1. Taboo Plaza

The United States Senate agrees to discuss the possibility of revamping our immigration policy. 
Our immigration policy.
Our policy at one time was a series of quota number adjustments and attempts to create quality assurance systems.  Now it involves: English as our national language; creating a non-citizen class of people in America; and more guns at the borders.
('Heh, heh.  I wouldn't want Americans to start leaving.'- W)
Our debate has drifted from bean counting and inspection to violence and repression.  We're really quite original following such an enlightened path of thought.
We can only hope that this bill will die the slow death that our society needs, but how many times will we avoid the laws that instigate violence and repression.
It is time we pursue a different mode of thought.  Our forefathers did not speak only to future Americans.  They said it was self-evident humans were all created equally.
I had to clean that up to not make the forefathers sound like the asses they surely were, but nonetheless they've laid a charge that we take for granted.
Why don't we spread our borders rather than keeping them the same.  America has a lot to offer to the world.  In many places we are still the envy, so why don't we offer to slowly share what we have with the rest of the world.  It could all start with Central and South America.
It is not a conquest.  It is an invitation to join our country.  Our borders move a little farther south.  Bring the land and the people into America.  Let the land and the people do what Americans have been doing for over two centuries.  Let development take place.  Let the people prosper, where now they starve.  Let others have a voice in our Senate and House of Representatives.  Our system was designed for expansion.
Let us allow the world to understand that all humans are created equally.

2. Current Affairs

There's all kinds of money moving around in the world and most of my money is moving out of my pocket.
That doesn't appear to be a bad thing, because money is still moving and large products are being acquired.  It's just too bad Lord Browne resigned before he could play with the new phone company.  He will never know the joy celebrated in the halls of TPG.
They finally landed the big one.
GE, on the other hand, is folding a hand.  The gas prices are starting to get to them.  They've changed the answer to the American equation.  Plastics is no longer the word you need to know.  Apparently now the word is infrastructure. 
As in, go build some infrastructure in Iraq young man.  Go build.
But if you are feeling blue then maybe you too can be lifted in spirit by monetary records almost set.

Then Humans Discovered...(The Chronicle of Mirn part 4)
Continued from May 14th posting.

The Group's offerings now went to Mirn every evening.  With the possession of fire, Mirn became the caster of fireballs. 
What Mirn did to the Group was evil. 
What Mirn accomplished for human-kind was control of the Flame.
Mirn created ritual of the Flame.  In the beginning, only Mirn was allowed to control the flame.  Eventually the Flame was decentralized and democratized.
Mirn demanded every evening that the Group assemble while he perform the ritual of creation.  The evening always included his line drawings in the dirt.  The dirt was softened and prepared by dirty little Whelps before the assemblage.
Mirn always stood straighter than all before him holding the Flame and closely watching the Whelps for mistakes in need of correction while tilling the dirt with their hands.  Correction took the form of a flaming stick touched to the genitals.  Correction took place at least twice during every ceremony.  Because all were naked in the skins they were born, all could see Mirn's erection while correcting the Whelps. 
It made the Group uncomfortable.
Mirn began the ceremony by presenting the Flame.  The Flame resided in a large clam shell traded to the Group by Others for berries, root medicine and stone knives.  Mirn would hold the flaming clam shell up for the Group to see.  Then he would set it on the ground and draw in the dirt the horrible designs of the One.  Mirn drew and spoke.
He spoke frequently of Hell.  Mirn imbedded himself into the Group's psyche and then linked himself with the One.  Mirn became the One on Earth.  Mirn was the creator of fire and the source of the Flame.
Mirn demanded skins with which to cover himself during the ceremony.  The ceremonies began to increase in frequency until most daily activities served Mirn.
At first some of the Group became Others, but many stayed.  Believing in Mirn was as easy as observing the reaction of larger animals when Mirn wielded the Flame.  Mirn kept the Flame and as long as it burned the Group remained confident for 50 years.

4. Getting to Know Your Government
Last week's batch of Senators averaged 12.5 years in public office as U.S. Senators. This week's batch of Senators average 6 years as U.S. Senators.
 
George Voinovich (Republican, Ohio)
Religion: Roman Catholic
1958: Ohio University, B.A.
1961: Ohio University College of Law, J.D.
1963: Ohio State Assistant Attorney General
1967 to 1971: Ohio State Representative
1979: Ohio State Lieutenant Governor
1979 to 1989: Mayor of Cleveland
1991 to 1998: Governor of Ohio
1999 to present: U.S. Senate

Sherrod Brown (Democrat, Ohio)
Religion: Lutheran
1974: Yale University, B.A.
1981: Ohio State University, M.A.
   1979 to 1981: Faculty member at Ohio State University
1975 to 1982: Ohio State Representative
1983 to 1991: Ohio Secretary of State
1993 to 2007: U.S. House of Representatives
2007 to present: U.S. Senate

Jim Inhofe (Republican, Oklahoma)
Religion: Presbyterian
1973: University of Tulsa, B.A.
1967 to 1969: Oklahoma State Representative
1969 to 1977: Oklahoma State Senator
1978 to 1984: Mayor of Tulsa
1987 to 1994: U.S. House of Representatives
1994 to present: U.S. Senate

Tom Coburn (Republican, Oklahoma)
Religion: Baptist
1970: Oklahoma State University, B.S.
1983: graduated from Oklahoma State University Medical School
1969 to 1980: North Dakota Tax Commissioner
   *intern in general surgery, St. Anthony’s Hospital, Oklahoma City, Okla.; family practice residency, University of Arkansas, Fort Smith; physician, Muskogee, Okla.; past chair, Muskogee Regional Medical Center; participant in medical mission trips to Haiti 1985, and Iraq 1992
1981 to 1995: U.S. House of Representatives
2005 to present: U.S. Senator

5. Our Nation is Dumber for This...Thank You for Your Participation!
   And the beat goes on...

6. Down On Rage Street
      And the beat goes on...

7. I Sure Do Hate It for You

I'm taking the easy way out and calling out Paris Hilton.  Who cares has never been so sweet.  Have fun pretending you went to prison toots.

8. Tip of the week

   Don't play games with a bookie and don't sleep with what you can't stand to smell.

9. Birthday Shout Outs (5/20- 5/26)

May 20th
(1873) John Stuart Mill- More people should read his work.  Other than some of the seemingly inevitable conclusions, utilitarianism carries a lot of promise.
(1944) Joe Cocker- One of the baddest.

May 21st
(1265) Dante Alighieri- This guy had some issues.  I never went past the Inferno, because I just didn't see how the writing could get any better.
(1943) Hilton Valentine- The Animals had a groove.
(1947) Bill Champlin- Chicago could groove.
(1951) Al Franken- An odd guy, but funny.
(1952) Mr. T- He may've been badder then Joe Cocker in his time.
(1967) Chris Benoit- The best professional wrestler ever, period!

May 22nd
(1941) Paul Winfield- One of those guys I remember seeing all over the place and never knew his name.
(1962) Brian Pillman- A solid performer and radical personality.  He is missed.

May 23rd
(1734) Franz Mesmer- Look into my eyes.
(1910) Scatman Crothers- Seemed like a genuinely nice guy.
(1958) Drew Carey- Funny.
(1974) Jewel Kilcher- An example of a pretty voice.

May 24th
(1938) Tommy Chong- Funny.
(1940) Gary Burghoff- An essential character early in the M.A.S.H. series, but hard to watch in the end.
(1941) Bob Dylan- It seems to me that most of his songs were done better by other people and yet, still he was involved in heavy music.
(1963) Joe Dumars- One of the bad boys from Detroit.

May 25th
(1803) Ralph Waldo Emerson- A hippy a century before people knew what hippies were. 
(1944) Frank Oz- Coolest Yoda is.
(1963) Mike Myers- Funny.
(1975) Lauryn Hill- Another example of a pretty voice.

May 26th
(1948) Stevie Nicks- And yet another example of a pretty voice.
(1949) Hank Williams Jr.- Nobody better to listen to when you're getting drunk.
(1949) Pam Grier- The sister was fine.
(1964) Lenny Kravitz- He's got a groove.