Well Of Course They Did . . . . .

Exxon report record fourth-quarter profits (again).

$11.66 billion.

In one Quarter.

Of course, the yearly profit is a record too.


That is fucking obscene.

Yeah, I know capitalism, free market, rah rah.

BULLSHIT!!!!

This money was made on the backs of the people, off raping our environment, courtesy of the Bush Administration.

I consider them War Profiteers.

Turn some of that money into health care, or food for the poor, or education.


Paint me Red, Capitalism can suck me.

Suffer The Children

The Rio Grande.

A River.

As rivers go, it is not a very large one, maybe 40 to 50 feet across. Yet for the difference in lifestyle from one side to the other, it may as well be thousands of miles wide. With all the contentiousness surrounding the emigration bill in the news, I thought it might be time to let the world know how Brave Sir Robin feels about it. If you come here often, I think you’ll know.

First off, nobody chooses to be poor. People aren’t poor because they are lazy or shiftless or choose to be that way. They are poor, most likely because they were born poor. Period. I know I’m digressing already, that is another post entirely, but I felt it needed saying.

Let’s look at the differences from one side of the river to the other –


North of the river –



Just a few miles south of the previous photo –



As in any society the women and children are hit the hardest by poverty. #2 and #3 son had never been to Mexico before. #3 son was particularly struck by the beggars and the children selling trinkets on the street. As we prepared to cross over for our second day in Mexico, he made sure he had small bills and change to give them. And yes, he used his own money.


#3 son giving money to a woman, as her son sings a song.



This beautiful and shy little girl had to be coaxed to pose for this picture. Like many, many others her age, she helps support her family by selling gum and trinkets to American tourists.



This precious little boy was asleep under his mother’s street vending cart, oblivious to the raucous crowds teeming on the street.



These people aren’t lazy, they aren’t looking to milk the welfare system, or even “take our jobs”, they are looking for the true embodiment of the American dream; the opportunity to work hard and make a better life for their family. It shouldn’t matter what side of the river you were born on. The uproar over immigrants and this bill isn’t about economics or welfare or protecting our borders from terrorist. Make no mistake; this is about the color of their skin. Because they are brown people, they are unwelcome. Look at those children above and tell me what makes them any less beautiful or precious than my children?

Is it any wonder that the world is turning more and more anti-American?

Don’t forget – unless your ancestors are pre-Columbian, we are all immigrants here.

2006 Leftovers

I spent my New Years Eve alone with a lovely bottle of French wine and possibly the best pizza I have ever created. A perfect balance, (don’t believe the commercials, perfect pizza isn’t about the quantity of the toppings, it’s about the balance) of maple smoked bacon, Italian sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, kalamata olives, red and green peppers, jalapenos and 5 different cheeses. I bring this up, because I fell asleep without wrapping up the half that was leftover. No big deal, just toss the leftovers. It’s time for the post-holiday diet anyway, right? I did, of course throw it out.

I didn’t take the time or effort to calculate the calorie content I threw into the waste bin, but it was significant. Healthy, protein packed, and if a little heavy on saturated fat, still full of vegetables, meats and nutrients. Enough food to sustain a person for a day at least, thrown away because I was too lazy to wrap it up. I’m not saying my half a pizza could have saved a hungry child; even had it been wrapped up, it would have probably made its way to the trash a day or two later. The point is, what an abundance we of even modest means enjoy in this country.

This post was going to be about my New Years resolutions, but truthfully, I don’t really make them and of course, never keep the ones I do make. I decided to make a wish list of resolutions for America in 2007. It isn’t hard to come up with such a list, universal health care, peace, a real energy policy, Christians who actually follow the teachings of Jesus, etc… I could go on and on. Then I saw the pizza, and thought of how truly obscene it is that in the richest country in the world, parents, many of them with two incomes, have to choose between rent and food, or medicine and food. I don’t care if the parents are shiftless, lazy, drug-addicted, or pick whatever wing nut catchphrase is supposed to justify their poverty; this is America, the richest country in the world. No child should ever be hungry in such a wealthy country. A child cannot pick their parents, a child cannot choose to be born into wealth or power, and a child can’t help whatever situation causes the hunger.

So, instead of a list of resolutions, I have a plea. Make 2007 a year to feed a child. I’m sure many of you do already. To you I say, thank you and let’s do more. Find your local food bank and pay them a visit. Hunger is an every day event, it is not relegated to the week the Boy Scouts have a food drive, or major holidays. Talk to the workers at your food bank. Ask them what the needs are, what time of the month the demand is highest. Even a modest commitment can make a difference. Talk to your friends; encourage them to make a commitment. We can’t bring peace to Iraq by ourselves, but we can each feed a child. So as you throw out the remains of last night’s cheese balls, or spinach dip, or whatever party fare you had, take time to think of those who began 2007 with empty bellies.