"The illegals I met last night."

Self | 1/1/2012 | Bern Pearson

[Gen.Blather]

I met some illegal Mexicans last night at a party. Several years ago I stayed with a couple of wonderful Mexican families in the Baja below California. These were well-off people. The homes, on average were beautifully tiled and some of them had mahogany inlaid walls, bookshelves and cabinetry that would cost a hundred-thousand dollars here. So, I’m guessing if they aren’t rich they’re very comfortable. The elderly not as well-off grandfather, while living in Mexico was receiving Social Security from the United States and owned a rent-free apartment in California which he used as his address to receive several forms of assistance checks from Californian agencies. He visited the apartment once a week to re-arrange things and make it looked lived in. He had a car, a Toyota Corolla that looked quite nice and had working air-conditioning. I gathered it was supplied as some form of assistance and he generally left it in California at the apartment. The apartment was about 1100 square feet and very livable. The grandfather told me most of entire complex, easily a 1000 units, were like him, on Californian assistance, but actually living in Mexico.

At the party were a couple of teenage boys from this family. Very nice kids. I’d be proud to have them as my own; diligent, hard working, trouble-free and much more adult than you’d expect from that age. They told me that they’d decided to go to high school in California instead of Mexico. They said that the (California) government gave them an apartment and they travel back to Mexico on the weekends. (I don’t know if they’re staying alone or if a family member is staying with them, but if I had to guess, they came alone.)

When I posted information on this family last time, Freepers angrily asked why I hadn’t reported them. Firstly, I was a well-treated guest. Secondly, this must be obvious to the casual observer. Even if I knew who to report it to in California, which I don’t, it is obvious that this is how it’s done. These people are only taking advantage of “benefits” put there for them. Not to avail themselves of these benefits would be like deciding not to take candy freely offered to you.

[Monkey Face]

We all loved Sionn. And he spoke so highly of you, in his posts and FReepmail. You were, truly, his other half. He seemed to function much better when you were by hhis side. He said so!

And in loving him, we love you as well. We are all here to help ease your burden of grief.

*hugs*

[Monkey Face]

Good morning. I think. I think it’s morning. I think it may be good. I’m not sure. I already have the Wobblies, and that’s not a good sign. I may end up in bed all day since I have to run errands tomorrow. *sigh*

I was finally able to bring up the genealogy I had transferred to the slave when I got it. I had to download the old version of the PAF program.

My son’s wife sent me an email telling me she was ready to do some genealogy. After two emails and three text messages, she said she would call me today. I tried to tell her it had all been done long ago, and that I just had to copy some from my son’s line and add to mine, complete with his biological and adoptive fathers.

She doesn’t seem to understand it’s all done, and that I’m quite acquainted with the computer and how to access genealogical websites to get the information I need. *sigh*

She’s smart, but she hasn’t asked the right questions.

[Scoutmaster]

I won't be around on the UT tomorrow, so I need to post this a day early. February 3 is a day I commemorate each year.

Shortly after 1:00 a.m. on February 3, 1959, near Clear Lake, Iowa, a small Beechcraft Bonanza 35 crashed, killing rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, and the pilot, Roger Peterson. Don McLean later immortalized the day as The Day the Music Died in his song, "American Pie."

Holly's national career lasted only a year and a half. He was twenty-two when he died. Still, Holly is described by music critic Bruce Eder as "the single most influential creative force in early rock and roll." Among those who credit Holly as an inspiration and influence for their music are The Beatles, Elvis Costello, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Eric Clapton,

Bob Dylan says that Buddy Holly "transcended nostalgia" and "just as valid to me today as then." Keith Richards says "Holly passed it on via the Beatles and via us [The Rolling Stones]. He's in everybody . . . this is not bad for a guy from Lubbock, right?" According to John Lennon: "I WAS Buddy Holly."

The last thing Bruce Springsteen does before he takes the stage for a concert is to spend five to ten minutes with his iPod, listening to Buddy Holly. As Springsteen says "it keeps me honest."

Click on a picture and it will take you to a Buddy Holly music video, the radio broadcast of the crash news, or an annotated video of American Pie.

It's a rare week that goes by when I don't put on the Buddy Holly playlist. And like many fans, I've left a guitar pick at Charles Hardin Holley's gravesite in Lubbock. Twice. I can't imagine what he would have done with more than a year and a half in rock and roll.

For a more detailed look:

Buddy Holly - The Last Day (Video Documentary, Part 1)

Buddy Holly - The Last Day (Video Documentary, Part 2)

Buddy Holly - The Last Day (Video Documentary, Part 3)

Buddy Holly - The Last Day (Video Documentary, Part 4)

[Scoutmaster]

I have *no* idea how the first picture of Buddy got so big. It was something like 700 pixels wide. And I didn’t write any funky code.

[Monkey Face]

A likely story.

As to the commemoration of the The Day, I recall it well...it was my sister’s 13th birthday. Gah!

[Tax-chick]

Best wishes for a successful commemoration. There was a good movie about Ritchie Valens, back in the late 80s (early 90s?). “La Bamba,” iirc.

[Monkey Face]

Lou Diamond Phillips.

Suck a pretty face...

[Monkey Face]

Lou Diamond Phillips.

SUCH a pretty face...LOL!

My bad!

[VermiciousKnid]

I loved both “Inferno” and “Escape from Hell.” Niven and Pournelle did a great job on them. I take it you’ve also read N&P’s “Lucifer’s Hammer”? If not...you should. They are unusual in the sci-fi genre for having a very different political worldview, IMO.

Oh! You should pick up Varley’s “Steel Beach” if you get a chance. I think any Heinlein fan would really enjoy that one.

Regards,

[Tax-chick]

We are all here to help ease your burden of grief.

In any way we can, even if it's just bad jokes and baby-and-cat pictures.

[Tax-chick]

LOL! That was a true Freudian Typso!

And yes, he was a cutie-pie. Esai Morales was in it, too - muy macho.

[Monkey Face]

I didn’t even catch it until it was posted, and then almost fell off my chair. Not much I could do to retract it, so I tried to make the best of it.

So how are you feeling, two weeks out? And Kathleen? Such a pretty name.

I need to get back to work on the genealogy, but...once get into it, it’s difficult to leave it, even to eat. :o|

(Darks? I KNOW you’re here! Show yourself! Er...no. Don’t. Just type your acknowlwdgement.)

[Monkey Face]

I didn’t even catch it until it was posted, and then almost fell off my chair. Not much I could do to retract it, so I tried to make the best of it.

So how are you feeling, two weeks out? And Kathleen? Such a pretty name.

I need to get back to work on the genealogy, but...once get into it, it’s difficult to leave it, even to eat. :o|

(Darks? I KNOW you’re here! Show yourself! Er...no. Don’t. Just type your acknowlwdgement.)

[Monkey Face]

:facepalm:

[Darksheare]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2841262/posts

The vote of UNNNGH shall commence!

[Lazamataz]

Yeah, okay, but this thread is weirder:

Of course, that only follows, because I am on it.

[Scoutmaster]

If you give me ample warning, I’ll ask the MD’s to take Isabeau off the sedatives and she can properly aid in the announcement of the move of the UT. I think she had the necessary skills and possesses the appropriate lack of mental balance.

[Dead Corpse]

Seconded...

[Dead Corpse]

Looks well paved already.

[Tax-chick]

Kathleen is doing excellently. She’s well over 9 lbs. now. We’re about to use up the supplies of the smallest size of diapers, and not a minute too soon, because we can barely get them on her. I’m not as young as I once was, as we all know, but I’m holding up pretty well. Off drugs (although I have a couple left for an emergency), having a little pink drink and pretzels, and tonight I’ll be at Cub Scouts ready to face the howling mob of 8-year-old boys. (Famous last words ...)