31 December, 2007
Promptitude
Today, for the first time in 2007 my flight from Charleston International Airport (CHS) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) departed on time, if not a few minutes early, and arrived more than thirty minutes early. For anyone who has flown anywhere this year, this is a bit of a rarity. Between snow, thunderstorms, wind, and ice, this has been an unpleasant year for the friendly skies; but on 31 December, 2007, I was given a glimmer of hope. Imagine my surprise when not only did the cabin door close before departure time, but the jet taxied to runway 33 and the wheels were up before departure time. I almost forgot about the front end of my Thanksgiving trip being delayed over eight hours because my flight got canceled; the back ends of my West Coast trips having three to four hour delays; or my family reunion trip almost not happening. Kudos to my default air carrier for letting my 2007 air travel experience end on a good note.
27 December, 2007
Compensation
Today, the Supreme Court of the Great State of South Carolina ruled that a company must pay workers compensation to an illegal alien in 26409 - Curiel v. Environmental Management Services. The final ruling of the court seem in line with the statute:
"Every person engaged in an employment . . . including aliens and also including minors, whether lawfully or unlawfully employed."
Not to mention the opinion in the ruling carries a certain amount of common sense:
"Further, allowing benefits to injured illegal alien workers does not conflict with the IRCA’s policy against hiring them. To the contrary, disallowing benefits would mean unscrupulous employers could hire undocumented workers without the burden of insuring them, a consequence that would encourage rather than discourage the hiring of illegal workers."
Even though the court made a ruling in line with the statute the divisive politicians and talking heads decided this court ruling must be some sort of tragedy that the state General Assembly must fix immediately. One of the first state senators to chime in on this was Glenn McConnell.
Senator McConnell seemed to indicate that this ruling would cheat citizens out of money they put into the state disability insurance fund. He failed to mention the money that so-called illegal immigrants put into the system when they work. Any law to change this statute would result in illegal immigrants putting money into a system that insures everyone except them. The ultimate result would be correspond to the opinion quoted above. Things like this get lost in the propaganda of the times.
The real solution, which is almost always the solution to immigration questions, it for employers to do better due diligence. Instead, people attempt to be as divisive, abusive, and polarizing about this as they can.
"Every person engaged in an employment . . . including aliens and also including minors, whether lawfully or unlawfully employed."
Not to mention the opinion in the ruling carries a certain amount of common sense:
"Further, allowing benefits to injured illegal alien workers does not conflict with the IRCA’s policy against hiring them. To the contrary, disallowing benefits would mean unscrupulous employers could hire undocumented workers without the burden of insuring them, a consequence that would encourage rather than discourage the hiring of illegal workers."
Even though the court made a ruling in line with the statute the divisive politicians and talking heads decided this court ruling must be some sort of tragedy that the state General Assembly must fix immediately. One of the first state senators to chime in on this was Glenn McConnell.
Senator McConnell seemed to indicate that this ruling would cheat citizens out of money they put into the state disability insurance fund. He failed to mention the money that so-called illegal immigrants put into the system when they work. Any law to change this statute would result in illegal immigrants putting money into a system that insures everyone except them. The ultimate result would be correspond to the opinion quoted above. Things like this get lost in the propaganda of the times.
The real solution, which is almost always the solution to immigration questions, it for employers to do better due diligence. Instead, people attempt to be as divisive, abusive, and polarizing about this as they can.
19 November, 2007
23 October, 2007
Heterochromia
Due to the recent popularity of certain pop, dance, neo-soul, and novelty acts, I have taken time to ponder the genre sometimes called, "blue-eyed soul." Like any curmudgeon worth his salt, I tend to resist the popularity fast rising stars. I may even deride them for no reason except that they are new and popular. Enter Joss Stone.
I saw a couple of her performances on late night television while she was promoting her most recent album, "Introducing Joss Stone." Her brand of neo-soul was rather captivating--almost too much so. I allowed some time to pass and stumbled across a couple of her videos on an Internet based video service and found myself hooked, so I purchased the album without doing a whole lot of research beforehand. "Introducing Joss Stone" turned out to be quite the purchase and found itself in moderate rotation.
About this time I did some research to find out more about the album and discovered that most of the writing and production was done by Raphael Saddiq (a.k.a.: Raphael Wiggins, Charlie Ray Wiggins). This made it clear that the deep allure of the album was it sounded like one of the lost Tony! Toni! Tone! albums: "Star Kitty's Revenge" (Joi), "Brown Sugar" (D'Angelo), "Lucy Pearl" (Lucy Pearl). I found this a little reassuring that what hooked me on the album was not so much a white girl from the U.K. singing neo-soul, but rather Raphael Saddiq's intoxicating, unique mix of Soul, Rock, Funk, New Jack Swing, and je ne sais quois. After all, the album includes cameos by Lauryn Hill and Common [Sense].
The bottom line on the album is that between Saddiq's music and Joss Stone's sound it is a good listen. It is a little draining to listen to love song after love song, but the music is good enough that you can tune out the words and still enjoy it. As I said before, the album made its way into moderate rotation.
I saw a couple of her performances on late night television while she was promoting her most recent album, "Introducing Joss Stone." Her brand of neo-soul was rather captivating--almost too much so. I allowed some time to pass and stumbled across a couple of her videos on an Internet based video service and found myself hooked, so I purchased the album without doing a whole lot of research beforehand. "Introducing Joss Stone" turned out to be quite the purchase and found itself in moderate rotation.
About this time I did some research to find out more about the album and discovered that most of the writing and production was done by Raphael Saddiq (a.k.a.: Raphael Wiggins, Charlie Ray Wiggins). This made it clear that the deep allure of the album was it sounded like one of the lost Tony! Toni! Tone! albums: "Star Kitty's Revenge" (Joi), "Brown Sugar" (D'Angelo), "Lucy Pearl" (Lucy Pearl). I found this a little reassuring that what hooked me on the album was not so much a white girl from the U.K. singing neo-soul, but rather Raphael Saddiq's intoxicating, unique mix of Soul, Rock, Funk, New Jack Swing, and je ne sais quois. After all, the album includes cameos by Lauryn Hill and Common [Sense].
The bottom line on the album is that between Saddiq's music and Joss Stone's sound it is a good listen. It is a little draining to listen to love song after love song, but the music is good enough that you can tune out the words and still enjoy it. As I said before, the album made its way into moderate rotation.
07 September, 2007
On This Date in Caralina Negro History
On or about this date in 1896 my great-grandfather, Black James William, mortgaged his land--formerly belonging to his wife, my great-grandmother-- to buy a horse/mule or two. This story has been a part of the family legacy for over 100 years mainly because James William died sometime between signing the promissory note in September of 1896 and my grandfather's birth in 1897. This led to my great-grandmother having to work not only to raise three children-- aged two, four, and six according to the 1900 census-- but also to pay James William's debt.
Now I have no knowledge of what led to James William's demise after the mortgage was signed, but I have often speculated. I imagine someone incensed in that James William-- a Negro not even 30 years old, in rural South Carolina in the fall or 1896-- had a "mare about 4 years old" and a note on which he had signed his own name. This was less than twenty years after Rutherford B. Hayes brought an end to reconstruction; A Negro who could read and cipher was perceived as a treat; a Negro who had more property or assets that a white man was considered an affront to common decency: Men were lynched for doing less.
Speculation aside, I need to do more research and see if there is a death certificate in the state archives. The family narative requires clarification.
06 September, 2007
Rustic
Keeping it real with fried fish and hot sauce. I was unable to find the sliced white bread to complete the experience.
07 August, 2007
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