I’ve been doing some thinking about Iran. After talking with my friend Jason, I’ve been pondering whether a hands off approach might be the best approach to Iran. More on this tomorrow.

Ugh, I am so grossed out after reading this article, “Pedestrians Inhale Less Pollution than Passengers.” Out of various forms of ground transportation, walking exposes you to the least air pollution. You’d think being in this big metal enclosed box on wheels would keep air pollution away, but nope, you’re wrong. According to the article, you’ll inhale the most pollution via taxi ride. As if taxis weren’t already disgusting enough. In retrospect, it makes sense. I mean, your air conditioning is sucking up the air from the exhaust pipe of the car, or diesel truck, in front of you. I’m having difficulty breathing just thinking about this stuff.

There’s a certain hairstyle that I used to think was cute, but now it’s starting to look hackneyed. I’ll find a picture of it later.

Many Republicans have been whining and screaming about illegal immigration for years. Don’t let my diction fool you. I’m one of those people, sans the “for years” part. Illegal immigration is a serious problem; two governors have declared a state of emergency.

Anyway, I came across this story after watching The O’Reilly Factor and then doing a quick Google search: “Arizona Gov. Targets Illegal Immigration.” In summary, Arizona Governor Napolitano is sending National Guard troops to the border in order to help the Border Patrol, and is asking the federal government to pay for it.

First off, I applaud her. Secondly, she shouldn’t have to do this. This is a federal issue, but unfortunately the federal government isn’t doing its job. I guess Bush is too busy trying to court the Hispanic vote for the Republican party. That’s besides the point, let’s move on to Schwarzenegger.

After all of Schwarzenegger’s initiatives failed in the special election, the California governor has moved leftward. In doing so, he has left the right alienated (wordplay intended). Soon, Schwarzenegger will be up for reelection. Arnold (I am so tired of typing Schwarzenegger) is a Republican. Without courting the base of the Republican party, he has absolutely no chance of getting reelected.

So, here’s my suggestion for Arnold. Follow Gov. Napolitano’s example. Clamp down on illegal immigration, and you will have the right leaping into your arms. One may argue that this will cost Arnold votes rather than help him. Guess what? Any people this move alienates are probably going to vote for the Democratic candidate for governor anyway. Remember, Arnold is a Republican. I think it might help Arnold to remember that too.

I stood before my opponent. Our swords glistened in the sunlight. A light breeze rustled the green leaves above. Winter had given way to spring.

“I am unstoppable,” I told him. I was calm, steady. There was no tinge of boastfulness. I could have told him that the sun was going to rise tomorrow, or two and two made four.

He quietly scoffed. In the next instant, his sword lashed out, reaching for mine. He wanted to prove that I wasn’t unstoppable. He wanted to show me his power. I’m sure he meant to follow through, but in that instant, he lost sight of the goal. In that instant, he thought of something other than killing me.

In that instant, I became like water. My sword slipped away silently. His sword swished through the air while mine slid through his heart.

I repeated, “I am unstoppable.”

And now, I present a Chalkboard Manifesto comic summarizing my reaction to the Rose Bowl:

yeah, that’s right, fuck texas.

Just changed the little line below the “Agnoiologist” title from “agnoiology: n. the study of human stupidity. This is the weblog of an agnoiologist — fighting the mythocracy, especially within myself.” to “agnoiology: n. the study of human stupidity. This is the weblog of an agnoiologist, making sure you and I aren’t stupid.”

I’ve decided that my goal is to explain, convince, inform, and explore. News and life.

How can one learn how to deal with a racist?

Tactfully, I mean. And not someone who’s racist towards you. Maybe not even someone who’s a belligerent racist, but you can still tell what’s truly in his/her heart. Someone you’ll have to deal with again and again.

On the way back here from Baltimore, two separate people said, “Merry Christmas. Oh wait, do you celebrate Christmas?” I can understand the CYA aspect of it. However, is there something about me that says, “I don’t celebrate Christmas.” I don’t look like a Jew. I don’t look like a Muslim. I certainly don’t look like I’d forsake Christmas for Kwanzaa. Do I look like a “Happy Winter Solstice” guy? Come on. Come on. I totally look like a Christmas guy.

Anyway, I’m in Las Vegas right now. That’s why I haven’t been updating. I’ve had access to the internet, but I’ve been taking care of the vacation to relax. Yes, I already did enough of that in Atlanta, but I’ve got family in Vegas.

It’s good to be disconnected from the internet. It’s good to be disconnected for a while. Just sit back and do nothing. Not have any responsibilities. No finals coming up. No engagements to worry about. No driving. No getting up. No nothing.

I’ll be in this mode until the New Year. Then, a new beginning. More explanation about that, later.

Oh, I get back from Vegas the 28th. So, hit me up on the cell if you got any free time.

Very interesting: Media Bias Is Real, Finds UCLA Political Scientist. Found this article while reading this website: Patterico’s Pontifications. I’ll have to pull that one out next time someone claims that there’s no liberal bias in the media.

I guess because of grade inflation, now they gotta use +’s and -‘s to distinguish between people. Well, let me go on the record as saying -‘s are bullshit. That’s right, bullshit. And +’s too.

(Alright, yeah, it’s because I only get A-‘s, not B+’s. It’s still bullshit, though.)

I found this news article encouraging: House Votes to Toughen Laws on Immigration. Something I found especially encouraging was that it didn’t have a guest worker provision. I am vehemently opposed to such a measure. Why? Two main reasons: 1) We don’t need to set up a system of second-class citizenship. 2) A main goal of immigration should be assimilation/integration.

I have to say that now I’m a fan of Tom Tancredo, “a firebrand on illegal immigration who drove the debate.” Thank God somebody recognizes that we have a serious problem on our hands with illegal immigration.

I have a confession to make: Since April 4, 2005, I have been trying to figure out the meaning of life. I have been trying to develop an all-encompassing life philosophy, covering everything from self, to love, to government, to economics. Actually, all my life, I’ve been working on that problem. I don’t know what everyone else thinks about in their spare time, but that’s my default position. Especially late at night, I just sit there and wonder. However, it’s only been since April that I have worked on this problem more in earnest and more methodically, writing down my thoughts in a notebook.

I’ve had a lot of break-throughs and false leads, but I’ve been trying to tear everything down to the base. And trying to find the Truth that satisfies me. I’ve been going around in circles and circles trying to get past a certain point for months now. It’s been a very personal journey. I’ve still a long way to go, but I’ve finally reduced things to the principles I can build everything else upon. Specifically, I’ve wanted to answer two questions first: What does it mean to be human? How should I live? I know I wanted to encompass everything, but I limited it to that scope in what will eventually be a book. Finally, I’ve found some satisfactory answers.

The way I see the world: All the world is a stage, but we are not acting according to a script, but playing a giant game of improv. Life is just as meaningless as a game of improv. However, framing life this way twists the issue of futility that I’ve been trying to deal with into something more palatable without rejecting life’s lack of purpose. I can go on, but all I want to write about is the base. Suffice it to say, it’s the analogy to life that I’m most satisfied with, especially because it accepts the role other people play, unlike a previous lucid dream analogy I was playing with.

“How should I live?” has been a much trickier question, and I’ve been trying to reconcile two answers. One path, based on the futility of life, basically says, “However you choose.” Another path, based on a newfound Christianity, says that I have a responsibility to love everything. I may have found a middle path.

My new philosophy: “Forget the audience.” It relates to the game of improv and tells you to forget who may be watching. It tells me that I should embrace the game, to seize the day, to never hesitate. It tells me not to worry about who’s watching and have faith in myself. It tells me that the only way this game will work is if I completely submerse myself in it, and it follows that I can only do this by working with the other actors.

One more thing about my new outlook on life: Life is not zero-sum. Improv is not zero-sum. It’s an important realization for me and makes life more livable.

We should’ve pushed for an independent Kurdistan, and I wonder if it’s still not too late. I guess so because of the constitution. Perhaps certain persons in Iraq would not have liked it, but it would’ve been in the best US interests. I do not believe the insurgents would’ve attacked Kurdistan. It does not make any sense. Also, the Kurds would’ve been more willing to allow the establishment of a US base and maybe even to share in the oil revenue. I guess we’ll never know for sure, but I think it would’ve helped stabilize Iraq. It would’ve been one less faction to worry about when drawing up the Iraqi Constitution and during elections in general. Heck, we might’ve even been able to set up a government more to our tastes in Kurdistan.

You want to know the other big reason for why not enough American soldiers don’t know Arabic? (The first reason is not enough training.) This is too crass for TV, but luckily we’re on the Internet where no holds are barred! Middle-Eastern Muslim culture keeps their women all wrapped up and sheltered (or are we too licentious?). If Americans were chasing more Iraqi tail, they would learn more Arabic. Maybe if the Iraqis had more hot nightclubs and bars… No, no, I kid… Still, I wonder…

Unfortunately, I am not in Iraq and don’t know jack shit. *sigh*

Another perspective on immigration: Immigration Control Through The Ages.

I will be in Atlanta until the 14th. I am not bringing my laptop, so I doubt there will be any updates between now and then.

I’ve been very impressed with Judd Slivka’s pieces on the Arizona-Mexico border in Slate. They paint a very good picture of what’s happening, illustrating the various problems that have arisen, and how they have affected the people in the area. It recognizes the realities of the situation and, to me, doesn’t feel like it has any heavy political bias. It just gives an accurate picture of what’s going on.

Upon reading Thursday’s entry, I had to pause when I came across this sentence: “There is the U.S.-Mexico border that you’ve heard about, where immigrants are coming through in droves, drugs are entering in increasing numbers, and two governors have declared a state of emergency because the southern thirds of their states are overrun.”

Two states being overrun? Does anyone in America realize the extent of this problem?

Slivka doesn’t stress this, however, and I applaud her for that because it would detract from what her pieces are trying to accomplish. They present an accurate portrait, a snapshot in time, of a certain area and lifestyle. Still, even without the alarmist tones, I can see that what is happening there is not good for America.

There are different factors contributing to this migration problem. The clamp-down on immigration going on right now has re-routed their paths through rural areas, “the numbers got huge after the Border Patrol started intensive enforcement in cities and pushed the immigration into the rural areas.” However, the Border Patrol is not wrong in stopping these holes. We don’t want illegal aliens easily flowing into our country and stopping the Border Patrol from doing its job won’t solve any problems. The intensification of enforcement is not the main cause of what’s happening. One big problem is that illegal immigration has increased in numbers beyond what the Border Patrol can handle. I’m not going to get into the causes of migration, suffice it to say, if you do the research, there has been an increase in migration. (It would do well if I linked to some source, eh? Well, I guess I’ll cite my sociology lecture.) There are other factors indeed, but this problem is mainly a numbers game, in my mind. There wasn’t this problem in the rural areas where the ranchers came across very few border crossers. The attitudes change with the numbers, and I think there is a direct cause. The missing link in my numbers game framework is: Did Border Patrol intensify their work in cities due to an increase in illegal immigration within cities? That, I don’t know. However, I infer that it may be the case because numbers have increased, and I don’t blame an increase in xenophobia alone. (The causes of the increase in numbers, I won’t go into.)

Even if you don’t accept what I’m saying, it’s evident that Border Patrol, at its current capacities, cannot handle the influx of illegal immigrants. The border is too porous. The question I’m trying to answer is: How can we close the border? Not, Should we close the border. If immigration is such a problem that two governors have declared states of emergency, then something needs to be done. You can’t solve it through eradicating global poverty, by merely attacking the root causes of this migration. You don’t solve the crime problem by attempting to eradicate poverty and not putting anyone in jail. Both measures need to be attended to. Security along our borders needs to be increased.

Critics will say that what I propose is impossible. We’ll never close the border, so we need other solutions. Again, I appeal to the crime analogy. We’ll never build enough prisons so we need to think of other solutions. Yes, we can think of other solutions to the immigration problem, but at the same time, we need to close our border. Carrots and sticks. Perhaps “close” is too heavy a word. I believe we can radically reduce illegal immigration with radical solutions to border patrol.

Here’s one: We institute mandatory military service, perhaps two years long, for all young males. We use our military to patrol our borders.

God, after typing that out, it really shocks me how insane a proposition that is. Yet, it’s also insane that two governors have declared states of emergency. I feel insane; I definitely do. Does anyone else get the feeling that the influx is a veritable invasion? I do feel like perhaps I’m overreacting, but then I think about history. Let’s put it this way: How do you think Texas became a state? I’m not letting Mexico steal any stars from our flag.

Imagine a world where the American people had not come together after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

Imagine a world where the isolationists accused President Roosevelt of being behind the attacks in order to join the war. Imagine a world where the head of the Republican Party didn’t denounce these claims. Imagine a world where many Americans believed President Roosevelt was constantly exploiting Pearl Harbor for political gain.

Imagine a world where the American people were more concerned about understanding the Japanese enemy instead of being angered. Imagine a world where many Americans believed the Japanese were justified in their attack on America. Imagine a world where the press said that responding to Pearl Harbor will only increase Japanese hatred of America.

Imagine a world where Congress had decided to consult the world community before declaring war. Imagine a world where Congress declared less than total war on Japan and didn’t demand unconditional surrender.

Imagine a world where many Americans didn’t believe Japan posed a big enough threat to our freedoms. Imagine a world where the Republican Party wished to return to pre-Pearl Harbor politics. Imagine a world where the Republican Party believed Pearl Harbor was just a distraction from domestic issues.

Imagine a world where the movie stars, role models for many people, hated America. Imagine a world where the press constantly portrayed American progress as negative. Imagine a world where the press emphasized the Americans dead in each battle. Imagine a world where the pundits insisted that this was a war we couldn’t win. Imagine a world where the pundits said the Japanese will never surrender and that we should stop fighting.

Imagine a world where a sleeping giant was never awoken, but simply rolled over and went back to sleep.

Remember. Remember December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy. Remember a nation, and a generation, which rose to the challenge.

Please download this one page Word document: The Agnoiologist Vol I, Issue 2. Fuck Johns Hopkins.

For those of you too lazy to download the document, or if you don’t have Word, the text of the articles is in the Extended Entry.

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Just got this bulletin from MySpace:

“Jesus. I. love. you. and. I. need. you. Repost this within 5 minutes and title it: MY PARTY. A miracle will happen tonight. P.S. Do not ignore *God works in mysterious ways*”

This just in, being God’s friend on MySpace is requirement for getting into heaven. In addition, being Jesus’s friend on MySpace is an acceptable alternative to accepting him as your savior. This too: If you leave a cool picture comment for St. Peter, he’ll put in a good word for you with the G-man.

My goodness, God does work in some mysterious ways.

P.S. Don’t ever break a chain letter that God sends out. He’ll smite you.