Ian's blog

Full eclipse reached

The moon is just about gone.

I saw Alien at the uptown last night in DC. If you didn’t know they re-released it for Halloween. If was good except for the mystery science theatre 3000 wanabees behind us. Today was a relaxed day. I bought finding nemo and the new Sarah Mclachlan album that is being ripped write now.
There is supposed to be a full eclipse of the moon tonight which should be happening as we speak. At least on the west coast.
I also stopped by a coffee house close to my girl friends place and met some I used to work with so we chatted for a while. I also met some that I went through training with when I first joined my last company. We were in Giant of all places. I heard him talking and turned around. He didn’t recognize me because of the hair 😉
I also went to the National Geographic building and saw really cool photos. The exhibition was called Tibet: The path to Buddha by Steve McCurry I am looking at his web site and he is doing a weekend workshop in New York. Can I justify the $850 fee ?????

I heard a story on NPR this morning that has me torn.

It was about a teacher who wants to give kids of illegals the same options that legal kids have. Her theory is that if you can’t pay for college and can’t drive what motivation do kids have for graduating and furthing themselves. She wants the kids to get the state rate.

I am conflicted. I am here in the US legally at considerable expense to my employers who have paid for the cost of my visa. I currently can not switch jobs or leave the country because of visa stuff. One half of me says screw them why should they get it easy when I have to jump through all these hoops and wait many years. The other half says makes sense give the kids a goal, graduate from high school and then go to college for 2 years and you can become legal.

I wonder if I could get a high school diploma and go to college for 2 years. Right now that sounds a hell of a lot easier than proving that your employer couldn’t hire a US citizen to do you job. File the paper work and wait. Then wait some more. Then wait even longer. So far I have been waiting for over a year and don’t expect it to move in the next 6 months. When that first stage finishes file stage 2 and 3 together wait probably another year. Then I have to work another year afterwards or I have to pay back all the costs of the getting the green card.

I do object the ideas that are being floated about an amnesty for illegals. If the US really needs these people. Which I think it does. Then make a new class of visa and give them the option to leave the US and re enter on this new visa. To start with it should be based on the persons ability to prove that they have paid taxes. Give it to them for 2 years and allow them to renew for say 10 years. The visa should be tied to the availability of a job. This will allow people to get drivers licenses, go to school and all the other things that they want.

I bought an 6db antenna. I also got a new ATI tv wonder pro. The antenna was missing the connector I needed but I am going to get them to mail me one so that isn’t a big deal. The tv card is a waste of time. It has a conexant cx23883 chip set in it which doesn’t seem have any support for linux. I was looking for a card that can do stereo but i guess I will have to return it. It is so hard to tell what is on the card till you open it.

Oh oh the cat has decided that she want be on my lap. Hopefully she will settle.