Random- "Oath of Allegiance" & Why I'm glad I was born here...

I was just on Facebook for the first time in forever, & noticed the little speech a person has to recite in order to become a citizen. Can I just say - I am sooo glad I was born here & didn't have to do that, because I'd need to do quite a bit of editing before I'd believe a word of it:

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic unless those laws are ridiculous, offensive, "unconstitutional," hateful/spiteful, pointless, unfair, or infringe on these so-called "unalienable" rights that have been promised to American citizens, let alone those Constitutional rights promised to all human beings on American soil; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same Meh; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law Fuck that. I'm moving to Canada should they ever try to draft me.; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law NO ARMY SHALL EVER HAVE ME!; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law ...like.... what, exactly??; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion because if I don't, I'll get kicked out of the country & I won't be able to go back to my home country & will be forced to wander international waters forever... with Captain Jack Sparrow! <3; so help me God. Separation of Church & State, dude. FSM/Buddha/Allah is not amused."

Uh-huh... And this little spiel is followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. So you see, I fail horribly at being "American"  by these standards XD So sad...

Yea, yea, I'm going to bed. Eventually. [yawn] I think I just need more HoYay.

State of the Union in 100 words or less!

Wow... Today's a pretty big day. First off, happy Sexual Freedom Day everyone! And a very special happy Celebrate Bisexuality Day!

So here's what's been going on in 100 words or less (& in no particular order):

The Defense Authorization Act was filibustered, the DREAM Act & DADT were put on hold. The ban on gay adoption was declared unconstitutional yesterday in FL. Major points of healthcare law, including Patients' Bill of Rights, go into effect TODAY! Sharron Angle wants to get rid of medical care for autism. I don't like her. Obama renews Middle East peace talks. FB founder Mark Zuckerberg plans to donate $100 milliion to struggling Newark school system. Chris Christie is pleased. It takes some heat away from his $400 million mistake. Caribou Barbie Palin announces her plan to plan to announce her run for president.



Only 86 words? Sweet. Stay tuned for Sunday updates (although my internet is shaky, so they may have to wait until Monday...)

Sunday Updates - What's going on out there?

Ok, let's try this. I still haven't finished that special post, because I've barely been home this weekend & haven't really been in the mood either. But I'm in such a great mood now, I figured hell why not see what's going on in the world. I'm going to try to make this a weekly Sunday thing. This way, we can recap last week and prepare for the new week all at the same time... Well, it sounded like a good idea before I said it :-D

Alright, here we go:

• Obligatory Sunday Anti-Tea-Party Op-Ed: Tea Party Talking Points, Translated Ok, enough silly fringe talk, let's get back to reality.
• Environmental News
• Gulf Oil Spill Update: BP well has officially been declared dead. Now if only we could get a proper cleanup going... The oil's still there, & the dispersants...
• Well this is just ridiculous - a Care2 blogger has issued a challenge, it seems. Wear only 6 items of clothing for an entire month. Buying less clothes is one thing, but simply wearing less is far more difficult for those of us who work, especially when we get dirty at work or have other obligations that require specific attire. And I DO pretty much wear the same outfit every day! (Uniform at work, though I do alternate between shirts & pants, & wash it all every few days or as needed.) Yes, life is easier when you don't have to think about what to wear in the morning, but for the majority of us, it's just not that practical or viable. I can only say that constantly doing tiny loads of laundry in order to have clean clothes & underwear for work is a bigger waste of energy than it's worth.
• Food & Diet: It seems that science continues to support what I've been saying about HFCS. (Which I guess makes sense, since my opinion is based on that science to begin with... I had this whole long rant on myspace regarding this, & myths surrounding soy...) Research regarding its effects on metabolism has been utterly inconclusive. As of right now, independent research it really is no worse for you than regular sugar. Sugar is sugar is sugar (though I would really suggest you go with more natural sugars, like beet or stevia or honey. Not because they're "better or you" or anything like that. Less random chemicals added, less refining, etc. But again, sugar is sugar. They're all pretty high in fructose, including honey and agave nectar, so seriously, just limit your sugar intake and you'll be fine.) It's not particularly good for you, like any other refined sugar product, but it's not going to kill you any faster than that other crap you're eating. It's the amount you're eating, not the product itself. But of course, it is in no way, shape, or form a "natural" product. Sorry, but it really pisses me off when items are marked "all natural" when they contain loads of artificial preservatives, flavorings, sweeteners, or colors. I'm so sick of green-washing -_-" but I'm also sick of the holier-than-thou attitudes of the Whole Foods/Trader Joes shoppers who snap at me for drinking a non-organic soda from Pathmark every once in a while. To each her own, ok? I may be a nature-loving eco-geek who screams at her mother for attempting to throw out an uncut 6-pack holder (that stupid plastic ring thing) on her birthday ("You're going to kill a dolphin !!!") & then fishes it out of the garbage & chops it up & then hides it with the recycling so it doesn't end up in the ocean, but jeez, lighten up a bit! :-P
• Also, you can check out this: Food Myths Busted. (most of it seems like old news, but still interesting.)
• What's Happening in Washington?
• w00t!! Elizabeth Warren has been appointed to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau! Sort of. We did it! (or rather, Obama realized that she really is the best candidate for some sort of advisory position regarding the bureau, & our incessant urging probably helped somewhat... maybe.) As the case may be, Warren is now a presidential economic advisor regarding the Bureau, and will be assisting the president in choosing a director... So... Looks like the job may not be hers. Harsh, man... Chins up, fellow liberals & progressives. It's not over yet.
• I'm starting to think that all politicians from Alaska are a little loopy. Unemployment benefits are unconstitutional?? I'm not even going to touch that, read it for yourself.
• It seems the GOP doesn't know what to do about the healthcare law. How about leave it alone. Or help us make it better.
• Between Palin & Angle & this O'Donnell character, I just really don't want to know. I don't care if she's dabbled in witchcraft or whatever she thinks she did (since Wicca has nothing to do with Satanism or Satanic altars...). So have I. I still have my Book of Shadows. (I wrote this really long spell/poem in calligraphy, I can't bear to throw it out!) Really, I just can't get past this whole "masturbation is adultery" thing. Last I checked, you had to be married to commit adultery. And she was a teenager when she said that, talking about other teenagers... who were probably not married. So what she's saying is you can't have sex with yourself, or someone of your own gender, or someone you're not married to, or allow yourself to ever feel or express any of your own 100% natural sexual urges even if you're not married because God gets angry & throws a tantrum when you're cheating on your non-existent spouse with your hand? And somehow it appears to make her feel like less of a person because her boyfriend doesn't need her in order to have an orgasm? And somehow that means she doesn't matter at all and might as well not be there? Hmm... Methinks her 1999 logic is a wee bit flawed, yes? News flash, honey: you can do it too, and I'm sure your boyfriend, or invisible husband, won't mind. Hopefully you've learned that by now. Plus I'm pretty sure the Monty Python gang had a go [video] at something like this too XD.
• P.S. - this woman is so damn annoying as a teen [video]. Typical nonsensical & religious crap. And the fact that she still seems to stand by a lot of it is pretty sad IMO. But Eddie Izzard was awesome, as he still is now.
• Tax Cuts: According to CNN, some economists believe we should extend the Bush Tax Cuts for everyone. I respectfully disagree. Middle class & lower class, fine, I've come to accept that as a necessary action, but the wealthy? Don't ever ask me to agree with you on that. I may not be a financial expert, but I'm not bad at math. Or logic. The government needs money to do good things for the country. The rich people have lots of money. Poor people don't. The poor people are great at spending money (because they have to in order to survive), and the rich people are great at saving money (because they have that luxury, among many others). Therefore, if you're going to take desperately needed money anyway, take it from the people who actually have it while either reducing or maintaining the burden on those who don't. Duh? We already know that "trickle-down" theory is complete and utter bullshit, so don't bother. Like I said, the rich are great at saving money. There's no reason why they should invest it in society voluntarily if they don't have to (other than the few altruists in the bunch). The top 2% will be just fine. A person doesn't need a $10 billion bonus in order to survive, but trust me, a $400 paycheck every few weeks is desperately needed if that's all you can get.
• Caribou Barbie: Does anyone care? I don't.
• Can't we All Just Get Along? Peace & Unity In the US: Check out One Nation Working Together.
• Immigration Reform: It would seem that we'll finally get a proper vote on the DREAM Act this week!!! If you missed my earlier posts on it, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act provides a conditional path to citizenship for undocumented minors who arrived in the US under the age of 16, provided they are accepted into college or join the military for at least 2 years.
• Stewart/Colbert: Huge rally on 10/30 in DC!!! Wish I could be there :-(
• Coffee Part USA: This upcoming Friday begins the Convention in Kentucky. If you can't make it (like me...), you can check out www.democracymeetup.com for information about what's going on, or watch the live stream of the conference here [video].
• LGBT rights: Well of course we'll always have bigots & homophobes who want to make homosexuality illegal, but those of us who actually give a fuck about equal rights for all can...
• TAKE ACTION: Via Care2 & the Human Rights Campaign, a Petition to pass ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) to prohibit employers from discriminating against employees based on sexual orientation. Federal laws currently only prohibit discrimination based on age, ethnicity, religion, nationality, & gender (not including transsexuals/transgender people, however.) Though my lovely state has a pretty decent anti-discrimination policy, if I do say so myself... at least, compared to the federal laws. We all still have a long way to go regarding marriage rights, however. (We recognize same-sex domestic parnerships, or a civil union with almost all of the same exact rights as a marriage, but thanks to DOMA, well... "Nevermind." Now's the time when we should miss Corzine (as if there ever were a time when we shouldn't. I had nothing against the guy except his smear campaign during the election & the fact that not much major happened during his term, which is why I preferred the Independent...) If it had ever been put before him, he would've signed same-sex marriage into law... & our current moron said he'd veto it. But enough about us, let's get on with the rest of the country...
• DADT: In addition to the DREAM Act, Harry Reid has included a repeal of DADT in the Defense Authorization Bill (which authorizes more military spending -_-" A worthy trade off? I hope so.) With the recent court ruling that DADT is unconstitutional (!!!), there has been a significant push for repeal now. Let's hope it goes through! (Haha, though I have to say I'm a little disappointed that I no longer have a surefire excuse to get out of military service should I ever be drafted. But if it keeps soldiers safe within their own ranks, and protects them from unfair abuse and discrimination, I'd gladly give that up!)

So, look at that! I got through the whole week's news without getting depressed too! Not bad. Anyway, I'm off to tell yet another "I want a threesome with a black girl!" bastard to fuck off. Don't ask, I don't want to tell. Well, ok, it sounds like a nice policy at face value, in some areas. You know, when someone's job or safety isn't on the line. No one should ever be forced to reveal information about their private lives. However, as that isn't the case...

I read a story of this one woman... She was a sergeant, I believe, and several of the men under her found out that she was a lesbian. They raped her, repeatedly, over the course of a year, and forced her to do other kinds of demeaning, violent sexual acts, under threat of telling the commanders her secret and getting her fired . And then they told them anyway. She was discharged from the army. The men never received any sort of punishment whatsoever. This woman lost everything because of this horrible law... her privacy, her safety, her rights, her peace of mind, her body, her career, her life. And thousands of men and women are abused everyday and can't say a word for fear of losing the careers they've spend their entire lives working towards-- a career in which they have literally put their lives on the line for their fellow soldiers and citizens. Because of who they love. Because of hate and fear and bigotry and religious zealots forcing their misguided beliefs on others. Tell me how that's just.

If my fucking state can promise that no one will ever have to be subjected this kind of treatment because of their orientation, why can't my government? Why can't the military?!?!?  

REPEAL DADT NOW!

I guess I wanted to be upset tonight.

Philosophy of Politics - What part of Legal Immigration Don't You Understand?

Well, this is informative. I've mentioned many times before that the legal immigration process is long and complicated... It's a pretty shitty system, to be perfectly frank.

I had this long post typed up, but you know what, it doesn't really matter. I want to keep this short, because there's just so much that could be covered, and frankly, I don't feel like it. So, where do we begin? Literally, I guess, in this case. Where do we come from, how did we get here, what is our point in life? Existentialism aside, there are millions of answers for each question that are not only relevant to the political sphere, but directly influence law and society. Let's face it-- the "world" as we relate and attempt to understand it is more metaphysical than physical. Borders, countries, towns, etc. exist because we say they do; they are "real" because we collectively believe them to be. Language aside, a country is as "real" as the boundaries and people that comprise it. Therefore, it exists. However, who is to decide these arbitrary boundaries? Who gets to decide who gets to cross the lines and for what reasons?  History says might makes right, and maybe that's how things have been, but that doesn't mean it's how it should be. You can say something is yours, but that doesn't necessarily make it true.

Part of the issue is also identity- determining where one belongs, who one is, is based on so many dimensions of being. As much as we would like to pretend it doesn't matter, or move past it as a means of identification, skin color and geographic region of ancestral origin have a great deal of influence on one's identity. Where one lives, who one associates with... How one comes to exist in a location! The very term "immigrant" refers to a person who used to live in another geographic region bound by symbolic lines on a sheet of paper, under the rule of a different sovereign "state." However, immigrants existed long before those lines or states. (Definitions do change over time, remember?) Migration itself is a natural part of human existence. However, we've made it into a legal issue, when in reality, it has little to do with justice.

Anyway, those are just a few brief thoughts on the subject... I would rather not get too into this tonight. My point is, it's not as simple as we would like to pretend it is. It isn't as simple as "fill out this paperwork, take a test, and BAM! You're a citizen now, here's your flag & passport." It's just as much as a political process as anything else. Where you come from, how old you are, who you know (family, friends, & "friends in high places"), how much money you have, your occupation. No matter where you go in the world, these are the things that matter to them more than what's in your heart, who you really are, & what you're trying to do with your life. To live on the other side of a "natural boundary" such as a river, which may be just a few hundred feet away... if one side has a greater chance of survival & safety, and the only thing you have to do is get across the river to have a better life for your children, who wouldn't do it?

Updates! Current State of the Union...?

Ok, so maybe it's been quite a while since I've finished a post. And there's just so much going on all over the place that I haven't been able to just stop for a moment to sort my thoughts and get them down. Between my vacation time this weekend, weird dreams, & attempting to read a book (when I really don't have the time to get past a chapter, speed reading and all, since I kept stopping to "argue" with the author...), & now I'm here trying to finish this post and a private one before I leave (for who knows where...). I'm sure you get my point. So I need to play catch-up with what's going on again. (Like when I took a week off to play video games & regain my composure after a total mental breakdown, & totally missed that whole Scott Brown thing... lol... Oh well, not like it turned out to be that bad overall.) Brief comments about the state of the country:

Single Payer Healthcare
-- Vermont is attempting to push through a single-payer program, but might be stopped by the federal law... The plan, championed by a grassroots organization and based on the idea of healthcare as an undeniable human right, advocates the abolition of all for-profit health plans in favor of a state-run non-profit system.However, the healthcare legislation passed this year has provisions for state programs that specifies that a state program cannot interfere with the insurance provided by large employers. (Kucinich attempted to get a waiver included in the legislation, but as usual, progressive ideas were quashed...) Story Available Here.

Arizona Immigration Law
--As far as I've seen, most of the Arizona law SB1070 is still blocked. Good news indeed... (Wondering if Hollywood/music scene is really against the law because it's become the "in" thing to do, or if they're seriously into it... Either way, works for me, I guess. We're humans first. Nationality second (though I can think of a ton of other things that matter more too). To add some weird news, Ms. Palin has decided she had to talk about our President's "family jewels" (to be polite here...) in relation to this law... Way to take the debate back to high school. (Not to mention it's kinda sexist -_-" C'mon, really? Yea, Democrats are wusses. But this phrase that basically means that only men have what it takes to get shit done? Bull. Though to quote the great Leopold "Butters" Stotch, girls just keep 'em on the inside :-D)

BP Oil Spill
-- The MSM continues to hide the fact that there's still oil all over the gulf and in Michigan too. (Article 1, Article 2). No, the microbes couldn't possibly have cleaned it all up already. Yes, normally oil would float, & perhaps it's not as visible in some areas, but you're forgetting that a) dispersants break it up into smaller & smaller pieces that spread out all over the place; b) those dispersants are HIGHLY TOXIC, not to mention the fact that crude oil is also HIGHLY TOXIC; c) oil can sink. Someone commented on a news article & told another person that they should "go back to science class. oil can't be on the ocean floor because it floats on water!" I think that had this commenter actually thought about science class, perhaps they would have remembered that the reason that oil floats is because it is less dense than water, however should the oil mix with something (say, a dispersant, or particles in the water like salt or debris...), it could easily become more dense than the water and sink to a lower level. Different oils have different densities. Crude oil on it's own is actually quite dense. When it's exposed to air, water, or bacteria, it gets denser-- the lighter parts evaporate away, leaving behind heavy sediment. (Look up Heavy Crude Oil.) So let's focus on cleanup & stop pretending the problem's gone just because we might not be able to see it.

Congressman Anthony Weiner's 9/11 Healthcare Rant
-- My favorite congressman Anthony Weiner went on another passionate rant recently over the 9/11 workers' healthcare. It was epic. (And I can't believe I missed it & had to find it on youtube on my phone at like 1 am Saturday morning... Luckily, his office sent me a link later, too.) It's one thing to be a passionate ranting lunatic when you're spouting lies and conspiracy theories and you do it all the time (*cough*glennbeck*cough), but Weiner is one of the few who actually sticks to facts and I love that he shows how he really feels... (If he's faking it, he should consider Hollywood; he really seems legit.) Democrats have to learn to get angry when they should be. Occasionally, sometimes it's good to lose your temper when people are being ridiculous. Sometimes, it's absolutely justified. When people's lives and livelihoods are at stake, have at it. I'll expect similar reactions once this BP mess is finally cleaned up...

Political Celebrity News
-- Ok, everyone's talking about it, so I'll just mention it really fast and get the "celebrity" gossip out of the way- Chelsea Clinton's dress was GORGEOUS. (And I don't usually like Vera Wang. Or excessively ruffly dresses. And omg Bill looks eerily thin... I think he looked a bit healthier before...) ^^"

Bush's Tax Cuts
-- Cute how Republicans want to extend tax cuts without paying for them, & add to the deficit, but anything Democrats propose has to be paid for and then some. Really, watching them bicker, from the outside, is just so amusing. Like hell should they keep the cuts. This is money the gov't should've had, so yea, time for the free pass to expire. We need revenue in order to fix a deficit, and Mitch McConnell's argument (that the tax cuts help the economy) doesn't really work here. If he were talking about people living below the poverty line, then yes, absolutely. If he were talking about the middle class, then yes, his argument would make sense. But the wealthy? Yea, no. This may be a bit obvious, but rich people tend to save money, & poor people spend. Every good economist knows that if you want to stimulate the economy, you give money to poor people, not to the wealthy. (Trickle-down theory doesn't work. It would be nice if certain people stopped "pretending" it does.) And tell me again how it's fair for the people who don't have money to pay taxes that ultimately benefit the wealthy, but the wealthy don't have to pay a dime? Seems a little backwards to me. So I'm with Greenspan on this one.

Petitions for Elizabeth Warren as Head of Consumer Protection Agency
--We're still trying to get Obama to pick Elizabeth Warren for the new consumer protection agency. The first time I heard about her, I thought she would be a shoe-in for the position (this was just before the bill was passed). But hopefully, with enough of an "outburst" so to speak, we'll be able to influence Obama to appoint her... Petitions:
CredoAction
Change.org (also for Credo)
Petition from Senator Bernie Sanders (D,VT)
Bold Progressives/Credo (Credo's really into this one, huh...)
Public Citizen

In the end, it seems pretty likely that she will be nominated. She's perfect for the job. Plus it was her idea in the first place, wasn't it? So, best of luck, Ms. Warren, we're fighting for you!

I'm off to find more ice for my knee. (I haven't a clue what happened the first time, but it was already bruised pretty badly before I smashed it into the corner of my nightstand... Ow...) Back to work tomorrow... And eventually I'll get back to a regular post.

And Now, for Something Completely Different... But not really. Pictures!

Every week I like to check out this gallery of the top political cartoons. Some are eh, but others... hilarious. Thought today maybe I'd share a few, maybe comment every now and then, just to mix things up. (And if I'm not horribly mistaken, clicking on the picture should enlarge it... maybe.)

Remember way back when I was joking about splitting the US down the middle and we each take a side? If you haven't noticed yet, in the bottom corner it says "I didn't notice anyone trying to sneak across." And you wouldn't! Maybe we'd be sitting on the fence, as I would from time to time... Mostly to see what's going on on the other side, I suppose. But just think how different each side would be... And yet, how similar. We're all human. We're all Americans. We do what we do because we love our country despite it's problems, and we want to see it flourish. We all have the same problems, just different ways of solving them.... And I see a social experiment coming on... Think the APA review board would let me get away with it??? I'm totally serious :-D
And obviously this whole border with Mexico thing too has people pretty divided (regarding immigrants crossing over it, I mean... Though frankly, and I know this wouldn't sit well with many Mexicans, I wonder if we could work out some sort of deal that kind of combines us in some way... After all, technically speaking the we're the ones who invaded Mexico by annexing Texas. Texas had claimed independence from Mexico, but they were the only ones who believed that... [Texans had an annoying habit of seceding from whatever country they belonged to. So I say let's just let them be independent & see how that works out. Good luck.] Then the Texans decided they didn't like the boundaries, & claimed that the borders included land & a river that they absolutely did not, including huge parts of (what became) 3 other states. (There's all this junk about saving Texas from a Mexican invasion, but it's not invading when it's yours, so...) Polk was an idiot who thought it would be a good idea to steal Texas, thereby declaring war on Mexico (even though Mexico flat out told him to butt out), stealing the land, killing everyone in the area. Somewhere in this Cali declared independence from Mexico, The Americas forced whoever was alive to sign a treaty (somehow I don't think gunpoint counts...) giving them and called it a day. To put it simply, the US invaded Mexico, stole their land, and made them give us more. All the future war heroes were there - Grant, Lee (another idiot... He didn't like them, but I miss the old Radical Republicans, back when Republicans stood for civil/human rights... So much nicer than our modern ones, IMO...), Stonewall... We eventually gave Mexico a few million dollars to shut them up (despite the fact that the land they gave up was worth far more than that - Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Cali, New Mexico, Texas-- and we shoved them back to the Rio Grande. The southern border of the US is all stolen property... I couldn't blame them if they started shouting "Take Our Country Back!" like those silly tea party signs. At least then it'd make some sense. Speaking of which...

Even though we've seen a drop in private hiring, and a surge in government hiring due to the census, we're still in a MUCH better situation than we were before... And I've seen recent evidence that this was not due to the "natural" ebb and flow of the market, but had a huge boost from the stimulus bills-- and as a result (as most provisions are about to expire), we're going to see a drop this summer... Housing is down, construction is down, wages went up a smidge but private sales aren't going up anymore, so... There's a bit of a hiring freeze. Unemployment will take a hit once the census people are done (though I'm thinking a lot of them are probably around my age, since that's a huge hiring target group for that type of job). Teachers are going to see a plunge as well, I'm sure. But despite all of this hardship, and the fact that the country is breaking down on the political front so to speak, things are still better than they used to be... We are still progressing, as slow as the process may be.

This one's a bit older, I believe... And kind of creeps me out, because I was in some forum a few weeks ago and a few cops were there talking about this exact thing and how they do actually have a scale (these particular cops, not all cops in general)...(Granted, in November I had spent a little too much time following related conversations on Stormfront -- a "white nationalist/supremacist & neo-Nazi/KKK" site-- & the Nation of Islam - a "black supremacist/separatist/nationalist" website for a Social Theory paper on hate groups. Scariest 3 hours of my life. I'd like to not run into these kinds of people IRL. One group from one of the sites would call me names & try to kill me, the other would call me names & probably let me live but kill someone while dragging me around with them, & I'd really rather not ever get involved... Ack. Instead of writing my paper, I instead wrote a list/article about why both were absolutely insane. [One group had 2,000 members join immediately after Obama won, which crashed the server. They panicked that the "white rule" was going to end - their words, not mine. Even Fox's "Papa Bear O'Reilly" called them out on their hateful spamming of his polls. The other group is basically the same, except they're also much more homophobic, & most of their hateful speech is offline and their skin tone is a bit darker. Both groups pretty much worship Hitler and blame the Jews for ruining the world... so... ye-a... Fucked up.] That part was fun, but writing my paper at 5 am before class wasn't so much...)

"100% Natural, for that Naturalized U.S. Citizen Look. Protects Against Police Harassment"-- Someone needs to give this to Boehner, 'cuz he doesn't even look human anymore... Most humans aren't naturally orange.

Hmm... Lesser of 2 evils?

Now this one is just too true...

Someone on FB/Care2 suggested plugging the leak with Beck & Palin so they'd be useful for something other than humor, but Limbaugh's mouth is just too big... (Plus I think that probably counts as physical violence, so I can't condone it...) But the good news is, recent attempts have been working to at least lessen the flow and contain some of the oil... Once we get it stopped, we can get to cleaning up (trying to see if somehow GP or Environment America would sponsor a trip down there... I think I could take off from work, I just don't know about plane tickets, HAZMAT suits or sleeping arrangements...) Also, while it's wonderful that so many organizations and businesses are chipping in hundreds of thousands of dollars towards cleanup costs, BP MUST BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERY DAMN PENNY!!! ^^" Sorry for yelling. (Poor Australia, too, lol. They keep looking forward to Obama's visit, & he keeps canceling at the last minute to fix massive problems here and get shit done...)

Another friend was talking about how other countries and indigenous peoples are forced to abide by the boundaries set by European invaders. (Reminds me of that whole "might makes right" argument. Right and wrong are determined by whoever is currently in power, the strongest and loudest are the ones who will make the rules, etc... The strongest bully determines the legitimacy of everything...) I really want to quote this all, but if my ping.fm post ever shows up you can read it all for yourself... (But until then, here's the link to the article - Arizona One-Ups Itself: Public School Has Black, Hispanic Faces On Mural Changed to White « SpeakEasy. Look for BulletProofAir's comments. Article is sad, but the comments are lovely if you ignore the stuff about old people. I think they meant our grandparents, whatever category they fall into and not Baby Boomers (our parents) or even Gen X (today's young parents). Funny though that kids born after mid-1990s are Generation Z, the "New Silent Generation." We're breeding media-obsessed introverts... How weird is that? P.S. - What happens after them anyway --after generation Z??... Oh... Wikipedia says our kids will probably called Alpha.) What was I talking about again? lol...

[UPDATE- Principal apologizes, admits mistake, plans to go back to how it was. ]

So... let's try one last pic, cuz I'm getting bored...

I assume most people have heard about what's happening to text books...again. This happens every once in a while. I can't remember exactly when the last time was, but I remember talking about it in school when I was about 11 or 12... and again in high school. California is boycotting the textbooks. I believe every state should. Private schools can do what they want-- that's their prerogative. Christianity and it's "family values" have had a massive effect on history, but this is just overstepping boundaries. History is always rewritten to suit society, but a small minority should not dictate everything.

You should see what Fox wrote on this. (I'm not going to show you, it's just too embarrassing... for them. At least, it should be. I also just skimmed the list of articles on the page... So sad, really. I think some of their writers are in denial...) Though I trust PBS and college students  far more then I'll ever trust Fox again. I know that HuffPost may have wildly exaggerated some claims, but I found one blogger's play by play of the radio broadcast of the meeting, and a neutral college student's list of the biggest changes, as well as several other neutral sources including Politifact (which claims that some of the really-liberal sites' extreme accusations are half-true). (Even found a conservative Texas education site that refutes Fox's ludicrous claims... What a nice find... Though Fox wasn't entirely off on one point - these textbooks could verily end up anywhere in the country. It does depend on individual states, as the agency says, but that doesn't invalidate Fox's claim. So hey, Fox finally got something right!) While I think some of the changes could be great if the publishers could manage to be non-partisan about it ( for example, discussing the pros and cons of government regulation), others are so blatantly biased that it's actually offensive. Like how publishers now have to stress how awesome capitalism is compared to socialism/communism (which, btw, are NOT the same thing). Like taking out how race/ethnicities, religions, and genders have shaped society and history-- right there you're already taking out the history of music, which is HUGELY tied into so much of history... Women's rights, including suffrage, careers, and marriage... Gay rights, the Civil Rights Movement... Hell, we can even go waaay back to the Great Awakening and the Second Great Awakening which led to the abolitionist movement! The Quakers too! How can you downplay that or cut it out? Also, I fail to see how they plan to take religion out while promoting "Christian values and the influence of Christianity on our Founding Fathers"? We as a "nation" (for lack of a better word at the moment) began as a group of settlers seeking religious freedom. Granted the whole witch hunt thing kind of fucked that up, and the pushy religious people who insisted on converting everyone to "save them from hell" kind of fucked that up a bit too, but the whole point was that the ideology of certain religious groups was not supposed to be forced on anyone, and a person should be allowed to believe in whatever he or she wants. Again, I'm not saying that religion isn't a huge part of our history, and that Christianity hasn't had an effect. But it's not the only religion that's influenced us, and I believe it's modern ideology and corresponding political agenda do not even remotely resemble the influences or teachings of our Deist Founding Fathers. In fact, Deism conflicts with most of Christian teachings... (google it.) Plus back then, the vast majority of those religious movements served as a progressive, liberal force for good, helping to free cultural groups from unfair social restraints. (Remember, the current group is only considered "conservative" in present times because it seeks to maintain or preserve how things were...) I also love how anti-miscegenation laws for "Caucasians and Mongolians," and the Oriental Exclusion Law, etc are being written off as not being racist towards Japanese people during the internment camp period of WWII... Because "Italians and Germans were there too!" Yes, that should absolutely be mentioned. It's not something we really learned much about in school growing up. I'm learning more about it as I type this and research... But I wouldn't exactly market it as proof that internment had nothing to do with racism. The Japanese were the first to go, for the aforementioned reasons. FDR and the newspapers said some pretty nasty things about Japanese-Americans, but I can't find anything about the Italians from that period... The German-Americans had a bad rep of course, and apparently 10-15% had a Nazi affiliation so it's hard to be surprised that people were freaked out and angry. But for the most part, they and the Italian-Americans were just "enemy aliens." (Not to mention the fact that even with anti-Italian sentiment back then, a lot of people regarded Italians and Germans as Caucasian and not a minority "race" as they are of European descent, so...) The Japanese were the only ones to have racial epithets added to the "war crime" of being of the same ethnicity as the enemy.

And now for something completely different. Since I sort of changed topic. On a completely hilarious note, apparently some extremist conservatives started freaking out that Christmas and the Constitution were going to be written out of textbooks... Best April Fool's joke ever? lol... (Followed by some crap about how liberals hate America and the Constitution -_-" Seriously, what the hell are these people on??) And guess who started those rumors? Turns out to be the very same Fox anchor from above ^, Gretchen Carlson-- the one with the ludicrous claims. Turns out those claims weren't even the crazy ones... And like a true Fox-er, she didn't bother to say anything when someone proved that she was wrong.

From Politifact.org -
Addressing Jason Moore, a Texas parent who planned to speak at Wednesday's hearing, Carlson said: "So, one of the proposed changes, Jason, is actually to start history class in the year 1877, which would be a big problem for a lot of people, would it not? And eliminate references to certain holidays, Founding Fathers, the Constitution! I mean, no surprise that Christmas, they want to get rid of that because they've been doing that for the last couple of years, but c'mon, the Constitution?"

Which brings us to today's moral - it's not technically a lie if you really believe it's true when you say it, but if you're going to stick with your story when you're proven to be wrong... (Speaking of which, great news - a lot of alarm bells can go away now, we finally have evidence that it was a huge misunderstanding that wasn't immediately rectified... If you don't know what I'm talking about, good for you.)

Alright, I'm sure if you're still reading you really must be bored today... (I was. I'm sure I've infected enough people today, so spent the rest of the day in my room alone, writing and playing video games... I have yet to see a doctor, but I know I have strep -_-" Ugh. There are some things sisters should never share, and an infection is certainly one of them.)

(All cartoons copyright of their respective artist and/or publication. I'm just using them here for "educational purposes," under Fair Use law or whatever it's called ^^")

A Letter from Senator Lautenberg (D, NJ)

I think it's rare that I should actually receive a response from Sen. Lautenberg other than "I received your message. Thank you, have a nice day :-)", but I thought I would share this little form letter anyway... It's something I can relate to, and something I care about... 

(Just occurred to me - the word I've been looking for is "undocumented."  They're not "illegal" they're "undocumented"...)

Dear Ms. [you don't need to know that...]:

Thank you for contacting me about comprehensive immigration reform. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

As the son of immigrant parents, I know the United States is often a refuge for those who long for freedom and opportunity. Most immigrants have worked hard to become contributing members of our communities, and the United States has always prided itself as a country that welcomes people seeking better lives for themselves and their families. In the 110^th Congress, I voted to advance comprehensive immigration reform legislation; unfortunately, this legislation failed to pass the Senate.

In April, I joined fifteen of my colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama expressing my support for passing comprehensive immigration reform legislation this year. The letter states that comprehensive immigration reform legislation must improve our border security, help reunite families, modernize our existing immigration programs, and ensure that all workers and business pay their fair share of taxes. Please be assured I will continue to support meaningful comprehensive immigration reform that is practical and fair.

Thank you again for contacting me.


Sincerely,

Senator Frank R. Lautenberg
 (image died. grr...)


I also had (& secretly recorded, lol) a talk with my mother a few weeks ago about what it was like to immigrate to the US. (She knows I was asking for my blog, and that I wanted an interview... I don't think she'll mind too much anymore ^^") She said that it was really popular at the time to marry people just for citizenship, and she knew a lot of people who did it. This was 1973. My mom was only 13 at the time, and her parents had taken care of all of the paperwork. It was a lot easier back then. Standards for citizenship weren't as strict... or expensive. She told me about life back home in Guyana (in South America), before she came here. She's from one of the wealthier families in the capital, so she apparently lived in a nice area. Her family owned a lot of land- a plantation (which she still owns a part of today, apparently...) with servants... (She said they were paid well...)  But Guyana was a relatively poor place, owned by Britain until it gained independence in 1966 and became a republic in 1970... And as things happen in a lot of poor formerly British colonies, there was a period of sharp economic decline in the early 70s, violence broke out (likely including a few crazy people from Jonestown & the People's Temple), and it was no longer safe for her to stay there. (Things have declined rapidly since... My mother says things have changed so much there... Ut's basically become like a third world country in some parts. Guyana has the highest suicide rates in ALL of South America...) Both of her parents were already in the US. Her father was a doctor, her mother worked as a nurse. They had been here at least a year or so before my mother joined them, and her siblings followed much later later. Her parents were not citizens when she arrived, but she told me that if they had been, she would have automatically become a citizen-- however, the government changed the laws at that time anyway. "Then I became a citizen before my parents did. My dad never did it, but my mom did, eventually." Her father died just after I was born... I don't know the details, because she doesn't talk about it. I was supposed to visit him in Guyana when I was about 6 months old, but there were complications with baggage (as in, diapers and things had to be shipped there 6 months in advance, so mom went alone...) She sometimes says that she misses Guyana and wants to visit again someday, but she doesn't regret coming here. They came here for the safety, to be with their family, to have a chance at a better life.


If someday I ever leave this country, I would hope my new home would welcome me with open arms, regardless of whether or not ... and not brand me a moocher and a nuisance, as the citizens here have been doing for the past few centuries... (I'm assuming this post will be part of my "what it means to be American" train of thought...) I think it's interesting that Canada requires you to prove your worth before you can apply for citizenship. Kind of sucks, because they look for specific professions and skills (none of which I have. I'm not a brain surgeon or an architect... and I have no desire to try either.) It kind of doesn't leave room for entrepreneurship, but I guess that's more of an American thing (there are tons of government grants and tax credits and things for people who try to start businesses and stuff... Oh, capitalism. How I loathe thee, yet have little choice but to accept thee -- for now. Someday, Corporate America, I swear I will take you down, piece by piece, from the inside out. My father says I have to wait until he retires though... That's like 10-15 years from now! I can't wait that long... I'm still working on that whole patience thing. It's not working out.)

Just Thinking...

I'm reading through my blog right now, just thinking about things. Other than a few obvious grammar errors I somehow missed, I kind of like rereading what I wrote. It's like seeing yourself in another light, if only for a moment (though I do have to say, that's one of my few real skills. I can look at things objectively, including my own thoughts and actions... ^^" See, I was made to be a psychologist...) Though I guess it's quite obvious that I've gotten lazy lately. Work really is exhausting, but some miraculous accident, I don't have a schedule for this week (I'll call about it if nothing changes by tomorrow... I deserve today off for the last few days though!) so I get to play catch-up with life. Things have been quiet on the healthcare front, as well as that stupid FB group advocating the death of Obama... even Arizona talk has died down (though I have something new to add to that later, maybe tomorrow...)

A co-worker yesterday said something rather surprising. Now first, let me say that the place I work for has a longstanding reputation as a "family company," plays country music almost nonstop, and is covered in "American" things & memorabilia. Most of the employees I work with are avid NASCAR fans (I kid you not...) with many grand-kids, terrible grammar, and no college diplomas. (Talk about stereotypes... -_-" This place is pretty bad about that too. They not only stick to them, but promote them. Very sexist, often racist... Sad. I'm looking to move soon...) Anyway, my co-workers and I have very, very little in common, including age and politics. I also recently began working with another group (of mostly immigrants) within the company. When I met them, apparently it was assumed that I was a Spanish-speaking Dominican woman. (How they reached that conclusion, I don't have a clue. I'm not Dominican, or Hispanic, & I don't speak a word of Spanish either... People are actually closer when they assume I'm African-American than Hispanic.) Clearly, there is some sort of hierarchy and serious racial tension here (despite the fact that the highest-ranking manager is Hispanic, and there really is a lot of diversity overall. It just seems like sometimes certain departments are grouped by ethnicity...). Anyway, back to the co-worker from Group A (the NASCAR-loving grannies, and also from group Smug). While working, we run into Group B (Spanish-speaking cleaning people... Again, way to be stereotypical, Unnamed Company.). Co-Worker sees Group B workers, hears them speaking Spanish with each other as they begin to walk away, and says "We're in America, we speak English. They should go back to their own country..." in a nasty tone. Clearly she must have seen the expression on my face, because she suddenly stopped mid sneer, covered her mouth and went back to work.

What is it with the anti-immigrant sentiment in this country? Like somehow those who move here are lesser people, or less-than American, because we were born here (and speak a language that isn't even native, but we pretend it's better that every other language). Isn't that what America truly means? A nation of immigrants, working hard for a happy, fruitful life of peace and prosperity.

And on another note - we finally have an official nomination for the Supreme Court... Congratulations to the nominee, Elena Kagan... She has a decent chance of making it past the GOP without a filibuster (because she appears to be fairly conservative enough, which I'm thinking in this case will be a really bad thing...), and she's certainly well educated and acquainted with law. Personally, I think there was a much better option for a myriad of reasons, instead of the safe, moderate (and quite inexperienced) choice, especially to replace Justice Stevens; but nonetheless, congratulations Ms. Kagan.

(It would seem that Bold Progressive is now "following" me on Twitter. Normally, I wouldn't care, but somehow they found me, so... This either means I'm seen as a Progressive, or I sent a "tweet"  about one of their petitions & totally forgot about it... Though considering my own list includes TrueMajority, Maddow, Olbermann, Greenpeace, Change.org & Bill Maher... ^^" Not a hard conclusion to come to I suppose.)

Do I look illegal to you??? Show me YOUR papers!!!

Ok, clearly if you've been keeping up with me (anywhere but here) you'd know that the 2 biggest topics on my mind right now (outside of garden & work) are Arizona & drilling. I attempted to tackle drilling before, so now for Arizona...

Just checked a FB group I'm in, called 1 MILLION Strong AGAINST the Arizona Immigration Law SB1070, and it looks like we're getting closer to 2 MILLION! (Only 1 or 2 trolls so far...) Such a great show of solidarity against horrible legislation... Now, I know that Governor Brewer tried to allay some of our fears about the very high likelihood that this law will promote racial profiling, but rest assured, we know better. But aside from that... I'm also quite concerned with the social implications of this law as it applies to those proven to be citizens. We've seen that, during the first weekend after the law was passed, 30 people were let go after being arrested on the street. At least one was randomly pulled over with no excuse. When those 30 people return to their lives, how will things be the same? Even though they were able to prove that they were legal citizens, by whatever standards, how long until they are questioned by their neighbors? I think it's likely they will always be looked upon as suspicious, and others will constantly looking for proof of their status-- whether it be proof that they really are citizens (which will probably be mastery of English, American flag t-shirts, a cowboy hat, and a crappy Texas accent... ^^") , or proof they they are illegal immigrants, which could be anything thanks to the paranoid masses of the south and midwest. Will they later be deported anyway? Is it possible that people will just be rounded up in the streets and interrogated? Yes, it's completely possible if only for this reason - why not? If it gets rid of dangerous criminals, anything goes. At least, that's what they're trying to tell us. I don't buy it. Not to mention that it's a complete waste of time for police officers, who will undoubtedly be spending more time rounding up people to interrogate rather than focusing on worse criminals...

First of all, the vast majority of "illegals" are not dangerous at all. Most are not here for trafficking but for honest work. Yes, those who are selling drugs or people across the borders or across the ocean should be stopped. (Though if we legalize and regulate drugs, we wouldn't have such a problem! Prohibition is the the greatest factor that lead to organized crime!) But in a way, it seems like everyone is really just being punished for existing... Emma Lazarus must be rolling in her grave. :-(

Though really, when you have liberals AND conservatives pissed off for the exact same reasons, you know you fucked up. I found (and lost) a video the other day from a random conservative group. The video was about a hispanic truck driver, an American citizen, who was randomly singled out, pulled over, and immediately arrested because he didn't have his birth certificate on him (even though he had his driver's license and social security card, etc.). His sister had to bring the certificate to him in jail. And she brought hers with her just in case... The second part of the video is the camera guy interviewing a local lawmaker of some sort, pointing out that out of the 105 people arrested since, 30 of them were legal citizens; that the law allows anyone on the street to be arrested for no reason; The camera crew also pointed out that the lawmaker and his friends had no idea what's in the bill, as he kept insisting that the supreme court says it's ok to arrest anyone for whatever reason (which contradicts and completely violates the 4th amendment, which is partially why some conservatives are pissed off), and denied that it will be profiling, etc. Clearly, we're not all on the same page here. I only read the official summary released by the Arizona state government, and skimmed the full bill, and could tell it was going to be a horrible idea. (Here's the full thing.) And while the amendments are "supposed" to stop profiling, who's to say they actually will? Immigrants can look like anyone, but they're targeting Mexican immigrants (who, yes, are in fact the majority in that part of the country...), therefore Hispanic people are far more likely to be targeted for arrest because they'll "look Mexican." How is that not racial profiling? The new amendments require there to be at least 1 other unnamed reason other than race/ethnicity. But clearly, race is still a HUGE factor. So again, how is this not racial profiling? Not to mention a huge waste of taxpayer money, police officers' time and energy, and a potential destroyer of the social And why do Republicans think they're going to get any votes from Hispanic people or Latinos, or really any ethnic minority after this bullshit? Cuz I'm totally missing that part too.

I could go on to explain my suggestions for immigration reform, but that would take too long right now, so maybe I'll save that for another post. I will say that I do believe in comprehensive immigration reform. I do think that these people should be allowed to be legal citizens, and that there should be a way to facilitate the naturalization process without excessive penalization.A co-worker recently told me that she was finally allowed to become a citizen, after a long process that required her to live here for 5 years. (I found more details here.) I don't mind the national ID card (as it would probably just end up being the passport card all over again anyway -- you know, our passports have a little card version? Costs like an extra $45 or something...) as long as we keep out biometrics... That's just a little too creepy for my tastes, a little too Minority Report (which was a great movie way back when...).

As for me, the daughter of a legal immigrant from South America, I will be boycotting Arizona (lol like I buy anything from there anyway, or would ever visit... I don't like deserts). I was told the other day that I apparently look Dominican (???), so it's probably better that I stay away from crazy, paranoid people for a while... It's hard enough dealing with NJ tea partiers and Chris Christie -_-". (Though on a good note, I'm getting to know my senators, and I'm really liking what I'm hearing so far... I never paid attention to state things much. Trying to break free from the whole NJ bubble...)

One last thing - Like stickers? Like free things? Like the picture at the top of the page? Disappointed with Arizona's new law? Or just like politics? Get your free stickers here!