Month: January 2004

Yeah, I’m going to hop on my immigration soap box, yet again…Mainly with a rhetorical question.

Bush seems to think that illegals take jobs that Americans don’t want. Late, last week, I read an editorial with this line – which caught my attention – It’s not exactly that they take jobs Americans don’t want, it’s that they take jobs middle class Americans don’t want. – Granted, I’m not a “lower-class” American, so I can’t speak for those who would classify, economically.

Now, one of the “positives” of having a worker corps made of illegals is that it’s cheap labour, locally. I haven’t had the chance to actually read over this Immigration reform bill, but I’m curious as to whether or not the changes include paying minimum wage. Now, should they start paying minimum wage, or even comparable wage (to the type of work), I’m curious as to whether or not they will continue to seek the new round of illegals – those who choose to opt-out of this program – on the basis that they can pay below minimum wage. On top of that, there has been speculation about how exactly this plan will be enacted. One issue that I have seen mentioned, is the inability for this new class of worker to form unions or any other type of labour group. Personally, I would like to see them form Unions, to prevent them from being treated like labour animals vs. humans (e.g. inability to complain without threat of losing job and being deported). The 3 years time-table is a bit of an iffy for me, as well. So you have 3 years to work here. It takes upwards of 7 years to become a naturalized citizen through the normal channels. Will there be any retro-active clause for those who’ve chosen to enter legally, in the first place, to gain their citizenship earlier based on being gainfully employed and their contributions to this society in the time that they’ve been here?

Honestly, I don’t fully believe the b.s. about “jobs Americans don’t want”. Yes, there are those out there who believe that working on a fruit farm are beneath them (though, farming has been pretty much relegated to the realm of technology than multitudes of farm hands), but there are also those out there who are willing to do it. How about also putting into place a national job registry that includes relocation assistance for jobs like in that realm? If we look at the way we run the job market right now, small time things (like, oh say, an Army-Navy store seeking employees) don’t get internet postings online. They seek through local print, maybe, but mostly through word-of-mouth or window-front signs. There was one example from the Dallas Morning News, that I found interesting. An out-of-work white collar guy went out to the local “illegal pick-up” in hopes that he would potentially gain a day job, doing something. He was passed over by every seeker who showed up. Not for lack of body build (granted, that’s an opinion that I didn’t form), not for lack of intelligence (he wasn’t even approached). It can be assumed it was because he was white, was legal, and various other reasons. But it does make an interesting point to ponder, for me, and it really does point to a variety of other issues that complicate this whole smorgasbord of the greater issue. Again, I find that we’re probably putting a short-term solution that will end up creating an even greater problem in the future. However, a point that I found extremely interesting, came from the former Mexican Sec. of State. He pointed out that the Mexican population is gentrifying. Right now, we are getting the influx of the younger generation that sees no future in Mexico. That will continue for a decade or so, gradually decreasing, year after year, as the older generations become less and less mobile. Of course, that leads to problems on Mexico’s side for their own economy when they don’t have enough workers and the economy, potentially, takes a down-turn for that reason. Granted, it might also be a cause for an exodus of the younger generations (coupled with wealth, give or take) back to Mexico to take advantage of investment opportunities there to create more jobs.

But, alas, my cynical side tells me it’s all bunch of blown-up crap and I’m thinking too positively.

Rule #1: Never believe bf when he walks out the door, leaves in your car, and has all his WWII gear with him and says he’ll only be gone about 2 hours. Yeah. So much for my plans. THANKS!!!! See, this wouldn’t be an issue because the original plans were for me to take my car, him to borrow the dad’s car, and mum to go to work. Mum didn’t go to work, we went shopping. Since she took me to the dr’s this morning, I went ahead and let him take my car (since it was only supposed to be for 2 hours, riiiiiiiiiiiiight). Anyway, get home from shopping, my car isn’t here, call the bf and ask him if he got lost. “Oh no, just had a long lunch, did some voice work, uniform demo.” “When will you be home?” “Oh, I’ll leave around 6PM.” “Yeah, thanks.” My plan, was to head over to my former gym and play around on the toys, bounce a bit, see how many different muscles I can make hurt in the morning. But, no. Yeah, could take the parent’s car, but that would be unfair, and we’re waiting for dinner. Next year, 2 cars.

In other news, I have an irritable bowel – from working seasonal full-time at a store during christmas. So what does my dr give to me? Zoloft. Of course, he suggested I try altering my diet a bit, along with meditation, and trying fibercon (or something like that) – after he saw my reaction to his questioning if I had heard of it.

Which spawned the badgering of my mum in regards to pharmaceutical costs. Interesting fact, Americans who go up to Canada to get their meds…may be paying less, because they have fixed prices, but they also have limited supplies because of it. So, Canadians are really being cheated by this phenomenon. Interesting fact, the reason why pharmaceutical costs are so high, is because the FDA requires about 10 different clinicals (when only 4 are absolutely necessary) for each drug and the companies don’t receive any subsidies from the hospitals for these trials (they pay full price). On top of that, there are separate clinical trials for both Europe and Japan, neither of which pays for the trials through their price fixing. So, result: new medicines never go to where the prices are fixed until the clinical costs are recouped (means they stay in the US), add the costs for the clinicals of every other drug that never makes it on to the market, in to that and you have the set price for “in-house” drugs.

My recommendation, ditch the over-kill on clinicals, or begin providing back-up for drug research. Require hospitals, where the clinicals are run, to provide breaks for the point of research (where they don’t). And a few other things I haven’t taken the time to ponder….

Oh yeah, interesting fact: most pharmaceutical companies have programs to provide their drugs to those that need them at below market prices. The problem? They require financial proof of inability to pay market price (e.g. tax returns). Of course, I had never heard of companies doing that, but apparently it’s publicized through dr’s networks (makes me wonder). Now, I can see where there’d be issues for the “tweeners”, who make more than the cut-off and less than the “i can really afford to subsidize this myself”ers, especially if there’s a barrage of prescriptions that they need to be on.

Definitely puts a new spin on American healthcare, for me. I’ve seen socialist medicine in the works, and that’s definitely not the way we want to go (unless we use that as a basis, with all additional costs covered through self-pay), but yeah, we do need an over-haul (like that wasn’t already known). If we decide to go with a salary cap on prescription drugs, then we really need to find a means to support the research and the development, or force Europe and Japan to foot their part of the bill for the clinicals (though, I think this should be done, regardless).

I spent today at the farm. Shot the carbine a couple of times, but the sight on it is too fucked up for me to seriously aim. Hit a couple things with my right, I have no clue if I hit anything with my left. Went through my gram’s things and found her glasses, so I’ll have a cool new pair, eventually. Read through a bunch of her letters from when she and my great-aunt lived together, and a few from when she was married to my grandda (and his brother – interesting story). One of the letters was from my great-gram, sending her condolences on the loss of a child. I believe this to be a first child, as there wasn’t any reference to my aunt (the first child). Though, none of the letters asked about the kids, even the ones referenced with my great-uncle’s initials. here’s the story

My new year’s was pretty cool. Spent the evening with my family + , dancing (with my Dad because the other two guys wouldn’t) and got my two new year’s kisses. It’s been great, I’ve been missing my Jacob for quite some time. Spent all day with him yesterday, just running around town, he’s on his way here today. My Scotsman and dad are out hunting for gun ammo, guessing tomorrow we go to the farm to shoot various animals, trees, and haystacks. I’ll finally get to play with the single-shot carbine that went with me to the failed Sniper date. Next week, I’ll have some time to pour over my Ogam info, compliments of , and see if I can link some stuff up to the massage work I do. I’m actually feeling some sense of purpose in this area, and knowing that I’m not the only one trying to work in this direction is awesome. I started off just having an idea and no real sense of direction. Ask the right questions and suddenly the wind vane pointed me down the path. I’ve got a starting point now, I have only one goal this year, and expanding this starting point is it. There are other smaller goals that I set at Samhain, that link into this goal. Bringing all of them together will take me places and expand my current horizon. Wicked coolness, yes it is.