British Petroleum oil slick in the Gulf: are “temp” workers doing the work on most oil derricks?

Rumor heard — that many oil companies do not have full-time employees but hire only temporary workers…  If true, would that have an effect on efficiency and safety? oil slick

Open Borders for the U.S.A or something else?

Open Borders — free and open immigration is likely a goal of some politicians, and opposed by others, but a resolution of the problem of illegal immigration deserves prompt attention for the sake of all participants.

Potpourri Pan America: it’s illegal to be an illegal alien?!… Conservative “actors talk in whispers”… And more..

A potpourri Pan America of this and that, here and yonder – immigrant rallies, conservative “actors talk in whispers”, Argentina in Anarchy?,…

Arizona voters and others are “misguided” and “psychologically disoriented”?!

“In Arizona, because Governor Jan Brewer signed Senate Immigration Bill 1070 into law last week, the police now are required to stop anyone who has brown skin”, so say not only the most vociferous and strident of those who oppose the law, but also the unthinking ones who only repeat what they hear… Of course, [...]

Potpourri Pan America: Arizona and Obama in the Spotlight

A condensed overview from various geographical areas of how the Arizona immigration law is seen, and how President Obama seems to be “playing it”.

Some states are reacting aggressively to illegal immigration problems because the Federal Government has failed to fulfill its responsibilities

Arizona’s immigration law recently passed seems to be an effort to respond to the concerns of the great majority of its citizens about tax payer costs caused by illegal immigration, as well as a response to the problems caused by some illegal immigrants and to the dangers caused by drug cartels…

PlayOffs, anyone?!

What else could a sportsperson ask for in professional sports?!… Maybe curling… NBAPlayOffs – NBA PlayOffs: in full swing…  Sit back and enjoy them. NFLDraft2010 – The Big 12 led the pack on the first day…  Longhorns placed Earl Thomas in the first round…  Colt McCoy, not until the 85th pick, but went to the Browns where he [...]

Stopping illegal immigration is an impossible task, but can be managed

Stop illegal immigration? It’s not going to happen… Ever… That’s life… That’s just a reflection of people wanting to have a better life for their families and for themselves…
But it can be severely curtailed, overnight…

Potpourri Pan America: World Climate Conference in Bolivia –Amerindians/indigenous demand attention / Movie-maker James Cameron and Belo Monte in Brazil….. And Weed America…

The Belo Monte Dam not so belo for the indigenous of Brazil, and Bolivia talks climate to the world, while Weed America burns…

Sarah Palin and others, traitors if they demonstrate and criticize President Obama’s policies?

TIMES magazine’s Joe Kein recently questioned Sarah Palin’s patriotism and indicated Tea Partyers in general were either traitors to the nation or pretty close to being so, then hid away, declining to defend his accusations before live camaras,… unlike when he is hawking a book: barking like a carny at the carnival, wherever there is a camera and a “mike”…

A potpourri of more than pot: Neither Hugo Chavez or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, nor Lula, are loony

A number of major and minor countries of the world are supplanting American influence in Latin American, and the Obama administration and its political supporters appear to be stuck-on-neutral, seemingly spending an inordinate amount of time and energy demonizing the American “Tea Party Movement”… rather than managing American affairs in Latin America…

Redux: Ben Bratt in “La Mission” – movie about homophobia and other stuff in a sliver of the diverse Latino culture – and a post about to what degree Latino movie goers might respond to it

Homosexuality within a “macho” Latino family and the tensions that arise — will Latinos pay in large numbers to see it?

Central and South American Geography games (and beyond)

It’s Saturday!…  Yes, right after, uh, Friday…  For the children or for anyone who  hasn’t lost the childlike spirit….  It’s educational fun for everyone!… [PanAm has no connection to the site other than to find it educationally entertaining]  http://tinyurl.com/8ydmzz

Are Gloria and Emilio Estefan just trying to help all Cuban Americans, or mainly helping themselves?

By hosting an expensive Democratic Party fundraiser, the Estefans are just trying to ingratiate themselves with President Obama in order to advance themselves or they really are looking out for the Cuban American community in toto…

A potpourri of 9: Being Mexican is “probable cause”; “Pot Wars” are raging so let’s legalize street-drugs; military suicides and Ricky Martin’s boyfriend, and more – lucky you

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A potpourri of distinctive stories: from apprehending Mexican immigrants under “probable cause”? to military suicides, from Pot Wars to Ricky Martin’s boyfriend, and more

Liberals rejoice!… President will most likely get re-elected in 2012… But,…

Conservatives will not like this assessment and liberals will love it, somewhat – but whether one side or the other favors it or not,… at this juncture, early as it is, it seems President Obama will get re-elected in 2012.  Why?…  Because of the solid voting blocs he has in his back pocket: 1. the Black community will vote for him [...]

“‘They’ criticize President Obama’s policies because they hate Blacks”

The quotation above was overheard in town, today…  The comment seems to reflect that some would like to defend the president’s policies from criticism, but for some reason prefer not to do it in a logically sound basis…  The president today chaired a Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C. — among many countries present, major players Brazil, Argentina and Chile [...]

Hispanic/Latino Americans in the USA overall do not support films centered on their Culture?

[Photo from L.A. TIMES] Peruvian Amerindian from his mother’s side, Benjamin Bratt, of television fame (including stints on Law and Order) and various big screen projects, is currently starring in the movie, “La Mission” – about the Mission District of San Francisco, California –  he and his brother Peter grew up in that part of “Frisco” and collaborated in bringing the [...]

New blog sites and such from near and far

New sites have been added on the right hand column — newspapers, T.V.  networks and columnists, for example – from different countries…  Check them out when you have time…

Death by vacation, a “sinking feeling” in Mexico and…..

1. ”Death by Vacation” – say what?!:   According to at least two online newspapers, Bruce Beresford-Redman, co producer of the shows “Pimp my Ride” and some past episodes of “Survivor”, has been detained in Mexico as a person-of-interest in the death recently of his wife, Monica Beresford-Redman – in Cancun, Mexico…  Reportedly sometime before the death, a security guard at the hotel [...]

An “agenda” continues? “Piss Christ”, Lincoln was a homosexual and “Gay Christ”!

A play, Corpus Christi, scheduled to open in a Fort Worth, Texas theater — according to an article in the Dallas Morning News – is  apparently one created by a homosexual writer in which Jesus Christ is depicted as having been a homosexual… Periodically, a story is retold by some homosexuals that they believe President Lincoln lived a [...]

Russia creating trouble for USA: in Asia (Kyrgyzstan & Georgia), in Europe, in South America?

If we assume that any country( including Russia and The United States of America), seeks to  improve its own standing in the world in various ways and for various reasons, then the occurring turmoil in Kyrgyzstan that overthrew the government there in the last couple of days, as well as the military/economic agreements with Venezuela on April 2 ( just past), ought to [...]

The Presidential Timeline of the Twentieth Century

For those younger and older having the time and interest in an interactive timeline about presidents of the past century, the link below could provide details about individuals and events that had important bearings on the history of the United States of America, worldwide and within the Americas..  It can be time-consuming or not so much if [...]

Avant-garde Sheriff Joe Arpaio “goes green”, and he gets no respect

Joe Arpaio, sheriff of Maricopa County in the area of Phoenix, Arizona has had some good and bad publicity through the years, depending on who was making the observation and commentary… Whether the assertions of others are true or not, he has been accused of rounding up illegal aliens/undocumented workers and handing them over to federal immigration authorities [...]

World’s richest human: Slim Pickens — oops, no, — it’s Carlos Slim

Carlos Slim Haddad Helú:  is the latest to be crowned richest human on earth (with apologies to Bill Gates, although Mr. Gates is not moping)…  Slim ( if I may be so casual), was born on January 28, 1940, in Mexico City, Mexico. Most of his wealth comes from his financial ownership of various telecommunications entities, such as Teléfonos de [...]

Flora and Fauna of the Galapagos Islands: it’s a whole other “World”

The Galapagos Islands, a possession of Ecuador in South America, has been a protected environmental site for some years…  Some general information about the island and of the species living there can be found at the site below. http://www.galapagos-travels.com/GPS_Location.htm

Black Americans harassed for participating in the “Tea Party Movement”

The following quotations from parts of a recent AP story from Albany, New York: “They’ve been called Oreos, traitors and Uncle Toms, and are used to having to defend their values. Now black conservatives are really taking heat for their involvement in the mostly white tea party movement—and for having the audacity to oppose the policies [...]

Trouble in more than South America and “America” unilaterally to disarm?

The Russians and Chinese have apparently been making inroads in South America with military and economic agreements with countries such as Venezuela,… with little discernible push-back from President Obama’s administration … Now, in the last day or so, according to the New York Times, President Obama has announced or is ready to announce, that, in general: 1.  The [...]

Portland, Maine “heroines” go topless for Equality

According to the Portland Press Herald, today some lassies marched for equality downtown, minus their shirts…  Gloria Steinem of the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1960s is probably wondering why the titillating redux…  You mean in year 2010 the inequality still around still can only be removed by women removing their tops?…   I suppose some original thinking [...]

Chavez: A poke in the eye, or worse, for Pres. Obama and Sec. of State Clinton

When Barack Obama was elected president, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela indicated he would work to improve relations with the USA when the new president assumed office, unlike the way he acted when President Bush was in charge…  After President Obama was inaugurated, the Obama administration made friendly overtures to Chavez and to the other leftist leaders of the Americas…  [...]

Even in a hectic world, one can find “blessings” in daily events

From the article, “When the SPIRIT moves you”, April 2-4, 2010 ( by Cathy Lynn Grossman) in the USA WEEKEND magazine appearing in the local SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE: generally speaking, several people’s views are presented on how to stay or become connected to God in everyday ways…  In the six revelations Father James Martin explains that everyday occurrences can indicate that they [...]

Hemophiliacs, homosexuals and the Red Cross

For approximately 25 years, male bisexuals and homosexuals have been barred from donating blood…  That ban in part was put in place because it has been said that the donated blood from that community eventually contaminated approximately 15,000 of the 25,000 severe hemophiliacs who prior to the ban regularly received large doses of blood transfusions – according to James Curry (who “headed the first [...]

Migratory Birds, and Economic Agreements in the Americas: interconnectivity at work

It has been said that there is truly a natural interconnectivity between North and South America…  The link below specifically refers to the migratory patterns of birds from Kansas and is presented in the Pan American World site because (compared to others recently found) it seems to show more clearly and colorfully the various routes taken by birds of the United States, to [...]

NCAA “FINAL” — Butler vs. Duke

BUTLER,  the little school that could, against perennial powerhouse DUKE…  Whatever the outcome on the court Monday, BUTLER  will be an inspiration for years to come, a small school with limited financial resources competing well against rich schools with million dollar coaches with tens of millions more in their budgets…

“Estupendo!” Christopher Columbus wanted a “coat”, and he got one!

According to several sources (including in this link from the Library of Congress), Chris, who “sailed the ocean blue,…  in 14 hundred 92” – catchy phrase still after so many years, heh – wanted to be rewarded in several ways for his achievement in discovering a New World, or for whatever he had done because even if he was the first European to arrive in [...]

It’s Saturday! Let the children play (or anyone who hasn’t lost the childlike spirit): begin with North and South America

Map game  –  children (as well as adults) could try learning the locations of the countries…  Some countries might have changed their names since the map game was created but the outline and their location would be the same…  The hardest thing might be to be sure to pick up the outline of the country at the bottom [...]

First Healthcare, now another massive program in the works: “Cap and Trade”

In THE ECONOMIST magazine of March 27, a small segment covered the complexities of the Cap and Trade program already operating in some countries and it indicated how difficult it is to keep such a program operating in an efficient, honest manner… And the Cap and Trade bill in Congress currently being  considered in this country for passage into law is a closer-to-home example of [...]

Oh, oh, we are supposedly all “haters”

Some say the Republican Party is a bastion of haters, and others say the Democratic Party is a bastion of haters, as well…  Although of course very few anywhere are really haters,  there are true haters out there who will accuse others of being haters simply for expressing a different political viewpoint…

It’s Good Friday, not “Spring Day”

In some communities, for various reasons there have been periodic efforts exerted on some government authorities to eliminate the use of the term Good Friday; one reason being, it is said, that it’s use in effect is a way of preaching the Christian doctrine — but that obviously not everyone is Christian in a pluralistic society… “In the year of our Lord … [...]

Russian Prime Minister to visit with “Hugo and Evo”

According to Bloomberg News Service, tomorrow, April 2, ol’ communist Russian Prime Minister Putin will visit with Presidents Chavez(Venezuela) and Morales(Bolivia)…  As suggested in a previous post, President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton need to pay closer attention in various ways to Latin American affairs, otherwise other countries will replace USA influence in this hemisphere, and that would not [...]

In certain cases, is having a Spanish surname detrimental to a candidate’s electability?

In several elections in at least one state bordering Mexico, reportedly Spanish surname candidates seem to have had difficulty getting elected to certain political offices. At times, Spanish surnamed Democratic candidates for office have lost easily to non Spanish surnamed Republican candidates, while running in predominantly Democratic governmental units, although apparently the Democratic candidate was the most experienced.  And conversely, at times Spanish surnamed Republican candidates for office [...]

Introducing Presidente Juán Evo Morales Ayma of Bolivia — what can he do for you?

Evo, as he is commonly called, is the president of Bolivia in South America and was the first Amerindian Bolivian elected to that position…  He began his political career as a leader of a worker’s movement called Movement toward Socialism, and even while occupying the current position of president, he still serves as a leader of a federation of farmers that [...]

Stop the World! Ricky (Menudo) Martin is Coming Out

Ricky Martin came out of the proverbial closet recently (although some believed he had ventured out much earlier, when he thought nobody was looking)…   Why is it necessary for a homosexual who is coming out to make a formal announcement about the fact — “I’m a gay man“, some say, “…  at times even sending out press releases to [...]