I love Fox News!

The following is an article found through www.Harpers.org. This is Fox News... in the words of John Stewart, "Mmm... i don't know if it's the fairness I smell," "or the balance." If you are entertained by these guys, great... but please don't trust them for your actual news. :

O'Reilly claimed NY Times, other "lefty zealots" believe "the white Christians who hold power must be swept out by a new multicultural tide"

Summary: Bill O'Reilly claimed that The New York Times and "many far-left thinkers believe the white power structure that controls America is bad, so a drastic change is needed." O'Reilly continued: "According to the lefty zealots, the white Christians who hold power must be swept out by a new multicultural tide, a rainbow coalition, if you will."

During the May 16 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly claimed that The New York Times and "many far-left thinkers believe the white power structure that controls America is bad, so a drastic change is needed." O'Reilly continued: "According to the lefty zealots, the white Christians who hold power must be swept out by a new multicultural tide, a rainbow coalition, if you will." O'Reilly's comments came during a discussion of opposition by the Times and others to deploying the National Guard to help secure the border.

As Media Matters for America has noted, O'Reilly has previously claimed to have exposed the "hidden agenda" behind the immigration movement, which he said was "the browning of America." O'Reilly also asserted, during the same April 12 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, that "there is a movement in this country to wipe out 'white privilege.' " Additionally, on the May 1 edition of The Radio Factor, O'Reilly alleged that the "organizers" of the May 1 nationwide pro-immigrant protests have a "hardcore militant agenda of 'You stole our land, you bad gringos,' " and that the organizers seek to "take it back by massive, massive migration into the Southwest.' "

From the May 16 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: Now in 1986, President Reagan thought he could solve the [immigration] problem by granting about 3 million illegal aliens amnesty. The New York Times was in heaven, editorializing back then, quote, "The new law won't work miracles but it will induce most employers to pay attention, to turn off the magnets, to slow the tide." Of course, just the opposite happened. But the Times hasn't learned a thing. That's because the newspaper and many far-left thinkers believe the white power structure that controls America is bad, so a drastic change is needed.

According to the lefty zealots, the white Christians who hold power must be swept out by a new multicultural tide, a rainbow coalition, if you will. This can only happen if demographics change in America.

An open-border policy and the legalization of millions of Hispanic illegal aliens would deeply affect the political landscape in America. That's what The New York Times and many others on the left want. They might get it. And that's the "Memo."

Overheard while writing today...

"The only thing lower than Bush's approval ratings were his grades at Yale."

god save the queen!

First off, congratulations to Ray Nagin on wining the New Orleans mayoral elections!

So it's Victoria Day today in Canada, their first long weekend... a bit like Memorial Day. I'm going to go to the coffee shop and write this morning... I hate to spend money on coffee but I just can't write at home. So far I only have about 1100 words in quotes and a little less than 1000 words written... 6000 to go. Yesterday was Nicholas' birthday [Thomas' son] and we all went out for the day... Currency museum and then pizza and wings at the house. It was fun. Thomas' mother came into town for a few weeks to visit so she was out with us. A week and a half more and I get to see my mother... really looking forward to my trip. Not alot else going on... just trying to write.

I know I've addressed this before, but Congressional elections are coming up in a few months and I hope you're all paying attention to your local race. Republicans are already trying to distract you, inflaming issues to draw attention from the invasion of Iraq, your diminishing freedoms, and this regime's pitiful domestic policy record. Remember that our nation was built to free us from people like George Bush. Our founding fathers wrote hundreds of letters and essays warning us against the tyranny of evil men! Our nation was founded so that we would no longer have to live under the oppression of a crown who had no regard for our well-being, no connection with our people, and were interested in us only as a means to stuff their own wallets. This is why our government is designed the way it is, to protect us from the very thing we've allowed to happen! Fight! Fight for your own freedoms! Fight for your childrens' freedom! For their children! We will begin the fight to take back our country this year but it won't be with guns and violence. We will fight with the very weapon that our founding fathers armed us with... our vote! Our founding fathers gave us a vote so that we could be have a measure of control over those who lead us... why have we allowed, instead, one party to dominate policy so much as to alienate us from seven billion people outside of our borders. Only 29% of Americans approve of the president and yet he continues to flaunt his power in our face, standing up to reporters and saying, "I know what people say, I read the reports, but I'm the decider!" Only 18% of Americans support congress! What ever happened to representative government? PLEASE help us do something about this! PLEASE pay attention to your local elections! I beg of you! Thank you... I hope.

That's all for today... time to go write. Talk to you soon...

Summer plans, grades, etc...

So first off, grades came out a couple of weeks ago but I didn't know until last night. Turns out I received two A-'s and an A for the semester. Not what I would have given me but then I guess that's why I'm still in school, eh?

Aside from that, my other big news is that I've bought a plane ticket and am moving to San Diego to live with Mom for the summer. The ticket was pretty cheap ($300 one-way) and (again, thanks to Mom) I have a job waiting for me when I get there! One of Mom's friends has a firm that provides expert architectural testimony in courts and he needs someone to do some monkey work for the summer. Great! I think his words to Mom were, "I have work for him, I just hope it's not beneath him." Listen, after 9 years of military, nothing is beneath me. Heh. So I plan on spending my summer in linen and flip flops in sunny southern California! I'm going to take a half-dozen books I've been meaning to read/finish and... well, that's about it. I'm so thankful for this opportunity! As for Morph and Little Bit, Thomas will be using my apartment as an office over the summer so they'll have company a few days a week and my neighbor is going to feed them etc., because for those of you who know Thomas, you realize why I didn't even ask him.

In the meantime, I'm working on an 8000 word paper for publication still. I spend a few hours every day reading and taking notes. Haven't actually written anything yet but I have a solid thesis, a first-draft outline, and about 1000 words in quotes... not to mention I've been digging through seven or eight books for research. It's actually kinda fun... just takes discipline... which I have at times. Those snickering right now should imagine me giving a mean scowl. Yeah... like that. So I have to have this paper done before I leave. A week ago I wrote, I'll say that I had a month off doing absolutely nothing but wasting time, I had enough time to write a paper (that hopefully gets published), and the visa and job offer co-incided perfectly. I hope to write that within a month. So now, I can say that I've had a month off doing absolutely nothing but wasting time and writing a paper. I built a screen door for my basement apartment... it's bright red and hilarious. I've been reading alot, drawing some, and writing. I've watched the entire first season of Babylon 5, played Neverwinter Nights [video game] for a solid few days, and rearranged my apartment around my beautiful new loveseat my neighbor gave me. This has been some great time off. I'm fighting going stir crazy, but I generally just try to get out of the house during the day... I can't write here because it's too distracting. For instance, right now... I'm posting to my blog and eating lunch instead of working. When I'm done here I'll walk downtown to a coffee shop and work until 6 when I'll go to the National Gallery for my weekly art gallery trip. The work visa didn't work out for this year but California did. Besides, I know what I need to do and by when for my visa next year. Easy.

That's it for the time being. Plane tickets to Cali are cheap ($250 or so from Tulsa) and it doesn't require a visa if anyone wants to come visit. I'm trying to fiure a way to stop through Tulsa for a few days at Christmas, but if that doesn't work out it may be another year before I make it back to that area. Alright, I'm done with lunch... great timing.

Cheers...

Why Lynn Bradford rocks...

My relationship with my mother has been, at times, strained. Most of those times were when I was a retarded teenager. Thankfully, mom saw through that and held on through the storm. Today I sit in Canada having finished my first year of grad school and I can say without a doubt that I am only able to be here because of the love and support of my mother. When I told the family I was coming to Canada for school, some sighed, some disagreed, some nagged... mom started saving money for a plane ticket to visit. She said, "You're not going to get away from me, even if you do leave the country!" Mom has given me all the financial support she and Corey can and, more than once, a shoulder to cry on when I just couldn't take it anymore. More than once over the past year her words have calmed and comforted me. More than once she has talked me down from the ledge or saved some poor antagonist's life... a few lucky Canadians unknowlingly owe my mother for their continued health.

All that said, I think one of the most important things my mother has ever said to me is that she respects me. She's said it often in the course of conversations... never just as a one-line offering, but in a context that lets me know that she means it. Of all my mother has said to me, that simple offering has meant more to me, I think, than all of the other loving mom stuff. I know my mother loves me. I know she cares for me. I know she wants the best for me. But whose mother doesn't? My mother respects me and that makes me both sure and proud of the man I have become.

Lynn Bradford rocks because she's one of my closest friends. We are very different people but have developed a friendship that will last as long as we do. Mom, a thousand appologies for who I have, at times, been and a thousand thanks for you being who you are... see you in a few weeks.

"If you can't decide in a day you can't decide." from the film, "Munich"

I watched that movie again recently. I love that quote. It'll make a good teaching quote someday. So it's Saturday morning and raining. I cleaned half of the house this morning... haven't made it to the dishes or my bedroom yet. The cats are chasing each other through the newly-clean living room. They're always happy to have clean floor to run on. It's funny. When I clear the floor they both come out and roll on the ground and stretch out and run after each other. It's hilarious. I built a new shelf for my house out of the wood that I originally used for the base on my studio model. It used to be a 3'x6' sheet of 1/2" particle board and now it's an 8"x"18"x72" shelf in my house. It looks cool but particle board, it turns out, stinks in a small space. It doesn't help that there's no air circulation in my apartment. I'm going to go to school and try to make a screen door for my front door so I can keep it open and not let the cats out. It's usually not too bad in the halls... I just might be able to get some air going through this place, yet. I think $10 worth of materials and a few hours might make this place alot nicer. It would be funny to have a screen door on a basement door, too. My front door opens into a 3'-wide hallway with a 7' ceiling and stares at my neighbor's door across the hall. I'm told that Kramer did something like this on Seinfeld.

As for the job situation, well thing's aren't looking great. Last week I went to Canadian Immigration to turn in the paperwork on my work visa. I got there early and so was the 3rd person to the window... mind you, it's early in the morning so there's no stress or tension in the air... fresh start, you know? So I walked to the window and there was a scowling old lady staring back at me from behind an inch of bulletproof glass. I told her that I had been talking with immigration on the phone and was told to bring this piece of paper with this and this documentation to apply for a work permit. I was really nice about it. Why wouldn't I be? I want this lady to help me. So, she looked back at me like I was stupid and she was insulted that I was standing in front of her. Wow, was I shocked. She spit out, "Oh, no no no... You are not getting a work permit." Huh? I found myself instantly wondering if I had taken a wrong turn and crossed back over the border somehow. I honestly haven't seen anyone act like this since I was in the States... it just doesn't happen here. So I was so taken aback that I couldn't quite reply at first. She told me in a very rude, tart voice that I wasn't allowed to work and wasn't going to get a destitute student exception with the paperwork that I had (which she hadn't even looked at yet). I instantly started trying to diffuse the situation, telling her I might be wrong and that I had been speaking with this person and that and if my packet wasn't complete could she look at it and tell me what I needed, etc... She took my paperwork and flipped through it like it was 5:15 on a Wednesday and I was the last person in line. She typed my number in the computer reluctantly and seemingly intent on puncturing her keyboard. As my info scrolled onto the screen she sat there staring, shaking her head side-to-side and saying "No...no, no...no, no, no, no... You are not getting a work visa," and then proceeded to lecture me! I'm supposed to come into this country with so much money (which I did) and my family is responsible for supporting me and why can't my parents give me money... I told her, "Ma'am, I'm 28 years old and haven't lived with my parents in 10 years." She continued barking at me and I kept trying to ask her what I should do, where I should go, who should I talk to, etc... she didn't answer a single question. At one point I had to stop her from yelling (almost literally) by saying, "Easy, ma'am... no one's upset on this side of the glass, I just need your help is all." I think I may have killed her dog and forgotten about it.

So I went to the International Student Advisory at school to ask for help and found out that the program I've been banking on this whole time was only initiated in Ontario two Thursdays ago. They're not sure why the people on the phone would tell me otherwise, but they think Ontario may be the last province to enact the legislation. Oops. So I have to give paperwork to the school (done) and wait a week or two, then get that paperwork back and send it halfway across the country with a $150 cheque and wait another 4-6 weeks. I'm trying to ask around and find work under the table but that's harder to find than anyone thinks or says. Mom offered to let me stay in Cali with her for the summer and that's sounding better and better. I don't know what I'm going to do but I have to figure it out quickly. If I can make what I have stretch until I get the permit, I can get any minimum wage job and support myself... that's likely what's going to happen. Then again, there was one firm who said they would be hiring in a few weeks... they didn't say they would hire me, particularly, but I did get to bump into one of the associates and he seemed happy to see me. He's either a good actor or I may get a call from them. It's all up in the air and dependant on other people right now. I'll keep you updated.

Other than that, I've just been trying to keep myself occupied and on a schedule. I've had enough to do lately to occupy at least half of my days... the other half I spend inventing things to do and half-heartedly working on my 8000 word paper. If this all works out, it will be nice. I'll say that I had a month off doing absolutely nothing but wasting time, I had enough time to write a paper (that hopefully gets published), and the visa and job offer co-incided perfectly. I hope to write that within a month. I took my weekly gallery trip this past week and took a sketchbook. Here's what I did for a couple of hours Thurday evening.




...aaaand that's about it for the week. Life goes on. I'm really going to enjoy thinking about all of this someday. Talk to you soon...

Looking for work in all the wrong places...

I spent 5 hours walking around town dropping off resumes today. No one was hiring but they all took my resume with a smile. Actually, one place told me I showed up at a really good time and that they were going to do some hiring soon... but not for a few weeks. I think I may actually hear back from that firm. Anyway, I got up this morning and got all spiffed up... shaved... ironed clothes, etc... turns out I still clean up alright. So I walked until I got blisters on my feet. I think I'm going to have to buy shoes soon.

Other than that, I've spent the past week recovering from studio and going through the whole job search ordeal. I cleaned everything out of studio and stored most of it at school. I brought a few art pieces and some drawings home to play with though. I had some nice drawings this semester... best I've ever done. I'd like to play with them. I brought home the final model from my coney island project and I'm going to convert it into a lamp. I'm turning the base into a shelf. I spent about $40 on that project, total and half of it was on the base. I figure I might as well do something useful with it. So tomorrow I've got a few more places to drop applications at, I have to go to school to see about making that shelf, and I've started the readings I need to do to write a paper I'm writing for possible publication in an online journal. I have a month to write it and I'm trying to get it all hashed out in my head right now. I have alot of reading to do.

Last thing on my mind today... the immigration issue is just a diversion right before Congressional elections. Republicans did the same thing with gay marriage. It's not that immigration isn't a big deal, but they needed something to take your minds off everything else. Please don't be fooled... don't be taken in by it. After elections, I promise this will all die down... trust me. Ok, that's really all...

Another new portfolio...

I update my portfolio alot because I constantly see better ways to present myself... I think they're getting better but who knows. Anyway, the most recent version is really just a compilation of old ones but if you'd like to check it out it's at:

www.ParkerPortfolio.blogspot.com

Have a couple of job leads to follow up on this morning... have to find a job in the next 2 weeks. Here goes...