Can you see why I'm livid - and despairing?

Today in the Washington Post is a front-page article about the immigrant protests against the legislation to tighten up immigration (starting with, maybe, actually enforcing existing laws?). I read the first few lines and saw the photo of these morons waving the Mexican flag in my country - and saw red. Why?

1. If you're in this country illegally, you have no right to protest anything.
2. If Mexico is so wonderful and you're so loyal, go back now and pull this crap there.
3. I understand that there has been burning of the American flag. If you hate this country so much, leave now. You're essentially burning what we stand for anyway every moment you're in this country without legal right, without buy-in or personal obligation to the WHOLE (read: legal and loyal) American thang.

4. Just because you've squatted here for a long time doesn't make you deserving of any consideration.

5. Although there have been efforts by some of the elected to shore up immigration law and security, our weak president and others still cling to this absurd Guest Worker program business. Absurd because it'll end up to be status quo: porous borders, no control over who comes in, etc.

Ok, I have to go to Chem lab. Read the whole article if you can stomach it.

Some interesting bits

1. In the Outlook section of the Post today is a piece called, "Marriage is for White People," which is actually an insightful look at why African Americans, especially women, are less likely to marry than their caucasian counterparts.

2. Also in the Outlook section (p.B2), a breakdown of the illegals' demographics, from Pew Hispanic Center. For some reason, I can't find a link to this from the online version. Here are the stats:

Solo, unaccompanied:
Male: 2.4 million
Female: 0.73 million

With spouses and/or children:
Male: 3.0 million
Female: 3.1 million

Children:
Unauthorized migrant children: 1.8 million
US citizen children: 3.1 million

3. Many of us grew up with the good night phrase "don't let the bed bugs bite" and thought that was pretty quaint. The Post Travel section gives a run-down on the very real and extant bed bugs, with some icky photos (at least in the print version).

Too tired & impatient to blog

This damn system is SO SLOW. By system, I mean AOL, BlOGGER, etc. By the time I get some movement, I've completely lost the motivation to blog. I mean, there are plenty of articles about my hot topics: illegal immigration, "drugs are dumb", etc.

Ok, since I'll probably never get to my insightful book reviews (I'm really tired but would like to do book reviews, but I need some sleep...), I might as well give some links to articles of the day:

illegals march w/impunity - they're here illegally, yet they demand rights. hmmmm. why don't they demand rights and consideration in their respective countries? oh, right - because they're countries are a bunch of corrupt shit-holes that issue pamphlets on how to get the most out of the U.S. welfare system - and our leadership does everything to reinforce that attitude. Shame, Republicans (not all), shame!

Snarky illegals and the true patriots (Minutemen) who oppose them and aforementioned non-existent Republican leadership. Article. For the Post, actually pretty even-handed.

Meth addicts. You just couldn't invent people this stupid. Even cocaine takes a while to make you look that bad. Law enforcement. More of wishful thinking. Get this straight: for all you dumbasses who are espousing the whole "drug addiction as disease" number, you can pay for all the damage these morons (choose to) do to themselves and others. Political "evolution" has made us "gentler and kinder" to losers like this, but we all suffer the price. Some (read: many) of these losers will never "recover"; yet, there seems to be this inexplicable sympathy (read: extortion of taxes) to fund treatment programs. What the hey? Those of us responsible, tax-paying, stable, etc, etc. (name your own stupid virtue), will be stuck with the bill.

So many books, so little room...

Washington Post Home section article details others who have found that their homes are just too small for their books. Eerie. Similarities...to US!!!!

Morning Lost

So, I studied like crazy yesterday (took the day off work even), got up early today, for a test I was supposed to have this morning. I check Blackboard, just in case the prof had postponed it and - nothing. So, I metro and grab the shuttle...go to the classroom...and a grad student walks in and tells us that the prof is out sick and our exam will be tomorrow instead.

So...I wasted an entire morning because of a completely irresponsible prof, whom I'm paying a lot of money for this stupid class and some notional professionalism. I tell you, every day she pisses me off a little more (make that A LOT more) and I lose even more respect for her. Worse, I have to get thru the class so that I can do the full degree, and after this, I have umpteen classes to go, plus what's likely to be an unpaid internship - before I can graduate. And get a real job in my field. Maybe. And probably still take a huge pay cut from what I was making at my last job. And the job satisfaction and sense of mission that I seek may still be non-existent.

And, I still have to find a job for when my contract runs out at the end of the month. And we might be moving apartments a month. No, no stress here. No depression and lack of motivation here. Everything's just peachy.

More Illegal Immigrant Boohooing

In today's Post is an article about some poor illegal who's been here for years with her family, trying to earn a degree in nursing from a community college, but can't qualify for in-state tuition and federal funding. That she can't take a full course load because she can't afford it. Wahhhhh! Cry me a river!

Her hope is that boneheaded Virginia will pass a bill that basically says if you've been here for a long time, you can get an exception to the rule and get in-state tuition. Doesn't matter if you're illegal. Wonderful. What's next?

Those of you who know me know at least 2 things about me: 1) I'm struggling to get through a Criminal Justice: Forensic Science degree so that I can finally have a meaningful CAREER and 2) I'm COMPLETELY against any benefits for people who have not earned the privilege of being in this country. Yeh, all I can get is a measley grant from the state in which I've been paying a shit-load of taxes for almost twenty years (yeh, count'em). I can't even get federal loans to cover my tuition fully. I applied for eleven scholarships/grants with criteria I certainly met and got one small grant. I'm taking one class this semester because I don't want to be in debt for the rest of my life; I have approximately FIFTY credit hours to go. Now mind you, my first degree I earned a 3.89 GPA and that was while working full-time.

Forgive the self-righteous whining, but I'm a taxpaying, loyal CITIZEN/good student and I can't get the support I need to do this degree (And before you say, well, you could just keep applying for scholarships, that takes TIME and ENERGY - all for notional funding). OH, but there's a heap of sympathy for the poor illegal bitch who's not evening seeking citizenship, just legal residency. While she's here, in this country, studying in my state.

This is hopeless - I might as well give up and just work at tedious, meaningless, jobs so I can support all the unfortunate undocumenteds in their quest for the American Dream - without the legality and without any real commitment or loyality to this country. Meanwhile, I limp on and worry.

News items today

First: the Supremes done good by upholding that whole thing about military recruiters on college campuses and withholding federal funds from the colleges who refuse to allow such recruiting. More eloquently and completely explained here. I just love that. Of course, you know all the hubbub came from law schools. Figures.

Second: Federal and DC law enforcement, et al, coordinate efforts to get the pimpin' dirtbags who recruit little girls. I fully support 1) getting the scumbags and throwing their asses in jail and 2) various entities cooperating to get said scumbags. Although, it does surprise me that DC in particular could get its act together to do anything particularly effective, much less cooperate with anyone else to do it...but that's probably a personal prejudice (I mean at times they have problems collecting garbage - literally). Read all about it here. The coordination is a positive thing, but when you read about the m.o.'s of these guys - well, it's just sickening and I recommend the "tazing until dead" option, but alas, the District doesn't have the death penalty and I doubt they would taze them anyway. Bummer.

Cell Phone Bandit will be doing some time

Saturday's Washington Post informed us that the (female) Cell Phone Bandit is sentenced to twelve years in the pokey. Bwahahaha! Dumbass. Yep both she (Candice Martinez) and her accomplice (Dave Williams), 20 and 19 y/o respectively, will be doing some serious time thanks to a one Judge Gerald Bruce Lee who put his thing down not once but twice in this case (charged separately). It's refreshing that a judge these days actually metes out punishment appropriately, instead of coddling criminals. Too bad these two boneheads chose to ruin their lives, now they're all sad and apologetic. Hahaha. Did I mention laughing and pointing? Only down side is we'll have to support their stupid asses during their punishment, but you can't have everything, can you?

An observation and a few pet peeves

If you want to try whiskey/scotch, drink it neat. Ice really messes up the flavor. Don't put soda in it either - it's gross.

A perennial favorite - slow and/or clueless people on the metro: move like you have a purpose, that you realize there are other people behind you, and that no one died and made you deity. Don't ever stand on the left, period. Further: don't do that and get miffed because others (who have a purpose and direction) are brushing past you looking very irritated. They have a reason.

Next: if you are at a store or stand-in-line restaurant (Cosi comes to mind) at a busy time, do NOT stand there counting out your change in pennies (or rooting around your purse/pockets for change) while herds of other customers are waiting. This would seem to be common sense, but alas, I see it on a regular basis. As in "I'm the only important customer here and everyone will just have to wait for my precious self to locate notional exact change." I'm surprised there haven't been violent incidents over this sort of behavior.

Finally, when I order a grande soy latte, don't give a grande hot soy milk, mkay? Clean out the ears and pretend you want to keep this job.

That's all for now. End communication.

Mystery Book Reviews

Read two mysteries lately with distinctly different responses to them. The first was Murder at The National Cathedral, by Margaret Truman and the second was The Sinister Pig, by Tony Hillerman. The former was nominally entertaining – set as it was in good ol’ Washington, DC – having to do with a possible conspiracy within the church – bigger picture stuff – that ultimately, in my opinion, fell flat. And the characters fell flat. I really wasn’t drawn into their plights, their lives, etc. Normally, a mystery involving the church, whether it be Catholic or other, is very compelling, but this was a let-down. Also, Truman’s heavy-handed characterization of characters based on their political bent was off-putting (e.g., conservative preacher is painted as by-the-book, unyielding, uncaring, more concerned with obedience to rules than caring about “the little people.”)

Hillerman’s book, on the other hand, had the effect of coming home to people you know and like, of becoming immediately engaged in their situations, loves, etc. Of course, I have the benefit of having read other Hillerman books prior – but one doesn’t voluntarily read multiple books from one author if they’re not enjoyable. And his stuff is good – one gets some idea of Navajo culture, how it relates to neighboring cultures, and how it’s expressed/experienced by the characters. Jim Chee, Joe Leaphorn. Good characters. If you haven't already read some of his stuff, give it a go!

Some charming news items...

Ah, I love my fellow man - um, mostly not so much. Anyhoo, reading the Post Metro section (my mistake) and came across these gems:

Asshead MS-13 members (I mean "suspected" members) caught robbing a brothel (run out of an apartment - evidently it's a trend) and having raped one of the workers. Undercover cop lady on an unrelated assignment, gets dragged into the apartment by said "suspected" gang members in their kind-hearted attempt to spread the love. She called her back-up and those alleged gang dudes were so busted. Read all about it here.

Woman kicks and punches to death her adopted two-year-old Russian daughter. She did this because the girl "...was not behaving and not listening and just crying." Because, you know that a good kicking and punching really makes 2-year-olds stop crying and behave. Of course, all you parents out there know this. Wow, there are no words sufficient...to describe what should be done to this heinous individual; prosecuter recommends 40 years in the slammer. Heh. Good. Full story here.

Cop fatally shoots drug dealer after drug dealer stabs another cop. Shooting cop is placed on administrative leave pending investigation. Huh? Well, DH Jeff says this is standard operating procedure. Hopefully, this is a formality and the officer will be allowed to return to duty within the day. Personally, who's really going to miss some scumbag pusher? Read all about it here.