Right As Usual

Click the link to find out. Share

I didn't intend to post again, so soon.  But, I was reading an interesting interview on Front Page Magazine with John Yoo, a law professor at Boalt, and was fascinated by this excerpt: "...my job on the panel today is try to put what we’re going to talk about in a historical context, which is to talk about where Obama sits in the course of the history of the presidency.  And my basic theme is that President Obama has brought to office what I think of as an upside-down or an inverted view of the presidency, where his view was that the presidency should be a fairly weak office when it came to foreign affairs and national security, that should defer to the other branches; but that he should be a leader of domestic change, and domestic revolution in terms of the economy and society.  And this is the exact opposite, I think, of not just the framers’ design for the office but what his greatest predecessors have done. " Well!  That certainly caught my attention; I majored ...

Now that the major focus of the national government is not on: Screwing up the economy Screwing up the health system They are free to continue screwing up immigration policy - which is my greater interest, and an area that I have some expertise in. Over the next few weeks, I'll be looking at how the AZ border law changes/doesn't change things, pending legislation (including that proposal to make Puerto Rico a state - by bringing in a large population all at one time, it sort of falls under this area), and the upcoming Congressional elections, and how they will impact the immigration issue. Share

I've been thinking about the place of tattoos in modern-day America lately.  Dr. D. has got me thinking: I don't like tats, so why do I put pictures on my site? For me, it's two-fold. Those of us who don't ink themselves need to understand the phenomenon - WHY do the under-40 crowd covet them?  Is it: tribal, crowd-following, a form of self-mutilation?  SOME of these tats are connected with gangs - no difficulty understanding that motivation.  Others, particularly with women, seem to reflect a desire to seem sexy and edgy, without having to necessarily follow through on the implied promise.  I've seen tats commemorating children's birth, the death of a loved one - often far too soon, and other special rememberances. I really do want the pro-tat crowd to think about the long-term issues involved.  The skin will sag, the colors will fade, both weight gain and loss will affect the look of the tat.  As the previous post points out, heavy metal contamina...

Against all odds, I've survived the year, and will be done with school in just about another month.  Due to financial concerns, many schools are either NOT hiring, or will be hedging their bets until later in the spring.  So, my future is still up in the air. Fortunately, other facets of my life are going well. DH and I are getting along better - he has accepted that we have to spend some getting-to-know-each-other time-again this summer, and we're both looking forward to finding out what lies ahead (did I do that correctly?  I'm never sure about lie and lay). The kids are doing well, healthy (reasonably) and, if not rolling in money, at least making the rent. I'm healthy.  Sister is better, although not out of the woods.  One brother is looking VERY well, and, well, haven't heard about any new disasters with the other. Bills situation is OK - we've gotten to the point of having only housing, utilities, and cars to pay.  Mind, those are ridiculously h...

Full Disclosure: I don't like tattoos - perhaps it's the inordinate time spent (in class, no less) to applying vasoline to the new tat (apparently it helps it heal faster), or the money that's spent by students who also get the free lunch, or the fact that so many of the most eager-to-be-tatted already have children at home, who (presumably) could use that money - and attention - spent on THEM. But, what I've been reading about the use of heavy metals in tattoo ink really does concern me. What's in your tattoo ink? Specific problems with the pigments: Although the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the authority to regulate tattoo pigments, tattoo pigments have not yet been approved by FDA for injection into the skin, as is done when a tattoo is made. Heavy metals are used to give tattoo pigments their permanent color. The specific ingredients that are used in the pigments differ by color and by brand, but may includ...

I've been lounging all weekend.   It hasn't helped.  I'm tired (physically and mentally), SO ready for the summer break, and finding it difficult to concentrate on doing the things I need to do. Don't quite know what to do to break out of this rut. Share

Again, Obama shows his Nixonian qualities , as he is heckled by gays  outraged by his forgetfulness about gay military service promises. I wrote about this before.   Obama always seemed, to me, to have difficulty dealing with people, outside of carefully constructed situations (as, in fact, did Nixon).  Outside of his comfort zone, he is suspicious, stand-offish, and disinclined to enjoy the give and take of normal interactions. Share

Well, yes,..., and no. I don't believe that they will succeed in repealing the Obamacare bill.  Sorry, I'd love for them to do  so, but think it's quite unlikely.  However, the widespread displeasure with the bill may, in the end, lead to a call for free enterprise in the matter.  We may, after Americans have had an opportunity to experience socialized health care, see privatized health care plans again, yet. So, are the Tea Parties a failure? No.  Remember, the first actions of the original patriots weren't wildly successful.  They labored for years, without persuading very many beyond the core group.  They persevered.  They continued staying on top of the issues.  They continued talking to other colonists, not to scream at them, but to point out where their self-interest lay. And, eventually, they began to see their numbers swell.  Finally, they were able to gather together a group of like-minded individuals, and  declare ...

Well, he thinks it's - terribly cute - that we might protest, given that tax burdens have fallen lately. And, he's right - tax refunds are up this year. But, that doesn't take into account the hidden kicker: recent analyses showing that the tax burden on Americans is likely to rise in coming years. What's more, tea party protesters aren't just worried about taxes, but the rising federal debt and creeping entitlement programs they say threaten individual liberty as defined by the Constitution. "Obama mocks tea party protests … while feverishly working fast and furious to do everything they are forthrightly protesting, which is a government driving the nation into greater deficit spending and unsustainable taxation. That is funny, Mr. President," writes Tara Lynn Thompson at Right Pundits. It's not the immediate amount out of our pockets, it's the amount owed - and what that means about the eventual cost of paying for the "free ri...

I've an unanticipated day off, due to a flare-up of an old back injury.  I tried working through the pain, but found that I'd added a new symptom - a shooting pain down my left leg.  Apparently, it's sciatica, an unbelievably painful irritation of a major nerve, caused by spinal problems. So, I visited the chiropractor, rested, did the whirlpool thing (one of the few good things about this rental), and prepared for another day out.  I'll be moving around slightly, in between cautious stretching and LOTS of rest. Maybe, even, time to post. Share