Wet foot, dry foot

I live in South Florida. I am amazed at the infantile political perspective that introduced (and persists) the wet-foot/dry-foot policy for Cuban immigrants to the United States. Essentially, this policy says that if you come from Cuba without papers and get to the United States - even with one foot still in the water - you are granted asylum.

Cubans come to this country not to escape Communism but to gain greater economic opportunities. Why are they different from Ethiopians, Bolivians, Mexicans, or Jamaicans who would like to come to the US for the same reasons? The intelligent answer: they're not. The political answer: Florida is a swing state and the Cuban vote is something you don't mess with.

Rosie Perez

Watching Rosie Perez on Jay Leno tonight. It annoys me.

A quote from her: "Poverty is sad, but it's also funny".

I've listened to other celebrities talk about growing up poor, e.g. Dolly Parton. Many of them seem to have adopted a much more measured perspective of their rise from rags to celebrity. I don't find poverty funny. In fact, I find poverty particularly UNFUNNY.

Her accent is awful. Her exploitation of her caricature as a voluptuous Puerto Rican should be offensive to hard-working Puerto Ricans.

I'm truly dumbfounded by our culture's infatuation with celebrity.

So what do I do? I won't go see any movies she's in (not that she'll ever be a leading lady).... unless there is some other benefit to be gained (would Meryl ever do a movie with her?)

Venting....