Just Gotta Say Something Again.....

I know that I have already made a post about immigration, but after getting today's paper I think I'll make another post about this issue.

In the local paper today they informed me that all local "latino" business owners will be closed on Monday as a sign of protest against "strict immigration reform". Again my point is this; either you are illegal or you are legal. PERIOD!!!!! How many times do I have to say it? It syre does seem like a simple issue. The argument has been put forward that we are all "immigrants". This is true. However, my ancestors came here legally. Probably spending a little bit of time on Ellis Island or any other type of late 19th century immigrant stop on ther long trip to citizenship. My ancestors didnt crawl under a fence or swim across a river. They crossed an ocean searching for a better life from the oppresive state of Europe at the time. At this time Europe was land in midst of many civil wars and still quite unsure if would make it to see the 21st cenury. Mexicans are in several forms of strife themselves, mostly from the economic condition of there country. But if the U.S. was to do anything they should try and help out that courty so people might want to stay there.

The icing on the cake is the creation of a spanish form of the "Star Spangled-Banner". Is anything sacred anymore from extreme policically correctness? I dont know where this will lead. Times will only tell.

I'm out.........Shrek OUT!!!!!!!

Perspective and Trying Make in the Oil Dependent USA

Gas is three snapperoonies a gallon!! Lee Raymond of Exxon got a $400 million dollar retirement package!! How can we defeat these evil oil corporations??

There is nothing we can do directly to these companies. We just can't. What we need here in America is a touch of perspective. Take Mr. Raymond's retirement package. It is worth $400 million. This includes things like using the corporate jet for personal business, security, and an one million per year pay. Forget all that. We as Americans use 375 million gallons of gas a day. If Exxon gave Mr. Raymond's retirement to us as consumers we would get approximately $1 off each gallon of gas we bought for ONE DAY. That's it, ONE DAY. It makes little sense to bitch Exxon out over this tiny bit of dough. Admittedly it looks bad, but it is all about perspective.

Take big oil's profit margins. They right now sit at 8.5% of every dollar of revenue. That is really high for the oil industry, but is it really that high? The price of gas compared to the price of crude oil(which is not set by oil companies) has remained the same throughout all the ups and downs. Banks make close to 19%. Pharmaceuticals are at about 12%. Utilities are at about 12%. Household goods are at 11-12%. Why are oil profits suddenly windfall profits that need to be taxed at 50%. Why not the phone company? Why not Merck? Why not Comerica? Forget all of that and you are still left with the question...When did it become bad to make money in America? Who has the right to say what excess profit is?

Americans are very selfish in their views about this. Before I go on, I want it to be understood that I do feel that three bucks a gallon is a lot. I also know how big of a financial burden it can be. My wife and I could save literally thousands of dollars a year if we lived in the city where she works. That said, Americans are not the only people in this world. Nations like China and India that have populations 4 times as large as ours are becoming oil hungry and probably they will soon be oil dependent like we are. There is only so much out there. We as Americans still have some of the lowest gas prices in the world. Places like the United Kingdom pay upwards of $6-$7 dollars a gallon. Perspective.

Americans also sometimes seem to forget who gets the most money from the sale of Gasoline. Oil companies get tons, no doubt. Politicians won't let you forget it. Why is it okay though for them to make just as much if not more. Remember that 375 millions of gallons a day we use? The average taxes taken out of a gallon by both the state and federal levels of government average about .40-.45 cents. If you figure out that over a years time and you get about 60 billion dollars a year we pay in taxes. They get this no matter the price of gas. Upswings and downswings do not matter. They always get 60 billion in profit. That is $205 from every man, woman and child per year. I am not trying to say this is wrong. All I want to know is why it is okay for the government to have 60 billion of our dollars, but it is evil and excessive for the oil companies(who at least get their profits from everyone in the world, their 60-70 billion a year in profit is spread out everywhere) to do the same. How many peoples retirements are being sured up through stocks by these profits? How many charitable causes are getting a piece of this money? Perspective.

We need to learn to change our lifestyles accordingly. I know not everyone can, but if you have cable TV, or a cell phone, really think about how necessary they really are. Walk when you can. Pile errands together. Oil is not our right, and things will only get worse if we keep treating it so. I told my wife that high prices for oil may be just what the doctor ordered because it will finally get people to figure out real solutions. Complaining about excess profits will solve nothing. Taxing windfall profits will only exacerbate things. Any taxes you impose on the oil companies will only come back to us at the pump. It isn't like Exxon will just sit by and give money away. Americans just really need to think about how they live their lives and stand up to oil itself, not the people who make money giving us what we want.

I wish good luck to everyone out there trying to make it.

See ya Welfare......

Recently, the Republican majority of Michigan's House of Representatives proposed a bill that would further limit the amount of aid provided to welfare recipients. The plan would call for a lifetime limt of 4 years on public assistance. It would also limit the funds available to the those whom are not looking for work.

I think this is a realativly good idea. It seems as if our society has become more and more dependant on help from others. This is a good plan when use is limited and the individual is doing all that they can to remove themselves from there present strife. The problem with the current system is that there is not check on those people whom use it for basically forever. Generations have grown up on this assistance. I am speaking from a point of view where I have never had to, and hope to never need such services. So I don't really know about the complete "ins and outs" of what you get and what you don't get. Yet I have personaly known people who have bought the "Bridge Cards". The way this works is as follow; I have a "Bridge Card" worth $100 and I want to sell it to you. I would sell you my $100 "Bridge Card" for probably $50-$75 cash. This allows me to have the cash and not be forced to spend it upon food or toiletries. And the buyer now has potentially doubled his money for food. Good for the buyer and, I suppose good for the seller. How good for society and and the system? A quick fix would be person-specific cards, where holder must present I.D. to us it. Just as most of us are asked for I.D. when using a credit or debit card. The largest problem with tweeking the system, even a little, is that any changes could be deemed as a racist move. That would be the typical knee-jerk reaction to a service which is, percentage wise, used mostly by minorities. I do know that in pure numbers, caucasions are the most help by the programs. But the percentages are vastly different.

The point at the end of the day is that the system doesn't work. Period. And any step for change is a better choice than leaving things the way they are. I just guess that we will have to wait and see what our elected officials decide to do. If you have any questions or concerns, I advise you to contact you local Michigan State Representative or Senator and let them know how you feel.

ShrekZilla.......OUT!!!

I Want The Goald!!!

Just in case you missed it here is the tale of that pesky Leprechaun that has been tormenting the trees of Mobile, Alabama.

Original Link to the story...Show Me The Goald!!

The fantastic remixed, retelling is here...I Want The Goald!!

The Return of The NJP

No surprises here. We didn't win it, but considering how we started, we might as well have. More important than the place we finished in, was who we did it with. This year marked the return of the original NJP Bowling Congress. Myself, PeelBerry and Shrekzilla. As a unit we have never finished worse than 3rd. This was also the first time in over two years that I got partake in the bowling excitement. That is what made it so great to finish the way we did. It proves that The NJP still has some real steam in it.

I just want tell my teammates thank you for an awesome season. NJP 4 LIFE!!!

THE LAST RECAPTION
3-1
NJPMAN scores High Game with a 255
1 Set of Sour Grapes
1 Glorious Season

Joy, Sorrow and Disscontent

Well my friends, The NJP came up short in in our bid for our first ever champoinship. The first game we were able to take with a little help from NJPMan's 255 game while me and PeelBerry struggled all night. In the next game we lost by just 32 pins, dashing all hopes of our title run. The third game is where there were some problems. El Presidente decided to try his luck at bowling left handed, after a lackluster start to the game. Now, as the rule states, they must forfeit that game. The third place team saw this observed it as an intentional throw of the match. Whether there was any intent to just hand the game over to us or not is a question and situation I will choose not to discuss. So as we waited to see what happened I decided to look into the numbers a little bit deeper. As it turns out, we out scratched the 3 R's by more than 8000 pins. That is 8000 with three zeros. Which, if you ask me, means that we are not even on the same planet when it comes to pure bowling ability.

As the season ends, we can have some solice in knowing that we finshed strong and until the last frame of the second game, we were still there with an opportunity to win the whole F'n show. I tip my hat to the champions and to my fellow NJP Members for one hell of a year. Good job bros.


Look fo me on Halo2 folks....>>ShrekZilla is WORLD F'N WIDE TRICKS!!

I'm out like Nicole........

Never Too Late

Like I said in the edit to last weeks bowling update...have faith. The NJP Bowling Brokerage Firm isn't dead yet. This week we took on fan favorite H.D.J.com and took 4 to spring back into 2nd Place. El Presidente and the Ringers split with our old nemesis The Born Losers. This leaves us exactly 4 points out of first place. This coming Friday is the position round, and with it comes a daunting task. We have to win 4(not three) games in a row against El Presidente and Company to become champions. This is also compounded in confusion by the fact that the 3 R's can also take 4 and be tied with the leaders. Because of this there is an outside chance that there can be a 3 way dance for the title when the night is through. Anyway you slice it, it's going to be a very exciting week.

THE VERY MUCH MORE EXCITED RECAPTION OF DOOM
4-0 this week
3 garbage bag 50/50 loser winners
No High Game
PeelBerry wins 50/50 in support of the Special Olympics
1 Dream Lives

What Should America Do?

American lawmakers have backed themselves into a tight spot this time. They are forced into making a tough choice. They have to balance their duty to America and its' people against the fate of 11-15 million people trying to make a better lives for themselves. What can you really do with that many people? Some say send them all back. Okay. We couldn't move 450,000 people out of New Orleans, so how can we move a population the size of Florida, spread across the country, most of whom do not want to go? Some say to brand them all as criminals. I cannot even wrap my head around the point of that. If illegals(I know illegal has a negative connotation, but it is a truth, not a judgment) are such a strain on out tax dollars now, how much more of a strain would millions upon millions of criminal trials cost? Let alone families that could be ripped apart and lives that have real roots here be ruined.The point is that there are no easy answers to any of these questions.

I am not 100% sure where I fall on this issue, but I do see it as coming to a head, and that is for the best. All sides make good points. As long as their is a .02% unemployment rate in this country, illegals are taking American Jobs. Even if they are crappy jobs, I do believe Americans should get the first crack. This is also where the gray area in this debate really settles in. Most advocates of amnesty or temporary work programs will tell you that these are jobs that Americans will not do. It is not the job itself, but the wages. The labor that illegal immigration supplies is artificially, and sometimes illegally, cheap. This is America after all, and there are more than enough people willing to turn a blind eye if they can save a buck or three. I don't know if this best thing to do, but if you really wanted to nip this problem in the bud you have to punish the enablers of this behavior. You have to take on the employers. Here is some sample wording for a law that focuses on employers...

If an employer is found to have hired a worker who is in this country illegally they will be fined a total of $1,000,000 per worker in question. This fine will incur even if the worker in question was found to have gained employment by using false identification.

That's it. The first time a company or individual got hit with this, illegal immigrant workers would be seen as the plague. Like I said, I don't know if it is the right thing to do, but there is a real good chance that would work.

None of this would be an issue if our lawmakers had just done their jobs and enforced the border in the first place. You can't really blame any of these people that came into America. It was like a big mansion that said no trespassing, but once you got in no one made you leave. It sure as heck doesn't work in that situation, and it doesn't work here. The answer seems easy, but how do you make a choice to ruin the lives of 15 million house guests who you let in?

I have heard that we as Americans are a country of compassion, but also a country of laws. I agree. Illegal is illegal and it has to stop, now, but lawmakers need to buck up to their past mistakes and figure out an amicable way to take one on the chin. Those 15 million are here now and we have to best find a way to intergrate them into society that works for both Americans and Illegals alike. Lawmakers have to stop using these people as political chess pieces and find real solutions. I am willing to keep an open mind and hear all possible remedies. I hope they are too.

Legal or Illegal?

Recently, in the news, we have been hearing a lot of talk about the whole legal and illegal immigrant issue. And it seems as if this has been turned into and only illegal Mexican situation. This is most untrue. Although more than 75% of illegal immigrants are Mexican, or at least latin in decent there are several more minorities involved. Some of thos include those from the middle east and any of the European countries. Not all of them swim through a rushing river or climb a fence either. Most enter legally, just never seem to find there way home. And these are the two types of illegal aliens.
There were recently several protests by mostly latin groups fighting against the "unfair" targeting of there ethnic group. The focusing on a voluntary work force whome is willing to be paid a sub-standard wage for a hard days work. I will be the first one to say that they do perform a needed service. Most Americans would never do those jobs at those wages. We have grown to think that these jobs are beneith us. And why not? Especially when there is a ready and willing group of people completely willing to do it for basiclly peanuts. The mentality of these folks is that anything here (the U.S.) is better than there (Mexico).
The present bill before the Senate now wouuld allow for a traveling worker permit. The has upset some on bothe sides. One side says that we are giving away to much and taking jobs away from hard working Americans. Then there is the mentality that this is to tough and we are in some way discriminating against latin americans. The law would also make it felony to be an illegal alien. My question here is, what is wrong with that? If an indiviadual is breaking the law, regardless of what the law is, that person is performing an illegal act. And if found guilty, is a felon and should be punished as the court sees fit. This is not a racist act. This is simply the enforcment of a law which is far past due. So if there were no penalties for commiting these crimes then they would cease to be crimes and become just everyday occurances and accepted practices.

This is a situation where our government either needs to "piss or get off the pot". They must decide whether to upset a group of people whom is already breaking the law and has no legal right to be here and protect the American working man and the American way of life. Or allow for the influx of illegal human trafficing to continue and enlarge the grap between rich and poor even further.

If you are concerned at all or have a strong opinion, either way, I recommend that you conact your local congressman or senator and convey these concerns. Nothing is final yet and there is still time for your voice to be heard.

I'm Outtie folks.......

ShrekZilla

Also, I'm now on XBox Live, under the handel of ShrekZilla.....So look out on Battlefield 2!!!!!

Website Update(Nothing Major)

When I say nothing major, I mean it. Just a music update change to the entrance page and a small meaningless update to the website itself. Get with me ShrekZilla so we can hook this shizzle upwards.

NJP 4 LIFE!!!

All Good Things...

The dream is over. The NJP Judicial Bowling Committee's run towards first ended Friday night at the hands of El Presidente's Team. They took the first game by 40+ pins. We actually rebounded and took the second game by 90+, giving us the advantage in case we had to spilt. The problem was that they came unglued on us in the final game. They took 3, leaving us a daunting 7 games out of first with only 2-3 weeks to go. This probably also dropped us into 3rd or 4th place, but with a good chance of salvaging a second place finish. Not bad for a team that back in November had a record of 13-19 and was sitting in the toilet of the league. Since then we have went on a 66-18 run. Making us by far the best team in that time frame. All props go to El Presidente and the Ringers for putting it on us. Maybe next year...

EDIT:Just so you loyal NJP-ites know, we can still win it all, but it will take a huge collapse by El Presidente and the Ringers. But you never know...


THE SADDEST RECAPTION
1-3 this week
PeelBerry wins High Game #2 with a 236
3 Garbage Bag 50/50 winners
No Special Olympic 50/50 winners
One journey over...Probably

NJP 4 LIFE!!!