John Vasconcellos basically advocated giving the U.S. southwest back to Mexico. See "Since We Stole It, Let Them Steal It Back".
Posted to Immigration2005a at 11:42 AM | Comments (1)
Is the CPUSA shredding documents?
No, it's not the CPUSA, but it's close: "Concerns Arise at A.C.L.U. Over Document Shredding":The American Civil Liberties Union has been shredding some documents over the repeated objections of its records manager and in conflict with its longstanding policies on the preservation and disposal of records.When I saw this developing at Drudge I was - needless to say - very, very excited. However, this turned out to be mainly an inside-the-ACLU report, much like, say, the Village Voice would write about the turmoil inside the CPUSA or some other similar organization.
The matter has fueled a dispute at the organization over internal operations, one of several such debates over the last couple of years, and has reignited questions over whether the A.C.L.U.'s own practices are consistent with its public positions.
The organization has generally advocated for strong policies on record retention and benefited from them, most recently obtaining and publicizing documents from the government about prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The debate over the use of shredders is reminiscent of one late last year over the organization's efforts to collect a wide variety of data on its donors, even as it criticizes corporations and government agencies for accumulating personal data as a violation of privacy rights...
...The organization is sensitive to such leaks, given past government scrutiny of its membership...
I want dirt, Drudge. Real, dirty, hardcore dirt that will finally send the ACLU back to Russia.
Posted to Politics at 09:55 AM | Comments (0)
Charlotte Church: Cor blimey, Bush is a might beardo!
Phwoar! Cockney pop songstress Charlotte Church (now legal in all jurisdictions) has 'ad 'erself a might busy week!First off, the Scotsman (UK) translates her latest pronouncement from the rhyming tones of East London into the Queen's English: "Charlotte Church: Bush Is A Right Weirdo":
...The singer took a swipe at the famous men during an appearance on Glasgow-based Clyde 1 radio to promote her new single, Crazy Chick.
"[Disgraced ex-president Bill 'Bubba'] Clinton was lovely, in tune with everyone else, but George Bush just hasn't got a clue what he's doing... He asked me what state Wales was in. I said: 'It's its own country next to England, actually Mr Bush'... If he doesn't know the rest of the countries in Europe, he could at least know what's in his own country. I'm really worried about it. He's a right weirdo."
She didn't stop there! Next up, the young anti-Papist attacked the new Pope: But she detests the current Pontiff, because he branded the tomes [JK Rowling's Harry Potter series] "products of evil" and aims to prevent any future sequels before the wizard tales completely eradicate Christianity.
Not only that, but she's now flirting with the satanic influences of Buddhism!
"Pope Benedict's unwarranted criticism of the Harry Potter books proves that the church still has its feet firmly planted in the intellectual muck of the thirteenth century," said Church. "By every measure one can name—the ordination of women, the right of priests to marry, the affirmation of gay rights, the wisdom of family planning—the church is at odds with forward-thinking Catholic intellectuals everywhere."Then, we learn that the New Hebrides' Attitude Magazine has named sweet Charlotte to be their #1 gay icon.
If you'd prefer to see her hetero icons on display, go here. Cor, blimey, and phwoar!
Posted to WackyHumor at 08:52 AM | Comments (1)
Minneapolisians celebrate diversity, global connectedness, sweetness, light
The wife (Megan O'Hara) of the mayor of Minneapolis (R.T. Rybak) offers us a wonderful, heartwarming, life-affirming lesson that's not just about that city's Minneapolis MOSAIC Arts Festival, it's about how absolutely wonderful immigration is. If you haven't yet had your daily cup of treacle, dip into "Our urban culture reflects heritage of immigrants":Immigrants have come from across the world to leave their mark on Minneapolis. French fur traders and European settlers made their living in trade with the Native Americans living here for millennia. One hundred years ago it was Swedes, Norwegians and Eastern Europeans... [etc. etc. etc.]Ah hah! I knew this editorial had a point. Apparently some Minnesotans - xenophobes all - are trying to inject some reality into O'Hara's multiculti fantasy world.
...Despite a Minnesota tradition of welcome and strong social services, recent surveys have shown a strain in the fabric of generosity in our state. Some Minnesotans worry that immigrants put too high a burden on our public services and take our jobs.
But if the post-9/11 world has shown us anything, it is that we live in state of global connectedness. As trade barriers have fallen and immigration has risen, the faces we see all around us are part of the new economy and the new society...In other words, like it or not, this is what we're going to do, so you might as well just get used to it. As for the 9/11 bit, that's verging awfully close into Ward Churchill territory.
[...she goes on...] There is no better way to understand each other than to revel in the songs, drumming, dance, theater and spoken traditions of our neighbors. But it's not just celebrating diversity, it is celebrating our common life... [...she goes on some more...]Think of her as a condescending, useful idiot, Sally Struthers of globalization and free trade.
I'll stipulate that immigration is great, if people like O'Hara are willing to fully disclose exactly why they and their associates are so much in favor of it and are willing to discuss the downsides as well.
Previously:
"[MN Governor] Pawlenty Asks Cities To Rethink Immigration Ordinances"
Richfield Minnesota gets infiltrated
MNDaily: "Bill would get Minnesota immigrants in-state tuition"
Counting the lies in Moccio / Fennelly screed
Posted to MultiCultiCult at 12:35 PM | Comments (1)
Illegal aliens arrest at shipyard: Pascagoula
26 employees of a subcontractor of Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Operations in Pascagoula, MS have been arrested for working illegally in the U.S., falsely claiming to be U.S. citizens, and other violations. NGSS builds and repairs commercial ships as well as military vessels for the U.S. and other countries. The Navy was involved in this latest investigation.
Detailed local version in "Subcontractor employees arrested at Northrop". AP version in "Authorities arrest 26 illegal immigrants at Northrop Grumman". Many other similar stories - including at least one involving gang members working on U.S. Navy ships - in this category.
Posted to Immigration_terror at 11:09 AM | Comments (0)
Pro-illegal immigration groups gather, are ignored
Dan Stein reports:A coalition of illegal alien advocacy groups including MALDEF, CHIRLA, SEIU and several dozen protestors holding signs demanding amnesty for illegal aliens, held a news conference on the steps of the Los Angeles City Hall this afternoon...Apparently only KNX, KFWB or some other all-news station was the only English-language station that bothered to show up.
After the formal press conference, FAIR media director Ira Mehlman was interviewed by the press that did attend, presenting the arguments against rewarding millions of illegal aliens, and in the process punishing millions more Americans and legal immigrants. The organizers clearly were not pleased, as each interview was accompanied by angry glares from the leaders of the illegal alien advocacy groups who hovered around.
The protesters were there to support Kennedy-McCain, aka the McKennedy amnesty.
Posted to Immigration2005a at 10:20 AM | Comments (0)
OTMs in Brownsville to be deported
As previously discussed ("Other-than-Mexicans give themselves up to get released into the U.S.") OTMs have been basically surrendering to BP agents because there's no detention space. Thus, they get a notice to appear in 30 days, they're released, and they're never heard from again.Now, one Brownsville judge appears to be attempting to change that:
...U.S. Magistrate Judge Felix Recio made a statement Thursday [seven] Central Americans who were caught this week crossing the Rio Grande near Brownsville.Full story here. Same report here.
"I want you to tell all your friends in Honduras that if they come through Brownsville, Texas, they will not be paroled into the system and they will be put in jail and deported," Recio told Vasquez in open court as he handed him a jail sentence that could keep him here until space opens at an immigration facility and he could be deported...
Posted to Immigration2005a at 09:14 AM | Comments (0)
Just how worthless is the Democratic Party?
Worthless enough to try to pass a law forbidding Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's smoking tent. From the analysis of AB 616:Current law prohibits smoking within 20 feet of a main entrance or main exit of a state, county or city building. However, there is not a law governing outdoor areas, such as patios or courtyards within public buildings. This bill would prohibit a public employee or member of the public from smoking in an outdoor area enclosed on at least four sides by a state public building or buildings, excluding outdoor areas enclosed on at least four sides by a building or buildings on a CSU campus or a UC campus.The California Assembly recently voted 41-32 in favor, with all of those opposing being Republicans. From the SacBee:
Supporters said Assembly Bill 616 by Assemblyman Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, would eliminate wafting smoke from the tent, which they say seeps into office windows in the upper floors of the office building surrounding the courtyard. In some cases, supporters said, children visiting the Capitol are exposed to smoke - and the sight of a governor smoking...Needless to say, Arnold will veto this bill. How much time and money did these Democrats waste on a useless, childish gesture? It would be nice if Democrats in other states realized how much of an embarrassment their fellows in California are, and decided to step in and try to put adults in charge.
"We didn't do things this dumb in kindergarten," fumed Assemblyman Jay LaSuer, R-La Mesa. "But we weren't that devious in kindergarten."
Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Murrieta, noted that the state faces another budget deficit and a host of other problems, and "we're worried about whether or not the governor smokes cigars outside his office? Ladies and gentlemen, let's get serious."
Posted to California at 07:46 PM | Comments (0)
"The immigrant 'cheap labor' myth"
Jon Dougherty crunches the numbers and tells us:...immigrants – legal and illegal – inflict a net drain on the U.S. economy, when you factor in all of the expenses associated with providing them taxpayer- and consumer-supported benefits and services.
While it is true there are some industries benefiting from cheap labor – agriculture, for one – bare-bones, unbiased, non-partisan statistics prove beyond reproach that illegal immigrants are costing the nation much more than they contribute to it...
Posted to Immigration2005a at 06:32 PM | Comments (2)
"Liberals" support "truth", oppose "balance"
As Lionel Hutz might say, there's the "truth", and then there's the "truth" ("liberal" version). From "Liberal Media Reformers Call for 'Truth' Over 'Balance'":Claiming that conservative bias is a "major crisis in the U.S. media," a panel of liberal journalists and media analysts said news organizations should promote "truth" over "balance."
"The conservatives have got us, as a country, now believing that balance -- giving both sides -- is the same as truth, and there are some things that are just false," said Linda Foley, president of The Newspaper Guild, during a panel discussion on media reform at the "Take Back America" conference in Washington, D.C.
"The discussion that we have to have balanced reports is kind of crazy" when a story is false, she added.
Take global warming, said Josh Silver, another panelist and executive director of the Fair Press media reform organization.
Silver said the United States is the only developed, industrialized country that still debates in the mainstream media whether or not global warming is happening. No need to give the other side on that topic, he was suggesting, since global warming is the truth...
Posted to Politics at 06:29 PM | Comments (0)
Illegal immigration and civil insurrection
It's not difficult to find MSM propaganda supporting massive illegal immigration. What's harder to come by is MSM articles discussing such issues as whether the presence of millions of citizens of other countries in our country poses a danger as regards civil insurrection.However, the OC Register offers us an article that even the most corrupt supporter of massive illegal immigration might want to consider: "Alliance without borders". The group described wants Indians to be able to traverse the border at will. One wonders whether that also includes those who are part Indian, such as the Mestizos, who make up 60% or so of Mexico's population.
The article also includes this bit:
She helped organize a May 25 protest [of a speech by the Minuteman Project's founder in Garden Grove] to demonstrate opposition. She said her intentions were nonviolent - but she stopped well short of condemning the rock and can throwing that took place.As covered many times before, there's a very great threat of terrorists coming across our borders. However, there's also a threat posed by agitated, far-left, anti-Americans who are already here. Since some putative Americans who profit off illegal immigration are so corrupt they care only about themselves, they might want to consider the threat to their property (or worse) posed by those groups.
"When there is hatred in the community, things can happen. The supporters of the Minutemen provoked us. They shouted at us and swore at us, tried to intimidate us. It wasn't like the Minutemen just parked their cars and went inside."
Most attendees did simply go straight inside, but a few traded barbs first.
Attendees "shouldn't have done that," said Ada McKnight, a Minuteman Project supporter at the meeting. She said the protesters "are so full of hate. They're ignorant and we understand that. They're irrational savages. The answer to everything is, 'You're a racist.'"
Posted to Immigration_terror at 03:00 PM | Comments (1)
Wal-Mart, illegal aliens, and a wink and a nod
Earlier I pointed out that the $10 million fine to WalMart for employing illegal aliens represented about 15 minutes of their revenue (Wal*Mart's 15 minutes of pain).
Now, comes this news:
FAIR has learned from the Department of Homeland Security that the agency's recent settlement of charges for employing illegal aliens - that included an $11 million penalty - didn't apply any real pressure on mega-retailer Wal-Mart to mend its ways. One of the most useful arrows in the DHS quiver is a requirement that an offending employer sign up for the Basic Pilot verification system for all future hiring. FAIR learned that the enforcement folk at DHS did not levy this requirement on Wal-Mart...
Posted to Immigration2005a at 01:26 PM | Comments (0)
AVWatch: Villaraigosa's under-reported associations
The last post ("The Trojan Horses of Sacramento") mentioned one Juan Jose Guiterrez ("JJG"), who has some association with America's favorite new mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa. A closer look at JJG might prove fruitful for those who think that AV's apologists and supporters have any credibility left.From this:
Villaraigosa was the only California politician who dared to join in the 1996 March on Washington that demanded amnesty for illegal aliens... The March was organized by Juan Jose Guiterrez of One Stop Immigration (now with SEIU) and led by a band from the Mexican Army...What's a self-described patriot doing at a march featuring the Mexican Army band? There's a few pictures of AV from the march here. One picture includes AV and JJG together with someone who said on another occasion, "You old white people, it is your duty to die."
Just yesterday JJG held a press conference in L.A. where he called California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger a Nazi. Parts of this press conference were broadcast on KFI, so there's quite a bit more to this. JJG seemed to be mispronouncing Arnold's last name, so it rhymed with a rather infamous and scurillous word for black people.
No, really. He said Arnold's last name several times, but, instead of pronouncing it like "Schwartz-uh-NAY-gur", he pronounced it a bit more like "Schwartz-uh-NI-gur". Now, JJG has an accent. But, think of the second syllable in the word "ole", which has the same sound as the penultimate syllable in Arnold's last name. Perhaps it's just some strange inability to pronounce phonemes which are nearly the same in anglicized German and in Spanish, or perhaps he was being tripped up by the double-g's, or perhaps he was doing this intentionally.
In addition, he brought up that Arnold's father was supposedly a Nazi, and detailed how said father had allegedly killed many different people of many different backgrounds. Therefore, since Arnold was trying to secure the borders, JJG compared what Arnold is trying to do to what the Nazis did. Eric Leonard of KFI called JJG on this, but JJG offered a evasive reply then moved on. And, JJG reportedly did this press conference standing in front of a Swastika banner outside Arnold's L.A. office.
But, wait, there's much more. JJG then introduced someone who I believe was named Camacho. That person then went off on the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, claiming that because of that treaty we (you know, the Americans) had no right to prevent Mexicans from coming across the border at will.
Here's another slight connection, relating to the supposed immigration raids that supposedly took place in Southern California last year:
But the leader of Coalition Latino Movement USA, Juan Jose Gutierrez, claimed Border Patrol agents have also arrested people in Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties.Those raids never took place.
He charged that Latino communities are being "terrorized" by the raids.
On Monday, Los Angeles City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa and religious leaders called for an end to the alleged raids.
"Border Patrol officials say they're only enforcing the law, but it's clear they're only selectively enforcing the law," Villaraigosa said.
There's more on JJG's SEIU connection here. And, here's Antonio Villaraigosa, marching in an SEIU parade.
There's more here and here.
And, here's the announcement for a May 21 ANSWER protest:
Join individuals and organizations as they converge on Downtown LA for a day of political and cultural resistance to the anti-people policies of the White House, Wall Street & the Pentagon... Speakers and Performers Include: Mark Klein, Political Director SEIU 660, Angelina Corona, Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, James Lafferty, National Lawyers Guild... Initiated by ANSWER-LA: Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines, Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee-LA/OC, Free Palestine Alliance, Gabriela Network, MINDULLAE, National Lawyers Guild, Palestinian-American Women’s Association, Latino Movement USA, Party for Socialism and Liberation...There's more on AV's associations here. "Tell me with whom you hang out, and I will tell you who you really are" indeed.
UPDATE: The only news report I can find on this is here, in Spanish. They have a twelve-point plan, including:
* voter registration drives...
* declaring a day during which they're going to trash all Schwarzenegger products...
* trying to get our friends in countries to the south to declare Arnold persona non grata...
* a big march (will the Mexican Army band be invited?) on October 12...
And, they also want to work with nurses, teachers, firefighters, and all other anti-Arnold groups. Gosh, wouldn't that be sweet? Maybe even AV will end up supporting their efforts. Hopefully there will be a lot of discrediting going on in the near future.
Posted to Immigration2005a at 08:18 AM | Comments (3)
"The Trojan Horses of Sacramento"
This is from December of last year, but it's still timely considering that Gil "One Bill Gil" was able advance this year's version of driver's licenses for illegal aliens yet again:...if some far-Left legislators, and California Democrats in general, continue to conduct themselves as traitors to the mainstream, we may have to dramatically alter how we look at them: not as elected officials we disagree with, but as revolutionary enemies within. Not only haven't they learned a single lesson from the party-wide condemnation of the 2003 recall, but they clearly see the removal of Gray Davis as an aberrant historical myth and urban legend...
According to K. Lloyd Billingsley of the Pacific Research Institute ("The Radical Vanguard in the Los Angeles Labor Movement," August 2000), who wrote about, among other things, Nunez and his extreme political speeches and positions:
"We don't have economic power because we don't own the means of production," Nunez told a rally in January 1995, where he urged the crowd to "bring Washington to its knees." A year earlier, in October of 1994, Nunez and his militant colleague Juan Jose Gutierrez of the group One Stop Immigration, coordinated a rally of 70,000 immigrants against Proposition 187. Protestors waved Mexican flags and displayed an American flag with only 13 stars. They called Governor Pete Wilson a pig, compared Prop. 187 to Hitler's laws against Jews and told "Anglos" to go back to Europe.
Who do these legislators really work for?
What oath did they take when they captured elective office?
What are their real objectives?
Every California voter should know don't you think?
...Mr. Cedillo is one of the most influential and visible members of the Latino Caucus, a powerful organization that constitutes more than one-fifth of the state Legislature. His singular devotion to a conflict-ridden cause on behalf of two million foreigners is a serious paradox to the legal residents who pay his six-figure salary...
Posted to Immigration2005a at 10:51 PM | Comments (1)
What you can do about illegal immigration
I hardly agree with everything she writes, but Devvy Kidd does have some useful tips about dealing with illegal immigration.First, do not vacation in Mexico...I heartily agree with #1, #2, and, especially, #5. #4 I do already since I'd rather not expose myself to unnecessary risks. #3 might be a bit of a closer call, as it might be counterproductive. In any case, those steps are more effective as threats rather than in practice. If the Mexican government thought that their aggressive anti-American activities might result in a loss of revenue, they might modify those policies.
Second, don't book your business convention in Cancun or any other city in Mexico...
Third, stop buying anything made in Mexico or any Latin American countries...
Fourth, stop buying any fruits or vegetables from Mexico or Latin American countries...
Fifth, get your money out of any bank that is giving home mortgage loans to illegals or in any way doing business with them...
In any case, with Mexican citizens illegally in the U.S. threatening to wage economic war on one of our states, I don't think anyone should have any objections to simply refusing to send their money south of the border.
Posted to Immigration2005a at 10:42 PM | Comments (4)
"Illegal Immigration and the Mexican Archbishop"
I'm not familiar with the term "Thomistic", but Robert Klein Engler is and he reports:...CNN.com reports that "Even Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, the archbishop of Mexico City, criticized U. S. immigration policy as ridiculous and defended Fox's comments ["the jobs that even blacks won't do"], saying: "The declaration had nothing to do with racism. It is a reality in the United States that anyone can prove."See also "Can I blame the Catholic Church then?" about a logic-free Open Borders editorial from Cardinal Roger Mahoney.
That's not the whole of Cardinal Carrera's comments about immigration. He also has criticized the United States for "xenophobic attitudes" toward Mexican immigrants, calling it inconsistent to promote international free trade but refuse to let people cross the border for the basic human right to work. "Just as the borders are open to merchandise, that is all the more reason that the borders should be open to the human being," said the Cardinal.
Why is the archbishop of Mexico City getting involved in the illegal immigration dispute between Mexico and the United States and defending President Fox and his remarks?
...Cardinal Carrera should be reminded that it is a principle of Thomistic theology that both the family and the state are natural and necessary for our earthly happiness. Respect for the family means respect for marriage and respect for the state means respect for its laws and borders. Furthermore, respect for the culture of indigenous peoples is no different from respect for the unique culture of those living in the United States. It is hard to imagine how following Thomistic theology we can justify illegal immigration or in the Cardinal's words, "that the borders should be open..."
Although Cardinal Carrera is in favor of national unity when it comes to things Mexican, he seems not to be in favor of national unity when it comes to the U. S. protecting its borders. During the 1995 rebellion in Chiapas he made a plea for national unity and worried that Mexico might run the risk of coming apart. But when the U. S. decides on the national unity that comes with the enforcement of its immigration laws, he opposes such an effort...
Posted to Immigration2005a at 10:33 PM | Comments (0)
Naperville: Anti-self-fondling library measures taken
In order to make it easier to identify those who fondle themselves in front of public library computers, the Naperville (Illinois) library will now require computer users to sign in using a fingerprint scanner.
Apparently, the scanner will record 15 measurements from a finger, which will then be stored away. Each time the user wants to use the Internet there, they'll sign in using said finger. They say the daily log-ins will be deleted each day.
This was prompted in part after someone was caught fondling himself in front of teenagers will viewing porn. Yes, there was just one instance, but you never know when that could turn into a huge trend, with tri-state pervs driving to Naperville to use the 'Net.
Details in "Library card? Check. Fingerprint? Really?"
...U.S. Biometrics [the scanner vendor] President Dave Delgrosso said his company's technology is seeping into the mainstream, popping up in banks, hospitals and other institutions where exact identifications are important.
Posted to Privacy at 10:27 PM | Comments (0)
AVWatch: Annotating Villaraigosa's speech
L.A.'s mayor-elect Antonio Villaraigosa appeared at the "Take Back America" event (for "progressives", not necessarily reconquistas). Here are his remarks, annotated with few randomly chosen links:I come today as a patriot... I talk about patriotism because I think for too long progressives have allowed some to wrap themselves around the flag and say, America, love it or leave it...The speech went on like that. If you prefer facts, even of the uncomfortable kind, click on the links and check out who "progressives" support.
...take a snapshot of Los Angeles and in 25 or 30 years so will go Topeka, Kansas and Des Moines, Iowa.
...I started out in the civil rights movement...
The middle sentence should scare the crap out of anyone in the named cities. Trust me on this: you don't want to end up like Los Angeles.
Posted to Immigration2005a at 05:52 PM | Comments (0)
Berkeley to be renamed Ramseyville
Parents, staff, and students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Berkeley, CA recently voted to change the name of their school to... Sequoia Elementary School. The name change still needs to be approved by the school board:The drive to change the name of Jefferson Elementary School was launched more than two years ago by Marguerite Talley-Hughes, an African-American teacher, and two other teachers who felt the name was offensive because the nation's third president was a slave owner.Other candidates for the name change included:
Talley-Hughes did not return calls for comment Wednesday but said in an earlier interview, "I think it's difficult to ask people to accept someone as a hero who enslaved their ancestors..."
Ohlone, Rose, Peace;... farm worker organizer Cesar Chavez; Ralph Bunche, a United Nations diplomat; Sojourner Truth, a leader in the abolitionist movement; and Florence McDonald, a former Berkeley City Council member...What's slightly funny here is that the city of Berkeley was named after Bishop George Berkeley. And - surprise! - he was a slave owner. More on that here. Perhaps they could rename the whole city after Ramsey Clark. Or - even closer to home - how about Susanmedeabenjaminton?
What's not funny about this is that - whether intended or not - it's part of a general trend of trashing America's past towards anti-American ends. See "Gramscian Methods Broadly Defined!" for more.
Posted to MultiCultiCult at 05:36 PM | Comments (0)
California's future not fully 100% doom and gloom
No, there is the fairly good possibility that things will not end in the complete meltdown of the state and it eventually physically separating itself from the mainland and being crushed by the Pacific, a new report reveals.
According to the Public Policy Institute of California's new report "California 2025: It's Your Choice", by that year we'll have 8 to 10 million more people living here, with a severly strained infrastructure to match:
...trends and forces are building that, left unchecked, could seriously erode the quality of life in California in the next two decades. The study concludes that is imperative for policymakers and others who influence policy in the state to begin asking some hard questions and making some well-informed, careful choices now...
The S.F. Chronical reports on this in "California's future is now, report says. Lawmakers, voters should address critical issues immediately in order to avoid crisis". The reader will note a few things strange about that report, most noteworthy being the concentration on how much can be spent. Perhaps the Chronical might one day considering asking, oh I dunno, whether we can continue to spread socialism to anyone who can come across the border.
The AP offers "Report: CA's PopulationTo Soar, Freeways Clogged" (same AP story here).
The PPIC report also stresses that California is well on its way to developing a fully two-tier social system, with a small moneyed class and a large number of poor people. Dan Walters of the SacBee wrote a column about that way back in 2001 entitled "New data prove that two-tier society is a fact of California life". It's pay-only, but here's a blurb:
Sixteen years ago, two academic researchers took note of the powerful economic and social forces that were just then beginning to sweep through California and made what many thought was a very bold, even risky, projection about the state. -- University of California, Davis, economist Philip Martin and Washington-based sociologist Leon Bouvier concluded in 1985 that with the state's population expanding dramatically due to immigration, and its economy shifting from old- style manufacturing to high technology and services, seeds were being sown for socioeconomic fragmentation...
Those who live in Los Angeles can see this themselves by, for just two examples, making the short drive from the more delapidated areas of Cypress Park up the hill to the houses on the top of Mount Washington, some of which must be priced at several hundreds of thousands of dollars. Alternatively, compare Wilshire and Normandie with 8th and Normandie, just two blocks away.
Posted to California at 01:40 PM | Comments (0)
Thinking not so welcome among Texas Democrats
The AP offers us "Minutemen not so welcome in Texas", which contains some less-than-brilliant thoughts from state Democrats.First up is state Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, who sponsored an anti-Minuteman resolution. He opines:
"I don't think that there's any doubt that there's a tinge of racism beneath the surface in their attempt to try to stop immigrants from Mexico," Hinojosa said. "Why don't they do that in Canada?"Well, first of all, they do intend to patrol the Canadian border. And, secondly, while I haven't been following the news reports that closely, I believe there's an ever so slight difference between the numbers of people who stream over our southern border and those who come from the north. That number is just ever so slight, so I certainly can't blame Chuy for not being aware of a numerical difference. Say, why is Hinojosa more or less supporting the importation of millions of people who are of the same ethnicity as he is? Anyone have a clue why he might do that?
Next up is the always entertaining U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston:
She wrote an amendment to a Homeland Security budget bill that blocks funding to "any border patrol activities that are unauthorized by law."I've seen some really far-out-to-space comments from our political class, but that has got to be one of the most brain-dead statements I've ever seen.
She said the Minuteman Project was "an appropriate wake-up call for the United States" about the need to better fund border security. But, she said, it has completed its mission and needs to disband because of potential for violence.
"The California event wound up in almost hand-to-hand combat. The meeting in Las Vegas also produced violent reaction. What can we expect at the border?" she said. "The Minutemen are as bad for the southern border as the Ku Klux Klan was for the South."
The Freedom Riders encouraged violence from the Klan. Does SJL think they should have been stopped? The Klan in the current case is not the MMP, it's the Commie-agitated anti-American racists who violently oppose the MMP. Perhaps SJL should consider supporting the rights of Americans to peacefully assemble and protest without having soda cans or water bottles thrown their way. What an absolute idiot.
I believe SJL's comments can be explained using the usual formula: up is down, down is up.
Posted to Immigration2005a at 10:11 AM | Comments (2)
Home Depot, Antonio Villaraigosa, Fernando Guerra, and Microsoft
What a strange, strange titular combination. Fernando Guerra is a Loyola Marymount associate professor and the director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at that school.
He's also a pundit on Los Angeles politics, and he was apparently all over the TV, radio, and newspapers with his various pro-Villaraigosa views.
However, he's also a lobbyist, pulling down $10,000 a month from Home Depot to lobby the Los Angeles City Council about their day laborer sites. Now, go see the previous entry about a newly proposed ordinance that would require all new big box hardware stores to have day laborer sites. An immediate connection? Not known, but, gosh, I think it's highly likely.
Guerra is also a lobbyist for Microsoft for some unknown reason. He also represents real estate developer Richard Meruelo. Antonio Villaraigosa got over $220,000 in donations from Meruelo's family.
My gosh he's busy! He's so busy in fact that I'd suggest getting a large chalkboard and a few boxes of chalk as you read the Daily Breeze article "Questions arise over LMU professor's roles". You're going to need it in order to figure out who's doing what with whom. Of course, who they're doing it to isn't hard to figure out. For that you just need a mirror.
Posted to Los_Angeles at 11:46 PM | Comments (3)
"...and our day laborer sites won't encourage illegal immigration"
L.A. City Councilman Ed Reyes has proposed a law that would require each new big box hardware store in Los Angeles to have its own day laborer's solicitation site. He didn't make the titular quote, but he might as well have.
In the past, Home Depot has funded several such sites next to its stores, usually with the assistance of the local governments and, of course, "immigrant's rights" groups.
"We want to make sure that all day laborers in the city - despite their legal status - have a place where they can offer their services so that both neighborhoods and day laborers are equally protected... In some instances residents have complained about day laborers in their neighborhoods… and if we provide a specific place for them, we believe that these type of problems will be resolved..."
Incredibly stupid or disingenuous, you decide.
See also: "Arizona tries to stop public funding of illegal alien day laborer centers".
Posted to Los_Angeles at 02:21 PM | Comments (2)
Can I blame the Catholic Church then?
The LAT offers us a guest editorial from L.A.'s own Cardinal Roger Mahony entitled "A Nation That Should Know Better":
It appears fashionable these days, and almost politically correct, to blame hard-working immigrants, especially those from Mexico and Central America, for the social and economic ills of our state and nation. Anti-immigrant fervor on TV and radio talk shows, citizens attempting to enforce immigration laws and the enactment of restrictive laws, such as the Real ID Act, are evidence of this trend. Some of our elected officials are joining the parade, going so far as to call for the closing of our southern border...
It isn't "anti-immigrant" to support enforcing our laws. His first sentences are basically a strawman argument; perhaps he should do some more research into what people like, for instance, Lou Dobbs are saying rather than misrepresenting their complaints.
And, of course, the last sentence is a swipe at Gov. Arnold. Yet, oddly enough, Arnold made it clear that he was referring to securing, not closing the border.
That makes this the third instance I've spotted in which Arnold's comments have been deliberately misrepresented. The other two were from Antonio Villaraigosa and Pilar Marrero, both fine company.
Needless to say, the editorial goes downhill from there, and he ends up supporting "immigration reform" (you know, the "up is down, down is up" variety).
Now, of course, the reader is left wondering, "Why would a high-ranking member of the Catholic Church support the massive importation of millions of people from overwhelmingly Catholic countries?" I would be shocked and horrified if anyone dared suggest that the good Cardinal was trying to increase the size of his flock, and was using deliberate misinterpretations, strawman arguments, and Orwellian newspeak to do it. Why, it's inconceivable!
This section is titled "Thinking out loud." Perhaps the Cardinal should have thought about this some more.
Posted to Immigration2005a at 01:27 PM | Comments (2)
While we're de-Klannifying things...
Only in Alabama! "Ala. School Drops Klan Founder's Name":
The city school board has voted to stop using the name of Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan founder Nathan Bedford Forrest as part of a consolidation plan, a move that ends a long-simmering dispute. Students at Forrest Middle School will move into what is Emma Sansom High School - named after a woman who showed Forrest's Confederate forces where to cross a creek as they chased federal troops in the area...
In other news, you can read a list of the roads, schools, community centers, (am I telegraphing this enough?), outhouses, pork rendering plants, mountains, hills, dales, bends-in-the-road, etc. etc. named after Democratic Sen. Robert C. Byrd here.
Previously: West Virginia: "It's not as bad as you feared". I drove the Robert C. Byrd Highway to Elkins, West Virginia. WV wasn't such a bad place, but, bear in mind I wasn't in the heart of Appalachia, just in the central and northern parts of the state.
Posted to Miscellania at 12:02 PM | Comments (1)
What if Chernobyl had had billions of gallons of coolant available?
Would Chernobyl have had the impact that it had if it had had a nearly endless supply of water available to keep cool?Russian scientists appear to be well on the way to answering that question.
From "World’s First Floating Nuclear Power Plant to Be Constructed in Russia":
...RosAtom head Alexander Rumyantsev said earlier that floating power plants are absolutely safe. The reactors "will be the same as those that are used by our submarines and nuclear ice-breakers," he said, stressing that after the Kursk submarine that sank in August 2000 was lifted from the bottom of the Barents Sea, its reactors were still in an operational condition.Previously: "Lonewacko, Art Bell taken for ride through Chernobyl" (Ukrainian Elena on her motorcycle).
However, many critics say the main objective of nuclear plants all over the world is enrichment for building nuclear weapons, and after RosAtom first announced the building of the floating plant in the early 2000s, foreign media immediately called it a "floating Chernobyl"...
Posted to Miscellania at 11:55 AM | Comments (0)
