Illegal Immigration Is Bad

Can we all agree that breaking the law is bad? I mean, jaywalking isn't on the same level as murder, but there is a law on the books because some dumbass crossed the street outside a crosswalk and some other dumbass came along and smashed him with his F150. We know that's why jaywalking is illegal.

Crossing our borders is illegal, too, without proper authority. Being able to wade across a river and scale some pretty weak-ass fences is not proper authorization.

So, illegal immigration is bad. We all get that.

There is an argument to be made that what if the tables were turned and you had the opportunity for a better life in, say, Canada, but your family couldn't wait 2 years to eat. You'd cross the border, legally or illegally, looking for suitable employment to earn an income to pay for food, clothing, and shelter. That's a simple choice: Try the legal way, wait a day, then try the illegal route.

I get that, too.

However, if we're going to go to the trouble to make laws (that's what Congress is for and we pay them handsomely for doing so), shouldn't we either enforce them or overturn them (and what a waste that would be)?

That said, let's enforce all of our laws, starting right now on the topic of "illegals."

Part of the problem is that we don't monitor our borders very well. That's been a failing of the US for decades, centuries maybe. And it's really a no-brainer, as far as I'm concerned. All those troops in Afghanistan and Iraq that are soon to be out of work? Set them up on the borders (to the south and to the north), the ports (less than 1 percent of all cargo shipped here is inspected – we inspect a higher percentage of illegals), and the air ways.

Seriously. More "bad people" come over in planes and ships than across the Rio Grande.

So let's secure all of this. Simple. Done.

Now, onto what I believe is another solution to the "illegals" problem. And that is the ability to find employment. When I hired people, I had to fill out papers, some of which required me to see proof of eligibility for employment. I had to see a combination of documents. I won't go into the details, but 99 percent of the time, the person provided a drivers license and social security card. Other documents worked, too.

Bottom line: The onus was on the employer to verify that the person he was hiring was eligible to work here. In essence, I was verifying legal residence.

Several things might happen here. The person seeking employment could forge documents or produce somebody else phonied-up documents. That certainly happens.

I could choose to "overlook" anything that didn't look right.

I could simply hire the guy and pay him "under the table." This most definitely goes on. Ever see a group of brown people standing outside the Home Depot? Think they're just "shooting the breeze?" Nope.

Most often, the papers produced are legit. But sometimes they're not. If an employer knowingly hires a worker who is not eligible to work, the full force of the laws on the books should be applied to his nuts. He should get the maximum fine, the business should be shut down, and the offending parties should be jailed for breaking the law, including the worker.

If the US government would simply pursue these cases with the vigor that the IRS pursues tax evaders, we wouldn't have an "illegals" problem. You see, they come here looking for work. If they cannot get work, there is a high likelihood that they'll move elsewhere. Like Argentina.

Now, you may be dismayed because the cost of Twinkies at your local Wal-Mart went up. Sorry, American-made Twinkies are simply more expensive to make because a) workers will no longer be able to be paid under the table, b) American workers won't work for less than $10 an hour, and c) American workers demand "fringe benefits" like vacations, sick leave, maternity leave, paternity leave, free hot water, free coffee, and the like.

So Twinkies will cost more. So will everything else.

But that's the way it goes. If you want to rid the country of "illegals," then you have to be willing to make the sacrifice. This includes being willing to pick fruit, do janitorial work, and learn how to landscape, cook, and wash cars. Among MANY other things.

Next up: Since "illegals" are so bad, if you're ever accused of one, you should be able to sue your accuser for defamation.

Before y'all get up in my grill on this one, note that I really don't care much about this issue. What I do care about is making laws and then turning our heads on the enforcement. If you don't like a law, change it. If you're not going to enforce a law, overturn it. Simple as that.

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How Can I Get My Ex Back with a Confident Attitude

How can I Get my Ex Back with a Confident Attitude

Although a breakup with a boyfriend or with a girlfriend can be really depressing, it does not need to mean that the relationship is over. Even if the breakup should suddenly leave you feeling confusion and loneliness, you may still feel really eager to heal the wounds and jump right back in to that relationship with your ex. If you are asking yourself "How can I get my ex back?", then there are some things you need to know. If you learn how to react following a break up, and you become aware of how not to strain the relationship even further, then getting ex back will be easier than ever.

Carmen Ortega - somebody's ex-loverIt can seem hard to keep up a cheerful attitude throughout your day following a breakup, but it is believed by relationship experts believe that an optimistic and confident attitude can go a long way. Here are some of the ways that a confident attitude can answer the question "how can I get my ex back?"

Keep your confidence – If you are asking "how can I get my ex back?", then you should remain confident. Rather than going around feeling gloomy, try to find ways that you can keep yourself occupied and happy. Keep the depression out of your demeanor. Allow your ex boyfriend or girlfriend to know that you are strong and that you are more than capable of handling such an emotional situation, and also that you are capable of surviving on your own as well.

Remain socially active – If getting your ex back is your primary focus, surround yourself with well wishers, positive attitudes and good friends. Show your ex that people appreciate you, and that they love having you around. As more people begin to feel good about your presence in their lives, your ex will begin to see you in a completely new light. He or she will realize that yes, you are a good person that they simply cannot afford to let go of. This is one of the best ways to let your ex notice you in a new light.

Maintain a good appearance – Another solution to "How can I get my ex back?" is not to let your appearance reflect your situation. You need to pay attention to every detail of your looks, including your clothes, your make up, your hair, your stride, your shoes and even your voice. It can be hard to act happy or to take care of yourself following a bad breakup, but this is one of the best ways that you can let your ex know that you are doing just fine, and do not need to beg for his or her sympathy. You are going to get back together like adults who are mature and responsible if you are going to get back together at all.

How can I Get my Ex Back with a Confident Attitude

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California Gay Marriage Ban (Prop 8) Overturned

Okay, so now that a federal judge has ruled unconstitutional Prop 8, the "gay marriage ban" voted into law by California voters, let the fun begin!

I can't wait for the idiots in downtown Pleasanton to be marching on the corner of Hopyard and Valley, holding up stupid signs about how the federal government usurped "states' rights AGAIN" or "Marriage is between a man and a woman" or some other such crap.

I personally don't care whether gay people can marry. I really don't even care if heterosexual people can marry (though I would find it very funny if two straight men got married just because they could).

What I do care about is equal rights and the Constitution. And since I'm not a judge or lawyer, I can't comment on whether the federal judge made the right interpretation of the 14th amendment. But I can tell you with certainty that until his ruling is overturned, it's LAW.

A federal judge today overturned California’s ban on gay marriage, saying the voter-approved initiative violates both the due-process and equal-protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

As an aside, I heard today somebody who was a little miffed about the decision and he posited the question (prefaced by the concept that this ruling supported equal rights for all):

So do you support equal rights for the unborn?

Why, no, I don't. Why? They're not born. They have no rights. Sorry to sound insensitive, but they don't. Correct me, from a legal basis, if I'm wrong. (I know that the Supreme Court has a much more nuanced interpretation of this than I do.)

Secondly, that issue has been adjudicated already. Read Roe v. Wade. Abortion has been legal in the US for decades now.

What really puzzles me, however, is the fact that many pro-lifers are in favor of the death penalty. I know there is a difference between a murderer and a fetus – one committed a crime and the other isn't able to. So "eye for an eye" and all that.

But why don't murderers have equal protection under the law? If it's wrong to take another person's life, then how can we possibly justify taking of a person's life by the state?

You really can't have it both ways. You gotta come to the same conclusion on both, whether you come out in favor of "ending a life" or "saving a life."

I invite civil comments, please :)

Calif. gay marriage ban overturned; Yahoo! News tweets live from L.A. – Yahoo! News
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The Universal Network Cable is a universal network cable


It’s not often that I need a cross-over Ethernet cable any more, since more networking gear has Auto-MDX on most ports, but every now and again I do need to dig out a cross-over cable. I usually can’t find one, and need to crimp a new one together, which I promptly lose when I’m done with it. If this happens to you, or if you happen to need an ATM cross-over cable or a T1 cable, you might be interested in the Universal Network Cable. Simply roll the selector wheel to the selected cabling standard and this cable becomes what you need: straight through, rolled, cross-over, and more. Brilliant.

It’s $30 at ThinkGeek, and $23 at Fry’s online. Get ‘em while they’re hot!

The Universal Network Cable is a universal network cable
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Report: iPhone 4 owners report fewer dropped calls than iPhone 3GS

With all of the Antennagate hoopla since the release of the iPhone 4, you’d think that owners of the new phone are never able to complete a call normally. According to a recently published survey from ChangeWave Research, iPhone 4 owners are reporting fewer dropped calls than iPhone 3GS owners.

5.2% of iPhone 4 owners reported dropped calls during the month of July, while 6.3% of owners of the iPhone 3GS said they had experienced dropped calls in a June survey. The survey also noted that one in five iPhone 4 owners said that the antenna issue had caused them problems, but respondents also overwhelmingly felt that Apple’s solution (the free case / bumper giveaway) was acceptable.

The survey contained more fascinating information about the iPhone 4. While 72% of iPhone 4 owners are Very Satisfied with their phones and another 21% weigh in at Somewhat Satisfied, those numbers are lower than what ChangeWave saw for the iPhone 3GS in August of 2009. At that time, 82% of iPhone 3GS owners were Very Satisfied, and 17% were Somewhat Satisfied. ChangeWave believes the tidal wave of negative publicity around the release of the iPhone 4 may be the cause of the lower numbers for the new phone.

Even more fascinating were the results of a survey question asking "What do you dislike the most about your iPhone 4?" While the same question about the iPhone 3GS last year found 41% of respondents griping about the short battery life, a huge number of iPhone 4 owners find AT&T to be the worst thing about the phone. 27% found the requirement to use AT&T's network to be their top complaint, while 24% found the coverage, speed, and quality of the AT&T network to be their top beef.

ChangeWave thinks that now that the wave of negative publicity about the iPhone 4 has passed, the phone may eventually surpass the customer satisfaction figures of the iPhone 3GS.

[via AppleInsider]

TUAWReport: iPhone 4 owners report fewer dropped calls than iPhone 3GS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: iPhone 4 owners report fewer dropped calls than iPhone 3GS
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