Jenn Martinelli Blogging in Boston

I don't get a lot of the fuss about the issues with illegal immigrants going on at the moment. Hey, I'm not an asshole, I know that a lot of latino workers are being paid shit to do crappy jobs nobody else wants to do, and I certainly know that they are human beings who deserve the same human rights everybody else does. But this is what I don't get: why so much outrage at the US government and people when you're here illegally? It doesn't mean you're a bad person, it doesn't mean you should be punished even in my opinion, except maybe to tell you that you can't be here anymore. I'm also ignorant, I don't know the rules about immigration - I don't know the exact procedure to move here LEGALLY but I do know from hearing various people who know a lot more than me that it's a lot easier to move here than it is to pretty much any other "1st world" country in the world, so why are we the jerks? Do you know how hard it would be for someone to move to Sweden? Or the Netherlands? All I'm saying is I don't understand the apparent sentiment that all illegal aliens, particularly from Mexico, are being so misused. Hey, if you come here legally, then you're entitled to the same minimum wages as everybody else, so you don't get paid $1.00 an hour to pick tomatoes in 100 degree weather. Does everyone not see that if everybody just followed the rules that were in place the situation would be very different? We wouldn't be in the pickle we're in now. Sometimes I'm just a big believer in the rules. I can't help it, I think it's because I'm the oldest child in my family and really, the only one who had to follow them very consistently.

Nuclear. OK, President Bush? Nu-cle-ar. NU. CLE. AR. Say it 50 times. Now say it another 50,000 times. Now never, ever, EVER say "Nu-CU-lar" again. Ever. And for anyone else out there who says it wrong, if I hear you I pretty much have to punch you right in the face. So you're forwarned.

Dear President Bush, Can't you keep those pesky citizens of yours under control? Sincerely, President Hu Dear President Hu, Well, we have this pesky thing called "free speech" here. Sincerely, President Bush Dear President Bush, You should look into getting rid of that nonsense. Sincerely, President Hu Dear President Hu, We're working on it. Sincerely, President Bush

There's a story on NPR right now about whether the "art of conversation" is dead and the tagline is: Contemporary Conversation or Your iPod? What do you choose? Well, I choose my iPod. Yes, conversation is dead. But that's OK with me. I can't think of anything more excruciating than the idea of trying to have some deep conversation about "interesting things" with people. I mean of course I talk to my friends, my family, my boyfriend, about things both interesting and not. However, I am inundated with information all day long - TV, radio, crowds in the city. I have no desire to have meaningful conversations with random passers-by or acquaintances. Yes, I would absolutely rather turn up my iPod than listen to the people around me have inane conversations about how the Red Sox players are overpaid, what's the best bar to go to, their fun night of stupid drunkenness, or, even better, listen to the crazy religious humming/chanting guy doing his crazy religious hum/chant on the bus, staring people down daring them to tell him to shut up.

Because we're moving soon this site will be down for a while... sorry! It just takes a little time to switch internet service to the new apartment.