Horse with No Name by America.

Was my dad's fave.  He'd listen to it in the '80 Thunderbird in the 8-track player.

Sore feet piss me off!

So does walking!

And sitting!

And typing!

And breathin...

I think I'll hang my latest educational diploma and my most relevant professional credential.

They both have fancy frames that match too!

Song: Chem 6A
Artist: Switchfoot
Album: Legend of Chin

I just noticed that the Anarchy subdivision now has 69 pages in total.

Woo hoo!

But seriously...I don't really enjoy the 69 position...I've had lil' Phife rubbed the wrong way with teeth too many times!


~~EDIT~~  Now there are 70 pages...

That's the one.

Okay...

Does anyone have dictionary recommendations?

I have my eye on the new Landenscheit and/or the new Collins.  Pros?  Cons?

I already own a New Webster's German-English Dictionary and its pretty good.

I am taking German for Graduate Students.

Today was my first class.

Anyone here speak and/or read German well?

Any hints as to learning it in a timely fashion?

And what do you think of the "learn a language by immersion" theory?  That is what my professor is going to try and do with us.

License, SS card, state ID card, probably a credit card or debit card with your name on it, university ID, etc...

I should point out that your assumption that most imigrants have no education is somewhat biased. There are many immigrants who come to foreign countries like the US and Canada and who have more education that you do. The issue is that their training is often not regocnize, and there for not utilized, so you end up with doctors and other Phds driving taxi cabs because they have no alternatives.

While this is the case, this is certainly the exception.



Ivan: Santa Ana huh?  Maybe I need to meet some immigrants down there!  lol

Listen.  I lived with a legal immigrant from Mexico  (not Central America like most of the so-called "Mexican" immigrants that we are having issues with currently) for three years named Jesus (though he wanted us to call him Chuey or Jesse).  Before his family came over they all learned how to speak English well enough to get by.  Why is that important?  Because their employeers, teachers, co-workers, McDonalds clerks, etc spoke English.  Sure English is not the "official" language...but it is the most commonly used.  What is our Bill of Rights written in?  What about the constitution?  And what about the naturalization test?  Oh that's right, English!  Jesse mastered English.  And while finishing his liberal arts degree at a private college in Texas, he aced the naturalization test. 

But believe you me, Jesse is the exception.  I have lived in  places where whites are the minority all of my life.  I have been neighbors with minorities, legal immigrants, and loads and loads of illegal ones.  My dad worked menial jobs most of his adult life.  Why?  Because he didn't have the education (or the drive) to do more for himself.  So to call me a racist is stupid...especially since I never brought the race issue up...the two of you did.

And on top of all of that, for three straight summers in college I worked as a roofer (which has to be the shittiest job imaginable).  I worked along side day laborers fresh from crossing the Rio Grande.  They were nice guys and my Spanish was good enough for us to joke around together and for me to listen to their constant bitching about the U.S.  But that job was something for me to do during the summer.  It was not the end goal of my life.  But it was the end goal for Carlos and Ignatio.  That was the pinnacle of their careers.  All they wanted to do was provide food for their kids so that they could grow up and do something more with their lives.  Both were pushing 40 and were eventually hired on as full-time employees.  From what my former roofing boss told me via email two weeks ago, both have become full-fledged citizens too.

But boy did they milk the system.  And who's blaming them?  The only pointed thing in my earlier post (which was not taken out of context) was the learning English bit (which they should do!  And yes when I traveled to France and Germany I learned enough of their native tongues to get by.  But if I ever planned on living and working there, becoming fluent would be a top priority).  But back to my point in this paragraph; I don't blame illegals for taking advantage of the system.  I would If I were in their shoes.  They get free ER trips, free meds at the clinic, free dental work at the government subsidized offices, and free education for their kids at public (and sometimes private) schools and colleges.

I never intended to make it sound like immigrants are not as good as me.  The fact that I have a different life experience should not be held against me.  The fact that my goals for myself are higher than doing manual labor should not either.  I worked my ass off to get where I am.  My family was (and is) dirt poor and everything that I have and will accomplish has been by the sweat of my brow and the gears of my brain turning. 

Jesse, Carlos, and Ignatio are exceptions to the rule.  The vast majority of the immigrants that I have worked with and lived alongside never took the time to learn English, milked the system (and who is blaming them?), worked shitty jobs, and complained alot (and who is blaming them for that either!  They have hard lives!).

My entire point is that immigrants should learn English.  Why?  Because it will open new doors for them.  Just look at Jesse!

One more piece of antecdotal evidence.  For the last year and a half I have been working for a non-profit organization that focuses on helping at-risk families.  Part of my job was teahing and helping lead an ESL class for a particular middle school's parents.  Out of the 250 or so Spanish speaking only households, only 10 people showed up for the class.  Why is this?  Some of them were working, but not all.  Some used their kids as an excuse (even though we had day care available for free).  But most of them simply did not care or see the value in it.  They apparently would rather keep cleaing houses and landscaping as the vision for their career paths than trying to do something more.  They apparently would rather continue living in the U.S. illegally instead of learning our language and becoming real citizens.  They apparently would rather be of no help to their children when it comes to school work, teacher relations, etc instead of being the involved parents their children desperately need.

Immigration is a problem, clearly (as anyone living in the southern border states knows full well).  And a small piece of the solution is for immigrants to the U.S. to learn our default official language.  There are other pieces to the solution, of course, like worker permits, less red tape for naturalization, less violence at the border, etc, etc.

I just read that in England one can get a 4-year jail term for carrying a pocket knife.

So I think things in the U.S. are pretty good in comparison.

Learn English.  Come here legally.  Do things we don't want to.  Get healthcare and an education.  And shutup!

Damn.  That's not too much to ask!