Happy Birthday, Tyler!

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Listening to: Sweet – Fox On The Run
via FoxyTunes

Here is are a few points I’d like to see in new immigration laws that SHOULD be passed by our Congress. Read the entire post before you pass judgment. (Thanks, Ron!)

1. There will be no special bilingual programs in the schools.
2. All ballots will be in this nation’s language.
3. All government business will be conducted in our language.
4. 4. Non-residents will NOT have the right to vote no matter how long they are here.
5. Non-citizens will NEVER be able to hold political office.
6. Foreigners will not be a burden to the taxpayers. No welfare, no food stamps, no health care, or other government assistance programs. Any burden will be deported.
7. Foreigners can invest in this country, but it must be an amount at least equal to 40,000 times the daily minimum wage.
8. If foreigners come here and buy land… options will be restricted. Certain parcels including waterfront property are reserved for citizens naturally born into this country.
9. Foreigners may have no protests; no demonstrations, no waving of a foreign flag, no political organizing, no bad-mouthing our president or his policies. These will lead to deportation.
10. If you do come to this country illegally, you will be actively hunted &, when caught, sent to jail until your deportation can be arranged. All assets will be taken from you.

Too strict? The above laws are current immigration laws of MEXICO!

These sound fine to me. Now, how can we get these laws to be America’s Immigration Laws?

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Listening to: Danny Elfman – The Little Things
via FoxyTunes

I don’t watch much network TV. It’s usually movies and sports for me. I do watch the occasional cable TV movie, but most of the movies I watch are on the Showtime or Starz multiplexes or DVDs. I really don’t like watching commercials; not just because I think they are silly but some are just out and out lies.

Speaking of lies, listening to commercials for our local cable TV and Internet provider here is rather interesting. The commercial is a young married couple talking while their laptop computer is running and goes something like this:

Her: Come on, honey, I it’s time to go to the party!
Him: Wait! I’m uploading photos to our web site…
Her: Why don’t we go to our neighbor’s? They have “lightening fast” {provider name} Cable Internet. It’s much faster than our DSL!
Him: Maybe we should switch?

OK. First off, the cable internet provider is the ONLY cable Internet provider in town. It is also only provided here in town. The DSL provider (which I subscribe to) is the ONLY DSL provider in town. It is a major national Internet provider.

Also, I used to subscribe to the cable Internet provider (still do subscribe to their cable TV as they are the only game in town), but now I subscribe to the DSL provider. I left the cable provider for a number of reasons. I was having to reboot my cable modem and my wireless router weekly because for some reason unknown to the cable provider, my cable modem signal would just drop. Also, at the time I used the web space provided by them and asked about using PHP on that web site. The answer I got from all levels of their tech support is “PHP is a security risk and we do not allow it on our web space.” WTF? PHP a security risk? Riiiiiight. Over half of the web pages on the Internet are served up by PHP!

So, I changed to the DSL provider. At the same time I changed my telephone service to the same company. The first thing I noticed was an increase of speed, both downstream and upstream. At that time the cable provider had a 1Mb/256Kb downstream/upstream; the DSL provider had a 1.5Mb/768Kb connection. The cable provider does not offer that package any more. The DSL provider does offer the same package. Difference in price at the time: $39.99 for cable Internet vs. $26.99 for DSL. That’s $13 per month less for faster service!

Fast forward to today. The DSL provider still offers that package for $19.99 now. The cable provider offers a slower connection (512Kb/256Kb) for $21.95. I currently have the next faster DSL package (7Mb/5Mb) for $25 per month. The cable provider has what they call a Turbo package (5Mb/1Mb) for $39.99. The cable provider has a maximum residential package called Mega (10Mb/3Mb) for $59.95; the DSL provider has a maximum residential package (20Mb/5mb) for $45.

So going back to the original beef, how in the heck can the cable internet provider make the claim that their service is in any way, shape or form FASTER than DSL? If they compare their faster service with the DSL basic service? And the cost? Not even close! No thank you, I’ll stick with my reliable, fast DSL service!

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Now playing: Weezer – Pork & Beans
via FoxyTunes

Happy Birthday, Tyler!

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Listening to: Tom Cochrane & Red Rider – Big League
via FoxyTunes

Happy Anniversary, Michael and Carrie!

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Listening to: Prism – I Ain’t Lookin’ Anymore
via FoxyTunes

Saw this article on my My Yahoo! news aggregate page. I’m still struggling to stay in my seat, I’m laughing so hard! If you’ve ever owned a printer or printed a document, this is a MUST read!

Why I Believe Printers Were Sent From Hell To Make Us Miserable

Hey! You don’t even have to be a computer geek to appreciate the humor here!

I was on the Hawkeye Nation web site checking out the latest in Iowa Hawkeye Basketball gossip and came across this gem of a signature line:

Heaven is Where: The Police are British, The Chefs are Italian, The Mechanics are German, The Lovers are French and It’s all organized by the Swiss.

Hell is Where: The Police are German, The Chefs are British, The Mechanics are French, The Lovers are Swiss and It’s all organized by the Italians.

I think this is absolutely hilarious!! (Does that make me racist? )

So, have YOU got an opinion on the Arizona immigration law? You know, the law that is more restrictive to police there than the federal border laws? The law that is more lenient to the illegal alien (that’s right, ILLEGAL) than the federal law? The one that the media is bashing every chance they get? Well, here’s the text from an email (thanks, Ron!) that explains illegal immigration in an easy to understand way. It’s an old email, but it is still valid (maybe because the feds aren’t doing their job?):

A lady wrote the best letter in the editorials in ages!!! It explains things better than all the baloney you hear on TV. Her point: Recently large demonstrations have taken place across the country protesting the fact that Congress is finally addressing the issue of illegal immigration.

Certain people are angry that the US might protect its own borders, might make it harder to sneak into this country and, once here, to stay indefinitely.

Let me see if I correctly understand the thinking behind these protests.

Let’s say I break into your house.

Let’s say that when you discover me in your house, you insist that I leave.

But I say, ‘No! I like it here. It’s better than my house. I’ve made all the beds and washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors. I’ve done all the things you don’t like to do. I’m hard-working and honest (except for when I broke into your house).

According to the protesters:

• You are Required to let me stay in your house
• You are Required to feed me
• You are Required to add me to your family’s insurance plan
• You are Required to Educate my kids
• You are Required to Provide other benefits to me & to my family

My husband will do all of your yard work because he is also hard-working and honest. (except for that breaking in part).

If you try to call the police or force me out, I will call my friends who will picket your house carrying signs that proclaim my RIGHT to be there.

It’s only fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I do, and I’m just trying to better myself. I’m a hard-working and honest, person, except for well, you know, I did break into your house. And what a deal it is for me!!!

I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my keep, and there is nothing you can do about it without being accused of cold, uncaring, selfish, prejudiced, and bigoted behavior.

Oh yeah, and I DEMAND that you learn MY LANGUAGE!!! so that you can communicate with me.

Why can’t people see how ridiculous this is?!

If you agree, let me know (in English). If not blow it off……… along with your future Social Security funds and a lot of the former benefits of being an American Citizen.

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Listening to: Buckcherry – Everything
via FoxyTunes

Happy Birthday, Breezomatic!

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Listening to: Muse – Time is Running Out
via FoxyTunes

Yeah, we have a swamp in the back yard; well maybe not that kind of swamp! But I think the swamp has “graduated” to a full blown stream, with the nearly one inch of rain we’ve had yesterday, last night and today. Here’s a pic:

The little white flags are markers for the underground invisible fence we have installed for Layla. Just look at all that water with no place to go…

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Now playing: Theory Of A Deadman – Bad Girlfriend
via FoxyTunes

Happy Birthday, Julie!!

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Listening to: Screaming Trees – Nearly Lost You
via FoxyTunes

So KC finally did it. She went to the Humane Society here in town and got a dog. I was against it. Not because I don’t like dogs – I LOVE dogs! But now, when we want to go to the Quad Cities we’ll have to make sure the dog is taken care of. When we make a shopping trip to Chicago, we’ll have to kennel the dog. When we make … well, you get the idea.

Anyway, she seems to be a well mannered dog. She’s a boxer. She’s awfully thin; “you can count ribs” thin. Hopefully she’ll flesh out a bit after she’s been here a while. She’s also housebroken so we won’t have to go through that pain. And her name? Can’t you guess by the title of the post? It’s Layla.

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Now playing: Rammstein – Sehnsucht
via FoxyTunes