Frog's House of Infinite Wisdom

This article stinks to high hell. My reading comprehension is close to nill, and even I can read through this bullshit. From AP, via MyWayNews.com:

MIAMI (AP) - Thousands of illegal immigrants stayed home this week amid rumors of immigration roundups that federal officials say were unfounded, leaving some industries scrambling for workers.

Len Mills, executive vice president of Associated General Contractors of South Florida, estimated at least 50 percent of workers on construction jobs in the region had not shown up for work.

"This is costing millions of dollars a day, and I don't know who is going to pay for it," he said.

Rumors of random sweeps were rampant from coast to coast Friday, prompting many immigrants to stay home from work, take their children out of school and avoid church. Their absences added to immigrants' fears, as some thought their friends and co-workers had been arrested.

Mills said he believed even some legal workers were afraid.

"Everybody's edgy," said Chris Ruske, owner of a southern New Jersey nursery. "There's an awful lot of rhetoric, and you wonder what's true. You wonder if the immigration Gestapo are coming to get you."

Construction and agriculture were among the industries most affected.

Katie A. Edwards, executive director of Florida's Dade County Farm Bureau, said nearly a third of farmworkers did not come to the fields this week.

Mari Ramos, a Peruvian nanny whose tourist visa ran out in 2003, listened when friends warned her not to take public transportation or risk arrest.

"That's when I became nervous. I stopped going to my night job," the 36-year-old Miami woman said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Dean Boyd said the agency has received hundreds of calls about immigration raids in recent days. Such rumors are typical after a raid like the one last week in which more than 1,000 employees of pallet manufacturer IFCO were arrested at more than 40 company sites nationwide, he said.

"However, we don't conduct random sweeps," he said. "All our arrests are the result of investigations, evidence and intelligence."

ICE officials acknowledged they have stepped up arrests under their "Operation Phoenix," an existing program to find and deport fugitive illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds.

Many wondered whether the rumors would deter people from national immigration protests planned for Monday.

The National Immigration Law Center called on organizations nationwide to sign a petition urging ICE to assure the public it won't make any immigration arrests during the protests.

The agency said its policy is not to discuss potential operations. "ICE will continue to operate as it does every day of the year," Boyd said.

The rumors affected a wide variety of businesses. In New Jersey and New York, day-laborer gathering sites drew only a trickle of workers.

"It is the ugliest of rumors because it has intimidated people who are already afraid. They are living in the shadows of society, wondering who is going to knock on the door," said the Rev. Allan Ramirez, pastor of the Brookville Dutch Reform Church in Long Island, N.Y.

Elias Bermudez, an activist and talk show host for a Spanish-language radio station in Phoenix, said many believe they are being punished for participating in recent protests in favor of legalizing the status of many illegal immigrants.

In the rural town of Homestead, Fla., more than a dozen parents lined up early to take their kids out of Redondo Elementary School on Wednesday for fear of a raid, said activist Jonathan Fried, who heads the nonprofit "We Count!"

"It's caused tremendous fear in our community, like I've never seen before," Fried said.

On Friday, ICE announced the arrests of 106 illegal immigrant fugitives and 19 immigration status violators throughout the Midwest over the last 10 days. Of those, 46 had criminal records, according to the department. Earlier this week, ICE announced the arrest of 183 fugitives in Florida alone.

The American Immigration Lawyers Association said Friday it believes some of the concerns may have been fueled by confusion over a widespread fugitive roundup by the U.S. Marshals Service. That roundup lead to more than 9,000 arrests of people wanted for a number of crimes, and ICE assisted in the effort but it said most of those detained were U.S. citizens.

Would you like to see a list of things that bug me about this article? I assume you do because you're still reading. You really should get out more. Anyway...

1. Len Mills' quote regarding the illegal immigrants that didn't show up for work. Who will pay for the millions lost? You, the Associated General Contractors of South Florida will, that's who. You employed ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS!?! What did you expect? That INS would look the other way forever? You've benefitted for years by employing people that didn't have any legal right to be here. Also, if you were paying a decent wage, the jobs currently held by illegal immigrants wouldn't count as jobs that Americans "don't want to do".
2. Mari Ramos, you piss me off. You're a Peruvian nanny, which probably means you're being paid under the table, which probably means that you aren't paying your fair share of taxes. Oh? What's this you say? Your TOURIST visa ran out in 2003? And this so-called "immigration roundup" has you terrified that you won't use PUBLIC SUBSIDIZED TRANSPORTATION?! Paid for by the taxes you aren't paying? No kidding. You're so scared to get rounded up that you do an interview with a writer from AP, telling them where you're from, what you do for a living, your full name and that your visa has expired, for them to then post across the country? Wow... that's fear! Or is it propaganda. Are you and your illegal friends trying to gain some sort of spin...
3. Chris Ruske, you fuggin' piss me off, too! You've also been enjoying the fruits of illegal labor, enjoying this capitalistic society to the fullest and then dare refer to INS as the "immigration Gestapo"? Seriously? Do you even know what the Gestapo is? Or are these more buzzwords used to create more sympathy?
4. This quote annoys me: "In the rural town of Homestead, Fla., more than a dozen parents lined up early to take their kids out of Redondo Elementary School on Wednesday for fear of a raid, said activist Jonathan Fried, who heads the nonprofit "We Count!"" GOOD! Take your kids out of school! You are ILLEGAL ALIENS! YOU SHOULDN'T BE GOING TO AMERICAN SCHOOLS! (...taking deep breaths...) I'm thinking of driving to Canada, overstaying my visa, and then saying "Hey Canada! I want free health care, school for my kids, and other social services! And in return, I'm going to send all my money to the U.S.!" I wonder what they'll say?

Anyway, the nerve of some people. It makes no sense to me that these people are fearful unless they KNOW that they are doing some wrong, something illegal, and they are finally being called to task for it. Believe me, these same people that are soooo scared to take public transportation will ride the buses in droves to attend these immigration protests and on the way there will most likely write even more creative versions of the new hispanic National Anthem.

United 93
By DAVID BEAMER
April 27, 2006; Page A18
WSJ

The calendar says it's April 25, 2006. At noon, my wife, Peggy, and I are walking around Battery Park -- near the Tribeca area -- in New York. It is our first time. The flowers are blooming; kids are fishing; people boarding the ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Kids are laughing and noisy. The sun is shining. The vendors are hawking T-shirts, pretzels and some "designer" wares. And just up the street there is a hole in the skyline and in the ground.

In the park, there is a memorial with walls standing tall. Walls filled with so many names of those who gave their all in the Atlantic in World War II. How fitting that the names are here to honor those who gave their lives to enable this fun, this laughter -- on this sunny day. The sights and sounds of freedom continue.

Fast forward -- it is 10:30 p.m., April 25. We have just seen a movie premiere at the fifth annual Tribeca Film Festival. A film festival that has done so much to energize and revitalize the city, its people and especially the area that has that hole in the skyline and in the ground. This year the movie that had its worldwide premiere at the festival is titled "United 93." It is about the day when the hole in the skyline of New York was made -- the day when a hole was made in the side of the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. -- the day when a hole was made in a quiet mountain meadow in Pennsylvania. The day that our nation was attacked; the day when the war came home -- Sept. 11, 2001. The day our son Todd boarded United 93.

Paul Greengrass and Universal set out to tell the story of United Flight 93 on that terrible day in our nation's history. They set about the task of telling this story with a genuine intent to get it right -- the actions of those on board and honor their memory. Their extensive research included reaching out to all the families who had lost loved ones on United Flight 93 as the first casualties of this war. And Paul and his team got it right.

There are those who question the timing of this project and the painful memories it evokes. Clearly, the film portrays the reality of the attack on our homeland and its terrible consequences. Often we attend movies to escape reality and fantasize a bit. In this case and at this time, it is appropriate to get a dose of reality about this war and the real enemy we face. It is not too soon for this story to be told, seen and heard. But it is too soon for us to become complacent. It is too soon for us to think of this war in only national terms. We need to be mindful that this enemy, who made those holes in our landscape and caused the deaths of some 3,000 of our fellow free people, has a vision to personally kill or convert each and every one of us. This film reminds us that this war is personal. This enemy is on a fanatical mission to take away our lives and liberty -- the liberty that has been secured for us by those whose names are on those walls in Battery Park and so many other walls and stones throughout this nation. This enemy seeks to take away the free will that our Creator has endowed in us. Patrick Henry got it right some 231 years ago. Living without liberty is not living at all.

The passengers and crew of United 93 had the blessed opportunity to understand the nature of the attack and to launch a counterattack against the enemy. This was our first successful counterattack in our homeland in this new global war -- World War III.

This film further reminds us of the nature of the enemy we face. An enemy who will stop at nothing to achieve world domination and force a life devoid of freedom upon all. Their methods are inhumane and their targets are the innocent and unsuspecting. We call this conflict the "War on Terror." This film is a wake-up call. And although we abhor terrorism as a tactic, we are at war with a real enemy and it is personal.

There are those who would hope to escape the pain of war. Can't we just live and let live and pretend every thing is OK? Let's discuss, negotiate, reason together. The film accurately shows an enemy who will stop at nothing in a quest for control. This enemy does not seek our resources, our land or our materials, but rather to alter our very way of life.

I encourage my fellow Americans and free people everywhere to see "United 93."

Be reminded of our very real enemy. Be inspired by a true story of heroic actions taken by ordinary people with victorious consequences. Be thankful for each precious day of life with a loved one and make the most of it. Resolve to take the right action in the situations of life, whatever they may be. Resolve to give thanks and support to those men, women, leaders and commanders who to this day (1,687 days since Sept. 11, 2001) continue the counterattacks on our enemy and in so doing keep us safe and our freedoms intact.

May the taste of freedom for people of the Middle East hasten victory. The enemy we face does not have the word "surrender" in their dictionary. We must not have the word "retreat" in ours. We surely want our troops home as soon as possible. That said, they cannot come home in retreat. They must come home victoriously. Pray for them.

--Mr. Beamer is the father of Todd Beamer, a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93.

On Fark.com, they are having a mini-animation festival and in true internet fashion, most of the entries are disturbing.  Check it out!

Fans of this site may remember my earlier post regarding the taunting and namecalling allegedly hurled at Joakim Noah by the UCLA Dance Squad. I now say "allegedly" because I have just received an actual response to an email sent to the Director of the squad regarding this incident, which will follow in its entirety:

(Frogbrother),

We appreciate your concern in the matter and while it is unfortunate that Mr. Noah was subjected to anything offensive, you can be assured that the UCLA Dance Team did not participate. I cannot speak for all of the students who were in attendance at the Championship game and UCLA does not condone everything that is said by the students, but the uniformed representatives sitting on the court would never engage in negative chanting. The students are respectful of our opponents.

The most senior members of the UCLA Spirit Squad had the honor of representing UCLA this past weekend. They were selected based on their seniority, attitude and behavior throughout the year and superior performance on the court. All but three of the members have just completed their second, third or fourth years with the Spirit Squad and I have complete faith that they performed respectfully on Monday night. I was seated only 6-10 feet away and watched their every move throughout the game. If their behavior had been out of hand, they would have been corrected immediately. Each squad member was honored to be selected for the trip to Indianapolis and did an incredible job at each and every event, appearance and game. It is extremely disappointing to me that their efforts would be diminished by these accusations.

Sincerely,
Mollie Q. Vehling
UCLA Spirit Squad Advisor
www.spirit.ucla.edu

So, there you have it. Someone is obviously lying but it's impossible for me to know who because my seats at the game were just not that good to have heard the truth. What do YOU think happened, gentle reader?

So, if you thought those endless fan-designed stories about Mulder and Scully were odd, hold on to your hats.  There is now a LiveJournal page devoted to the McGriddles, the McDonald's heart stopping, ever-so-delicious breakfast sandwich.

A fantastic story of vigilantism, in the Boston Herald:

“Inside Man” co-star James “P.J.” Ransone didn’t have to think twice about taking on his latest real-life action role the other night when he rescued a woman from a would-be rapist outside his Big Apple apartment. The 26-year-old actor was in his crib e-mailing a friend and brushing up on an audition script when he heard smothered screams for help, the New York Post reported yesterday.
“There was something in her voice,” Ransone said, that prompted him to grab a metal bar, call 911 and run downstairs “in my pajama bottoms - no shoes, no socks and no shirt.”
The “Inside Man”said he made it to the vestibule just in time to see “this Hispanic guy in a blue sweatshirt choking my neighbor and pulling his (genitalia) out. I pictured my mom, my girlfriend and every girl I’ve ever loved and thought, ‘Vengeance is mine.’ ”
The perp perv bolted down the street with the skinny Ransone in hot pursuit. When he caught up to the thug cowering inside a building, he broke a glass door to get in and whacked him on the back with the metal bar.
“I said, ‘You rapist piece of (bleep)’ and heard a crack when I hit his shoulder blade,” the one-time “CSI” actor recounted. The outlaw mimed drawing a gun and tried to escape.
“I cried, ‘I’m not done with you yet’ and kept swinging,” Ransone said. When the NYPD arrived on the scene, the attackerdisappeared into the building. An arrest is expected soon.
Although he thinks he may have bombed the audition for which he was studying, Ransone had a job offer from New York’s finest for his gallant performance.
“They told me I could still go on auditions during the day and work nights,” he told the Post, adding, “I don’t want any casting directors telling me I’m not tough enough.”

Here are some pictures from the pep rally on Friday for the Gator basketball team. Did I mention they were national champions?

Yes, it's a bit corny... and it uses a Freddy Mercury wannabe instead of the real deal...

An editorial from the Gainesville Chief of Police regarding the night of the NCAA championships:

On behalf of the Gainesville Police Department, I want to express my pride and gratitude for the behavior of the Gainesville community during Monday night's impromptu victory celebration. After the Gator basketball team won the 2006 National Championship, Gator fans young and old emptied onto University Avenue to celebrate this great victory.

In preparation for the evening GPD had more than 90 officers on duty including officers from all parts of our department. As a police chief, you have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I was extremely pleased, all of the reports I received from my officers talked about positive interactions that they had with celebrating fans.

Gator fans handled the win peacefully and treated our officers with great respect, and I applaud you. All in all, the 2006 basketball team proved they were the best team in the nation, and their fans were just as impressive in the way they handled the victory.

Members of the Gator team couldn't have said it better themselves. The Gator Nation has the best fans in the world.

Chief Norman Botsford,

Gainesville Police Department

We are NOT fans that feel the need to storm the field. We aren't fans that have to overturn cars and hurt people to show our unity. We are, simply, the best fans in college sports.

My girlfriend and I attended every single game the Gators played in the NCAA tournament. In those 3 weeks time, we:

• Flew 2,495 miles
• Drove an insane 2,519 miles
• Rented a cargo van, a station wagon, and a new Chevy Impala
• Took public transportation in two different cities
• Stayed with two different friends for free
• Lived out of two different hotels, one of which was cheap and scary
• Saw (and drove through) six different states
• Had my first "White Castle" burger
• Visited the "Mall of America" for 2.5 hours
• Sat in the 2nd row in Minneapolis and got in a shouting match with Villanova band members
• Met super Gator "Stumpy" Harris
• Loaded a cargo van full of IKEA furniture for Peaceful Paths
• Carried a ziploc bag with Sirius Radio components to carry from rental car to rental car
• Despite being stuck in two cars, a cargo van, several airplanes and a few modes of public transportation, my girlfriend and I are still together

I'll update this list as more things come to mind...

Those of you who saw the Final live on television probably saw Noah winking during the game. Some may have seen this as being cocky and unsportmanlike and I probably would have felt the same way had I not seen this article on ESPN.com:

Noah's charisma shined throughout this tournament, especially this weekend. Sure, there were times he was a bit too controlling on the dais, and maybe he acted a bit agitated, but his passion, enthusiasm and drive were clear. At the same time, he could be charming with his quick one-liners -- like this one as he neared the end of his postgame news conference, when asked if he winked and grinned at one of the UCLA dance team members.

"No, actually, they were talking a lot of trash. I mean it was crazy," Noah said. "They were just talking crazy to me, like, 'You're so ugly.' I mean, it hurts when you have so many beautiful girls out there just telling you how ugly you are and stuff. I just had to focus on the game. The best thing I could was blow a kiss bye and maybe they would like me."

I don't know about you, but I'm disturbed that a dance team member of any school would be so classless. I certainly can't imagine any of OUR dancers doing something like this.

The Director of the Spirit Squad at UCLA is Mollie Vehling and if you are as disgusted as I am, why not drop her a line and voice your displeasure. Be polite, of course, but ask her if she condones this unorthodox manner of demonstrating school spirit. I've already sent one and am waiting for a reply, which I'm sure I'll never get.

Her email is: mvehling@saonet.ucla.edu.