Okay... Old fashioned "News" commentary.

First, I thought I'd put a photo up of my current desk-top wallpaper:


Mick, Me, Kris, and Matt at my stag-party.

It's also, as I type this around 12:00 Noon... Warmer in Minneapolis, than it is in Canterbury, England! Take THAT Britain! I live in the tundra, and it's nicer here than there! Muahahahahaha!

Okay.

First, most of you know about the never-ending saga of the "Marriage Visa" for My Lady. What's been amusing, is the current mess we're having in Minnesota about Immigration. A bit of back story... It's all politics. Due to our Republican (conservative) party that's currently in control of the Minnesota government, being quite "pants" as my wife would say, lack of education funding, transportation is bad... Etc... Etc... The Republicans are now chasing after a wedge-issue to hide the fact that they suck, and get Minnesotans to be "scared" or something. This issue seems to be illegal immigration. Now... I'll first say that this issue is crap. I just feel that way. I personally don't care that we have Mexican and Central American people coming into Minnesota. I like their culture, and I like the fact that we're just a little less "Scanda-hoovian" here now. Anyhoo... Nick Coleman, a columnist from the Star and Sickle has been writing about a so called "Focus Group" where regular Minnesotans were called in, and after complaining about issues like education, and transportation, and subsidies, were then asked by the focus group: "But those damn immigrants, they're really bad aren't they?" Cue the cricket sounds. According to one source at the meeting... No one had any problem with immigrants. Damn... Poor Focus Group Leader. Anyhoo... Nick Coleman is trying to trace down just who PAID for this focus group. Of course, he's pointing fingers at the Republicans... But there's no "real" way to know. LINK

Due to a bit of a hue and cry over our Governor's last proposals about illegal immigrants... He's back-pedalled a bit. Pawlenty Announces More Immigration Plans. Gee... Thanks Governor.

Followed shortly by a story about two more tunnels under the U.S. border allowing more illegal immigrants from the South into the U.S. Ha. Man.

Anyone else really glad you're not a Muslim? Hundreds killed in Hajj stampede Seriously... It's really, really sad. They have tried so hard this year to add barriers, and more crowd control, and yet it happens again. Man... I have images of a whole mess of Catholics falling all over each other to get to the pope, or something. And... Then I realise that Catholics just don't really care all that much. Folks who profess to Islam are obviously very devout. I personally am glad that I'm not, and that no one else I know is quite that devout. Man.

It's nice to know that it's not only the U.S. that's been mistreating Iraqi prisoners... Now it's those crazy Danes! Look, folks... If you're really, really trying to save a country, and spread democracy... Stop Beating And Torturing Prisoners

Jeez.

Finally... Yet another cancer-stick nail in my coffin. I hate this smoking-ban shite. Okay? I really, really do. I understand that it's bad for me... And I'm NOT against banning smoking in bars.

Surprised?

Well, I'm not! I think it's a great idea. When I go out to a bar in Minneapolis, I'm smoking like, three cigarettes in a whole night! That's a great cut down from smoking 20 or more in an evening out at a bar. I don't stink like fags once I'm home... And I save money.

The issue I have, is the same one that most right-thinking bar-owners have. These piece-meal smoking bans hurt their businesses! Okay? That's it! That's why I'm cheesed off! When St. Paul didn't follow suit with Minneapolis in a smoking ban... Minneapolis bars lost business, and St. Paul bars got MORE business. It's fine that St. Paul is now joining the ranks... But that still leaves Ramsey county... Dakota county, and since two weeks ago... Hennepin county (after repealing their ban) allowing smoking in bars. See... What happens... Is that okay, the major city BANS smoking. But the bar three miles down the road in the same county, but not in the city limits, gets all the freaking business, thus hurting the CITY BARS!

It's all or nothing. Pass a STATE-WIDE BAN, and the Bar-owners will STOP fighting the government.

I'll still be angry that I can't smoke. But at least no one's losing business anymore.

Okay... I'm off. Stuff to do... People to see... Food to consume... And some weird art-thing my wife is dragging me to tonight.

Smiles,
Tuckmac