These are the thoughts of a Texas transplant in West Michigan who makes his living as a newspaper reporter by evening, and a struggling novelist by day.

Thursday, April 03, 2008

ignorance about what's what, pendejo

there was a letter to the editor i came across yesterday that ran in today's newspaper. this pendejo from allegan said he nearly choked on his (no ot that) his coffee when he read the migrant fair story in the monday paper. (see previous blog entry).

this man couldn't understand why the migrants had their own special celebration t welcome them back. why the migrants needed such a welcome when we had lots of unemployed "countrymen" from michigan who could use those jobs.

well, mr. pendejo, let's see. first, those migrants aren't illegal. and most are american citizens, like you and me, except they travel from place to place for work. that's where the migrant comes into the picture. second, not all migrants are of latino persuasion. no? no, there's not. there are some caucasians who are also migrants. would you consider them not your countrymen? highly doubtful.

it seems rather racist of you to make that assertion that because these people are latino, heavily latino, that they may not be "legal." es pura estupidades en tu parte.

yes, there is heavy unemployment in michigan. that is a fact. however, i don't see those unemployed men and women lining up at zelenka or other nurseries looking for work. if someone did some type of specialized mechanical work at a factory, why would they necessarily be qualfied or want to do migrant work? it makesno sense.

i am not a migrant, but i know they do back-breaking work for a good 12 plus hours a day, six days a wek sometimes. they don't get paid very well, either. it's not a steady gig. insurances? who knows what kind cerain employers might or might not have for them. i'm sure the larger nursuries have insurance. but someone who has a handful of migrants can't afford to get insurance.

no, mr. pendejo, i don't think you fully understand what the migrants do for us. in your furvor you wrote an uninformed letter. too bad. you look like a racist idiot. at least in my book.

the migrants are part of our community and we must celebrate their return. that's why it's called a community fair. they are here to stay for as long as there's work.

i hope that you didn't spill any of that coffee on your nice, clean white shirt.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

book's a quiver

today i found out we can all have blogs, if we like. i'm talking about work blogs, something to counter this blog. i was elated. i love to write and a blog is a great way to do something freestyle.

i quickly i got in touch with the webmaster and started making suggestions. he worked it out and i came up with the name The Book worm. that phrase should indicate to blog readers that i'll be talking about books, some i'm reading now, some i've read, authors, genres, whatever.

tomorrow i'm to take some books in to get my picture taken with some of my favorites i have here at home. i'm imagining a whacky shot of me balancing books. but who knows.

so i'm on my way to doing this.

i asked a friend what i should start with. she suggested something "dirty." given holland and it's religious views, i'd say a 'dirty" book would generate some comments.

i asked her what sort of "dirty" book i could read. she suggested a romance, harlequin book. i've never read one, but i started spoutig off the line, "her heaving boobs broke through her dress." she corrected me and said romance books don't use the word "boob" but instead use the word "bosom." i think she's right.

that got her to tell me about the time she was on a trip to england. on stopping at an inn, there was a seedy romance book at the room. she told me the line "quivering mound" was a phrase used in the book.

i couldn't believe a book could be published using that phrase. that's a phrase i think i used when i'd write short stories as a 16 year old when my writing style was, let's say, something to be desired and my exual experience amounted to ziltch.

i think i'll hold off on a "dirty" book for now, though. but in time, i may decide to read a "dirty" book and talk about it. in a mature manner of course.

middlesex, anyone?

Sunday, March 30, 2008

a night at the fair

dawn and i attended the west ottawa migrant community fair last night for the first time as a couple and to support it and our friend denise.

the three previous times i'd covered the event as a reporter, i'd take three or four hours off during thew eek and make them up on saturday to attend the fair and write about it. i always had fun, but left quickly to return to the office to write about it, so i couldn't fully take it all in. plus, i never understood why i had to cover in years past and not the weekend reporter (as steve did yesterday). perhaps it was thought that i, being latino, would better mesh in with the migrant crowd, despite having nothing in common with them, except we're all latinos, and mexican-american, to be more specific.

either way, yesterday we went and had a grand time. we entered the school and met up with people from beginning to end. we closed down the place. we met bida as we walked in and caught up and the list went on to mig, denise, aida, dora, rick and others who i'd catch if i was there to write the story.

it was so much fun, dancing and moving around, food to chomp on and good conversations. i couldn't stop moving my feet. denise and i did our little jig and two-stepped as usual. crazy gal.

we quickly engaged on conversation with one of denise's friends, diana, and by the evening's end -- at 1 a.m., we'd become friends, too.

the event is set to introduce the migrants back into the community with food, info booths, music and friendship. it was a sucess, i think. people were milling around and havinga good time. i support this event and am glad it takes place. kudos to the folks who put this together. they do a wonderful job.

after the fair, we couldn't just go home. we had to continue the party mood. off to 84 East for some food and drinks and laughter. we closed down that place and off to skiles down the street. we really let go there among the hazy cigarette smoke, talking and music. i hadn't laughed so hard as i did then. i helped to be somewhat inebriated, though. good times.

eat, drink and be merry. not a bad motto.