I can't vouch for the efficacy of the borax/sugar solution but I can tell you the sole of a size 10 sandal works well. When I came out early this morning and turned on the lights, there he was. Because I knew that might happen I was armed and ready. SMACK! His.to.reee. But I left the mixture under the stereo/TV cabinet just in case he had friends.
It rained overnight. Good, steady rain of the sort we rarely get here. And the chances for more stay at about 30% through the weekend. We'll still hit triple digits, and the humidity will be a bear, but the wet is welcome.
I felt a lot better today than any day since the hospital stay. To celebrate I worked on theRambler's right rear brakes. Oh my. The wheel cylinder had failed, leaking very caustic brake fluid over everything. Some of the smaller metal pieces had almost disintegrated, so their replacements have been ordered and should be here early next week. I'm having trouble coming up with new brake lines and may have to make my own. But after a two week hiatus we're finally back to making progress.
Old people in Sun City fall into categories. On the distaff side they either color their hair or let that gray show. The former far outnumber the latter and some of the outcomes are downright silly. On the male side, you've got your standard outfit of ill-fitting Bermuda shorts, T shirt (tucked in), over-the-calf black socks and running shoes. But an interesting variation, spotted this morning at Paradise Bakery, is the 70-year old with a dark tan, Dockers, silk shirt open three buttons down, and a gold chain. Usually has a prominent gold ring, too.
AZ is in the news again. Gov. Jan Brewer has signed an executive order that basically instructs state agencies not to comply with the executive order President Obama's signed on the 15th. In that order he allowed a narrow group of illegal immigrants to apply for work permits and stipulated that they will not face deportation for the next two years. They must have arrived here before they were 16, have lived here for at least 5 years, be under the age of 30, and either be a student, a H.S. grad, or have served in the military. If (!) I understand it correctly it gives those 1.7 million people (accor. to the Pew Hispanic Center) a legal presence in the country.
Gov. Brewer ordered state agencies to extend no services to those people, including drivers licenses or any form of aid.
The Hispanic leaders here are furious and marching on the state capital. The media are all over the dustup, and the national press is (are?) beginning to pick up the story.
I have written here that I favor some kind of resolution to the problem of illegal immigrants that recognizes both the current reality and our historical complicity in the problem. Whether that's the Dream Act or some other program, it's both unrealistic and unfair to "send 'em all back where they came from." First among those due reasonable consideration are those who arrived as children and who have conducted themselves well and honorably since then.
I suspect both the President and our Governor are acting from political motivations, both appealing to their base. That said, I can see some validity in both of the positions. The President sees the realities and understands the tricky ethical issues involved. Gov. Brewer argues that his executive order is essentially an unfunded mandate. It has the effect of requiring that the state provide services to people who (she maintains) don't contribute to the system that makes those services available. The services are for citizens, not illegal immigrants.
6:30 p.m. and it's only 91 degrees. That's 15 degrees cooler than just a couple of days ago.
Sooooo nice!
No comments:
Post a Comment