The Next Propaganda Technique for the Illegal Immigration Debate

Frankly, this illegal immigration debate is really starting to irk me! We're just supposed to allow anyone and everyone in this country with no restrictions?! Well, that's what many on the opposite side of the debate want. They're going to try and accomplish this through their propaganda with the mainstream media. It might work, but I think they're going to cause an even bigger backlash.

First, it started with someone from CBS News sending out a memo stating that they shouldn't use the words "illegal immigration," but rather use the words "undocumented worker." Then came the rallies in Los Angeles and various other places where these protesters insisted on using MEXICAN flags! They want to live and work here and become U.S. citizens, but they use MEXICAN FLAGS???!!! Someone finally wised them up and got them to start using U.S. flags on subsequent protests.

Last night, on the O'Reilly factor, he had a guest on his show by the name of Domingo Garcia basically stating that using "illegal alien" is a racial slur! Since when is a factually accurate descriptor a racial slur? Ok, how long is it going to take for someone to say the word "criminal" is a racial slur?

Now, I read about this "new" version of the Star Spangled Banner, the U.S. National Anthem for those that aren't taught about it in our public schools. So what's this new version, you might ask? Is it a country-rock version? Is Neil Young going to be singing praises for Bush? Oh wait, he's soon to release an anti-Bush album with one of the songs brilliantly titled "Impeach the President." Oh brother, how original! Is this new version going to be a jazz version? Is it going to be a Latin version? Wait! Stop the presses! We have a winner! Sounds cool, huh? Only if you want a Spanish language version!

Yes, that's right folks. Some idiot named Adam Kidron, thinks it's a wonderful idea to have a Spanish language version of OUR National Anthem. What's next, a Spanish version of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution next to the original ones at the National Archives? It wouldn't surprise me if there already was one.

The level at which some will go to bash Bush...

I visit a technology web site several times a day. It's called digg.com. It's a web site in which people submit technology related stories to it and based upon how quickly and often people click on the storie, i.e. digg, it will make it to the front page and then get a lot of exposure.

Just a little while ago, I clicked on one of the stories that made it to the front page about a live re-enactment of the classic Super Mario Bros. game at a talent show at a small college. In addition to the links of these stories, there's a section where people can post comments about the story.

Well, a number of numskulls just couldn't help themselves. This college is apparently an "evil" Christian college in Massachusetts. And this is what one poster had to say:

"Ummmm..... I would call it a piece of shit. Christians need to find better shit to do beside love Bush and doing gay ass shit they think is funny. I would go to church if I didn't have to put up with the childish retards praising the lord by writing notes in service. Damn savages. Fucking pseudo-christians."

Those liberals are real tolerant, huh? This type of attitude towards Christians is absolutely repugnant. It never ceases to amaze me at what lengths they will go to attack Bush and or Christians. Yet, they're the ones that are supposedly so much more understanding and open-minded!?

Thank You for Smoking

So I went and saw Thank You for Smoking today. It's based on the book of the same title written by Christopher Buckley who is son to the famed William F. Buckley, Jr. I read and heard many things about this film being funny and witty and the like. It was amusing and I had a few good chuckles, but it wasn't so funny that I bust a gut. Ok, so my expectations were raised too high. No big deal.

Anyway, Jason Reitman did a very good job in directing this feature. He kept the pace moving well and did not try to hit you over the head with any view of cigarettes being bad. As someone wrote on imdb.com, he wasn't heavy handed with anything. Aaron Eckhart did a very good job of portraying the slimy lobbyist while keeping him sympathetic at the same time.

We've been conditioned by the mainstream media to believe that cigarettes and especially "big tobacco" is evil. That's for you to decide. What was refreshing is that the anti-smoking Senator from Vermont, played by William H. Macy, was portrayed in the same satirical light as the tobacco lobbyist. At least they were brave enough to label the Senator as a Democrat. Because only in the real world would the Democrats be out to get any sort of tobacco industry. In other words, he was not portrayed as some sort of idealistic hero out to protect little Bobby and Suzy.

This is one of those movies that is entertaining but really only needs one viewing. If you feel like spending two hours at the movies for some light entertainment, then by all means this will fulfill that void. If, on the other hand, you'd rather just wait for the dvd release, then that's ok too.

Parking and Californians

Ok, so I don't know if this applies to all Californians or just the ones in Northern California, but they have this habit when it comes to parking their cars that absolutely drives me nuts! So you're going to the grocery store. The parking lot is semi-full. What do you do? Do you drive around waiting for that perfect spot to come available or do you just take the first parking spot available? Well, if you're a Californian you do something more annoying.

They will spot a shopper exiting the store. They will stalk them down to see where their car is. When they do, they will wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, well, you get the point. What are they waiting for? They're waiting for them to empty their huge shopping cart stuffed to the brim with stuff and for them to vacate that parking spot. What, that's not a big deal? Yeah, well it is when you're behind this person and just trying to find a parking spot. They will literally hold up traffic in parking lots in order to get this perfect spot. For crying out loud, just take the first spot available! Is that too much to ask? I suppose it it.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone! I'm at home just chilling and taking it easy. I am very much a hermit so I prefer to stay in the confines of my home. Thank God that the little kiddies will be done with spring break and things can get back to normal until summer rolls around!

First blog entry

I don't know if how often I'll be doing this. And probably no one will read it. That's ok too.

I'm known on many message boards throughout various internet forums as Cowboy Bebop. For those that don't know, it's a popular title of a Japanese Anime show. I bought the movie on DVD on a whim one day. I'm generally not a fan of anime, but this one caught my attention and gave it a try. Sure enough, I liked the film and thus the show.

Anyway, I figued I'd add my two cents to the multitude of cents out here on the internet ethos on the things that matter to me.

I have lots of pet peeves. One of my biggest is the decline in grammatical ignorance plaguing the internet. The grammar that I see being posted is absolutely atrocious. Kids and adults appear to have difficulty discerning the difference from your/you're, to/too, we're/were, and their/they're/there. I realize that the English language is a difficult language, even for native speakers. But there's really no excuse for that! What are kids being taught in schools these days?

I don't have any children, but if I did, I know that I would not be sending them to public schools. It's mind boggling to me why kids and adults don't know the difference between these common, everyday words. I think part of the problem is laziness on both the student and the teacher. I don't know what else it could be. And don't give me that bullshit that teachers are having to focus entirely on teaching kids the necessities on how to pass state exams. If they did their job in the first place they wouldn't have to spend much time on that.

People like to play the "gotcha" game with me many times. They'll catch me making a typo or even an out and out grammatical error. I always forgive typos. They happen and when we're in a hurry are often time unavoidable. But what I don't forgive is the same people making the same mistakes again and again.

Ok, so you're probably wondering what the hell is the big deal. It's not a big deal in the small scheme of things, but I believe it is a problem in the big scheme. Young people need to understand that they're not going to get hired for a good paying job if their resume or cover letter is unintelligible. You won't even make it to the first interview, little alone any subsequent interviews.

I also feel that language and communication is important and that that is what separates us from other species. When that all goes to hell, then what separates us from them? Well, if you talk to the PETA nuts they'll say the animals deserve higher treatment than us, but that's another rant!