Well, I was pretty well spun up yesterday over the latest hubris of the illegal immigrant support community, but I decided to calm down for a day or two, the weather being as beautiful as it is and there being so many ways to enjoy the weekend.

Yesterday was the Day of the Yard, marked by weeding and watering and feeding to try and convince all our carefully-landscaped plants not to die on us. I also was able to use the toy I bought myself last summer - a power washer (WOO-HOO!!) - to try to clean the dirt and stains away from the driveway. It didn't work 100%, but the driveway looks a lot better than it did.

Today, I intend to tackle the Tarzan-daunting jungle that is our yard on the right side of the house. It has become an overgrown thicket of tall grass and weeds, dotted with big rocks that used to be part of my front yard landscaping attempts. I'm not looking forward to this, but it has to be done, if for no other reason than to eliminate hiding places for snakes coming up from the woods behind the house.

But before all that, Agnes and I will have the pleasure of seeing some old friends again for brunch. We had been very close once, but time and events caused us to drift apart and now we have the opportunity to get reacquainted. Life is too short and good friends too rare to not keep up the contacts. It will be a nice lead-in to an otherwise exhausting day.

But then, who wants to sit in front of a TV when the sun is out and the birds are singing and the air is ... well, okay ... full of pollen. Not me!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I will.

Bilbo

Okay, my blood pressure is officially skyrocketing again over the staggering arrogance of those who are trying to blackmail this country into bending over backwards to accommodate those who break the law. I refer once again, of course, to the illegal immigrants rights movement. On top of all the other arrogant demands of these people, America now has to put up with a special version of the national anthem in Spanish for those too lazy or disinterested to learn the language of the country they expect to give them what they want on a silver platter. I've been offended by many things this group of people has done, but this one goes beyond even my expectations of how disgustingly arrogant and demanding they can be. Even the President - with whom I seldom agree - has actually started to grow a spine and bluntly state that immigrants should learn English and that the national anthem should be sung in that language. I could hardly believe that the Mr Bush could come out with such a statement when he - like most of our spineless elected officials - seem to spend most of their time scurrying in fear of alienating the Hispanic vote.

And now, also, we have a "Day without Immigrants" scheduled for Monday, May 1st, in which those who believe that willing lawbreakers should have the same rights and priviliges of any citizen of this nation will attempt to blackmail our government by boycotting jobs and businesses. I personally think every one of them should be fired. And I think they should be happy that they live - many of them illegally - in a country that lets them get away with this stupid behavior.

This activity is a slap in the face of the millions and millions of American citizens who came to this country as legal immigrants. Who obeyed the immigration laws of the great nation they hoped would adopt them as part of its community.

This country does not hate immigrants, as the arrogant and noisy protesters would have you believe. This country was built by immigrants who came here to add their contributions to make the peaceful and multicultural society that enjoys the highest overall standard of living in the world. My paternal grandparents came to this country legally from Hungary after the First World War. They found jobs, learned English, became citizens, and created the conditions for me to enjoy the life I lead as a citizen of the best country on earth. Want to see what happens when people ignore the laws and refuse to become part of a larger community and work together for the common good? Look at Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, and most other nations of the third world for an example of what happens when the members of a society don't work together in a framework of law.

How about everyone having the courage to frame this issue in the proper terms. It is NOT about hating immigrants. It is about expecting those who wish to immigrate to the United States to obey the same laws that the rest of us do. It is about expecting those who want to live in this country to share not only in the benefits, but also in the responsibilities of living here.

And don't EVER play the national anthem in anything but English where I can hear it. If you need to have a national anthem sung in another language, go and settle in that country. We don't need you here if you are unwilling to become an American.

If you participate in the boycotts and demonstrations on Monday, shame on you. You are spitting on the country that gives you more freedom than any other nation on earth. Perhaps you would be happier elsewhere. Go. But if you stay here, quit bellyaching and obey the law.

It's Friday once again, the weather forecast for today through the weekend is for glorious, sunny mid-60's and no rain - just the sort of weather that makes you feel great to be alive. My last few posts have been relative downers about Iraq and terrorism, so it's time to turn for a few minutes to the happier side of life. Time to think about a few of the things that make life here in Northern Virginia worth living:

Dancing with my friends on Friday night (nothing quite like holding a beautiful lady close for those three minutes of music).

Watching the ladies in their spring outfits on the Metro (and seeing that arms and legs didn't disappear during the long, cold winter).

Working in the yard in the warm sun while the birds twitter happily (and Agnes points out the weeds I missed).

Eating breakfast on the deck in the cool morning air, enjoying the peace and quiet (before the lawn mowers start).

So there are lots of little pleasures we can enjoy despite soaring gas prices and bad news from the rest of the world. I plan to enjoy as many of them as I can during this weekend. You should do the same. Life's too short to do otherwise.

Have a wonderful weekend. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Yesterday, I moaned a bit about the situation in Iraq. But moaning about a problem doesn't do much good unless you also have a suggestion about what to do. Here are a few of my thoughts:

First, as long as we're in Iraq in force, the Iraqis have no particular impetus to resolve their problems and reconstruct their own police and military, knowing that we'll cover for them and - most important - we'll always be there to be blamed for their problems. So set a firm deadline for the withdrawal of our troops. I know the argument that says the insurgents will be emboldened and claim victory if we announce we're going to withdraw. That's why we should also...

Second, immediately crack down - hard - on the border crossings that are now run by corrupt Iraqi officials who let foreign fighters and materiel into the country. In conjunction with that, start getting draconian with people caught with suicide vests, car bomb factories, etc. Summary execution sounds good, and helps make the point that we're not going to be the punching bag any more.

Third, put a LOT more emphasis on fighting the insurgents in the media. So far, these bastards have had a free ride with their websites and audiotapes, CDs and DVDs, and their willing compatriots at al Jazeera and al Arabiya to push their message...so let's take the mental fight to them with some sophisticated media offensives of our own. I know many will recoil in horror at the thought of America using "propaganda," but let's start living in the real world and playing by its rules.

Well, that's a start. It won't go all the way toward getting out of the tar baby's embrace, but it can't hurt any more than the slow agony we're going through now.

A happier post tomorrow, I promise.

Bilbo

So what do we do about Iraq?

I guess the answer to that question depends pretty much on your political leanings. I am a hard-core, card-carrying Independent with nothing but contempt for both of our major political parties, so I try to take a clear-eyed and realistic view of the situation. Here's how I see it...

Invading Iraq was a serious mistake. Yes, Saddam Hussein was a very bad guy, but he didn't pose a direct threat to us. Now, we are facing a raging and deadly insurgency in Iraq, Islamic radicals are energized around the world, and snakes like Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi are able to thumb their audio and video noses at us and exhort their crazy followers to kill folks like you and I. Muslims around the world listen to these morons and believe every word they say (since they do not have a religious tradition that encourages critical thinking), ignoring the fact that the United States, for all its faults, is always first on the scene with disaster relief and other good works.

But we've punched the tar baby. Mr Bush has gotten us into this mess, and we have to make the best of it. Giving up and pulling out is not an option, and neither is simply slogging along wasting blood and treasure. Firing Mr Rumsfeld may be satisfying, but it doesn't help the situation and the calls for his head do nothing more than provide encouragement to our enemies.

So what do we do? Some thoughts tomorrow.

In the meantime, have a good day. It's bound to be better than the day endured by our men and women in Iraq.

Bilbo

Well, look what happened...someone turned over a rock, and now Osama bin Laden has popped up again.

Yes, our favorite smug lunatic is back, peering out of his cave to encourage Muslims everywhere to go to Sudan and fight against the evil Crusaders (that would be people like you and I, most of whom couldn't find the Sudan on a map) who are daring to fight the valiant Muslims there. Of course, he doesn't mention that those valiant Muslims are the members of the Janjaweed militia who are responsible for much of the terrible suffering in the Darfur region of Sudan, and who have ruthlessly massacred thousands of innocent people...but then, logic has never been Mr bin Laden's strong suit.

So, let me see if I've got this right: Osama bin Laden, speaking in the name of the god he refers to as "the merciful, the compassionate," is exhorting his coreligionists to kill everyone who doesn't share his version of mercy and compassion. It appears that at least a few of his adherents have listened to him, as more than 20 people were killed yesterday in attacks on innocent vacationers enjoying a holiday at a resort in Egypt.

Make no mistake - Islamic fundamentalists like bin Laden, Zawahiri, and al-Zarqawi are the real-life version of The Terminator: They can't be bargained with. They can't be reasoned with. They don't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And they absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead. Or until you submit to their twisted view of paradise on earth. And if you don't believe that, watch what they do, listen to what they say, and read what they write. You can start by visiting the Middle East Media Research Institute (http://www.memri.org) to read English translations and view video clips of what they're saying. And if you thought the famous Danish cartoons of the prophet Mohammed were offensive, take a look at some of the cartoons culled from the Arabic media that are collected at the site.

Theirs is not the vision of the future I want for my grandchildren. Take them seriously, folks. They won't give up. Will we?

More, and hopefully, happier, thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

One of my favorite segments of the "Wizard of Id" comic strip shows a life insurance salesman being presented to the king. The skeptical king asks, "What's life insurance?" The salesman answers, "Well, your majesty, think of it as a wagering game...we bet that you'll live long enough to pay us more money in premiums than we'll have to pay you in benefits." The king asks, "What happens if I die young?" And the salesman says, "You win!"

I had reason to think about this old cartoon this past weekend, when a nice lady named Greta came to my house in the service of a company that's trying to decide whether it's safe to insure me. This is one of those little indignities that comes once one is over the magical age of 50...life insurance companies assume that you are a dead man walking, and want to assure themselves that you're not going to keel over next week and cost them a lot of money. Thus, they send out platoons of nice ladies like Greta to visit prospective customers and ask lots of personal questions, measure lung capacity, check weight, and collect...um... "samples."

Now, I can sympathize with the insurance companies up to a point, but I think you can understand that my idea of a fun Saturday morning does not generally include sitting at my kitchen table having my blood pressure checked and my blood drawn. I seldom object to having the undivided attention of an attractive lady, but when she's holding my hand only to check my pulse and blood pressure, it takes some of the gloss off.

Oh, well...I guess it's a good thing that she came this past weekend, instead of in another month or two when my real estate tax bill comes due...then, my blood pressure and general stress level would have been through the roof, and her employer would have run screaming from the opportunity to insure me.

No offense, Greta, but I'd rather dance with you than fill little plastic cups for you.

If you're under 50, this is what you have to look forward to. Have a good day, anyhow. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

May I have this dance?

As you know if you've read my profile and some of my past posts, one of my hobbies is ballroom dancing. I've come to enjoy it very much since that day more than 20 years ago when my wife, who is a dance teacher, signed me up for lessons in frustration at my ineptitude. Agnes doesn't try to teach me, of course, since we tend to argue and fight when she does, so I take my lessons from the director of the studio where she teaches...I serve as his patience trainer, as I am supremely uncoordinated and can take quite a while to learn even the most simple patterns.

But...

Through sheer grit and endless practice, I've come to be a reasonably good dancer, even to the point of doing well in competitions. My only regret is that I didn't have these skills when I was in college, because there's a real thrill that comes from having attractive women come up and ask ME - professional geek that I am - to dance with them.

Plus, as one of my acquaintences from the dance school says in his blog (rhumbadervish.blogspot.com), it's a nice activity for a husband and wife to do together. We tend to run in separate directions all week long between jobs, errands, and the million other things that need to be done, and it's nice to have that few minutes of music to hold on to each other and remember how good life can be when we let it.

So if you haven't tried ballroom dancing as a pastime, go out to a studio near you and sign up for their introductory special (all studios have one). You'll find that it's a great form of exercise, wonderful for your social life, and - if you can get past the occasional frustrations of learning - it's richly rewarding on many levels.

Ladies, I hope someday to have the chance to dance with you!

Have a good weekend. More random comments later.

Bilbo

According to an amazing feature article on the CNN website yesterday (http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/20/driving.study/index.html), distracted driving causes accidents!

Where I come from, this is known as a blinding flash of the obvious.

If you read my blog back on March 10th (still available in the archives), you know my thoughts on distracted driving. Just yesterday, I was nearly run down when a brainless idiot chattering on her cell phone blew through a red light to make a right turn without even slowing down or checking to see if anyone was in the crosswalk. In fact, she never even looked to see if any traffic was coming from the left, either.

Having lived in the Washington, DC / Northern Virginia area for many years, I think I've seen just about all the abysmally stupid things drivers can do. I've seen people zipping along at 65 or faster while reading their newspapers, putting on makeup, eating, or turning completely around to have a conversation with people in the back seat. The cell phone is just the latest in a long line of distractions.

To those folks who are stupid enough to drive without giving it your full attention, let me just say that I don't mind at all if you improve the gene pool by killing yourselves off. However, I do object if you try to take me with you.

Many years ago, about the time I got my first drivers license, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania mailed a small wallet card to each registered driver. The card contained "The Driver's Prayer," which read (this may not be exact, but it's close): "We thank you for the ability to travel from one place to another faster than our legs can carry us. And we recognize our responsibility to do so without injuring another human being." They probably couldn't send out something like that today, but it's worth thinking about no matter where (or if) you go to church. Driving is a privilege, and your car can be a weapon. Use it carefully. The life you save may be mine!

Have a good weekend. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Never underestimate the ability of anyone in the Middle East to shoot themselves in the foot...

I don't pretend to have any solutions to the snakepit of political, social, and religious fights that are the hallmark of what we used to call "The Holy Land." But one thing that's certain is that the extremists on both sides - Arab/Palestinian and Jewish - will always do something incomprehensibly stupid in order to keep the pot boiling and make life miserable for the great mass of people in the region.

The Palestinians are upset that Israel occupies the West Bank and has carved it up into a series of noncontiguous enclaves that greatly complicate Palestinian life and set up an endless series of little embarassments every day. So how do they convince the Israelis that they can be safe and reliable neighbors willing to work together to build peaceful and prosperous neighboring states? By conducting suicide bombings of buses and restaurants. The Israelis, in their turn, crack down harder on the Palestinians, and the cycle continues.

The cynicism and bloodthirstiness is just beyond belief. Where's the Gandhi of the Palestinians? Where are the visionary leaders willing to set aside tit-for-tat hatreds and work together to improve life for all? The sad answer is that they've been hijacked and overshadowed by the extremists on both sides for whom violence and intolerance is the only response to everything.

A recent podcast headline from the satirical newscast "The Onion" read, "God Re-Floods the Middle East." Sometimes you could think that The Deity finally giving up, wiping the whole place out and starting over wouldn't be such a bad idea.

I'm in a somber mood today. I'll try to be more upbeat tomorrow as we slide into the weekend.

Bilbo