Sunday, August 28, 2011

Record Low Mortgage Interest Rates Don't Prompt Much Demand For New Mortgages

I cover real estate and mortgages here:


August 23, 2011

August 22, 2011

August 19, 2011

August 18, 2011

Drive Yourself Sane - Biography Of Alfred Korzybski IX

Luke Ford writes: Tuesday morning, I interview by phone Alexander Technique teacher, author and Alfred Korzybski expert Bruce Kodish, author of the new book, Korzybski: A Biography.

Kodish previously published Drive Yourself Sane: Uncover the Uncommon Sense of General Semantics and Dare to Inquire: Sanity and Survival for the 21st Century and Beyond.



Drive Yourself Sane - Biography Of Alfred Korzybski VIII

Luke Ford writes: Tuesday morning, I interview by phone Alexander Technique teacher, author and Alfred Korzybski expert Bruce Kodish, author of the new book, Korzybski: A Biography.

Kodish previously published Drive Yourself Sane: Uncover the Uncommon Sense of General Semantics and Dare to Inquire: Sanity and Survival for the 21st Century and Beyond.



Drive Yourself Sane - Biography Of Alfred Korzybski VII

Luke Ford writes: Tuesday morning, I interview by phone Alexander Technique teacher, author and Alfred Korzybski expert Bruce Kodish, author of the new book, Korzybski: A Biography.

Kodish previously published Drive Yourself Sane: Uncover the Uncommon Sense of General Semantics and Dare to Inquire: Sanity and Survival for the 21st Century and Beyond.



Drive Yourself Sane - Biography Of Alfred Korzybski VI

Luke Ford writes: Tuesday morning, I interview by phone Alexander Technique teacher, author and Alfred Korzybski expert Bruce Kodish, author of the new book, Korzybski: A Biography.

Kodish previously published Drive Yourself Sane: Uncover the Uncommon Sense of General Semantics and Dare to Inquire: Sanity and Survival for the 21st Century and Beyond.



Drive Yourself Sane - Biography Of Alfred Korzybski V

Luke Ford writes: Tuesday morning, I interview by phone Alexander Technique teacher, author and Alfred Korzybski expert Bruce Kodish, author of the new book, Korzybski: A Biography.

Kodish previously published Drive Yourself Sane: Uncover the Uncommon Sense of General Semantics and Dare to Inquire: Sanity and Survival for the 21st Century and Beyond.



Drive Yourself Sane - Biography Of Alfred Korzybski IV

Luke Ford writes: Tuesday morning, I interview by phone Alexander Technique teacher, author and Alfred Korzybski expert Bruce Kodish, author of the new book, Korzybski: A Biography.

Kodish previously published Drive Yourself Sane: Uncover the Uncommon Sense of General Semantics and Dare to Inquire: Sanity and Survival for the 21st Century and Beyond.



Drive Yourself Sane - Biography Of Alfred Korzybski III

Luke Ford writes: Tuesday morning, I interview by phone Alexander Technique teacher, author and Alfred Korzybski expert Bruce Kodish, author of the new book, Korzybski: A Biography.

Kodish previously published Drive Yourself Sane: Uncover the Uncommon Sense of General Semantics and Dare to Inquire: Sanity and Survival for the 21st Century and Beyond.



Drive Yourself Sane - Biography Of Alfred Korzybski II

Luke Ford writes: Tuesday morning, I interview by phone Alexander Technique teacher, author and Alfred Korzybski expert Bruce Kodish, author of the new book, Korzybski: A Biography.

Kodish previously published Drive Yourself Sane: Uncover the Uncommon Sense of General Semantics and Dare to Inquire: Sanity and Survival for the 21st Century and Beyond.



Drive Yourself Sane - Biography Of Alfred Korzybski

Luke Ford writes: Tuesday morning, I interview by phone Alexander Technique teacher, author and Alfred Korzybski expert Bruce Kodish, author of the new book, Korzybski: A Biography.

Kodish previously published Drive Yourself Sane: Uncover the Uncommon Sense of General Semantics and Dare to Inquire: Sanity and Survival for the 21st Century and Beyond.



You Should Eat, Be Full, And Enjoy Life

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Keep Your Filthy Sex Stories Off My Torah Talk!

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Can You Hate With A Free Neck?

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Role Of Chair In Judaism

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Real Men Eat Steak Not Almond Milk Smoothies

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Orthodox Judaism On Child Abuse II

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Saturday, August 27, 2011

Do Women Want Almond Joy?

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



I Don't Desire To Eat Meat

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



If God Does Not Run Your Life, Junk Will

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Revisiting A Painful Shul Ejection

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



FM Alexander: Prophet Or Plagiarist?

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Stop Playing Stem The Rose!

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Orthodox Judaism On Child Abuse 3

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Orthodox Judaism On Child Abuse

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Rabbi Rabbs Needs A Black Chick

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



I Took A Bribe To Shave My Beard 2

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



I Took A Bribe To Shave My Beard

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Friday, August 26, 2011

Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) XI

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) X

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) IX

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) VIII

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) VII

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) VI

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) V

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) IV

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) III

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) II

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17)

Luke Ford writes

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).



Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Immigration Studies

Support the Center for Immigration Studies by donating on line here: http://www.cis.org/support.html

[FYI --
1. Steven Camarota Discusses Amnesty on the O'Reilly Factor (Video)
2. Steven Camarota Discusses Amnesty Public Radio (Radio Interview)
3. Mark Krikorian Discusses Alabama Enforcement Law on CNN (Video)
4. Is There a Shortage of Skilled Foreign Workers? (Backgrounder)
5. DHS Admits: 'Non-legislative amnesty' would be 'controversial, not to mention expensive.' (Blog)
6. An Unhappy Hershey Experience (Blog)
7. White House Embraces Administrative Amnesty After Failing to get Congress on Board (Blog)
8. Obama Amnesty Gives A Pass to ID Theft, and Other Crimes (Blog)
9. Ms. Munoz, the White House, and Straw Men Arguments (Blog)
10. Yes, He Did! Yes, He Did! (Blog)
11. The Challenge of Dutch National Identity (Blog)
12. Surprise! Quasi-Amnesty Extended for Some Liberians (Blog)
13. Testimony Suggests DHS Is Handling Immigration Badly in the Marianas (Blog)
14. Failed Campaign Slogan #108: 'Affirmative Action for Immigrants!' (Blog)
15. Christian Duty and Illegal Immigrants (Blog)
16. Half-Measures Don't Work (Blog)
17. It's That Old Patchwork Quilt Again (Blog)
18. Basic, Upgraded, or Premium? (Blog)
19. Alabama Lawsuit Highlights Growth of Open-Border Groups (Blog)

-- Mark Krikorian]


1.
Steven Camarota on the O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor
FOX News, August 19, 2011
http://cis.org/TVInterviews/Camarota-Administrative-Amnesty-FOX

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2.
Steven Camarota Interviewed on Air Talk
Southern California Public Radio, August 19, 2011
http://www.cis.org/RadioInterviews/Steven-Camarota-Administrative-Amnesty

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3.
Mark Krikorian Interviewed on Alabama Law
CNN, August 16, 2011
http://www.cis.org/TVInterviews/KrikorianAlabamaCNN081611

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4.
Is There a Shortage of Skilled Foreign Workers?
By David North
CIS Backgrounder, August 2011
http://www.cis.org/no-shortage-of-skilled-workers

Excerpt: The forces of big industry and big immigration beseech us to change our immigration laws to permit the admission of more skilled immigrants; we must seek the help of the world’s “best and brightest,” they say. What is never mentioned is that “the best and the brightest” are already here. Further, close to 200,000 additional skilled migrants routinely enter the nation each and every year without any new laws. Year after year.

Yes, it is gratifying that really able people from all over the world want to come to the United States to work, study, start new companies, and in some cases, get rich. But that is happening all the time, anyway, and there is no need to change our laws to encourage these trends.

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5.
DHS Admits: 'Non-legislative amnesty' would be 'controversial, not to mention expensive.'
By Jon Feere
CIS Blog, August 22, 2011
http://www.cis.org/feere/administrative-amnesty-controversial

Excerpt: The White House and the Department of Homeland Security remain tight-lipped about any details on the Obama administration’s attempt at an administrative amnesty, more than three days after the news story first broke. The president is conveniently on vacation leaving only one lone staffer, former La Raza operative Cecilia Munoz, to post a three-paragraph blog on the radical administrative changes. Policy analysts and journalists are scraping together bits of information in an attempt to make sense of the scope of this administrative amnesty. For example, there is nothing from the administration confirming the extent of the work authorization planned for the millions of illegal immigrants in the country, nor any discussion of how the administration can justify giving jobs to illegal aliens when millions of Americans are desperately looking for work.

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6.
An Unhappy Hershey Experience
By Jessica Vaughan
CIS Blog, August 21, 2011
http://www.cis.org/Vaughan/HersheyVisas

Excerpt: The recent guestworker protests at the Hershey chocolate plant in Palmyra, Penn. provide welcome exposure of the State Department’s cultural exchange visa charade. Billed as a form of public diplomacy to help foreigners better understand America, in fact most of these are cheap guestworker programs, wrapped up in the pretense of a cultural exchange. In 2009, the latest year for which statistics are available, more than 118,000 young workers from overseas participated in the summer work/travel exchange program in question, plus another 87,000 who worked here in other exchange categories.

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7.
White House Embraces Administrative Amnesty After Failing to get Congress on Board
By Janice Kephart
CIS Blog, August 19, 2011
http://www.cis.org/Kephart/Cecilia-Munoz-Embraces-Amnesty

Excerpt: Yesterday at 2 pm, Cecelia Munoz, White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and formerly of the National Council of La Raza, where she openly embraced amnesty for illegal aliens, announced a ground-breaking turn of events: for the first time ever, the White House is usurping Congressional constitutional authority to determine immigration law and policy. Not only is the White House granting amnesty, with rumors of value-added work authorizations for illegals (that we have no idea who they are or whether they pose a criminal or terrorist threat), but they are also making sure that immigration law only applies to those illegal aliens not convicted of serious crimes. The White House is claiming that this is all fine and dandy, because, for goodness’ sake, the President is “aggressively searching for partners in Congress who are willing to work with him.”

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8.
Obama Amnesty Gives A Pass to ID Theft, and Other Crimes
By Jon Feere
CIS Blog, August 19, 2011
http://www.cis.org/Feere/Obama-Amnesty-ID-Theft

Excerpt: Despite the nonsensical statements coming out of DHS today, all illegal aliens do “pose a threat” to society in one way or another. Just because an illegal alien isn’t violent, it does not follow that their presence is not a threat to the rule of law, taxpayers, and society generally. Most illegal aliens violate a number of federal and state laws, and these violations create real victims. Despite the opinion of the Obama administration and amnesty advocates -- namely, that the United States can give a pass to aliens for their legal transgressions without the nation suffering any repercussions -- our laws serve a variety of purposes and are ultimately meant to protect those in the United States lawfully.

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9.
Ms. Munoz, the White House, and Straw Men Arguments
By David North
CIS Blog, August 19, 2011
http://www.cis.org/North/Straw-Man-Argument

Excerpt: Today’s New York Times article on the case-by-case amnesty program of this administration displayed -- without comment -- a remarkable bit of “straw man” argumentation from White House official Cecilia Munoz, someone I met decades ago at the Council of La Raza.

Ms. Munoz was quoted, in defense of the selective removal program, saying that the new system would “suspend deportation in low priority cases that, for example, involve ‘military veterans and the spouses of active-duty military personnel’.”

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10.
Yes, He Did! Yes, He Did!
By Mark Krikorian
CIS Blog, August 19, 2011
http://www.cis.org/Krikorian/ObamaAdministrativeAmnesty

Excerpt: When the president spoke to La Raza recently and said he couldn’t just go around Congress and enact an amnesty, the assembly started chanting, “Yes, you can! Yes, you can!“

Well, he did.

In an announcement I would have expected them to try to bury on a Friday afternoon instead of Thursday, the administration said it would review the cases of 300,000 illegal aliens already in removal proceedings — and not just let some of them go, but give them work authorization as well.

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11.
The Challenge of Dutch National Identity
By Dominique Peridans
CIS Blog, August 19, 2011
http://www.cis.org/Peridans/Dutch-National-Identity

Excerpt: “Amid Rise of Multiculturalism, Dutch Confront Their Questions of Identity,” an article published in the New York Times on August 14, 2011, places the question of immigration squarely before the reader. The title of the article is somewhat misleading, however. Before reading about the real issue at hand, one might be led to think that what is being suggested is that the Dutch sadly have little sense of who they are, and the presence of persons from other cultures in their society has obliged them to come to this unfortunate realization.

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12.
Surprise! Quasi-Amnesty Extended for Some Liberians
By David North
CIS Blog, August 18, 2011
http://www.cis.org/north/Liberian-DED-extended

Excerpt: As regular as clockwork, the 'temporary' legal status of a small group of Liberian illegal aliens has been extended for another 18 months.

While most such 'temporary' statuses are in the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) category, the one for the Liberians has a different set of initials, DED, standing for Deferred Enforced Departure. It means the same thing: a short-term, but always repeated, status as a momentarily legal alien during which time the beneficiaries can work, but cannot use the status to change to green card status.

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13.
Testimony Suggests DHS Is Handling Immigration Badly in the Marianas
By David North
CIS Blog, August 17, 2011
http://www.cis.org/north/DHS-mishandling-immigration-in-CNMI

Excerpt: Recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) testimony is deeply depressing regarding the transfer of immigration management in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) from the local authorities to the Mainland government.

Having noticed the unending scandals produced by the CNMI's control of its own immigration policies, Congress in 2008 decided that the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which covers the rest of the United States, should apply to the CNMI as well. (The CNMI is a U.S. possession under an arrangement similar to that of Puerto Rico.) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has the main responsibility for the transfer.

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14.
Failed Campaign Slogan #108: 'Affirmative Action for Immigrants!'
By David Seminara
CIS Blog, August 17, 2011
http://www.cis.org/seminara/affirmative-action-for-immigrants

Excerpt: Have you ever heard a politician admit that they support affirmative action for immigrants, legal or illegal? Even the most zealous open borders advocates like U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez would rather not talk about this thorny issue. But every once in a while we are reminded of the fact that immigrants can and do benefit from affirmative action programs in areas such as employment, college admissions, and government contracting.

A front page story in Tuesday's Washington Post which tells the immigrant success story of Anita Talwar, an Indian immigrant who became very wealthy after founding a company which 'shrewdly took advantage of programs for minority-owned small businesses and rode a boom in federal contracting,' is just such a reminder that in some arenas, immigrants actually have an advantage over most Americans.

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15.
Christian Duty and Illegal Immigrants
By Dominique Peridans
CIS Blog, August 17, 2011
http://www.cis.org/peridans/christian-duty-alabama

Excerpt: The immigration law recently enacted in Alabama (HB 56) has expectedly stirred and awakened responses from religious leaders in the state. An interesting article this week in the New York Times speaks of the passionate reactions articulated by some of them. The article primarily highlights those who stand in opposition to the law: Mitchell Williams, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Cullman, Ala., being a leader most prominently featured. What the article unfortunately only mentions in passing is the many ministers who stand in agreement with the law. They seem to be relegated to the shadows, as though their perspective bears less weight, and is less representative of the Christian experience. Retired Methodist minister Mac Buttram expressed astonishment at some of the comments he has heard – including that of his own bishop – implying that those supportive of the law are mean-spirited and un-Christian.

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16.
Half-Measures Don't Work
By Mark Krikorian
CIS Blog, August 16, 2011
http://www.cis.org/krikorian/half-measures-dont-work

Excerpt: Of course, enforcement of the law is supposed to be bad for law-breakers. But the article does get at an important shortcoming of the Obama strategy of using audits in lieu of raids and arrests of illegal immigrants; as Rep. Lamar Smith tells the reporter, 'This means the illegal immigrant can walk down the street to the next employer and take a job that could go to an unemployed, legal worker.'

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17.
It's That Old Patchwork Quilt Again
By W.D. Reasoner
CIS Blog, August 16, 2011
http://www.cis.org/reasoner/secure-communities-patchwork-quilt

Excerpt: Earlier this month, Director John Morton of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) publicly announced that the federal government had terminated memoranda of agreement (MOAs) with several state signatories regarding ICE's Secure Communities program.

According to news reports, this is because the MOAs 'may have given a false impression that participation was optional.'

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18.
Basic, Upgraded, or Premium?
By Mark Krikorian
CIS Blog, August 15, 2011
http://www.cis.org/krikorian/three-reform-packages

I have an article in National Review laying out three packages of immigration reforms that presidential candidates might consider, starting from the bare-bones reforms that shouldn't even be especially controversial, to a robust and ambitious package that would take us a good way towards sensible immigration policy. Feel free to send your reactions to me at msk@cis.org.

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19.
Alabama Lawsuit Highlights Growth of Open-Border Groups
By Jon Feere
CIS Blog, August 15, 2011
http://www.cis.org/feere/Alabama-lawsuit-open-border-groups

Excerpt: The open-border crowd is very well-funded and constantly growing, as noted in my blog post about a recent anti-Secure Communities effort pushed by over 200 pro-amnesty groups. A new lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against the State of Alabama over its 'Beason-Hammon Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act' (HB 56) has been joined by a number of supportive amicus briefs – some from foreign countries, some from activist groups – and those that have signed on are listed below. While it's only the tip of the iceberg, the list is yet another good example of what the states are up against when making an effort to discourage illegal immigration.

Groups making the case for common-sense immigration policies, like the Center for Immigration Studies, are very small in number. Despite the Center's prominent role in the policy debate, we are a true non-profit and not swimming in cash like the NILC, the ACLU, or the Southern Poverty Law Center, each of which is helping sue Alabama. (If you're interested, donations to CIS are tax-deductible.)

Monday, August 22, 2011

How Alexander Technique Can Relieve TMJ

Luke Ford writes

As I ate an egg the other day, a few chews in, I found my jaw exhausted already. I was ready to swallow and to stop bothering it.

I’ve had TMJ (Temporomandibular joint disorder) for more than 25 years as a result of all sorts of needless and nervous tightening of my neck muscles.

When I went to see a physical therapist a couple of years ago, he said I had the worst TMJ he had ever seen.

About ten years ago, my dentist prescribed a nightguard, which cost me about $300 and did nothing to relieve my aching jew. Perhaps it made it worse? On the positive side, it has saved wear and tear on my teeth enamel. When I don’t wear, my dentist can tell by the damage.

Anyway, I found a couple of good interviews with dentist and Alexander Technique teacher Dr. Martin Goldman.

Martin: “After I had been in my Alexander training, I realized that many of my patients were suffering from harmful muscular holdings in the head, neck and back. If I would’ve just been keen enough to observe these people as they walked to the chair and sat in the chair, I might’ve been able to help them with their pain.”

“My understanding of pain of the head, neck and back is as Dr. Janet Travell, President Kennedy’s personal physician, said that pain in the head, neck and back is 90% muscular holding patterns. I believe that to be an understatement.”

“There’s a growing trend among dentists to recognize that movements in the lower jaw are not something that happens in a bone to bone movement but that these movements are controlled by muscles.”

“The solution is to release these muscular holding patterns. By freeing the head and neck, there can be benefits throughout the body in balance and coordination.”

“Movement of the lower jaw is guided by muscles rather than by bones and joints.”

Robert Rickover: “There seems to be a law of human movement that when your idea of how something operates matches physical reality, the movement is going to be smoother than if your concept differs from reality. Your saying find out what reality is and use that as your guide to movement.”

Martin: “How we think about movement influences our movement.”

“Try clenching your teeth and see how that affects your breathing. By comparison, say the word ‘Boston’ slowly and then check in with your breath.

“The word introduces movement into your lower jaw. It gives you a rough approximation of the physiologic rest position of the lower mandible.

“All the muscles that open and close your lower jaw are in balance and are at their most ready for movement. They’re balanced. There’s the least amount of chemical activity in those muscles to maintain tonus.

“In this physiologic rest position, your lips will come lightly together and your teeth will be apart. Any time your teeth are touching during the course of the day, there’s a good chance that that is a dysfunctional or pathological position for you. You’re going to do some harm to yourself.

“Somebody suffering from muscular tension should monitor the space between their teeth and give themselves permission to allow the lower jaw to give in to gravity, to sense the gravitational pull on the lower jaw, it’s a heavy piece of bone, but don’t give in a millimeter more than is necessary.

“Most joints in the body, gravity will settle them unless you have upright reflexes occur. That’s why you are shorter at the end of the day.”

“Recognize the gravitational pull on your lower jaw. You don’t need to hold it up. You don’t need to have it over-close. If you can sense your physiologic rest position, your overall well-being will improve.”

Robert: “An interesting experiment would be to see how little work you can do to open your mouth.”

Martin: “If I’m driving in traffic, I’ll often catch myself and ask, why am I holding my jaw like this? There’s plenty of stimulus involved in driving and if you can pause and allow your jaw to be free. Not a hectoring instruction to yourself. Just a wish. Just a mere thought. Wouldn’t it be nice if my jaw muscles were not tense? You’ll see some major effects, including how you hold your head.”

Robert: “What about the various devices dentists prescribe with TMJ?”

Martin: “Typically dentists will prescribe mouth guards. You can buy them in the drug store. Those mouth guards, when you close up into them, most people with TMJ, have an eccentric chewing pattern. There’s tightness and holding that makes the jaw close in a way that causes this pain.

“When you bite into this appliances, you’re just replicating the dysfunction. Most people will wind up worse off. I would recommend seeking a neuro-muscularly trained dentist. Let him track the movements of your jaw so your mouthguard is made at the physiologic rest position.

“There’s an inter-oral orthodic, a mouthguard made in this fashion. There was a dentist in Halifax who had a lobster fisherman come into his office. This fisherman had terrible headaches. The dentist made him an orthodic that allowed his muscles to come into equilibrium.

“He had him back a week later. The guy said, my headaches are gone but more amazingly, I was out on my boat and I could pull up the pots and lift them in a way I couldn’t do in 20 years.”

“By balancing the musculature in the head and neck, he allowed the head to come to equilibrium. This dentist developed a pure performance mouthguard.”

“Try clenching your jaw and then turn your head to the side. Now face forward again. Say ‘Boston.’ Let your jaw have space between the teeth. Now make that same movement. You’ll notice increased flexibility and ease. You can’t have a free jaw without a free neck and vice versa.”

“One of the pioneers who gave scientific verification to the Alexander Technique was Frank Pierce Jones who called the Atlanto-occipital joint the prime distribution point for bodily stress. If you can intervene at that point to introduce ease and to let go of muscular contraction in that area, then the net pulling the rest of you inward and tighter is loosened.”

The New York Times reports:

Mr. Gillis is among a small but growing number of athletes wearing what manufacturers like to call “performance mouthpieces” while cycling, running or weight training. One of the newest tools in a performance-enhancement arsenal, these mouthpieces are light, flexible pieces of molded plastic that fit over the teeth — and are only vaguely reminiscent of that retainer from junior high school or the bulky mouth guards worn by football players. 



Are Modern Orthodox Jews More Ethical?

Luke Ford writes

In my experience, Modern Orthodox Jews have more concern about ethics than other types of Orthodox Jews. They are more concerned about appearances. They are more concerned about the goyim.

I’m not arguing that Modern Orthodox Jews are better Jews than the traditional Orthodox. I’m not arguing that they are finer and kinder. I am arguing that they have different concerns and these concerns lead them to put more stress on ethics.

I think this comes from their wider participation in life. Modern Orthodox Jews are more concerned with the way non-Jews and non-Orthodox Jews look at Orthodox Jews. As opposed to the more traditional Orthodox, the Modern Orthodox live in the world. They work as doctors and lawyers and professors and accountants.

The traditional Orthodox rarely go to college and consequently rarely enter the professions. All of the professions have ethics codes. Generic businessmen, by contrast, choose their own code. You can’t point to a generic businessman and ask to see his ethics code.

Traditional Orthodox Jews go into business while the Modern Orthodox go into professions.

In traditional Orthodox shuls, I’ve found there’s much more clannishness. The world can go to hell. I’m looking out for my group.



How Much Do You Tense When You Stand?

Luke Ford writes

Bob Lada, an Alexander Technique teacher in Cambridge, Massachusetts, tells Robert Rickover: “When I say stand up, I want you to start to stand up but not actually do it and sense what is going on. Go ahead, stand up now.

“You probably felt something there. The feeling wasn’t there at some time, it intensified, and it started to fade. All without any actual standing.”

Robert: “I felt some tension in my neck and my legs. That’s an exercise I use with students too. Get them to do everything that’s involved in an activity except the activity itself.”

Bob: “You get to the verge. You have that intensity. It’s not there and then it’s really there. Then it starts to fade.

“I bring in some choice when I tell them it’s OK to stand up the next time but I want you to pick the moment when the intensity starts to fade to start to move. Normally you would stand up immediately when that tension starts to rise. We’re going to let it rise through its cycle, start to drop, and then to stand up then.

“That exercise starts a dialogue with the student about what it means to move when you get a stimulus. Then you can start to play with what it feels like in your process to move.”



Fred Astaire Embodied Alexander Technique

Luke Ford writes

Alexander teacher Robert Rickover says: “Many times with new students, I suggest that if they want to see examples of the kind of use that Alexander Technique promotes, to take a look at someone like Fred Astaire. While he did not have Alexander lessons, he exemplifies what we are about.

“I tell people, turn off the volume and just watch him move. Just watch him walk or stand or sit.

“Of course he’s breathing, but there’s never a big deal about it. The air is just coming in and out. And that’s connected with the ease of his more obvious movements.

“You don’t need to look at the spectacular dance scenes. Just look at ordinary things. He’s talking to someone. He’s getting up from a couch. If you watch him carefully, you can do it in slow motion, you will see an incredible ease of movement. If you look at his breathing, you will hardly see anything because it is so subdued. There’s no extra effort involved.”



How Many Alexander Lessons Do You Need?

Luke Ford writes

I’m practically convinced
I want to try Alexander
but from my understanding you need to put in a lot of time before you see any results
is that true?

you get some results right off
think of a 1% improvement per lesson

jeepers
so 60 lessons for a 60% improvement

yeah
most people need at least 30 lessons to make permanent changes

how long have you been doing AT?

3 years

wow
weekly?

daily, training to be a teacher

but thats only recently right?

since 01/09

daily since then?

36 weeks a year, 3hours a day



Sunday, August 21, 2011

Transform Your Life On The Cheap

Luke Ford writes

Are you interested in inexpensive acupuncture? YoSan (on Washington Blvd in Culver City) and Emperors College (in Santa Monica) have community clinics that charge about $40 per session.

You can get low-cost psycho-therapy from $16 on up (depending on your stated income) at the Southern California Counseling Center on Pico Blvd.

There are lots of great 12-step recovery groups in Los Angeles, including:

* Sexaholics Anonymous (strong religious overtones, pushes no sex outside of marriage, no masturbation, overwhelmingly men go to this, some Orthodox Jews)

* Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (You set your own boundaries of the behavior you want to drop. Even mix of men and women.)

* Sex Addicts Anonymous (mainly men)



Morning Blessings For Orthodox Men

Luke Ford writes: I’ve been asking Orthodox rabbis about Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky’s two blog posts (here and here) announcing why he did not say the traditional morning blessing thanking God for not making him a woman.

A friend tells me: “Fact is, that blessing has been in dispute from the beginning, and many important poskim, and whole communities, say “sheasani yisrael” (for making me a Jew).

“Also, the gemora has another potential blessing, “shelo asani am haaretz” (for not making me ignorant) and that was unpopular and disappeared from the texts.”

One rabbi said to me: “The sad thing is the shul won’t fire him. What about the blessing thanking God for not making him a Gentile (she loasani goy) – how can the rabbi be racist?”

“He should really get rid of mussaf as well – the treatment of animals in biblical doctrine does not stand up to the “smell test” of modern sensibilities.

“In fact he should not allow the reading of Parshat Zachor for it is racist, or any place in the Torah which speaks of Israel’s choseness or specialness – these are primitive ancient perspectives. He should edit the Torah, teachings and ritual to confirm to modern sensibilities – of course none of this should be done in an orthodox shul – which is why he should be fired."

I discuss the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs Mondays at 7:00 pm PST on my live cam and on YouTube. Facebook Fan Page.

This week we study Parashat Ekev (Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25).



Left My Meds Thru Alexander Technique

Luke Ford writes

I don’t think Alexander Technique has anything to say about medication.

It’s a way of learning to move the way the body likes to move.

Still, it has profound effects on your whole being.

Here’s my story on how the Technique helped me get off medication. Your mileage may vary. I’m not a doctor and I’m not telling you what to do.

In 2001, a psychiatrist started me on the medications of clonidine and clonazepam.

According to Wikipedia: “Clonidine is a sympatholytic medication used to treat medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, ADHD and anxiety/panic disorder.”

According to Wikipedia: “Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine drug having anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant, and anxiolytic properties. …Clonazepam is also used for the treatment of panic disorder.”

Since I started blogging for a living in 1997, I’ve had a largely solitary life during the week so on Shabbat I often get high on socializing and end up acting and speaking inappropriately because I feel so giddy about the opportunity to mix, particularly with young women. 



Michelle Bachmann Gets Better And Better

Luke Ford writes

On his radio show today, Dennis Prager said: “Michelle Bachmann is better and better each day, which is a big deal. It means a lot of things, including intelligence. It’s hard for a mediocre mind to adapt. It takes a facile mind to adapt. This is my new challenge. I will rise to it. It means she has a clear mind. She’s somebody to watch.”

“In tennis, you have to get the ball over the net. In politics, you have to inspire people to support you.”

“Rick Perry presented a grand vision for America. I found the delivery stilted. Michelle Bachmann has a fluent presentation of herself.”

“There are three great problems with Mitt Romney. One. He has changed his positions on a number of fundamental matters. Two. What is his grand vision? Third. Romneycare. I will go to my grave why Mitt Romney did not say, I tried it. It failed. Nobody knows better than I that government intervention in healthcare is a catastrophe. But he never says that.”

“I don’t know Rick Perry. I know the success of Texas.”



Holding Yourself In To Prevent Feeling

Luke Ford writes

Psycho-therapist and Alexander Technique teacher Anthony Kingsley tells Robert Rickover: “Alexander Technique develops capacities for stillness, non-reactivity and inhibition, the capacity to not rush ahead and finish people’s sentences.”

“The pupil can say, ahh, I know I’m really holding myself, I’m gripping my jaw, I’m tightening my neck as a way of not feeling anxious or sad. I might bite my upper lip to not cry. I might tighten my breathing to not feel alarmed. I may hold my shoulders hunched and compressed as a way of not feeling my own anger. Alexander Technique makes a direct link between emotions and physical manifestations of emotion.”



A Test For Sex Addiction

Luke Ford writes

I answered yes to the following questions (many of the below questions I would not answer “yes” to for my life right now, but I’ve answered “yes” for times in the past, so while my life right now is tranquil, I know I have many self-destructive tendencies in this regard):

Have you ever tried to control how much sex to have or how often you would see someone?
Do you find yourself unable to stop seeing a specific person even though you know that seeing this person is destructive to you?
Do you feel that you don’t want anyone to know about your sexual or romantic activities?
Do you get “high” from sex and/or romance?
Have you had sex at inappropriate times, in inappropriate places, and/or with inappropriate people?
Do you make promises to yourself concerning your sexual or romantic behavior that you find you cannot follow?
Have you had or do you have sex with someone you don’t (didn’t) want to have sex with?
Do you believe that sex and/or a relationship will make your life bearable?
Have you ever felt that you had to have sex?
Do you believe that someone can “fix” you?



What Happens In An Alexander Technique Lesson

Luke Ford writes

From a website in the UK:

For the first lesson, if you are in pain then I would work with you on the table. All the ideas of Alexander can be put into practice while the back is supported by the table. We work on freeing the joints of the body, inhibiting habitual responses, understanding directions, encouraging the spine to lengthen and generally allowing an expansion of energy. You will be encouraged to practise this at home each day.

If we work on standing and sitting in the first lesson then the main thing to start with is how do you move? What is your awareness of your body? When you sit down do you pull your head back? When you stand up do you use your hands to lift you up? If you “sit up straight” for some time is this tiring? A lot of people have Alexander lessons because of poor posture. We work on strengthening the back through releasing excess tension and bringing back a spring-like quality, then posture improves. When the primary control is working well standing up and sitting down is effortless.



Evolution Of Alexander Technique

Luke Ford writes

Robert: “He was speaking in large halls where there was no PA system and often these halls were filled with rowdy tin miners. He wanted to project his voice to the back of the hall and in attempting to do that, he exaggerated some patterns he had in the rest of his life and this caused his hoarseness.”

Tom: “When there’s some rigorous activity we do, the habit becomes more pronounced. More exacerbated but it is probably going on all the time.”

Robert: “What Alexander noticed about himself in the context of being a reciter is applicable to all of us in our everyday activities.”

Tom: “Alexander discovered a way that was helpful not only for breathing but for everything we do. He figured out a way to [stop doing things that get in our way] — inhibition. It’s a neuro-muscular term (not a Freudian term) where you can say to yourself, I’m not going to do the thing that harms me. I’m going to choose something that is better for me.”



How Is Alexander Technique Different From Pilates, Yoga?

Luke Ford writes

 

In an interview with Robert Rickover, Tom says: “The Alexander Technique was developed in the late 1800s by an actor in Australia named Frederick Matthias Alexander. He was on stage performing and he felt hoarseness and he lost his voice. He went to doctors. They suggested he rest his voice. That would do the trick.

“He did that. He went back out on stage. He felt hoarseness and lost his voice again. He decided that it must be something that he’s doing when he’s on stage performing that’s creating a loss of voice. He set up mirrors, a tryptych of mirrors. If you ever go to a taylor, you can look in one mirror and see all around you.

“He noticed that when he began to speak, he was shortening his neck and pulling his head back and down on to his neck, tightening in his throat, bracing in his ribs, shortening his spine, pulling his legs and arms into his torso. In short, he was compressing and constricting himself.”



The Day I Met Michelle Bachmann

Luke Ford writes

Last summer, I went to a rally for Israel outside the Jewish Federation on Wilshire Blvd.

Off to the side, I saw television cameras and Michelle Bachmann coming through. She was shaking hands and introducing herself to people before joining the big shots behind the microphone.

I think I edged out of the way. I don’t like politicians. I don’t like getting sold. I like to think of myself as above it all. I’m an observer. I like to be neutral. Don’t draw me into the dance.

I thought of Michelle as this flaky right-winger. I heard she was planning to run for president but I thought that was a joke. What had she ever accomplished?

Just looking at her, she seemed extreme.

She had presence. I’ll give her that. The air changed when she moved close to you. People responded to her. She had energy and she conveyed excitement.

I didn’t bother to blog about her.

I didn’t think much about her. I had no idea that a year later she’d be a presidential contender.



What's Wrong With Kids Picking Berries

Luke Ford writes

I used to pick berries when I was a kid. I remember picking blackberries at Pacific Union College from age 11 on.

Kids are good at picking berries. They’ve got the little fingers adept at reaching into vines and brambles and making dainty little picks.

I don’t think we need government intervention to make this illegal. If a parent puts his seven-year-old kid out to work picking berries, that is the choice of the parent.

Who should raise kids? Parents or the government? The left wants you to have as little to do with the raising of your kids as possible. The left does not even want you to make your kids lunch because you might put in unhealthy foods.

Here’s the top story right now on Drudge:



Conservative View On The Labor Riots

Luke Ford writes

Dennis: As soon as you hear the word “hopeless”, you know you’ve entered the planet of leftism. What hope do they not have? They have hope to have room and board. They’re not living on the street. They’re not starving.

The left’s view is that you can explain everything by economics. My view is that you can explain almost everything by someone’s values. Knowing someone’s values, I can tell you whether or not they will rape and steal.