Disqus - Latest Comments for Frants

Re: Y Kant Andrew McCarthy Read?

Frants — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 14:30:59 -0000

It's not a religious test. "Oh your religion is ________, so approved/denied." It's not something they have to pass, it's a reason they have to state that is understood as a valid reason. "My homeland's leader is killing people that are Hindu/black/leftist/Irish/etc.." If the UN and the US refugee program has acknowledged that people of a certain category in a certain region are threatened, then any person seeking refugee status from that area must prove they are of the category being threatened. But it's not a 'religious test' that we require them to pass or fail.

Re: Y Kant Andrew McCarthy Read?

Frants — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 10:59:57 -0000

He's actually being even stupider than you say, and it has nothing to do with the "or". In the first section you cited, it's a manner of point of view. There, the 'burden of proof is on the applicant" to prove to the US that they meet the conditions of refugee status. When it says they must establish proof that one of the stated criteria (including race, religion, etc) is the reason that the applicant is fleeing, it's because they're fearing persecution and seeking relief here. It's not AMERICA persecuting anyone, it's the applicant stating the reason why they feel THEY will be persecuted by the people they're fleeing. And one of the reasons they can be persecuted that allows them to attain legal refugee status is "religion".
If a country starts killing Hindus, and hundreds of thousands of Hindu refugees flee, America doesn't use their religion to decide whether WE take them. THEY use their religion as an identifier that proves they were in danger of persecution because of it. And thus, they become a 'refugee' in the legal sense, and the US can begin its refugee vetting process.

Re: School.

Frants — Thu, 21 May 2015 11:43:23 -0000

What is this pose in the top photo? She looks like a little adult: confident, casual, "oh hey a picture? sure sure, real quick, happy to do it".

Re: ...I See Frants

Frants — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 19:10:40 -0000

I knew you'd love it.

Re: Ithaca Mafia., One of my biggest fears is that I am not, in fact,...

Frants — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 12:11:41 -0000

Yep yep yep yep yep yep.

Re: If the Lakewood Theater reverts to a movie theater, will we go?

Frants — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 17:37:18 -0000

I live in Los Angeles now, but grew up going to the Lakewood (just got married there in November, in fact). It'd be my hope that the new owners of the theater look to LA examples like the New Beverly, the Aero, and the Silent Movie Theater: classic films, rare oddities, and new releases. Tarantino just took over the New Bev, and all they show are double features on 35mm film. Just this month, they've done old westerns, musicals, Hitchcock, and a horror double feature (to name just a few) - plus Kiddie Matinees and special midnight movies. The Aero is currently showing Godard's new 3D film, but also did a Mike Nichols tribute week, a 1930s double feature, a few Marx Brothers comedies, and Interstellar.
Movie palaces like the Lakewood were meant to showcase movies, so showcase movies. All kinds, from all eras. People will come.

Re: A message from Lucy.

Frants — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 12:54:48 -0000

Poor kid. She has no idea.

Re: Eschaton: Just Toss Them

Frants — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 16:42:15 -0000

I see how it'll play out. Right now, it's premature, based on fears that state officials might fail to carry out their duties. Petition denied.
Then the election happens, and those people are indeed not able to vote, thus showing that state officials did INDEED fail to carry out their duties. New petition filed.
Now that the election has come and gone, plaintiffs cannot claim to still be damaged by the action. No more voting, so the fact that they're not on the rolls yet isn't an immediate problem. No legal standing. Petition denied.
And the ouroboros finds its tail and starts to eat.

Re: Eschaton: Parking

Frants — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 11:13:10 -0000

I can't count the number of times I've pulled into a parking lot at Ralph's here in Los Angeles to find myself stuck behind a car waiting for a person to pull out so they can take their spot. And if you look a few spots past them, there are already open spots. More often than not, if there's room for me to go around them, I'll park in that space and walk the extra fifty feet they're hoping to avoid, only to find them still waiting for the person to pull out. I'm in the store, the actual purpose of the trip, while they're still waiting to score this spot. All logic leaves. The parking lot becomes this competition, a measure of self-worth almost: LOOK HOW CLOSE I WAS ABLE TO PARK TO THE DOOR!

Re: Bike ride!

Frants — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 10:56:35 -0000

Is Lucy flashing a gang sign? What kind of crowd is she hanging out with in South Orange?

Re: David Gregory Reminds Rep. Labrador It's Bush-Era Law Preventing Deportations Of Central Americans

Frants — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 21:25:02 -0000

"Guest" is right, I found the language in the 2008 Reauthorization, not the 2003 (http://www.state.gov/j/tip/...
"Subject to section 462(b)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 279(b)(2)), an unaccompanied alien child in the custody of the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall be promptly placed in the least restrictive setting that is in the best interest of the child. In making such placements, the Secretary may consider danger to self, danger to the community, and risk of flight. Placement of child trafficking victims may include placement in an Unaccompanied Refugee Minor program, pursuant to section 412(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1522(d)), if a suitable family member is not available to provide care."
So we can't just send them back to Central America en masse.

Re: David Gregory Reminds Rep. Labrador It's Bush-Era Law Preventing Deportations Of Central Americans

Frants — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 20:58:49 -0000

Even if they are coming here because they believe the DACA will let them in, it's not the case. They're misinformed, there is no "new law" (even your hotair link acknowledges that). It's the Trafficking Victims Act, not the DACA, that requires us to receive them and process them as we're doing now. So what exactly has Obama done wrong here? If you're saying that the influx of refugees are coming here because they believe a law exists that doesn't, is Obama at fault for a lack of Central America messaging? Seems like they're coming here misinformed and desperate, and current law requires us to take them in and process them. If Rep Labrador wants to change the law, he's got the power to get that started and put it on the floor for a vote. But saying Obama caused this 2014 influx via the 2012 DACA doesn't line up for me. When you play the Telephone Game, you don't blame the person who provided the initial phrase for the garbled mess it becomes on the other end.

Re: David Gregory Reminds Rep. Labrador It's Bush-Era Law Preventing Deportations Of Central Americans

Frants — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 19:35:07 -0000

And yes, I understand that the original law was from 2000, signed by Clinton. But the 2003 reauthorization made changes that are directly responsible for the current situation.

Re: David Gregory Reminds Rep. Labrador It's Bush-Era Law Preventing Deportations Of Central Americans

Frants — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 19:18:59 -0000

Oy, you're right. I was mixing up the DACA (which is indeed an executive order; I'd love to see a Schoolhouse Rock explaining those), and the Bush administration law referenced elsewhere in the article (the Trafficking Victims Reauthorization Act of 2008). Oops! My point still stands, though: the Congressman is blaming the DACA for the current wave of refugees, even though the DACA doesn't cover them.

Re: David Gregory Reminds Rep. Labrador It's Bush-Era Law Preventing Deportations Of Central Americans

Frants — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 11:57:55 -0000

I may be mistaken, but does the DACA even apply to these new children? I thought it covered only the undocumented that were already in the states when the law was enacted in 2012.
I suppose I could see a reasoning wherein the new arrivals have seen the DACA enacted (and I'm sure all these children are steeped in US immigration law), and hoped that it might happen again. And so maybe the Congressman is thinking that just having the DACA at one time encourages more to come here. Kinda reminds me of the 'one-time' tax holiday for companies that have stashed their profits overseas to avoid paying. We've done it before (and we're as of last month talking about doing it again), so of course companies will just continue to keep their money overseas. I have to assume the Congressman is against that, too.

Re: Eating lunch and riding home.

Frants — Thu, 01 May 2014 11:04:46 -0000

Smiley face hole punched ticket?

Re: Playing around the house.

Frants — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 11:50:50 -0000

Holy moly, look at that deck.

Re: Ithaca Mafia., I ain’t afraid of no ghost. But I want this Lego...

Frants — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 12:54:03 -0000

This is based off a Cuusoo build that included the fire station. Obviously Lego didn't do the building, but the creator developed an instruction booklet for the station so people can make it on their own: http://www.eurobricks.com/f...

Re: Rep. Mike Rogers: Health Care Reform Isn't Worth Helping the 'Few' 48 Million Uninsured

Frants — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:21:21 -0000

"Nobody would fix a problem that way." And yet when there's very very very very very very very few people participating in in-person voter ID fraud, then by all means, impose new rules on everybody.

Re: Spidey and her cousins.

Frants — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 14:16:11 -0000

Awesome. Just awesome.

Re: Cruz: GOP Lost Because They Didn't Accuse Dems of Holding Children 'Hostage'

Frants — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 13:27:28 -0000

So they shutdown the government over 'government health care', and should have used as leverage against the Democrats the fact that kids with cancer weren't getting health care from the government?

Re: The House, as 80s Screwball Comedy

Frants — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 00:59:47 -0000

Very kind of you. No need to worry too much about sourcing. Just include a link to the full post here, and all is well.
Agreed, Kevin is a gentleman and a scholar.

Re: The House, as 80s Screwball Comedy

Frants — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 00:11:03 -0000

Post away, though Kev didn't write it. I have to assume you arrived here via "Copper" Kevin's blog or Twitter. Kev and I are long-time friends, and he was kind enough to repost this. Because NERDS!!!!!!!

Re: Ithaca Mafia., frants: Page One. #fadein YOU CAN DO...

Frants — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 15:52:22 -0000

Thanks buddy. This one's so heavily outlined/treatment-ed that I don't have that blank page fear....... yet.

Re: ...I See Frants - Movie Mixtape #1

Frants — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 11:24:15 -0000

I never said I skip your mixes, boys. I just say it makes me wish I was *into* music more than I am. Because they're so good. So passionate. So choice. So music-y.