Postmodern Life in Southern California

[baltoro]

In this morning's Los Angeles Times, the lead article is all about a recent analysis of U.S. Census data: Data Show State Families Changing; U.S. Census Figures Reveal a Strong Increase in Nontraditional Households.
The article begins by profiling a Los Angeles household composed of a cute little girl with a long, hyphenated last name,...and, her three 'Mothers' (one of whom is pregnant). It's complicated,...but, not too complicated for a 4-year old. In the politically correct terminology that is so damn pervasive here in California,...the Moms are described as 'partners',...and, they think they are just a normal, fun-loving family,...
As assembly programmers,...we are a group with predominantly traditional values,...we have frighteningly well-developed intellects, and, impressive technical capabilities.
...Regardless, reality in California must be decoded before it can be understood in all it's glory,... :eek

The Times analysis found that the most meaningful demographic shifts in relation to the dominance of 'the nuclear family' in Southern Californian society were:

• Households composed of the traditional nuclear family: married  couples with children, have declined in the last decade as a proportion of the total surveyed households to between 22% and 27%.
• Households with unmarried, heterosexual couples with no children, rose 20% between 2000 and 2010 (comprising between 5% and 7% of the total).
• Single-parent households with children also rose by 20% between 2000 and 2010 (comprising between 9% and 16% of the total).
• Households composed of same-sex persons rose by 25% between 2000 and 2010 (totalling less than 1% of all households).

Strangely,...the article makes absolutely no mention of the gazillions of illegal Mexican immigrants that have over-run society here in California,...and, are apparently, completely invisible to Federal Census Officials. The typical immigrant household is composed of several dozen impoverished Hispanic people crammed into a small apartment, designed for, at most, two people. It's oppresive and chaotic: they trabajo all the time for minimum wage, no health benefits, sleep in shifts, and, happily send most of their dinero back to their families in Mexico. (apologies to carlos for that one)

But, I think the wave of the future is the Paris Hilton household. Paris has a small herd of weird quasi-canine pets, and a full-time staff of Professionals to care for them: A canine Dietician/Nutritionist, several therapists, bodyguards, a specialist in gay canine coiffure, a public relations agent, fashion accessory consultant, spiritual guru, masseuse, swim coach,...

...And, then, there's,...Charlie,...but, Charlie is an outlier,...an anomaly,...statistically insignificant,...I'm NOT talking about Charlie,...beside, he's suing me,...

...So, to summarize,...Weird is the new normal. But, I think the rest of the World is just too retro to see it that way,...

[oex]

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/sciencetech/men-no-longer-necessary-for-sperm-production/750

The world moves forward.... I doubt we will have to wait long before we exist as batteries in Matrix style pods, considering vast multi-dimentional perspectives all linked through next generation internet....

[baltoro]

PETER,   

YOU JUST COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED MY WILL TO LIVE !!!

[dedndave]

i've been a donor for years...
all i do is give, give, give   :P

[baltoro]

:eek ...Ya know DAVE,...I've been thinkin' 'bout becoming an organ donor, too,...
...Maybe,...I'll donate one of my armpits as my legacy to humanity,...

[carlos]

Strangely,...the article makes absolutely no mention of the gazillions of illegal Mexican immigrants that have over-run society here in California,...and, are apparently, completely invisible to Federal Census Officials. The typical immigrant household is composed of several dozen impoverished Hispanic people crammed into a small apartment, designed for, at most, two people. It's oppresive and chaotic: they trabajo all the time for minimum wage, no health benefits, sleep in shifts, and, happily send most of their dinero back to their families in Mexico. (apologies to carlos for that one)

No need to apologise baltoro, is sad but true, all you had said about immigrants it's true 100% true, except for a small detail, the wages is ****LESS**** than minimmum, and NO the federal census did not know about it, because when the federal (or statal) government get rid of ALL the illegal workers,  (an they CAN DO, if they want)  food prices will skyrocket, as agricultors had to pay decent wages and health benefits for their legal workers, and had to pass the cost to the final consummer,

besides I blame the illegal immigrant problem in My own government, who had been unable  to provide the framework for decent jobs in México

If you still think that nobody will vote for you in USA,   how about the Méxican Presidency? 

Carlos

[hutch--]

Carlos,

This sounds like a great idea, rebuild the economy of Mexico and install Baltoro as President. Now once it gets up and going and Mexico takes its place as the economic engine of the north Americas you will face an interesting problem with all of those hungry Gringos trying to swim across the Rio Grande to illegally immigrate to Mexico to try and get a job. Now they will probably be hungry enough to work for a few pesos a day and you can probably keep it low if they are allowed to cultivate a little corn in their backyard as well.

Now as far as the border security, the cheapest way to limit the number of hungry Gringos swimming across the river is to pay the US border authorities a few pesos here and there along with the occasional box of tacos and a bottle of the cheaper Tequila and it should end up very successful. To ensure that any illegal immigrants seriously want to enjoy the new prosperity in Mexico, make it a condition of them staying that they learn how to sing La Bamba in correct Mexican Spanish and keep a photo of the Mexican hero Pancho Villa in their mud brick hut.

[baltoro]

CARLOS,
Well, it was meant as a joke,...but, you're right,...there's too much truth to it. It's heartbreaking,...really,...

Occasionally, in the editorial section of the Los Angeles Times we get great editorials by: Jorge Castañeda, former Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and, before that he was an academic at National Autonomous University of Mexico, subsequently a visiting professor at a number of American universities. His opinions are very pragmatic,...he's well-informed, and, he is very intelligent.
He has a new book out: Mañana Forever?, which I haven't read, but, I have no doubt is excellent.

I know from reading history, that the United States has been antagonistic to Mexico in many ways, especially economically.
Oil is i huge issue,...and, everything else is of lesser importance. As you know from reading my previous rants, the United States imports half of Mexico's petroleum production.
...But, now,...the war against the Drug Cartels is decimating Mexican society. This is clearly an American problem. We buy the drugs. We create the market demand. But, this has exploded into a huge economic issue.
In 1938, Mexico nationalized the oil inustry, and the rest of the world followed their example.

[carlos]

Oh my GOD hutch, I hadn't tough of  THAT consequences, I Think we are better as we are NOW.

Well Baltoro, the relationship USA-México has been very complex from the beginning, to many Mexican the loss oh Texas California, Arizona and the rest is still a open wound... but the truth is that these territories had been neglected since we were a colony of Spain,  the army who took California was consisted of only 250 men,  and the tookover was bloodless, in 1840 the Mexican government was acting in a centralized way, an d these territories were so far from México city, that they hardly think themselves as Mexicans, and things haven't changed much in recent years, in 1980's when I was in college, many classmates believe that it was best for the north estates, to secede from México and form a independent country!!!, 

Of course I know Jorge Castañeda, every Monday is a guest Speaker in "La hora de opinar"  (the opinion hour) an opinion program, I agree with him in many views, I agree that independent candidacy, could be the only way to fix things here, buy I more cynical about it after all for decades PAN the ruling party, keep saying that if we give them the chance of  govern us they will get rid of corruption, statism, and all the evil ways of the PRI. in 2000, we give them the chance........ and the dream turned to nightmare, a nightmare that still grips México.

the war on drugs is a fine example, the army fights the gatilleros.... but the money supply is still intact,  and there are millions of morons that think that having a assault rifle in his hands make them man.   let's hope that the next President (whoever he is) could find a way to end this war, one way or another.

There is a little know secret about the oil nationalization in 1938,  México took the oil from American companies .... and started selling it to the Roosevelt government cheaper, especially during WWII !!!!!


Carlos

[hutch--]

Carlos,

I have just recently watched a documentary on Mexico and it certainly has been a rocky ride. Multiple foreign invasions in the 19th century that exploited ordinary people followed by years of revolution in the early 20th century to try and achieve land and labour reforms.

People like Villa and Zapata were heros who fought to make Mexico a fairer place for ordinary people. Perhaps the habit of assassinating bad presidents during the 20s and 30s was not such a bad idea but I gather the reforms of the 1930s were watered down over the next 30 years or so and I think there were problems in the late 1960s. I know people who have been in Mexico and they saw it as a great place with good people but they also noticed that many were very poor and lived in difficult conditions.

I hope the government can defeat the drug lords who are making so much trouble at the moment but they will have to replace it with something better where ordinary people can escape the poverty and danger and live in safety.

[Bill Cravener]

...Regardless, reality in California must be decoded before it can be understood in all it's glory,... :eek

baltoro,

We hardcore North-Easterners tend to see states live Californian, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona as foreign countries. From a Northerners view it appears the Mexicans want those states back. I mean after all we brutally took it from them. I spent some two years living around the Texas Fort Worth/Dallas area have relatives who live just south of Phoenix Arizona, traveled thru those other south western states and my opinion (no offence) give it all back to the Mexicans. :bg

[dedndave]

lol
at the moment, i am having a hard time finding an argument with that, Bill   :P
too damned hot for any sane human

however, there was a time when the electronics industry thrived here in the Phoenix area
it was a great place to be, back then

[KD8COO]

We hardcore North-Easterners tend to see states live Californian, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona as foreign countries. From a Northerners view it appears the Mexicans want those states back. I mean after all we brutally took it from them. I spent some two years living around the Texas Fort Worth/Dallas area have relatives who live just south of Phoenix Arizona, traveled thru those other south western states and my opinion (no offence) give it all back to the Mexicans. :bg

Similar here in the MidWest.  We're not convinced that TX every actually joined the Union, and we certainly wish California never had!  Arizona and New Mexico, aren't those just big flat places full of sand?  I don't think any people live there, do they!?  Might as well give those back to Mexico.  Oh, and we'll throw in Illinois as a freebie too, we really don't like having it lumped in with the rest of us up here.  :-)

[dedndave]

if you want to give away states...

NJ - the armpit of the us
FL - the other armpit of the us - they can't figure out how to operate a voting machine, leaving us with gw bush
TX - the crotch - lol

much of AZ is quite nice, actually
unfortunately, that's not the part where we live   :P

[anunitu]

Can't argue about New Jersey,as I live here, California was great when I was a kid,but its not the same anymore.

California became way to expensive for an average person.

If I could,I would move to Oregon to spend my golden years... :red

Problem is not enough GOLD in my golden years :(