Are “illegals” really our biggest problem?

I received this “FORWARD” from a very good friend of mine recently.   I did forward the email to others because it was a petition and I’m all for our first amendment rights!  There were about 900 signatures and if I didn’t forward, these would be lost.  However, I did not attach my name to the bottom of it.  Before I explain why I didn’t, here’s a copy of the email:

Subject: Social Security - IMPORTANT
Mom was a homemaker and Dad worked all his life and paid into SS. Dad has passed away and now mom can barely make ends meet. While the possible ‘illegal’ alien in front of her at the grocery store buys the name brands, mom goes for the generic brands and day old breads. She doesn’t have out of state calling on her phone because she can’t afford it and shops at the thrift shops and dollar stores. She considers having a pizza delivered once a week ‘eating out’. She grew up during the depression, watched her husband go overseas to fight in WW II a year after their marriage, and then they went on to raise, feed and clothe 5 children, struggling to pay tuition for parochial schools.

The Senate voted this week to allow ‘illegal’ aliens access to Social Security benefits. I’m sorry, but how can the Senate justify this slap in the face to born and bred, or naturalized, citizens. It is already impossible to live on Social Security alone. If they give benefits to ‘illegal’ aliens who have never contributed, where does that leave those of us who have paid into Social Security all our working lives? This is an opportunity to sign a petition that requires citizenship for eligibility to receive Social Services. If you do not wish to sign the petition yourself, please forward on to anyone you think might be interested. If you don’t forward the petition and just stop it, we will lose all these names. If you do not want to sign it, please just forward it to anyone who might want a voice. Thank you!

To add your name, click on ‘forward.’ You will be able to add your name at the bottom of the list and then forward it to your friends.

WILL THE 1,000th PERSON TO SIGN, PLEASE SEND IT ON TO THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL ADDRESS (mail to: President@WhiteHouse.gov )

PETITION FOR PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

Mr. President:

The petition below is a protest against the recent vote of the senate which was to allow illegal aliens access to our social security! We demand that you and all congressional representatives require citizenship for anyone to be eligible for social services in the United States.

I forwarded the email but I did not sign my name to it.  Others have a right to their own opinions as I have a right to mine. 
Firstly, I will state that our veterans are the most forgotten citizens and the most deserving!  We really should have more quality social services in place to assist veterans and their families!  This is not exactly what this is about however.
I had a problem with the email because I am of Hispanic descent and I felt it was discriminatory.  Now I realize that I may just be more sensitive since I have had to deal with the subject first-hand.  If I am being sensitive, please let me know, but this is how I felt.
It is a fact that most illegal immigrants are of Hispanic origin.  Before we go on let me clarify a pet peeve of mine–Spanish is the language all Hispanics and Spaniards speak.  However, I would only be Spanish if I had been born in Spain.  So please call me a Hispanic, a Latino, a Puerto Rican–but don’t call me Spanish!
Ok so where were we? Ahh–not many people of Hispanic descent signed this.  I do feel bad for the woman described in this scenario.  She is struggling after losing her husband.  But I have a few questions–why didn’t she get a job when her children were grown?  I understand the desire to want to stay home and raise your children but most of the families I knew growing up could not afford the luxury of a stay at home parent.  And none of these families were illegal. 
And why did she have 5 children if it was such a struggle?  I mean seriously unless you want to raise them on welfare, you have the children you can afford!  And furthermore, I fail to see the real struggle if they afforded each of their 5 kids a parochial education!  And, ummm, where are these 5 ingrates now that their mom needs them anyway?  I bet you if they were illegals, mom would be taken care of!  She wouldn’t have to struggle.
Ok maybe I’m being prejudiced now but seriously–Why is the person who is buying the name-brands a possible illegal alien?  What does buying name brands have to do with immigration status?  She is making BIG assumptions. 
Illegal immigrants do not have it easy.  I keep hearing over and over how they are taking our jobs.  Oh really?  How many of you work a 15 hour day for $25 and a happy meal?  How many of you spend the day in the sweltering heat climbing scaffolds with heavy equipment on your back for the equivalent of a $1 an hour?  They aren’t taking any jobs from us because there aren’t any born and bred citizens who would let themselves be reduced to that.  But out of need and responsibility to their families, they do what they have to do.    
I work closely with Social Security and believe me that 25 year old illegal aliens don’t apply for SSI.  But 20 year old “born and bred” citizens do!
And for what?  Mostly because after years of drug abuse, they have now devenloped some back pain.  So now they want to get into prescription drugs.  Have they paid into the system?  Nope.  But nobody is signing a petition for that. 
Most illegal aliens that apply for SSI are in their 70’s.  You want to refuse an elderly person food and shelter?  
Did you also know that convicted drug related felons are not eligible for social services such as food stamps and SSI, until they complete a state approved rehabilitation program?  BUT a convicted child molester can walk into any county welfare the first day out of jail and get himself food stamps, medicaid and free room and board.
Educate yourself first before you go signing all sorts of petitions.  Illegal immigrants are not a big problem at all.

 

The Painter from Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein

This book is a first novel for this writer and it reads like the lyrics to the ballad that was Pan Yuliang’s life.  The novel is a work of fiction based on the life of Pan Yuliang, a painter from Shanghai (thus the title!).  It took the writer approximately 10 years to write this book!  Sounds incredible but she did justice to Pan Yuliang’s life. 
Pan Yuliang was an orphan who was later sold into prostitution by her uncle who was supposed to be her caregiver.  I guess fortunately, she ends up in a brothel where many significant political leaders and government officials frequent.  She ends up being the concubine of Pan Zanhua, a customs inspector.  He enrolls her to study art, her passion, at a school in Shanghai.  She is so talented that she ends up in Paris furthering her art and does pretty well in Paris.  When she returns to China, the people are not ready for her.  She often opted for painting nudes, which the people of China found alarming, especially in a woman of course!  She had also grown accustomed to a European lifestyle.  China’s political atmosphere was in the midst of a revolution.  Finally, Pan Yuliang has to choose between her passion for her art and the man who gave her her life back. 
The writer took some real events of a misunderstood and under-appreciated painter and gave it life.   She filled in the blanks of a life that would otherwise have remained obscured. 
I did not know anything at all about Pan Yuliang until I read this novel.  I think the novel shows an incredible imagination on the part of the writer.  Her prose is very smooth and lyrical and was a joy to read.  For me, Pan Yuliang’s artistic life was reminiscent of the Mexican artist–Frida Kahlo.  Frida also painted the unobservable and shocking.  It seems they were women ahead of their times.
5 Tattered Pages!!

NOTE:  I entered a contest to win a copy of this book and an oil paint set :-)  I’m not a painter but I was really interested in the book!  The writer emailed me to let me know I had not won but she would send a copy of the book anyway if I was interested.  Of course I said!  A few days later the book arrived.  It was a great novel and although I don’t personally know the author, I want to thank her (if she ever reads this) :-)  Keep them coming!!

Sean Bell–31 bullets shot by a single man NOT right

I’m so sorry but there is definitely something wrong when one police officer/detective/whatever his title, shot 31 times!!!
What on earth would ever make you shoot a gun 31 times?  It’s not like it was an automatic machine gun–the kind that just keeps shooting if you leave your finger on the trigger.
He had to shoot a few times, stop, eject clip, reload clip and shoot again–several times.  This gave him plenty of time to recoup his thoughts and at some point realize he was NOT doing the right thing.
I’m not a technical expert so I’m not really sure how that all works.  There were many more shots fired by two other officers but I was just taken aback by the fact that ONE officer alone could possibly shoot 31 times.  How can that happen and it be right?  This wasn’t about race.  This wasn’t about the fact that some or all had prior criminal records.  This is about the fact that a person (or maybe all 3)  that we all count on to protect us went a little overboard when faced with pressure. 
I know that officers put their lives on the line every time they put on that uniform and I am thankful; but they should also be very self-aware.  If you feel you can’t handle the pressure, let someone know.  Take care of it–BEFORE you go shooting 31 times!

Killer Heat by Linda Fairstein

This was the first time I have ever read a book by Linda Fairstein and I have been missing out! 
This book is the most recent installment in a long-standing series featuring the character of Alexandra Cooper.  “Coop,” as she is lovingly referred to by Mike, a detective she works closely with, is an assistant district attorney in NYC.  In Killer Heat, Coop, Mike and Mercer (another detective), are on a race to stop a serial killer who has a penchant for women in uniform.  In the meantime, Coop is also busy trying a case of rape that is 35 years old and finally solvable through DNA testing.  And as if that weren’t enough, a group of gang-bangers whose leader she prosecuted and put away previously, is out to get her. 
I enjoyed this book tremendously.  The characters are immediately captivating.  Fairstein describes Coop in such a way that the reader becomes immediately invested in what happens to her.  In this book, we learn that Coop has just met a Frenchman and she could be falling for him.  However, we also learn that her fiance was murdered and she is still dealing with the repercussions.  There also seems to be some undercurrent of a love interest between her and Mike.  
I read a lot of suspense/thrillers and I found a couple of things in Killer Heat that make Fairstein stand out.  First of all, the heroine is involved in many different things at one time.  There isn’t just one storyline but several and they intertwine.  Another thing that is different (again I don’t know if she does it in all her books) is how she uses history and her description of places to teach us all sorts of trivia. 
In this book, we learn all about Governor’s Island and Bannerman Island.  These are real places off the coast of NY.  I really enjoyed reading the history, especially since I’m pretty close to NYC.
I definitely enjoyed everything about this book and have just added another author to my favorites’ list.
5 Tattered Pages

Lucky by Alice Sebold

   This novel is an autobiographical account of Alice Sebold’s rape when she was a college freshman.  In this novel, Sebold shares with her reader intimate details about being raped and how her life changed afterward.  She describes the violence in such detail that you “see” it vividly occur as you read.   Alice’s life was tainted by this rape.  How could it not be?  She returns to school and eventually graduates but not before more trauma and tragedy occur.  She does win the case against her rapist which is extremely difficult to do, but this doesn’t really do anything for her emotionally.  In some ways, I think it may have hurt her because it seems that after winning the case, she became somewhat of a celebrity and this damaged many of her relationships with peers and may have caused other problems. 
However, she manages to finish her classes and obtain an education.  She eventually becomes a college professor.  She travels quite a bit.  She also ends up with a nasty little heroin habit.
All in all it was an interesting read, meaning that you as the reader do want to know more about her life, so Sebold does capture her reader’s attention.  However, I did feel a little bit cheated at the end because the last couple of chapters dealing with her drug habit and adult life, seem to have been written in a rush.  It was like she needed a few more pages or something.  There was not as much detail in these final chapters as there could have been.  Her soul was not written into those final pages. 
I am left wanting to know more about the man she was living with and how she happened to get involved with him.  I also wanted to know exactly how big a drug habit she got into–when and how did she take her first hit?  Did she like it?  How did she feel?  Why quit? 
I also know she managed to find a great man, who she is married to and I would have liked to know more about that.  I guess what I wanted was a happy ending but I could see why she would not put that part of her life in this book.  This was more her own personal journey into an abyss and her struggle out of it.  It was like a journal she decided to share with the world about a very bad part of her life.  
It’s really difficult to rate an autobiographical account of someone’s life especially when it’s infused with such trauma.  Please understand that this is my own personal opinion about the “story” not her life.
This book gets 4 tattered pages!

The Ex-Factor by Tu-Shonda Whitaker

If you want to read a book that you just cannot put down and makes you drown out the noise of the train engine on your commute to work–this is one of those.  Admittedly, the storyline probably has more appeal to women than it will to men but this is a great read!  It’s a soap opera style drama.
This story revolves around three sisters and the very different lives they live.   
One sister, the youngest, has to learn the very hard lesson of letting go of a man that’s just not good, even if he is her baby’s daddy!!
The oldest sister has to learn that words can sometimes cut like a knife.  She also has to learn that letting herself go is not the way to keep her family together.
The middle sister has to learn that no matter what, blood is thicker than water, and that you never ever ever, and I do mean never, no matter how fine he may be, go after your sister’s husband.
Oh yea!  Did I say drama?? I meant it!!  Could not put this book down.  You aren’t going to find any of life’s mysteries revealed in this book but you will find some great entertainment.  LOL 
4 TATTERED PAGES!

“I Heard That Song Before” by Mary Higgins Clark

Mary Higgins Clark hardly ever lets me down.  The last book I read of hers was “Two Little Girls in Blue” and although it was OK, I found it lacking something.  This book did not lack in anything at all!!  This was a fabulous read.  The characters were immediately captivating! 
The main character–Kay Lansing–is a librarian, so at first I thought maybe I just like her because she likes books like I do! :-)  But no, it turns out I liked everything about the character.  This was a strong heroine.  She marries a rich man–Peter Carrington (and I’m talking millions and millions rich!!)  and shortly after arriving from their honeymoon, he is arrested for murder!!
Of course she refuses to believe that her new husband is a murderer but as things keep coming up, she starts to doubt his innocence, especially since her own husband really believes he committed the crimes!  Then there are twist and turns and honestly, they are all good! 
I am not going to give anything away (you’ll have to read it!)  but Mary Higgins Clark did it again with this one.  She kept me wanting more and more and guessing right until the last page!!
This gets 5 tattered pages!!

Notorius by Michele Martinez

I have been an avid Michele Martinez fan from day one.  This is the 4th book in the Melanie Vargas series (Most Wanted, The Finishing School, Cover-Up).  Lots has happened since the last book and having finished Notorious, I can see that lots of changes will take place in the next book as well.

Without spoiling anything, the most obvious change in this book is the virtual disappearance of Dan, Melanie’s hot hunky FBI agent significant other (say that in one breath! :-)  I missed having Dan around but there was so much going on as far as plot twists and murders, that we really don’t get a chance to miss him too much.  And from the hints, he will probably come back around eventually.  In the meantime, it looks like Melanie is in full swing with the promotion Bernadette had promised from the last book.  Bernadette is now a “happy” judge.

There was lots of action in this book and you had to pay close attention to all the details but it keeps you guessing until the end which is great.  There are tragedies and some lives are lost–one close to home. 
All in all, I was not disappointed.  I will miss Dan for a while and Linda, Melanie’s sister who seems to have plans to move to Miami (but that leaves Miami open for possibilities in the future).  And also, strangely enough, the arrival of a new character by the name of Jennifer intrigues me.  At the end of the novel instead of hating her, I’d actually like to see more of her.  Hit me up if you’ve read this and tell me what you think!!  
This is all I will say because I don’t want to spoil it.  But pick up your copy.  It’s worth every cent!

This one gets 5 tattered pages!!

How I almost got kicked out 1st day @ Paperback Swap

Hello all!  I’ve recently joined a wonderful Yahoo group called Mystery Book-Swap.  Basically it’s for mystery book lovers.  you read and then trade your book for one you haven’t read yet with another member.  The people on here are absolutely fabulous.  It’s a great group.  Well, it was here that I first heard of Paperback Book Swap.  It’s a website where you basically do the same thing but well, you should have a lot more to choose from since there are a lot of members.

So I joined yesterday (some of my yahoo group friends have already accepted my buddy requests–thanks!! I need all the buddies I can get on there–you’ll see why). 
I thought it would be easier to import a file of ISBN’s so I downloaded a text file from Shelfari (where I already had an account) which gives you ALL books on ONE list.  And then I uploaded into the Bookshelf at PBS.  And it worked and I was sooooo happy–THEN I realized that all the books in Bookshelf means they are available for people right away.  People had books automatically wish-listed so it put a hold on 56 of my books and I could not delete them!!  Worse part is that about 42 of those were actually from my OWN wish-list on Shelfari so I didn’t own them!!!  I was absolutely frantic.  Finally I figured out that I had to wait until people request the book and then I have to let them know I can’t mail it (they are going to love me at PBS).  Then it gets deleted on its own. 

I am mailing out two books today though.  I even pre-printed postage and delivery confirmation.  I had a heck of a time trying to wrap the books though so I finally put them in envelopes and just taped on the label with postage and address. 
Ay ay ay!!  What I do for the love of books!

“the five people you meet in heaven” By Mitch Albom

     There are some books you read to entertain yourself, like most of the mystery/thriller novels I read. There are others you read looking for a message. This is one of those books and it did not let me down.

     My mom passed away almost 11 years ago on my birthday. In this time, I’ve learned that time doesn’t always heal the wound. Some shoes are way too big to ever fill. My mom’s 3 inch heels are one of them.  

     I was 26 years old when she passed away. I was an adult but I had spent the last 7 years in college and graduate school-all good things-but when she died, I felt that this had stolen time I could have spent with her. I felt and believed that my mother had not yet told me everything she needed to; that she had not yet taught me all I needed to learn.

     I found some answers in this book.

     The book basically tells us the story of an elderly, crotchety man, who dies while trying to save a young girl’s life at a carnival where he works. Next thing, he wakes up in “heaven” or perhaps it should be better called “heaven’s ante-room.” Here, he learns important life lessons.

     The story weaves in and out of the present time at the carnival, the man’s actual life, and “heaven.” In so doing, Albom gives us messages of hope, peace and connection.

     Here are some of what I thought were great lines because they brought the message home to me.
 

• “….there are no random acts..that we are all connected…that death doesn’t just take someone, it misses someone else…”

• “..when you sacrifice something precious, you’re not really losing it. You are just passing it to someone else.”

• “…hatred is a curved blade. And the harm we do, we do to ourselves.”

• “..lost love is still love…a different form, that’s all.”

     Albom teaches us about sacrifice, forgiveness and most of all..Love.

This one gets 5 tattered pages!!