Illegal Immigrant

I was all ready to continue an argument on Facebook over someone agreeing with this guy.

Install microchips in illegal immigrants, GOP candidate says

Instead of building a border fence to help stem illegal immigration, the U.S. government should implant microchips into immigrants before deportation, much like what is done with pets, Pat Bertroche, an Urbandale physician and one of seven Republicans running in the 3rd District Congressional primary, said Monday.

Almost got snared into an FB debate. YIKES!

So instead I come here where my voice can stand alone with the occasional Korean porn entrepreneur commenting in an attempt to fish up some traffic.

Let's start with this whole bag 'em and tag 'em approach. Sounds like a whole lot of money down the drain. Say the United States were to do such a thing. We spend a whole hell of a lot of money on chips, medical staff to implant them, and technology to track them. Then we ship them back across the border where black market doctors remove them. Or maybe they just get real good at digging them out with rusty knives. Or they ditch the device in some other way. Then they come back across and if they get caught they do it all over again. Not only does it waste money, it would inflate the perceived immigration problem. I'm surprised a so-called conservative would advocate for such a wasted expenditure and flamboyant expansion of government.

Next, let's consider this whole damn immigration thing. Let's face it, they mean Mexicans. I've known a few Canadians who have resided in the United States illegally and they never, ever have worried about getting caught. Even the Russians and Slavs and other 'white' immigrants don't have nearly the police hassle. Cops don't pull them over for 'driving while white'. Some have even shared stories with me about tricking dumb cops with total bull. "It's an international driver's license. It allows me to drive anywhere." A Mexican trying that would get hauled in. So when we talk about curbing illegal immigration, it's really a thinly veiled yet socially acceptable racial slur. Claiming otherwise is like claiming the KKK is a social club.

As for the language, this country purchased holdings from the French and naturalized the French speaking residents. It also got land from Spain and naturalized the Spanish speaking residents. Throughout the vast majority of American civilization, nobody in what we know of as the United States had ever even heard a single word of English. American English is our common language, not our national language. Someone coming here will do well to learn it but if they can get by without ever speaking a word of it, more power to them. The English speakers came to this continent and managed to supplant the languages already in use. Then again, they had gun powder on their side.

Which segues into what will be my last point (because I don't feel like rambling any more than this already has). The 'Mexicans' are quite often mestizo with some indigenous heritage as part of the mix. Quite frankly, some of their ancestors were roaming around this continent long before whitey came on the scene. How dare we call them illegals in the land we stole from them. If you don't like them wandering around wherever they please just as their ancestors did for MILLENIA, go back to wherever you came from you racist white illegal immigrant!

Financing a Volcano

For those who are dexterous enough to have kept all portions of their body above the trachea safely stowed in their own gluteal cavity, a volcanic eruption in Iceland ended up grounding most of Europe's air traffic for a week. Business people were stranded. Many vacationers had to extend their visits. Even the prime minister of Norway was stuck in New York, unable to return home, forcing him to do his job remotely via a new iPad. Now people are asking, Who should pay for the volcano disruption?

Europe is starting to reopen its skies almost a week after the eruption of an Icelandic volcano grounded most planes. Who should pay for the cost of this disruption?

At least 95,000 flights were cancelled in the past six days, and the air transport group IATA (The International Air Transport Association) says the delays have cost the industry $1.7bn (£1.1bn).

Forced to abandon scheduled flights, many passengers have funded their own return to the UK travelling by trains, buses, ferries and hire cars. Thousands of passengers remain stranded abroad and are still paying hotel and living expenses.

Is it reasonable to expect a budget airline to reimburse such high expenses for a low cost ticket? How can airlines recoup the cost of this disruption? Who do you think should pay the cost of returning passengers to the UK?

Who is going to pay for all this!?

As for stranded passengers, extended vacations, and all manner of stuck individuals, I have no easy answers. Perhaps those you found yourself stuck around will understand, consider it extenuating circumstances, and cut you a deal or even forgive the intrusion. These poor folks had nothing to do with that volcano erupting.

As for the airlines, they deserve no money for lost revenue. A person who lives in the same place their entire life knows what to expect and might never have to experience any sort of natural disaster. A company that provides flights for an entire continent and in some cases all over the world should expect to run into disasters. People are often expected to save up for 'incidentals'. Businesses, especially ones that involve air travel (what large business doesn't with shipping, global client meetings, running off to countries where it is legal to pay someone to engage in a particular form of sexual gratification not accepted in the so-called civilized world, etc.) should expect these things. Perhaps they could buy insurance to cover such costs or maybe just keep a 'rainy day' fund for when it does something odd like rain ash or fish, things that could ground airplanes.

To answer the questions from the article:
Is it reasonable to expect a budget airline to reimburse such high expenses for a low cost ticket? I think so, but wouldn't it be nice if we could just make it work without forcing companies to fork over dough? Wouldn't it be great if your boss paid you anyway, because it really wasn't your fault that you couldn't get back to work on schedule? Wouldn't it be fabulous if the hotel waived the fees due to the nature of the extended visit? Wouldn't it be nice if people just chose to be nice about it?

How can airlines recoup the cost of this disruption? I don't care how. Seriously, they should have planned for it to happen sooner or later. It should have been part of their operating model.

Who do you think should pay the cost of returning passengers to the UK? If I pay someone to take me somewhere, they better take me there or get someone else to do it. It has been a hard week, we should cut them a little slack on the time table. Those who sold a service need to honor it, no matter what the fine print says.

And if money is their biggest problem, then these folks don't have a whole lot to worry about.

Today is 4/20

Pot culture has latched onto the number 420. The reasons why are uncertain but as a result, April 20th, 4/20, has become a bit of a holiday for the marijuana crowd.

Here are some interesting perspectives on drugs to celebrate this day.

Obama Wants to Invade Mars!

BBC News - Obama sets Mars goal for America

"By 2025, we expect new spacecraft designed for long journeys to allow us to begin the first ever crew missions beyond the Moon into deep space," he told his audience. "So, we'll start by sending astronauts to an asteroid for the first time in history."

And then he added: "By the mid-2030s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth, and a landing on Mars will follow."

Yes! But is it a sound financial choice?

"For pennies on the dollar, the space programme has fuelled jobs and entire industries. For pennies on the dollar, the space programme has improved our lives, advanced our society, strengthened our economy and inspired generations of Americans. And I have no doubt that Nasa can continue to fill this role."

Good enough. Let's get to it.

Worker Overtime: A Postition Statement

Let's outlaw overtime. Not the practice of paying overtime. Hell no! Let's outlaw having to work overtime. All overtime. Mandatory or voluntary, let's end overtime hours.

As long as we have people unemployed who would like to find work, why the hell do other people get paid a modest bonus to sell a little bit more of their life away? Not good. Force those companies to hire the staff they need! Force them to give those people the benefits they deserve. Then take a little time to actually live your life rather than selling it away for a mere pittance so people who made errors in their production scheduling can get a big fat bonus. Screw them! Let's recognize workers as the precious resource they are instead of tricking them into being bum licking whores. If companies want that order out on time they can damn well learn how to staff for it!

I still stand behind my old position that we should do away with the minimum wage and replace it with a maximum wage. No person, not even a CEO, should make more than ten times what the lowest paid person makes. Impose that restriction and the minimum wage will skyrocket.

Yet another reason Corporate America will never let me get elected.

God Hates What?

After some one-on-one time with God, Rev. Fred Phelps of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church had to quickly change his protest strategy.

The Lord spoke to me. This time it was in a much quieter place and it turns out that He hates figs. Can't say I care for them much myself. So all you faggots can go back to your bum humping while we go blame everything that's wrong with America on Nabisco.

Later that day the Rev. Phelps was seen at Topeka gay bar the Tool Shed Tap playing pool with Senator Pat Roberts while discussing the evils of fig products in the hands of the coons.