Happy Holidays for Endangered Species!

While many of us gather with family and friends for Christmas, let us give some thought to the many plants and animals wild and out-of-control population growth and immigration are putting at risk.  Loss of habitat is the main reason we are driving whole species out of existence, never to be seen again. 

We think we can rape the earth and do whatever we want to the land, but we take that opinion at our peril.  For the Lange's metalmark butterfly and the Kemp's ridley sea turtle, this holiday season is just another month to hang on to life.

It is up to us to make sure these creatures are given safe haven from our greed and our desire to run the planet the way we want, without regard for our fellow animals, plants and even insects which only ask to remain unmolested.

Sound thinking on the immigration issue

Some sound thinking on the immigration issue can be found at the American Thinker site (http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/11/the_gops_california_lesson.html).  As a resident of California and with a lot of Mexican American friends, I agree wholeheartedly with the ideas presented in the column.

The fact that I oppose amnesty, open borders, and internal population growth because it places animals and plants in peril through the loss of habitat does not mean that I object to opposition to immigration because of other reasons.  Any argument to lower (or better yet, eliminate) immigration is going to get my attention. 

As I've pointed out many times, support of immigration means that you cannot be an environmentalist, for population growth causes the greatest risk to endangered species because of loss of habitat. 

Think about it.

I see that the Republican party is ready to give up on the immigration front.  They apparently lost the Hispanic vote (traditionally Democrat for decades), so the two point loss that Romney suffered is a 'mandate' to go left of the Democrats on this issue.

A two-point win by Obama is not a mandate to do anything, let alone open the borders to anyone who wants to come to this country and start living on the largess of the United States government.

We must look at the bigger picture.  More immigration into the US means that more and more animals and plants will simply go extinct.  Some pundits are calling the times we live in the sixth era of extensive species extinction.

What causes an animal to go on the endangered list?  The biggest reason is loss of habitat.  This means for every person who comes as an immigrant to this country puts that much more pressure on the animals and plants that just 'are in the way'. 

What to do about it?  First, let's limit legal immigration to perhaps 100,000 per year.  Second, we need to work to send all illegals back to their country of origin, be it Mexico, El Salvador, China, South Korea or wherever. 

If we don't work to stop massive immigration, more and more animals will disappear from the planet.

And that is something I just can't abide without a fight!

The 2% Solution

Governor Romney lost his bid for the White House by two points.  This is not a landslide, folks.

The liberal media points out that Romney lost the hispanic vote by 6 to 3.  Even if the Republican candidate earned 40 percent of the vote, it would not been enough to win any more of the 'swing' states.  That notwithstanding, the liberals are telling Republicans they need to move towards an open borders policy.  That, of course, would spell disaster for the unemployment rate and government subsidies.Who needs that?

The other factor to remember is the high rate of immigration, both legal and illegal, leads to pressure on endangered species.  Already many people think we are in a period of rapid extinction of species.  The main reason for this is loss of habitat space for animals.  As it stands now, building more and more houses puts more and more pressure on the animals that are being displaced by more and more people in this country (the rest of the world is just as bad).

Sally Ride

Just found out that Sally Ride was gay.  Don't know what to think about it, except she was quite effective at hiding it while she was alive.  Some are saying it was unfortunate, because she would have been a role model for the very few who are lesbians; some say she deserved some measure of privacy, since that is obviously what she wanted.

I lean toward not criticizing her, since this was her decision.

In a way, it's like a health issue.  Whether a celebrity 'comes out' about health issues, may affect their future earnings.  And no one wants to let other people down because of their potential health problems.  The main thing is making the decision and telling friends and families.

I think this is the same with Sally Ride.  Obviously a private person, it is surprising in a way that it ever came out at all.

Colorado shooting

The only question I have is, why?  Why would this wacko decide to end his life by the death penalty or suffer life in prison without parole?  Makes no sense and it hurts a random assortment of people.

What we need to do is give this idiot a speedy trial, then quickly hang him.  It will cut down on the number of copy cats out there who want to make a name for themselves. 

Is it the fault of gun laws?  Not really, though without access to automatic weapons, the death/injury tolls would less.  So I believe that the laws can be changed to satisfy both sides to the issue.

What a shame.  What a tragedy.

You Can't be an Environmentalist and for Open Borders at the Same Time

The bottom line on environmentalism and immigration is that the latter affects the former tremendously.  Loss of habitat is the most serious problem facing animals under stress.  We are losing thousands of animals, plants and other living things each year, directly caused by man's activities.  (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/03/2/l_032_04.html)

By encouraging unchecked immigration into the United States, as well as not emphasizing family planning among the people already here, we are putting increased pressure on all of the living creatures who call North America home.

Bottom line: YOU CANNOT CALL YOURSELF AN ENVIRONMENTALIST AND SUPPORT IMMIGRATION AT THE SAME TIME.

Me?  I support the variety and diversity of life in North America, and work to sharply curtail immigration, both legal and illegal.

Scott Slotterbeck

I see that Barak has done an end-around on immigration, hoping to buy the hispanic vote with this back-door amnesty (thanks for this quote from Governor Brewer of Arizona).

What no one seems to mention is that Mexicans are not the only group here illegally.  The number of illegal Chinese here is incalculable.  These people (and many other ethnic groups) either purchase there way here, or get a temporary visa, and then just over stay their visa, rightly guessing that no one is going to much bother with them.  Then their kids are born here, are then automatic citizens, and they of course it is 'inhuman' to send the parents back to Vietnam, China, Africa or wherever they are from.

What no one mentions is the terrible toll this takes on America's wildlife.  The country itself is at a stable population when internal growth is taken into account.  It is the unfettered immigration that leads to the urban sprawl that is costing wildlife through loss of habitat. 

That is the real tragedy of this uncontrolled immigration; loss of habitat, more pollution, more fossil fuels wasted, more land torn up to make way for millions of illegals.

A New Year

Yep, I'm a bit late with a post like this, but I have a good excuse; I spiked a temperature and ended up in the stupid hospital.  I have to be hyper-vigilant with my immune system since it's so screwed up.

So, what did you get for Christmas?  I got a nice wrap-around blanket thingie like the Snuggle thing they advertise on TV, but much better quality.  The watch I got my wife disappeared in UPS, fancy that.  It's a four hundred dollar watch, thank God for insurance.  Believe it or not, we just came to an agreement concerning the value and I re-ordered the watch.

The Republican primaries are clugging and jerking along; Romney has taken Florida in a big win, and Nevada in a not-unexpected win.  Damn that guy looks so damn good; central casting picked him to play the part of the prez, looks-wise.

If he shows up anywhere near hear, I'll go see him.  I'm going to give him some money as well.  I hope he's better than Bush II.  He has to be better than Obama; my cat could do a better job socializing the economy.

Looking for newer SUV.  I've been using my Mom's old Mercury Grand Marquis, and boy is that showing its age!  I expect to hit a bump and have the back end fall off.

Actually, the car is solid and will outlast me.  I just want an Explorer or similar foreign car. 

What I REALLY want (besides that Lamborghini) is a Nat Gas powered SUV that I can fill up every night in the garage.  There is no shortage of nat-gas, and the price is quite reasonable most of the time.  (However, just learned Honda, the maker of 'Phill' refueling gizmo has let the product die, since the only car now that can use the Phill is the Civic, and nobody is buying the stodgy Civic these days.)

So it's to conventional gas or diesel.  Diesel is going to be in my future, I know it, because I want to try it.  Few SUVs other than the lame Cross-overs offer it.

Anyway, shopping now for my wife's Valentine's present, and have no idea what to get her. 

Any suggestions?