Author: Rev. Joe Dirt

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Four Indian Firms Hogged 10,000 H1B Visas

Original article at IndianExpress.com is no longer on Da ‘Net

I am not wild about the H-1B program, but if it were about individual Indians I would be a fan.  Admittedly it is a selected subset that I meet here, but they are generally intelligent, hard working, friendly folks.  If I have a complaint about them it is that they tend to be too compliant to the korporate overlords.  That and they undercut wages tremedously. This just adds to decreasing concern American korporations have for their employees.

However the program is about korporate greed here and in India.   It is about American korporations not investing in American workers or the American education system.  I read an article a while back about how American korporations were shifting their education dollars from American universities to those in China and India.  They did this because they felt they were getting more bang for their buck.

I do not know for a fact  how these firms that are hogging the H-1B visas treat their folks.  I do know that Indian work conditions, even for professionals, are Dickinsonian compared to American standards.

This whole paradigm of profit at any cost has got to stop.

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Obama gives me hope

I just watched Mr. Obama’s speech to Congress.  What a refreshing change to have a leader lead, to have a leader concerned about the run of mill citizen, to have a leader paint a picture of a shared future.

Obama gives me hope.

The 4 things that concern me most are health care, the deficit, energy, and education, seem to the the things that concern this president most.

Obama gives me hope.

It is time we  forgot short term gains, and made long range plans.  It is time we quit ignoring the problems.  It is time we started attacking the problems.

Obama gives me hope.

I believe that our government should govern scientifically.  We do this by identifying the problem. Gather whatever information, experts, etc we need to come up with a solution, implement that solution, and most importantly put it on a feedback loop.  If the solution does not work, then we go back to step 2, but we keep working on it.  And we do this until the problem is solved.  I believe this President will do that.

Obama gives me hope.

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Paradise Now

paradise-nowI had read or heard about this Arabic language movie, and I was very interested so I bought a copy.  Just as an aside, I told a coworker and friend that I had purchased the film.  He is Egyptian and the movie had a special interest for him.  We made a night of it, his wife and mother prepared a traditional Egyptian dinner and we watched the movie with his wife and his parents.  He sent the kids to their rooms, although now I do not believe that to have been necessary.

It is a story about two friends in Palestine that decide to become suicide bombers.  Continue reading “Paradise Now”

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Adding a second language

I’m in the process of trying to learn/relearn Italian.  Many moons ago I lived in Italy for 3 years during my Jr. High years.  I was never fluent, but I spoke enough to not be cheated in the markets and play with the Italian kids.

I would like to revisit the country for an extended period, and go to places off of tourist road.  So that is my motivation for studying the language.

I asked an Indian friend of my mine who is bilingual about language.   He has been in the USA for 7 years, and of course, English is widely spoken in India.  I was wondering about whether he thought in English, dreamed in English, did he need to translate English to his native tongue, etc.  Below is his well thought out answer: Continue reading “Adding a second language”

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Ill wind blows in Information Technology.

I just read your post titled Ill wind blows in Information Technology.  Very thoughtful and well written.  I agree with almost all of it.

I agree H1B programs must be strictly enforced as per law.  No question about that. Any misuse or abuse of the program should be stopped.

In your summary, you have listed 5 points. I feel you may have missed one point – which is possibly as important, if not more: Continue reading “Ill wind blows in Information Technology.”

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Political anti-Darwinism???

It’s the birthday (February 16th) of historian and philosopher Henry Adams, (books by this author) born in Boston, Massachusetts (1838). His grandfather was John Quincy Adams, and his great-grandfather was John Adams. He hated public speaking, he had no interest in becoming a politician himself, but he did like writing about politics – mostly about how pathetic he thought American politics had become. He said, “The progress of evolution from President Washington to President Grant was alone evidence to upset Darwin.”

From Garrison’s Keillor’s “Writer’s Almanac”

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Ill wind blows in Information Technology

I sent the following letter to every presidential candidate at the beginning of the campaign…when there were about 100 of them.  I also sent it to each of my Senators and my Congressman.

Two of the campaigns sent me a letter solicting funds.  My Democratic Senator responded with a form letter letter.  My Republican Senator and Democratic Congressman ignored the letters. 

With the letter I attached an article from a prominent magazine.  I’m trying to find it on the Internet now.  The hardcopy I have is packed away.  The article detailed how H-1B was not in the best interest of the American worker.

In interest of full disclosure, Continue reading “Ill wind blows in Information Technology”

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Your Curmudgeon story, please

The following comment was posted to this site:

I can’t find a way to send a suggestion, so I’ll post here, since it seems to have the floor at the moment. (Teach me the right way!)

You are not legitimately a Curmudgeon until someone calls you one. You can’t (won’t) assume that title by yourself. We all know this.

But how about a topic where we tell the others who did the deed to each of us and under what circumstances?

Sounds like a wonderful topic for discussion.  Does anyone out there care to share their story of how they came to have the appellation of Curmudgeon?? Continue reading “Your Curmudgeon story, please”