ICE Assigned.

 Today's news threat from our government's Executive Office is to have the agents of ICE (Immigrant and Customs Enforcement) take over the jobs of TSA agents at the airports. The TSA agents are tired of working without pay, and really, with the current(ly rising) gas prices, they probably can no longer afford to, since they don't actually live at the airports.

Maybe ICE could live at the airports! 

After all, they are having a lot of problems finding places to take them in, and an airport should be big enough. The bigger the better for keeping them housed. Plus, sooner or later, they will be facing the same lack of income and higher gas prices. It's just taking longer due to their Special Status.

On the surface, this is a great idea, and probably should have been thought of a long time ago. Just think what incredible numbers they could have arresting and deporting people who might be 'fleeing' the country so they don't get sent away!

Isn't this where they should have been looking all along? As well as stopping flee-ers who aren't being counted on their scorecards, they might even spy some brazenly deplaning as if they were entering a free country of their free will.

It's so obvious. 

Isn't that where they should have been all along, instead of raiding private homes and dragging children  off the streets? (Even if it isn't to bait or betray their parents and siblings?) Or playing Chicken with automobiles then bawking and squawking like one when they succeed at getting hit?

Or --? Well, never mind. I don't want to wander into the uncovered or undiscovered possibilities -- I'm sticking with the best known examples. 

They are bad enough.

There are other considerations as well, some of them rather frivolous. 

My biggest question is that, while they are 'directing' people through metal scanners and  personally feeling them up at gunpoint, will they still be masked?

Will they shoot you if you punch them in their nose if they get too frisky with the frisking?

Will they put your underwear on their heads when they toss your luggage all along the belt? Use your bras as gasmasks? 

Will they take their masks off to do so?

Will they step on your bare toes once they have your shoes?

Will they have tear gas in enclosed areas?

Will they use it?

Will you be there when they do?

ICE in the airports may well slow down the country as much as the pandemic did in 2020.If it does, our executive Officer will have done in 4 months what it took him 4 years to do last time around.

We'll all be getting free spa mudbaths in the swamp, won't we, and being the moles getting whacked in the Great Game.

But the mud will be free, and if we do get whacked, we won't have to worry about embalming and burial costs. 

We'll just keep sinking, from the sublime to sub-lime.

Isn't that ridiculous?

Dream it; Do it; Or Quitcher Whining.

My husband is watching yet another reality show about gold mining or fishing or deep sea ice diving (or ice driving) or whatever excuse this bunch of "men" are using as an excuse to not have to live a real life, like the rest of us have to do.

I don't know why he watches these shows. I don't know why anyone watches many of these shows. I think there's supposed to be a "Man against Nature" challenge, and we're all dreaming of ourselves as winning against the impersonal, implacable elements.

But what you hear during these programs is a lot of whining. "Oh we need 35 per yard and we're only getting six. It's all the machine's fault." "Oh no, if we don't find something, I'm going to go to jail for child support. The boss better find us a better place to work; it's his fault this isn't working." And the self sacrificing Valiant "I do this for my kids. So they'll have something. That's why I'm 2000 miles away and unavailable by telephone."

1) Take care of the machine, and don't over work it. It's a machine, dumbass.
2) If you're worried about paying support, get a real job with a regular paycheck in a regular amount.
3) Maybe, just maybe what your kids really need is a father. Ever thought they might like to see you every now and then? They might like to call you in an emergency and have you there in a half hour or two? They might even appreciate a hug or a handshake, depending on age or gender!

One of the gentlemen earlier today was talking on and on about his "Big Dream" of making "THE Big Strike." Then he'll never have to worry again.

We all have Big Dreams. Almost all of us dream of winning the lottery, especially when that old Power Ball gets way up there. We don't abandon our families to chase that dream. We don't spend money they could use for food or heat while we travel to another state to be closer to the winning-ticket-vending places, do we? And blame the machine for not printing us the winning numbers? Or the clerk for not selling us the right numbers? Because we are trying so hard to realize our dream, the failure couldn't be our fault, could it?

(Of course, that could be why we don't get made into TV shows.)

Another Big Dream of mine is to be a published, income-earning writer. If I never become that, though, it's no one's fault but mine. Yeah, there are publishers turning their backs on a good thing, and editors who don't know what they're missing -- but I'm the one who didn't write right enough to attract them. I'm the one who used the wrong approach or followed the wrong path to their doors.

I'm the one who is dreaming big and doing little.

But at least I'm not on national cable television crying and whining and telling the world that I am a big LOSER because someONE or someTHING  is stopping me. (I admit to whining about it amongst my colleagues and kinfolk, but that is a little different.)

There's nothing wrong with dreaming of a gold mine, but you take care of your family first. You handle your responsibilities first.

You get a day job, for those you love, and you pursue your dream on your own personal private time.

Or you make yourself famous for being a loser at life.

The choice is yours.