Sunday, June 27, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Mild Earthquake? UPDATE: Confirmed
At 12:46 CDT, I felt about a minute and a half's worth of mild shaking, as I watched my floor lamp and monitor also shake.
Weird!
Did you feel it?
Weird!
Did you feel it?
UPDATE:
Map courtesy: www.usgs.gov (red square is the location of the quake)
Quake hits near Canada's capital, felt in Chicago
A 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit near the Canadian capital of Ottawa this afternoon, strong enough for tremors to be felt in the Chicago area.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit about 10 miles underground at about 12:40 p.m. central time.
Catherine White was sitting on a sofa reading a newspaper in her 3rd floor apartment near Montrose and Lake Shore Drive this afternoon when she felt the sofa shake.
White's mother Vicki Quade, sitting about 10 feet away at a computer terminal, also felt a tremor.
"I thought at first that it was the neighbors running or something, but it was too much for that. Too powerful,'' said White, 18. "You could see the newspaper moving, it was weird. It was strange."
Quade and her daughter -- who believe their building is on a fault line -- said they felt the tremor at about 12:50 p.m. and estimated it lasted about 12 to 15 seconds.
"It's a long 12 to 15 seconds," Quade said.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
"Nice landing!" said the Blogger to the Fly
Usually, flies spend a good part of their days landing on garbage.
Monday, June 21, 2010
In the summer, in the city
Toddler Among 52 Shot Over Weekend
Eight people were killed and at least 44 others were shot across the city Friday night into early Monday, including a baby girl who suffered a graze wound to the neck when gunfire erupted at a Near West Side barbecue. (I am assured she's OK and doing well!)
*********
Eight people were killed and at least 44 others were shot across the city Friday night into early Monday, including a baby girl who suffered a graze wound to the neck when gunfire erupted at a Near West Side barbecue. (I am assured she's OK and doing well!)
*********
What the f__k is wrong with people?
And isn't Mayor Dick'em Daley's gun ban working out nicely?
The Lovin' Spoonful had it all wrong when they sang:
And babe, don't you know it's a pity
That the days can't be like the nights
In the summer, in the city
In the summer, in the city
The nights AND the days in Chicago are filled with shootings.
And Dick'em (the cretin) sits, protected, in his ivory tower.
Protected by gun-carrying guards, while the rest of Chicago is in harm's way!
And isn't Mayor Dick'em Daley's gun ban working out nicely?
The Lovin' Spoonful had it all wrong when they sang:
And babe, don't you know it's a pity
That the days can't be like the nights
In the summer, in the city
In the summer, in the city
The nights AND the days in Chicago are filled with shootings.
And Dick'em (the cretin) sits, protected, in his ivory tower.
Protected by gun-carrying guards, while the rest of Chicago is in harm's way!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Glitches in the White House? Oh, NO!
Aside from the bimbo below being flaunted as the next president of the USA...
NOTICE: No wedding ring. She's been planning to divorce him for quite a while, I think.
...we have this.
The impoltance of being earnest
h/t www.sondrak.com
The White House has posted (but apparently not proofread too carefully) a copy of the president's letter to G-20 leaders. Among the letter's gems as posted are this one:
For our part, we will pursue measures to SUppOit the recovery in private demand and return the unemployed to work.
And this one:
At the same time, we recognize the impoltance of setting a credible medium-term fiscal path: that is why my Administration will cut the budget deficit we inherited in halfby FY 2013 and work to reduce our fiscal deficit to 3 percent ofGDP by FY 2015, which will stabilize thedebt-to-GDP ratio at an acceptable level in that year.
And this one (italics in original):
We must reiterate our commitment in Toronto to a common framework for reforms that provide:
*****
* more effective ji'Qlllework for winding down large global firms, along with principles for thefillallcial sector to make afair and substantial contribution towards payingfor allY burdens it creates in a way that protects taxpayers, creates a level playing field, and reduces risks to our economies.
And this one:
I look fOlward to seeing you in Toronto and reaffhming our unity of purpose and resolve.
I'm sure his G-20 colleagues are looking fOlward to seeing Obama in Toronto about as much as he is to seeing them.
When someone at the White House gets around to cleaning up the copy of the letter posted at the White House site, its dishonesty may be somewhat more apparent than it is now, but it won't make much more sense.
Via reader Amy King.
UPDATE: "OCR'ing directly onto the White House website" explains what happened and reports that the White House has attended to the glitch.
NOTICE: No wedding ring. She's been planning to divorce him for quite a while, I think....we have this.
The impoltance of being earnest
h/t www.sondrak.comThe White House has posted (but apparently not proofread too carefully) a copy of the president's letter to G-20 leaders. Among the letter's gems as posted are this one:
For our part, we will pursue measures to SUppOit the recovery in private demand and return the unemployed to work.
And this one:
At the same time, we recognize the impoltance of setting a credible medium-term fiscal path: that is why my Administration will cut the budget deficit we inherited in halfby FY 2013 and work to reduce our fiscal deficit to 3 percent ofGDP by FY 2015, which will stabilize thedebt-to-GDP ratio at an acceptable level in that year.
And this one (italics in original):
We must reiterate our commitment in Toronto to a common framework for reforms that provide:
*****
* more effective ji'Qlllework for winding down large global firms, along with principles for thefillallcial sector to make afair and substantial contribution towards payingfor allY burdens it creates in a way that protects taxpayers, creates a level playing field, and reduces risks to our economies.
And this one:
I look fOlward to seeing you in Toronto and reaffhming our unity of purpose and resolve.
I'm sure his G-20 colleagues are looking fOlward to seeing Obama in Toronto about as much as he is to seeing them.
When someone at the White House gets around to cleaning up the copy of the letter posted at the White House site, its dishonesty may be somewhat more apparent than it is now, but it won't make much more sense.
Via reader Amy King.
UPDATE: "OCR'ing directly onto the White House website" explains what happened and reports that the White House has attended to the glitch.
Blame it on the heat? Whaaaa? UPDATE
At least 19 injured in Red Line subway fire
Snippet:
The fire involved creosote-soaked railroad ties, said fire officials. What ignited the fire is under investigation, but Langford said the railroad ties do occasionally catch fire during the summer heat.
"It's more common on the elevated trains," Langford said. "It's rare on the subway but it does happen occasionally," he said.
*********
Asshats! It wasn't too much warmer than 80 degrees today.
That is not HOT!
And...it is a 'SUBWAY', below ground by at least thirty feet, where the temperature is considerably less than above ground.
CTA: Are you so certain this was not an attack?
*********
UPDATE:
Confusion at Red Line subway fire that injures 19
Snippets:
Andrew Schad was on his way home Sunday, traveling north on the Red Line after a late lunch downtown, when the train began to fill with smoke.
Some seated beside him began to cough and choke, and Schad put up the rim of his collar to cover his mouth. By the time the train reached the next stop at the Clark/Division station, so much smoke had consumed the underground station that passengers were fleeing for the exits.
"We were given no instruction. We didn't really know what was going on," said Schad, 23.
"I never saw flames, but there was a lot of smoke. Visibility was really bad."
"The smoke was so thick you couldn't see across the aisle," said passenger Dillon Johnson, 23. "We all started to sit down on the floor where the smoke wasn't as bad."
*********
QUESTION: Is the City of Chicago (that would be you, Dick'em Daley!) really PREPARED for any kind of attack? (This incident has 'jihad test' written all over it!).
Snippet:The fire involved creosote-soaked railroad ties, said fire officials. What ignited the fire is under investigation, but Langford said the railroad ties do occasionally catch fire during the summer heat.
"It's more common on the elevated trains," Langford said. "It's rare on the subway but it does happen occasionally," he said.
*********
Asshats! It wasn't too much warmer than 80 degrees today.
That is not HOT!
And...it is a 'SUBWAY', below ground by at least thirty feet, where the temperature is considerably less than above ground.
CTA: Are you so certain this was not an attack?
*********
UPDATE:
Confusion at Red Line subway fire that injures 19
Snippets:
Andrew Schad was on his way home Sunday, traveling north on the Red Line after a late lunch downtown, when the train began to fill with smoke.
Some seated beside him began to cough and choke, and Schad put up the rim of his collar to cover his mouth. By the time the train reached the next stop at the Clark/Division station, so much smoke had consumed the underground station that passengers were fleeing for the exits.
"We were given no instruction. We didn't really know what was going on," said Schad, 23.
"I never saw flames, but there was a lot of smoke. Visibility was really bad."
"The smoke was so thick you couldn't see across the aisle," said passenger Dillon Johnson, 23. "We all started to sit down on the floor where the smoke wasn't as bad."
*********
QUESTION: Is the City of Chicago (that would be you, Dick'em Daley!) really PREPARED for any kind of attack? (This incident has 'jihad test' written all over it!).
The war against drugs has failed!
The face of cocaine addiction
Then, watch Obama and all of his ilk!
Then, watch Obama and all of his ilk!
The Mockery: Oh, geez! Sorry I missed it!
The 'chess piece' of Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce dons his COSTUME...and gets no mainstream media attention again!
PUH-LEEZE!?!
It might be best if these guys just come 'out of the closet'. Say you are gay, all of you, and be done with all the speculation.
Nothin' wrong with that, or will you call me a 'racist' again, Bishop?
PUH-LEEZE!?!
It might be best if these guys just come 'out of the closet'. Say you are gay, all of you, and be done with all the speculation.
Nothin' wrong with that, or will you call me a 'racist' again, Bishop?
Scam, scam, and more SCAM 'N' SPAM!
Complete BS!Probably from Nigeria, but possibly from right here in Rogers Park!
"We're on a mission from God"
Mission accomplished: Vatican blesses Blues Brothers
Elwood and Jake Blues
Elwood and Jake BluesThey really were "on a mission from God."
In a stunning move by the Vatican, the classic Dan Aykroyd-John Belushi comedy film "The Blues Brothers" was declared a "Catholic classic" alongside more pious films such as "The Ten Commandments" and "The Passion of the Christ."
The announcement was made in the Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, corresponding with 30th anniversary of the release of the film.
"As a former altar boy from age 6 . . . but a somewhat lapsed Catholic, I was delighted with the endorsement," Aykroyd said in a message to The Post yesterday.
"My local monsignor will immediately be receiving a check for parish needs."
L'Osservatore editor Gian Maria Vian praised the flick for its plot, in which Jake Blues (Belushi) and his brother Elwood (Aykroyd) battle cops, neo-Nazis and crazed country fans in a bid to save the Catholic orphanage where they were raised.
"For them, this Catholic institution is their only family," Vian wrote. "And they decide to save it at any cost." L'Osservatore's editorial lavishes praise on the 1980 comic romp, in which Aykroyd and Belushi say that they're "on a mission from God."
The writers call it "incredibly shrewd" noting that in one scene a picture of Pope John Paul II could clearly be seen.
*********
When I received a phone call from the Business Agent of IATSE Local 18 (Milwaukee) back in 1979, I was working at the Melody Top Theatre as Stage Designer, and also in the process of moving. It took one hour to decide that, yes, I would be in Chicago, at 929 W. Adams Street, at 7:00 AM the following morning.
For two or three weeks of work.
At union rate of $125.00 per day.
The director of the Melody Top was thrilled that I had gotten this opportunity, and even sent me a full week's paycheck, though I had left mid-week.
I arrived here in Chicago, wearing two-day-old clothes, shortly after 5:30 AM. I went to the cafeteria in the old Greyhound station on Randolph Street, had some food, and took all my gear (a lot!) and piled into a cab.
"9-2-9 West Adams", I told the driver.
I had no idea where I was going, but I knew what I had to do.
I found out. I was "On a Mission from God".
The 'two or three weeks' turned into three months. I was given a raise my second day, because my L.A. boss deemed me worthy of the title 'Stand-by Sign Writer'.
I received NO credit in the film, though what my brain and hands did are peppered throughout.
In 1979, I made almost $18,000 in 87 days.
They were crazy days, to be sure.
The first time I was sent 'shopping' for Paint Department supplies, my boss (Gary O) gave me $500. I came back with $200 plus change, and was reamed out for not spending enough, and for not spending it all.
He told me I was like his wife, always trying to save money.
I learned, after that.
I was there, in Daley Plaza, climbing the tanks and military vehicles. I had stencils, and sprayed stars and ID numbers at their owners' requests. I was also 'running on empty', ill but charged up anyway.
I was told I could see the 'company nurse' (Universal Studios being the company), and get a vitamin B12 shot. That would help, I was told.
I took the shot in my arm, not my butt. The 'company nurse' called himself "Michelle". I was then offered a brown vial filled with a certain white powder, which "Michelle" said would help me.
I refused.
My last day was October 27, 1979. Almost 31 years ago.
A great time. I would not have traded it for the world.
But now, the Vatican calls this a "Catholic" film?
You should have been there when the Chicago cops were getting 'blow jobs for 5 bucks' on Morgan Street!
In a stunning move by the Vatican, the classic Dan Aykroyd-John Belushi comedy film "The Blues Brothers" was declared a "Catholic classic" alongside more pious films such as "The Ten Commandments" and "The Passion of the Christ."
The announcement was made in the Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, corresponding with 30th anniversary of the release of the film.
"As a former altar boy from age 6 . . . but a somewhat lapsed Catholic, I was delighted with the endorsement," Aykroyd said in a message to The Post yesterday.
"My local monsignor will immediately be receiving a check for parish needs."
L'Osservatore editor Gian Maria Vian praised the flick for its plot, in which Jake Blues (Belushi) and his brother Elwood (Aykroyd) battle cops, neo-Nazis and crazed country fans in a bid to save the Catholic orphanage where they were raised.
"For them, this Catholic institution is their only family," Vian wrote. "And they decide to save it at any cost." L'Osservatore's editorial lavishes praise on the 1980 comic romp, in which Aykroyd and Belushi say that they're "on a mission from God."
The writers call it "incredibly shrewd" noting that in one scene a picture of Pope John Paul II could clearly be seen.
*********
When I received a phone call from the Business Agent of IATSE Local 18 (Milwaukee) back in 1979, I was working at the Melody Top Theatre as Stage Designer, and also in the process of moving. It took one hour to decide that, yes, I would be in Chicago, at 929 W. Adams Street, at 7:00 AM the following morning.
For two or three weeks of work.
At union rate of $125.00 per day.
The director of the Melody Top was thrilled that I had gotten this opportunity, and even sent me a full week's paycheck, though I had left mid-week.
I arrived here in Chicago, wearing two-day-old clothes, shortly after 5:30 AM. I went to the cafeteria in the old Greyhound station on Randolph Street, had some food, and took all my gear (a lot!) and piled into a cab.
"9-2-9 West Adams", I told the driver.
I had no idea where I was going, but I knew what I had to do.
I found out. I was "On a Mission from God".
The 'two or three weeks' turned into three months. I was given a raise my second day, because my L.A. boss deemed me worthy of the title 'Stand-by Sign Writer'.
I received NO credit in the film, though what my brain and hands did are peppered throughout.
In 1979, I made almost $18,000 in 87 days.
They were crazy days, to be sure.
The first time I was sent 'shopping' for Paint Department supplies, my boss (Gary O) gave me $500. I came back with $200 plus change, and was reamed out for not spending enough, and for not spending it all.
He told me I was like his wife, always trying to save money.
I learned, after that.
I was there, in Daley Plaza, climbing the tanks and military vehicles. I had stencils, and sprayed stars and ID numbers at their owners' requests. I was also 'running on empty', ill but charged up anyway.
I was told I could see the 'company nurse' (Universal Studios being the company), and get a vitamin B12 shot. That would help, I was told.
I took the shot in my arm, not my butt. The 'company nurse' called himself "Michelle". I was then offered a brown vial filled with a certain white powder, which "Michelle" said would help me.
I refused.
My last day was October 27, 1979. Almost 31 years ago.
A great time. I would not have traded it for the world.
But now, the Vatican calls this a "Catholic" film?
You should have been there when the Chicago cops were getting 'blow jobs for 5 bucks' on Morgan Street!
Are you a DAD, or just the father of the child?
Married Fathers: America’s Greatest Weapon Against Child Poverty
The mainstream media, liberal politicians, activists, and academia bewail child poverty in the U.S. But in these ritual lamentations, one key fact remains hidden: The principal cause of child poverty in the U.S. is the absence of married fathers in the home.
According to the U.S Census, the poverty rate in 2008 for single parents with children was 35.6 percent. The rate for married couples with children was 6.4 percent. Being raised in a married family reduces a child’s probability of living in poverty by about 80 percent.
True, some of this difference in poverty is due to the fact that single parents tend to have less education than married couples. But even when married couples are compared to single parents with the same education level, the married poverty rate will still be about 70 percent lower.
Marriage is a powerful weapon in fighting poverty. In fact, being married has the same effect in reducing poverty as adding five to six years to a parent’s education level.
More...
Here in the freakin' Sanctuary City...
Harvard student won’t face deportation
ICE defers action on illegal resident’s case
...gay caballero Eric Balderas...
...via his mentor, Dick (the Turban) Durbin (D-Dumb and Complacent) from where else? Illinois.
Eric Balderas, a 19-year-old Harvard biology student who became an international celebrity last week after being arrested for being in the United States unlawfully, is no longer facing deportation to Mexico, officials said last night.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency informed US Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois late yesterday that it would not pursue Balderas’s deportation, said Max Gleischman, a spokesman for Durbin. The Illinois Democrat had lobbied the agency on behalf of Balderas.
Read the rest and try to hold your cookies.
*********
Meanwhile, Jay Tea at Wizbang has the particulars:
Should Be A Short HearingPosted by Jay Tea
Published: June 20, 2010 - 10:00 AM
Eric Balderas, the illegal alien Harvard student who was caught while trying to board a plane from Texas last week, has been released from custody and immediate deportation taken off the table pending his hearing on his immigration status. In addition, he can now apply for a work permit.
In my mind, his eventual hearing will be a brief one.
"Mr. Balderas, when did you enter the United States?"
"In 1995."
"How old were you at the time?"
"Four years old."
"And who brought you?"
"My mother."
"How did she get into the country?"
"She sneaked across the border."
"You're nineteen years old now, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"At what point did you realize you were in the country illegally?"
"I don't really remember."
"Was it before your eighteenth birthday?"
"Yes, sir."
"Since your eighteenth birthday, what steps have you taken to correct your illegal status?"
"None, sir."
"Did you use your Mexican passport as a form of identification?"
"Yes, sir."
"Even after it expired?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did you ever try to renew it?"
"No, sir."
"At any point in your adult life, have you taken any steps at all to correct your illegal status?"
"Objection! Asked and answered."
"Withdrawn. So, you're a sophomore at Harvard, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"On a full scholarship?"
"Yes, sir."
"Pursuing a degree in molecular and cellular biology?"
"Yes, sir."
"What was your plan for when you got your degree?"
"I'd go on to an advanced degree."
"Sorry, let me be clearer. Once you completed your education, what was your career plan?"
"I don't know. I might go into research, or I might go into education."
"How?"
"I'm sorry?"
"How could you get a job -- either in the private sector or in the public sector -- while an illegal alien?"
"Um..."
"Did you have any plans at all to ever address your illegal status?"
"Yes! Someday..."
"'Someday.' Perhaps, some day when 'comprehensive immigration reform' is passed and you could apply for amnesty?"
"Well, sure."
"So, until then, you planned to just keep your head down, your nose clean, and hope you didn't get caught?"
"Um... yeah."
"As a biologist, I presume you're familiar with basic human biology."
"Yes, sir."
"Then I presume you've heard the phrase 'hope is not a method' before?"
"Objection! Argumentative!"
"Withdrawn. So, Mr. Balderas, how did that 'hope method' work out for you?"
"Not very well."
"I'd have to agree. So, now that it's failed, what are your plans?"
"Um... try to get right with the law, I guess."
"And would that 'getting right' involve garnering as much public sympathy as you can while you jump to the front of the line for legal immigrants?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Mr. Balderas, every year millions and millions of people apply to come to the United States legally. They fill out the forms, pay the fees, and in general respect the laws of this nation that they wish to come to. In addition, every year many, many more who are here illegally take steps to fix that, turning themselves in and starting the process to determine if they are allowed to stay. Why should you jump ahead of them?"
"I was just a kid when my mother brought me here. I didn't choose to break the law."
"Yes, you were just a child. And no one blames you for that. It wasn't your fault. But you're not a child now. You haven't been a child for over a year. During that year, your illegal status was your responsibility. You had the duty to start the process towards becoming a legal resident and, possibly, even a citizen. And you didn't. Instead, you just put it off and put it off, in the hopes that the problem would just go away. And if it didn't, you'd just hope for the best. Does that sum it up fairly accurately?"
"I... I don't know what to say."
"I'm not surprised. But here's some good news for you: the current regime in Washington, like you, doesn't give a rat's ass about enforcing immigration laws. They are actually fighting to keep the borders from actually meaning anything. And they see everything through a political lens. Which means that they don't ascribe to any principles other than winning. They see catering to illegal aliens as a way to pick up more votes, and tend to see their political opponents as the greatest threat to the nation. So I have no doubt that your situation will be used as an example. You'll be given a slap on the wrist, if even that. And others in similar straits will see that and instead of taking that as a warning to get themselves right with the law, will instead keep on hoping to go unnoticed until this fantasy 'amnesty' comes about. And even more people will come to the United States illegally, because only idiots will bother going through the legal process when they get shoved to the back of the line ahead of the illegals."
"Now get out of here, kid. You've wasted far too many resources of my nation -- my nation, not yours -- already. And be sure to register to vote as a Democrat. Here's the number for the local office of ACORN -- they'll get you squared away. And here's the number for the SEIU -- they'll hook you up with a job and get you paying your union dues."
"Um... vote? Work? I don't have any of my papers for that."
"Haven't you been paying attention, kid? That don't mean shit any more."
*********
Support Governor Jan Brewer!
ICE defers action on illegal resident’s case
...gay caballero Eric Balderas...
...via his mentor, Dick (the Turban) Durbin (D-Dumb and Complacent) from where else? Illinois.Eric Balderas, a 19-year-old Harvard biology student who became an international celebrity last week after being arrested for being in the United States unlawfully, is no longer facing deportation to Mexico, officials said last night.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency informed US Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois late yesterday that it would not pursue Balderas’s deportation, said Max Gleischman, a spokesman for Durbin. The Illinois Democrat had lobbied the agency on behalf of Balderas.
Read the rest and try to hold your cookies.
*********
Meanwhile, Jay Tea at Wizbang has the particulars:
Should Be A Short HearingPosted by Jay Tea
Published: June 20, 2010 - 10:00 AM
Eric Balderas, the illegal alien Harvard student who was caught while trying to board a plane from Texas last week, has been released from custody and immediate deportation taken off the table pending his hearing on his immigration status. In addition, he can now apply for a work permit.
In my mind, his eventual hearing will be a brief one.
"Mr. Balderas, when did you enter the United States?"
"In 1995."
"How old were you at the time?"
"Four years old."
"And who brought you?"
"My mother."
"How did she get into the country?"
"She sneaked across the border."
"You're nineteen years old now, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"At what point did you realize you were in the country illegally?"
"I don't really remember."
"Was it before your eighteenth birthday?"
"Yes, sir."
"Since your eighteenth birthday, what steps have you taken to correct your illegal status?"
"None, sir."
"Did you use your Mexican passport as a form of identification?"
"Yes, sir."
"Even after it expired?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did you ever try to renew it?"
"No, sir."
"At any point in your adult life, have you taken any steps at all to correct your illegal status?"
"Objection! Asked and answered."
"Withdrawn. So, you're a sophomore at Harvard, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"On a full scholarship?"
"Yes, sir."
"Pursuing a degree in molecular and cellular biology?"
"Yes, sir."
"What was your plan for when you got your degree?"
"I'd go on to an advanced degree."
"Sorry, let me be clearer. Once you completed your education, what was your career plan?"
"I don't know. I might go into research, or I might go into education."
"How?"
"I'm sorry?"
"How could you get a job -- either in the private sector or in the public sector -- while an illegal alien?"
"Um..."
"Did you have any plans at all to ever address your illegal status?"
"Yes! Someday..."
"'Someday.' Perhaps, some day when 'comprehensive immigration reform' is passed and you could apply for amnesty?"
"Well, sure."
"So, until then, you planned to just keep your head down, your nose clean, and hope you didn't get caught?"
"Um... yeah."
"As a biologist, I presume you're familiar with basic human biology."
"Yes, sir."
"Then I presume you've heard the phrase 'hope is not a method' before?"
"Objection! Argumentative!"
"Withdrawn. So, Mr. Balderas, how did that 'hope method' work out for you?"
"Not very well."
"I'd have to agree. So, now that it's failed, what are your plans?"
"Um... try to get right with the law, I guess."
"And would that 'getting right' involve garnering as much public sympathy as you can while you jump to the front of the line for legal immigrants?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Mr. Balderas, every year millions and millions of people apply to come to the United States legally. They fill out the forms, pay the fees, and in general respect the laws of this nation that they wish to come to. In addition, every year many, many more who are here illegally take steps to fix that, turning themselves in and starting the process to determine if they are allowed to stay. Why should you jump ahead of them?"
"I was just a kid when my mother brought me here. I didn't choose to break the law."
"Yes, you were just a child. And no one blames you for that. It wasn't your fault. But you're not a child now. You haven't been a child for over a year. During that year, your illegal status was your responsibility. You had the duty to start the process towards becoming a legal resident and, possibly, even a citizen. And you didn't. Instead, you just put it off and put it off, in the hopes that the problem would just go away. And if it didn't, you'd just hope for the best. Does that sum it up fairly accurately?"
"I... I don't know what to say."
"I'm not surprised. But here's some good news for you: the current regime in Washington, like you, doesn't give a rat's ass about enforcing immigration laws. They are actually fighting to keep the borders from actually meaning anything. And they see everything through a political lens. Which means that they don't ascribe to any principles other than winning. They see catering to illegal aliens as a way to pick up more votes, and tend to see their political opponents as the greatest threat to the nation. So I have no doubt that your situation will be used as an example. You'll be given a slap on the wrist, if even that. And others in similar straits will see that and instead of taking that as a warning to get themselves right with the law, will instead keep on hoping to go unnoticed until this fantasy 'amnesty' comes about. And even more people will come to the United States illegally, because only idiots will bother going through the legal process when they get shoved to the back of the line ahead of the illegals."
"Now get out of here, kid. You've wasted far too many resources of my nation -- my nation, not yours -- already. And be sure to register to vote as a Democrat. Here's the number for the local office of ACORN -- they'll get you squared away. And here's the number for the SEIU -- they'll hook you up with a job and get you paying your union dues."
"Um... vote? Work? I don't have any of my papers for that."
"Haven't you been paying attention, kid? That don't mean shit any more."
*********
Support Governor Jan Brewer!
To RJC: I still miss you, so much...
Today is Father's Day.
Many have no father to honor, because he is unknown.
War has taken a number of Dads. Age or illness have taken more.
I reflect today upon my own, who was a 'cop' first, then a father.
He has been missing from my life since 1994, when he died on June 7th of that year.
I have had to go on without his wise counsel, but not without memories.
He passed on at 79 and a half, which is considered a 'respectable' life--except those last four and a half years were spent in a nursing home, which was neither 'home', nor a nursing, nurturing atmosphere.
I will never forget the evening. He had experienced a mild stroke (again) and refused to speak English to anyone. He spoke only Slovak, the language of my grandparents.
The attendants at the nursing home may have been bi-lingual, but Dad spoke seven different languages. None of them were schooled in Slovak, much less in English.
The head nurse pleaded with me to speak with him.
He sat in a wheelchair, away from the others, looking vacant and irritated at the same time.
Though I had heard it spoken around me, for over 30 years, I did not speak Slovak.
So I walked up to him and said, "Detective ___, you know who I am?" He looked up and nodded an affirmative (but he did not, and had not known I was his daughter for at least a year and a half).
I continued.
"Detective ___, you can talk to me."
He looked back and forth, rather furtively, then looked me in the eye, and said:
"If we only had a screwdriver, we could get out of here."
He had worked, all his life, to make life better for many people in Milwaukee, WI. He was the 'copper' the people respected, but his bosses didn't care for that. His name, after all these years, is still known in the MPD--Milwaukee Police Department.
I wrote this years ago, even before he passed:
OLD DAYS
Finding my way through this maze
Called Life I look back
To the time I was two and bounced
On your lap
To the rhythms of the Dorseys
Every Thursday night at seven o'clock
Before I slept
In a room with two brothers
Who picked up their pillows
And constantly fought
About who slept next to the wall
That was so cool in the place we lived
Before we moved to the suburbs
Where we could breathe again.
*********
Thanks, Dad, for everything!
Many have no father to honor, because he is unknown.
War has taken a number of Dads. Age or illness have taken more.
I reflect today upon my own, who was a 'cop' first, then a father.
He has been missing from my life since 1994, when he died on June 7th of that year.
I have had to go on without his wise counsel, but not without memories.
He passed on at 79 and a half, which is considered a 'respectable' life--except those last four and a half years were spent in a nursing home, which was neither 'home', nor a nursing, nurturing atmosphere.
I will never forget the evening. He had experienced a mild stroke (again) and refused to speak English to anyone. He spoke only Slovak, the language of my grandparents.
The attendants at the nursing home may have been bi-lingual, but Dad spoke seven different languages. None of them were schooled in Slovak, much less in English.
The head nurse pleaded with me to speak with him.
He sat in a wheelchair, away from the others, looking vacant and irritated at the same time.
Though I had heard it spoken around me, for over 30 years, I did not speak Slovak.
So I walked up to him and said, "Detective ___, you know who I am?" He looked up and nodded an affirmative (but he did not, and had not known I was his daughter for at least a year and a half).
I continued.
"Detective ___, you can talk to me."
He looked back and forth, rather furtively, then looked me in the eye, and said:
"If we only had a screwdriver, we could get out of here."
He had worked, all his life, to make life better for many people in Milwaukee, WI. He was the 'copper' the people respected, but his bosses didn't care for that. His name, after all these years, is still known in the MPD--Milwaukee Police Department.
I wrote this years ago, even before he passed:
OLD DAYS
Finding my way through this maze
Called Life I look back
To the time I was two and bounced
On your lap
To the rhythms of the Dorseys
Every Thursday night at seven o'clock
Before I slept
In a room with two brothers
Who picked up their pillows
And constantly fought
About who slept next to the wall
That was so cool in the place we lived
Before we moved to the suburbs
Where we could breathe again.
*********
Thanks, Dad, for everything!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Snippets from Columbus...
Obama Jokes About Biden's "Big F-ing Deal" Comment
...This is a "big....deal," said Mr. Obama, pausing for effect between the two words between which Biden had inserted an expletive in an overheard whisper three months ago.
...Mr. Obama spoke for just ten minutes and was on the ground in Ohio for just over an hour.
And though his appearance was billed as official and not political, he did use his remarks to deliver attaboys to some of the Democratic politicians here including the Governor, who is up for re-election.
...The trip Columbus probably cost taxpayers between $500,000 and $1 million.
Air Force One alone bills out at $100,000 per hour, and the round trip is nearly two hours.
Adding to the cost are military aircraft to carry limos and secret service vehicles, Marine One on standby, Secret Service, local police and other factors.
*********
I have one word to describe this creep: WASTREL!
Go ahead...look it up.
Fat-whaaa?
Iran cleric says dogs "unclean" and not to be kept as pets
Courtesy: rhiangittins/photobucket
Courtesy: rhiangittins/photobucketDogs are considered "unclean" under Islamic tradition but, while relatively rare in Iran, some people do keep them as pets.
By issuing a fatwa -- a religious ruling -- Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has sent a clear message that this trend must stop.
"Friendship with dogs is a blind imitation of the West," he was quoted as saying in Javan daily.
"There are lots of people in the West who love their dogs more than their wives and children."
Guard dogs and sheep dogs are considered acceptable under Islamic law but Iranians who carry dogs in their cars or take them to public parks can be stopped by police and fined.
The Koran does not explicitly prohibit contact with dogs, Shirazi said, but Islamic tradition showed it to be so.
"We have lots of narrations in Islam that say dogs are unclean."
The interpretation of religious rules on personal conduct is a constant source of debate and potential conflict in Iran which has been an Islamic republic since a revolution ousted the Western-backed Shah in 1979.
By issuing a fatwa -- a religious ruling -- Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has sent a clear message that this trend must stop.
"Friendship with dogs is a blind imitation of the West," he was quoted as saying in Javan daily.
"There are lots of people in the West who love their dogs more than their wives and children."
Guard dogs and sheep dogs are considered acceptable under Islamic law but Iranians who carry dogs in their cars or take them to public parks can be stopped by police and fined.
The Koran does not explicitly prohibit contact with dogs, Shirazi said, but Islamic tradition showed it to be so.
"We have lots of narrations in Islam that say dogs are unclean."
The interpretation of religious rules on personal conduct is a constant source of debate and potential conflict in Iran which has been an Islamic republic since a revolution ousted the Western-backed Shah in 1979.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
This Evening, in Rogers Park
Jarvis Beach Junior Lifeguard
The Backyard, between Sherwin and Chase Avenues
Sherwin Avenue Daylilies
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
"I can't suck it up with a straw!"
Then, what in the world are you doing down there?
Practice...
...practice...
...and MORE practice?
Practice...
...practice...
...and MORE practice?
Monday, June 14, 2010
A comment with a BITE!
From Hot Air's Quotes of the Day:
"I guess the symbolism of the picture attached to this thread, with Obama standing among the WH pillars, is suppose to represent him as though he’s some kind of great pillar of strength too?
Kinda reminds me more of something you get stuck in your teeth."
JellyToast on June 13, 2010 at 11:27 PM
"I guess the symbolism of the picture attached to this thread, with Obama standing among the WH pillars, is suppose to represent him as though he’s some kind of great pillar of strength too?Kinda reminds me more of something you get stuck in your teeth."
JellyToast on June 13, 2010 at 11:27 PM
Flag Day 2010
In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened that day by resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1777.
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day; in August 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress.
Flag Day is not an official federal holiday, though on June 14, 1937, Pennsylvania became the first (and only) U.S. state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday, beginning in the town of Rennerdale.
Title 36 of the United States Code, Subtitle I, Part A, CHAPTER 1, § 110[2] is the official statute on Flag Day; however, it is at the President's discretion to proclaim officially the observance.
One of the longest-running Flag Day parades is held annually in Quincy, Massachusetts, which began in 1952, celebrating its 57th year in 2009.
The 59th Annual Appleton, Wisconsin 2009 Flag Day Parade featured the U.S. Navy.
The largest Flag Day parade is held annually in Troy, New York, which bases its parade on the Quincy parade and typically draws 50,000 spectators.
Perhaps the oldest continuing Flag Day parade is at Fairfield WA. Beginning in 1909 or 1910, Fairfield has held a parade every year since, with the possible exception of 1918, and will celebrate the "Centennial" parade in 2010, along with some other commemorative events.
*********
Most people forget about Flag Day, but please take some time today to at least think what the US Flag has done for you in this 'land of the free and the home of the brave'!
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day; in August 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress.
Flag Day is not an official federal holiday, though on June 14, 1937, Pennsylvania became the first (and only) U.S. state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday, beginning in the town of Rennerdale.
Title 36 of the United States Code, Subtitle I, Part A, CHAPTER 1, § 110[2] is the official statute on Flag Day; however, it is at the President's discretion to proclaim officially the observance.
One of the longest-running Flag Day parades is held annually in Quincy, Massachusetts, which began in 1952, celebrating its 57th year in 2009.
The 59th Annual Appleton, Wisconsin 2009 Flag Day Parade featured the U.S. Navy.
The largest Flag Day parade is held annually in Troy, New York, which bases its parade on the Quincy parade and typically draws 50,000 spectators.
Perhaps the oldest continuing Flag Day parade is at Fairfield WA. Beginning in 1909 or 1910, Fairfield has held a parade every year since, with the possible exception of 1918, and will celebrate the "Centennial" parade in 2010, along with some other commemorative events.
*********
Most people forget about Flag Day, but please take some time today to at least think what the US Flag has done for you in this 'land of the free and the home of the brave'!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Blogger, you're misbehavin', again!
Now stop that, or do I have to get Barry to say 'ass'? Again? So everyone can notice his lisp?
"Aath!"
Does Obama have a Food Taster--yet?
Just askin', because I think that's a job that has to be created, if it's not been already!
Holy Pig Ears and Pig Snouts, Dogman!
Chicago hot dogs at the White House
Lynn Sweet reports:
The president and Mrs. Obama and her mom, Marian Robinson, did send in a "to go" order for four hot dogs. Payne prepared them extra special and sent them up to the Obama residence.
On a silver platter.
Ground up pig ears and snouts and 'other' leftovers...hmm, isn't that nice, and on a silver platter!
How healthy can that be, Ms ME$hell?
And surely there's enough salt to turn freshwater to ocean (or BLOAT YOU!) in the form of sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite. Mmm, sounds yummy--NOT!
Chicago Hot Dog #1
Chicago Hot Dog #2 
Chicago Hot Dog #3
But, here's the 'hottest dog' at the White House, Number 4, and his 'weakling' owner seems to be barry-ly able to hold on to him!
Looks like a ten-year old trying to hold on to a pit-bull attacking. Obviously, Mommy Stanley never let him have any pets, other than Frank Marshall Davis!
So, I'm asking, did they EAT the fourth dog, or WAG the fourth dog?
Lynn Sweet reports:
The president and Mrs. Obama and her mom, Marian Robinson, did send in a "to go" order for four hot dogs. Payne prepared them extra special and sent them up to the Obama residence.
On a silver platter.
Ground up pig ears and snouts and 'other' leftovers...hmm, isn't that nice, and on a silver platter!
How healthy can that be, Ms ME$hell?
And surely there's enough salt to turn freshwater to ocean (or BLOAT YOU!) in the form of sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite. Mmm, sounds yummy--NOT!
Chicago Hot Dog #1
Chicago Hot Dog #2 
Chicago Hot Dog #3But, here's the 'hottest dog' at the White House, Number 4, and his 'weakling' owner seems to be barry-ly able to hold on to him!
Looks like a ten-year old trying to hold on to a pit-bull attacking. Obviously, Mommy Stanley never let him have any pets, other than Frank Marshall Davis!So, I'm asking, did they EAT the fourth dog, or WAG the fourth dog?
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
143 years ago...
...this man was born...
...and went on to create some spectacular architecture, much of which still survives.
Wright's studio in Oak Park, Illinois
Robie House in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois
Fallingwater, 50 miles southest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Emil Bach House, 7415 N. Sheridan Road, in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois
...and went on to create some spectacular architecture, much of which still survives.
Wright's studio in Oak Park, Illinois
Robie House in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois
Fallingwater, 50 miles southest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Emil Bach House, 7415 N. Sheridan Road, in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois
D-Day...not forgotten, never to be forgotten!
I did not forget about the thousands who gave their lives for our freedom on June 6, 1944. Computer 'gremlins' prevented me from posting.These soldiers sacrificed the ultimate gift to Man--their lives--while our current President failed to even make mention of that fact. He cannot, you see, because he is NOT an American, not at all, in his heart (or lack thereof).
My Dad was not in the war 'over there'. He was here, in the States, in Milwaukee, being a police patrolman, and in 1953, he became a Detective. He, too, died...16 years ago yesterday, June 7th.
My Dad's Patrolman BadgeThis time of the year is always sad, but for a President to make things worse by disregarding those who gallantly fought so that some 'COLD FISH' like him could end up in that office?
Unconscionable! And unforgivable!
Quote for Then, but especially Now
"I believe there are more instances
of the abridgment of the freedom of the people
by gradual and silent encroachments
of those in power
than by violent and sudden usurpations."
James Madison
4th President of the US
of the abridgment of the freedom of the people
by gradual and silent encroachments
of those in power
than by violent and sudden usurpations."
James Madison
4th President of the US
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Bill Morton gives up! UPDATED!
He must have changed his mind! At noon, the below screen captures appeared.
Now, at 3:30...he's back. Hmmm.
No more will we be bored to tears by http://www.rp100.blogspot.com/ and http://www.49thward.blogspot.com/!
Whatsamattah, Bill? Has Rogers Park become too 'static and bland' for you?
Now, at 3:30...he's back. Hmmm.
No more will we be bored to tears by http://www.rp100.blogspot.com/ and http://www.49thward.blogspot.com/!Whatsamattah, Bill? Has Rogers Park become too 'static and bland' for you?
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