News of our demise has been greatly exaggerated. Sorry for the brief interruption. Thanks for the email alerting me to the fact that we were down. All is well now. Help was just a phone call away.

Open thread–

44 Thoughts to “Just Another Day in Paradise”

  1. Lafayette

    Antoher Day in Paradise? Yeah right!! For those of you that live in the WestGate/Sudley area be on alert. Police are looking for a murderer from WestGate Apartments, and the murder was in Irongate Friday night. Here’s the article from the paper.
    http://www2.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/article/police_searching_for_ex-boyfriend_in_murder_of_womans_husband/41446/

  2. Poor Richard

    Noticed PWC is forming a citizen’s group to help make sure
    the county gets a “complete count” in the 2010 census and know
    Manassas City has met with local US Census representatives
    for the same purpose. Next year’s count will have a major
    impact on representation in Richmond and Washington for the
    next decade plus federal and state funding amounts – especially
    for schools. One would think the census count would have
    everyone’s support – think again my friends.
    Apparently some in the immigrant community want to avoid it
    due to fear and or anger over lack of progress in immigration
    reform.
    The anti-immigrant folks don’t want them counted for … Lord knows.
    (Would note the census is not part of ICE and, in fact, their
    employees would break severe US laws if they divulge information
    to any other agency).
    So, any suggestions on how to help the US Census get a
    full count in 2010 for our area?

  3. Moon-howler

    Cash incentives? How sad is that.

    I don’t understand why the anti immigrant people don’t want them counted. Are we going back to the 3/5ths count of pre civil war days or what?

  4. Lafayette

    The word needs to get out via all avenues(churches, non-profits, public service announcements, etc) that the Census is not going to divulge information. Their sole purpose is to count every person living within our borders, regardless of their immigration status. I for one want an accurate count of everyone living in the US and especially in our localities. I want us to have proper public safety staff, enough schools, etc. We can’t plan for our future without an accurate count.

  5. Elena

    Thanks to M-H for getting us back up!

  6. Poor Richard

    Apparently some representatatives from areas without a large
    immigrant population don’t want them counted because it would
    “distort” the census (i.e. – cost them power and funding).
    The local represenatives of the Census are being proactive
    in reaching out to the minority community – a number are
    bi-lingual and that is good.

  7. Lafayette is correct, this is very much a get out there and spread the word in your neighborhood/community effort. I met Isabel Almendarez, the U.S. Census Bureau Partnership Specialist who is working in this area to get the word out. She and her counterparts were at the African-American Heritage Festival at Metz Middle School August 1 and Georgetown South’s National Night Out Against Crime event August 4. If you have an upcoming event and can offer free space for their booth, call her at 704-936-5330 or email at [email protected] or call your local govt and volunteer to work with the committee.

    This only happens once every 10 years, and the count determines our political representation and directs the allocation of billions of dollars in government funding.

  8. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Moon-howler :
    Cash incentives? How sad is that.
    I don’t understand why the anti immigrant people don’t want them counted. Are we going back to the 3/5ths count of pre civil war days or what?

    First of all, it’s “anti-illegal immigrant”. (Y’all seem to make that mistake again and again…..oops, did I say “death panel”?) We don’t want them counted because we don’t want them to be here to be counted. And last I looked, it was groups like “La Raza” that were threatening not to participate in the census.

  9. Lafayette

    Slow, I don’t want the illegal aliens to be here to begin with either, but to not count them is foolish. They are here and they are using our resources, and therefore they do need to be counted. I think this is especially important with regards to schools and teachers we must educate those that reside here illegally and we must have an accurate count to help prevent the extreme overcrowding our schools were faced with a few years back. I agree completely it’s anti-illegal immigrant, but it’s so much easier to say anti-immigrant to make us look extreme.

  10. Moon-howler

    Slow, are you telling me that there are NO groups or individuals out there who oppose immigration?

  11. Moon-howler

    Many people who don’t want illegal aliens here also are not willing to find solutions for making some people NOT illegal?

    Twinad’s husband pops into my mind.

    How many people who align themselves with the dark screen make nasty comments about Alanna’s husband who is a LEGAL resident? Just wondering.

  12. Elena

    Moon-Howler,
    Yes, FAIR and CIS definately fall into that category of anti immigrant. Hmmm, why is FAIR rings a bell? Oh yeah, they wrote our original resolution for us, thanks guys, you were a great help….NOT.

  13. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Moon-howler :
    Slow, are you telling me that there are NO groups or individuals out there who oppose immigration?

    My comment could in no way be taken to deny the existence of such groups, but we’re talking about illegal immigrants not being counted, are we not? Immigrants (which denotes law-abiding citizens) have no reason to avoid the census. Now an illegal….well, what do our laws or customs mean to them?

  14. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Say, I haven’t heard much talk lately about CIR? How odd!

  15. Lafayette

    @Slowpoke Rodriguez
    There’s too much talk about health care reform. CIR is still awyas down on the list of things to do, I suppose. I sure don’t want any bill just thrown out there, and voted on before it’s read. Not reading huge bills is just SOP with those in Washington today. Enough already. Our elected officials should be held accountable for their not reading these massive bills before voting on them.

  16. Moon-howler

    And how do we know who has read and who hasn’t? Slow, I heard the Pres say that it was still on the table, probably next year.

    I thought that Poor Richard just said immigrant. He didn’t differentiate between legal and illegal. Many of them don’t differentiate either.

    I will probably say anti-immigration as long as people say things I don’t like (words, not ideas). I am just small and petty like that.

  17. Poor Richard

    Always enjoy the Prince William Fair, but miss some of the great
    entertaiment from twenty years ago – nothing like watching
    a mule dive into a tank of water from thirty feet up – yipee!

  18. Lafayette

    @Poor Richard
    I went last night. There are less and less animals each year. People really did raise a stink over the diving mule. There was lots of police presence at the fair as always.
    This year anyone born in 1949 gets in free along with a hotdog and a drink. The fair is 60years old this, and they have a very nice book for sale reviewing 60 years of Virginia’s largest county fair.

  19. Lafayette

    We might have some anit-fair(as in PWC) posters among us Poor Richard. We better watch our use of the “F-word” 😉

  20. Poor Richard

    The diving mules caused almost as much fuss as the girlie shows.

  21. ShellyB

    How ironic if true that immigrants and anti-immigrants are on the same page about the census. I have a feeling this is greatly exaggerated though. What kind of people would hate immigrants enough to cede power and money to other regions? Very extreme people who want to pretend they live in the world of yester-year and/or are letting Gospel Greg hysteria blind them to their own self interest. That’s not a lot of people. Just my guess.

    As for the immigrant and pro-immigrant side, they want everyone counted no question. By the time the census begins, everyone with out legal status should be required to start a path to legalization. So people would have no reason to hide from the census and it would be accurate.

    Seems to me that we should all embrace the fact that a lot of different races live here. To get our fair share of state and federal resources, we just need to deal with a little reality. Not too difficult for most. Me thinks this will all be worked out.

  22. Moon-howler

    I think the diving mules did cause more stir than the girlie shows. I remember the protests over it. That was a new low for the fair.

  23. Poor Richard

    Yep, then they went high-brow with little racing pigs.

  24. Lafayette

    I remember the racing pigs. Didn’t they have some ponies that had monkeys for jockeys too?

  25. Elena

    sounds like these events were ripe for a visit from the humane society.

  26. Moon-howler

    I think that is just what did happen, Elena. As I recall, there was a hue and cry over the diving donkey and PETA demonstrated on the Fair.

  27. Lafayette

    PETA was all over the diving the donkey.

  28. Second-Alamo

    Elena, correction, FAIR (if so) helped write the anti ILLEGAL-immigrant Resolution. Details,details,details!

  29. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Moon-howler :
    I will probably say anti-immigration as long as people say things I don’t like (words, not ideas). I am just small and petty like that.

    That’s fair…it’s like Obama says…”just words”…..”just talk”. And so it goes, you’ll say “anti-immigrant”, a subtle distortion, let’s call it a rhetorical flourish. We will continue to call Cap ‘n’ Trade “Cap ‘n’ Tax”, CIR “Amnesty”, and we’ll keep mentioning “death panels”. Fair is fair, and on it goes!

  30. Moon-howler

    You probably would regardless of what I say. 😉

    I am not sure I disagree with you on cap n tax.

  31. Elena

    Try again SA, the template was from THEIR website, or IRLI’s rather, turkey/chicken, they are one in the same.

  32. Elena

    I refuse to take my children to see Circus’s with animals. Most animals are NOT meant to perform tricks, it is very stressful. The circus elephants that end up going on rampages are simply pushed to the point of insanity.

  33. Poor Richard

    “… elephants that end up going on rampages are simply
    pushed to the point of insanity.”
    That describes far rightwing GOPers after Rush,Hannity,Bill,Lou
    and company poke them with the twin red hot electric prods of hate
    and fear – again and again.
    Run for your life.

  34. Moon-howler

    Hahaha Poor Richard.

    Elephants in the wild go on rampages also, often without a logical reason.
    Elena and I disagree to some point about circus animals. The better known ones have investments in the animals.

    I find zoos depressing becuause of the capitivity element. On the other hand, would I prefer an animal in the wild being hunted by poachers for a tusk? A horn? Many animals that at one time were plentiful are in very short supply because of drought, famine, and poachers.

    There seem to be very few good solutions that are realistic. I guess we chose the least of the evils….whatever that is.

  35. Moon-howler

    More on animals…where do we draw the line? Horse Shows? Lipizzan Stallion shows? Cavalia (CAVALIA: A Magical Encounter Between Horse and Man)? Snake houses? National Aquarium?

    Many a person has acquired a life-long love of animals by seeing animals in captivity, on farms, in zoos, circuses and other venues. I would evaluate the situation by how well the animals are cared for.

    http://www.cavalia.net/index.aspx?lang=EN-CA

    I would draw the line at diving donkeys for sure. I see no redeeming value there, but I am sure others might disagree. I think the important thing is to treat animals well. Most are ultimately dependent on mankind.

  36. Poor Richard

    -The famous “Aqua Mules” from Texas had quite a tour schedule
    twenty years ago – PWC was just one stop.

    -Open thread item – Best Name (Back to School Dept.) – The new
    principal at Jennie Dean Elementary – drum roll – Mr. Toogood.
    Really, Mr. Toogood – we wish him well.

  37. Moon-howler

    Seriously? After Kermit Dancer, I didn’t think it could get any better!

  38. Poor Richard

    Kermit Dance – retired from teaching and now a member of the
    Manassas City School Board. A great guy, but he doesn’t like
    waltzing frog jokes.
    Sure Mr. Robin Toogood II has also lived with some humor over his name.

  39. Moon-howler

    Oooop, I got his name wrong, didn’t I?

    Robin Toogood is an hilarious name. I didn’t realize his first name was Robin. That’s a neat name anyway.

  40. Gainesville Resident

    @Moon-howler
    If you want to see real cruelty to animals – I recommend a visit to the Xiongsen Bear & Tiger Zoo in Guilin, China. I saw stuff there you would just not believe. I guarantee you there’s no zoo, circus, aquarium, etc. in the USA that is anything like what I saw at this place in terms of cruelty to animals!

  41. Moon-howler

    Is that the place where you buy baby goats to feed to the tigers or something awful like that?

  42. Gainesville Resident

    You didn’t buy anything there, but they did lead you (and maybe they told people in Chinese what to expect but I had no idea what was coming) to a walkway looking down on a pen – where a goat was in there and they let in a lion and of course we got to see the lion attack and kill the goat. I definitely wasn’t prepared for that. Oddly enough the rest of the group – who were all Chinese people, didn’t seem to be very shocked by what they saw. There was also some other strange stuff – this show they had included things like bears riding on top of horses, for example! I’m not sure how they got the animals to do that stuff, but I doubt it was much fun for them.

    Someone else wrote a fairly good description of this – it is pretty similar to what I saw there – http://www.travelchinatour.com/jim-china-travel-blog/travelogue-by-cities/guilin-xiongsen-bear-tiger-zoo-1.html

    As I said, there’s no animal institution (zoo, circus, etc.) in the USA that comes anywhere near close to this place in terms of animal cruelty!

  43. Moon-howler

    Thanks for the info Gainesville. That almost makes me sick to think about. Shudder.

  44. GainesvilleResident

    I still get a little sick thinking back on it – this was 3 years ago that I was there. What really struck me as odd was no one else there seemed very surprised or offended. Very strange indeed.

    That’s not the only place in China I saw animal cruelty. At the Great Wall down at the base of it – there’s a bear exhibit and the guy had several bears there and was prodding them with sticks to get them to move around and growl and so on. The zoo is near a somewhat popular tourist place in that part of China (Southern China). However, in the case of the Great Wall this is a place where thousands of tourists a day from all over the world see this. I’m a bit surprised the bear exhibit in front of the base of the Great Wall at Badaling which is one of the most popular places to see it – is allowed to continue like that. Of course, that was mild compared to what went on at the Xiongsen Bear & Tiger Zoo.

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