Ick and the icky SotU

Well, the ick that Princess Bear (PB) had is working it's way through house at a rapid clip.  I was at the Dr. yesterday because whatever it is has really compromised my lungs and triggered my asthma so I'm now on my 3rd or 4th round of prednisone since the week before Thanksgiving.  It's truly evil stuff but it does work.  I'm not a wheezing orchestra.  I did wake up running a 102.4* temp this morning.  So not a happy camper.  I've been doing the alternate advil and tylenol every 3 hours and now am in a normal range.  I am more than willing to let  a temp run it's course- to a certain extent.  102* is past what I'm willing to deal with.  My parents are both coughing like made which is how PB & I both started this.  Fun and games.  I also had a bunch of appointments this week that I had to cancel.  The pulmonary function test that is pretty dang important in the scheme of getting my asthma under better control is off until at least March.  My Dr said there is no way my lungs are going to be ok for at least 3 weeks.  I love it when the Dr. is so positive- NOT!  Fortunately I love my Dr.  The office was deader than all get out since we're once again having artic temps here in the midwest.  Any appointment that weren't completely necessary cancelled. Therefore Dr. Adams and I sat there discussing gardening.  He's a pretty big gardener too.  He asked if I'd ever used seeds from Seed Savers in Iowa.  I told him where he could get them locally to avoid shipping.  I also told him where I'm getting some blueberry bushes this year.  The sell the bushes at 3 years of age so you get berries the first year.  I'm so not big in the patience department!  So, PB and I have been holding down things by just trying to get rest and play it low key.  I've been tearing through magazines and most of a book.  PB is having a ball playing her leap pad and watching TV.  She's not going to be well enough to go back to school tomorrow so I do think I'll have to declare at least 1/2 the day a technology free time.  Here's a pic of PB hanging with her leap pad

Now let's get political for a few minutes.  Tonight is the State of the Union Address.  For anyone that has been reading my blog for awhile it's no secret that I do not like Barak Obama and have zero, nil, nada respect for the man.  He has no respect for our Constitution so he's unworthy of my respect.  His comment about just needed his phone and pen to change things a few weeks ago just proves how arrogant this man is.  He has no respect for the law of the land or the Constitution.  Why he hasn't been impeached yet I really don't understand.  I did like it that Boehner reminded him that the country does in fact have a Constitution.  You can read about it HERE.  I'm also not a huge Boehner fan but for once it seems like he has reached down, grabbed a pair and manned up so I'll give him props on that.  In all honesty I can't say I'm a fan of the SOTU under most Presidents.  It's been turned into a dog and pony show with who is having what guest and what it stands for.  Who stands and applauds and what time.  Who bucks there party and stands and applauds although there party doesn't really support whatever it is.  Under the best of circumstance I find the SOTU hard to watch.  Under this President I find it almost virtually impossible.  Unless it's going to be a drinking game (take a shot every time the Idiot in Chief says immigration reform!) or something to that effect I just can't handle it.  My parents who are pretty in line with my feelings on this President will watch the SOTU.  More power to them.  I just don't want to have my blood pressure go that high.  So will you be watching the SOTU tonight? 

Illegal Immigration

Yep, it's another rant. Feel free not to read. I just don't understand how there is such a push for amnesty for illegal immigrants. I can completely understand why people want to live here. Good on you. Now do it legally please.   Good old idiot President Obama keeps on saying he's sure that we can understand because just a few generations ago we were in the same place. Yeah, not so much. I don't know about you but I can trace my families entry into the country on both sides and assure you that it was done legally.
Why is it that the country should absorb so many people that don't have even basic respect for our laws? It's not as though the US has stopped legal immigration. Want in? OK, fill out these 3289 forms and wait your turn. Easy peasy.

My next rant dealing with this is how liberals can be aghast at the idea of deporting illegal immigrants. Especially those who have lived here for years and years and years. OK so let me get this just because you've been here illegally for a LONG time you have squatters rights? No, I don't think so.

Maybe I should have done this at the beginning. Let's look at a few definitions.
/iˈlēgəl/
Adjective
Contrary to or forbidden by law, esp. criminal law: "illegal drugs".
Noun
An illegal immigrant.
Synonyms
unlawful - illicit - illegitimate - lawless - wrong
illegal immigrant n. an alien (non-citizen) who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa. (See: alien)

You have NO rights. You do not have permission to be here whether it's been for 5 minutes or 50 years. Again, I say go about it legally and then welcome aboard!
Part of the problem is the practice of granting citizenship to babies born here. I know that this is probably going to piss off people but if your parents aren't legal why should you be? Did anyone catch the article on birthing hotels the other day? This practice is just inviting illegal immigrant females to have children here. So nip it in the bud please.


Just a few things I found on Illegal Immigration. Most have sources.

Illegal Immigration Facts & Statistics

• "In October 2008, the illegal immigrant population stood at 11.9 million according to the Pew Hispanic Center (NumbersUSA).
• "There are approximately 7.7 million illegal aliens employed in U.S. jobs in 2008." (NumbersUSA).

• "A 1997 study by the American Academy of Sciences found that the cheap labor of illegal immigrants and poor immigrants caused a 44% decrease in wages among the poorest Americans from 1980 to 1994." (Center for Immigration Studies).
• "Amnesty for illegal immigrants will cause costs to increase significantly from $10.4 billion a year to $28.8 billion. This is because an amnesty program would transform an illegal immigrant to an "unskilled immigrant with legal status" who could access various government programs. However, due to low income, these "unskilled immigrants with legal status" would likely make very modest tax payments." (Center for Immigration Studies).

• "Tax payments in illegal households are only 28% of other households primarily due to much lower levels in education, which subsequently results in low incomes and even lower tax payments."
(Center for Immigration Studies).

• " Illegal immigrants collectively represent a group that is a significant menace to the public. 80% have committed serious crimes in addition to immigration violations, and 40% have violent crime histories." (Center for Immigration Studies).

http://www.endillegalimmigration.com/Illegal_Immigration_Facts_&_Statistics/index.shtml


Love this letter from Senator Grassley of Iowa. Wish we had more politicians like him!
http://www.grassley.senate.gov/about/No-Back-Door-Amnesty-for-Illegal-Immigrants.cfm

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative research and educational institute, in its MyHeritage.org website "Immigration" section, (accessed Oct. 3, 2007), offered the following:
"Do not grant amnesty to illegal aliens. Regardless of the penalties imposed, any program that grants individuals who are unlawfully present the legal permission to remain here rewards illegal behavior and is unfair to those who obey the law and go through the regula¬tory and administrative requirements to enter the country legally. Those who enter the United States illegally should not be rewarded with permanent legal status or other such benefits, and they should be penalized in any road to citizenship. Those who enter and remain in the country illegally are violating the law, and condoning or encouraging such violations increases the likelihood of further illegal conduct. The only fair way to resolve this problem is to insist that individuals currently in the country who have violated immigration statutes leave and then apply for admission through legal means."

A very current Heritage Foundation piece on Illegal immigration.  (as in from this morning)
Morning Bell: Heritage Statement on Immigration
Amy Payne January 30, 2013 at 7:54 am

The Heritage Foundation has released the following statement:
America’s heritage of immigration has fueled our nation’s strength and diversity, yet our immigration system has become so politicized and dysfunctional that it causes untold personal tragedies, strains the fiscal capacity of public services in many states, and prevents many from pursuing the American Dream. Complex, comprehensive legislation based on back-room deals never works, and the Senate immigration proposal announced this week and echoed yesterday by President Obama—to the extent that it repeats the mistakes of the past—will further polarize Americans, fail to solve the real policy problems, and make matters worse.

Immigrants come to our country for freedom and economic opportunity. We are concerned that many aspects of the framework for comprehensive reform will undermine the very foundations that make for America’s exceptional success. Policymakers should refrain from committing to such broad statements before the actual legislative language is available for public review. A proposal that would grant individuals who are in this country illegally a pathway to citizenship violates the rule of law and is unfair to those who have obeyed our immigration laws.

The Heritage Foundation believes that America’s immigration system must be reformed through an open and public step-by-step, problem-solving approach that unites Americans and creates a system that welcomes immigrants, protects our sovereignty, encourages assimilation, and expands opportunities for everyone. Once such common-sense reforms are in place and working, lawmakers can determine how to respond in a fair, compassionate, and constitutional way to those who have come to our country illegally.


http://www.illegalimmigrationstatistics.org/illegal-immigration-a-113-billion-a-year-drain-on-u-s-taxpayers/

A study released by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimates that illegal immigration now costs federal and local taxpayers $113 billion a yearAmong the key findings of The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on U.S. Taxpayers:

• The $113 billion in outlays for services and benefits to illegal aliens and their families represents an average cost to native-headed households of $1,117 a year. Because the burdens of illegal immigration are not evenly distributed, the costs are much higher in states with large illegal alien populations.









• Education for the children of illegal aliens represents the single largest public expenditure at an annual cost of $52 billion. Nearly all of that cost is absorbed by state and local governments.
• The federal government recoups about one-third of its share of the costs of illegal immigration in the form of taxes collected. States, which bear a much greater share of the costs, recoup a mere 5 percent of their expenditures from taxes paid by illegal aliens.
• Granting amnesty to illegal aliens, as President Obama and others propose, would not significantly increase tax revenues generated by current illegal aliens. However, over time, amnesty would dramatically increase public costs as newly-legalized aliens become eligible for all means-tested government programs.



In closing what this people have done is illegal and I see no reason to reward that.   Also, the financial ramifications are something this country cannot deal with at this time.  Our country is in such a precarious place right now.  It isn't all financial by any means.  We have a president who thinks he can do whatever he pleases and  apparently doesn't know what the Constitution is let alone how to uphold it.  That said there are huge financial ramifications here.  Obamacare is going to be a huge financial drain on the country and granting amnesty to this many illegal immigrants will most definitely drive this country into complete financial ruin. 

More on Politics

In a few moments I'm going to embed a video that I think every adult (please note I said adult- do not have your children around while viewing this please) should see. There are a few things I love about being a citizen of the US. The biggies are freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Religion is an especially big issue for me. I was raised in a bi-religious household and understand the need for tolerance. You don't need to agree with what I believe in and the same holds true for you and the next person and so on. The right to disagree is a wonderful thing. My dad is Roman Catholic. A very, extremely devout Roman Catholic. My mom is Jewish. My parents have been married for 40 years as of next month. At times I consider that quite a feat considering the times. My parents made the decision to raise me and my sister Catholic. We went to parochial school from kindergarten through our senior year of high school (actually my sister also attended an all girls Catholic university...I couldn't even think about handling another 4 years). I don't know why my parents decided to raise us Catholic....it really doesn't matter. If you want to get technical about it by Jewish law I'm a Jew because my mother is. In some ways my parents covered all their bases in that if we ever wanted to follow my moms religion we didn't need to convert. My parents did celebrate the Jewish holidays with us. When we were each respectively 18 we were told that we were free to pursue what we wanted as far as religion went but if we were living in their house we had to follow an organized religion (a bit overbearing but did you expect more from my parents?). Now I can say that growing up being around 2 very different religions made me have a lot of understanding for those of other religions. 2 of my closest friends are Wiccan. Now the reason I'm sharing all of this is because I think that everyone has the right to what they feel is the correct religion for them. You have the right to practice that religion as you see fit. Within that though you do not have the right to hurt someone because your religion dictates it. In a very round about way I'm trying to say that radical Islamics scare the heck out of me. Do I think Islam is a religion that is fine? Sure as long as you don't think its the only religion that can be on this earth. I will NEVER EVER for as long as I live be able to understand people who think like this:




Something else touched on in this video is Honor killings. Another thing I will never be able to make sense of. If you want to read a very good account of an Honor Killing please read Burned Alive by Souad. I read this book several years ago. It is one of those books that will stay with you forever. A very difficult but good read and is well worth your time.

I'm bringing this up because as the election approaches I think that we really need to pay attention to the policies each candidate as on Israel and Iran. Israel because they are staunch allies and we have always been theirs. I see no reason for that to change. Iran because it seems as though they are a country that has more than its fair share of radical Islamists and they want to go nuclear. Could be a problem.

A Political Question

Ok a few things before I start out. I want to thank everyone who left a comment or emailed me about my uncle. Thank you so much, it really does mean a lot. I'm hoping that the family gets through the next few days well. As I'm watching my parents pack I'm getting more and more upset that I can't go up there and be with my family.

On a totally different note I went to my sisters house today & spent several hours with her & my nephew. I usually see my nephew at least once a week but between him and Princess Bear being sick its been almost a month. I was in withdrawal! My sister and I have a very complicated relationship but since we've both become moms its gotten much better. So it was really nice to spend time with them. My sister took me to a store where she lives called Hissy Fits. OH MY GOSH! I was in heaven! If I had money I would have had so much fun!!!! They carried lots of Biscotti & Bebemonde if that gives you any idea. We got my nephew his first pair of squeeker soles!!!

Now on to what I really decided I wanted to post about today. PLEASE PLEASE feel free to comment! If you want to do it anonymously that's ok too. I understand that politics is "one of those" subjects. That said I've always been one that LOVES a great debate. Religion and politics being some of my favorite subjects. I'm also known among my friends for being a bit radical and irreverent in my beliefs (IE Palestine can be blown off the face of the map or any country that knowingly harbors terrorists cannot complain when their country is then attacked (so quit complaining Lebanon) are a few comments I've been known to make in the past). I'm sharing these thoughts not to incite but let you know that I'm not one that is typically shy about what I feel.

That said I must say that this is the first election I've voted in since being of age to exercise that right that I honestly feel its a lose/lose situation. In all honesty I think both McCain & Obama have good points and policies as well as bad. I don't think there is a clear cut "this is the right person for the good of the country". Something else I think that has to be considered is the vice presidential candidates. In all honesty I think we have a better than good chance of that person filling in. The fact is that John McCain is an older man, and Barak Obama if elected can quite possibly become a martyr.

So I'll list a few things I like or don't like about the candidates. What do you think?
-John McCain has experience
-John McCain is a man that deserves respect for his service
-John McCain seems a bit "hot" can be good or bad. You don't want a cool as ice president but you also don't want one that has to be reigned in all the time
-McCains taxation plan is worrisome
-McCains medical coverage plan is not a good fix (neither candidates is)
-Palin...who is she? Another political newbie
-Palin- just busted for abuse of power
-Palin is a hunter. I hate it. I hate that she has killed wolves from a helicopter. Can't respect it at all.
-Palin a mom, not only a mom but a mom to a special needs child. Her journey is new but it will affect everything in her life
-Obama- is an Illinois boy...we take pride in our own! (even if they're a transplant!)
-Obama is a brilliantly dynamic speaker (then again as it was pointed out to me so was Hitler)
-Obama has passion
-Obama has limited experience
-Obama in my opinion needs to decide where he stands as far as race (would not have been an issue but unfortunately his former Reverend made it one)
-Obamas medical plan isn't good. As an Illinois citizen I can tell you horror stories of things happening in this state.
-Biden...honestly I know next to nothing about him...nada so feel free to fill me in.

These are just a few things I've got bouncing around in my brain. There are still a few weeks left for me to ponder this. I do know that no matter what I will vote. I could go off on a tangent about people who don't vote but I'll save that for another day. Although I'll share this with you. In the Bush vs Kerry election I made a sign and pinned it on the front of Princess Bear that said "Mommy says that I'm a Democrat...Go Kerry- Edwards! But whatever you are you need to go vote!" The little old ladies at the voting site loved it!