Observations, Chitchat, and Idle Gossip in the Smile Hi City

Why do I hear Janis Joplin in the background?

2012-01-25T13:35:00.004+13:00

Oral Roberts' son arrested on suspicion of DUI

The son of late evangelist Oral Roberts and former president of Oral Roberts University was arrested early Tuesday on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding, authorities said.Richard Roberts, 63, was stopped by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol just after midnight after a trooper observed him traveling at about 93 mph on a turnpike in his Mercedes-Benz sedan, according to an arrest report. The speed limit on the road is 65 mph, the report said.

and

Roberts consented to a breath test, which showed his blood alcohol level at .11%, higher than the .08% limit for legal intoxication.

and

Roberts appears on the television show "The Place for Miracles: Your Hour of Healing," according to the Oral Roberts Ministries website.

Here's another article from the Tulsa World.

The road west ...

2012-01-22T02:37:00.008+13:00

... or east, depending on which way you're going. Or from whence you come.

So if you've been on US Highway 50 any time the last six months or so, maybe longer, you can't help but have noticed just how bad the road markings are, especially between Fowler and Manzanola. They aren't very good west of Fowler, either, for that matter.

In some places they are so faint as to be non-existent.

Driving home from Pueblo on these short winter days is a real white-knuckle experience. Actually, we first noticed it back in September, on our way back from our Great Sand Dunes trip.

It hasn't gotten any better, and a look at CDOT's news for CDOT Region 2 (southeastern Colorado) showed nothing about this.

So we used the form on the CDOT site to ask about it, last week:

Date of Occurrence: Jan 15, 2012 05:00 PM

Location: US 50 from west of Otero county line to La Junta

Comment: Are there any plans to repaint the road markers - the center lines and the lane lines on the shoulders - on US 50? In the stretch of highway cited, the lines are in very poor condition; in some areas, such as - but not limited to - MM 353 - 356 - they are pretty much non-existent. Most of the lines that are visible during the day are badly scuffed and/or flaking away, and seem to be of non-reflective paint. It is not hyperbole to state that this stretch of 50 is a deathtrap waiting to snap during the dark hours. We have noticed a significant number of drivers who do not dim their high beams and suspect that it may be because they can't see the road because of the marker conditions.

Response Necessary: Yes

I figured if I didn't hear anything in a week or so, I'd ask the question of CDOT's exec director, and copy it over to Hick. Not that I would expect such a thing to come anywhere close to Hick's desk, but at least I would have the opportunity to exercise Article 2 Section 24 of the state constitution.

Then yesterday I heard from Ms. Ajin Hu, a traffic engineer with CDOT's region 2:

Dear Mr. Steeves,

Thanks for contacting CDOT about the striping conditions along US50. As you indicated in your email that the reflectivity of the striping along this stretch of highway indeed is not in good conditions. However, there is a planned project along US50B from Pueblo to Manzanola to install rumble strip and reinstall epoxy striping. The project will start construction in April of this year.

There are a couple of planned overlay projects on US50B east of Manzanola too. These overlay projects will start constructions in the summer.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at 719-546-5751. Thanks again for contacting CDOT.

and then a second email:

Just wanted to update you.

Our crew is going to apply temporary paint along this stretch of highway if the weather is good next week. As I indicated in my previous email, permanent Epoxy paint will be applied in April/May as a part of the project. I hope this helps.

Thanks.

Ajin Hu, P.E.
Traffic Resident Engineer

Pretty good response, don't you think? Well ... I have no reason to doubt Ajin Hu, whom I believe is writing in complete good faith, but remember Nepesta Road's intersection with US Highway 50? Between the Pueblo County Commissioners and the CDOT honchos, it took the better part of a year to fix what had been screwed up for longer than that. Of course, that involved a Pueblo County business' non-compliance with safety requirements, and who knows whose campaign coffers and other political shenanigans may have been involved. This would seem to be a far simpler case: it's simply the state putting lines down on a stretch of highway, with no politics involved.

Tim Tebow, Judas, John the Baptist, and Moses

2012-01-11T14:37:00.005+13:00

So there we were, sitting at our favorite table in The Holy Land Quickee's, snuffling a Juan Diego pizza and washing it down with diet Dr. Pepper.

DinkyDau Billy was perusing his New Interpreter's Study Bible.

"Hey! Hey! This here biblical linkage to the Broncos is Revelational to me," he revealed to us, "like, you know ... that 316 yards is enough to make me wonder if we're about to be Raptured!"

"Raptured? Are you serious?" asked Tookie, who finds the entire concept of the Rapture a perfect example of scriptural corruption. Until that moment, we all thought that DinkyDau Billy was of similar mindset. The rest of us certainly were.

"Well, c'mon ... 316 yards? Just coincidence? I think not," he exclaimed, rather excitedly.

"I'd agree with that," Toots agreed, "there's not much thinking going on right now."

This earned her a glare from Billy.

"Well, there's more!" he exclaimed, "lissen here."

"We're all ears," Leece assured him.

"So, J ohn Elway's initials are J.E." Billy told us, as though exposing a Great Truth.

"Really? Ida never guessed that on my own," Tookie snarked, "what else ya got there? What's the connection?"

"Well, so was Judas Escariot's initials J.E.!" Billy exclaimed. He was doing a lot of that.

We all stared at him.

"Judas ... Escariot?" Leece sort of choked a bit as she got that out.

"Yeah. Yeah. So Tebow better watch his backside, ya axe me. That Elway may not sell him out for 30 pieces a silver, but how about takin' him to the cleaners over them endorsements an suchlike?"

We all stared at him.

"Unca Billy." It wasn't a question. It was an authoritative statement.

"Yeah? Yeah?"

"It's 'Iscariot', not 'Escariot'," Tookie shared with him.

We all stared at him as he digested this.

"Uhhhhh ... yeah. I knew that. Yup. I did. I was just testin' y'all."

We snuffled the rest of the pizza in silence. Contemplative silence. Like in one of those spiritual disciplines.

"Well, you know, there's John the Baptist's influence on the games too, ya know," Billy kind of whined at us.

"What?" That from Leece.

"Well, s'pose them Broncos hand the Patriots there heads? John the Baptist sets the precedent, doncher think?"

Leece mulled that one over a bit.

"Well ... first, it's 'their', not 'there.'"

We've always wondered how she does that. I think she may have read "The Chaos" one too many times.

"I think you have it backwards," she told him.

"Yes, Unca Billy, because John the Baptist was The Good Guy, and he's the one what lost his head, so if the Broncos lose by a pile of points, it would be more biblically analogous."

We all stared at Tookie, wondering why she tormented us with words like 'analogous.' Who talks like that. I mean, really now.

"Um ... yeah. Yeah. I see that now. Hey! Hey! Maybe if the Bronkers win, we should git Thomas and McGahee to hold up Tebow's arms. That'd be biblical, wouldn't it? Like when they held up Moses arms?"

We all stared at him.

And then we ate some more pizza.

Tim Tebow, Dallas Willard, and the failure of Christianity

2012-01-10T15:51:00.011+13:00

Here is an interesting excerpt from "The spirit of the disciplines: understanding how God changes lives":

... Christianity can only succeed as a guide for current humanity if it does two things.

First, it must take the need for human transformation as seriously as do modern revolutionary movements. The modern negative critique of Christianity arose in the first place because the church was not faithful to its own message -- it failed to take human transformation seriously as a real, practical issue to be dealt with in realistic terms. Fortunately, there are today many signs that the church in all its divisions is preparing to correct this failure.

Second, [Christianity] needs to clarify and exemplify realistic methods of human transformation. It must show how the ordinary individuals who make up the human race today can become, through the grace of Christ, a love-filled, effective, and powerful community.

Author Dallas Willard wrote that in the preface to the book.

It strikes me that Willard's 'many signs' are embodied in large part in the emerging church movement. Author Scott McKnight says of the emerging church movement:

Emerging churches are communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern cultures. This definition encompasses nine practices. Emerging churches (1) identify with the life of Jesus, (2) transform the secular realm, and (3) live highly communal lives. Because of these three activities, they (4) welcome the stranger, (5) serve with generosity, (6) participate as producers, (7) create as created beings, (8) lead as a body, and (9) take part in spiritual activities.

I thought that was what the church(es) have been supposed to be doing all along, but clearly, they have not, as we see by the declining numbers in America's conventional churches. There is too much hatefulness in these conventional churches; they have too much in them that is contrary to what Christ teaches. They may 'welcome the stranger', if the stranger is socially acceptable; they say they identify with the life of Jesus, but the most cursory examination shows they do not.

Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has ignited the flames of controversy with his public worship and praying. It even has a name: 'Tebowing.'

Personally, I think young Tebow is sincere in his faith, and his demonstrations are merely a manifestation of that sincere faith. I cannot find any reason to agree with the multitudes of sports writers, analysts, announcers, and so on who have ridiculed him for his demonstrations. These are the same characters who have no problems in ignoring or winking at the criminal shenanigans of any number of professional athletes who, were it not for their favored status, would be candidates for a good stretch in the local prison system. Their ridicule of young Tebow is, however, another manifestation of the failure of Christianity to show '... how how the ordinary individuals who make up the human race today can become, through the grace of Christ, a love-filled, effective, and powerful community.'

Nonetheless, through his public displays, Tebow is divisive. First, how does he reconcile his demonstrations with Matthew 6:5: 'And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.'

In that statement, Jesus is not questioning the sincerity of those whom he is addressing. Rather, he is telling them not to behave like those who lack sincerity. That's how it reads to me. So why does Tebow go against the teachings of Christ? He is, isn't he? I don't think he is a modern-day Pharisee, so why would he want to demonstrate like one? What's the point? What is he hoping to accomplish?

How is this creating division? Most of us have seen the chain emails flashing around the 'net, like the one that has a picture of a group of Muslims praying in New York City or some other American metropolis, captioned, "Why is this OK?" It isn't a photo of crazed Islamic fundamentalists hanging dismembered bodies from bridges, or beheading a bound and gagged hostage. It's a photo of Muslims in America, praying peacefully. A second photo is of Tim Tebow 'Tebowing', and is captioned, "And why is this not OK?" At best the message is that Muslims, simply by being Muslims, are committing a wrong by the simple act of praying, and at worst, simply by being Muslims, are evil, murderous creatures undeserving of the freedoms inherent in those truths we Americans supposedly hold to be self-evident.

Why is it OK for Muslims to pray in peaceful manner in New York City? Could it be because this is the United States of America? Why is it that the Christian Right just doesn't get this?

And who says it isn't OK for Tebow to 'Tebow'? A collection of media maggots? Has Tebow been stopped? Has anyone dragged him off the field for his demonstrations? Has he been imprisoned for it?

It's Christians passing this around.Evangelical Christians. People who claim to 'identify with the life of Jesus', yet who in their pathetically childish question, 'Why is this OK but this isn't' put the lie to Christ's New Commandment, in John 13:34-35:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

How do these emails and their ignorant hyperbole fit in with John 13:34-35? The short answer is that they do not. And so the senders and forwarders of these things are hardly 'identifying with the life of Jesus', so when they get up at church on Sunday morning professing to be one with Christ, they may have credibility with their like-minded brethren, but they do not have any credibility with the unchurched, or with those of the church who ask, 'how does this fit in with a commitment to living a life for Christ?'

It doesn't, and that is why we have an emerging church movement, and a continuing drift away from the established church. Embracing Christ and his lifestyle is without doubt one of the greatest of human transformations, yet by using Tebow's public demonstrations of faith to take cheap shots at other 'ordinary members of the human race' who have done no one any harm is certainly no testimonial as to why one should become a Christian.

It also demonstrates that the church has a long way to go in correcting its failure.

Is God really a ... Democrat?

2012-01-06T17:29:00.000+13:00

DinkyDau Billy was slurping a diet Dr. Pepper while thumbing through his latest 4G watchamacallit thingie.

"Hey! Hey!" he exclaimed, "lookit this! All them Christian Righties what think God's a Republican must be wrong!"

Leece raised her eyebrow in interrogatory fashion. "What are you going on about now, Billy?" she asked.

"Them candidates what was annointed by God to run fer president? Bachmann? Perry? Cain? They's all outa the race. Well ... Perry's still in but maybe he didn't git the memo from Divine Campaign Polling, Inc?"

We were all wondering what he was babbling about.

"No, really," he told us, "it's in this artikel here!"

What happens when candidates called by God drop out?

"Ah. I know what it means," Tookie revealed, while nibbling on a slice of Juan Diego pizza.

Everyone looked at her. She sat there, smugly and somewhat complacently, nibbling away.

"Well?" That from Leece.

"God's really a Democrat," she further revealed, "and this is proof positive. Everyone knows that Mitt Romney is a RINO, and he won in Iowa, so that demonstrates that God is really a Democrat."

We mulled that one over for awhile.

"If he is a Democrat, then why doesn't he just vote for Obama next time around?" I asked.

"Well, under the Obama regime, Planned Parenthood got almost half a billion bux from We the Taxpayers, and used it to perform over 300,000 abortions, for their fiscal year 2010. You really don't think God's thrilled with that, do you?"

"Then why doesn't he just anoint a real Republican?" Billy queried.

"Because Jesus weeps over some of the crap that the Christian Right spews out in his name. It's a matter of the lesser of two evils, you see," she explained, still rather smugly, I thought.

"Maybe God should just be an Independent?" Leece tossed in.

That would make more sense, I thought, but God has to be on somebody's side. It's in the bible somewhere. Probably in Leviticus.

We sat there, once again contemplating the Whichness of What, and the Thisness of That.

Good reads

2012-01-01T13:25:00.000+13:00

Good reads, we think:

The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives

This is a Dallas Willard work. Dallas is a pretty good writer.

And:

The Things They Carried

"Taught everywhere—from high school classrooms to graduate seminars in creative writing—it has become required reading for any American and continues to challenge readers in their perceptions of fact and fiction, war and peace, courage and fear and longing."

I dunno about that "taught everywhere" thing ... it seems to be a Great Mystery in the Smile Hi and Holy Land and JUCO educational systems. In any case, it's their loss, for Tim O'Brien is surely one of America's great contemporary authors.

and

Dien Cai Dau (Wesleyan Poetry Series)

having read some of Komunyakaa's other stuff, I'm really looking forward to this one, which has actually been around awhile now.

Happy New Year, one and all!

How the Vietnam war ended

2011-12-30T03:09:00.004+13:00

We went in the front door of The Holy Land Quickee's, intent on scarfing up on a couple of convenience store crappacinos. We weren't on our bikes; there was too much ice on the roads. It was a brisk minus 8, but the sky was a nice blue, and it was clear.

DinkyDau Billy was sitting at his favorite table. He was wearing his new McKinley AFDB. There was an extra-large diet Dr. Pepper at his elbow, and a well-gnawed Juan Diego breakfast burrito beside the Dr. Pepper.

There was also a pair of Hanes briefs on the table in front of Billy. Dark blue ones.

"Billy! Why do you have underwear on the table where you're eating!?" Leece both exclaimed and questioned at the same time.

"Huh? Huh?" Billy seemed somewhat dazed.

"What's with the underwear, dude?" I asked, "Who puts underwear on the breakfast table?"

"Oh. Oh. Ummmm ... they's clean. Akshully, they's brand new," he told us.

"So what's the deal?" We both asked, in unison.

"I wuz thinkin' a the last time I visited The Wall," DinkyDau Billy mused, "an I was thinkin' a that first Chrismus I spent in The Smile Hi, and I was thinkin' a absent companions."

Billy was clearly in a funk, and it was over the war, which he sometimes does. The War. Yep. That one. The one they really don't even mention other than in passing, in the history classes over at The Princeton of the Plains, and certainly not in very many other schools, these days.

"So what's the deal?" We both asked, in unison, again.

"Lookit the label on them shorts," he urged us.

We did.

"Hecho in Vietnam?" Leece was somewhat incredulous.

"Yeah. Yeah. An the label's in Spanitch, like you sees there, and in Englitch, right under it."

And it was. Yep. "Hecho in Vietnam" on one line, and "Made in Vietnam" on the other.

"Huh. Huh." That was me, pulling a Billy. I was wondering if our Peace-loving Socialist Peoples of the Republic of Vietnam were making these undies in the same underground factories they used to use for making weapons and uniforms. Nothing like a bit of capitalistic entrepreneurialism to beat swords into plowshares. Or clothing factories.

"So are you OK?" Leece enquired, solicitously.

"Huh? Huh?" There was a lot of that going around this morning.

"Are you OK, Billy?" Billy could get into some serious depressive states when he got to thinking about the war.

"Oh. Yeah. Yeah. I done adapted to the fack that the war's over, and this here proof a that."

"How have you done that?" Leece asked. She was quite concerned. So was I.

"Check this," he said, while he discreetly pulled up his shirt, and lowered his trousers' beltline enough to expose a bit of his dainty underthings.

He was wearing bright red "Hecho in Vietnam" Hanes briefs. "I gots the red ones to show there ain't no hard feelins," he confided.

So I guess the war is officially over, and peace reigneth over the land.

We snuffled the rest of Billy's breakfast burrito, while contemplating The Whichness of What, and The Thisness of That.

Keynesian economics in The Smile Hi City

2011-12-23T06:04:00.004+13:00

We were sitting on the rail of the bridge over the Arkansas, north of The Holy Land. We were admiring the sun, sparkling off the snow and ice, and watching the ice floes drifting downstream. We were freezing our buns off.

"Hey! Hey!" exclaimed DinkyDau Billy, adjusting his new AFDB, "have ya heard about the new ekernomic inishatives?"

"Initiatives? Here?" asked TootSweet, in wondering wonderment.

"Yeah. Yeah. They's gonna bolster the tourism industry and give a local business a shot in the arm at the same time, usin' them tourist tax bux. Kinda like The Smile Hi City's own Recovery and Reinvestment Act!" Billy was quite excited. "It's a practical application of Keynesian thought to our own macroeconomic sitchyashun right here in our own backyards!"

"Before you tell us about that, why don't you tell us about your new AFDB?" Leece asked our stalwart, "I'm very impressed with the new design."

"Yeah. Yeah. Ain't it somethin'?" Billy was effusive in his enthusiasm. His new AFDB was in the shape of a finely crafted Stetson 1000x Diamante, and about as smoothly molded.

"It's the new McKinley model," he shared with us.

"Very nice," I said. We all nodded in agreement.

"Well, they's gonna use them lodgin' tax bux to fund newspaper subscriptions for all the hotels in town," Billy went on, "so's motel visitors kin check out all the stuff ta do here."

"They're using tax revenues to take out subscriptions to the local paper, for the local motels? Are you serious?"

"Well ... yeah. Beverly Babb done brung it up at the tourism board meetin', and they took it to council, and council voted fer it," Billy revealed, "since only one a them motels takes the paper now, they's thinkin' all them motel patrons is missin' the good stuff."

"Do you mean they are going to deliver a copy of the paper to everyone staying in the hotel, like they do with USA Today?" Leece seemed a bit baffled by it all.

"Naw. Naw. The paper's gots a special offerin', where you gits six months for 12 bux. They's gittin' each motel one a them six month specials," Billy clarified.

"Oh. So there is just one paper per day per motel? So what do they do? Check it out to patrons, like a library book?" Tookie was curious.

"Well, I dunno, maybe they's gonna pass it around at breakfast or somethin?" Billy was essentially clueless.

"When did they decide to do this?"

"At the last council meetin'. It's in the minnits," Billy explained.

"Well, at 12 bux for six months, it's about a dime a copy. Why not just invest a dime a day for every motel patron?"

"I think it's a great idea," Toots said, gushing enthusiasm, "but that's just an example of how they didn't go far enough outside the box. They should add a subscription for the Burlington Northern terminal, the one the Amtraks use, for the passengers there. You never know when a person might be moved to cash in all the chips and move here to the Smile Hi!!! Or maybe they could just put a stack of papers at the entrance way to the new pedestrian bridge?"

"Good thinking!" I agreed, "and they should also give subscriptions to all the restaurants, and the rest of the businesses downtown, because all of them have something to do with, like, you know, new customers and such like. They entice passers-through from the highway. And let's not forget the sale barns on this one."

"Or the golf course," added Leece, "because as we know, golfers driving through town like to stop at every little burg that has a golf course, and play it."

"You been reedin' the paper?" axed Billy, "cuz that's exactly what's goin' on, what with the golf association wantin' a new sign to be paid for out of tax revenues. Because they bring in a lot of tourism bidness, you see."

"I agree," agreed Tookie, who was in a very agreeable state of mind," and I agree that we should have a sign downtown for the Copper Kitchen, and the other restaurants, who bring in customers off the highway, who might otherwise drive through! This is a great way to spend those tax dollars!" She was excited.

"Yeah! Yeah! We can't fergit about the Copper Kitchen, which is world famous becuz a Alton Brown!" Billy joined in, "an people come to the Smile Hi City lookin' for the Alton Brown experience! They gotta have a sign for the Copper Kitchen!"

We all agreed that it was good to see that these tax revenues being put to imaginative use. There is nothing worse than tax money just sitting there, not being spent.

More educational junketry

2011-12-17T03:26:00.003+13:00

CASB at the Broadmoor is another article about CASB's bash at the Broadmoor. I'm not sure if it's supporting the shindig, or giving it a mild backhand:

CASB staffers expect lower attendance this year, due to the economy and cuts in state school funding. Association spokesman Brad Stauffer estimates about 800 participants, down from last year’s 1,000. It’s a lovely setting but other education groups like pretty places too – the Colorado Association of School Executives favors Breckenridge and the Colorado Education Association scheduled its fall bargaining retreat at Copper Mountain.

Our school boards and our school administrators shore do like their resorts, don't they? Well ... some of them. Note that attendance is down an estimated 20%. Due to 'the economy and state school funding.'

Too bad Stauffer and the rest of 'em haven't gotten the message.

The only 'conference' that's a bigger waste of taxpayer money, while providing 'public servants' a free vacation at a hotshot resort, is the annual Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police bash. You have to have a password to get into that section of their website. However, they Facebooked it. It was held last June up in Estes Park.

I think we need a mill levy override for junkets, don't you? Perhaps CASB can add that to next years list of 'seminars.'

CASB's party at the Broadmoor

2011-12-16T04:12:00.001+13:00

The Colorado Association of School Boards - CASB - has been taking some heat for a few years now over the fact that it holds its annual bash up at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

If you aren't familiar with the Broadmoor, it's one of the swankiest outfits in the state, if not the southwestern United States.

Back on December 3, 2009, the Aspen Times published this article:

Colorado school boards to meet at luxury hotel

from which we draw this excerpt:

Colorado school boards plan to hold their annual convention at the luxury Broadmoor hotel this weekend.

The three-day meeting comes as districts across the state are planning to cut millions of dollars from their budgets because of the recession.

But here's the best part:

The Colorado Association of School Boards said its conference will feature sessions and speakers that are designed to help boards deal with the times, including a session on budget cutting intended to reduce the impact on students.

Then in 2010, the now-defunct Face the State published a couple of articles about how school boards were dumping a pretty good chunk of change to hobnob with vendors and book salesmen and lobbyists and other such types, up there at the Broadmoor ... all while We the People were being told that school district budgets were in dire straits. Remember how programs were being cut? Teachers and other staff were being laid off? Fees We the People were paying for labs and athletics and other 'activities' were going up? Yep. All while the school boards were snuffling at the Broadmoor trough, being wined and dined by lobbyists, vendors, and other profit-seekers.

Here are our previous posts on this:

School Daze

High times at the Broadmoor

No right to speak which doesn't really have much to do with the CASB shindig, other than to illustrate the arrogance of school boards and CASB, as well as demonstrate why you aren't likely to get much out of your local board.

Total price for CASB's bash at the Broadmoor which included a link to a Face the State post, from which this excerpt is drawn:

The Colorado Association of School Boards turned a nice little profit on its annual convention at the Broadmoor Hotel and Resort in Colorado Springs in December.

The four day bash cost the lobbying organization $307,247. Income from registration fees paid by school districts and commercial sponsorships netted $379,243, leaving CASB to pocket more than $71,000.

Of course, the school districts the organization represents — and which provide 60 percent of CASB’s operating budget through annual membership dues — earned nothing on the event. In fact, as Face the State reported in December, they paid twice for it: once with their dues and again through registration fees charged to school board members to attend it.

This year, the partying at the Broadmoor continues, despite concerns expressed by parents and even an admission by CASB that it looks bad for them to be hanging out at the Broadmoor. Ya think? While every time you turn on the telly you hear about how bad the economy is, and how school district budgets are even tighter.

Here is an article from the Greeley Gazette about this year's confabulation:

School district pays over $21,000 for dues, cost of attending convention

Yep. That's right. District 6 up in Greeley dropped over $21,000 for this CASB bash. Meanwhile, student organizations and parents are holding bake sales to raise money for their kids' educational 'incidentals'. You know ... lab fees, 'activity' fees, and so on.

And what are school board members doing up there at the Broadmoor? Attending some rather interesting little seminars:

"The four day convention uses a majority of the facilities and includes work sessions such as 'The Game has Changed: What will it take to pass a bond and mill levy override in 2012?' 'Changing the Constitution and other trivial matters' and 'Unstuck and Maximizing Diversity.'"

How to override the mill levy? Should that be titled "How to do an end run around the tax structure"? And that "How to change the Constitution"? In what way? Doing away with article 2 section 24 of the state constitution? And 'Unstuck and Maximizing Diversity". What does that mean? That we need more gay and lesbian and transgender studies in class? Perhaps "Muslim studies"? A course or two in Sharia law?

But wait! There's more!

Denver school board opens its therapy session to the public

An excerpt:

Attending the CASB convention at the deluxe Broadmoor is its own source of tension for the board.

Although members are offered reduced rates for rooms at the hotel, some have questioned whether it makes sense to attend conventions at a time when K-12 budgets are being cut statewide.

Denver, for example, will likely have to cut $25 million from its budget this year. Jefferson County is cutting $18 million to $20 million a year over the next three years.

The weekend conference features informational sessions, developmental workshops and speakers who are designed to help boards — including a session about cutting budgets, CASB spokesman Brad Stauffer said.

"We think there are some things they can learn here that can help them deal with the difficult times and help them govern their school districts in the way they can manage through these budget cuts so that is less impactful on students," Stauffer said.

Registration for the entire three-day convention is $330, which includes breakfasts and lunches. Lodging at the hotel for board members ranges from $150 to $238 per room. Board members staying the entire session can expect to pay up to $1,000 for registration, meals and lodging.

Yeah. Hey, next year, let's do that bake sale in the lobby of the Broadmoor. We can sell chocolate chip cookies to all those board members and vendors and lobbyists. Maybe even Hick will buy a few brownies!

Meanwhile ... we suggest a new motto for CASB: Qu’ils mangent de la brioche!

Say ... I wonder how much our local school districts dropped on this little junket?

Signs and wonders; Pentecostals and science; Catholics and transubstantiation

2011-12-12T09:17:00.002+13:00

Ummmm ... interesting statement from a colleague this past week:

"In my view it would be easier to convince a Catholic that the elements of the Mass are not truly the body and blood of Jesus than to convince a Pentecostal of scientific issues contrary to their teaching."

Which statement brings this thought to mind:

First, it's elements of the Eucharist, not the Mass. Second, you mean they aren't? But seriously ... if Pentecostals are not even willing to accept that Catholics are really Christians, how can we expect Pentecostals to accept transubstantiation as one of those Signs and Wonders. You know, like faith healing. Words of Knowledge. Predictive prophecy. That sort of thing.

Just sayin'.

Meadows sold for $1.8 mill

2011-12-10T04:34:00.002+13:00

From this morning's Colorado Business Briefs:

Marcus &Millichap Real Estate Investment Services announced the sale of the 100-space Meadows Mobile Home Park in La Junta for $1.8 million. Neither the buyer or seller were identified.

Turkey hunting - California stye

2011-12-08T15:24:00.001+13:00

Here's how they hunt wild turkeys in California:

County OK's youth turkey hunt - again

Some interesting excerpts:

Both proposals drew the ire of environmentalists and animal-rights activists. They took issue with children firing weapons on an open-space preserve as well as the impression it might give them that slaughter was preferable to nonviolent solutions.

"Children firing weapons." Can't have that on a turkey hunt for youth. Nope.

But here's the best one: "... that slaughter was preferable to non-violent solutions."

How can you have a non-violent 'solution' to a turkey dinner? No matter how you cut it, the turkey is going to find it violent. Unless ... maybe they want to give the turkeys lethal injections? Would that be considered a 'peaceful' end to the turkey? How would that sit with NCADP?

Pearl Harbor, and "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables"

2011-12-08T09:55:00.001+13:00

Here is a great story about Pearl Harbor:

An old salt recalls wounds of Pearl Harbor

There is one statement in the story that requires correction, though. The author wrote:

All eight of the Navy's mighty battleships were sunk or badly damaged.

That isn't true.

While all eight of the battleships at Pearl Harbor were sunk or damaged, the US Navy had other battleships. The Colorado was in overhaul up in Puget Sound. North Carolina was either on her shakedown cruise in the Caribbean or had recently completed it, and was diverted from Pearl Harbor early in '42 to participate in the hunt for Tirpitz. Washington had been launched but had not yet been commissioned. Indiana had been launched a couple of weeks before Pearl Harbor and was undergoing pre-commissioning trials. And then, of course, there were the battleships assigned to the Atlantic Fleet: New Mexico, Mississippi, and Idaho in Battleship Division 3, and New York, Texas, and Arkansas as training ships in Battleship Division 5.

Most of these ships would play significant roles in defeating the Japanese and the Germans. Most of them came to inglorious ends in the breaking yards and as target ships. Texas and North Carolina survive today as museum ships.

Channeling Teddy Roosevelt

2011-12-08T03:15:00.000+13:00

Galen has an interesting op-ed piece here:

Referendum

which might be just another op-ed piece, other than the comment about Obama's campaign speech in Osawatomie, lifted from WaPo. It's about two-thirds of the way down the column. But here's the whole thing:

Obama's Kanasas Speech: Some suspect 'facts'

WaPo is part of the mainstream media. The MSM.It's amazing that they would actually do some fact-checking. OTOH, the far right doesn't bother much with that either ... witness the nonsense that is re-circulating over Bo Obama's private jet flight to Maine.

Sam Frankmore Wrestling Tournament

2011-12-05T12:00:00.000+13:00

We have a gallery up for the Saturday, 12.03.2011 matches, over on WritingPlaces.com's galleries page.

"And then ... there were the strawberries ..."

2011-12-03T03:05:00.000+13:00

Some things never change:

Navy report finds preferential treatment on Ponce

On numerous occasions, the report says, Jones directed sailors to engage in unsafe ship-handling procedures that clearly went against standards. Other times, she distracted officers at critical times.
The report offers an example: "While navigating the Suez Canal at night with heavy shipping traffic, the C.O. came to the bridge and ordered the [officer of the deck] to explain why her laptop computer had been closed."
The report states that when officers tried to explain that Jones' directions weren't safe, she "would ignore the advice and direct that her orders be carried out."

Shades of Captain Queeg!

America's New Revolutionaries

2011-11-25T08:08:00.001+13:00

Here they are:

Portraits of the New Revolutionaries

Somehow, they seem a bit out of synch with our original revolutionaries:

Another Facebook idiot

2011-11-24T03:27:00.002+13:00

For all those simpletons who still think Facebook is 'private' or has any privacy at all:

Facebook photo leads to arrest in stolen laptop case

Of course, they all think the cops are 'cheating' and should stick to 'real' investigative tools. Like, you know, on CSI or Criminal Minds, or NCIS, where they routinely hack into corporate and private computers without bothering with little things like warrants.

An LAPD view of the Occupiers

2011-11-24T03:04:00.000+13:00

Here is an LA police officer's point-of-view of the LA and other 'occupiers':

Occupy LA: A cop's perspective

Throwing a snit fit

2011-11-23T11:10:00.002+13:00

Or a temper tantrum. Not much difference.

Check this:

Law professor quits job after colleague calls care packages for US troops 'shameful'

A law professor who is serving overseas in Afghanistan has quit his job at a Massachusetts university after a colleague sent out a controversial e-mail declaring it "shameful" to send care packages to U.S. troops.

This guy that up and quit is an Army reserve major. The dustup is over the law prof who said this:

"I think it is shameful that it is perceived as legitimate to solicit in an academic institution for support for men and women who have gone overseas to kill other human beings" and went on to add that sympathy for American troops in harm's way is "not particularly rational in today's world."

This apparently got the major's knickers in a twist. I think most of us can see why, and can probably agree with the knicker-twisting.

But the major, having resigned, said this in an interview:

"It’s basically like a 5-year-old throwing a temper tantrum ... That is not how we teach our students to rationally look at the issues…We want rational adult discourse and that is not something I would tolerate in my class and it is not something the school should tolerate from one of its professors."

So the major is doing ... what? Taking his ball and going home? Who is throwing the more childish tantrum here? The offending law prof said something the major didn't like. I don't see that it is particularly childish, however.

What is childish is the major's little tantrum, and the fact that he is willing to squelch someone with whom he disagrees - "... I would not tolerate in my class ..." indicates to me that he really doesn't understand what it is he has sworn to protect and defend in the service of these United States.

Perhaps Major Bob Roughsedge should consider becoming Pete King's chief of staff. Both Bob and Pete seem to have the same views regarding the Constitution ... which is that we can all freely speak our minds only so long as we agree with them.

Vital issues: Fiddling while Rome burns

2011-11-22T03:08:00.000+13:00

The European Union has once again demonstrated a remarkable level of incompetence in leadership.

"While the euro burns ..." - that is, while European economies are on the edge of collapse; while prime ministers flee office, while Unionistas rampage in the streets of European cities ... we have this:

Business leaders will reportedly face jail time for claiming that water prevents dehydration

MEP Paul Nuttall said the ruling made the “bendy banana law” look “positively sane”.

He said: “I had to read this four or five times before I believed it. It is a perfect example of what Brussels does best. Spend three years, with 20 separate pieces of correspondence before summoning 21 professors to Parma where they decide with great solemnity that drinking water cannot be sold as a way to combat dehydration.

Wait one ... what was that about 'bendy bananas'?

It seems that awhile back, the European Union passed laws preventing the sale of bananas - and cucumbers for that matter - that had bends. Were like, you know ... curved.

It actually went to court, where a great deal of judicial time was expended:

Yes, we can have curved bananas ...

Obama's administration must be experiencing all kinds of tingles over the mere thought of that kind of regulation of our daily lives.

"West of Pecos"

2011-11-21T15:53:00.000+13:00

We have a gallery for the Swink High School drama class production of "West of Pecos" up on WritingPlaces.com's Galleries page, under Other Events 2011

I just want to give them all of my life savings ...

2011-11-19T14:00:00.002+13:00

Not likely. Not in this life.

The growth of publically funded health care

2011-11-17T03:12:00.003+13:00

Here is an interesting article from the highly-vaunted-finger-on-the-pulse-of-our-society Pueblo Chieftain:

Uninsured grow: 16 percent statewide without insurance

The article goes on about Pueblo County residents in particular.

An excerpt:

“When I looked at the initial ratings, that was a surprise to me,” said Ned Calonge, president and CEO of The Colorado Trust. “The reason behind it is that so many people in the county are on Medicare and Medicaid. It has to do with an increased amount of publicly funded care.”

Just yesterday, I heard a fellow express some rather cogent viewpoints on this. First, someone has to pay for the 'free' services. And, if the services are not entirely 'free', then someone has to pay for the subsidizing of those services.

The funding for all these government-provided Good Deals comes out of someone's pockets. Right? Does that not seem painfully obvious? Apparently it is not, to some of us.

In any case, the more money is taken from the pockets of those who actually work and pay taxes, so as to pay for those increased 'free' services, the more people 'qualify' for those increased 'free' services, and the drain on those whose pockets the government picks becomes greater. Soon, those people who are funding those 'free' services can no longer afford to do so, and they too qualify for those 'free' services. This reduces the pool of those from whom the government can suck blood, in the figurative sense. And so the government borrows money from the Chinaman to pay for all this, at least for the moment. ObamaCare, which as we all know is designed to take care of the 16 percenters throughout the state, is not going to make it any better. So far, our beloved rulers have not done too well with zeroing out the deficit with cuts here and there to pay for it, so that means that those of us who, for the moment, still can, will. Along with the Chinaman, who ain't doin' it out of the goodness of his collective heart.

It's a bit more complex than that, of course; you have to have the Nancy Pelosis and Wes McKinleys playing their political cards, and you have to have the rest of our beloved Congresscritters playing their political cards, posturing and pandering and telling us how hard they are 'fighting' for us.

Speaking of Ol' Cowboy Wes ... anyone seen him and/or his teepee since the cops started moving the squatters out? Has he been up there 'listening to the citizens'?

Here's an interesting tidbit, from the last La Junta Utility Board meeting. It doesn't have anything to do with 'free' healthcare, but it does have to do with the idea that someone has to pay for the stuff and services we use:

Minutes of the meeting of November 8

Is there anyone around here who isn't on 'fixed income'?

A Right Wing Smear

2011-11-16T03:14:00.002+13:00

Remember how Nancy Pelosi was standing four-square behind the Occupiers? Remember how she was getting all the press as to how she was 'with them' in their 'fight' against the oppressive and opportunistic capitalists of Wall Street, and the Evil Banks?

So ...

Washington -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's office accused the news program "60 Minutes" of omitting key information from its report Sunday on how members of Congress use privileged information to profit from stock trades.

Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill also called the report "a right-wing smear" based on a new book by conservative author Peter Schweizer of the Hoover Institution, a think tank based at Stanford University. The book is titled: "Throw Them All Out: How Politicians and Their Friends Get Rich Off Insider Stock Tips, Land Deals, and Cronyism That Would Send the Rest of Us to Jail."

The entire article is here:

Pelosi denies insider trading allegations

Pelosi is the twelfth wealthiest member of Congress. Her riches come jointly with her husband, Paul, from football (Penn State? No ...) and real estate in San Francisco and Sacramento. Oddly, there were no Occupiers camped out on the Pelosi properties.

It's all part of that vast Right Wing Conspiracy.

Cowards

2011-11-15T17:54:00.001+13:00

Here's another good essay, this one by Michael Goodwin, about the moral embarrassment that is Penn State football:

Penn State's Cowardly Lions

and it can be argued that it applies more often than not to football in other places and at other levels.

An excerpt:

All of which gives rise to these questions: Those men and women who remained silent in the face of this evil -- are they truly good? Or are they cowards who were simply not willing to take a modest personal risk for the preservation of the one thing they supposedly valued most?

I believe they are cowards. Their goodness was found wanting when it was needed most, and so was shallow if it existed at all. They are sunshine patriots who could not be counted on when the stakes were highest.

In life, even more than in football, courage is required.

Campus Cops = Campus Follies

2011-11-14T14:08:00.000+13:00

In too many cases, that's exactly what it is. Campus Follies.

You get too many crimes showing up in a university's stats, and parents decide to send their kids elseplace. A university gets a bad rep, the reputation of being a 'dirty' campus crime-wise, and the enrollments start drying up. And more importantly, so does recruiting for ... The Great God Football and other sports.

And if that happens, alumni donations start drying up.

So it isn't about doing what's right on America's college campuses. It's about what brings in the money. The bottom line is the bottom line.

Here ya go:

Campus law enforcement largely autonomous

Some excerpts:

The Penn State police did investigate a complaint in 1998 about Jerry Sandusky, the former assistant coach who was charged last week with sexually abusing eight boys, and turned it over to the district attorney, who declined to prosecute.

But many serious offenses reach neither campus police officers nor their off-campus counterparts because they are directly funneled to administrators. That is what happened at Penn State in 2002, according to a grand jury report, when a graduate assistant to Paterno reported that he saw Sandusky raping a 10-year-old boy in the locker-room showers.

Can you just imagine those administrators getting that report? The vapor-locking would have sounded like figurative corks popping all over Happy Valley.

Alison Kiss, the executive director of Security on Campus, a national watchdog group in Wayne, Pa., praised campus police forces for strides made since the law was enacted. But when a university culture demands silence, she added, the campus police come under great pressure to follow suit.
“Most want to do the right thing, but it’s very difficult when you’re not supported,” she said.
Kiss has dealt for years with complaints of sexual assault against football players at big sports schools.

Yep.

Football. The great reservoir of all-American values. Win at any cost, and if it involves covering up a Great Coach's complicity in a pedophile anally raping a ten year old in the showers ... why, that's just part of the cost of doing business.

A test for 'the Christian Nation'

2011-11-13T05:23:00.002+13:00

Here's an interesting essay:

Reactions to Cain, Paterno point to a not-so-Christian nation

Some excerpts:

When I turn on the television and see “family values” conservatives jumping to Cain’s defense within hours of the first charges surfacing, or Penn State students rioting over the decision of their university’s Board of Trustees to fire Paterno, I have to ask myself, “What has happened to this supposedly Christian nation"?

Well ... first, I'm not so sure Cain is guilty; so far all we have is some questionable accusations by some questionable and perhaps very self-seeking 'victims'. Gloria Allred's involvement doesn't say much for the victims; I think Allred is one of the most opportunistic moral clones of Jerry Springer that you'll find anywhere. The damage has been done, however, and no matter what is eventually discovered, Cain has been disAbeled. The 'Christian nation' thing is still valid, however, for if Cain is a victim and not a 'doer', then his political opponents, by aiding and abetting the character assassination, have once again demonstrated just how miserably sleazy American politics can be.

When we turn our gaze to Penn State, do our hearts go out to the boys, some as young as 10, who were allegedly sodomized or otherwise sexually assaulted by a former assistant coach under Paterno? Or do we empathize with Paterno, the closest State College, Pennsylvania, gets to a graven image?

But there is quite a bit more substance to the Penn State dustup. A grand jury investigation and ensuing indictments, while not a finding of guilty, are pretty substantial, and a university cannot afford to keep people such as Paterno and whatsisname the university president in their positions. Or maybe they can, given the 'outrage' by so many over Paterno's firing. The university president doesn't matter; he is not a football coach. And in any case, Paterno, by his comments, admits that he should have done more to make sure the rot was exposed and properly handled.

Though what 'properly handled' means within the context of the moral standards of the Nittany Lions is also questionable; at the moment, it seems to mean they should have done a better job of hiding it all.

Penn State's alumni and students and fans seem quite content to accept homosexual pedophiliac attacks on ten-year-olds, putting themselves into a worshipful state before the modern day Golden Calf ... the Great God Football.

It wasn't consensual homosexual sex between consenting adults ... which while it may get the Christian Right into a foaming frenzy is really none of their business ... it was a Great Man bending over a ten-year kid in the showers at Penn State and ramming home, so to speak, "The Rod". It wasn't Aaron's rod, or even Moses' rods, either, if you get our drift.

Peter, with his betrayal of Christ through his denials, would understand Paterno very well. They are kindred spirits.

Shame on those Penn Staters. Where is Pat Robertson when you need him? Brother Pat could be praying, in fine Christian fashion, that God smites all of the footballs in Happy Valley, causing them to go flat for forty years or somesuch. After all, if God could smite those Haitians, why not a bunch of Penn Staters who don't mind a bit of pedophiliac sodomy?

CSU-Pueblo's Southeast Asia War Memorial

2011-11-12T18:19:00.003+13:00

We went to the re-dedication of the CSU-Pueblo Southeast Asia War Memorial today.

We have a gallery of photos of some of the people and some of the activities there, up on the Galleries page of WritingPlaces.com.

It's right at the top of the page.

We can only hope this doesn't distract from the really important stuff. You know, Joe Paterno and Penn State football.

Penn State's high standards

2011-11-12T04:49:00.002+13:00

Multiple threats sideline Penn State Coach

Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary will miss Saturday's game against Nebraska after the school said he received "multiple threats."

McQueary is the coach who testified in the grand jury investigation about seeing Sandusky sodomizing a boy in the Penn State athletic facility showers. That's what led to the God-like Penn State coach, Joe Paterno. being fired, and as a sidenote, the firing of the university president.

So. To Penn State's football fans, sodomizing kids is OK, so long as they win their football games?

The press has been going on about how Paterno met his 'legal obligations' by reporting the matter to his so-called 'superiors' at Penn State.

However, Pennsylvania law says otherwise.

Standards for Making a ReportCons. Stat. Tit. 23, § 6311

A report is required when a person, who in the course of employment, occupation, or practice of a profession, comes into contact with children, has reasonable cause to suspect, on the basis of medical, professional, or other training and experience, that a child is a victim of child abuse.

The 'report' is by statutory definition a police report, not a report to school/university officials. Paterno, by his job position, is one of those mandated to make a police report, and so was the president of the university. They did not. And the behavior of Penn State alumni, students, and fans shows why - they don't care who their coaches sodomize ... so long as they win those football games.

It's all a matter of prioritizing what's important, you see.

236

2011-11-11T08:52:00.002+13:00

It's November 10, marking the 236th anniversary of the founding of the United States Marine Corps.

On November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress resolved to raise two battalions of "American Marines." Congress commissioned 31-year-old Samuel Nicholas, a well-known Philadelphian, as captain of the fledgling force of Continental Marines. Nicholas raised two battalions of Marines and began the long, illustrious history of the United States Marine Corps.

On November 1, 1921, General John A. Lejeune issued Marine Corps Order No. 47, Series 1921. The order provided a summary of the history, mission, and traditions of the Corps. General Lejeune directed that the order be read to every command each subsequent year on November 10th in honor of the founding of the Marine Corps. This tradition has continued every year since 1921 throughout the Corps.

The first official "Birthday Ball" was probably held in 1925 in Philadelphia. No official records of the event were held prior to that date. Guests at the ball in 1925 included the Secretary of the Navy, General Lejeune, well-known national leaders, and representatives from all the military services.

On October 28, 1952, Commandant General Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. directed the celebration of the Marine Corps Birthday be formalized throughout the Corps. The details were included in the Marine Corps Drill Manual approved in 1956. General Shepherd's order helped bring together the inclusion of a cake ceremony and other traditions still held every year at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball.

This year's Commandant's Marine Corps Birthday Ball.

Selling God up by Florissant

2011-11-11T08:20:00.002+13:00

Earlier this summer we took a couple of trips over to the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.

Little did we know that we were near Christian Greatness, and so ... we missed an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of The Woodland Park Sanctuary. We could have written a check, had we but known!

Andrew Wommack's Pathway to Prominence

Perhaps Wommack should be handling Rick Perry's campaign finances, and acting as his media spokesperson?

A pile of political manure

2011-11-11T08:19:00.000+13:00

Rick Perry 'steps in it'

Indeed he has. A pair of chest waders won't get him out of this pile of political manure.

We can only wonder if the Gov has been taking lessons from the Otero County and State of Colorado Republican party machines.

Meanwhile ...

November 10, 2011

Three Things from Rick Perry

About Last Night

Dear American:

Okay, lookit, there are three things I forgot to mention last night.

Firstly, you should never drink before a debate. Right after that danged
thing was over I had to stick my head in the porcelain throne and that lawn
gnome Ron Paul had to hold my hair. This morning my head hurts like it was
hit with a hammer in one of those movies with Larry, Curly, and… Larry,
Curly, and what’s the other one? Ah, shit.

Now here’s B: the American people have to decide what’s worse, forgetting
which agencies you plan to get rid of or forgetting which ladies you tried
to nail when you were running the National Restaurant Association. I can
tell you this, if somebody asked me if I remembered who I’d sexually
harassed I could sure as shit tell you their names. But please don’t ask me
that.

And finally, number 3: what the hell was number 3 again? I’ve got it on the
tip of my tongue. Nope, I’ve lost it. Oops.

Vote for me,

Rick Perry

"... a squeaky clean state school ..."

2011-11-11T04:37:00.001+13:00

Here’s a good editorial, posted yesterday by a Penn State alumnus:

A Penn State alum's take on why Paterno had to go

“… squeaky clean state school …”?

Hah.

The behavior of the 2,000 or so morons up in Happy Valley, as well as the cover-up, rather emphasizes Clark Kerr’s comment all those years ago:

"The three purposes of the University?--To provide sex for the students, sports for the alumni, and parking for the faculty."

We have been re-watching the “Friday Night Lights” series from the beginning. It’s a great series but it sure doesn’t paint a very good picture of high school football, all the worse because it's so believable. The behaviors up in Happy Valley really demonstrate that the TV series might have been more of a reality show than anything else. And it seems to get worse the higher up the football food chain you go.

So much for all those “American values” the game is supposed to represent.

The Republican Agenda

2011-11-10T09:03:00.000+13:00

"... encouraging healthy relationship dynamics ..."

2011-11-10T03:16:00.005+13:00

That's excerpted from a statement by the Occupy Wall Street non-leaders.

Occupy protests plagued by reports of sex attacks, violent crime

And then we have this, from the same article:

At the site of the Occupy San Diego camp, street cart vendors were forced to close up shop Monday when protesters, angry that they stopped receiving free food, ransacked and vandalized the carts.

The angry mob not only scrawled graffiti on the carts, they reportedly splattered them with blood and urine as well.

In addition, the vendors received death threats, according to local radio station KNX 1070.

Meanwhile, the talking heads on MSNBC are going nuts over the Cain dustup, with one of those worthies insisting that Cain should have to register as a sex offender.

If that's the case, we should expect to see him in the registration line behind Bill Clinton.

But speaking of Cain ... it's good to see that the Republican party, the party of high moral values, continues to live up to the high standards it has set.

OTOH ... we have this, just coming to light:

Accuser filed complaint in next job

The Republican Agenda

2011-11-09T04:10:00.000+13:00

The Republicans continue to come to grips with the vital issues of the day:

Charles Eurey learns to fly the B-25

2011-11-09T03:10:00.001+13:00

Charles Eurey is a guest columnist for the Lincoln County Times-News. He has written about taking B-25 flight training at La Junta Army Airfield just after New Year's Day 1944:

Moving on down the line in 1943

Some of Mr. Eurey's previous articles:

On the wings of the wind in World War II

Winging along in my flying machine

No ... it isn't Lincoln County, Colorado. It's Lincoln County, North Carolina. Mr. Eurey is a member of the Lincoln County Historical Association, which has a really nice museum.

Swink goes to State

2011-11-06T06:40:00.001+13:00

The Swink Lady Lions, after a spectacular series of victories at the Regionals yesterday, in Pueblo, are going on to the state championships next weekend.

Update:

We have a gallery of 336 images from the Swink Lady Lions Regionals 11.04.2011, up on WritingPlaces.com's Galleries page.

Please go to WritingPlaces.com and click on the Galleries tab.

The gallery is under Swink Volleyball 2011.

"I don't wanna work ..."

2011-10-28T07:08:00.002+13:00

I just wanna bang on a drum all day ...:

The "Occupation Anthem":

Since Nancy Pelosi, Wes McKinley, and the Democratic National Committee have all endorsed the Occupiers ... can we presume that this is also the official song of the Democratic Party?

Free speech

2011-10-27T02:03:00.003+13:00

Patience tested over waste, crime at protest sites

Free speech is a wonderful thing, isn't it? It lets us see exactly what the Democrats support. And where are the Democratic National Committee, Nancy Pelosi, and Cowboy Wes?Are they now 'distancing' themselves from this? If so, it's too late.

And here is a link with some good video clips of the Oakland dustup:

Rioting in downtown Oakland

I would have thunked Nancy and ol' Cowboy Wes would have been on the scene to offer moral support and demonstrate solidarity with the protestors.

This one is particularly fascinating:

Swink Blood Drive

2011-10-26T02:16:00.006+13:00

While the politicians are busy stabbing each other in the back and jockeying for a better position from which to get their hands on our wallets, here is something far more worthwhile, that can distract you from that foolishness:

Reserve your spot to save a life at our Swink High School Blood Drive

Monday, November 14th

From 9:00 to 10:30 am and from 12:00 to 2:30 pm in the Conference Room

Please sign up for an appointment by contacting Swink High School’s Counseling Office at 719/384-8103

For general information about blood donor eligibility or to contact Bonfils’ Donor Relations department with questions about blood donation, please call 800/365-0006, ext. 2.

Biden Evokes Sexual, Violent Imagery Again in Push for $447 Jobs Bill

2011-10-21T08:08:00.002+13:00

Biden Evokes Sexual, Violent Imagery Again in Push for $447 Jobs Bill

“Let me tell you, it’s not temporary when that 9-1-1 call comes in and a woman’s being raped. If a cop shows up in time to prevent the rape, it’s not temporary to that woman,” Biden said with his voice rising. “It’s not temporary to the guy whose store is being held up and has a gun being pointed to his head if a cop shows up and he’s not killed. That’s not temporary to that store owner. Give me a break -- temporary.

“I wish these guys who thought it was temporary, I wish they had some notion what it’s like be on the other side of a gun or a 200-pound man standing over you telling you to submit,” he added. “Folks, it matters. It matters.”

Last Wednesday, Biden suggested during a speech in Flint, Mich., that rapes and murders could rise if the jobs bill failed to pass Congress.

Wow. Talk about fear-mongering. Joltin' Joe insists that instances of rape have risen in numbers. He did. In his own words, "I said 'rape is up', three times ... there are the numbers .... go look at the numbers ... " OK. Let's do just that. Here are the numbers. Take a look:

Those figures are from the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics. We also have this from the BJS:

The violent crime rate declined from 19.3 to 17.1 victimizations per 1,000 persons during 2009, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, announced today. This decline continued a longer-run decline from 51.2 victimizations per 1,000 persons in 1994 and brought violent crime rates to their lowest levels since 1973, the first year that BJS collected data from crime victims through its National Criminal Victimization Survey (NCVS).

Statistical compilations generally run two years behind the current year. There is no indication from currently available data that the trend identified through 2009 has turned upward. A BJS estimate for 2010:

The rate of total violent crime victimizations declined by 13% in 2010, which was about three times the average annual decrease observed from 2001 through 2009 (4%).
The decline in the rate of simple assault accounted for about 82% of the total decrease in the rate of violent victimization in 2010.
In 2010 the property victimization rate declined by 6%, compared to the average annual decrease of 3% observed from 2001 through 2009.

Typically of our vice president, he is blowing it out his bunghole. In a manner of speaking. As usual, he is using bluster and bombast to bully so-called 'journalists', who these days don't do much in the way of fact-checking, and to pretty much inundate We the People with verbal bovine excrement. Yep, that's our political leadership for you.

That aside, Joltin' Joe is using a really bad example. Does he really think that this so-called 'jobs bill' is going to have an effect on 911 and response times? Does he have even the slightest clue as to 911 response times?

I wonder what he would think of this:

"When seconds count ... the police are only minutes away."

For example:

Clerk kills would-be robber who grabbed daughter

You'll note that the sheriff's department showed up in time to conduct the investigation. That isn't the fault of the sheriff's department; it's the reality of life. All the Obama-money (which is really your money, and mine, that the Obamanians want to either borrow from the Chinaman so we can pay it back later, or shake out of our pockets in the here and now) in the world wouldn't have made that any different.

If the line between civilized America and the savage criminal elements is so thin that only Obama's 'jobs bill' can save us ... I think we'd be a lot better off if the 'jobs bill' funded trainers and courses for the use of firearms in self-defense. Also range construction and development. And stimulus money to firearms manufacturers. And subscriptions to Guns and Ammo magazine.

Yep.

Alternate fuel

2011-10-20T13:50:00.005+13:00

DinkyDau Billy was slurping a diet Dr. Pepper as we walked into The Holy Land Quickee's. We placed our order with Juan Diego, and sat across from Billy. He had several piles of papers scattered around in front of his laptop.

"Hi Billy!" Leece greeted him enthusiastically.

"Hi yerself, CourtWench," he replied.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Well, you've seen that sign up at 10th and Colorado in The Smile Hi City? The one about laser liposuction?"

We both nodded that we had.

"I been researchin'. I think I unnerstand The Plan," he shared.

"The Plan?" we both chorused.

"Yeah. Yeah. You know how Michelle Obama is down on fat people?"

We allowed as how we knew that.

"An you know hows the Obamessiah is pushin' his Obamacare thing?"

We allowed as how we knew that.

"An you know how he's really pushin' those alternative fuels?"

"Oh yes. You mean like Solyndra," Leece said, "The outfit that trashed, what, over $500 million in our tax money, through the stupidity of Obama's 'energy team'?"

"Well ... yeah, though I think they gots somethin else in mind," Billy revealed.

"Like what?"

"Well ... the bidness about getting fat people to lose weight by dieting and eatin healthy grits ain't workin', you know," Billy shared, "so they's had to come up with an alternative plan."

"Like what?"

"Well ... Obamacare will pay for that laser liposuction. So you can eat whatever you want in spite of what he said back during the campaign, and still get fat, and the government will save you through the technological marvel of laser liposuction. And that helps the energy deficit, too, you see."

We didn't, not actually.

"Well ... they's backin' off that eatin' healthy thing. That was killin' the alternative fuels effort. Now they wants Americans to stuff themselves with fat foods. Uh ... make that 'fast' foods ...", Billy revealed. He was in one of his Revelation moods.

"But what's the purpose?" asked Leece.

"Well ... they takes all the blubber and tallow they sucks out of people, and ship it off in tanker trucks to a refining plant, and render it down to lubricants and fuels," Billy advised, "so the fatter Americans are, the more blubber and tallow can be sucked out of them, and the more alternative fuels can hit the market. Kind of like suckin' more money out of our wallets in the form of taxes, you see."

We sat there staring at him. As whacked out as it sounded, it didn't sound any more whacked out that some other things the government was doing. Solyndra, for example.

"But there's even more," Billy advised.

"What's that?" we chorused. We were ready to do some serious choir work.

"It creates jobs, too. We all eat more, so that's good for the farmers and ranchers. And as you know, we owe it to them to keep the market up for them. And think of all those liposuction technicians the nation will need. And the skilled refinery workers to process all that blubber and tallow. Union workers, too, so you know they'll vote for Obama in 2012."

We sat there, marveling at the intricities of the interlocking insurance, fuels, and jobs program devised by our benefactors in Washington.

"Shoot," I said, "with that kind of courageous avant garde thinking, we owe it to him to re-elect him."

We sat there, contemplating the greatness of America.

"It's better than the ethanol subsidy," Billy observed.

Coming soon ... a look at the relationship between elephant dung paper, the US Treasury, our national interests in Africa, and Obama's latest military adventure on the Dark Continent.

The Occupiers

2011-10-20T13:31:00.002+13:00

As we have previously noted, the Democratic National Committee stands with the occupiers. So does Nancy Pelosi. So does our own elected rep, Wes McKinley.

So who are these occupiers?

Here are the ones over in LA:

The occupation of LA: Part IV

The Los Angeles city council - all Democrats - has passed a resolution of support for the 'occupiers' who are trashing the park that surrounds LA city hall.

About a third of the way down, you will find a series of photos showing US flags lying on the ground, being used as tarps and tents, and being walked on by occupiers.

American flags can be seen throughout the encampment used as tarps and blankets, or simply crumpled on the ground.

Here ya go (all photos courtesy of Ringo):

But wait! There's more!

They're communists and Jew-haters as well:

There ya go. It's wonderful that they have the opportunity to freely express themselves, don't you agree?

These are the views the Democrats are supporting. Thanks to the exercise of free speech, we have a much better idea of what the Democratic Party stands for.

Pete King doesn't understand that free speech is essential to a free republic, a free democracy. If Pete King had his way, these people would have been gagged, and we would never have known their 'values'.

Doxology, Rocky Mountain Mennonite Relief Sale 10.15.2011

2011-10-16T13:55:00.007+13:00

The Doxology being sung just before the main auction, Rocky Mountain Mennonite Relief Sale, Rocky Ford, CO. We missed the first few seconds, unfortunately:

Hi res MP4 file:

Some background:

When, why, and how do Mennonites use the anthem?

and

Who are the Mennonites?

There is an image gallery on WritingPlaces.com, under Flash Galleries | Events. You have to scroll down quite a ways to get to it.

Brian Cowdrey

2011-10-15T12:55:00.006+13:00

Back in February 2010 we posted about Staff Sergeant Robert B.'Brian' Cowdrey, an Army medic serving in Afghanistan:

Robert 'Brian' Cowdrey in Afghan battle

Staff Sergeant Cowdrey, La Junta High School class of 1990, was killed in Afghanistan on 13 October 2011:

Flight Medic SSGT Robert "Brian" Cowdrey Killed In Afghanistan

Brian Cowdrey with Task Force Pegasus last year

Blogpost from Soldiers' Angels Germany:

Godspeed, SSG Robert "Brian" Cowdrey

More in this Soldiers' Angels Germany blogpost:

The Gypsies

and

"No one dies in my aircraft"

and

"Soldier remembered as 'servant leader'"

Thought processes

2011-10-15T02:15:00.002+13:00

So Brookfield Properties, who own Zucotti Park, where the so-called 'Occupy Wall Street protestors' are squatting, finally got fed up with the mess those people were making of their property.

The cops were supposed to start clearing 'em out so Brookfield could clean the place up. The 'protestors' had turned it into a real pig sty. The 'protestors' have violated all of Brookfield's rules about park use:

Brookfield Properties, the owner of the park, gave the protesters notice on Thursday that it will begin enforcing park regulations, which prohibit everything from lying down on benches to leaving personal property on the ground.

Park regulations on the notice includes no tents, tarps or sleeping bags on the ground, no lying on benches and no personal property stored on the ground. All these practices have been common at the park, where protesters have lived, slept and eaten for nearly a month

Remember ... Zucotti Park is private property. Though it is a park in the middle of New York City's financial district, it is still private property. In that sense, it is the same as ... oh .... Cowboy Wes McKinley's ranch. When the 'protestors' violate the rules that the owners have set up, it's just like visitors to Cowboy Wes' ranch violating whatever rules he has set up. Like, you know, leaving gates open, peeing and crapping in the stock tanks (we're presuming Cowboy Wes wouldn't allow that), leaving trash to blow across the prairie ... that sort of thing. These are akin to the sorts of things the 'protestors' have been doing. It kind of makes you wonder how Ol' Cowboy Wes can join in such doings, doesn't it? He has, you know, with the Denver brethren of the Occupy Wall Streeters. By expressing solidarity with them, is it not logical to conclude that he approves of all this?

Then we have this:

"They're going to use the cleanup to get us out of here!" said Justin Wedes, 25, a part-time public high school science teacher from Brooklyn. "It's a de facto eviction notice."

So they've turned to and are scrubbing down the park themselves, which they should have been doing since the beginning. That, and observing the property owner's rules in the first place. But it's still Mayor Bloomberg's fault:

"If Bloomberg truly cares about sanitation here he should support the installation of portopans and dumpsters. #OWS allies have been working to secure these things to support our efforts."

They think the taxpayers of New York should pay for them to trespass in sanitary fashion. They really have to be Democrats ...

Interesting viewpoint, is it not? It's all the evil property owner's fault. It's all the government's fault. The nerve of them, trying to get those squatters off the property so it can be cleaned up. The nerve of them, insisting that the rules for use of their property be observed.

I really gotta wonder what would happen if a bunch of PETA members started camping out on Wes' ranch, making a mess of it, and making incoherent demands that he stop murdering cows. Would he just ... dialog with them?

The thought processes here are astounding.

U-Boats

2011-10-14T17:13:00.000+13:00

So I was doing a bit of research on some of the wrecks between Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout, part of the area known as 'The Graveyard of the Atlantic' and 'Torpedo Junction.' I was looking up info on the tanker Papoose and the tanker W.E. Hutton, both sunk by U-124 19 March 1942. There's some confusion as to which wreck is which, though these days it's generally accepted that what we used to think is the Papoose is in fact W.E. Hutton.

There is a wonderful website for those who may be interested in submarine warfare in the Atlantic during World War II, and World War I. I've used it many times in the past but I don't think I've ever posted about it.

Check this:

Uboat.net

It's been around for awhile, but it just keeps getting better.

Another view of Occupy Denver

2011-10-14T07:18:00.003+13:00

Here is a somewhat different take on Occupy Denver:

As politicians edge away from Occupy Denver, one state rep. joins the Occupation

Ol' Cowboy Wes figures prominently in this one, too. An excerpt:

“I’m a state representative,” McKinley said. “It’s my job to represent people. How do you do that? You listen to them, and try to understand them.

“I think it is interesting to see citizens getting more involved in their government and that is what we see here. This is a group of people that we in government don’t normally hear from but they deserve to be represented.”

Well, that's true, don't you think? Pete King could take a lesson from Cowboy Wes on that.

But then we have this:

McKinley said some people have made a big deal out of his presence at the Occupation, as if his sleeping in a park is a sacrifice. “I like to sleep outside in God’s atmosphere,” he said. “I’m not a politician. I’m a cowboy. This is part of our society, part of our country, and I’m just down here to support them. They seem to feel that the government doesn’t listen, and that is true. The government doesn’t listen. I want to find out what these people care about. Anytime the people get involved, we get that much closer to being a government for the people and by the people.”

Admirable sentiments, for a fellow who is about to be term limited out of office, and who has just recently established residence in Las Animas County so as to run for county commissioner. You'll notice Wes is listed as "D-Cokeville" these days. Not sure how that fits with being just a cowpoke, but it does pay $58,500 per year, according to the April 5, 2010 Salaries of state and county elected officials and district attorneys.

Purty good draw there, for a non-politician, don't you think? It's quite a bit better than the $30,000 state reps get, according to the same document. Pretty good retirement plan, too.

I just love altruism, don't you?

Zucotti Park and Cowboy Wes McKinley

2011-10-14T02:08:00.001+13:00

Zucotti Park is a privately owned park on Wall Street.

It's private property, owned by Brookfield Properties. The 'Occupy Wallstreet' bunch has been trashing it since Day 1:

The company told police that it had received “hundreds of phone calls and emails” from locals complaining about "lewdness, groping, drinking and drug use, the lack of safe access to and usage of the Park, ongoing noise at all hours, unsanitary conditions and offensive odors,” NBC New York reports.

The so-called 'protestors' have taken on the mantle of squatters:

"Basic rules intended to keep the park safe, open, clean, and welcoming to all visitors are clearly posted," the statement from Brookfield reads. "These rules includes bans on the erection of tents or other structures, as well as the placement of tarps, sleeping bags, or other coverings on the property.

"Unfortunately, many of the individuals currently occupying the grounds are ignoring these basic yet necessary requirements, which interferes with the use of the park by others."

The Democrats are on board with this behavior, the Democratic National Committee and the Speaker of the House of the US House of Representatives, our beloved Nancy Pelosi, having gone on record as supporting these so-called 'protestors.' Joe Biden has compared these characters to the Tea Party, an opinion addressed by Karl Rove, the fellow the far left sees as the evil mastermind of the Bush II regime.

And our own state rep, Wes McKinley, has joined the Denver branch of this 'movement,' going so far as to have set up his tepee and living with the 'protestors' in what we presume is a gesture of 'solidarity.' (Here is where we all rise, raise our right fists into the air, and shout 'Power to the people!'.)

Cowboy Wes is the darling of the Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition. Does PCEOC support the 'Occupy Wall Street' movement? How do the demands of the 'occupiers' fit in with PCEOC's view on private property rights?

My question to Cowboy Wes is this: I though you were a big proponent of private property rights, Wes. How is it, then, that you can support a group that has so little regard for the property of others? Can I come down to your ranch and set up a tent on your property, and protest the price of beef? How would that work for you, Wes?

Pete King: All-American Congresscritter

2011-10-12T15:30:00.002+13:00

Pete King, all-American congresscritter from New York, was on Laura Ingraham's show the other day. He really went off on the "Occupy (pick your place)" mobs who are running around trashing city parks everywhere, while making demands that would drive an economics student at the University of Leningrad to paroxysms of giggles.

"The fact is these people are anarchists. They have no idea what they're doing out there," King said. "They have no sense of purpose other than a basically anti-American tone and anti-capitalist. It's a ragtag mob basically."

Well, I rather tend to agree with Pete on that one. There aren't a lot of rocket scientists, much less competent economists, in those crowds. Here is a commentary on their list of demands:

Unfocused "Occupy Wall Street" Protestors Make List of Demands

Check those babies out.

Demand three: Guaranteed living wage income regardless of employment. See? They just want more handouts. But wait ... there's more!

Demand eleven: Immediate across the board debt forgiveness for all. Debt forgiveness of sovereign debt, commercial loans, home mortgages, home equity loans, credit card debt, student loans and personal loans now! All debt must be stricken from the “Books.” World Bank Loans to all Nations, Bank to Bank Debt and all Bonds and Margin Call Debt in the stock market including all Derivatives or Credit Default Swaps, all 65 trillion dollars of them must also be stricken from the “Books.” And I don’t mean debt that is in default, I mean all debt on the entire planet period.

Um hmmm ... hey, I like that one. I'm not sure how they expect all those who have worked to produce a product - like, you know, a house - that someone has bought through a mortgage - or, like, you know, a car - that someone has bought through a loan down at the bank - I'm not sure how they expect those who worked to produce those things to actually live if all the loans are flushed. I mean, like ... they wouldn't be paid for their work. But wait! I'm wrong! Yes, I am! There's that guaranteed 'living wage income', even if you don't have a job. I'm not sure how you get a 'wage' if you don't do anything to earn it, but then, I'm apparently not in tune with The Movement.

And I thought the Tea Party was nuts. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi has jumped on board with these characters, as has the Democratic National Committee, and our own Wes McKinley. Hey, Cowboy Wes! If I buy one of your cows, do I have to, like, you know, actually pay you for it? I do? You capitalist oppressor of the masses, you!

So the Republicans have a chance to cash in, if you will pardon a rather capitalistic expression, on just how far out there the Democrats have drifted. But they aren't. There's just more mindless rhetoric from the likes of Pete King:

"[W]e have to be careful not to allow this to get any legitimacy," he warned. "I'm taking this seriously in that I'm old enough to remember what happened in the 1960s when the left-wing took to the streets and somehow the media glorified them and it ended up shaping policy," he said. "We can't allow that to happen."

Oh, Petey ... what are you going to do? Federalize the Guard and start shooting protestors? I'm old enough to remember the 60's, too, when the left-wing took to the streets to protest the nation's involvement in an insane war, and our government's insane policies associated with that war. Like today's protests, those too were filled with bad logic, poorly expressed reasoning, and a lot of distractions ... but they were an American expression of resistance to the moral corruption of our government, and underneath the nonsense was a good dollop of truth. I think if we looked deep enough into these Occupy Wherever demonstrations, we would find that to be the case as well.

In that, I do agree with Cowboy Wes, that democracy is messy, often painful, and sometimes enough to drive one right up the wall.

I would rather have that, than Pete King stomping his jackboots all over the Constitution. The thing to do is realize that most Americans are not stupid, and will figure this out, one way or another. We did in the sixties and seventies, and we will this time around as well. We don't need the likes of Pete King mandating who gets to say what, or how, or where, or when.

Meanwhile, we continue to come to grips with the vital issues of the day, as the Religious Right vaporlocks over Mormonism. I wonder ... are Hagee and Jeffress Glen Beck fans?

I can feel the love from not only the Democrats, and from Pete King, but also the Religious Right.

Swink Classic Volleyball Tournament 10.08.2011

2011-10-11T03:29:00.000+13:00

We have a gallery up on WritingPlaces.com's galleries page:

WritingPlaces.com

Under the Flash Galleries for School Sports section.We have pictures of Swink, Cheraw, Holly, La Veta, and Hugo-Genoa.

JV LJ Tigers v. JV Florence Huskies 10.08.2011

2011-10-11T03:27:00.000+13:00

We have a gallery up on WritingPlaces.com's galleries page:

WritingPlaces.com

Under the Flash Galleries for School Sports section.

The Mennonites are coming!

2011-09-30T07:19:00.008+13:00

It's that time of the year again:

Rocky Mountain Mennonite Relief Sale

36th Annual Rocky Mountain Mennonite Relief Sale
October 14-15, 2011
Arkansas Valley Fairgrounds – Rocky Ford, Colorado

Free Admission and Parking

From last year's sale:

2010 - 35th Annual Sale
Location: Arkansas Valley Fair Grounds, Rocky Ford, CO
Coordinators: Richard and Linda Wyse
Friday Evening Program: Waking Sparrow
Loaf of Bread $1,700
General Auction $35,571
Quilt Auction $32,005
Top Quilt Sold for $2,100. Four other quilts sold for more than $1,000
Penny Power $3,237
Total Sale $134,570

This is one of the best, funnest, most interesting events of the year. You don't want to miss it!

Contaminated melons

2011-09-30T07:19:00.007+13:00

So yesterday FoxNews had The Contaminated Melons story on the front page of their website:

Death toll rises to 13

In the story, we find that the listeria is linked to a farm over in Holly, and that the melons were packed and shipped from the farm's processing point in Granada.

Further, we find that the melons themselves were not contaminated internally - in other words, the melons were and are good. According to the news report, the melons were contaminated externally by the handling, processing, and shipping mechanisms:

Matching strains of the disease were found on equipment and cantaloupe samples at Jensen Farms' packing facility in Granada, Colo.

You'll note that matching strains of the listeria were found on the equipment, and ON the cantaloupe samples. That is not the same thing at all as finding them INSIDE the cantaloupe samples.

So what does this tell us? Simply this: all that needed to be done for people not to get sick, was to wash the melons. Preferably with warm soapy water and a good rinse.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand this. You have a bit of produce, the melons in this case, that are grown outdoors, in fields frequented by all kinds of critters, from insects to various types of rodents, to higher order predators like coyotes and foxes, all which poop and pee in those fields. This doesn't even consider the birds of the air, which also tend to poop and pee in the outdoors. The fields may well have been fertilized with manure-based compost.

Then, the melons were shipped to a store, where they are further exposed to the vagaries of nature in the form of our now-famous urchin sneezing all over the produce, and wiping his snotty nose with his fingers, before reaching in and scarfing a few grapes or handling the melons or otherwise spreading his little microbial nasties to the rest of us.

Washing all produce in warm soapy water, or even with a mild bleach solution if you are serving to someone with a badly comprised immune system, such as someone undergoing chemotherapy, is simple common sense, and even more to the point, a personal responsibility. Or is the government supposed to oversee that, too?

Debbie Frederick said her mother knew something was wrong when her father, 87-year-old William Thomas Beach, collapsed at his home in Mustang, Okla. and couldn't get up. He died a few days later, on Sept. 1. The family later learned his death was linked to eating the cantaloupe and sued Jensen Farms.

The Frederick family has my sympathies, for all the good that will do them. They really do. Losing dad like that is a terrible thing.

But is it really the fault of Jensen Farms?

Of course, the Fredericks may have simply been following the exhortation that we saw in the survey run by the Tribune-Democrat.

In which case the Fredericks might be better off suing those who think we should 'buy local' even when the source of an unpleasant and potentially fatal disease is strongly and with justification suspected to be linked to a local product.

It's kind of like the mayor of Amity Island encouraging the local population to just go swimming anyway, so the tourists will come spend their money.

And there is more ... here is an article from the Pueblo Chieftain:

Cantaloupe illnesses and deaths expected to rise

Sherri McGarry, a senior adviser in the FDA’s Office of Foods, said the agency is looking at the farm’s water supply and possible animal intrusions among other things in trying to figure out how the cantaloupes became contaminated. Listeria bacteria grow in moist, muddy conditions and are often carried by animals.

Yep. Wash yer stuff before you eat it.

Outraged Christians

2011-09-30T07:19:00.004+13:00

Once again, Christians are outraged!

Yes! Outraged! Incensed! Worked up into a state of intense anger!

And here is why:

BBC drops BC/AD dating method

It's good to see that the world is doing so well that Christians can focus their 'outrage' on such vital issues of the day as is.

Perhaps next they should focus their outrage on ... oh ... the inoperative ovens of Walmart 1384? Clearly there is a Walmartian Plot to undermine communion services throughout the Valley, by denying Christians a biblically necessary staff of life?

Never mind this:

Iranian pastor stands firm in faith, faces execution

or this:

Muslim extremists in Nigeria kill two Christians

What next? Another boycott of Godless commercial enterprises whose clerks don't wish everyone "Merry Xmas?"

Jersey Shore

2011-09-28T01:56:00.000+13:00

Rumors abound that Chris Christie is about to make his move, tossing his hat in the Republican ring as a candidate. However, 'sources close to the governor insist that he has not changed his mind regarding a presidential bid.'

That's unfortunate, because compared to the current field of GOP candidates, Christie would be a clear winner.

If anyone needed convincing, the fact that he recently vetoed a $420,000 tax credit for 'Jersey Shore' should be proof enough that he has some substantial smarts:

New Jersey governor vetoes tax credit for Jersey Shore

Around the world on $69 million in welfare funds

2011-09-28T01:48:00.000+13:00

Here's an interesting tidbit:

Vacationing with welfare money

Here is the LA Times article:

$69 million in California welfare money drawn out of state

The ovens of Walmart #1384

2011-09-27T02:01:00.000+13:00

Our local Walmart's bakery oven(s) is/are still inop.

Yep. What, three weeks now?

It's OK. Sam's Boys down in Bentonville have the answer. They're shipping in overpriced glorified breadsticks, and a pallet or two of 'bake yer own' goods.

Does anyone really think that if the oven at one of those Big City super Walmarts went belly up, they wouldn't have that puppy fixed before you could say, "Buy American!"?

Next thing you know, the rumors will start that they ain't fixin' the oven because they're gonna close #1384.

While we're at it, here's another Walmart bakery horror story:

True Story: Walmart Cake

That one's an oldie but goodie, and it's as true today as it was when first posted. The comments are a bit ... well ... mean ... however. Most of 1384's employees are our friends and neighbors, and do a pretty good job. What we're seeing here is typical of a monolithic corporate bureaucracy (nice turn of phrase, that, don't you think?)

Nonetheless ... we have a couple of our own local Walmart cake stories, too. I'm not sure if we have photos. Let me dig a bit and see.

OTOH, it could be worse:

Walmart bakery reopens after rodent problem

We haven't seen any rats, beavers, woodchucks, or prairie dogs in 1384. Not yet, anyway.

"This is a really crappy Walmart ..."

2011-09-23T03:20:00.003+13:00

We were sitting around the dining room table, continuing our discussion over the sad state of affairs over at the local Walmart. Leece was baking challah, and we were snuffling the first loaf, over some of Dr. Sims' dark roast Haitian coffee, the Neg Mawon. DinkyDau Billy had been out for his morning ride and had smelled the challah baking. He had shown up on the back porch, his snoot quivering like the dog's. He was slathering a slice of hot bread with peanut butter and orange marmalade.

"I wish they'd get a new buyer, or change whatever it is they do in deciding what they're going to stock," Leece said, as she kneaded yet another loaf of the delicious bread.

"Yeah. Yeah. An' all this bread reminds me, they still ain't done nuthin' 'bout the holes in the Eye-talian bread," Billy agreed, "It's an Eye-talian pita bread is what it is."

Billy didn't like the way his sandwich makin's fell out of his sandwiches when he used Mr. Sam's Italian bread. I didn't blame him. Walmart's inability to fix this apparently insurmountable 'issue' is why we didn't buy their Italian bread these days.

"Well, they have Red Heart yarn," Leece went on, "but many, if not most, crocheters don't like that stuff they have; it's too harsh. I wouldn't use it to make a blanket, for example."

"You'd think, what with all the crafters and crocheters and knitters there are around here, and that being the only Walmart for at least fifty miles in any direction, they'd have some sense about what they stock, and how much of it they stock, doncher think?" I asked.

"Yeah, but you know, I think most of us have just decided we'll do better at JoAnn's or even Hobby Lobby, over in Pueblo, even though JoAnn's especially can be kind of pricey," Leece agreed, "it's just not worth saying anything, because ... what good does it do? Look at the bread thing. We sent that to them, what, more than three years ago? Did it do any good?"

"It's like urinating inta the wind," Billy opined, earning him a raised eyebrow from Leece.

"I like the little stands they set behind the checkouts," I added, "you know, where they stick the fried chickens and other eatables. The concept is good, but when's the last time you actually saw anything in them?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I wuz in there at lunchtime last week, and they was empty. And agin this evenin', they wuz all empty. They looked good at first, but it's like everythin' else in that store; it fizzles."

I looked out the back door and saw Tookie ride up, and park her little Trek against the fence. She banged the screen door as she came in, and immediately plopped her butt on the bench next to DinkyDau Billy, reached for the bread, and asked, "Where's the grape jelly?"

"Well, hello, Toots, it's good to see you, too, and how are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm good," she said, "though I might be in trouble at school."

"Why is that?" asked Leece.

"Some kid came up to me and asked me how I felt to be a nobody," she confided.

"Didja knock the kid on his ass?" Billy queried.

"Yep. Cold-cocked the little SOB right then and there," she revealed, earning yet another raised eyebrow from Leece, who said, "Well, Tookie, while I agree with what you did, that's not a very lady-like way of expressing it."

"It isn't very lady-like to knock a kid on his ass," I chimed in.

"Yes, well, 'lady-like' only goes so far," Leece observed.

"So what's up?" asked TootSweet.

"We're critiquing Walmart," I said.

"Oh, yeah. How about the chicken thing? The other day we were in there at noon, and there's no chickens - again - but it looked like a hunnert pounds were frying up. They told us they'd be ready in a half hour or so," Tookie shared.

"After church? I think the Baptists get out early so they can get all the chickens," Billy told us.

"I'm sure of that," Tookie agreed, "but if that happens on a regular basis, why not plan for it?"

"I remember when we were in line last week," Leece reminisced, "and there was this couple in front of us, not from around here. They were not happy shoppers."

"How do you know?" asked Tookie, snuffling a second slice of challah with cream cheese, pickles, and grape jelly.

"Because they said, 'This is a really crappy Walmart,'" Leece told us, "and that's not the first time I've heard those kinds of comments from passersthrough."

"Huh. Most days, the parking lot has more trash blowing around in it than you'll fine over at the Oakley Indian Mound," Billy agreed. Billy still hasn't figured out that it's 'OCLI', not 'Oakley', and that it's the county landfill, not an Indian mound.

As we sat there contemplating, the timer bell went off, and Leece pulled out another couple of loaves of challah. It was a fine fall day.

Note: The Neg Mawon is actually quite good. Dr. Sims has it up at his office, by the hospital.

Obama embraces Ritterian Economics: America, the land of the fee

2011-09-22T07:56:00.001+13:00

New government fees pepper Obama's deficit reduction 'plan'

Yep. The Obamessiah is taking a page or maybe even a couple of chapters or more from Bill Ritter's playbook.

Fees. Not taxes, but fees. He wants to start charging 'fees' for services. That way, you see, he can avoid the 'T' word.

How well did that work for Bill 'Taxorado' Ritter? Not very.

If you don't understand how this works, our very own H.R. 'Mac' McCune and Mark Sarlo can explain it, given their attempt to convince city council to jump on the Ritter bandwagon back during the Tamarask Hills golf course dustup:

McCune 'surcharge' for Tamarisk Hills

Shoppin' local ... Walmart #1384

2011-09-22T07:32:00.003+13:00

We parked our bikes outside The Holy Land Quickee's, noticing that DinkyDau Billy's LiteSpeed Niota was propped against the building. That wasn't surprising, considering that this was Billy's favorite place to piggyback onto a wireless connection for his theological research while slurping a diet Dr. Pepper or a crappaccino.

What was surprising was the look of disgruntlement on Billy's weather-beaten chops.

"Hi Billy! Wie Gehts?" Leece cheerfully asked.

"I'm disgruntled, that's how it's going," he replied, somewhat testily.

"How so?" I asked, mentally prepared for any number of 'issues.'

"Ya know how I love French bread? The stuff that they have at Merka's Favrit Place ta Shop?" he asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, we do," Leece replied. DinkyDau Billy's love of Walmart's French bread was no secret. We were kind of fond of it, too.

"They ain't had none for almost three weeks now," he whined, somewhat bitterly.

"Yeah, their oven has been belly up," I replied, "for almost three weeks, yep, you're right on that one."

"What's that all about?" Billy asked, "They coulda had a whole new one shipped in from China by now."

"I suspect it's because this Walmart is at the distant end of the company's customer satisfaction continuum," Leece said.

"Huh?" Billy seemed dumbfounded, though it seemed pretty clear to me.

"C'mon, Billy. Walmart's not going to get all excited about what a bunch of hicks from the sticks think about their customer service. It isn't like there's someplace else for us to shop these days. We're a captive customer base."

"Yeah. Yeah. Hey. Hey. I heard some people in there the other day. They was from Texas. They were really disappointed in our Walmart, and made no attempt to hide it, either," he agreed.

"The difference between our Walmart and even the one in Pueblo is like night and day," Leece noted, "and if you visit the ones up in the Springs, or Castle Rock, or Denver, you can really see what third-worlders corporate Walmart thinks we are."

"Re-stocking is slow, and there's times the stuff just ain't on the shelfs," Billy complained, "and they just drop items off with no apparent rhyme or reason."

"The bathrooms in our Walmart are usually filthy, too," I said, thinking of the dried puddle of pee in front of the urinals in the mens' room, and the greyish floors that used to be white, and the empty soap dispensers.

"How 'bout them lines, too, right at 5? How many times ya gone in there for a quick shoparound for something for dinner, and wound up in a line that went back behind the greeting cards rack?" Billy went on.

"I kinda like their global outlook, though," I added, "you gotta love those watery and fairly tasteless 'hechoed in Mejico' tomatoes and bell peppers."

"Well, the cashiers are almost always friendly," Leece observed, "despite all the rest of it."

"That's true," Billy agreed, " and so's the deli crew, and it ain't their fault weeze so obviously inconsequential as customers. That's a corporate attitude."

"Of course, if we as customers put up with it, without comment, we have to bear a good part of the blame for it, don't you think?" asked Leece.

"Indeed," said Billy, "and that's probably part of that 'axsentyouate the positive' nonsense, where if you say anything about something being screwed up, you must hate The Smile Hi City. It's all part of the same mindset."

"Do you think they'll get the oven fixed in the next month or so?" Leece asked.

"Dunno. Did you see the French baguettes at $2.18 each? If people will pay that much for a glorified breadstick, why should they bother? Keep on shipping 'em in from somewhere else."

"I'm thinking I'll just start baking bread again," Leece said, "and they can keep theirs."

Leece is an accomplished breadmaker. I liked that idea. So did DinkyDau Billy, who could be counted on to start showing up on Sunday mornings to mooch once she started baking again.

"You know you're a Walmart shopper, when cheap is more important than quality," mused Leece.

We all sat there, contemplating once again The Whichness of What, and The Thisness of That.

Note: We tried submitting this as a complaint via the Walmart.com website's Customer Feedback form. But, when we click the submit button, it rejects. Why? Walmart is apparently unaware there is a Walmart in this area, either by zip code or by city and state.

That explains a lot, doesn't it? No wonder they can't get an oven. They have no idea where to send it.

Contaminated melons

2011-09-15T02:30:00.006+13:00

The TD is running this poll:

It was recently reported that Rocky Ford cantaloupe has been linked to the recent Listeria outbreak. Will you continue to eat cantaloupe?

This is the 'yes' option offered:

Yes. As long as you take the necessary precautions, such as washing all melons, people are ok. Besides, we must continue to support our local products.

Now, in asking around, I've found that many people don't wash melons before serving them. They'll rinse them, but they don't wash them, not with warm soapy water and then a good rinse. Washing produce of any kind seems like common sense, but apparently not. Sooner or later, then, that process of not scrubbing the melons was going to bite someone right on the backside.

In other words, any produce, improperly prepared, would be risky. Contaminants of all kinds abound. I recall watching a kid sneezing all over the veggies in Walmart. The other day a kid was dribbling snot all over the place, wiping his nose with his fingers, and then helping himself to 'samples' of grapes already bagged up, also in Walmart. Contaminants abound ...

But that bit about knowingly serving up contaminated foods to one's family, 'because we must support local business,' now that seems a poor reason to me.

Here's another thing. Did you know that you can buy Rocky Ford cantaloupe cheaper at the Fort Carson commissary, and in the Pueblo King Sooper, than you can in Rocky Ford? Yep. You can. And they aren't second rate melons, either.

Here's yet another thing. Last year this time, maybe a bit earlier, we were up in Old Colorado City, and came across that rather nice farmers' market they have. The yuppies, millenniums, New Agers, whatever they're called these days, were going nuts, shopping for all those really nice fruits and veggies. Three of our local producers were up there, and I gotta tell you, the stuff they were selling to the Big City dwellers was a lot nicer than the stuff they were selling down here.

We can't blame the local producers for taking their wares where they can get top dollar for them, after all, they're in business to make a living, even if that means selling seconds to we dumb-assed locals who have been brainwashed with that 'we owe it to the local businesses to support them even if they give us second-rate goods.'

But the attitude that we have an obligation to 'support local business', even to the point of knowingly purchasing contaminated goods seems more than a bit down home stupid to we here at Blogger Central.

But if it works for you, hey ... have at it.

An update, 09.29.2011: Contaminated melons redux

"Pass this bill ..."

2011-09-10T02:13:00.002+13:00

That's what he said. That's what Obama said, as he berated Congress last evening.

Obama also told legislators that they should quickly pass his plan, called the American Jobs Act.

The main problem here is that there is no plan, no bill. Nope. There isn't. It doesn't exist. From Rich Galen's column last evening:

Here's the thing the President left out: He never told us how many jobs this would create and how far down it would bring the unemployment rate.

Let's spend more money and hope for the best.

Having listened to the 127 times President Obama said some variant of "pass this bill" I pinged a leadership staffer office only to find there IS no bill. No paper. No package. No nothing. Here's the text of the e-mail I got having asked if the President dropped off a bill on his way into the House chamber:

"Of course not - no one has seen it. No consultation with House or Senate GOP. No Pay fors [identified]. Just more of his "I decree" this is the plan and [is, therefore] bi-partisan."

Immediately after the speech ended reporters began Tweeting that the cost of the bill would be $447 billion according to a White House "fact sheet." If there is no bill, how can the WH say that?

But what he did say, was just more of the same. He wants to spend more money, claiming "... and everything in this bill will be paid for. Everything." That's a story we've heard from this guy before. It wasn't true before, so why should we buy this line now? He's into his "... the sky is falling ..." mode again, too. Remember the panic he stirred up before the 'Stimulus' bill? The world as we knew it would end if it wasn't passed right then. That one was passed with no one reading it, an act of incredible stupidity and irresponsibility on the part of our elected officials. And what has it gotten us? What's the unemployment rate today?

I'll wager our two senators will march in lockstep right over the fiscal cliff with this one, too.

From Harry Reid:

"I hope they (Republicans) will show the American people that they are more interested in creating jobs than defeating President Obama," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said in a statement. "Experts from the ratings agencies to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke have said that political gridlock is the main obstacle standing in the way of our economic growth. It is time to put jobs and the economy ahead of partisan politics."\

What Harry is missing is that we are not going to have more jobs, and the economy is not going to improve, until Obama is defeated and run out of office.

Unfortunately, the Republicans are not fielding much in the way of viable candidates. Perry is coming out in front of that pack, but there is no way I'm going to vote for a rabidly fundamentalist evangelical for president of these United States. We have enough trouble as it is.

Is it going to come to pass that Hillary is our best chance for political and fiscal salvation?

And high times in The Smile Hi City

2011-09-09T06:53:00.001+13:00

I stopped by Vanhook's earlier today, and scarfed up on some Jonathans, and some Galas, and some really nice peaches and plums. Didn't have the camera with me, but here's a post with some photos from back in 2008:

Market Time

High times in The Holy Land

2011-09-09T02:51:00.001+13:00

Swink's first home volleyball game of the season, tonight, starts at 5:00 PM, against Crowley.

Not only will the crowd be going completely Alpha Sierra over killer VB ... but there's those concession stand nachos, and Polish dogs, and ... popcorn!

As I always tell the kids ... popcorn's good for ya. Makes ya poop!

And tomorrow, Swink's first home football game, against McClave. Starts at 7:00 PM. More nachos, and Polish dogs, and burgers, and ... popcorn!

High times at the Broadmoor

2011-09-07T14:37:00.000+13:00

Awhile back we put up a couple of posts about the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) having its annual bash at the Broadmoor while school districts are laying off employees, dumping teachers, and eliminating all kinds of programs.

School Daze

Total price for CASB's bash at the Broadmoor

The Broadmoor is some digs, as they say.

Apparently this bit of fiscal incongruity has finally registered with CASB:

Colorado Association of School Boards reviews use of Broadmoor hotel

Some excerpts:

The Broadmoor has long stood out as one of Colorado’s most prestigious hotels, and it’s also been the longtime home of the Colorado Association of School Board’s annual convention. But now with education budgets under extreme scrutiny the image of board members gathering there while their schools are suffering may be the wrong one.

Ya think?

The head of the Colorado Association of School Boards defended the use of the Broadmoor saying they get special off-season rates for guest and conference rooms, but acknowledged the use of the hotel is under review.

Of course.

As for the parents of the students in the school districts, the ones footing the bill for those high times (off-season) at the Broadmoor ...

"Qu’ils mangent de la brioche"

Irene was a joke

2011-09-03T01:51:00.002+13:00

For those who think the gummint over-reacted to Irene, and who have been going about about how the storm was a big joke:

Irene: The Big Weather Joke?

Another Facebook fool

2011-08-30T15:02:00.001+13:00

From the Yakima County, WA sheriff's office:

Incident Reported:      Traffic Offense
Incident Number:        11-13027
Date / Time: 8-26-2011/1958 hours

Location: Terrace Heights Drive and Norman Road
Contact person: Deputy Chris Gray   Phone: 574-2500
Narrative:

At about 1956 hours on 8/26/11 an individual was spotted driving his off road motorcycle in the 300 block of Terrace Heights Drive. The suspect rode off at a high rate and used the Rosa Canal ditch road to get away. The Deputy was unable to keep up with the vehicle and the suspect got away, initially.

Several hours later a 19 year-old male bragged about eluding two police officers in the Moxee area using the social network site Facebook. Deputies were able to log onto the suspect’s page and noticed a photograph of the individual’s motorcycle that was strikingly similar to the one that eluded the Deputy hours earler.

The suspect was rousted out of bed at about 0400 hours the following morning with a search warrant in hand. He verified that he was the individual riding the motorcycle and cooperated with the investigation once he was shown a print out of his Facebook page.

The suspect has been charged with Reckless Driving and other infractions.

Please be aware that there is little privacy in social networking. Intelligent use of media is suggested.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ya think?

Volleyball scrimmages

2011-08-30T08:47:00.003+13:00

We have a Shutterfly gallery for this past Saturday's volleyball scrimmage. LJ JV, Swink, and RF have photos in the gallery.

Go to:

Mike and Leece's image galleries, and then go to the Shutterfly section to find a link to the gallery.

Promoting tourism and cycling in Colorado

2011-08-30T01:47:00.001+13:00

Tacks, glass found along Colorado bike race routes

That has to do with this:

Tour of Colorado

Promotion opportunities

2011-08-27T03:03:00.000+13:00

The US Navy ... creating promotion opportunities for junior officers, one at a time ...

Navy fires 17th commanding officer

Naval Honors

2011-08-26T02:03:00.006+13:00

Owen P. Honors can stay in the Navy. For now.

Panel: Captain who made videos can stay

But while Honors can stay in, he is also one of those being considered for early retirement, as the Navy starts releasing people in order to cut costs (eliminating jobs is, if you haven't noticed, part of the Obamanian economic solution).

Honors was the mastermind behind a series of home videos, which "... Among other things, the videos included simulated same-sex shower scenes, anti-gay slurs and references to prostitution in foreign ports ..."

They were pretty bad, actually. What made them really bad was the ship's commander knew all about them, and Honors, who was the XO at the time, had a starring role in them,as a kind of 'facilitator.' No, Honors did not set much of a leadership model for his sailors. And when he continually referred to the Surface Warfare Officers, the SWO's, on the ship, as 'fags', he really didn't do much for team spirit and crew cohesion, did he?

He justifies this by saying the videos were 'popular', and that is supported by interviews of some of the sailors. But letting sailors sleep in late, smoke dope in the focs'l, and run around like slobs also tends to be quite popular. I don't think it does much for discipline, however. His supporters say that this sort of thing is 'normal' in the Navy ... though as Charlie Manson once said, "Who really knows what's 'normal'?" They miss a significant point. What a bunch of sailors bandy about in their mess area or quarters is just another form of Butthead and Beavis 'humor'. What the ship's executive officer puts out with his stamp of approval and implicit support becomes policy. There really is a difference.

He claims the release of the videos was an act of revenge by an officer whom he 'disciplined.' If I were an officer who had been 'disciplined' by this clown, I think I'd have released the videos too. Honors seems to be very much one of those 'do as I say, not as I do' types that can get by very well in the military and naval services. It would appear that he has finally discovered what is good for the goose is also good for the gander, though he really hasn't made the connection that he screwed up here.

It's all someone else's fault. That's odd, because senior officers especially tend not to be Democrats. You'll notice that throughout Honors' comments, he never admits that he was wrong; he is concerned by the fact that he got caught.

In any case, good riddance to Naval Honors.

A local road trip

2011-08-22T17:13:00.002+13:00

Local road trip

Holy ... holy ... holy!

2011-08-19T03:12:00.000+13:00

We are halfway through Ramadan, that holy of holies on the Islamic liturgical calendar. I don't know if Muslims really have a liturgical calendar, but the comparison works for me.

From Wiki:

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sex with their partners during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God. Muslims fast for the sake of God and to offer more prayer than usual. Compared to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backwards by about eleven days each year depending on the moon; thus, a person will have fasted every day of the calendar year in 34 years' time. Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.

So:

Bloody Ramadan in Iraq

Iraq’s day of carnage on Monday may result in this year’s Islamic fast month of Ramadan matching last year’s when it comes to deadly violence in the country, CNSNews.com reports. Some 70 people were killed in multiple attacks across the country, with the choice of targets pointing to the strong likelihood that al-Qaeda-linked Sunni militants were responsible. The surge of violence comes roughly halfway through Ramadan. When Ramadan began at the beginning of August, the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) issued a statement calling on Muslims “to respect the sanctity of this blessed month and put an end to all forms of enmity and blood-shedding.”

The question was asked by one of our many avid readers: "I thought they were supposed to be praying?"

Killing those who do not believe as they do, even within Islam, is a form of prayer, don't you think? Or would it be considered 'works'?

The Syrian government is also doing a good job of slaughtering Syrians during Ramadan.

Ramadan must not be all that holy. But wait! There may be a rational explanation!

"... in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sex with their partners during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God ..."

There you have it. All that 'patience, spirituality, humility, and submissiveness to God' applies only during daylight hours. During the night, you can go about murdering, raping, pillaging, burning your neighbors and their property with relative impunity.

You just have to understand how it all works.

An Obamanian Krystalnacht?

2011-08-19T02:08:00.003+13:00

The President's DoJ investigates S&P

That'll teach 'em to make the One look bad. S&P should have been investigated for this long ago. Why wait until S&P made the Obamessiah look bad with their downgrade? It's a perfect example of The Chikaga Way. The One could give lessons on how to use one's official position to screw people to former Governor Rod "Dead Meat" Blagojevich.

Obama's Brown Shirts. I wonder when they're going to hold their Kristallnacht for Republican shop owners. Some might say that's a bit of a stretch, and if it were taken literally, they'd probably be right. I really don't expect agents of the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies to be smashing the store windows of Republican shop owners. But this sort of thing, with S&P, is just another form.

"Keep talking, Mr. President"

2011-08-19T01:58:00.000+13:00

An amusing little tidbit by almost any standard:

Keep talking, Mr. President

wherein Obama's drop in popularity is correlated to the number of speeches and public appearances he makes.

The implications, excerpted:

First, it appears that some of our president's vanity may be unfounded. He's not so smart and we're not so dumb.

Second, Mr. Obama's speeches and his declining popularity in the post-OBL period are better-correlated than are CO2 and temperature in any period in the last 130 years.

Third, Gallup measures popularity, unpopularity, and neither. For example, in the most recent survey, the president's popularity rating was 40 and unpopularity was 50, leaving neither at 10. Interestingly, the president's speeches correlate more with his popularity rating than with his unpopularity rating.

Specifically, although the president's speeches both decrease his popularity rating and increase his unpopularity rating, since November 2009 the speeches are more negatively correlated with popularity (-45%) than they are positively correlated with unpopularity (+29%). This implies that the president moves voters out of the supporter camp at a greater rate than he moves them into the detractor camp. This seems consistent with movement being that of moderates, who move in small increments.

Marriage equality: religious freedom, federalism, and judicial activism

2011-08-17T14:17:00.002+13:00

Here is a good read:

Marriage equality: religious freedom, federalism, and judicial activism

The "Perry" referred to by the author is Perry v. Schwarzenegger, in which The Honorable Vaughn Walker of the US District Court of Northern California ruled against Proposition 8. It has been Katy bar the door ever since.

Here is an interesting excerpt from the article:

Moreover, the right to same-sex marriage is not a constraint on religious beliefs or practices. The First Amendment ensures that churches, synagogues, and mosques are free to choose which marriages they want to recognize. Some religious institutions will sanction same-sex marriages; some will not; a third group might call them domestic partnerships. No church would be compelled to implement a policy contrary to the beliefs of its congregants; and congregants would be free to join the church whose views they found congenial. The gay marriage controversy is not about private religious practices; it’s about government’s role in issuing marriage licenses.

That is true. I agree with that. Though the religious right will -is - foaming at the mouth over the idea of same-sex marriages, there is nothing there that forces pastors, rabbis, or priests to perform such marriages, nor may churches be forced to perform them. The author is correct.

The author addresses the argument presented by the far right that the entire question should be left to the states:

Recall that the essence of federalism is dual sovereignty – shared authority between federal and state governments to shield individuals from concentrations of power. Justice Anthony Kennedy’s June 2011 opinion in Bond v. United States for a unanimous Court put it this way: “The limitations that federalism entails are not therefore a matter of rights belonging only to the States. States are not the sole intended beneficiaries of federalism. … Fidelity to the principles of federalism is not for the States alone to vindicate.” Federalism first and foremost “protects the liberty of the individual from arbitrary power.” The object is personal freedom, including the freedom to engage in a marital relationship that visits no harm on innocent third parties.

We have plenty of examples of how leaving things up to the states can be contrary to Constitutional values and human rights. Does not anyone remember the civil rights fiascoes of the 50's and 60's? Where it became necessary for the federal government to intervene in some of the states, in order to cause us to live up to that "... that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights ..." thingie?

As for judicial activism, well ... every time a court case goes against someone, especially the farther right that someone is, the more likely that person is going to scream first 'Judicial activism!' and second, how this is undermining the Constitution, though most of the right wingers I have heard quoting the Constitution are pretty much clueless about applying said Constitution to any point but their own.

It's a good article. You may not agree with the reasoning therein but it's a good article nonetheless, and worth a read.

Pathologies ... and C.S. Lewis

2011-08-12T16:08:00.011+13:00

We were sitting around our usual table in The Holy Land Quickee's. We had been discussing the amount of damage that can be done to people and institutions on social networks like Facebook. Leece had noted recent suicides by young people subjected to vicious attacks via such networks and media, and of course, we had recently had the opportunity to discuss how La Junta Chamber of Commerce president Tim Klob was presenting the community as a collection of drunken dopers over on a Facebook group.

"I don't think you have to be a mental health professional to see that there are some interesting mental and emotional pathologies present in that bunch," I observed.

"I'd have to agree with that," agreed DinkyDau Billy, adjusting his AFDB, "I have some experience with those, and can recognize them a mile away."

"What do you think is the cause of it all?" asked Leece, "because what I'm seeing is a lot of rattling about over things that apparently occurred a couple of decades ago."

"You have to understand that Klob and those participating in this silliness, at least many if not most of them, comprised a motley crew of juvenile delinquents and dysfunctional young adults back in the early nineties. They provided a fair amount of job security - as well as entertainment - for the police department back then, what with the cops getting to chase them around town from one kegger to another, often hosted by 'really cool parents'. I will give them this: they kept Friday and Saturday nights from being a complete small-town bore."

"But they don't seem to have outgrown it," Leece puzzled.

"Well, I think what we are seeing there is the effects of a couple of decades of continued excessive consumption of cheap booze and cheaper dope," I explained, "for clearly, they haven't learned anything from any of their experiences. They seem like the far left contingent of the Democrats, to me. All of their problems are because of someone else, and not because of their own considerable failings and inadequacies."

DinkyDau Billy kind of choked on his diet Dr. Pepper at that. "So you don't think they're worth getting excited about?"

"No, not at all. Jail, the court system, rehab, and in some cases, prison, hasn't done them much good. So why should we lose any sleep over it. However, I think if I were a member of the business community and had this kind of stupidity going on as a representation of life in La Junta, I'd be kind of pissed. But that's their problem, not mine."

Billy mused, "I guess you would deal with it kind of like how you would handle a client from Inspiration Field who was being difficult in a social setting?"

"Oh, my goodness no!" exclaimed Leece, "Inspiration Field clients - the people that Klob and his gang refer to so disparagingly as 'Girschers' - may sometimes have difficulties in social settings, but they are not acting out of mindless viciousness. So I think it is grossly unfair to put them in the same category as Klob and his pals. Inspiration Field clients are much nicer people, who have accomplished much more in their lives, and who have much more to offer the community, than do the Klobbians. There is no common ground for comparison."

"So what do you think we should do?" asked Billy.

"I think we should pray for them," Leece said.

"Klob and the Klobbians? Or the Inspiration Fielders?"

"Both. Though I think the Klobbians need it more, for Christ covered the Inspiration Fielders very well in the beatitudes, in one way or another," she replied.

"Ah ... that's your Wesleyan background coming out, " I suggested, "yes, it is. Billy and I really prefer that Old Testament slant on dealing with such things."

"You should take a read of C.S. Lewis' 'Reflections on the Psalms'," she retorted, "you'd be a better person for it."

"Mayhaps. But while I still think Stonewall Jackson had a pretty good handle on it all," Billy insisted, "you really should do a Yahbut post on Lewis' book.

We sat there, as usual, contemplating the human experience and the wonder of it all ...

"Do you think they would understand any of this?" Billy asked.

"What? This little discussion? No,not at all," I replied.

"Why not?" asked Leece.

"Too many big words, and it takes longer than a twenty second sound bite to read it, so it's way in excess of their attention spans. It's sad, but there you have it."

We continued to sit there contemplating the Thisness of That,and the Whichness of What, as it all related to the human experience.

Economic development in The Smile Hi City

2011-08-09T07:05:00.013+13:00

Leece and I skidded to a stop in front of The Holy Land Quickee's. DinkyDau Billy's Niota LiteSpeed was parked out front, leaning up against the front of the building. Unlocked, as usual.

"Hey, check the black Tahoe," I said to Leece, indicating a clean-as-a-Secret-Service-escort-vehicle black Tahoe parked at the pumps. It had California plates, and on a receiver hitch bike rack hung three custom-built carbon-framed roadies.

"Wow," Leece replied, "those bikes probably cost more than the Tahoe!"

Indeed, they probably did. Marveling at the difference between the local economy and what passes for 'major recession' in other parts of the country, we entered our favorite Holy Land eatery.

Billy was snuffling a Juan Diego breakfast burrito. His laptop was in front of him, as was a pile of bibles of various versions. Billy was 'researching' again.

Three suits were sitting at the table with him. We figured they were with the Tahoe out front. As it turns out, we figured correctly.

"Hey! Hey!" Billy exclaimed, "Come meet my new friends here! Cameron, Elliston, and Walker, meet my accomplices in various societal faux pas!"

We shook hands with the suits. They were all late twenny-somethings, maybe early thirty-somethings. They were tanned and in remarkably good physical condition. There were no McDonald's or Taco Bell addicts in this crowd.

"They's up here lookin' to relocate their bidness," Billy shared, "they's in the tekkie industry."

The one named Cameron confirmed this. "Yes, we're with a small subsidiary of the company that has the contract for the Comanche and Blackhawk targeting systems for Department of Defense," he explained.

"Really! That sounds like some interesting work," Leece remarked.

"It is, but we're being priced out of the market by Silicon Valley economics," Elliston explained, "so we're out looking for something that fits our company's needs. We are also very concerned with our employees' needs. Most of our people are into cycling, hiking ... some really like birding ... you know, those kinds of things. We're also looking for transportation and utilities, for the company, and schools, and a community environment that will attract our kind of people."

We nodded our heads like those Pep Boys doo-dads on the tee-vee.

"I axed 'em why they just don't go to China like everyone else," Billy interjected.

"That was a good question. But we can't, because our end of the weapon system production has to do with data linkage. The Comanche system can communicate across the battlefield ...".

"Yeah. Yeah. We knows all that. We ain't compleat hicks from the sticks," Billy interrupted Walker's explanation, earning him a discreet frown from that worthy soul.

"Billy does that a lot," Leece explained, "he isn't wearing his AFDB so the government's mind control probes interfere with his normal thought processes, such as they are. You know, his tin-foil hat. Billy's a disabled vet."

All three nodded in understanding. "Our vice president for research and development is a disabled vet," Elliston told us, "he lost his sight to an RPG in Fallujah. And so am I." He knocked against his left leg, which gave a metallic thunk in return. "That's a gift from the Taliban down in Helmand province. Hey, thank you for your service, and welcome home!"

That last was to Billy, who teared up a bit, as he did the first time I met him.

"So ... we can't move to China because we can't take the data encryption process overseas. Everything related to that must be done here."

That made sense.

"How many jobs would you bring to town?" Leece asked.

"Oh, we're a small subsidiary, maybe thirty, thirty-five. Some would come with us from Simi, but we'd need to pick up our manufacturing labor force here, or wherever we decide to set up shop," Cameron explained, "we're looking at our jobs staying at current pay, in the $80-$90K range, with local jobs salaried in the $15-$25 range. That would be hourly."

"But they's on their way to Trinidad," Billy revealed, "they ain't gonna even talk to Ron Davis."

We were shocked. Dismayed. Dumbfounded.

"But ... why?"

"Well, it's like this," Elliston explained, "we hired a consulting firm to vette several communities. They set out search bots on the web, on Facebook, and Twitter, and so on. We look for reasons not to invest in a community as well as reasons to do so. You know a community is not going to commit economic suicide by advertising its weak points, and they all have those.We have to know what we are getting into, you see."

"Yeah ..." Leece acknowledged this, thoughtfully.

"Yes. So we found some interesting things about your community. There's a FB group, for example, that is based on 'remember when', where community members and former community members reminisce fondly about the things they love about their community."

"Sure. What's wrong with that?" I asked, "my sister's little village has a very nice one set up."

"Well ... the one on La Junta seems to have a pervasive thread centered on drug use and alcohol use," Elliston said, "not just enjoying a cold beer after a bike ride, but getting seriously hammered on a continual basis. It seems to be a pre-eminent part of the community culture. Many of your events seem centered on drinking till you puke through your nose. What really spooks us as a business is that the fellow who is behind this kind of culture, Tim Klob, also represents your business community as their leader. The president of your chamber of commerce. Your business community seems to have some rather ... different ... perspectives on things. Maybe they should think about getting someone else in that honcho job, unless, of course, Klob's view is really what you want to present to the world as what your community really is."

"We don't need that 'drink till you puke' and 'midnight toker' mindset. It doesn't say much for your labor force. We can't afford that as a business, especially with our defense contracts. It doesn't fit our company environment, though it clearly seems to fit your community very well. I don't know how much you are spending on economic development, but you might want to save your money. Oh ... say, what's a 'Girsch'?" Walker asked.

"It's a derogatory term for someone who is seen as what used to be called 'retarded'," Leece explained, "it comes from the name of the organization in town that works with people who have been dealt a harsher hand in life than most of us."

I thought that was a good way of putting it.

"They go by 'Inspiration Field' now," I clarified.

"Uh huh. I see. There seem to be a lot of people who use that term, as your chamber of commerce president Tim Klob points out rather fondly," Walker continued, " and that's an attitude that wouldn't set well with our company president, who has a daughter with Down Syndrome. So who is this 'Moon Craig' fellow? Some kind of drug dealer? Klob has fond memories of doing his first dope smoking with Craig."

This was going downhill very quickly.

"Actually, Moon Craig was one of our earliest community members," Leece explained, "his family came out here in wagons a long, long time ago, and farmed 'The Dry'. I don't think he was what we would call a 'drug dealer', not in the sense you seem to mean."

"Every once in a while we'd get a call from a neighbor complaining about the dope growing in his side yard, and he'd have a couple of ratty little plants there," I reminisced, "so we'd go over and tell him to move them to the back where the complainants couldn't see them. Of course, he reacted like we were the jack-booted Gestapo. He was a hoot of a cantankerous old codger."

"Yes. Well, Klob makes him sound like a drug dealer rather than a patriarch of one of your pioneering families," Walker observed, "and of course, there are the comments about your undersheriff. Apparently your chamber of commerce believes that all of law enforcement in this area is corrupt? And the judicial system? The DA?"

"That's really odd," I agreed, "considering that the undersheriff volunteers, along with many of the deputies and posse members, to serve in support of Early Settlers' Day, which is sponsored by the chamber of commerce. In fact, Klob is their point man on ESD. Maybe the SO should find something else to do that day. It's odder still considering the chamber's embracing of that 'drink till you puke' philosophy as espoused by their leader. They all seem to think the undersheriff was drunk at the time of the accident, though CSP didn't feel they had reason, as required by the law, to ask for a blood test. If the undersheriff were in fact drunk, that would simply be in keeping with our apparent community standards. So what's the problem? Other than the mindless viciousness of the attacks on the undersheriff?"

"And of course, there's that 'pinche cabrones' thing, too. That doesn't point to a very good working relationship between the business community and the local governments. I think we can do better somewhere else," Cameron explained.

"You guys have really done your homework," Leece noted.

"We have to. There is too much at stake in this economy to be making the mistake of locating in a substandard community," Elliston said. The other suits nodded in agreement.

"Ain't Klob gonna run fer mayor?" asked Billy, "I heard rumors 'bout that."

"Really?" asked Cameron, "well ... good luck with that. You might want to think about upping your damage control budget in your economic development sector. You're going to need it."

"We take your point," I said, "and thanks for being up front with us. I doubt that it will do much good. The thought processes you describe are pretty much ingrained in that part of our population. I think it has to do with the 'brain drain'."

"Brain drain?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Almost any kid with any gumption or brains - check Swink school's last graduation if you don't think we have any of those - leaves here and goes off to school somewhere else, and we never see 'em again, except on short visits home. So all we have left for the upcoming leadership is ... this Cheech and Chong mentality, only it's real, not a comedy routine," Billy miserated.

"Yes. Well. Anyway, we have an appointment with Mike Aragon down in Trinidad in a couple of hours, so we have to get on the road. Nice chatting with you."

The suits filed out the door, cappuccinos in hand.

We sat there contemplating how things come to pass.

Mt Capulin Volcano National Monument

2011-08-08T17:42:00.000+13:00

Here's a link over on Pizer, about our visit to Mt Capulin this past weekend:

Mount Capulin Volcano National Monument

Rick Perry

2011-08-05T15:53:00.002+13:00

Rick Perry, the current governor of Texas, is being pimped as a potential, even likely, Republican presidential candidate. On Saturday, June 18, "... Perry delivered the keynote address in New Orleans at the Republican Leadership Conference. Some 2,000 party activists from 38 states attended, hearing from several 2012 GOP presidential candidates on Friday as they argued why they want to replace Barack Obama in the White House. But no speech came close to getting the positive response as Perry did on Saturday. When finished, Rick Perry was met with chants of “Run, Rick, Run!” and “Perry 2012!” ...". Perry wows GOP crowd

But there is more to Perry than the fact that he has done very well in managing his state's fiscal resources.

Perry is an unabashed evangelical.That might not be significant, but his pastor is John Hagee, a pastor who makes a pretty good living selling God. One of his favorite exhortations:

"When you give, it qualifies you to receive God's abundance," he tells his listeners. "If God gives to you before you give to him, God himself will become a liar. ... If you're not prospering, it's because you're not giving."

Hagee runs Global Evangelism Television. He has made millions selling God. He has made millions telling his followers that if they do not give, they will not prosper. In actuality, if they do not give, then Hagee will not prosper ... and if Hagee does not prosper, then how can he afford those nice suits and that Bentley or Mercedes or whatever to spread the Word?

Hagee is a televangelist, and a prosperity preacher.

He is prospering very nicely, selling God.

Hagee is famous for a number of his comments:

"If you live your life and don't confess your sins to God Almighty through the authority of Christ and His blood, I'm going to say this very plainly, you're going straight to hell with a nonstop ticket."

I guess it is safe to say that Hagee is not a fan of Rob Bell. That statement of Hagee's is a very interesting interpretation of Christian love, don't you think?

But wait! There's more!

Christians don't steal or lie, they don't get divorced or have abortions. If the Ten Commandments were followed by everyone we would be able to fire half the police force and in six months the prisons would be all half empty.

Do you agree with Hagee's statement? It seems to me that if everyone followed the Ten Commandments, we would need neither police nor prisons at any time. Or is Hagee telling us that the Ten Commandments really don't have all that much juice? What does Hagee mean, with that "... Christians don't steal or lie, they don't get divorced or have abortions ..."? Does it mean that "Christians" don't sin? Does he really believe that?

We have his view of women:

Do you know the difference between a woman with PMS and a snarling Doberman pinscher? The answer is lipstick. Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS? You can negotiate with a terrorist.

That's from Hagee's book, "What Every Man Wants in a Woman", Charisma House, 2005. Guess he likes 'em barefoot, preggers, and in the kitchen, where they belong. Maybe in a burkha as well.

And then this remarkable view of God's love for us all:

"I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are -- were -- recipients of the judgment of God for that.... There was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other gay pride parades.... I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans."

Remember that Republican Leadership Convention? It was held in New Orleans. Talk about hypocrisy.

As we all know, "God Hates Fags", so he washed them all away, along with the elderly, the infants, the kids, the cats, the dogs, and anyone else who got in His Righteous Way, down there in New Orleans. Can you feel the all-compassing love of Christ surrounding you like a warm, fuzzy cloak?

Why is this of consequence?

Because Perry signs on to Hagee's program completely and without reservation:

Gov. Rick Perry, after a God and country sermon attended by dozens of political candidates Sunday, said that he agreed with the minister that non-Christians will be condemned to hell.

"In my faith, that's what it says, and I'm a believer of that," the governor said.

"If you live your life and don't confess your sins to God almighty through the authority of Christ and his blood, I'm going to say this very plainly, you're going straight to hell with a nonstop ticket," Mr. Hagee, the minister said.

Asked afterward at a political rally whether he agreed with Mr. Hagee, the governor said he didn't hear anything that he would take exception to. He said that he believes in the inerrancy of the Bible and that those who don't accept Jesus as their savior will go to hell. (Dallas Morning News, 6 Nov 2006)

Does he really believe that the majority of humans who have lived and died on this planet, billions of souls, are roasting in hell because they don't believe in his particular brand of Christianity? Do you feel the love flooding out of Perry and Hagee? Can you feel God's grace washing over you? Really? I sure as hell don't.

Perry recently used his position as governor, and the influence of his office, to arrange a 'National Day of Prayer'.

Perry is an evangelist. That in and of itself is no big deal; I can take that or leave it - almost always I leave it, but your mileage may vary.

Perry is also a politician. And as an evangelical, he cannot keep religion out of his politics. He just can't help himself. He believes the Republican party should enforce some moral standard on the country. It may not be your standard, but it will be his, and it will be Hagee's.

Can't you just feel the Christian love? What kind of morality would Perry impose upon us? Does Hagee's and Perry's view fit with this view of God's love? That view strikes me as far more likely to be the real deal.

I believe I will pass on Rick Perry. I don't like extremists. If Jeremiah Wright is one of those, then certainly John Hagee is, and neither one is a good influence on our politicians.

Romans 1:20 - High Plains Summer

2011-08-01T17:23:00.002+13:00

Saturday Leece and I went up to DIA to pick up Froggers. On the way back we stopped at the Rush Creeks and other places along CO 71 for some photos.

Go to:

Mike and Leece's image galleries under "Road trips."

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

It was that kind of day. Who needs this nonsense?

A new post on YahBut

2011-07-29T02:34:00.005+13:00

Leece has an interesting commentary here:

Be the Change

"Then sings my soul ..."

2011-07-27T17:56:00.000+13:00

Over on the Pizer:

"Then sings my soul ..."

Leece's card sets

2011-07-18T15:54:00.000+13:00

Leece is designing and selling note card sets.

You can see the images she is using for some of them here:

Summer in the Arkansas Valley

Bent's Old Fort

Down East Churches, 2 sets "Where we worship"

A Day Down East

Pinche cabrones!

2011-07-10T14:50:00.003+13:00

I came across this one the other day. Actually, a lot of people came across this one the other day; I came across it after listening to the chatter about it:

(you can double-click those images to bring up a larger version that can be more easily read)

These comments by Tim Klob and his associates are related to this:

City Council Minutes, 06.20.2011 (go to New Business, section A; and pay particular attention to Cheryl Lindner's question about funding the event through use of the lodging tax, and Mayor Rizzuto's response to her question. The legitimacy of using the lodging tax as a funding source came up at the June 15 meeting of the Tourism Board.

and

City Council Minutes, 07.05.2011 (go to Section E)

There was also a special meeting of the Tourism Board after the council meeting of 07.05.2011. The Tourism Board declined to allocate funds this project. Note that while the Tourism Board could have decided to allocate such funds, the final decision on how tax revenues will be spent rests with City Council.

Klob is the current president of the La Junta Chamber of Commerce. He went before Council on June 20 to ask for permission to use the tennis courts to hold a "Mixed Martial Arts" event in conjunction with Early Settlers' Day. Funding was not an issue at that time, and in fact, when Ms. Lindner asked if the permission had anything to do with granting lodging tax funds for the event, Mayor Rizzuto replied that the motion had nothing to do with funding.

Further, it is clear from Councilman Schmidt's motion that permission to hold this MMA event was contingent upon MMA providing proof of insurance; sanctioning of the event, and financing by the Chamber of Commerce for the event. Colorado Intergovernmental Risk Sharing Agency (CIRSA) insures the city, and CIRSA does not cover sporting events.

You will note that Klob said he would get started right way on the insurance, sanctioning, and the financing. According to the minutes, Klob raised no questions about Council authorizing any funding for this event.

According to the minutes of the July 5 meeting of City Council, Klob was not present, so he could not have asked for funding from council, and since the question was not posed to council, there is no reason for council to have voted either way on the matter. Mr. Malouff, the city attorney, notes that Klob had not accomplished any of the items that he said he would 'get started on right away.'

So the question is, why did Klob state that city council and/or the Tourism Board were 'fucking assholes' for not giving him the money for MMA?

Need a drinking buddy. The city said no money to help me bring M.M.A. to early settlers day. PINCHE' CABRONEYS That was posted the day after the meeting of July 5.

Klob is the president of the La Junta Chamber of Commerce. He was at the council meeting of June 20 in that capacity. The question arises: When Klob refers to our city council as 'fucking assholes' in a public forum, is he speaking for the Chamber of Commerce? Is he stating the official position of the Chamber of Commerce? If that is the case, and the Chamber believes council to be made up of 'fucking assholes' and agrees with the exhortation by Mr. Villareal to "... Fresh Fuck Them Putos ...", then I would suggest that we have far greater 'issues' than those startling revelations recently identified by our 'movers and shakers.'

Regarding the use of tax revenues to fund 'for profit' ventures sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, or anyone else for that matter - I fail utterly to understand why money should be taken out of the pockets of anyone by any government entity, and given to private business concerns to assist them in making a profit. We already have enough of that going on with grant money being handed out to the likes of Viaero, and to improve railroad properties for the sake of 'tourism',, and we certainly have enough of that going on in Washington. Is Klob advocating a local version of 'Hope and Change?' Are we 'shovel ready?'

Additionally, I am curious to know what connection a mixed martial arts event has to do with the Early Settlers' Day theme. And, given the comments from Klob and some of his respondents regarding alcohol consumption, is Early Settlers' Day moving away from being a family event, to become something else entirely? If it's just going to be a Chamber-sponsored drunkfest, I believe our family can find something else to do that day.

Note that this is not simply a matter of Klob disagreeing with an action by council. As a citizen, he has every right to disagree with our government, and vigorously, at all levels. I am sure we are all on the same page with this. But this is not a 'disagreement.' It is first a misrepresentation of the fact pattern, and it is egregious enough of a misrepresentation that one might reasonably conclude that it is a deliberate misrepresentation. It is second a gross personal insult to our council members. And, it is an ad hominem attack, rather than a bona fide disagreement with a council decision, a decision which Klob has greatly misrepresented to begin with.

It boils down to this: Is Klob a 'community leader?' Or would the term 'pinche cabron' be more properly applied to Klob, rather than our elected representatives?

Bent's Old Fort 4th of July 2011

2011-07-01T04:29:00.006+13:00

A press release from the National Park Service (see our WritingPlaces.com BoF image galleries here):

Celebrate the 4th with a Bang at Bent’s Old Fort

Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site will commemorate our country’s birth
with a bang during an afternoon celebration on Monday, July 4. A cannon
firing at 12 noon will kick off the festivities.

“Bent’s Fort was known as a ‘cultural crossroads’ where U.S. citizens,
Native Americans and Hispanic peoples came together in business,” said
Chief of Interpretation Rick Wallner. “One visitor in the 1840s wrote of
hearing seven languages spoken within the fort walls.” To honor that
multicultural aspect, the fort’s 4th of July celebration will include
American, Native American and Hispanic traditions.

Besides cannon firings at 12 and 2 p.m., other scheduled events include the
Koshare Dancers interpreting Native American dances in the plaza at 1 p.m.;
a raffle at 2:15 of an 1846 flag that has flown over the fort ramparts; an
1840s frontier burial at 2:30; a debate on issues of the day in the dining
room at 3 p.m.; and a piñata break in the plaza at 3:45. A final cannon
firing at 4:20 will signify the end of the celebration.

All during the afternoon demonstrations will be ongoing throughout the fort
including cooking in the kitchen, games in the billiards room, and traders
in the trade room.

Regular fees of $3 for adults (13 and over), $2 for children (ages 6-12),
free for children 5 and under and all National Park pass holders will apply
during this event. Visitors are advised to be mindful of the heat this
time of year and bring sun protection and water.

Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site is located 8 miles east of La Junta
or 13 miles west of Las Animas on Colorado Highway 194. The site is open
from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily through the summer. For more information,
go to the park website at www.nps.gov/beol or call (719) 383-5010.

Leece has a Psalm 19 moment

2011-06-29T07:43:00.002+13:00

Take a break

We're moving

2011-06-13T08:56:00.000+13:00

The View from the Pizer

Where we will chat more about photowork, trips, cooking, books we're reading, and things we like to do. ChitChat will stay up but will go more or less stagnant ... unless some idiot politician gets us into rant mode, but right now the best they can come up with is WeenieGate, or Newt's flameout, which are just too pathetic to bother with.

Saving the Church with the True and Inerrant Word of God

2011-06-02T06:26:00.004+13:00

Ian Morgan Cron has an article up on FoxNews.com: Five words that could save the church

An excerpt:

“…but I might be wrong.”

Pepper an impassioned debate with those five words with someone you’ve previously denounced as a heretic or traitor to the cause and an amazing thing happens.

It tells your “opponent” on the other side of the issue that you care more about the mutual pursuit of truth rather than in placing another check in your camp’s win column. It communicates that maintaining Christian unity despite your differences is more important to you than scoring points and dancing in your “opponent’s” end-zone.

What a concept.

I found it interesting, even though it isn't particularly deep or profound, because it ties in very well with another article recently read.

In the spring 2011 edition of "The Wesleyan Theological Journal", Mark K. Olson has written "The Stillness Controversy of 1740: Tradition Shaping Scripture Reading."

Way back then, The Brothers Wesley (John and Charles) were involved in what would become an entire theology, a denomination that would deeply affect the development of the United States, and which would lead to the further development of a number of splinter denominations. Wesley founded what was to become the "Methodist Movement", and the Methodist and other Wesleyan churches. Not bad for a somewhat disgruntled Anglican priest, especially considering that by the mid- to late-19th century, anyone who was anyone in the US was a Methodist. It was the power denomination. Adding a dash or two of Manifest Destiny to the mix didn't hurt, either, especially in tying up all the loose ends of the westward expansion.

The Wesleys, especially John, were scratchy fellows. There was no lack of ego there, despite a lot of wallowing in 'humility' or something passing for it.

John fell in with the Moravians. He was impressed with their piety and other dedications to the mission. But the Moravians were 'quietists,' a form of insistence or commitment to "intellectual stillness" and "internal passivity" in the development of one's relationship with God, and in the seeking of "Christian perfection."

"Quietism" has been declared a heresy by the Roman church, and John Wesley really didn't agree with the concept, either. I don't understand the conflict with "... be still and know that I am God ..." but then, I guess I'm probably one of those heretical heathens as well. It may have had something to do with assuming a certain Divine-ness that led to papal testiness over the matter.

In November 1739, a Moravian, Phillip Molther, visited Wesley's Fetter Lane Society, which was arguably the precursor to the "method" groups marking the development of Methodism.

Molther vapor-locked over what he found. New converts were moaning and groaning - being "demonstrative" - as they worshiped and expressed what they thought was faith. Molther was "... shocked by the displays of emotion in the meetings ...".

They weren't fully converted, because they were noisy. They weren't fully qualified ("justified" in the terms of the Moravians and Wesley) because if they were, they wouldn't be so ... noisy. Apparently making joyful noises unto the Lord just wasn't on for the Moravians. So the faith of the converts was questionable.

Wesley disagreed. And so A Great Dustup began, which led to a split between Wesley and the Moravians. All over their disagreement over someone else's approved level of faith. Apparently then, as now, you are required to have the approval of someone who is defined as an "expert." How one becomes an expert is dependent upon how one's interpretation of The Inerrant Word of God meets the approval of more expert experts. Which, come to think on it, doesn't say much for The Inerrant Word of God, does it? I mean, like, wowsers ... which version, whose interpretation, of The Inerrant Word of God is really like, you know ... inerrant? I mean, like, if all the experts professing to know when a heathen like me is, like, you know, "justified", in step with the One True View of The Inerrant Word of God ... if they are at each others' throats because they can't agree on what is "inerrant", then how can we mere heathens figure it out?

It all had to do, and has to do, with those so-called "faith traditions" that seem to drive the splits within denominations. In his essay, Olson discusses how "faith traditions" (I would call them "prejudices" and "ingrained preconceptions") drive how Scripture is interpreted. As he notes, each side in the Stillness Controversy selected passages that they felt supported their respective views. That other passages supported the opposition was of no consequence; those "heretics" obviously didn't know what they were talking about. Each side had The One True Version.

So Olson actually expands upon Cron's op-ed piece, though apparently with no complicity or collusion. Each author discusses the hate and discontent and intractability and self-centeredness, self-righteousness, that drives so many "Christian" activities. What's really interesting is that the incidents and attitudes they discuss are almost 300 years apart.

Well, at least they didn't start burning each other at the stake(s). That would have been most un-Christian, wouldn't it?

Not much seems to have changed, within the "Christian brotherhood."

Swink Graduation 2011

2011-05-30T05:01:00.002+13:00

We have a Shutterfly gallery of the 2011 Swink commencement exercises here:

Swink Graduation 2011

Please note that we got rid of the "PROOF" watermark across the middle of the images, and have added an option to download a high resolution digital image rather than ordering a print. The digital download is pricier, but you can make as many prints as you wish.

Swink/La Junta Parks and Recs youth soccer league games

2011-05-22T12:32:00.003+13:00

Here are some galleries of games played by the Swink team, over at the La Junta Intermediate School:

Swink v. Fowler Parks and Recs youth leagues 04.23.2011

Swink v. Bulldogs Parks and Recs youth leagues 04.30.2011

Swink v. Rocky Ford Parks and Recs youth leagues 05.06.2011

Swink v. Rattlers Parks and Recs youth leagues 05.21.2011

Swink v. Las Animas Parks and Recs youth leagues 05.21.2011

Swink youth league soccer team, 2011 season (Images 5-7 are very high resolution and will render large prints very nicely.)

We've had so many requests for prints of our sports shots we have gone to using Shutterfly.

School administrators who would like images for their school publications, such as yearbooks, newsletters, and websites, should send us an email at writingplaces@writingplaces.com. We'll send 'em to you, no charge, in digital format.

As always, thank you for your support.

Swink Lions v. Rye Thunderbolts 05.14.2011

2011-05-16T18:07:00.002+13:00

We have a gallery up here:

Mike and Leece's image galleries

under "Baseball."

Swink Lions at the district baseball games

2011-05-10T03:09:00.001+13:00

We have galleries of the Swink Lions v. Rocky Ford Meloneers and v.Las Animas Trojans up:

Mike and Leece's image galleries

under "Baseball."

Please note that we also have the latest galleries up on Shutterfly, for anyone who wants to purchase prints. We have had a lot of requests for prints, but don't have the time or the facilities to respond to all those requests. So we've set up on Shutterfly, uploading the high resolution images. Our WritingPlaces gallery images are very low res and will not print very well.

Most of our high res shots on Shutterfly can be printed as good 8x10's and larger, up to 20x30 posters in many cases.

School administrators who would like images for yearbooks, newsletters, and other school publications should contact us via the WritingPlaces email address on the Shutterfly pages. We'll send you digitals via email at no cost.

A review of Rob Bell's "Love Wins"

2011-05-07T12:41:00.003+13:00

Thomas J. Oord is a professor up at Northwest Nazarene University. He has a cluster of blogs, "For the Love of Wisdom and the Wisdom of Love" for which he writes, across a fairly broad spectrum of theological 'issues.'

Recently, Oord reviewed Rob Bell's latest book, "Love Wins." Bell has been vilified by the more 'conservative' Christian segment of the population for some time now. "Love Wins" has them gnashing their teeth and foaming at the mouth, in some cases, one suspects, quite literally. Oddly (so it would seem) a good many of Bell's detractors have never read his work(s). In fact, I was recently taken to task for having fallen into Bell's heretical clutches, for 'embracing Bell's pseudo-Christianity'. My taskmaster freely admitted to having never read anything by Bell, including "Love Wins."

Oord has a somewhat different view on "Love Wins." I agree with Oord's take on the book.

You can read his review here:

Reviewing "Love Wins"

You can get the book from Amazon.com. The customer reviews are varied and interesting.

Ray Headley Invitational Track Meet 05.05.2011

2011-05-07T12:39:00.002+13:00

We have a gallery of 387 images up here:

Mike and Leece's image galleries

under "Track."

A Christian perspective on the demise of OBL

2011-05-03T17:39:00.001+13:00

Alise has one that's a little outside the frame of conventional wisdom:

Alise the American v. Alise the Christian

She makes some good points. At least she has a better view of it than stuffing some porkchops up the corpse's ass before shoving it all overboard. That was the view of one American Patriot I read earlier today.

OTOH, I have to wonder if she is passin' familiar with Augustine's two-step 'round that "turn the other cheek" thing, and subsequent evolutions of The Theory of Just War.