I am currently reading a book with this title and it relates to American History. The book is quite a good read so far and is quite a good prompt to ask for more in the line of history education in this country. (link)

So it has always been an attractive job for folks. The dream of working in IT. The glamor and ego of being the BOFH. The chance to delete a user who annoys you, to neuter the bandwidth they have and generally to mess them up by making sure the domain log in only gets them elf bowling.

So in the past the IT folks we have seen on TV are those who need to unzip they’re fly to shake hands as the waist band on they’re pants has migrated too high. Today I have now seen the opposite. I have seen someone who is a geek-in-training at the training school across the hall from my office who had the skateboard pants.  You know the ones, the zip can be undone to scratch one’s knees or pull up socks.

How have we gone from this:To this:

I do worry that we will go from egotistical megalomaniacs to more relaxed IT people. Where will the fear be? Come on folks, can we let this happen?

Our Government Programs Are the Problem.

“Calling an illegal alien an ‘undocumented immigrant’ is like calling a drug dealer an ‘unlicensed pharmacist’” — anonymous email

The rhetoric is crazy. The kind of emotion generated with the immigration debate is very strong and passionate. There seems to be very little sense of balance or recognition of the severity of the “crime”. Some people talk about illegal immigration as if it is the coming of the Anti-Christ and the very face of Satan himself. Hogwash. Illegal immigration is simply a failure to follow the rules and is by and large a victimless crime. No one is hurt, robbed, maimed, raped, defrauded, or otherwise harmed by the flow of illegal immigrants in and of themselves. The problem is not with the immigrants it is government regulations and welfare policy that is the problem.

The statutory “crime” committed by many of the illegal aliens in the United States is found under 8 USC 1325, “Improper Entry by an Alien”. It carries criminal and civil penalties. The first offense carries a penalty of fines and up to six months in jail. Civil penalties are between $50 and $250 for each offense. If this were a state crime, it would land squarely within the range of misdemeanor crimes. Something that is more than a little sad is that the Great State of Utah cares more about enforcing immigration law than the United States of America does.

How does Utah law and penalties line up with the civil penalties for illegal immigration? In Utah, you can be fined $50 or more for: driving ONE mile per hour over the speed limit, littering, imroper passing, tinted windows (too dark), allowing an unlicensed person to drive, defacing a driver’s license, HOV lane violations, improper turns, driving too slow, handicapped parking violations, people under 17 driving past curfew, no proof of insurance, underage tobacco possession, fishing without a license, catching fish over the limit, unlawful possession of toxic shot (shotguns), no evidence of sex/species attached to carcass, camping more than 14 days in a restricted area, tresspass on Division of Wildlife Resource lands, failure to wear enough hunter orange, hauling an OHV without registration, no registration card on an OHV, failure to display registration on an OHV, and many other things. These are all fairly minor infractions that do not carry a significant social stigma with them and certainly would not typically result in time behind bars.

When we talk about crime there are two basic categories of crime, mala in se and mala prohibitum. Mala in se crimes are morally and ethically wrong like murder, theft, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, manslaughter, fraud, embezzlement, etc…. Mala Prohibitum crimes are wrong because society regulates the behavior. Things like parking tickets, speeding, not having a business license, not filing your taxes on time, driving without a license, weight regulations for over the road trucks, and . . . improper entry by an alien. The illegal aliens in the country violated a regulatory statute and committed an offence against regulations. The crime is not that they came here, it is that they crossed the border improperly.

Some people think that the solution should be to send them all back and then to come back in the way they are supposed to. Go and apply for a work visa, a green card, or other authorization to come here. That sounds good in the absract, but what other misdemeanor crime do we have in the United States where you force a person who is entrenched with their family, is gainfully employed, has no other criminal history, and then force them to move away for an undetermined amout of time? Mass deportation is both inhumane and makes no sense. It would be like every time you were caught in a traffic moving violation you were forced to return to wherever you started your trip, wait several hours, and try again but this time follow the rules.

The immigration system is broken. According to the State Department’s own monthly visa reports, immigrants from Mexico sponsored by their own families have between a 10 and 15 year wait in line already because of statutory limitations on the number of immigrants that can come in to the country each year. Mexico has the longest waiting times followed by the Phillippines, India, and China. There is simply no feasible way for people to comply with the laws to enter the country properly in a timely manner. When the system is broken the people rise up to form a new system that meets their needs, rightly or wrongly.

A similar thing happens with markets for any good or service. When the regular markets stop working or are over regulated, black markets rise up so that the people can still get what they want whatever the cost. Because the market of legal immigration is so broken and completely failing to meet the needs of the people who so desperatly want to come to the United States for a better life a black market of illegal immigration has formed and is doing quite well. We need to improve the market for legal immigration if we want to have any hope of solving the illegal immigration problem. So how do we fix it?

Letting the people already here gain some kind of legal status without deportation is one idea. The idea is often sharply criticized as ”amnesty”, “rewarding criminal behavior”, or even “coddling criminals”. The vast majority of these people are decent, family oriented people who really are just looking for a better way of life for their families. They come here to work and be productive members of society. They have not actually harmed any person at all, there is no victim of their crime. What is the problem?

These amnesty programs and ideas are fair and equitable because of the way the United States has treated illegal immigration for about the last 100 years. It has been treated as seriously as jaywalking or moderate speeding where the main rule is — just don’t get caught. For decades illegal immigration has gone on and it has been no big deal. What makes sense about suddenly deciding it is a big deal so now all of you people who moved here and thought it was not such a big deal have to leave your homes and families to try and come back again in another 10 to 20 years? Where is the common sense or fairness in such an approach? There is no sense to it other than some kind of revenge motive. It does not make anyone whole or better off to forcibly move millions of people back south of the border just becuase we woke up one day and decided now is the time to get serious.

The real problem of illegal immigration (and there is one) has to do with over regulation of the market, tax policy, and social services. By law if a state offers welfare, public schooling, or other public services to citizens it must also offer the same services to illegal aliens. Combining this problem with the tax benefits to employers who hire illegal immigrants and then do not pay payroll taxes, social security, or medicare taxes, we have a group that is considered to be double dipping — they do not pay taxes but collect all of the benefits of our tax dollars. Aside from the dollars and cents of the matter, each and every employee is supposed to have a tax ID number of some sort which then leads to problems of identity theft, at least of social security numbers. Pretty much all of these problems would go away if the regulatory and welfare state also went away.

Focusing on illegal immigrants as the problem misses the mark. The governmental and regulatory framework we live under right now makes the illegal immigrant issue an odious problem we need to solve. The solution is to change the framework we have, not to move millions of people out of the country.

Source: David Palmer

So who names the towns? I have to ask as in my mind every possible reason why this is named this completely eludes me. So for fun here is a picture from Zion Fort and the Virgin town mock up. However there really is a town called Virgin!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin,_Utah

So the man is dead let him be. Did his family sell the rights to his burial, and the mourning? So this really does bother me, all we see on TV here is Michael Jackson this, Michael Jackson that. What happened to the same media which labeled him a child molester? Where are those folks who could not stand him. Every web channel has MJ fans who are so sad. I can respect that but stop sharing your grief to the level of nausea um for the rest of the world. Can I also ask another question which could sound racist now? Why it is just about everyone covering this is Black? African American? –

So allow us to give the man a moment of silence and then allow him to rest in peace. Allow him to be remembered for the amazing music he gave us and play a track every now and again – MOVE ON!

So if there is a divine plan, is there no real free agency? How does free agency work when there is a divine plan. To me a divine plan says there is a plan all the way from a through z. Free agency then to me dictates that there is in fact the chance of serendipity. The probability of chance,  of a truly unpredictable path each day. So I am either a hamster in a maze following a controlled experiment and as much as I think I am doing this, it is one of a number of pre-defined possible actions by me and allowed for. Or I am a field mouse loose in a large field with the chance of going anywhere and doing anything.  So either way I am a rodent, mouse or hamster but not a man. So what does that make me?

So am off balance right now. Have let a comment from someone throw me off completely. So much so am now somewhat melancholy. MY PS2 is dead as well. I am told normal wear and tear use has killed it. I have not played it in a couple of years and it ticks me off that my kids have once again abused / played something to its death.

Just not in the mood this evening.

I just removed the irritation from my FB and now am going to remove them from Twitter. If they can’t be nice and stop being a horses ass they can do it without me!

Okay folks, I love it, some other inbred from another part of the world seems to think I am going to go WOW! I won the lottery and send them my details. Fat chance dick! But for those of you following the world of stupid emails, here you go!

YAHOO      LOTTERY    RESULTS     2009                        

                                                        

                       

Messenger

 

YAHOO INTERNET LOTTERY

 

CONGRATULATIONS!

 

 

Yahoo!! International Lottery Organization Bangkok Branch Office

Address: 3 Rajdamnern Avenue

Bangkok 10200 Thailand

 

Yahoo! Mail announces you as one of the 25 lucky winners in the ongoing 12 Years Yahoo lottery Award  of the New Year Held on 23th the May 2009.

 

All 25 winning email addresses were randomly selected from a batch of 50,000,000 international emails each from Canada, Australia, United States, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceania as part of our international promotions program which is conducted annually, consequently, you have been approved for a total pay out of ONE MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS ( $1, 000. 000.000 USD)

 

This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by a conglomerate of some multinational companies as part of their social responsibility to the citizens in the communities where they have operational base.

Further more your details(e-mail address) falls within our  Bangkok representative office in Bangkok Thailand,  as indicated in your play coupon and your prize of ( $1, 000.000.00USD) will be released to you from this regional branch office in Bangkok Thailand.

 

Your fund is now deposited with our Bank/Security Company Bangkok Thailand  and insured in your name. Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep this award from public notice until your claim has been processed, and your winning Cheque have being sent to you or remitted to your account, as this is part of our security protocol, to avoid double claiming and unwarranted taking of advantage of this program by participants, as has happened in the past.  

 

HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE

These are your identification numbers.

Ticket number…………………085-12876077-09

Serial number…………………..51390-0

Lucky number……………….03-05-12-14-28-38

Ref number……………….N.EGS/3662367114/13

 

To begin your lottery claims, Please contact our Yahoo Lottery Co-ordinator as follows,

Email: oinfo21@yahoo.com.hk

Name: Kane Iva

Tel: +(66)850213149

 

You are to send the completed verification form below to the co-ordinator whose email address is given above so that you will be advised on what to do to get your prize money. Congratulations once more!!

 

1. FULL NAME                   

2. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN 

3. PRESENT ADRESS.        

4. DATE OF BIRTH            

5. OCCUPATION                

6. TELEPHONE NUMBER

7. SEX

8. FAX NUMBER                

9. MARITAL STATUS           

10. WINNING NUMBER, BATCH NUMBER AND LOTTO NUMBER.

 

Remember, all prize money must be claimed not later than 30th of June 2009.Any claim not made by this date will be returned to HER MAJESTYS DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY. And also be informed that 10% of your lottery winning belongs to (THE PROMOTIONS COMPANY). Because they are the company that bought your ticket and played the lottery in your name. 

 

Note also that this 10% will be remitted after you have received your winnings prize, because the money is insured in your name already.

 

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in all correspondences with us, Furthermore, should there be any change of address, please do inform our Co-ordinator as soon as possible. Yahoo lottery is a free  service  that  does  not  require  you to be a Yahoo! Registered user. 

 

An original copy of your lucky winning ticket and your deposit certificate will be sent to you by Administrative  Remittance Operation Manager of Hsbc Bank Bangkok Thailand.

 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Once again from all members of our staff and thank you for being a part of our International Promotions program.

 

 

We wish you continued good fortunes.

 

Yours  Sincerely,

 

 Dr. Raymond Hisashi

Vice President

Yahoo! Lotto Org. 

 

  

Mrs. Tina Akira

Online Coordinator .

Copyright ? 1994-2009 The Yahoo-Thailland Internet Promotions.

All rights reserved. Terms of Service – Guidelines.

 

Do not reply to this email as this is a bogus piece gibberish. This is about as real now as Leprechauns selling windows door to door.