Monday night. Monday Night Football is a bust. Indianapolis, 14, in the first quarter, the Jets, 0. No more football tonight for me. Even if the Jets turn it around and win 63 - 14, I'm not interested in either team.
The London Review of Books: I received the print edition today but read most of it on-line two weeks ago -- which begs the question. Why do they post the issue online which almost anyone can access for free two weeks before subscribers get their print edition? I assume the folks in London get their copies a lot sooner than I do.
One essay I had not read on-line was "Diary" by Sheila Fitzpatrick, a regular feature by different contributors. Hers was an ungodly, painful essay on the 1917 Russian Revolution. I read some of it, but to read all of it would require a fair amount of Russian vodka, and I don't drink vodka. At all.
A quick scan of the article was interesting, though. Most of it was about Andrei Platonov, "chronicler of the Revolution." Sounded a lot like Yurii Zhivago, as in "Dr Zhivago." I went back and re-read my notes on "Dr Zhivago." I had forgotten how incredibly sad the novel was, especially the ending. It's not a book I would recommend anyone reading during long winter evenings in Scotland if already feeling depressed and suicidal.
The writer, Ms Fitzpatrick, mentions "Soviet nostalgics like Svetlana Aleievich" -- winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature. I am reading her non-fiction work Secondhand Time. So that was nice. But as noted, to really read the article one needs a fair amount of vodka and I don't drink vodka.
So, what's one to do? Ah, yes, Driving home tonight, chauffeuring granddaughter #2 back and forth / to and from soccer, I got to thinking about sanctuary cities and then that spread to more expansive thinking on the subject.
Sanctuary cities. For Texans, this is a great concept. Think about it. The sanctuary city issue is similar to the marijuana laws in the country right now. In both cases (drugs and illegal aliens) the federal government is quite clear. But there is that pesky problem of states voting to legalize marijuana, and cities declaring themselves safe havens for illegal immigrants.
Right now, it's worked out fairly well. It's working the same way as Taiwan and China. As long as no one really looks too closely, China is happy with things the way they are, as is Taiwan. The risk now: Trump will screw things up.
Same with the illegal alien story and sanctuary cities. It's actually working out quite well. The cities that want to be safe havens, let them be. The risk now: Trump will screw things up.
The Texas governor has clearly stated that there will be no sanctuary cities in Texas. Many other governors will do the same thing (if they are smart). Meanwhile, certain states will have several sanctuary cities and many states man have at least one sanctuary city.
Now, where do you suppose all those illegal aliens in Texas are going to go?
The worse thing that can happen right now is Trump screwing things up.
States like Texas need to promote free bus transportation to sanctuary cities in California. If Texas is fortunate, New Mexico will become a sanctuary state, and bus fare to New Mexico will be even less expensive than sending folks all the way to California. Throw in $1,000 in spending money and I can guarantee you Texas will be illegal-alien free by the end of Trump's first term.
Likewise, offer fast-track citizenship for those folks coming up from Mexico if they will help build the "wall" and then agree to a four-year commitment as border-control officers. The US Navy fast-tracked Filipinos for decades if they would join the US Navy and serve honorably. And those Filipinos had never even been in the states; they were recruited in Rodrigo Duterte's backyard.
College campuses in states where sanctuary cities are allowed need to be off-limits to US immigration officials. Most illegal aliens who are attending universities and maintaining a good academic record probably came here when they were toddlers, and many of them do not even know they are here illegally, according to 60 Minutes which does not do "fake stories." These kids are doing fine. Fast-track them, and make them citizens.
Have no mercy on illegal aliens arrested for serious drug-related crimes and violent crimes using guns and knives. Fly them to GITMO until their cases are heard; GITMO occupancy rate is about 20% (if that high) and a hotel owner like Trump knows an occupancy rate that low is not how to run a business.
In fact, if Trump is serious about deporting up to 2 million no-goodniks, he's is going to need a lot of Section 8a housing. As far as I know, Section 8a housing does not yet exist, but GITMO housing for sociopathic undocumented low-lifes would be a subsection "a" of Section 8 housing and would give Ben Carson something to do. Subsection "b" could be set aside for politicians convicted of non-violent felonies.
So how's that NFL game going? Before signing off I thought I would check in on the game. 41 - 10. Indianapolis has apparently put in their third-string quarterback to give him some playing time.
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