Georgia has been among a handful of states to crack down on immigration in recent months, passing "copycat" legislation similar to Arizona's sweeping law. Now Georgia's farmers are complaining that they will soon face labor shortages because immigrants are now reluctant to come to the state for fear of reprisal. According to a recent survey conducted by the state's agricultural commissioner, farmers are expected to be short some 11,000 workers over the course of the season, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Georgia farmers say that immigrant workers who normally migrate from Florida for the seasonal work are staying away this year because of the new law. The measure, which takes effect in July, requires police to check the immigration status of suspects stopped for other offenses. And so far, not enough documented laborers have stepped up to take undocumented immigrants' farm jobs, more than half of which pay an average of $8/hour and about a third of which pay from $9 to $11/hour. If the labor shortage continues, Georgia farmers will be "forced to leave millions of dollars’ worth of blueberries, onions, melons and other crops unharvested and rotting in the fields," says Jay Bookman, a columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The dilemma facing Georgia's largest industry makes it clear that state legislators didn't think through the serious ramifications of their sweeping new immigration law. Like it or not, immigrants are an integral part of the workforce in Georgia, as elsewhere, and simply trying to cast them out without making further adjustments to the labor market and economy can have unintended consequences.

Miss USA

Sunday, Miss California Alyssa Camanella, was crowned Miss USA in Las Vegas, Nevada. Alyssa, 21, is originally from New Jersey.    In September she will travel to Brazil for the Miss Universe contest.

Those crazy religionists

JERUSALEM — A Jerusalem rabbinical court condemned to death by stoning a dog it suspects is the reincarnation of a secular lawyer who insulted the court's judges 20 years ago, Ynet website reported Friday.

According to Ynet, the large dog made its way into the Monetary Affairs Court in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighbourhood of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem, frightening judges and plaintiffs.

Despite attempts to drive the dog out of the court, the hound refused to leave the premises.

One of the sitting judges then recalled a curse the court had passed down upon a secular lawyer who had insulted the judges two decades previously.

Their preferred divine retribution was for the lawyer's spirit to move into the body of a dog, an animal considered impure by traditional Judaism.

Clearly still offended, one of the judges sentenced the animal to death by stoning by local children.

The canine target, however, managed to escape.

Unbelievable!!!

Happy Birthday to Paul McCartney who turns 69 years old today.

It seems that Texas Governor Rick Perry is at it again. You may recall that Gov. Perry recently officially declared a weekend for prayer throughout the state of Texas for relief from their drought. That weekend came and went - not so the drought.

Now Gov. Perry is organizing what he is calling "The Response." On August 6th, Gov. Perry is hosting, "an event characterized as a day of prayer and fasting on behalf of our troubled nation." The event will be held in Reliant stadium in Houston. The event is free, but you have to register to enter. The governor has invited all the governors from all 50 states, and so far only Gov. Sam Brownback from Kansas and Gov. Bobby Jindal have accepted his invitation.   I'm proud to announce that Gov. Brown of California has declined his invitation.

An interesting side note about Gov. Perry, the Associated Press did a story that indicates that he tithed $90 to his church in 2007, a year in which his reported income was more than $1 million.  From 2000 to 2009, when the Governor make $2.68 million, he donated $14,243 to churches and religious organizations.  Not exactly the required 10%!!  When the AP asked Gov. Perry's office for a statement, his spokesman said Gov. Perry doesn't discuss his beliefs in public.  BWAAaaaaaaa!!!

Oh, did I mention that this same governor is considering a run for the presidency in 2012?? On Perry's website, the Gov. writes, "Fellow Americans. As a nation, we must come together and call upon Jesus to guide us through unprecedented struggles, and thank Him for his blessings of freedom we so richly enjoy."

Seems that if he is going to claim being such a devout Christian, he should walk the walk, not just talk the talk.  I'm just saying....

I thought with Father's Day tomorrow, I would post a few Father's Day present ideas.

Target Field Guard Scolds Lesbian Fans
www.blogs.citypages.com
June 16, 2011

​Taylor Campione and Kelsi Culpepper -- two lesbian women from Minneapolis -- were recently scolded by a Target Field security guard for what they call a "brief kiss."

After seeing the quick peck on the lips, the guard told the women that "we don't play grab ass here" and that they must "adhere to the 10 Commandments" while at the stadium.

"That ruined our entire evening," says Campione. "We were super upset, we felt super uncomfortable."

The security guard has since been reprimanded, but continues to work at the stadium, says Kevin Smith, a spokesman for the Twins.

"That behavior just is unacceptable," Smith says of the biblical put-down. "That security guard has received both a verbal and written reprimand that will be put in his personnel file, and he understands that that is not an acceptable behavior."

I find it interesting that this guard chose to invoke the 10 Commandments when in fact, the 10 Commandments say nothing about homosexual activity.  He would be better off following the old biblical premise of love god and love one another. 

I went for a 20 mile bike ride on Thursday. I rode north along the Santa Ana Riverbed bike trail from the dog park in Riverside to San Bernardino and back.  This tunnel is about the 7 mile mark. 

This is the half-way point, which is at Waterman Ave. near the P.E.R.S. office.  It was a pretty nice day for a ride and no snakes!!!

A little impromptu body work I saw the other day!!!

Atheists in a Positive Light

Recently two churches in Bend, Oregon, the Westside Church and Christian Life Center, were vandalized by a few morons with "Praise the FSM." FSM stands for the Flying Spaghetti Monster.   The flying spaghetti monster is the deity of the church of the same name, a parody written in a letter to the Kansas State Board of Education to protest the teaching of intelligent design (biblical creation) in schools. 

So Hemant Mehta, who produces the "Friendly Atheist" blog, decided to collect money thru his website and offer to pay the churches for the cost of the cleanup.

So Hement contacted the two churches and offered to pay for the cost of the cleanup. He was told that the cleanup had been done by volunteers and the pastors of each church thanked him for his offer of assistance.  Nice job!!

Once again, I'm riding on the wrong bike trails!!!

I just passed the 3,000 mark for blog entries!!!

That's me on my days off!!! (Except the guilt)

Karen and I spent a very nice Sunday afternoon at my son Scott's house celebrating the high school graduation of his partner's daughter Becky. Becky graduated salutatorian from Marlborough School, a private girls school in the valley.

This photo is of Scott's partner Bruce, his daughter Becky, and Bruce's ex-wife, whose name escapes me.  Becky will be off to Columbia University next fall after working as an intern for the Obama relection campaign over the summer.