I'm a tech guy,but this plan just doesn't sit well with me. Maybe cause I am a tech guy who has to maintain and repair a DCS (Distributive Control System).

The cameras, set off by radar, are to beam high-quality images of targets
miles away to field commanders and agents, making it possible to determine
almost instantly whether they are watching a family outing or a group of
illegal immigrants.

The information is to flow over a high-speed wireless network into
laptops in dozens of Border Patrol vehicles that, in theory, would respond
quicker and more efficiently to breaches than they do now.

This will work great in good weather but come rain or dust storms, well the radar will be effected and the wireless will not be dependable. Is it all as bad I think it might be, I hope not.

Tony Blair

Tony Blair has resigned and I am a little confused by some of the reaction.

LONDON (Reuters) - Gordon Brown replaced Tony Blair as Britain's prime
minister on Wednesday after years of waiting and promised sweeping changes
in style and policy to restore trust in a government damaged by the Iraq
war.

I am defiantly not an expert on the UK politics but I have always thought that the Labour Party is in similar temperament as the US Democrat Party and the above tends to some what confirm this. That is why it was such a surprise to many, when Tony Blair supported the US in both Afghanistan and Iraq. It also makes sense that their grass roots would be come increasingly disenchanted with the Labour Party.

This is the part where I start getting confused:

Blair, whose 10-year rule began with high promises but ended with his
popularity badly dented by the 2003 Iraq war, stepped aside to give the
Labour Party a better chance of winning a fourth consecutive term in the
next election, due in 2010.

The Labour Party believes that the war is the the item that is losing them support so they want to back away from that and focus more on social issues.

Britons wanted change in the state-run health service and schools and more affordable housing, Brown said. They also wanted changes to build trust in government and to "protect and extend the British way of life."

This is the part where I start getting confused, because they are the party responsible for the current state-run health services and economic policies. To me, they are essentially saying they want to fix what they messed up with more of the same.

The Labour Party has been lagging in most recent polls to the resurgent
opposition Conservatives. But Brown received a boost on Wednesday from an
opinion poll that put Labour just one percentage point behind the
Conservatives.

So is this a case of the voters are getting tired of the Labour Party and want any change, no matter what the change may be. Only time will tell.

Michael Steele

Townhall has a interesting piece about Vice President Steele and I have to say I completely agree. I watched the 2006 election pretty close and there was only one canidate that I really wished I could have voted for and Michael Steele was it. Unfortunely I was stuck voting against Hillary, something I enjoyed doing but was completely useless. Mr Steele came across to me as someone worthy of a vote, the kind of politician one could respect. Right now I would love to see a Fred Thompson/Michael Steele ticket or at least Giuliani/Steele. What really won me over to Mr. Steele was an add he did with his sister in response to some stem cell acusations his opponet leveled at him. For those who don't know his sister, Monica Turner, she is a doctor, suffers from MS and was married to Mike Tyson.

Strip Clubs, Men and who gets hurt.

First let me say I have gone to strip clubs, more then I want to count. I still have a strong urge to go down to one and throw away money. It is an urge that seeps inside of my mind and dominates my thoughts for large blocks of time. One of the biggest enabling thought is "Who does it hurt?"

On the surface the answer is no one. I get my little visual candy and the girl gets money to pay for food, shelter and luxuries. But let us take step back and look at some of the people around. My wife gets effected by this in a couple of different ways. To her it is a slap in the face telling her she isn't good enough, that she isn't important. If one buys in to Dale Carneige, then feeling important is a major part of self worth and happiness. So at this point I have decrease my wife's happiness and there by effect our marriage. So there is two people hurt by this activity. So the answer to this is to do it in secret. What she doesn't know, won't hurt her. Sounds like a good answer because that puts us back at no one getting hurt, right? Well not true because I feel guilty for lying to her, maybe that's just me. My self worth takes a hit because I am doing something I know would hurt her if she found out. If I don't feel guilty then I am just being selfish and selfishness is a relationship killer. In my mind that puts us back at at least two people getting hurt. That is why I resist the urge to go to a club because my marriage is more important then an immediate, short-lived indulgence.

But there was a time before I was married and that is when I hit the clubs, so was anyone hurt then? One could say I was hurt because it gave me an unrealistic view of women or that it hinder me in forming a real relationship. I am not going to go down that path in this post because each person is different and will react differently, but for me I was hurt. No I am going to write about the other member of this party, the girl. I can only imagine what kind of psychological effect this has the girl. Some turn to drugs because their self image takes a big hit because they see them self as nothing more then meet. Men want nothing more then their bodies and as soon as their looks fade their are nothing. Others turn cold and callous because they can no longer believe in love.

I can only base my conclusions on my experiences so I will tell you one. One girl, who I will call Lexi told me her story. She got in to dancing because she knew her mother had done it before. Growing up with that as her role model, Lexi felt perfectly justified in getting into the field. After some time of dancing, Lexi finds out her mother was actually doing police work when she was dancing. This turned her world around and left her grasping at the meaning of her life. As she put it, her mother had done it for some higher reason and she was just doing for money. She took a month off to think about it. On her first night back is where I came into the picture. We spent several hours as she told me her story and talking about whether or not she should continue dance. She now wanted her life to mean something more. How much was this effecting her, well all I can say is that it was more important to her to talk about this then to earn money. When I left, Lexi thanked me for listening and said she was quiting for good. Did dancing hurt her? Only she can say for sure but it seemed to me that it did. Some might read this and say she was playing me to get me to cough up more money. All I can say is I was more then willing but I never gave her a single $.

So who gets hurt? As far as I am concerned, everyone to some extent. Some of the hurt is deep and long lasting, while others can be healed in time.

Mutts, Purebreds and Immigration

Personally, I prefer mutts over purebreds for a number of reasons, the first being the cost. One can pick up a mutt for next to nothing, sometimes even free. Why, there is no prestige in being a mutt. Our four dogs have a total cost of $150 because no one wanted them. They are cute, playful, loyal and overall great companions that have blessed our house hold in times of need. The oldest one ($25) has been with my wife for 13 years (longer then I have) and was found 2 or 3 day before she would have been put to sleep at a humane society. This is a dog that is fiercely loyal to my wife, and even saved my wife's life one time. The next on the list cost $50 and was found at a PetSmart. She had gone through several home and did have a destruction problem. She has since turned into the most trustworthy member of the pack at age 11. The final two entered the pack shortly after my wife and I married. One entered by plan and cost $75 from a safe animal shelter. The other was found at my place of work, so he was free.

Secondly mutts have what is referred to as hybrid rigor . They tend to live longer and have less health issues. This is an important aspect to me since I tend to get attached to each of our dogs. I want them around for as long as possible.

So what does any of this have to do with immigration? The U.S. has long been called a country of mutts and rightly so. We have taken purebreds from all around the world and made them into a mutt pack called the United States of America. By doings so, we have become quite powerful and successful pack. We are not the same as when the country started out, mainly Europeans. Over time, the rushes immigrants came from different countries. The Irish had their time as well as the Italians. Most came by choice, some did not. Those that cam by choice, came looking for a better opportunity because of economic, political and religious reasons. These immigrants became American mutts over time. Each immigrant kept a little of their purebred traits, but also took on the traits of something different. That something different is what America is all about. Any immigrant that does not become part of the American mutt pack, which insists on remaining a purebred, only hurts this country. They never should have come; they should have stayed in purebred.

A Beginning

First a disclaimer, I am starting this for my benifit. I am working at improving my writing so any one reading this will find undeveloped ideas, flawed logic and poor presentation. Hopefully all of this will improve over time for anyone that stays with me.

Thanks in advance,
Mutt