Worker status, what does it mean?

I am getting so fatigued trying to figure out all of the terminology associated with illegal aliens and what is politically correct at the time. This WSJ article makes some sense of what is going on in the legislative side of things.

I remember when I was younger living in Northern Ohio my parents would point out migrant workers that used to come all the way up from Mexico to the Midwest to help harvest the bountiful Ohio crops. Then just as soon as they came, they left. There was something about the fact that they traveled so far and long that made you respect those people. What ever happened to migrant workers? I wonder if they still exist.

Iran helping Iraq...yeah right

This is a funny story. It's not meant to be, but it is. Iran has pledged to help Iraq with security issues. Their pledge and the security of Iraq is of course contingent on the "American occupying forces" leaving Iraq (at least, according to Iran).

Iran is so delusional.

Some political tidbits

Some interesting stories from David Miller at CBS News:

The Latest Newt-O-Meter Reading: Every time former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks, political observers sift through his words to figure out whether he plans to seek the Republican presidential nomination. Lately, the odds of such a run seem to have fallen. But a Gingrich speech on Tuesday at Washington's National Press Club may set off a new round of speculation.

According to inside-the-Beltway publication The Hill, Gingrich said there's still a chance he will enter the race — and still a chance that the front-runners in the Republican race will falter. "I try to remind people, three weeks before the Iowa caucus in 2004 the Democratic front-runner was Howard Dean. He had raised more money, he had gotten more magazine covers — everybody though he was the front-runner," Gingrich said. "He had the biggest online contributor base."

Gingrich also flatly said he was "candidate material," which is a little more bold than the former speaker has sounded lately. It's possible that the delay in the launch of Fred Thompson's campaign — now expected in early September, less than a month before Gingrich says he'll make up his own mind — and Thompson's reported fundraising and staff troubles have renewed some of Gingrich's vigor.

Sensing An Opportunity: Republican Rep. Ron Paul raised some eyebrows when his second-quarter fundraising put him in fourth place in the money race against his fellow GOP candidates. Now, with the Iowa Straw Poll only days away, the candidate whose libertarian views have won him a significant Internet following is putting that money to use on a more traditional medium: television.

The campaign is airing its first ad in Iowa this week. The spot notes that Paul has never accepted a congressional pay raise, never voted to raise taxes and is running to "protect our liberties and save our Constitution."

It's unlikely Paul would spend money on the ad if he didn't think he had a chance of pulling off an Ames surprise. Conventional wisdom says that if anyone is going to benefit from the bickering between Sam Brownback and Mitt Romney, it will be former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. But for now, Paul is the only Republican candidate, aside from Romney, on TV in Iowa. It's possible it's too late for the ad to have any impact on the poll results, but it shows that Paul is a candidate who deserves attention heading into this early test of GOP strength.

The truth from Newt

I hate the current presidential campaign process. I don't hate many things in life, but I hate how the campaign process works. It is the most convoluted, corrupt and unhelpful period of time in American politics.

Newt Gingrich spoke to this recently at a National Press Club event. Read, enjoy, understand.

We need major campaign reform. The sooner the better. The US government cannot function much longer the way it is right now. Do you realize that we elect people on how they look and what they said in 10 second soundbites? We are in serious trouble.

The check's in the mail

Fewer Mexicans are sending money back to Mexico from the Estados Unidos. Some say it's because of increased border security, some say it's because of anti-immigrant sentiment, some say it's because they are unsure of their futures.

I don't know what it is, but it's an interesting trend.

Shiite pilgrimage to Baghdad

The Shiite pilgrimage in honor of an 8th Century Imam is pretty much over and there were no real terrorist attacks. Could this be a good sign?

The reason why I write about these events is because I want to let everyone know that there are positive things going on in Iraq. I am optimistic and I will continue to be that way because our troops and our country deserve that from American citizens.

Newark murders

You have probably heard about the execution-style murders of three college kids in Newark, NJ. They have arrested a 15 year old that was picked out of a line up by the lone survivor of the attack. This is an awful chain of events.

The thing that surprises me the most out of this whole thing is that some of the residents of Newark are not that surprised. Remind me not to live in Newark.

McDonald's tastes better than...

A "study" has just come out that shows that children prefer food from branded fast food restaurant packages rather unbranded. The study put the same food in bags that had logos on them and then in other bags that had no logos. The kids thought the branded food tasted better.

No wonder our kids are fat. We need to start branding some Brussels sprouts or something.

Rudy, Barack and Caroline

In case you haven't heard the big news Caroline Giuliani was once a supporter for Barack Obama on Facebook. OH NO! Since it was reported, she has left the Facebook group and changed her profile, but apparently the damage has been done.

You do know this means nothing to his campaign of course.

The UK state of mind

As I wrote about before, it seemed as though the United States and the UK were going to be getting along quite well in the Gordon Brown era. This continues to be true, but Mr. Brown continues to try to distance himself from the USA and his predecessor.

The UK government just asked the USA to release some of the detainees at Guantanamo who were not citizens, but legal residents of the UK prior to their capture on the field of battle.

This has also allowed UK liberal MPs to start talking about what an egregious breach of democracy Guantanamo is. I hope this is not the beginning of something more.

Sean Penn, just plain awful

Wow, this guy is just pathetic. He has on more than one occasion visited our enemies and turned his back on our country. Now he's meeting with Hugo Chavez. I wrote about the American traitor in Al Qaeda, well Sean Penn is skating on thin ice. Apparently, libs in Hollywood are also thinking what Penn is doing is wrong. That says a lot. Thank goodness no one takes this guy seriously. It's just too bad that our enemies can use him as a propaganda tool.

The truth about Al Qaeda in Iraq

This Michael Yon article was also featured in Glenn Reynolds' blog Instapundit.com, but I figured I would link it here as well (for those of you who do not frequent his site). It is a graphic and seemingly truthful picture of what Al Qaeda is capable of and willing to do in Iraq to try to defeat freedom.

I will echo Mr. Reynolds' sentiments: read the whole thing.

Why drinking is good before you are shot into space

This Charles Krauthammer column is just plain hilarious and it makes sense. Read it.

Treason

Any American citizen who joins up with Al Qaeda should be found and tried for treason and then given the maximum punishment for treason during wartime. Death. This guy, Adam Gadahn, who is also known as Azzan al-Amriki should be found and put to death. By the way there's a $1 million reward...so go out and get 'em.

Where is my AK?

Well apparently the US Government doesn't know either. There are 190,000 weapons missing from the arsenal bought for the Iraqi military. Umm that can't be good.

Shuttle launch...with shades of the past

The Space Shuttle Endeavor will be heading up to space this Wednesday and will carry with it a school teacher. I think it is great that once again NASA will be sending a teacher into space. The Astronaut Barbara Morgan was the backup for Christa McAuliffe who was the teacher who died in the Challenger disaster.

Ms. Morgan is finally getting her chance to go to space. Even though Americans are no longer enamored with the space program it still provides a very useful service to our country's science community. And I am personally proud of the brave men and women who explore the Final Frontier.

Godspeed to our astronauts.

Lebanon and the future

Lebanon has for many years been a melting pot of sorts in the Middle East. A country that has as its citizens members from many different religious and ethnic groups. And for the most part they have lived together in relative harmony. This is to say that it was not the citizens that were starting the wars, but politicians in Lebanon and Syria.

Now Lebanon is facing an interesting and potentially dangerous future. While Iraq and Israel and the Palestinian Authority are making progress, Lebanon is teetering tenuously on the edge of breakdown. A series of political assassinations have led to political unrest and a shift in power. Half of the country is pro-Syria, the other half is anti-Syria. Even the Christians in the country (who were at one time a group of great solidarity) are starting to split into groups.

Lebanon could be a great ally in the Middle East if they would just get their act together. President Bush has issued a warning to those that might interfere with Lebanese politics and I can only hope that the country that used to be one of the most visited and beautiful countries in the world can return to its former glory during my lifetime.

Peace in the Middle East?

Not yet, but as far as I can tell Israel and the Palestinian Authority are meeting together without a direct request or help from the USA. This is extraordinary development and is good news for both sides.

Good things are happening in Iraq (on the military side) and good things are happening in the Holy Land (on the political side). If only both sides were working in both places.

Killing their own

It is just morally confusing to me to see what is going on in Iraq right now. There was a bombing this morning that killed 19 children. The fact that the followers of the "religion of peace" are killing their brethren is somewhat disturbing. What I don't think they understand is that it is not the US Military bearing the brunt of casualties anymore, it is the Iraqi people, and they are starting to get fed up with being killed by their own countrymen.

Political progress is needed now more than ever.

Just stop eating food

There is nothing left that is safe. Now it's green beans. I happen to like green beans and now I have to worry about getting botulism. Great, just another thing to worry about. At least this doesn't have to do with China...yet.