Right As Usual

by Heidi at Euphoric Reality WHAT THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT SENATE BILL S. 2611 The new immigration bill (the most "sweeping reform in 50 years") S. 2611 is an amalgam of petty causes, illogical provisions, unstructured "solutions" with zero allowances for implementation, and self-contradictory language. Despite the mess, it was passed by self-righteous politicians who repeated the mantra "it's better than doing nothing." This from the same gaggle of do-nothings who outright rejected the House's law enforcement bill. The Senate bill has our President's full support - this same bill is a derivative of one structured by Ted Kennedy and John McCain, and supported in full by the majority of Democrats. That alone ought to give one pause - President Bush, a Democrat ? Peggy Noonan says, "The disinterest in the White House and among congressional Republicans in establishing authority on America's borders is so amazing--the ...

Checking at Captain's Quarters, I found information about a bill that could be a HUGE benefit to all citizens, and particularly bloggers. S. 2590 , which has been given the name Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, would allow the average American to finally track what the government is spending HIS/HER money on: The Coburn-Obama-Carper-McCain measure stipulates that within 30 days of awarding federal tax dollars, the government would have to post the name of the entity receiving the funds (excluding individuals receiving federal assistance), the amount of funds received by the entity in each of the past 10 years, detailed information about each of the transactions during the previous decade, the location of the entity, where the goods or services purchased with the federal dollars will be performed or purchased, and a unique identifier such as the Dun & Bradstreet number commonly used by the private sector. Needless to say, I'm for it. I would welcome the...

I've been having a great start to my vacation by roaming around the blogs, dipping my toes in here and there, and just sniffing out interesting things. I'm finding a lot of posts about the culture of the poster's teen years, and how the music, clothes, TV and movies influenced that person forever. What tripe! I was a basic baby boomer. I became fixated on the Beatles, just like every other girl of my time (I was a Paul girl - he and my mother shared a birthday). I can't say that I recognized his musical genius - I just liked him because he was cute in an androgynous, non-threatening way. Hey, I was 13 at the time. The same with TV shows - I didn't watch the great dramas - I watched Gidget, The Patty Duke Show, The Jetsons, and all that other mind candy of the times. One of the few shows that stood the test of time was Star Trek. My whole family liked that - but, then, you must remember that we were total geeks. We all have worked in a technical or computer field...

School's Out song . I'm spending the day with my husband. I'd almost forgotten just how inattentive and noisy urban teens can be. They mean no harm, they are generally good kids, but they are terrible students. They can't SHUT UP long enough to learn. They have no clue why they can't pass proficiency tests - they're in school every day, aren't they? Tags = Culture

This has been a different weekend. I traveled to Ohio, a 12-hour trip from SC. First, I stopped in Columbus overnight. I spent a day resting and enjoying the company of 2 vets and their 3 kids (my daughter and son-in-law). Last night, I was on the road after dinner. I arrived home at 10:00pm, and enjoyed my first time in my own bed in a long time. Today, I'm hoping to spend a few hours with another vet, my son. I'm going to send email to another son, who is in Bahrain. Last, I'm going to stop off at Holy Cross cemetery to pay my respects to my favorite WWII vet, my dad. Tags = [tagname]

I don't want to unnecessarily alarm anyone, but I was reading IMAO , and he points out a scary proof that Al Gore is on the money: The earth is heating up and we will all die! Believe it, man. I've been watching the temperatures here in Florida, and there has been a significant increase in average temperature since January. We're talking like more than ten degrees! If this trend continues, the oceans will boil in a matter of years. I got so scared reading that! Because, I've noticed it, too! In January, I often had to scrape off the frost on my windshield in SC. But, today, I left the house, and was surprised to feel the heat! It must have been 80 degrees! In the morning! OMG, we ARE going to fry!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tags = [tagname]

Sen. DeMint of SC spoke in support of denying illegals Social Security benefits: “It makes no sense to reward millions of illegal immigrants for criminal behavior while our Social Security system is already in crisis,” said Sen. Jim DeMint, South Carolina Republican. “Why in the world would we endorse this criminal activity with federal benefits? The Senate missed a big opportunity to improve this bill, and I doubt American seniors will be pleased with the result.” On the other hand, I'm not happy with SC's other Senator, Lindsey Graham: “For illegal immigrants in the United States more than two years, the Senate bill is similar to a plea bargain,” said Graham. “They will have to come out of the shadows and acknowledge they came to the United States in violation of our immigration laws. The terms of probation will be to pay $2,000 in fines, undergo two national security and criminal background checks, remain employed, pay all federal and state taxes, register for military serv...

On Downtown Chick Chat , I found this newspaper clipping generator . Very cool. Use it to create your own mock-stories. Tags = Blogging

An important vote on immigration is coming up: The Senate is poised to pass S. 2611 this week, the giant amnesty bill that would change the demographics of our country and start us on the slide into rampant crime, drug culture, and third world poverty. Every thinking American is needed at this moment to phone, fax, or visit their United States Senators and oppose this legislation. Please click on the title link to read the rest. Do it not just for yourselves, but for our future. Tags = Immigration

by Heidi at Euphoric Reality Our Open Borders Will Be The Death Of Us Yet I live in Texas, and sometimes I think people don't truly grasp the fact that the chaos on our borders is not a border state issue - it threatens them directly, no matter where they live. The fact is that our border chaos is directly linked to our national security. Terrorists already have and continue to illegally cross our border, blending in with illegals from Mexico and Central America, or brazenly crossing over with an armed escort of gang members or even the Mexican military. Watch this video of an ongoing investigation done by the news team from KGRV TV serving Harlingen-Weslaco-McAllen -Brownsville, Texas. (Video will open in your media player - it's a news segment.) It is part of an ongoing series highlighting the culmination of months of investigative research into the flow of terrorists over our borders. Fred Burton, a counter-terrorism expert of Stratfor , was interviewed on camera. He ...

Good thing I wasn't eating when I read this on Cold Fury : Hagel/McClain is pushing an immigration bill that would bring 100+million new immigrants in the next 10 years. Gee, do you think that might destabilize the country just a tad? Hey, here’s an idea: let’s make it easier for educated people to come here legally, and harder for illiterate, uneducated people who don’t like this country to come here illegally. I know, I know, I shouldn’t stick it to poor President Bush that way. He wants me to be a caring blogger, a compassionate blogger, a welcoming blogger. But hey, what can I say… I guess I’m just a blogger who does the work compassionate, non-demented Americans won’t do. (My emphasis) What's with this "work Americans won't do?" I've done a lot of jobs in my time, including in-home child care (major sucky), waitressing, retail sales, stock room, filing, typing, copy clerk, telephone operator, just to name a few. I've cleaned up junk no one should ha...

Lemme just throw out some ideas: Let's both put the unemployed to work and get some assistance with moving Pedro back to the proper side of the border. Use the bounty hunters. Offer bonuses if they catch an illegal who also has an arrest warrant against them. Use deputized assistants to grab the illegals. Keep them on bologna diets for a few weeks, then ship them to the border. I feel confident that there are enough unemployed Americans (use retirees for recon, paperwork, and logistics work and save the strong-arm types for the actual muscle jobs) to make a serious dent in the numbers. Mandate use of the Social Security number verification system. If an employer knowingly hires illegals (more than 1/4 of the labor force should be considered prima faci evidence of collusion), here's an idea - also deport the person responsible - without a passport! You like those people so much, you live with them - in their country! Disallow deductions for illegals as an expense on the inc...

Kevin, over at The Liberal Wrong - Wing , needs help. He's feeling overworked, and could use some assistance. He's looking for additional writers. Sharing the load is getting to be a common way to keep up the posting, yet not work yourself into the ground. If you're a blogger or wanna-be, look Kevin up. I started that way, on Right We Are! , with my co-blogger, Maripat. When the blog folded, I struck out on this blog. It's a good way to test the waters, and see if the bloglife is for you. Tags = [tagname]

Deciding what news is most important is a tough job. On a slow news day, which this one must have been, guess what CNN thinks is VERY important? The former college student known as the "Naked Guy," who gained notoriety in the early 1990s for attending class in the buff, has died in jail, authorities said. Andrew Martinez, 33, whose stripped-down strolls at the University of California, Berkeley, got him expelled and prompted the city to adopt a strict anti-nudity ordinance, was found unconscious Thursday in a Santa Clara County jail, said jail spokesman Mark Cursi. Can you imagine a life so devoid of accomplishment that your obituary is headlined "The Naked Guy"? Ever-tolerant Berkeley finally, after many years, banned public nudity. Their actions apparently took away Mr. Martinez' main reason for existence, as the police are investigating his death as a possible suicide. FWIW, I think the Council made the right choice. Can you imagine having to be the next ...

From FoxNews.com An attorney for Jack Kevorkian said the assisted-suicide advocate will probably not survive another year if kept in prison, as he again asked the state to grant his client a pardon or commute his sentence. So, Dr. Death won't survive. So? Look, this is the guy that said if living is intolerable, end it. So, why doesn't he follow his convictions? The former doctor is serving a 10- to 25-year sentence for second-degree murder for giving a fatal injection of drugs in 1998. He is eligible for parole in 2007. In 2003, 2004 and 2005, Granholm followed the parole board's advice in denying applications for a commuted sentence or a pardon. Kevorkian has said he assisted in at least 130 deaths, but has promised that he will not assist another if released. Well, that's different - he PROMISED. Hey, do you suppose that we can also get Manson to promise? Think of the potential for saving on prison health care. When they get sick, just parole them. Tags = News ...

This won't change anything, but it will release a safety valve in my brain. My head hurts. I haven't decided whether it's sinus pressure, or the beginnings of another allergy attack. Either way, it makes me feel like laying my head down, and I don't have the time for that. I was hoping to catch up on yard work this weekend. But, it keeps raining every day. Which probably contributes to the head stuffiness. I'm still tenaciously clinging to the extra weight I put on this spring. Of course, that could partly be the junk food I've been eating lately. Nah, I'm sure that's not it. I mentioned my husband is in the hospital. But, he's unlikely to hear anything definitive until after the weekend. Which means, he's stuck in there, and won't be making any progress towards getting better until Monday. I'm stuck here in SC for the next week. I could leave right after grades are turned in on Monday, and I'm sure the administration would be...

I just got a call from my husband. He has been admitted to the hospital, and may have to have surgery. Needless to say, I may not be able to post for a few days. Tags = Personal

Every few months or so, I feel compelled (for reasons that are, to quote Mr. Spock, Totally Illogical) to drag in something personal, thrust it at the world, saying "see that? See that?", and again depart. Call it My Own Personal State of Self address. It's been raining, off and on, for days. Makes me a little homesick for Cleveland, as that is exactly what our spring weather is like. It's got its pluses - at least it keeps the temperature more bearable. It does, however, make my joints ache fiercely. I've picked up a little bruise just under my left eye. I really can't remember exactly where I got it, but I think it may have something to do with the remodeling I've been doing. I seem to remember walking into the pull-down ladder to the attic. I was seriously tempted to answer the kids who asked where I got it - "Oh, you should see those four guys in the biker club, they look much worse". However, I know from previous experience, kids tak...

Reformation or Revolution? by Heidi and Kit at Euphoric Reality Tonight, the President will address the nation on his plans for illegal immigration. Unfortunately, he's already given his word to Vicente Fox on Sunday that his plan to put a few National Guard troops on the border is just a temporary formality, of sorts, and not meant to intimidate anyone. Right. Heaven forbid we intimidate anyone to deter them from breaking our laws! The question then arises, who does Bush feel more compelled to explain himself to - us Americans or the Mexicans? He owes the American people everything , and the Mexican government nothing! So why is he assuring Fox of anything concerning our internal national policies?! I have no illusions about what we'll hear from President Bush tonight. But before he tries to lull anyone into complacency tonight, let's look at the reality of the Goode Amendment, which Bush will no doubt reference in his speech tonight. Troops on the border to bolst...

Check out this message about people who cross borders to do jobs others won't . Found on The People's Cube . Please support them, they've been banned by Google for offending China. Like that's a crime. Oh, wait, in China, it IS! Tags = Immigration

Whatever you're planning to do in the next few minutes, stop. Click the link above, and grab a tissue. My favorite redhead is sharing a memory of going back into the city for the first time after . Truly, it's important to read. The immediate aftermath of the collapse of the towers sent my husband and me home for a few days. The city of Cleveland was closed. Mayor Mike White was criticized about it later, but I think he made the right decision. A tremendous amount of air traffic uses the local controller station (actually located in Oberlin, OH), the last thing we needed was extra people around, and the governments (local, state, and federal) needed some breathing room. We had just started new jobs at the same school, so depended on each other for support in those days. Once we returned, we focused on getting the school opened. For a time, we were putting in 12-14 hour days at work. That was truly a blessing, as it kept our minds off our children, two of whom were in th...

Ho-Kay, I'm trying to understand something. Let's break it down systematically. Women, we are told, NEVER lie about being raped. Never. Unless, of course, they do. Huh? Well, it's simple - the feminist world divides accusers into 2 groups. Women who are to be believed without reservation: Anita Hill The Duke stripper Those alleging rape by Republicans or other very, very bad men Anyone who accuses a Fundamentalist preacher Tawanna Brawley Women who are, according to the feminist agenda, lying sluts: Juanita Broderick Paula Jones In fact, let's just make a special category for anyone who accuses Bill Clinton Desiree Washington, the beauty contestant who accused Mike Tyson The National Organization for Women has long held that the rape stats show only 2% of allegations are proven false. Michelle Anderson, at Villanova University of Law, recently wrote a paper on rape on campuses. there are no solid data to support the belief that false complaints of rape are more commo...

I was reading Dean's World again today, and found a thoughtful post about the 4th Amendment. It started me thinking about what I call, for lack of a better phrase, Righteous Violence. RV is the concept that we all have the basic right to defend ourselves and our loved ones against the likelihood of death or assault, even if our response results in the death of the agressor. No one should have to accept their own death to satisfy a Biblical interpretation of the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill". To this end, we have exceptions that permit someone to kill in limited circumstances: In defense of their own life. If you have reason to believe that your life is in immediate danger, and there is no other way to keep that from happening. If you have been authorized by the government to use deadly force. This covers military, police, and the like. These people have mandatory training on the guidelines - when they can exercise that right, what is not allowed. If they viola...

I was just catching up on blogs, when I spotted Cursed By a Classical Education's comment section . everyone getting a tattoo should have to have a note signed by a nursing home that the tattoo-ee has recently visited to see what Korean/Vietnam war tattoos look like today. I'd be willing to bet the number of those going under the 'ink' would drop considerably. The tats are getting to be a standard on many under-18 kids, both boys and girls. I'd have to say that black males and white females are the ones that are most likely to get them. Most popular type? For girls, hands-down, it's the ones on their lower back - according to Urban Dictionary, they're called Slut Stamps , Those damn lower back tattoos that girls/women get. Sometimes also known as "ass antlers." Ubiquitous in porn Love the name. Hate the tat. A close second in my dislike category is the armband. OTOH, look at the quality males you can attract. Tags = Culture

When I first started reading the Internet news and blog media, I read NewsMax quite often. After a short while, I gravitated to either news sites, or political analysis. Commentary just didn't have the same appeal for me. Do check out this story about the early origins of Politically Correct Thinking , (found via Babalu Blog , but don't take everything as gospel. I'm still trying to track down some of the claims. Tags = Politically Correct

Sometimes, I have to laugh about the determination of the MSM to twist, spin, and skew every story into a puking repudiation of the [hawk, spit, boo, hiss] EVIL BUSH ADMINISTRATION . Found the following on CNNMoney After charging toward an new all-time high earlier in the week, the blue-chip Dow index tumbled about 140 points Thursday as a spike in gold and oil sparked selling in the stock market. Two economic reports released Friday kept investors on edge about inflation. The University of Michigan's preliminary index of U.S. consumer sentiment for May fell to a seven-month low as high gas prices took a toll on consumers. Gee, that doesn't sound like a lost of consumer confidence to me - it sounds as though people are shifting their money from stocks to commodities (gold and oil). When the blue-chips falter, doesn't that often mean that more speculative, riskier investments get the benefit? And, wouldn't that translate into INCREASED confidence? Oh, what do I know? ...

I've really lost the habit of reading a daily newspaper. I used to run for the paper every morning in the 70s and 80s. I read every story, even the fillers. I became a CNN addict during the first Gulf War (maybe we should start calling it GWI?). After I started teaching, I slowly began cutting down on buying a newspaper, but I increased the amount of time I spent with the network news and cable news. That has changed since the towers went down, when I accepted that we were, and would continue to be, at war with Islamic fanatics. I used the emerging blog media to find out what was happening, and, over time, I gradually supplanted the MSM with blogs and other, less mediated sources of information. Over time, I started noticing that the blogs were more immediate, more accurate, and, if slanted in a particular direction, at least honest and up-front about it. I dipped my toes in the water, and quickly became a part (a very small part) of the phenomenon. In my search for interest...

From FoxNews web site, I found this story about the Arizona sheriff with an attitude - and a non-PC 'tude at that. The sheriff (pictured above) is Joe Arpaio, the Arizona official who became famous for his slashed-to-the-bone prison approach. Some of the features: These new measures included serving less expensive meals to inmates and issuing them pink underwear as part of the jails' uniforms and ordering the use of pink handcuffs. One of his most criticized decisions was the construction of a tent city that housed both men and women. Some inmates in the facility claimed that they were mistreated. In an effort to institute equality between the men and women prison sentences, he created an all-female chain gang. Lest you think him unduly harsh, he has a softer side Arpaio also instituted a program for inmates to study while in jail and to try to recover from drug abuse. This program is named Hard Knocks High, which is the only approved high school program in any American jail...

Thith means WAR! I've been fuming this week about the situation of the DHS not understanding that they are employees of the United States, not Mexico . Clearly, there is some confusion, as the story shows. When an employee, government or not, decides that the mission statement (i.e., the Constitution) means nothing, and that groveling before foreign powers is more important, it's w-a-a-y past time for that employee to find another job. From the opening of the immigration bill (H4437), It is the sense of Congress that the immigration and 4 naturalization policy shall be designed to enhance the economic, social and cultural well-being of the United States of America. Got that? OUR country, not theirs. Take one of the above and buy a clue. Peeps, it's once again time to flood Congress with letters, email, and calls to let them know we expect them to evolve into vertebrates. The Congress is pushing to get legislation passed, and it's important to get our positions know...

Nuestro Himno: Is It Really "Our Anthem?" By Rahel B. Avraham of CustomerServant The pro-illegal immigration folks now have their own campaign song. It’s called “Nuestro Himno,” (our anthem), and it’s peddlers say it’s just a re-interpretation of our national anthem, “The Star-spangled Banner.” Let’s see if that claim actually holds water. First, an English translation of “Nuestro Himno.” Verse 1 It’s sunrise. Do you see by the light of the dawn What we proudly hailed last nightfall? Its stars, its stripes yesterday streamed above fierce combat a symbol of victory the glory of battle, the march toward liberty. Throughout the night, they proclaimed: “We will defend it!” Chorus Tell me! Does its starry beauty still wave above the land of the free, the sacred flag? Chant: It’s time to make a difference the kids, men and the women Let’s stand for our beliefs, let’s stand for our vision/What about the children, los ninos ? These ki...

When I rented the DVD "I, Robot" last week, I threw in a film I'd always wanted to see - "Bright Young Things". I read the phrase years ago in an Agatha Christie novel. She seemed to have an indulgent memory of those people's extravagant foolishness, so I thought it would be interesting to watch. Boy, was it. It was a little like watching an early version of the Disco Years, when promiscuity, chemical indulgence, "gaying it up", and pack behavior was the rage. The movie is based on Evelyn Waugh's "Vile Bodies", and delivers a harrowing story. The one actress who walked away with the movie is Fenella Woolgar, who plays the fabulously wealthy and titled Agatha. Her mental and emotional breakdown left me slack-jawed. Even in a mental institution, she still didn't "get it" - she was ready to party down again. Rather like the celebrities who go through rehab, again and again, then find another bacchanal before the ink is dr...