“I’m going to catch as many as I can and throw them in my jail,” said Sheriff Joe Arpaio. “And the jails are not that nice.”

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is right. His jails primarily suck. And that’s on a good day. Check it out: when he ran out of brick and mortar buildings for inmates, he created tent cities in the Arizona desert. Allow me to consult my thermometer right now: oh yes; about 118 degrees in the shade. Perfect for inmates or boiling lobster tails.

Before I go further, to get a good sense of who he is, I refer you to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department website, some truths about Sheriff Joe, and what Wikipedia has to say about the good Sheriff.

People either love or hate Sheriff Joe. Many hate him. He has been sued. He has received numerous death threats. Still he has survived. Some say that he is the most recognized and revered politician in the entire state of Arizona. At age 74, not a bad testimony — considering Arizona is rife with True Politicians as is any other given state. In my opinion Sheriff Joe is the last of a breed.

Hell, I should have made him a Today’s Hero months ago.

Silly me.

Also: silly me for not checking Arpaio’s influence on the illegal immigrant issue because Arizona is, of course, on the cutting edge of illegal immigration as it borders the Mexican state of Sonora and the Mexican cities of Nogales and Agua Prieta.

From the Associated Press:

Beginning Wednesday, more illegal immigrants coming through Maricopa County could meet the same fate as the sheriff’s department beefs up its efforts to find illegal immigrants.

A 250-member posse that will operate similarly to the anti-smuggler task force will patrol the area for illegal immigrants who pay smugglers to cross through Arizona, the busiest illegal entry point along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border.

The posse will be made up of existing sheriff’s deputies and members of the department’s 3,000-member posse reserve of trained, unpaid volunteers.

A recent Arizona state law makes human smuggling a crime — it was already a federal crime — (though largely unenforced by those who have the power to do so!) allowing local law enforcement agencies to arrest suspected smugglers.

And so in steps another player: Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. He believes the law can be applied to the smuggled immigrants themselves, thinking that illegal immigrants who pay smugglers to enter the United States are committing conspiracy to smuggle and can therefore be prosecuted under the state law.

Sounds to me like the continual controversy of “spirit of the law” vs. the “letter of the law.”

Which philosophy do you think should win? And on whose side should the law lean?

Naturally, attorneys for some of the arrested illegal immigrants have filed motions to have the charges dismissed. One LA lawyer brought into the case by the Mexican Consul General’s Office in Phoenix (big clue there) filed another motion claiming Thomas and Arpaio are violating state and federal law and are using the conspiracy charges to control illegal immigration, which, they allege, is the federal government’s job.

Easily countered: the federal government ISN’T DOING ITS JOB. Period.

Again, from the AP story:

Arpaio said the motions don’t worry him.

“I get sued when I go to the toilet. You think I’m worried about it?” he said. “If they think I’m going to slow down because of these threats, I’ve got news for them – I’m not going to slow down. I’ll do more of it.”

Balls. Pure and simple.

So few of them left in this country.

Huh, George?

BZ

As most already know, my life has been “busy” shall we say, these last two months. This situation has been complicated by the fact that Blogger appeared to be ignoring me in the most insulting way — not allowing me to post, eradicating lengthy posts, not allowing me to add a photograph, not allowing me to save drafts or publish at all. Even now, as I write these words, I’m attempting to add a photo (on another computer) and the process is glazingly slow.

As a matter of fact, there it goes. I can’t add a photo and this computer is hooked to DSL. I have a little winky dial-up at home but, unfortunately, with the way my life has been running, all the emergencies and issues have been in the Sacratomato Valley — nowhere near my home.

The previous post, for example, was accomplished after five attempts by first composing in Word and then pasting rapidly. No photo, no graphics. On my work computer, my blog appeared as though I had completely eradicated my right sidebar and I thought: “Lord, how would I possibly re-create this blog from scratch?” I admit; I panicked.

I had to wait all day until I could leave work and access another computer. But at least I know the problem: my work computer. I discovered the I.T. creatures have added more sites to their URLs of Death — to include Blogger. I also discovered “other entities” had been logging onto Blogger for hours at a time during work hours — whilst I used my early morning time to blog before work. Heavy sigh.

So there you have it. I have to bring my massive HP Pavilion zd8000 to work and try to run it from my phone line, through my dial-up ISP.

I’ve not gone away; I’ve simply been out-maneuvered by a wily I.T. team.

I’ll not give up so easily.

BZ

One opinion, one point:

Opinion:
When it comes to fiscal conservatism, the Republican Party simply fails under President Bush. Today, the federal government spends $2.47 trillion—that’s 2,470 billions of dollars—each year. Adjusted for inflation, that’s 50 percent larger than the big-government Clinton-era budgets of only a decade ago – remember those? – the ones conservatives complained about? Of that, only 21 cents of every taxpayer dollar goes to national defense and homeland security. By contrast, 54 cents goes to entitlements like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and 8 cents goes to servicing the federal debt.

As The Patriot Post indicates: Meanwhile, the federal deficit will grow another $423 billion this year, raising the national debt to $8.28 trillion! While we’re not exactly “The sky is falling!” deficit hawks, it’s worth noting that big budgets and big deficits tighten the money supply, increasing the costs of investment and slowing economic growth and prosperity.

This is not what Conservatism is about. I continue to be disappointed.

Point:
Just what you want in your beef: bovine spongiform encephalopathy. You know it as Mad Cow Disease. And were you aware that the USDA under President Bush has barred Kansas meatpacking company Creekstone Farms from following through on its plan to test 100% of its cattle for BSE?

In order to reassure its overseas customers, Creekstone wanted to test 100% of its cows – compared to the USDA – which tests 1% of slaughtered cattle. The USDA had the actual temerity to say that Creekstone’s proposed testing regime would “undermine confidence in government efforts to spot the disease,” which can cause fatal brain damage in people eating infected animals.

Here are some Truths according to BZ:

Yes, it would undermine confidence. And why is the USDA only testing 1%?
Moreover, the USDA is likely afraid that testing would reveal Mad Cow more common than anyone ever imagined.

That the Bush Administration’s USDA would actually oppose a positive move for the benefit of public health is beyond outrageous. It’s just plain stupid and dangerous.

And what of tree trade and open markets? What if Creekstone’s beef “takes off” because of vigorous testing? Wouldn’t that likely force others in the beef industry to test in a like fashion?

So, Bush USDA: competition isn’t good? Public health isn’t good? Saving peoples’ lives isn’t good?

This is reprehensible.

BZ

I’ve looked at a bunch of cars. Sedans, wagons, coupes.

For my money, for my desire, for my driving habits, I think I’ve narrowed things down to, essentially, the Honda Civic.

Yes, the full-sized 2006 Honda Civic. There are three model types, the DX, LX and EX. I’m thinking I’m liking the EX because, after all, that’s the one I drove.

A friend of mine at work recently purchased a 2006 Civic and allowed me a brief drive. I enjoyed every moment and then some.

First, I have to admit: I really like the styling of the new Civics. My fiance doesn’t care for the styling at all. I suppose it’s a love/hate relationship. But then again she wants a new Toyota Tundra pickup truck. She’s into fantasy; I’m into reality. In my opinion, gas ain’t goin’ down in price boys and girls. Those who think so are sorely deranged.

So, momentarily, let’s attack that MPG factor.

MPG of any given Tundra sucks. Period.

My 2003 Subaru Outback Sport gets around 22 to 23 mpg. That’s on a forgiving day.

With only two weeks on the odometer, my friend drove his new Civic to the Bay Area and back, and acquired 48 mpg. Last weekend he drove from Placerville to the East Bay and back. He acquired 43 mpg. And folks: that’s with a brand new engine. Mileage only gets better with a few more miles.

Quite frankly, those figures are better than the ones quoted by hybrid vehicles.

Here’s my take on Hybrids:

• Slow
• Ugly
• Minimal engine
• Huge battery box replacement costs
• Complicated electronic system susceptible to failure

The 2006 Honda Civic acquired an overall superior mileage figure to that of any Toyota or Honda Hybrid. Hybrid figures, people are discovering, are laced with falsehoods. The Honda Civic automatic gets better gas mileage than the standard transmission — due to its algorithmic shifting points. I am told it does not hunt for gears whilst traveling uphill.

I’m going to investigate having a Civic in my future.

BZ

Vice President Dick Cheney’s Halliburton implant has, once again, apparently stirred and ruffled some recent feathers with his comments regarding Russia — and in my opinion he would be positively spot-on with his analyses.

Russia’s Putin has been doing the feint-and-dodge in the worst place of all: in plain sight. Those who think that Russia is another dissembling former-powerhouse nation would be wrong — critically wrong. Yes, its Blue Water navy is primarily rusting; it has not a complete clue as to how it will make its next month’s army payroll; the Russian Mafia is alive and well domestically as well as abroad.

On the other hand as evinced by the photo at left, Putin has been doing his level best to court China and provide hardware and equipment to, eh, shall we say, “other nations.”

If you are not already aware, Russia sits on top of a vast (emphasize vast) wealth of untapped mineral, gas and petroleum deposits. And Putin, as far as I’m concerned, means to draft Russia behind various world powerhouses and then, at the appropriate moment, make his move into the Left Power Lane. And he means, at this point, to do it with Energy.

Per Reuters:

MOSCOW (Reuters) – A speech by Vice President Dick Cheney strongly critical of the Kremlin marks the start of a new Cold War that could drive Moscow away from its new-found Western allies, the Russian press said on Friday.

In shocked reaction to the harshest U.S. criticism of Moscow for years, commentators said Washington had created an anti-Russian cordon of Western-aligned states stretching from the Baltic almost to the Caspian Sea.

The Kremlin, in a reaction within hours of Cheney’s delivery in Vilnius, said the speech, which was full of accusations that Moscow was limiting human rights and using its energy riches to blackmail the world, was “completely incomprehensible.”

What remarks had Cheney made? From Reuters once again:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House on Friday backed Vice President Dick Cheney’s tough speech on Russia and said Russian President Vladimir Putin should move on democratic reforms before hosting a major international summit in July.

Cheney had said in a speech in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius on Thursday that opponents of democratic reform in Russia “are seeking to reverse the gains of the last decade.”

Putin’s moves for Russia have been precisely as I’ve indicated: in plain sight had one been able to read them for what they were. Further explanation:

The new tensions come as the United States is seeking support from Russia on applying pressure on Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions.

Russia, which has major investments in Iran, has stood firm against U.N. sanctions on Tehran to the chagrin of Washington.

“They add up the pluses and minuses, they don’t want to trash the relationship with Iran,” said Steve Pifer, a Russian expert for the State Department in Bush’s first term and now an analyst for the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

He said the Cheney speech was a signal that Washington “is uneasy about some of the directions that the Russians are moving in.”

Cheney criticized Moscow for playing power politics with its vast energy reserves at a time of record world prices and accused it of bullying neighboring countries, many of which were dominated by the Kremlin in the Soviet era.

Pifer said that was a reference to Russia’s turning off its natural gas taps to Ukraine in a pricing dispute that disrupted supplies to Europe briefly.

Putin is doing precisely what he intends: to bring Russia back into the international spotlight and recreate and reassemble its former Glory Days when the USSR was one of only two Superpowers. He is doing his best to forget 1989, Ronald Reagan and the word “Balkanized.”

Putin has already placed his nation directly in conflict with the United States with regard to his supplying Iran with technologically-sophisticated air defense systems.

From the Jerusalem Post, 01-31-2006:

But the far more controversial decision by Putin’s regime – to sell Russia’s sophisticated air defense systems to Iran – not only changes the situation in principle but triggers a scenario for possible regional and even global catastrophe.

Israel had room for maneuver for a year and a half, until Iran’s probable completion of its first nuclear weapon. Now it has only a few months, because the Russian air defense systems protecting Iranian nuclear objectives will be fully deployed by autumn of 2006. An Israeli strike would be much more difficult, if not impossible, once these systems are in place. This means that a preventive strike by the Israelis would occur most likely before this summer.

Russia’s role in advancing the date of this potentially desperate military action by providing Iran with high-quality air defense weapons raises the question of whether Putin might have had some additional purpose besides the profits from his weapons sale. Israel’s defensive strike would likely incite Iranian action to block the shipments of oil through the Straits of Hormuz.

Putin seems to perceive such a scenario as beneficial to him.

Much is linked. Much is controverted. Much is deeper than most would suspect. You would do well to do what is popularly termed today: “connect the dots.”

They are present if one wishes but to see.

We in the United States see Iraq. We see Afghanistan. We see Iran to a degree. We see North Korea. We need to see Russia.

Of course — most of our students couldn’t identify Ohio or Texas or Montana on a map if their lives depended on it.

Can you say: “Would you like fries with that?”

__________________________________

I am posting now from my home high atop various Sierra Nevada mountains. The problem is that I have not been home for quite some time, despite the fact that I have nothing more than a telephone modem. I will be bringing my Big Bruiser HP Pavilion zd8000 laptop down into the Sacramento Valley and, with luck, I will be able to convince my ISP to show me how to link up to another dialup number.

I am undergoing Blogger Withdrawal and it isn’t a Pretty Picture at all. Please stick with me. I am not going away. Anything but.

BZ