Following up on my earlier post on Georgia, it turns out that not only have all the produce pickers been chased off of the farms down that way, so have a lot of the service industry folks. Good job, racists!
Author Archives: John Wallenfeldt
China: The Five-Year Plan, the Complete Series
An interesting look at China over two visits five years apart.
Check out the whole series if you can. There are things the Chinese are doing well, but at a cost most Americans wouldn’t accept.
Well, except for Tea Baggers, but they wouldn’t consciously do it to themselves.
Daniel Radcliffe: Harry Potter Comes of Age One Hedcut at a Time
An interesting look at how the Wall Street Journal kept up with Harry Potter over the years.
Fear, God And Family Pervade Migrants’ Journey : NPR
It seems a lot of us have forgotten that we built this nation as immigrants. Immigrants constantly pushing out the folks who were here already, but, yes, the United States is a nation of immigrants lording over the conquered.
This is instructive when you consider what it takes for modern day immigrants to actually get here in the first place. Read/listen to this as an introduction.
And hell, once they survive that, you’ve got armed redneck, hateful “Christians” and just the general law enforcement establishment to deal with. Are they breaking the law? Sure, so do you when speeding or cheating on your taxes. Taxes, I’ll remind you, that anyone with a fake SSN is paying and will never collect to help pad your retirement.
Mine too. Just saying.
Las Vegas Weekly : – That’s all folks! A look back at Oscar Goodman
Pretty much everything I know about Las Vegas, I know with Oscar Goodman as mayor. Now he’s out of office.
I can’t help that some of the glitter and glitz is gone from the city because of that.
Playhouses – Child’s Play, Grown-Up Cash – NYTimes.com
I’ll be honest, some of the kid houses in this article make me want to puke. Or to cave the heads of the parents in with a shovel.
I mean, who the hell wants a replica of the very house they are trying to get out of?
And though I doubt I’ll ever have the money to spoil my kid the way these folks do – and even if we did we’d probably just go see the world – it is neat to see some of the ideas. I really, really like the big piratey tree house assembly those grandparents built out west.
Science Friday Archives: Yes, We Do Have Bananas, For Now
I think it was my dad who told me about the Cavendish banana and how it became our primary banana in the Western world. Having traveled a bit, I’ve had my share of other folks’ bananas and damn do we miss out on flavor.
That said, there is a reason we have the bananas we do and it might be time to pick a new one because “our’s” might be dying off soon, just like it’s predecessor.
The Troubled History Of The Supermarket Tomato : NPR
Having covered the taste-free banana, I also read this story about our bland tomatoes.
I ponder this as I question whether I can keep the weeds at bay long enough for our little tomato plants to produce any kind of bounty this year. Between the new job’s travels, the rabbits, the rain and humidity, I’m not so sure.
If you enjoy the story, be sure to check out the related stories as well. There is a lot on this subject.
Top 10 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Gear (Without Spending Extra Money)
Some good ways to make old gear do new things. Or at least do their old tasks better.
Soon-to-be free agent Fielder, Brewers taking aim at pennant
A slightly old article but a good one about Prince Fielder and the work that goes into helping your team succeed. Even, maybe especially, because he’s probably gonna be traded at the end of the season.
Sure, you can argue, the farther he carries his team, the better he looks. And that is surely true. But you’ve seen this before, guys who already have their bags packed by the All-Star break.
I don’t get that vibe here. Fielder genuinely wants his current team, his current city, to get all they can out of him this season.
I like it and I wish I saw more of it in sports.