Lots of people, including Captain Ed, have jumped all over Vox's case about this column(linked here because the WND column was edited). He merely uses some historical perspective to debunk the assertion that "we CAN'T possibly deport 12 million illegals". What seems to have people's panties in a wad is that the reference was to the Nazis's attempted extermination of the Jews.

And he will be lying, again, just as he lied when he said: "Massive deportation of the people here is unrealistic - it's just not going to work."

Not only will it work, but one can easily estimate how long it would take. If it took the Germans less than four years to rid themselves of 6 million Jews, many of whom spoke German and were fully integrated into German society, it couldn't possibly take more than eight years to deport 12 million illegal aliens, many of whom don't speak English and are not integrated into American society

If you want to read into the article that

a) Vox really wants to herd up and kill the Mexicans or
b) He thinks that massive deportation should be issue #1

then go ahead. But don't pretend that you actually read the article as it's written. Read into whatever you want to, but don't pretend that it's actually what's written.

Update: It turns out that Rob at Say Anything did read it correctly, but he's still against the turn of phrase.

I, for one, believe it is totally possible for America to deport 12 million illegal immigrants. If we sealed off the border, empowered local law enforcement to arrest illegals and sped up the deportation process we could probably get most of them out of the country within five years or so. That being said, backing up one's support for mass deportation by citing the success Nazis had at exterminating the Jews is not exactly the best way to win over fence-sitters on this issue.

Okay, I will admit to my ignorance now, but will someone-anyone- please give be a better 20th century example of a country systematically rounding up a particular group of people, numbering in the millions, within a few years time, that was not predicated on the extermination of the aforementioned group. I mentioned above that I'd have sought a different example, but for the life of me, I cannot come up with one. Please, I really want to know. If you cannot provide me with another example, I will assume that you just don't like the Nazi reference, period, which is certainly your perogative. The factual accuracies contained within that reference can therfore simply be ignored because you find it horribly distasteful.

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I might be changing careers again. This time though, it would actually allow me to use my master's degree. I'm mulling over the life-changing implications of this decision. Good thoughts and/or prayers are always appreciated.

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1 you mean you're actually considering professional geekdom? I hope it pays well

Posted by: caltechgirl at May 10, 2006 02:46 PM (/vgMZ)

2 Actually, I've been a programmer/data analyst for the last decade or so. I think that my geek cred is pretty solid. However, this would allow me to move back into engineering. And yes, it would pay pretty well.

Posted by: physics geek at May 10, 2006 04:24 PM (auFn9)

3 If you're going back into hardware, remember Frank's 3 laws of how to fix anything. 1/ Is it plugged in? 2/ Is it turned on? 3/ Is it connected to the computer? The worst thing about software is that you really can't show somebody what you work on. Construction workers can point to a building, farmers see a crop, engineers see a bridge. Hey, bit-bashing sounds hi-tech, but it gets boring. Work on what you love, the money will follow.

Posted by: Frank Borger at May 11, 2006 05:51 AM (ftmU7)

4 In my case, I'd be able to point to nuclear power plants. I can hear the greenies screeching in horror right now. It's probably a good time to break out the Toxic Avenger costumer.

Posted by: physics geek at May 11, 2006 09:26 AM (Xvrs7)

5 Oh my. Good thoughts going your way. Power plants... super heros... my son would love it.

Posted by: vw bug at May 11, 2006 10:35 AM (U/hcI)

6 YAY! Radiation! Ah... that brings back memories :-)

Posted by: Harvey at May 11, 2006 11:01 AM (L7a63)

7 We had several former Navy nukes guys in our graduate program. The stories that they'd tell...

Posted by: physics geek at May 11, 2006 11:32 AM (Xvrs7)

8 Your decision should boil down to one thing--will you like what you do?

Posted by: Woody at May 11, 2006 08:12 PM (ymXKK)

9 Just remember, reactor physicists never worry about fallout. They just reinsert and shorten the stroke.

Posted by: frank borger at May 12, 2006 02:22 PM (kM4vx)

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But it's not a new one. Breitbart.com has a story about people pre-paying for gasoline to try and head off higher future prices. If prices go down, you're stuck with having paid high prices. For the record, Priceline did this first; it was a pretty good program. However, Priceline decided to burn through all of its capital quickly, leaving lots of unhappy former customers.

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Many people believe that Cinco de Mayo is the date that Mexicans celebrate their independence from mother Spain. Like most other commonly accepted "truths", this one is false. For the record, Mexico gained independence in 1821. Cinco de Mayo celebrates something else entirely. Excerpt:

France invaded at the gulf coast of Mexico along the state of Veracruz (see map) and began to march toward Mexico City, a distance today of less than 600 miles. Although American President Abraham Lincoln was sympathetic to Mexico's cause, and for which he is honored in Mexico, the U.S. was involved in its own Civil War at the time and was unable to provide any direct assistance.

Marching on toward Mexico City, the French army encountered strong resistance at the Mexican forts of Loreto and Guadalupe. Lead by Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, a small, poorly armed militia estimated at 4,500 men were able to stop and defeat a well outfitted French army of 6,500 soldiers, which stopped the invasion of the country. The victory was a glorious moment for Mexican patriots, which at the time helped to develop a needed sense of national unity, and is the cause for the historical date's celebration.

"The holiday of Cinco De Mayo, The 5th Of May, commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862."

Add Mexicans to the seemingly endless supply of people able to defeat the French in battle. Included in this list are the Quadruple Amputee Girls Elementary School, the Paralytic School for the Blind and pretty much any local Cub Scout troop. Den mothers are prohibited because the French invariably wet themselves when confronted with opponents standing over 4 feet in height, weighing more than 50 pounds, or possessing the bodily strength of your average two-year old.

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1 it's an excuse to drink beer. What better excuse than humiliating the French?

Posted by: caltechgirl at May 05, 2006 12:37 PM (/vgMZ)

2 Heck, I'll drink a beer when someone else humiliates the French.

Posted by: physics geek at May 07, 2006 02:31 PM (ed4GZ)

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A 33-year old man married a 104-year old woman. Excerpt:

A 33-year-old man in northern Malaysia has married a 104-year-old woman, saying mutual respect and friendship had turned to love, a news report said Tuesday.

Sounds like a May-1865 romance. Hey, I wonder how the groom's gonna like the wedding night? Probably like an old wallet. Leathery & dry with the possibility of a velcro-like strip. ::shudder::

And here's a photo of the happy couple, hidden below the fold. more...

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" Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?"

Posted by: Physics Geek at 09:56 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Your personal information is just that: personal. No one should post your private information on the web. The dickheads who thought that it was just fine and dandy to post Michelle Malkin's home address/Google maps/etc. should be flogged, painted in honey and then tied down to an anthill. After that, we can start with the actual punishment. Sound harsh? You betcha. Even if you don't agree with my suggested solution, you probably agree with the whole privacy premise thing. If so, go here to sign the Online Integrity petition.

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I've so busy that I failed to notice that April 25 was Susie's 3rd blogiversary. Stop by and wish her well. If you already have, do it again. NOW!

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Ever visit a site frequently only to discover that oops, you'd never actually added it to your blogroll?

Why am I the only who experiences this phenomenon? Inquiring minds want to know. In any event, I've rectified the situation and added Stop the ACLU to my blogroll.

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From VW Bug comes this:

Your Famous Last Words Will Be:

"I dunno, press the button and find out."

Aparently my friends are somewhat at risk simply by hanging out with. Crap, I knew that already. I'm not certain that they know yet. But they will...

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I'm with Jonah on this one:

Irrespective and regardless of numerous objections from readers, I stand by my position that irregardless is not a word. As this explains it is at best "nonstandard" English. The most I am willing to concede to my critics is that the war to keep irregardless out of common usage is surely a losing one.

For a longer explanation of the "word's" controversy check out World Wide Words

I grit my teeth every time that piece of claptrap dribbles from someone's mouth. Gah.

Update: Derbyshire has more:

---Irregardless. A lost cause. I saw the wonderful movie Hester Street soon after it came out in 1975. At the point where the smart-aleck lawyer says: "Irregardless, as we lawyers say..." everyone in the movie theater laughed. Today, nobody would see the joke.

I'm reminded of time back in the 1990s when Websters essentially said fuck it and stopped to point out the distinctions between imply and infer, finally listing them as synonyms. I knew then that the end times were upon us.

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Beer manufactured specifically for dogs.

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Experts claim that astrology doesn't have any "connection between the traditional sun signs of the zodiac and characteristics of individuals."

No shit.

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Gregg Easterbrook and TMQ return to ESPN's Page 2 after a two year hiatus at NFL.com.

That is all.

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An infomercial coming soon to a TV near you:

Cue the music. The curtain rises and it's Tom Cruise!

::applause::

Tom: I'd like to thank everyone for coming today.

Host: Tom, we're so happy to have you on today. You're here to show us your new cookbook, right.

Tom: That's right, and here it is: After Lunch. After Dinner. Yes, Afterbirth!. Placenta, one of the great untapped food resources in the world today.

Host(clapping): That's great, Tom! Isn't it, audience?

::crickets chirping::

Put it on right after one with the spray-on hair. It'll be huge.

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You can get a free BBQ grill from any of the following stores:

A&P

Albertsons

Costco

Food Lion

Fry's

Kroger

Meijer

Publix

Safeway

Sam's Club

Target

Vons

Wal-Mart

Winn-Dixie

I especially like the higher shelf which can be used for keeping things warm!

more...

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1 Yeah, but it sucks as a smoker. Besides, Jewel, the Albertsons associate around here, uses plastic.

Posted by: triticale at April 21, 2006 09:03 PM (dtbkW)

2 Hi Triticale, Concerning your comment about the fine free grill that the Physics Geek is advertising (does he now get a percentage of crazy panhandling money? ). I have professional restaurant/catering experience, and the owner of the grill actually has a good rig for smoking as we did. He does not have a hood with grids to catch grease and a fire suppression system, but his clever choice of venue seems to obviate the need. Depending on how much the Physics Geek has drained from his ready cash, he could go and buy a throw-away aluminum pan, an appropriately sized metal rack (maybe scavenged from unused original "grill" parts--some disassembly is required ), aluminum foil, and some wood chips (oh hell, what was I thinking, he is already out in the woods--why go to the store for that? ). Once the chips are smoking, covering with aluminum foil will smoke whatever critter he has managed to catch or buy--again depending on the presumably obscene rates he has to pay to the Physics Geek). Studying physics warps the mind for life apparently. Mike

Posted by: Mike at May 03, 2006 10:34 AM (RrbKy)

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Then again, maybe not. Chresten Anderson links to an open letter to the Canadian Prime Minister. I'll excerpt briefly:

The problem is very clear since “observational evidence does not support today’s computer climate models, so there is little reason to trust model predictions of the future. Yet this is precisely what the United Nations did in creating and promoting Kyoto and still does in the alarmist forecasts on which Canada’s” as well as all of Europe’s “climate policies are based.”

The 60 experts, many of whom are European, go on to say that “even if the climate models were realistic, the environmental impact of Canada delaying implementation of Kyoto or other greenhouse-gas reduction schemes, pending completion of consultations, would be insignificant. Directing your government to convene balanced, open hearings as soon as possible would be a most prudent and responsible course of action.”

That must have been a BIG check from the fossil fuel industry.</sarcasm>

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I've noodled over the whole Mohammed cartoon issue for a while. I believe that it's more complicated that most people seem to think. Do we have the right to publish them? Unquestionably yes. Does that translate into must publish? Survey says: BZZZZZ!. And I understand why some companies would choose to err on the side of caution. Gerard provides a great illustration of this with regards to Borders. To wit:

Is it really the case that your guys expect me, after months of watching this global governmental cowardice in the face of Islamic intimidation go down, to pin a big "Kick Me" sign on the backs of every one of my employees? Dudes, I worked in the grocery business for most of my career and if I am the last line of defense here, log off and head for the mountain redoubt with a box lunch because the terrorists have won.

However, I believe that, in other cases, capitulation to the Islam uber alles crowd is the order of the day. Patterico understands Borders's position, but finds Comedhimmi Central's cowardly groveling might damned pathetic:

Which brings us back to South Park. One of the most dangerous ideas in the world right now is Islamic exceptionalism. The pernicious notion that Islam is a force above and beyond all human law–and above all human rights–drives terrorism, empowers fascist movements, and immiserates a huge swath of the world. What insufferable airs. What an indefensible pretense. What a ridiculous pose.

What a laugh. Its consequences are tragedy and atrocity, but radical IslamÂ’s source is a farce.

The same is true, to a much lesser degree, with Scientology, which hasnÂ’t killed anyone but still regards itself with all the touchy, priggish self-importance of a bunch of new-age Ayatollahs. What a bunch of censorious ninnies. Get over yourselves.

If ever there were creeds that needed taking down a notch, these are the ones. Good for South Park for laughing at them. I donÂ’t like South Park because they are indiscriminate with their scorn and insult things for the sake of being insulting, but they sure got this one right. And jeers to Comedy Central for shutting them down. Not only does Comedy Central scorn the things that donÂ’t deserve it, but unlike South Park, they turn away from insulting the things that really do deserve it. As a civic institution, theyÂ’re a complete failure, and theyÂ’ve misused this important freedom we are fighting to defend.

Cowards.

Update: Michelle Malkin posts some proposed new logos for the network that fellates camels. And although these images are probably copyrighted, I feel certain that their creators won't mind if I share them with both of my readers. So here are two from the Maker of Worlds:

I was hoping for an image of Mohammed screwing a camel bearing Cowardly Central's logo, but that's probably a little too disgusting for Michelle Malkin to post.

Update: Kudos to Damien Penny for coining the prhase Cowardly Central.

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Or maybe Michele. I can't remember which. Regardless, it's good news.

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Everyone else probably knows, but Heather and Brian are expecting, so Yay. Heather's thinking about dropping her blog, which isn't so cool, so go let her know that you'd like her to stick around.

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