You Can Find Me Here

If you are occasionally checking this blog out and looking for something new to read...I have kinda checked out. I am training for my first marathon and mainining a running blog. I will post here as I am moved to but for the most part find me at http://runpaulrun.blogspot.com/ until after December 2006!

SEE PAUL RUN. RUN PAUL RUN.
http://runpaulrun.blogspot.com/

Illegals Immigrants: Stay Out Of Mexico

I came acroos this article on line this morning... I think it speaks volumes and worth reading.

Stepping Over the Line
Don't try sneaking north across Mexico's other border.
by Joseph Contreras
Newsweek

June 5, 2006 issue - Ever since he crossed into Mexico, José Moisés has had nothing but trouble. Now the 30-year-old Honduran mechanic is hunkered down with other young illegal migrants in a rail yard just north of Mexico City, waiting for nightfall to hop a northbound freight. He displays a pale line encircling his finger. He used to have a ring there, he says—until Mexican cops slammed him against a squad car in the southern border state of Chiapas and grabbed it. "They took everything," says Moisés. "Here the Central American has no value."

As tough as the United States can be for workers who slip in from south of the border, Mexico is in a poor position to criticize. The problem goes far beyond the predatory gantlet of thugs and crooked cops facing defenseless transients like Moisés. There's ample precedent in Mexico for just about everything the United States is—or isn't—doing. Calling out the military? Mexicans may hate the new U.S. plan to deploy 6,000 National Guard troops on the border, but five years ago they cheered President Vicente Fox for sending thousands of Mexican soldiers to crack down on their southern frontier. Tougher laws? Hispanic-rights groups are enraged over U.S. efforts to criminalize undocumented aliens—yet since 1974, sneaking into Mexico has been punishable by up to two years in prison. Foot-dragging on amnesty? Fox has spent the past five years urging the United States to upgrade the status of millions of illegals from Mexico. Meanwhile, his own government has given legal status to only 15,000 foreigners without papers.

Some of the worst abuses take place on the coffee plantations of Chiapas state, where some 40,000 Guatemalan field hands endure backbreaking jobs and squalid living conditions to earn roughly $3.50 a day. Some growers even deduct the cost of room and board from that amount. "If you ask them, 'Why are you bringing in Guatemalans to work?' they say, 'You can't depend on Mexicans. They don't work hard; they're irresponsible'," says George Grayson, a political scientist specializing in Mexico at the College of William & Mary. "The truth is, you can pay [the guest workers] a pittance. And if they cause the slightest disturbance, you can send them back to Guatemala."

At least a few Mexicans are balking at the hypocrisy. Late last year their National Human Rights Commission issued a report criticizing Mexico's widespread mistreatment of aliens; the report described sub- human facilities where captured illegals are kept until they can be deported. Several international news agencies ran stories on the publication. But most of Mexico's leading papers ignored it.

With Monica Campbell

QOTW 5.19

If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost.

-Aristotle

Reason Still Lives in the Senate

Today the senate panel advanced a measure that would amend the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. It was passed in a closed door sesion with other senators and staff present.
Senator Feingold objected to the closed-door policy and walked out of the session. Senate Judiciary chairman Arlen Specter shouted "Good riddance!" as he left. The ammendent bill was passed along party line votes 10:8 and will go to the senate floor in June.

Senator Feingold, who quite obviously understands that such an amendment needs real scrutiny and should be debated in a public forum, issued the following statement:

Today's markup of the constitutional amendment concerning marriage, in a small room off the Senate floor with only a handful of people other than Senators and their staffs present, was an affront to the Constitution. I objected to its consideration in such an inappropriate setting and refused to help make a quorum. I am deeply disappointed that the chairman of the judiciary committee went forward with the markup over my objection. Unfortunately, the majority leader has set a politically motivated schedule for floor consideration of this measure that the chairman felt compelled to follow, even though he says he opposes the amendment.

Constitutional amendments deserve the most careful and deliberate consideration of any matter that comes before the Senate. In addition to hearings and a subcommittee markup, such a measure should be considered by the Judiciary Committee in the light of day, open to the press and the public, with cameras present so that the whole country can see what is done. Open and deliberate debate on such an important matter cannot take place in a setting such as the one chosen by the chairman of the Committee today.

The Constitution of the United States is an historic guarantee of individual freedom. It has served as a beacon of hope, an example to people around the world who yearn to be free and to live their lives without government interference in their most basic human decisions. I took an oath when I joined this body to support and defend the Constitution. I will continue to fight this mean-spirited, divisive, poorly drafted, and misguided amendment when it comes to the Senate floor.

Thank God reason is alive and well in the U.S. Senate.

http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid31112.asp

The Rules for Being Human

I was cleaning out a drawer and came across these rules sent to me by an old friend years ago. I forgot I had them. There is irony here - read for yourself.

YOU WILL RECEIVE A BODY.
You may like it of hate it, but it will be yours for as long as you live. How you take care of it or try to take care of it can make an enormous difference in the quality of your life.

YOU WILL LEARN LESSONS.
You are enrolled in a full-time, informal school called Life. Each day, you will be presented with opportunities to learn what you need to know. The lessons presented are often completely different for those you THINK you need.

THERE ARE NO MISTAKES, ONLY LESSONS.
Growth is a process of trail, error and experimentation. You can learn as much from failure as you can success…maybe more.

A LESSON IS REPEATED UNTIL IT IS LEARNED.
A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it (as evidenced by a change in your attitude and ultimately your behavior) then you can go on to the next lesson.

LEARNING LESSONS DOES NOT END.
There is no stage of life that does not contain some lessons. As long as you live there will be something more to learn.

"THERE" IS NO BETTER THEN "HERE".
When you "there" has become a "here," you will simply discover another "there" that will again look better that your "here." Don't be fooled by believing that the unattainable is better than what you have. Happiness is choosing what you have.

OTHERS ARE MERELY MIRRORS OF YOU.
You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself. When tempted to criticize others, ask yourself why you feel so strongly.

WHAT YOU MAKE OF YOUR LIFE IS UP TO YOU.
You have all the tools and resources you need. What you created with those tools and resources is up to you. Remember that through desire, goal setting and unflagging effort you can have anything you want. Persistence is the key to success.

THE ANSWERS LIE INSIDE YOU.
The solutions to all of life's problems lie within your grasp. All you need to do is ask, look, listen and trust.

YOU WILL FORGET ALL THIS.
Unless you consistently stay focused on the goals you have set for your self, everything you've just read won't mean a thing.

By Dr. Cherie Carter-Scott

Soy Americano!

I went into work today like most Americans did. The powers that be decided to let us go at 1:00 so that we would will not get caught in the boycott parade that was due at 4:00. My office is on Wilshire Blvd, the afternoon protest route.

I left my office and jumped on the Red Line to down town. The march was beginning there and people had been gathering for speeches since morning.

There was an new energy in the air as I rode towards downtown. Latino and Asian families and friends laughing and nodding salutations. No one was a stranger today. It seemed we all shared a connection as we made our way towards City Hall. I imagined going to Times Square at the end of WWII was very similar. This was more than a protest. It was a celebration of who we are.

I got off the train and was greeted by a sea of familar looking faces drapped in red, white and blue. I walked amougst the crowd of white t-shirts and viewed the parade.

I silently struggled to fight back tears that were building within me. I wanted to joyfully cry for the power that I felt and the pureness in their intention. It was a great moment even if I did not completely agree with the cause. I secretly wished that this was happening in Mexico where change needs to occur, and I thanked the creater for allowing me to live in country where this can happen today.

I was never prouder to be a Mexican-American. Soy Americano! Viva the USA!

Related blog:
http://gayperspective.blogspot.com/2006/04/mexicansget-some-cojones.html

Oil is Your Friend

The oil companies are not just linning their pockets with gross profits, they are now going to spend a mere $30 million for a public relations campaign or what they call “educational outreach” to convince us how hard it is to make gas and that windfall profits are just the man behind the curtain we should ignore. I have some possible ideas for a slogan.

Your income belong to us
Billion dollars earned
Got oil stocks? Too bad.
It's not easy being greedy.
Sure, were profitable but dont blame us, we dont make the stuff, we just sell it.

Any other suggestions?


http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/042606/news2.html

25 Signs The You Have Grown Up

1. Your houseplants are alive, and you can't smoke any of them.
2. Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question.
3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge.
4. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.
5. You hear your favorite song in an elevator.
6. You watch the Weather Channel for fun.
7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of "hook up" and break up."
8. You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14.
9. Jeans and a sweat shirt no longer qualify as "dressed up."
10. You're the one calling the police because those fucking kids next door won't turn down "that noise."
11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.
12. You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.
13. Your car insurance goes down and your car payments go up.
14. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonald's leftovers.
15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.
16. You take naps.
17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.
18. Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach.
19. You need antacid tablets, more often than you need condoms.
20. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good shit."
21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.
22. "I just can't drink the way I used to" replaces "I'm never going to drink that much again."
23. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.
24. When you find out your friend is pregnant you congratulate them instead of asking "Oh no, what the #$%* happened?"
25: You read this entire list looking desperately for one sign that doesn't apply to you and can't find one to save your sorr y old ass.

Bush Stops Turning His Head?

Finally the federal governement is going after the parties responcible for creating the illegal immigration problem in this country... the busniess owners. There are federal laws on the books against hiring illegal citizens, and finally the Bush administration has decided to apply them. Take away the work and we take away their resaon to come here. It's that simple. Now the question is, is this change in policy enforcement a new standard or is Bush trying to look like he's doing something other than turning his head so that his donor base can continue to reap the benefits of cheap (slave) labor? We shall see.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060420/ap_on_go_ot/immigration_raids

Oh Ricky You're So Fine

Mexicans...Get Some Cojones!

Being a proud 2nd generation US born Mexican-American who has seen this problem with ILLEGAL immigration (not "undocumented workers" - called it what is really is) explode over the past ten years, I am still grateful that I live in a country where even the people who are not here legally have the right to protest and raise their voices.

Maybe if these temporary workers candidates had more "cojones" to stand up against their own oligarchic government, they would not be here searching for a better life, they would be in Mexico demanding it. (1776, America did not become America by protestors matching through England!)

I do not fault Mexican immigrants for wanting a better life but when did it become our responsibility to provide it and not Mexico's. Our neighbors to the North got it. Canadians are not selling gum in their streets to survive. When I see all those protestors, I see people who are mad at the wrong political administration. Mexicans need to look at the failures of their own government and demand changes from it.

To my Latino bretheren- You and your children deserve a wonderful life; the USA is not denying that from you…your own Mexican leaders are! Fight them... not us!

Republican Parent Ban Pending

After two months off due to manage some personal projects, I return to my blog to share this inspiring and "classic" legislative act...

Bill Would Block Republicans From Adopting Children
http://365gay.com/Newscon06/02/022406gopAdopt.htm