Who is the hardest worker - and who wants work?

LA MANZANILLA, Jalisco, Mexico - Since coming to Mexico in December (and during other forays south of the border), I've observed that Mexican workers on the job here are incredibly hard-working.

These people (men and women) seem to go at it steady, take very few breaks, and have great attitudes.

After all "We have work," I've been told by many workmen.

It is such a contrast to the stereotype most Americans have of Mexicans.

Regardless, here's a pretty funny video, sort of related.

Movie 'Stardust' made for the hopelessly romantic

MOVIELAND, Earth - I watched the movie Stardust tonight, featuring Clare Danes, Charlie Cox, Robert DeNiro and a raft of other excellent actors.

Michelle Pfeiffer is, well, unbelievably good - as a witch.

My recommendation?

If you have an ounce of the romantic in you, watch it... The plot is pretty straightforward, the acting excellent, and the humor? Well it's dry and exceedingly funny at times. It's not science fiction, it's fairy-tale style fantasy. But the action moves so fast it won't let you step away without hitting the pause button for fear of missing some detail.

In a world so full of despair, this movie should make you forget it all for awhile. Maybe even give you a little hope. Magic and all that. I'll be looking at the stars in a new way from now on.

Here's a couple of photos from the film and a Youtube music video that gives quite a few film highlights. Of course, like all trailers, it gives away waaaay too much of what's in the movie. But the song is worth hearing.

Clare Danes, Robert DeNiro and Charlie Cox

Charlie & Clare

Oklahoma's Sally Kern puts her foot in it - deep

CYBERSPACE, PLANET EARTH - A few days ago I ran across an item posted on Googlevideo.com (a great video site, excellent quality and good choices, generally) about an Oklahoma representative (Sally Kern) who was recorded giving a pretty ignorant, pretty hateful speech condemning homosexuality.

I'm deliberately understating what she said.

It sounded a little like the rants you used to hear in the 1950s and 1960s: Godless Communists are trying to take over our nation. Watch out, Watch out!

Here's a direct link to the clip:

Gay-bashing speech

I forwarded it to a few folks, but today her speech was being covered in all the major media. Oklahoma - a state that already gets a black eye generally for being backward - got whacked again for having a wacko legislator. (I did like the musical Oklahoma, but that's another story.)

San Francisco Chronicle story

I am amazed, not so much that a legislator from Oklahoma gave an anti-gay speech, but at how powerful the internet is that major media could not ignore this relatively small incident. It also raises an interesting specter regarding free speech.

Sally Kern will now become much more careful about what she says in public. Ok, maybe not Sally - she will now hit the talk show circuit - but certainly her like-minded legislators will.

So the question is: Is it better to have her position known? Or better to have her keeping it hidden?

Perhaps that intellectual giant Bill O'Reilly can ask her directly.


Bill O'Reilly

Getting your news from the Fox Nut Network

LA MANZANILLA, Jalisco, Mexico - It's a been such a nice time in Mexico, never seeing a television screen, but instead reading the LA Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Sacramento Bee, the New York Times.

You get the idea. No soundbites.

My last exposure to television was in the states, watching a moment - thank God it was just a moment - of the Fox Nut Network, er, I mean Fox News Network.

Fox News personalities

But today in my perusing of various video sites I ran across the piece below about Barack Obama and how he is in the sights of the conservative network.

Fox News: Fair and balanced ... Uh-huh.

I hope this presidential election the ballot you cast actually gets counted for the candidate you vote for.

Getting Obama