The Promise

I recommend to you the works of ruben.navarrette@uniontrib.com the titles of which include the word I promised not to write about.

An Answer and Some Questions

Today, in that paper I read, Mr. Jerry Vorpahl has written a letter to the editor which says it all about education: "In. . .Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark. . .Iceland. . .Portugal, Holland , Belgium and parts of Germany, English is required beginning in the second or third grade, with fluency expected before graduation. Interestingly, we have no such requirement in this country."

In the same issue, Mr. Allen Jamieson asks the following provocative immigration questions:

"How many illegals has [Mexican President Vicente] Fox encouraged to cross the border in the last year?

How many illegals has Fox prevented from crossing the border in the last year?

How many pamphlets has the Mexican government distributed about how to avoid border-crossing problems?

How many tons of drugs have been smuggled across the border in the last year?

What has Fox ever done to encoursge his citizens to stay home and work in Mexico - or hasn't he done anything to provide jobs for them?

How much does Fox enjoy Mexico's second-largest source of foreign exchange - money sent home from the U.S.?"

Unrepentant

Recently I wrote to, and was published by, a newspaper I read. They had written an editorial about the behavior of a judge in a neighboring county in which they included the blatantly racist comment, "The prospect of an unfair trial [of an African American woman] due to an all-white jury pool was obvious."

I wrote that I was personnaly offended, as should be all Americans, at the implication that white Americans cannot be fair and impartial. I am still waiting for an apology.

ADDENDUM

If anyone is concerned about the potential jury pool, perhaps he/she could consider not committing crimes.

Hurray for Hercules

HERCULES (AP) -- "A San Francisco suburb voted Tuesday night to use the power of eminent domain to keep Wal-Mart Stores Inc. off a piece of city land after hearing dozens of residents who accused the big-box retailer of engaging in scare tactics to force its way into the bedroom community.

"The overflow crowd that packed into the tiny Hercules City Hall cheered after the five-person City Council voted unanimously to use the unusual tactic to seize the l7 acres where Wal-Mart intended to build a shopping complex. . .

"City officials [said] that buying the land was acceptable to ensure it was developed to the community's liking and fit with the overall plans for the city.

"Opponents worried that Wal-Mart would drive local retailers out of business, tie up traffic and wreck the small-town flavor of this city of 24,000. . . ."

Amy, the Crazy Liberal Lady

Late last night, I was watching my favorite to-laugh-at TV show hosted by Amy Goodman, where an attractive Indian woman was being interviewed. (Apparently, despite all our outsourcing, India is a living hell. The young Indian chronicled government oppression of all sorts including torture and death.) I stopped laughing. Then Amy characterized her as an author and an activist, and I suddenly realized that I could be in danger of becoming an activist. I have observations too, and all I lack is a world-wide forum in which to spout them.

I don't want to be an activist. What I do is point out anomalies I observe, and make fun of foolish people, most of whom are politicians whose only goal in life is to be reelected. . . and they invite criticism. I just want to encourage people to think, and more importantly, to laugh. . . a lot (before the global warming apocalypse).

Scientific AlGorithm

I was sitting here pondering why I have increasingly lost confidence in science. Conflicting reports, specious evidence, lack of evidence, lies, obfuscations -- there is nothing some "scientists" won't engage in to prove their point. Then, of a sudden, I remembered what I had been taught about the "scientific method." Now I realize why I have always been skeptical, and after years of machinations, I have almost reached the point where I tend to reject most of what "scientists" say.

The "scientific method," my teachers said, was to think up an hypothesis and seek evidence to support it. Because I wasn't a scientist, it was not a force in my life until today, when it struck me that what is implied here is that the scientist is to reject all evidence that doesn't support his theory. That's why the prevailing "knowledge" changes so often and, as a result, I find it hard to believe any of it.

Then there's AlGore. Remember him? He lost a Presidential election and moped, blimped up, grew a beard, and disappeared into academia. Well, he's back. He has made a film about how global warming will kill us all. This is the same global warming that, as Vice President, he as unable or unwilling to do anything about. It doesn't occur to him that it might not be possible for him or anyone else to do anything about it. Remember, it's some of those "scientists" who have said that warming and cooling have been occurring for millions of years, most of the time without human intervention.

The FOX

Marie Cocco (don't laugh) of the Washington Post (now, you can laugh) says that the illegal immigrants now being discussed are "the millions who desperately seek a better life in what they hope is a better place."

The United States IS a better place because its CITIZENS have worked hard and reinvested their money to make it so. Why can't other countries follow this example? Why doesn't Mexico elect someone who cares, rather than one who encourages HIS citizens to break U.S. laws and loot the "better place" and send the money "home", so that HE doesn't have to improve the lot of HIS citizens?

The American Dream

Much is being made of our being a nation of immigrants. However, the current immigration debate is over a different group of immigrants. Let us examine the difference.

Millions of Americans are descendants of mostly European and Asian immigrants who came here in the late 19th - early 20th century. Families came on boats and landed at U.S. government supervised customs stations (like Ellis Island) where their paperwork was verified and they were greeted by their sponsors. They went to their new homes and started the jobs which had been arranged for them by their sponsors. They worked hard, began to learn English and started studying to become citizens. They paid taxes, sent their English-speaking children to school and achieved the American Dream.

The immigrants under discussion today are the ones who, more recently, sneaked over the border from Mexico under cover of darkness. They looked for work and housing and found some unscrupulous employers who would pay them insulting wages to do work that lazy Americans don't want to do. Many have made little effort to learn English, and seem to have little interest in becoming citizens. They pay few if any taxes, and actually send the majority of their earnings to their families who are still in their lands of origin. Even though there is still a legal route to U.S. immigration in those countries, they have chosen the illegal option.

If these immigrants were to do the things their predecessors did, they would improve their situation and become eligible for higher paying employment. Unfortunately, to counteract that possibility, some greedy employers and their political friends have proposed a "guest worker" program so that they can perpetuate a PERMANENT underclass. This doesn't seem to be the American Dream.

Easy Targets

There are rainstorms and flooding in Boston, but Massachusetts Senator Teddy Kennedy is still busy blaming President Bush for the lightning that struck his plane. So much merde, so little time.

It's a good thing that a customer at Wal-Mart turned in the lady's misplaced purse, because if an employee had found it, company policy might have led the worker to believe that it was his spring bonus.

Two Quickies

On the way home from delivering the commencement address at the prestigious(?) Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Teddy Kennedy's plane was struck by lightning. How will he be able to blame that on President Bush?

Saw Vice President Cheney's daughter on FoxNews. She's a class act.

Saving the World

After a long night of whoring and Yahtzee, I have the urge to upset someone, specifically the people who enjoy watching automobiles being driven in circles to the left in the hope that explosions and/or death will ensue.

To them I say, ban motor sports. Why, you ask? Because there may be two other things important to the rest of us:

1. Fossil fuels are alleged to be a finite resource. Why are we depleting them on mindless recreation?

2. Automobile exhaust is alleged to be one of, if not
the major cause of global warming. How can we risk
extinction for our own foolish pleasure?

If one or both of the above has any credence, how can anyone continue to engage in these "sports?"

Auto racing was created in the early 1900's by car manufacturers to demonstrate the viability and endurance of their products. We have long since accepted that motor vehicles are dependable and useful. There's nothing else left to prove, unless it's related to machismo or the death wish. Let's move on.

Macaroni Is For Eating ONLY

Sometimes, between programs on my local PBS (Pretty Bad Stuff) station, a chubby, terminally cheerful woman gathers some children together to create "art" from trash. She trots out old newspapers, magazines, toilet paper rolls, pieces of styrofoam of varied shapes and sizes, etc., and in 2-3 minutes forces the toddlers to make really unattractive pieces of useless stuff which their parents will have to lie about when praising their little darling's creativity. So what we have is a brief lesson on how to turn trash into trash. How productive. . .

Barry and Britney

I believe it would show some class if, immediately after hitting the home run to tie Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds would walk off the field, down the tunnel, up to the owner's box and announce his retirement.

Another "Nobody Cares:" Britney Spears is pregnant again.

The Rest of the Story

My local newspaper said, ". . .U. S. newspapers continue to lose circulation, according to statistics released Monday, offering further evidence of the industry's struggles against television and the Internet."

Wrong. . . Newspapers are losing circulation because they have abandoned their journalistic mandate and have degenerated into organs of political bias. Certainly, they have a right to their opinion, but only in the editorial section. News should contain only facts, with nobody's spin on it. It is difficult to find such honesty in many "news" publications today.

News Briefs

Yo, Tomkat. A prenup isn't true love in any religion.

Surprise, surprise. . .Teddy Kennedy's son is going back to rehab. Isn't daddy proud of the example he set?

Disbarred and disgraced attorney Ken Walton was caught in 1999 selling a fake Richard Diebenkorn painting. (Who the hell is Diebenkorn?) Walton must be related to the Arkansas bunch, because he's turned it to his advantage with a new book about the crime. I won't name it so as not to publicize it.

Is Anna Nicole Smith pregnant? Does anybody care?

A 14 pound newborn girl left the hospital the other day. Her gait was unsteady but determined.

Honest AND gracious: At the Southern Center for International Studies a rude audience member asked Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, " Why did you lie to get us into war. . .?" The Secretary calmly responded, "I did not lie," and he waved off the security guards who were ready to remove the offender.

Grass

My neighbor has a lawn fetish. I believe that grass could be restricted to sporting fields and public parks and only because it could be a safety consideration. My neighbor and others have become slaves to the green stuff.

Grass is just something that has to be mowed, and mowed again. There are numerous substitutes that can be used, organic ground covers such as ice plant that require little or no maintenance. Do we really have to engage in time-consuming repetitive behavior?

If you live on the beach, you know that even sand is acceptable. Then there are decorative stones or rocks, and one could put in a tennis court of a lovely green color. And when there is talk of drought, think of the water we'll save.

A Break

The great American dictionary maker Noah Webster was a renowned philanderer. One day Mrs. Webster found the wordsman in bed with the chambermaid.

"Noah, I am surprised," huffed the offended wife.

Thereupon Webster drew himself up righteously and informed her, "No,madam, you are astonished. I am surprised."

Hispanic Governor Has It Right

It has been estimated the the immigration demonstrations drew about one million people. I would like to THANK the 10-11 million illegal immigrants who went to work and/or didn't protest. I also thank God (politically incorrect) that apparently no shots were fired.

I must admit that the actions of the 10-11 million have allowed me to feel slightly more sympathy toward illegal immigrants who are already here. But I agree completely with Governor Bill Richardson D-NM that Congress should "tighten border security. . . enforce the law and punish employers who willingly and knowingly hire those who are in the country illegally [and]. . . press Mexico and convince its leaders to seriously address immigration issues." He and I are waiting for Congress and Presidente Fox to act.

May 2

Once again the government has let us down. Why didn't President Bush mobilize the NATIONAL GUARD to help those whose businesses were shut down by the immigration demonstrations? Where was FEMA? Businessmen who had to close may have considered it an emergency. Where were the religious ZEALOTS? They could have manned the cash registers and picked the fruits and vegetables of those who lost millions of dollars. How about PRESIDENTE FOX? He could have brought in a crew to help some businesses stay open. Or better yet, he could have recruited some American citizens to do that work.

On May 1, American business took a big hit. I hope the illegal foreigners, who falsely claim rights under the Constitution, are proud of themselves. What is it about their behavior that would encourage America to want to grant them those rights?

May Day

It's May Day, the traditional Communist holiday. This is the day the Party Out of Power has chosen to troll for votes. In among the l2 million illegal immigrants they hope to find a few legal voters. They have encouraged them all to disrupt the functioning of our nation, and don't even object to children skipping school to dance around the May Pole. Now, you know, most children will take any opportunity to get out of class.

I'm not an employer of immigrants, legal or not, but if I were, and they didn't show up for work today, they wouldn't need to come tomorrow.