Pirate Dogs & Pilgrims

Westminster Again

2012-02-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

It gets more absurd every time it happens!!! That foolish dog show in New York City! We Pirate Dogs have discussed it before. Yet the idiocy persists.

This year there's a new breed---the Xoloitzcuintli. It's suposed to be the "national dog of Mexico." All we Pirate Dogs can say about this is---"AS IF!!!!"

As our newest crew member Anton Chico commented----there is already a TRUE national dog of Mexico who has a desert and a Mexican state named for the breed--Chihuahua. Time the fools at the American Kennel Club got off their recreational drugs and back to earth. Why any self-respecting dog would believe they have been into the cat-nip!!!!!!!

Classic Chihuahua

Fulfillment

2012-01-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

It is written thus:

"Any self-respecting gathering of more than one chihuahua should have an Anton Chico. We don't---but hopefully the humans will add one soon!!!"

So wrote the late Midshipman and Chronicler Bertequila on this blog at this link: http://piratedogspilgrims.blogspot.com/2009/12/anton-chico.html. Now, over two years since his passing, his statement has become reality.

It started as an innocent Saturday. The humans had breakfast with friends. They proceeded to the Las Cruces Farmers Market, one of the best in the country. At the far end, the Animal Service Center of the Mesilla Valley had its usual assortment of dogs hoping to be saved through adoption from a shortening of their lives. The friends found one, a scruffy terrier mix who could easily star in a live version of the Disney classic "Lady and the Tramp."

But our humans found the prophesied one. There in a crate, resting with his tail in the water dish, the tag declaring him to be "Chico", he lay. And the humans, cognizant of the prophecy, gave the shelter workers a deposit, returned home, took the First Mate and the Ensign to meet with him, and returned with the newest member of the crew of the CPSS Nargle, Anton Chico:

the morning sun shines on Anton Chico

The descendant of those heroic chihuahuas of yore has settled right into his new lifestyle:

Anton relaxes

With this addition, the crew is complete. The exact number of Pirate Dogs has become classified "Top Secret" to forestall any untoward actions by their fierce foes, the Klingon Kats.

Posted by Captain 'Roid

PS--Happy New Year to All from the intrepid crew of the Nargle

Refusal

2011-12-23T13:12:00.003-07:00

As you can see from the picture, our flamingoes are covered in snow. The whole orchard and desert resembles New England at this time of year, not New Mexico. The only one who likes this stuff is the Captain:

'Roid loves the snow. She couldn't wait to get out into the yard. after a minute or so, she looks like this:

Snowbeard Lives!!!!!!!!!!!!

As for the chihuahuas, they refuse to even attempt to go outside. Ever see a dog try to walk without its feet touching the ground??? And as for me, I grew up in Ohio and New Hampshire. I see that white stuff and just hit the bed:

Hope this climate change thing gets resolved soon. I love my sun and desert!!!!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Feliz Navidad, Happy Kwanza, Peaceful Solstice to all!!

Leny

First Mate of the Pirate Dogs

Winter??????

2011-12-06T09:23:00.001-07:00

Leny got up this morning and looked out the window. Convinced she had been transported back to New Hampshire, she returned to the bed with a sorrowful and apprehensive sharpradorial expression:

She had looked out of several windows and realized that the white precipitation that had accumulated over the preceding evening was not an illusion or the product of some bad bone turks:

view from the front door

looking out the dining room window

luminaria in the snow

Yes, a winter storm had hit Las Cruces and left its detritus all around the mud shack. And besides, Weetz had grabbed the best location to be in on such a day:

Weetz by the "heatz"

Life can just be frustrating sometimes for a New Hampshire transplant to the Southwest.

A Pirate Dogs Fantasy

2011-11-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

Here we are, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, 2011. Our parents tried to make us be cute, posing us on the patio:

Of course, Weetz and Petey Pablo gave our mom a hard time. This is so lame!!!

We did relent and allow a picture---all of us but Leny. She wanted no part of some staged sham with the turkey. I mean, let's get real. It's all about devouring turkey for both humans and canines. This is the only thing that counts:

And hanging out around a table, in chairs, like poor humans have to do----that's just not our style.

Our dream is more like, the turkey's on the floor and we all get a shot, like the pack we are:

Ahhhhhhh, if only dreams came true..............

Of course, there's always a share of the left-overs.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

FROM THE PIRATE DOGS

Language

2011-11-04T09:30:00.000-06:00

For all the talk about making English the official language of the U S, we Pirate Dogs don't get it. We honestly don't see a lot of difference between what's said here in the Southwest and, say, expressions from Brooklyn.

Case in point---look at these pictures:

Here in Las Cruces we'd say " Look at dos chihuahuas" and in Brooklyn they'd say "Look at dose chihuahuas." 'Nuff said.

Geriatri-Cat

2011-11-02T14:56:00.000-06:00

Old age comes to all of us. Sooner or later, there's that crack in the joints in the morning. Sometimes these little physical ailments are accompanied by some greying around the muzzle or the brow. But the geriatric male Siamese known around these parts as Commodore Cody is really having a go of it.

In his younger days, say at around 10 when this picture was taken, he was spry and alert. You can tell from the expression in this picture that he has a clue of what is transpiring in his environment.

Today, he mostly sits on the kitchen table, looking for food. When he opens his mouth, he emits no sound. His lack of volume and teary-eyed look prompted a friend of the humans to insist he be taken to the vet. Aside from a large amount added to the credit card, the result of that visit was the verdict that the Commodore is a healthy geriatric gentleman who has been prescribed special cat chow just in case he has some possible kidney dysfunction. (I forgot to mention he no longer relieves himself in the cat litter box but rather he performs this act on top of the cover of the box.)

So Cody, at his advanced age, sits on the table, looks pathetic, and gets loads of human attention and sympathy. Just look at this picture:

But we Pirate Dogs know the truth. Incontinence. Forgetting how to meow. The blank stare. Isn't is obvious??? Commodore Cody is now the Alzheimer's Kat!!!!!!!!!

Misadventures in Grooming

2011-10-29T12:53:00.000-06:00

O M G----you expect us to dress for Halloween after the groomer did this to us!!!!

Obviously I can't be Capt. Dreadlocks looking like this. And look what they did to my tail!!!!

Never in all my life have I had a "poof-y" poodle tail like that. What do they think I am, a cheer-leader with pom-poms?????? I am Captain of the Nargle for pity's sake!!!!

And poor Weetz--------

The groomer thinks she's part papillon, whatever that is, and left her with that weird long hair sprouting from the tops of her ears. She looks like Salacious Crumb from Return of the Jedi, not like my navigator on the canine pirate space ship!!

"'Revenge is mine', saith the Lord" is all fine and dandy for you humans but I think this year will be the one where the Pirate Dogs do the tricks and we will get the treats as well, trust me.

posted by Captain 'Roid

Dia de los Muertos, 2010

From Pirate Dog to....

2011-10-19T18:20:00.000-06:00

The Pirate Dogs and their cousins have been watching too much media coverage of the Occupy Wall Street movement and the terrorist trial of Abdulmutallab, the Underwear Bomber.

Cousin Seymour Aloysius Siegfried Von Bucksnort, pictured,

has changed his name to Seymour Abdullah, the Dog Collar Bomber.

And Ensign Pablo Frijoles "Little Petey" has done his cousin one better. Not content with just a conversion, Pobster the Lobster, as he is called, has founded the Symbolic Lobster Liberation Army. All he needs is a newspaper heiress to complete his dreams.......

Of course the Klingon Kats won't be left out of this. As one can see from the picture, Clytemnestra has raided the stores of the Canine Pirate Space Ship Nargle.

Can't wait to see what this crew does for Halloween..........

Super Hero II

2011-09-29T09:26:00.000-06:00

After some complaints about picture quality in the post about Captain Dreadlocks, i decided to add a couple of pix to clear up any questions.

This is a picture of the Captain freshly returned from her last grooming experience. Note the highly visible facial features. One can gaze into her eyes.........

And here is the same dog after partaking of the Magic Cloven Beef Hoof which transforms the mild mannered and soulful 'Roid into the indomitable Captain Dreadlocks, devoid of eye contact and unrecognizable beneath the flowing hair..........

Super hero

2011-09-26T15:08:00.000-06:00

It isn't enough for Emma 'Roid to be Captain of the Canine Pirate Star Ship Nargle. Oh,no!!! This entreprenurial cock-a-poo has evolved a new identity for herself.

Formerly a sweet unassuming cuddly dog in need of a groomer's touch,

Emma has found the magic Cloven Beef Hoof

which transforms her into that powerful superhero even more feared by Klingon Kats than the Captain of the Nargle,

CAPTAIN DREADLOCKS

The Promotion

2011-08-20T15:15:00.000-06:00

He's done it!!!! After a furious battle in which he dragged a geriatric male Siamese out of the Canine Pirate Space Ship Nargle and an ensuing encounter in which he verbally assaulted (barked at) another Klingon Kat chasing her into the spare bedroom, Midshipman Petey Pablo Frijoles has been awarded the rank of Ensign in the crew of the space pirate dogs. See how proud he looks!!! And in the full orange harness that has earned him the moniker Pobster the Lobster.............

A Depressed Midshipman

2011-06-08T13:17:00.000-06:00

Poor little Petey-Pablo. The Midshipman failed his final today. Seems he couldn't re-calibrate the kataflagrinator from the phaser interlock making it assured that the targeting system on the Nargle would not automatically lock-in on any Klingon Kats entering within range. This means he cannot be promoted from Midshipman to Ensign. He would be unable to perform the required duties on the bridge of the canine space pirate ship. Poor little guy. Perhaps this is why he has been nicknamed "Pobster the Lobster". Or do ya think it could be the orange collar??????

New Picture

2011-05-11T09:18:00.000-06:00

Since we had evicted the dad from the couch, we felt this represented an appropriate opportunity for a new group picture to replace the old one on the header of the blog. It just seemed to be impossible to get the entire crew together for this undertaking. But this morning we accomplished it. And while we all still miss midshipman Bertequila, it was time to update the portrait of the crew.

Midshipman Petey/Pablo has shown a penchant for guarding the newest arrivals---Bellatrix, Hermione, Tonks, and Fleur. These are a Barred Rock, a RI Red, and two Americauna chicks. We think this has more to do with his thinking they are his personal chewies than with any chivalrous intentions of protecting them from Klingon Kat predations............

For a fuller discussion of the chicks including some controversy over their names, see http://zeesgowest.blogspot.com/2011/05/chickie-tv.html.

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T00:00:00.002-06:00

It's very difficult being a Pirate Dog. The lack of opposable thumbs forces us to plan and scheme to get Easter eggs colored and ready for the "big day." Seriously, it's about a two week slog. And the humans don't offer a lot of help and support, either. Mostly we come up with diversions, like Pablo bringing in sticks and lizards, to keep them occupied and out of the kitchen. One of the hardest tasks is getting the eggs out of their cartons without breakage-----try doing it without your thumbs before you laugh-----

And now, after all that hard work---two dozen ovals in red, green, blue, violet, and orange----

The freakin' Klingon Kats took them and hid them, probably in the bathroom near their litter box..........There will be payment!!!!!!!!!!!

Meanwhile, to all the rest of you,

Happy Easter

from los perros piraticus

Bucksnorting

2011-04-07T17:09:00.000-06:00

Auntie Bucksnort went to see her kids and grandkids in CA. So we got stuck baby-sitting our cousins this week. Cousin Seymour isn't too bad. He looks like Petey/Pablo only a bigger version. He listens to our dad, who has given him his name: Seymour Aloysius Siegfried von Bucksnort:

Seymour

Pablo on the rock pile

Now Auntie calls him Spike but since he answers to Seymour, well, we dogs kind of live and let live, you know............

Cousin Esmerelda, on the other hand, she's a basket case. First, she is either constantly in motion or whining and barking at nothing. Now maybe that's name confusion---Auntie christened her Kalili and calls her LiLi (pronounces lee-lee). Then again, maybe she's just "special", as our Mom says......

Now Seymour has not only taken to hanging with our Dad but also with Weetz. And Weetz is probably the least social of the Pirate Dogs and pretty much reacts to her cousin's attention with a scowl:

Captain 'Roid just laughs about it all:

and I really can't be bothered:

It's much too comfortable in bed!!!! And after the Cousins leave, I'm sure there'll be boneturks for all:

Posted by Leny,

First mate of the CPS Nargle

el beisbol II

2011-04-01T15:11:00.000-06:00

Leny is a very happy Red Sox fan----------and she's not the only one!!!!!!!!! So, especially to you, Mr. FabP, here's proof!!!!!!

Our penguins came out of the closet in Las Cruces for this picture.

Know what this picture is??????? The South Pole state of

So while this post is in response to our buddy, The FabP's comment, just so you all know-------

Leny's smile is because the Sox are winning as this is being written!!!!!!!!

El Beisbol

2011-04-01T00:01:00.001-06:00

O M G!!!!! Gotta love those Yankees. Why, they should handle those upstarts from Beantown without a problem this year. Figure Derek will hit over .400; Cano, Texiera, and that fabulous 3rd baseman who never ever ever allowed a foreign substance into his body should combine for like 210 homers. C C will pitch a couple perfect games and Mariano Rivera will shed 10 years and not blow any saves against Boston. Right??????????

Somehow, I Don't Think SO!!!!!!!!

Big Puppy

Please don't forget what day it is-------April 1, 2011.

Happy April Fool's Day from the Pirate Dogs!!!!!!!!!!!!

About Dog Shows

2011-02-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

So W T F is a "Scottish Deerhound"?????????? Certainly not one of us.......

Emma 'Roid, Cockapoo

Weetz Elva, Schnauzehuahua

Petey/Pablo, MinPinahuahua

Magdalena Cochiti, Sharprador

Real dogs for a real world...................

Spring Cuttings

2011-02-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

February brings spring-like conditions to Southern New Mexico. And the two Pirate Dogs who grow long winter coats start looking a little (??) ragged:

Emma the 'Roid has morphed into Captain Dreadlocks over the winter.

And Crow's-Nest Weetzie is also quite bedraggled.

So it was off to the Groomer with the two of them. Of course the remaining Pirate Dogs, First-Mate Leny and Midshipmen Petey/Pablo were distressed at having to remain at home in the CPS Nargle.

But being loyal and good crew members they used the time to improve their skills, the Midshipman under the First-Mate's tutelage.

At noon, the Groomer called and informed us that she had completed her tasks. Understanding the anxiety of the crew members at home, we rushed to retrieve the newly shorn. You, dear reader, can ascertain for yourself if the results are an improvement:

The difference in the Captain is dramatic---her face can actually be seen and she doubtless has had her vision improved.

Now, Weetz------well, not so much of a difference although she should be cooler with the approaching warmer weather:

So that's the latest news from the Nargle and the Pirate Dogs hope all their Eastern readers are well dug out. The Pirates are enjoying the sun and the 70's in Southern New Mexico.

Of Snow and Sharpradors

2011-02-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a touch of New Hampshire here in Southern New Mexico. Temperatures haven't gotten above freezing for several days. Our house really isn't plumbed for prolonged freezes---there's no hot water!! The hot water heater is in a shed on the northwest side of the hose---it's enclosed and has an insulation jacket but such protection, while adequate for a couple of freezing nights, can't handle prolonged temps below 32F.

We Pirate Dogs can do without the snow and cold. Two of us are Chihuahuas and really not comfortable with temps below 50F---time to burrow down under the quilts.

But Leny the Sharprador has really had it. Even though she came here from Ohio, via New Hampshire, she thought New Mexico would be retirement from snow and freezing paws. Instead, she has been caught up in this mess:

"Really, what's up with this snow????????"

And to totally emphasize this atrocious weather pattern:

All I can say is "Thank Sirius for warm blankies"

Stormy Relief

2010-12-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

So sad---the day after Christmas, the first white one in Atlanta since the 1880's; the East Coast getting hammered by a blizzard; wonder if the kid will be able to leave on time Tuesday for his flight to NYC. Ahhh, winter.......

In southern New Mexico, we've missed the storms coming off the Pacific-- drenching LA, dumping snow by the foot in the Sierra Nevada, traversing the country and turning colder in order to cause blizzards all along the East Coast. So for those of you caught up in any of this weather, here's a little relief---

This video was posted a week ago. Don't know when it was filmed but the weather at the Market on Christmas Eve (special Friday edition since Christmas was on Saturday) was just as nice as what is portrayed in the video. And yes, the cacti at the mud shack came from the nursery shown in the film clip.

Now, Readers of the Pirate Dogs, do you get why we moved here??? Think about it while you are shoveling..............

Christmas Eve 2010

2010-12-25T00:00:00.002-07:00

It gets so cold in New England. Makes it rough to enjoy outdoor caroling or tree lighting ceremonies. Now here in Southern New Mexico, it's a real holiday season but one can walk around the old plaza in Mesilla and enjoy the luminarias and other decoration with a minimum of bundling up. And it's so beautiful. There are luminarias all along the brick roads that border the plaza in La Mesilla and on some of the alleyways. These were particularly intriguing.....

luminarias in the alleyway

because they led to this...............

Our Lady of Guadalupe icon

and after viewing the icon, as we head out of town, the beautiful Basilica of San Albino.....

The only thing that would make the season better is spending time and seeing these places with the friends and family we love, most of whom are so far away. But maybe, someday..............

MERRY CHRISTMAS

HOHOHO!!!

2010-12-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

We Pirate Dogs have ben spending a lot of time in the CPS Nargle lately. Usually that means a new post and here it is.

Since our parents got season tickets to Aggie men's basketball, we get nargleized a lot. There were five games in the last two weeks!!!! Lots of time in the interstellar canine pirate star ship..........

Our dad became social security eligible on his birthday this week. Guess that means we'll continue getting bone turks even though he's retired......

We noticed that the lame duck Congress got some things passed---repeal of DADT, extension of the tax cuts, a new nuclear arms reduction treaty.......Maybe the solution to its ineffectiveness is that the members of Congress should get locked in a crate for three weeks a year. That should be the only time they get compensated for as well. The rest of the time they can pander to their bases on their own dime.....Bet that would help solve the country's issues---it certainly works for us Pirate Dogs.

And lastly, a fond remembrance---------

The Ghost of Christmas Past

Though he be gone,the lost midshipman is not forgotten. Long live Bertequila.

And to all of you in virtual reality land,

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Randomness a Month In

2010-12-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

A month of being retired. No routine yet but random things.

Had the first golf lesson. Hadn't played in 23 years. Spent about 45 minutes with a nine iron and swing techniques. Lie, lead, loft, length---attributes of any club. Hit about 6 balls with a driver. 2 went dead straight over 200 yards. That average in baseball would be worth several million a year......

"Mother Goose Cancelled Due to Construction." Sign at the library. Imagine the possibilities.

If you get a chance, read Angelology by Danielle Trussoni and Adam and Eve by Sara Jeter Naslund. Both interesting concepts.

Congress is back and it is the same oxymoron it has been the last couple of years. Nothing new. (Definition from American Heritage Dictionary [online ed.] "The act of coming together or meeting." emphasis added)

Last absurdity: "Maybe we should not rule out the possibility of zombie otters."
( http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/opinion/02collins.html?_r=1&hp )

Of Turkey and Hamhocks

2010-11-25T07:23:00.005-07:00

So this year the dad is doing the turkey. Hope it all comes out okay. There's this 20 pound fowl defrosting in the 'fridge. The shelves are collapsing from the food and liquid refreshments jammed onto them. It looks like the preparations to survive a 5,000 year famine.
Leftovers down here on the floor have been a little sparse. Monday at least there was spaghetti----fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic---we prefer plain spaghetti strands ourselves. Tuesday the mom went to the dentist late and didn't make the promised stuffed jalapenos---they ate green chile cheeseburgers from the place up the road---at least we got a couple of french fries. Wednesday night were the stuffed jalapenos. Even the dad found them hot so there's no way we Pirate Dogs were gonna touch them. So now we are all trained and have fasted in preparation for the feast day.

Got to hand it to the dad for perseverance. Imagine trying to make apple-sausage-cornbread stuffing in our kitchen. First there was the Klingon Kat Griselda up on the counters wanting to sample everything. Then the Pirate Dogs following every move ready to pounce on anything that dropped towards the floor. And of course the minpinhuahua and the schnausehuahua can get underfoot like a trapper's snares, sending a person sprawling. Of course, that's their mission---the captain would like nothing better than to see all that sausage fall to the floor--------MMMMMMMMMM!!!! Too bad it didn't happen..........
But not for lack of trying. Since the ltttle dogs couldn't get stuff to fall, the captain ordered the minpinhuahua to hamhock the sharprador---the two of them whirling through the kitchen made it impossible to move. Still wondering why right after that we were exiled into the cold in the front yard----it's only in the 60s here, very chilly for southwestern dogs.......

Well, today the turkey gets cooked and there will be left-overs and treats for all!!!!!! So

HAPPY

THANKSGIVING

to you and yours. Remember, the Pirate Dogs love you all (except for the Klingon Kats). And Friday won't be black on the floor in the mud shack .......

3 Weeks In

2010-11-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

Sunday will mark the three week anniversary of retirement. Absolutely no guilt. Made a quick trip to Clovis to sign off on inventory and meet with my replacement; now there's no left overs from work---the time is totally mine. Except for the incessant demands of los perros piraticus for attention and bone turks. The occasional rescue of my Wicked Good Slippers from the jaws of Pablo Frijoles. Refereeing the battle between the chihuahuas for space on my lap or under the blankey. Still getting up around 6:00AM---of course that's sort of offset by staying in my robe until around 9:00........

Haven't gotten through the re-mastered Star Trek original series blu-rays yet. Also haven't mastered the PS3 Move games.......But I have been catching up on my reading. I'm current with the Economist (weekly) and The Atlantic (monthly). That will please the friend of mine I give them to when I'm done---he won't be deluged again with 3-4 issues at a time of either.......I've read about five books and have four on the bedside table---from history to politics to science to Angelology.

I started this post at around 7:00AM this morning. It's now a little after 3:00PM. The Pirates and I just came in from the patio where I had a cold beer and they got treats and we all watched the sunlight turn the mountains from huge rock pillars to one-dimensional drawings that you'd see as the back-drop in a Gene Autry film. The harvester across the road just dumped a huge container of cotton into the back of a trailer. Looks like the cotton harvest is about done---maybe those shirts and shorts I have back-ordered at L L Bean will get made and shipped soon......Like I said, absolutely no guilt.........

Of Mice and Sisters

2010-11-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

So last Monday a field mouse invaded Dee and Melina's abode in Sacramento. Dee went to soccer after screeching, panicking, calling the exterminator, and tasking the whippets and cats to deal with the furry grey invader...........yeah, right. Cousin Mysty-fied was her usual self:

Thanks for all the help, Mysty!!!! I don't recall ever seeing that dog in other than a prone position....The Lummox wasn't even around!!!!!!!! Probably hiding in the bed.......Sight hounds indeed. All they did was look at the scampering rodent---at least that's a good use of their singular talent........

So Sister Melina caught the beastie, outperforming two Whippets, a Sassy cat, traps, and exterminators. She even got bit in the performance of her heroic duty!!!!!!! (I won't comment on the "hello kitty" band-aid, I mean, really)........So Sister Melina, you are hereby awarded the Order of Anton Chico and inducted into the crew of the fearless Pirate Dogs. Print out this ferocious picture and hang it on your 'fridge:

And remember, the next time there is an emergency, call on a Chihuahua for results and let the Whippets take their nap. Remember, a little "Weetz-itude" goes a long way!!!!!!!!

First

2010-11-02T07:28:00.000-06:00

For all human endeavors there must be a first step. This is true for retirement also. The first day of the well-earned leisure part of life.

I found myself unburdened by tasks I may not have completed or decisions not made for the first time in over 40 years. My conscience is as clear as fine crystal. It occurred to me that my whole working life was like being in a diamond mine---a shaft or tunnel where you picked shiny bits of matter from the earth. You only got to keep part of the haul; most of the profit went to your employer. Then comes retirement and you wake up that morning still in the mine, but the tunnel has given way to a gigantic cavern-- the roof sparkling like the night sky over the desert; the walls studded with the bright matter that is so precious. Now all those diamonds are yours to keep and do with as you will----new experiences, opportunities to expand your mind, no-one to answer to for your choices.......

Except remember the dog's vet appointment at 8:30..............

Mid-term Election Thoughts

2010-11-01T08:16:00.000-06:00

All right--I admit it. The party of Thomas Jefferson blew it. In 2008, it looked like it would transform the nation. Money filled their coffers; voters of all ages and races turned out in unbelievable numbers with unbridled exuberance. The new president would be post-partisan and post-racial. A filibuster-proof majority was sent to the Senate. And now, November 1,2010, twenty-four hours before the mid-terms, all that feeling is gone. The Democratic domination in 2008 has resulted in a wave of lethargy and the sense of unfulfilled expectations.
What caused this? The answers would fill a book and this is just a blog post. But the short list would include the partisan leadership in both houses of congress on both sides. There wasn't REAL leadership. Just business same as ever and post-partisanship be damned. The R's just said "NO" ; the D's never pushed the president's agenda.
So it's time to vote again. In my state, the choices are pathetic. No policy differences between the candidates for Congress. If you didn't mark "D" or "R" beside their names you couldn't tell which was which. For governor there are two women (we'll get our first female governor): one is tarred with allegations of her own corruption, the other tarred with the corruption in the present administration that caused our present governor to turn down a cabinet post. Nice choice there.......
Normally, I might not even to bother to vote in this kind of an election. But I am going to, and I am voting to support what I voted for in 2008----CHANGE. Not Tea Party or Glen Beck B.S. but the change we need. The change Obama promised. Let's look at the record:

End of Partisanship----didn't happen, not because the president flubbed it but because the Republicans ignored the gestures and Reid and Pelosi did not push his agenda nor did they make the kind of attempts at reaching across the aisle that the president did.
Health Care Reform---again, Congress dropped the ball and gutted what could have been one of the defining pieces of legislation in the 21st Century. There's much good in it and it deserves to be revisited and improved. Repeal is moving backwards. And a reminder to those sign holders--if the government took its hands off of "your" Medicare, there wouldn't be any Medicare--it's a government program, you fools!!!
WAR--"huh, good Gawd y'all, what is it good for?"(Edwin Starr) Obama has fulfilled his promise to wind down Bush's war of choice in Iraq. He has escalated the effort in Afghanistan; unfortunately, because of the mis-begotten Iraq conflict, it's too late to destroy Al-Qaeda's structure, which has moved to Pakistan and Yemen. But he has promised an end there as well in 2011. Guantanamo needs to be closed but I think congress may need to be involved there to craft legislation to legally detain or try the terrorist suspects outside the present legal strictures. Seems with terrorism the right to presumed innocence and illegal seizure, among others, are not applicable.
The Economy----Obama's policies probably helped avoid a repeat of the Great Depression. Unfortunately, they did not go far enough to stimulate rapid growth and alleviate the painful job losses that ALWAYS follow financial melt-downs. Read any economic history and you will understand this fact. What the nation is going through is nothing new. And cutting the deficit and taxes will NOT help---these policies are shown to worsen the effects of the crisis and prolong recovery. Ask Japan--do we want a lost decade of economic stagnation and deflation like they had/are having??

So please go to the polls tomorrow, November 2nd, and vote with intelligence--not with sloganeering or nice catch-phrases dancing in your head. Barack Obama was elected to provide change. He thought he had allies in congress but political gamesmanship trumped the post-partisan era Obama attempted to introduce. Let's use these mid-terms to send people to Washington who will help the president fulfill the dreams we all voted for two years ago.

70

2010-10-09T05:00:00.005-06:00

A happy would have been 70th birthday to John Lennon. And for all my family, friends, and others----enjoy:

Beatles In My Life-Video by Joe Guse - Celebrity bloopers here

And They Were Gonna Name Me Fred........

2010-10-08T07:20:00.002-06:00

When I arrived at the mud shack from the Mesilla Valley Animal Services shelter, my parents needed a name for me. Since we'd only been acquainted a few hours (and I spent a lot of that time in the Nargle with the other pirates) they weren't sure what to call me. They went out to breakfast and solicited suggestions from the wait-staff---Chile Pepper, Gabriel......They had an old Frommer's Guide to New Mexico and tried place names---Zuni, Raton, Moriarty.......All pretty yucky.
Then came people they knew. And they considered Fred for quite awhile. One of their friends here is named Fred. They also considered naming me after Frederich Nietzsche, the philosopher. Something called the "existential question", which in New Mexico is "Red or Green?"----as in which chile sauce on your meal..........
But the Red Sox and the cocker spaniel won-----They remembered the magical year and the pitcher Pedro Martinez, current 2nd baseman Dustin "Little Pete" Pedroia, and mom's first pet, a cocker named Pete. So here I am, christened Pedro Little Pete Martinez Z---newest and smallest of the Pirate Dogs.......

Welcome to the Nargle

2010-10-03T12:40:00.000-06:00

And a new recruit has been added to the crew----Pedro "Little Petey". After the loss in action of the midshipman Bertequila the crew had to continue on and the search began for reinforcements. The humans were at the farmer's market on the downtown mall and happened upon a couple of volunteers from the animal rescue league walking about with available dogs in tow. One chihuahua looked independent and probably not suited to the crew of the Nargle. (Capt. 'Roid will have no truck with trouble-makers.) But the young dog seemed very shy and overwhelmed by the cacophony of vendors, music, and humans chattering about this and that, frequently to no good end. And those spleeny, bulgy eyes that looked out from the crook of the woman's elbow.............the humans were finished. They proceeded about five steps before capitulating to the inevitable. And Pedro was conscripted for the crew.............

Pedro

Note the resemblance to the progeny of Anton Chico

Exploring with the Sharprador

Clipatorium

2010-10-02T07:59:00.001-06:00

Once I got groomed on the High Plains. The groomer thought I'd be so cute in ribbons and bows. Also they left a lot of hair and made me appear more schnauze- then chi-huahua. See what I mean??

But now we live in the Land of Manana. I got groomed yesterday and what a difference!!!!!!!! Now the truth of my lineage from the proud race of Anton Chico is completely discernible!!!!

See----more Chihuahua than Schnauzehuahua. Miss the top knot a little though..............

Felled in Action

2010-09-24T06:11:00.000-06:00

So the brightest and youngest stars find oblivion sooner rather than later.

We Pirate Dogs embarked on a quest. And our midshipman perished in the action. Bertequila will be missed and always remembered by his shipmates.

Death be not proud-----you cannot conquer the indomitable spirit of the Pirate Dogs even though you may have claimed the youngest and smallest of them........Requiescat in pace, Bertie.

Avast There!!!!!

2010-09-14T18:50:00.000-06:00

First Mate Leny

Crow's Nest Weetzie

Midshipman Bertequila

So our niece Isabella is in high school---She's a Wheatland Pirate!!!!

Welcome aboard and we are so happy you joined with the rest of us buccaneers!!!!!

Congratulations and L O L

The Captain

Some Saturday Morning Random

2010-09-11T09:22:00.000-06:00

Over the top---------was sent this video of a politician's speech---

The comment was that the sender wasn't paying attention to how over the top some politics had gotten. My suggestion is to read Gail Collins in the NY Times---this is a link to today's post: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/opinion/11collins.html?hp

I would recommend regular reading of her column because Gail has pretty consistently pointed out many of the absurdities and gaffes in this year's election campaigns. It's done with some humor and both sides have been the subject of her barbs.

As for the economy, one word----STIMULUS. More is needed. Don't just take the word of Paul Krugman, Nobel laureate in economics. Read this leader from The Economist magazine dated Sept. 2, 2010:
http://www.economist.com/node/16943653?story_id=16943653

Interest rates are at or near zero. There's precious little that the central bank can do to get unemployment down and the economy rolling again. Real growth needs directional change from policy---it has to come from the politicians!!! You know, those people with no cajones because it's an election year-----god forbid we'd do anything constructive that might help THE PEOPLE..............so if you're a Democrat just try to be pandering and ingratiating so you can keep your seat; if you're a Republican just say NO. And please don't worry---the middle class won't come out to vote because they get the shaft either way.

As John Mellenkamp says---"Ain't that America, land of the free....little pink houses for you and me." Except we ain't got that guarantee no more thanks to the economic downturn and the lack of intestinal fortitude among our elected representatives.

About November

2010-08-28T09:20:00.009-06:00

I've heard that one gets more conservative as one ages. Something about preserving one's own wealth rather than giving it to those more needy or less able to generate wealth. Worse yet---giving it to the government in the form of taxes----horrors and shudders!!!!!!!

Maybe I'm bucking the trend but I find myself becoming more liberal in terms of social issues but still fairly conservative in fiscal matters. But I do believe that the primary function of government to protect its citizens. You'll get no argument from me that there is a lot of waste in the government sector. But the recent remarks from the co-chair of the commission studying the deficit and social security to lessen the government stake are just so wrong-headed I could spit. As I recall, in the second term of the last Republican president there was a similar push to privatize retirement savings and wind down Social Security. Imagine if it had happened-----how much did your 401-K lose in 2007-2009----less than the Dow, then congratulations; more---then how many years did it add before you can retire---or even, can you retire without Social Security???

I have less than 65 days until I retire. I'm working my way through funding options so I can continue to feed the oh-so-dearly-loved Pirate Dogs, with some food also available for the humans in the household. Since I can collect S.S. at 62, this is going to work. The benefits are reduced but it will be do-able and actually fairly comfortable. But if the previous administration had its way, my employer would be stuck with an employee on the verge of burn out for another six or seven years, not to mention my defined benefit, i.e., pension plan, income would suffer. If I retired at 66 or 67, I would lose several years of good commission income and actually be in WORSE financial shape than by retiring early. Sort of the opposite of what the demagogues of anti-government benefits preach.

Lots of pre-mid-term chatter about Obama the Muslim Socialist. One comment---listen with your ears, process the information with your brains, and give the sitting president the support he deserves. I hated the bail-outs but 1) they were enacted by the Republicans and 2) they worked because of the policies and decisions of Barack Obama. Don't take the word of a blogger and Pirate Dog lover. Follow this link to The Economist editorial leader from the 8/21-8/27/2010 edition. Read it, think about it, and you'll realize it's true. Right now the no-brainers have the floor and the screeching is deafening. Please don't let it deprive you of your right to a choice come November as it has deprived Alaska of its incumbent senator or KY of a real chance for change. I don't hear policies or solutions coming from the talk-show hosts or the opposition leaders---just noise and obstruction.

November is the first referendum we have on the decisions we made in 2008. Were it not for politics as usual in Congress and the "Just Say NO" clique, we might even have unemployment down to a sustainable level and a real recovery in progress. Don't blow the November mid-terms. Let's give our leaders the chance to finish cleaning up the Bushian nightmare. Don't give your vote to those who would make us relive it.

Guns and Children

2010-08-03T18:25:00.004-06:00

Once again certain of our fellow citizens want it both ways.

As discussed previously in this blog, people who support the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution interpret it as meaning that the right to own a firearm, even an automatic weapon, cannot be regulated by the government.

Now some of these same supporters of the Constitution are attacking the 14th Amendment, which is a lot less open to interpretation than the 2nd: "1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." (source:U S Constitution).

Pretty clear, I'd say---if you are born here, you become a citizen. There are a few exceptions about diplomats and other foreign peoples but pretty much this is universally applicable. Now Senator Graham of SC says this opens the door to illegals rushing in, having a kid, and staying for the good of the family. He wants to amend the Constitution again to correct this "mistake." The father of AZ SB1070--"show your papers"--is also fired up about this issue.

So when this is all over and the smoke has cleared, will the two amendments be combined to make the killing of immigrant babies legal if it's done with a firearm?? It's unfortunate that the immigrant community doesn't have the money or the clout in D.C. of the National Rifle Association........And equally unfortunate that state and federal officials, our representatives, seem to think they are above the law and can pick and choose which elements of the Constitution to respect and enforce.........

Lack of Money

2010-08-01T11:51:00.003-06:00

Lots of buzz about the deficit. There's a good editorial in today's N Y Times about it. And there's an advertisement to sign a petition to renew the Bush tax cuts. Former senator turned actor Fred Thompson invites you to sign on to one of the very policies that resulted in the recession from which we might only be now emerging . Fred, stick to your acting!!!!

I think I'd put more faith in the opinion of the NY Times or the reigning nobel-laureate in economics, Paul Krugman, than in some washed up former senator and actor whose 2008 presidential campaign was a farce marked by mumbling and ineptitude...........

Life Without TV

2010-07-21T22:03:00.007-06:00

Now Leny is a sweet dog who truly loves her dad. But if she never comes back to Clovis again it's okay with her. Why???? Dad got rid of cable.

Now, we have two households, the mud shashashack (you won't get that reference if you don't do Frank Zappa) and the house in Clovis. Now the shack has the HD T V and all the accoutrements. In Clovis there's a 13" Sharp I won in a sales contest. Got the picture??? No HD, bummer screen size----you know the drill. So I cancelled cable and got wireless internet for the MacBook. Google news works; I can watch a limited selection of streamed movies on Netflix; Hulu is a little boring; I've been watching Rookie Blue on ABC.com. What the heck---Summer is pretty much for reruns anyway!!!!! At least I caught the really important World Cup games in L.C. And the picture on the Mac is HD capable-------

So with retirement imminent and costs lowered---T V suffers. And I really don't care what a Pirate Dog thinks----They don't know it yet but there's gonna be lots of winter nights in the Nargle while we go to NMSU basketball games..........

Reaper

2010-07-15T06:00:00.001-06:00

It's way past my bedtime as I sit here writing this post. We're having a majestic thunderstorm--pouring down rain, flashes of lightning, and loud rolling thunder. Since I can't get to sleep anyway, I'll pour a glass of the grape and do this...........

A special friend of one of the kids lost their father recently. This event has shaken up some personalities I thought were pretty stable and had the proverbial "it" together. Others in this group are watching disease and age perform its, to their minds, malicious work.

Now I've made light of death in this blog and been serious about loss as well . But the loss of a parent---------maybe we don't think of it often enough. My mother succumbed to lung cancer the summer after my senior year in high school, about two weeks before I left for college. Her illness put a definite chill in what should have been a triumphal year. My father died in the mid-90s. My maternal aunts were still alive so I was insulated from death being close in my future---so I believe one might think---those "old" people are in the front line, I'm ok on the bench behind them.

Last November the last of my mother's sisters died. Now my generation--my brother, two first cousins, me----we're the oldest generation, the front line if you will. Actually, just to highlight the absurdity, one of my first cousins has a daughter two months older than me even though I'm a generation ahead of her. And all things being equal, shouldn't the ole Reaper take the oldest generation first, in the natural order of things-----excepting man-made unnatural ends caused by cigarettes, car crashes, war, and those other human calamities that so rob us of our "best and brightest"............

So a parent's death puts one closer to that first line of humanity's defense against the irresistible power of the Grim Reaper. As long as that buffer generation is there, death is a long way off, not to be feared or even much contemplated. But it's still there, lurking, moving forward in the queue of thoughts our conscious mind ponders.

I'm reminded of the Star Trek movies, numbers two and three, when Captain James Tiberius Kirk (all my kids know his middle name) experiences the death of his best friend, Spock, and his son, David. Kirk always "cheated death", never "faced it like this." So like the attitude of the generation with parents or aunts and uncles preceding them. Don't need to confront the concept until you are the front line generation, when there are no more planted rows between you and the ultimate harvest.

I don't know if this post provides any comfort for the loss experienced. I guess one could always turn to Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper." I'm sure some might seek solace in the Bible. Some might believe in re-incarnation (a Yankee fan finding Nirvana coming back as a Red Sox fan---sorry,fp). But I think the important lesson is that while you have life, enjoy it and live it. Celebrate the dead, the body is gone but the spirit joins eternity and will always BE.

Requiem for the Dark Lord

2010-07-14T17:36:00.009-06:00

So strange----Monday night, for no apparent reason, I put in the dvd player "Episode VI" of George Lucas's masterpiece Star Wars, more commonly known as "Return of the Jedi." This is the episode in which Luke Skywalker becomes a Jedi knight and defeats the emperor while besting Darth Vader in a duel of light sabers and rescuing the dormant Anakin Skywalker, Luke and Leia's father, from the evil Dark Lord that he had become (Vader).

Given the time difference between the East Coast and New Mexico, my viewing was possibly in conjunction with the death of the creator of the "Evil Empire"--George Steinbrenner died sometime Monday evening of a heart attack at 80 years old. Possibly while I was watching Luke remove the mask from Vader so his father could view him "with [his] own eyes." Such are the currents and eddies of the space-time continuum in which we humans exist...........

So what????

Well, I'll tell you what----I'm a baby boomer, coming of age in the '50s and '60s. I grew up in southern Connecticut, not far from New York City. I was a serious Yankee fan my entire youth. I so applauded Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series adding to the glory of "the Mick"'s triple-crown season. And I so cried when Bill Mazeroski, 2nd baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates (yes, Virginia, they really used to get to the World Series) had that walk-off home run in Game 7 in 1960. Barely cleared the fence as I recall. He was a lifetime .260 hitter, hitting .273 in the 1960 season. And he beat my Yankees!!!! And I loathed Roger Maris for getting that 61st home run. We all wanted Mickey Mantle to be THE ONE to break Babe Ruth's record. Maris was from the Kansas City A's, which weren't much better than a farm team for the Yankees back then.

Then Steinbrenner bought the Yankees. Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, A-Rod. Money and mediocrity. Jeter's number 2 may one day hang near Mickey's 7, Yogi's 8, Roger's 9. He's the only one of the crop Georgie bought who might deserve that honor. My allegiance shifted to the Red Sox and I've never looked back. How fitting that the owner of the Evil Empire in the Bronx may have met his end as I watched Darth meet his.

Rumor has it Darth's middle initial was "G" for "George."

Biking at Stahmann's

2010-07-05T19:55:00.008-06:00

The Pirate Dogs invited a lot of their family and friends to go on a bike ride at Stahmann's Pecan farm Saturday July 3. Even though they didn't make it (too hard to pedal with dog legs), their parents did. So here are some pictures:

The invite said we'd bike through the orchard but it was really 5K down the highway and back. First the State Police shut down the southbound lane of N M Highway 28.

Some groups were decorated and ready to go:

One kid had a cool bike seat up in front of her dad:

Our dad was ready to roll:

This kid had a great bike----Tonka!!!!!

All we can say is "Tonka Trucking!!!!!"

So away the bikers go, down Highway 28 past the Stahmann Pecan Store and Gift Shop.

There were around 150 bikes that did the ride. This is an idea how it looked:

And though it was just before noon on a hot Saturday and we didn't go into the actual orchards, the ride was mostly on road like this:

Serious tree roof, baby!!!!

Hope next year they let us ride in the orchards on those dirt roads they use for machinery and along the irrigation ditches.

But definitely a ride worth taking. Joining us next year????

What a difference a Couple of Days Make

2010-07-03T13:27:00.006-06:00

The last Friday in June found me making the 300 mile trek from Clovis to Las Cruces. It being so close to the summer solstice, the sun was still in the sky well into the trip. As I descended the 3500 feet from Apache Summit down through the Mescalero Apache reservation, I could still detect the orb's red glow like a fire over the mountains on the west side of the Tularosa Basin. If you aren't familiar with the geography of this region, the Tularosa Basin is about 50 miles wide bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains, dominated by 12,000+ft Sierra Blanca, and on the west by the San Andres and Organ ranges. The western mountains look like the shield wall in Frank Herbert's Dune. And that's a very pertinent analogy because those western mountains separate the shoot 'em up boys from the shoot 'em downers.

There's nothing like a good rain in the desert. Scents come alive. The very earth seems to change and welcome the moisture. The gypsum dunes that are White Sands seem to repel the droplets. But still they fall. It was just a surreal sight---the full moon rising but its body blocked by the thunderheads, its beams piercing through to light up the sky below the clouds. A flash of light, the rumble of thunder, rain so heavy the wipers could barely keep the windscreen clear. And THAT sign--"Welcome to the White Sands Missile Range"---and the first highway sign after what we supposed was a lightening strike marked the entrance to HELSTF (High Energy Laser Systems Test Facility). As the ipod commenced one of Jimi Hendrix's most way-out songs 1983 ("Hooray I awake from yesterday/Alive that the war is here to stay/So my love Katherina and me/Decide to take a last walk through the doors to the sea/Not to die but to be reborn/Away from this land all tattered and torn/forever....."), HELSTF was upon us---lights in the darkness, some activities unknown and unknowable in the New Mexico desert------was that really lightening? Was that storm really from Mother Nature? Land of Enchantment?

Sunday afternoon, sun bright, temps approaching 100F near the White Sands National Monument. All was quiet passing through the missile range. Steve Winwood's classic Mr. Fantasy filled the vehicle's speakers. No sign of any storm, natural or otherwise, just the desert and the gypsum dunes awaiting the next wanderer.............

Beyond Putrid

2010-06-19T13:14:00.002-06:00

So what do "The Nature Conservancy", "Conservation International", and "The Environmental Defense Fund" all have in common besides being NGOs (non-governmental organizations) perceived to be on the "green" side of the environment debates?? Each has taken money and, in some cases, included on their board, BP. And we thought politics had an exclusive when it came to strange bedfellows?????

While their motives originally may have been "pure" with the intent to assist BP in moving "Beyond Petroleum", now we must question their commitments and rhetoric after THE SPILL. Again, as the hippies and yippies of the '60s became the selfish baby boomers of the '80s and '90s and the middle Amerikans of that time became the neo-cons who have wrecked our country's reputation and economy, these NGOs have lost some measure of credibility in the necessary struggle to contain the damage industrialized man has done to his only home. Further proof that left to its own devices, man can and will exhibit his worst tendencies.

Memorial Day 2010

2010-05-31T07:39:00.004-06:00

Been quite the week leading up to this Memorial Day.

First we learned that the companies who plunder the oceans in search of petroleum are clueless if there's an accident or leak a mile under the sea. According to the latest estimates, the Deepwater Horizon is sending oil into the Gulf of Mexico at the rate of an Exxon Valdez spill every four days. It's been 21 years since that "accident" and the damage is still injuring habitats. This spill is far worse. Imagine the repercussions from this tragedy---it might be generations before the damage is remediated.

Then there's the indomitable Craig Venter. In 2001, he led the team that first sequenced the human genome. In 2010, he and his associates have made a "synthetic cell"---the first man-made, self replicating organism. The ethics questions are only beginning-----the possibilities and repercussions could be momentous.

Finally, there is today's holiday---Memorial Day. The big story is that Barack Obama will break with tradition and NOT lay a wreath in the Arlington National cemetery but rather delegate this to the vice-president. Obama will attend a Memorial Day observance in Springfield Illinois, his home state. Does it matter how the president celebrates this day? And is it really a day to celebrate? This holiday, which marks the start of summer for most Americans, is intended for us to take pause and remember those people who have fallen in war. Perhaps a better celebration of the day would be a discussion about how useless and fraudulent some of those wars were. Perhaps a better use of a national leader's time would be to devise a strategy to remove the spectre of war rather than laying wreaths on the graves of the departed. So enjoy your hot dogs and barbecues and beaches this start of the summer holiday. But also resolve to seek peace in our time---the best Memorial Day will come when we no longer need to dig graves for those who have fallen in battle.

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-05-30T14:23:00.003-06:00

Sitting on the west patio at the mud shack. Memorial Day week-end. Mid-afternoon Sunday. It's over 90 but the Chinese elms screen the sun and there's this nice little breeze. If the humidity is 10% that's high. The brisket is smoking, just about done--plenty for everyone, come on over....There are pirate dogs lazing in the shade on the patios. The pecan orchard is all leafed out and Picacho Peak is framed in green. It's been so long since I've had 3 days here---lately it's been rush over on Friday night and leave Sunday afternoon. Five more months and I can retire, probably will finish the year. Then I can enjoy this place and all that the area has to offer without guilt and without thinking I ever have to leave it again.

Theater of the Absurd

2010-05-20T06:53:00.005-06:00

Enough already!!!! Arizona SB1070 is the law in that state. It's pathetic, racist, and divisive. Just look at some of the reactions to it. Boston is part of the boycott---like, why??? The only thing they got from AZ that's significant is Dustin Pedroia (Arizona State) and that's debatable because he went to college there but grew up in Woodland CA. LA wants to boycott and AZ is threatening them with cutting off the power los angelenos get from AZ. And in Texas, people from the more conservative north want to boycott the capitol Austin for joining the AZ boycott.

This is ridiculous, perhaps even more ridiculous than the misbegotten law that spawned these absurdities. But it's also a wake-up call. Immigration reform at the federal level needs to become a priority. I realize our representatives are so overworked----how many of you get a week off for the 4th of July as well as the entire month of August???? That's a six week period when the denizens of DC could debate and solve the immigration problem---except they haven't got the guts. McCain (R-AZ) once supported reform back in the Bush days. And for all his failures, W was right, oops, should say, correct on this issue. Our economy has taken a big enough hit from the bankers. Imagine if we deported every illegal---who'd pick Obama's arugula, clean the houses of the wealthy, pluck them chickens for Perdue and Colonel Sanders???

And lest we forget---if you aren't a "Native American" (descended from one of those intrepid souls who crossed the Bering land bridge thousands of years ago), YOU ARE FROM IMMIGRANT STOCK. So please stop flooding my inbox with those forwards about Mexicans and "Ay-rabs" and all the other racist clap-trap that's out there. America was built by English people fleeing religious persecution, Irish and Italians seeking better opportunities, and all those other ethnicities seeking freedom and a chance for a better life. These are facts, I'm not just waving "the" flag here. Let's take away summer vacation in WAWA DC and get our representatives to put an end to this national disgrace before any more states follow the lead of the sun-addled.

News Items

2010-05-16T08:58:00.005-06:00

Watching those little snippets that scroll across the bottom of the tv screen on news channels. Every so often a few beg for more information.

Item----study shows that women with younger partners are more prone to heart disease. Does this mean that ABC's CougarTown will soon join Law and Order on the cancellation list???

Item----Army proposing recall of 44,000 helmets for failing to meet specifications. How long have men been at war, using head gear, and we still can't make them right??

Item---BP hopes latest efforts might stop oil leak in Gulf of Mexico. Should we expand drilling offshore when the best we can get for containment of a spill that's dumping the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez tragedy every week into the water from those responsible is HOPE??????

Times like these make being a pirate dog preferable to being a human.......

Le Pauvre Barack

2010-04-30T05:00:00.001-06:00

Have you noticed that whenever President Obama tries to do something to promote bi-partisanship it blows up in his face??

He changed the emphasis from the Iraq war to the war in Afghanistan, correcting the error of W in fighting Islamic extremism. The left howled about his continuance of hostilities in the Middle East; the right complained he wasn't trying to "win."

He attempted to let the representatives and senators we elected reform health care and got such a hash of it that he had to personally force the question. Result---partial reform of the health insurance industry and not a hell of a lot else.

Finally, he caved to the "drill, baby, drill" proponents and allowed off-shore drilling. Be thankful you are not a fish in the Gulf of Mexico or the Mississippi Delta!!! Total catastrophe, makes the Exxon Valdiz spill look like a kindergarten play.

Maybe someday soon, the idealist and post-racial president will understand his true power, pursue his agenda of change, and we will all be better off---------------

For What It's Worth

2010-04-29T17:45:00.004-06:00

This post is about that Arizona law again. Here are a few links commenting on the new anti-brown people law. Yes, they are not from Fox News or some right wing website but they are well written and thought out so I'd recommend them to you:

Arizona Burning from The Nation An editorial appearing in today's edition

Desert Derangement Syndrome from the New York Times Another opinion

Civil Rights Lessons from China from The Atlantic's James Fallows who spent the last couple of years reporting from the PRC.

I like Arizona. I tease my wife that when I retire I will lose my teeth, grow my hair long. sport a scruffy beard, and get a job as one of the gunfighters who prowl the streets of Tombstone. I really want to ride a mule to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and camp on the less commercialized "North Rim." Sounds like a helluva good idea for our 30th wedding anniversary.

But the powers that be in the G C state have ended these dreams----no way will I bring my chihuahuas without papers to such a locale!!!

Stephen Stills had it right all those years ago:

"Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away
We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, now, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down."

For What It's Worth Buffalo Springfield

Even with 10% plus unemployment, I don't see a lot of "Americans" lining up for those agricultural jobs in the fields...............

Both Sides Now

2010-04-27T18:01:00.002-06:00

"Bows and Flows of Angel Hair

And Ice Cream Castles in the Air

And Feathered Canyons Everywhere

I've looked at Clouds that Way"

---Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell

Dubya got trashed by his own party for trying to pass immigration reform--John McCain (R-AZ) was one of the prime movers for this reform. The present representatives of the people in WaWa, District of Corruption, refuse to move on immigration reform. John McCain, 2010 version, blames the Obama administration for Arizona's new " got your papers?" law targeting immigrants even thought profiling is still illegal(?!?!?!?). Lindsey Graham, R-SC and also a former proponent of immigration reform, now links any progress on this issue to the financial reform bill congress is also working on. Gotta wonder about these guys we elected who can't work on two critical issues at the same time. Gotta wonder how many sides of the same issue any one senator can be---------"Both Sides Now" may not be enough.............

It's criminal that this law passed and equally criminal that rather than solving the problem of immigration at the federal level, which is where it should be addressed, this issue and the immoral law it has engendered has become a political football and a game of finger-pointing is the best our high-priced senators and representatives, both Democrats and Republicans, can do!!!

Music

2010-04-25T15:47:00.010-06:00

My daughter recently had a facebook post( "Escape Club's "I'll be there" stops me in my tracks whatever I may be doing and I could cry in a second. What is your favorite, meaningful song like that?") about a song that was very meaningful to her. Our friend fabpeng is doing a music series on his blog. So, not to be left out, here's a few songs with some special meaning for us-----from some raunch by the Stones to the wonderful images of John Prine and our favorite version of the national anthem from Woodstock Sunday AM----------even the Bob Marley song that helped inspire the name of this blog..............

Hope you enjoy them as much as we do.............

"Right"-eous & Christian?????

2010-04-25T06:26:00.002-06:00

Lately I've rediscovered an author that had a great effect on me in college, lo those many years ago. I saw a couple of references in articles I'd read, probably in The Atlantic, and I proceeded to find some of his writings. I refer to Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a Jesuit (!?!?!?) theologian and a paleontologist who was on the team that classified Peking Man. One of his quotes appears on the header of this blog.

Now I am not very religious. If asked, I usually respond R.C.L. (Roman Catholic Lapsed). So how do I reconcile having this Jesuit as an influence? Well, Teilhard is logical. He's a scientist. While he tends to a Christian interpretation of phenomena, he maintains his analytical bent. His works aren't filled with "God" but rather man's search for the "Unity." I might take some issue with his assertion that mankind is the apogee of evolution but I do agree with his idea of continued mental and spiritual evolution to join the noosphere.

Where we presently reside is very ostentatiously "Christian." There is an evangelical mega-church just a few blocks north of us and a Baptist mega-church four blocks to the south. Most of the citizens in this city are self-avowed Christians. "God bless" is almost as dominant a form of greeting as "hello" or "good-bye." The former mayor had an "important" conference on a constitutional issue recently---President Obama's speech to school children. This is "Nobama" land, for sure. Why he's a socialist!!!

And why are these Christians so afraid of socialism? Likely because they have forgotten to read the New Testament. This is "eye for an eye" and "homosexuality is abomination" land. Right out of Leviticus and the Books of the Old Testament. We don't hear about "turn[ing] the other cheek", "let he who is without sin cast the first stone", or "love thy neighbor as thyself". Much less the sharing of food and lodging in the Christian community described in Acts or the Epistles of St. Paul. I guess I'm saying I don't see a lot of Christianity being practiced by today's Christians.

God doesn't have a flowing white beard---that's an anthropomorphism, endowing human traits on the deity to make him "understandable" to humankind. The problem is we've overdone this. I can accept a deity as the entity that fired off the Big Bang, the energy that started the universe spinning and expanding. But I cannot accept racism and discrimination being excused as Christians following their Master. These people are following the Jewish faith with the "vengeful God" and the Pharisees. As I recall, these same were cast out of the Temple and the Messiah was to bring a new order---"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light."

Maybe our God-fearing "right"-eous people need to revisit the teachings of the Christ. Start with the Sermon on the Mount. And how socialistic is it to multiply loaves and fishes so the poor might have a meal? Thanks, I'll stick with Teilhard and his more realistic view of the Unity.

BANG

2010-04-24T10:57:00.014-06:00

"There are several versions of the text of the Second Amendment, each with slight capitalization and punctuation differences, found in the official documents surrounding the adoption of the Bill of Rights.^[4] One such version was passed by the Congress, which reads:^[5]

“

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

”

Another version is found in the copies distributed to the states, and then ratified by them, which had this capitalization and punctuation:^[6]

“	A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Wikipedia

Now, the last week has had a Second Amendment rally and the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. One might think the two events were umbilically connected. We find it sad that on the issue of gun control no-one will move to the middle ground.

There is nothing wrong with firearms. My father had a rifle and taught us to shoot it, "hunting" crows at the town dump. I wish I'd learned to hunt---I love venison, elk, and moose meat. However I don't think these meats would be quite so tasty if one had to pick shell fragments from an automatic weapon out of the carcasses before butchering........

Automatic weapons were invented for one purpose---warfare. Machine guns and automatic repeating weapons are used by the military----soldiers tasked to defend their country. They have no business in the hands of children, drug dealers, or ordinary citizens. Just think about the Mexican drug wars currently being contested---the US is the marketplace, ergo the profit center for the cartels. It also serves as the source for their weaponry because of our lack of control over the purchase of automatic weapons. What a grisly balance of trade---import the drugs, export the guns!!! The case could be made that Mexico's travails are the fault of the US!!!!

And no matter how I read the two versions of the Second Amendment I cannot see any justification in them for the sale to the public of automatic weapons. I know the NRA interpretation is that any restriction on gun ownership is an infringement and the liberal freaks say the Amendment applies only to militia being armed. Somewhere in the middle is the answer---automatic weapons for the militia (which at the time of the framing of the Constitution was the equivalent of the present day National Guard, not the "militia" groups so en vogue along the border and among the ultra-right secessionists) and guns that are suitable for hunting or sport-shooting for the masses. This won't end the black market in AK-47s and Kalashnikovs but it might lessen their availability a bit more than the lack of regulation presently in practice. And the NRA people and hunters can still have their "right to bear arms." As long as we stop short of arming the bears............or should we????

Back to the Future????

2010-03-30T21:26:00.012-06:00

We've long thought that it takes extremes to move the mass. In the 60's the tension between groups like the John Birch Society and the Students for a Democratic Society polarized debate about the war in Viet Nam and some social issues. This dichotomy of ideas influenced the end of the war and the domestic policies of LBJ--the Great Society which incorporated civil rights and Medicare into our society. The mass in the middle needs the radical fringes to motivate it.

But what happens when those radicals become the voice of the people in a republic like ours?? What outcomes can be expected when the radical fringe assumes control?? We poked a little fun at the Hutaree Militia but the underlying threats posed by religious cults and right wing domestic terrorists is palpable. Remember Jonestown and Timothy McVeigh. A conservative group called Guardians of the Free Republics is under investigation for sending threatening letters to governors.

Most of these groups, and others in the conservative movement, rail against the growth of so-called big government. The latest documents from the Guardians talks about returning to the pre-1933 form of government. Let's see, wouldn't that be a return to the Great Depression??? Wonder if they'd provide dime a gallon gas and $.07 loaves of bread as well. Somehow we believe the circumstances of the world economy wouldn't permit that, nor would people work for the same wages. The poverty threshold in 2008 was higher than the average wage in 1932!!

The federal government grew with jobs programs, Social Security, and other innovations to get the country out of an economic meltdown in the period from 1932-1934. (In truth, full recovery and full employment came about because of World War II.) But the government interventions in the '30s moved the economy in the correct direction. The recent economic slowdown was exacerbated by the shrinking of government regulation since the 1990s. Wasn't the Republican Party, the conservatives led by Newt Gingrich and George W Bush in charge of the economy and government then? Isn't the lesson of history that less government intervention in the economy a recipe for disaster---see the history for 1929 and 2007 for examples.

So let the tea-partiers continue their tea-bagging and let Rush bombast to his heart's content. But don't for a minute believe them----we would NOT be better of if we revisited 1932!!!!!

Rebels and Rapture

2010-03-30T19:11:00.004-06:00

We are concerned about this new story from Michigan. Seems there's a group of Christian militia that plotted to kill policemen to foment revolution and prepare for the second coming of the Savior. End of Days, the Rapture, Armageddon, Book of the Apocalypse (now called Revelations).

Just a couple of questions. First, other than the moneychangers in the Temple, when did Jesus advocate violent overthrow of the government?? Is this about that black Muslim non-resident we elected president?? Post-racial society?? Dream on.........

Next, where in hell did they dream up the name "Hutaree Militia"????? Did they mean Hatari, the 1962 movie starring John Wayne about hunting wild animals in Africa?? I doubt these people had the intelligence for that word-play---Obama, black, father from Kenya, spearchucker, anti-Christ, any other racial cliches you might favor... No, more likely "Hutaree" is a perversion of Mutara, as in Mutara Nebula from Star Trek II, The Wrath of Khan. That nebula is probably millions of parsecs closer to earth and reality than these wackos are!!!!!!!

Sorry if any words or phrases in this blog post offend anyone but in our opinion these are exactly how we interpret the intentions of groups like this, insofar as we can conceive of their thoughts.

Dead Horses

2010-03-24T06:59:00.007-06:00

There's nothing to be gained in beating a dead horse, goes the old saw. So why do the conservatives continue to do so?? Their present dead horse is the growth of government as exemplified by "Obamacare." Funny, when Medicare/Medicaid was enacted I don't remember cries of foreboding about "Johnsoncare." Was it because we were not as clever then? Doubtful. Most likely it was because we were more civil then, at least in our domestic policy discussions. But I digress....

This morning I happened to catch Congressman Mike Pence (R-Ind,) on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. Mr Pence is a conservative Republican and a winner of Conservative Man of the Year from the organization Human Rights. After the usual frothing about how health care reform as presently constituted will be a crushing blow to our economic recovery, Mt. Pence would NOT name any other government program than "Obamacare" that he would cut to help reduce spending at the federal level and the trillion-dollar deficit. This despite several instances of encouragement by the show' s panelist Mike Barnicle. Mr. Pence's stand is so typical of the conservative Republicans who got us into this mess in the first place---the Iraq War, the debacle named Afghanistan, the collapse of the financial system in 2007------the legacy of George W Bush and the Republican controlled congress (until 2006). And now it's Barack Obama's health care reform that is plunging us into the abyss???? I think not. I agree with David Frum---time for the conservatives to work within the system rather than merely being perceived as obstructionist if they want to make any headway in the November mid-term elections.

So go to the tea parties, continue the "I'm NRA and I vote", and the "NObama" bumper sticker tirades. On with the racial epithets and gender preference slurs, on Rush, on Sean, on Glenn, on over the top screaming, and on to defeat with your beaten dead horse in November.

"...with a whimper"

2010-03-22T14:32:00.003-06:00

So the Christians and tea-baggers go from the capitol. Health reform, or at least, health insurance reform, was passed by the House of Representatives late Sunday evening. And the debate was at such a level that all Amerikans should be proud----cries of "baby-killer", "nigger", etc. raining down on our elected representatives. Stand tall, Amerika. From water-boarding to torture to the total dissolution of any modicum of civility, your partisanship rises triumphant. I am as disgusted with the inexcusable performance of supposed "leaders" over the health care debate as I was over the Vietnam war. What a pathetic excuse for a civilized country. So shall we go to our just desserts, not with a bang but with a whimper.........or in a hale of racist or hateful epithets.

Road Trip with the Dad

2010-03-16T00:00:00.002-06:00

So last Sunday I got to go with Dad and spend Monday in his office. We went back home Monday night. I wasn't especially into the office thing, either. And poor little Bertie had a very rough time of it.

But the road from Clovis to Las Cruces is fascinating. You start out at about 4300ft in Clovis--that's why it's called the "high plains." Think about it--that's almost 2/3rds of the way up Mt Washington, highest point in the Northeast, and a whole lot higher than Ohio where I was an unclaimed stray. You get to Roswell and then really start climbing---towns like Tinnie, Hondo, San Patricio---Can't you just see Roy, Gene, Mr. Eastwood, and "Duke" Wayne riding across your computer screens?????? Great town names.

You pass the Tunstall murder site then climb thru 6000ft. Ruidoso is the next town at 6900ft. Climb some more---Apache Summit is the apex--7591ft above sea level. And all the while you catch glimpses of Sierra Blanca, dominating the plains from its 11,000ft elevation.......Then the descent through the Mescalero Apache reservation into the Tularosa basin, about 4500ft. Alamogordo leads the way into the desert---White Sands National monument and the missile range---kick it out to 80mph. Then clear the San Augustin pass at 5719ft and descend into Las Cruces (3900ft in the valley where we live).

Mostly I sleep through the ride but I do get occasional phrases of the music from the iPod---"wrap your legs round these velvet rims and strap your hands cross my engines...i wanna know if love is wild and i wanna know if love is real...i wanna die with you Wendy on the streets tonite in an everlasting kiss..." or "roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair/ the night's busted open and these two lanes can take us anywhere..." (Bruce S.) The man knows about dogs and cars. "Did an angel/ whisper in your ear/ hold you close/ take away your fears/in those long/ miles from here..." (Lucinda W.) or "Sometimes i wonder if i'm ever gonna make it home again/ it's so far and out of sight.."(Carole K.) Another favorite is "a woman is like a dresser some men are always runing though its drawers.."(Cream) or "Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike/ they've all come to look for America.." (S&G) And lastly "once a story's told/ it can't help but grow old/ roses do/ lovers too/ so cast your seasons to the wind.." (Boz S). Just road song fragments that I heard when I was awake, which wasn't often over four and a half hours driving through the night. But it's all worth it to spend the time with my Dad.

LOL

Leny

First Mate of the Pirate Dogs

Torturing

2010-03-10T15:35:00.002-07:00

The sole purpose of this post is to torture the Fabulous Penguin. This person is a friend who recently visited us in Las Cruces. Their intent is to move here. There are some reservations they have---the availability of New York style pizza, the ease of acquiring green chile, the usual real estate issues in the present market. All legitimate concerns. AND AS OF TODAY-----all moot!!!!

FP, todays special at Zeffiro's N Y Pizzeria was GREEN CHILE MEATBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, couldn't resist rubbing it in...........How could Las Cruces be any MORE perfect?????

N Y C in Las Cruces

2010-02-28T11:50:00.005-07:00

Ahhhhhhh, Nuevo Mexico, land of green chiles, pintos, pistachios, pecans, and enchantment. And now, N Y style pizza slices!!!!!!!!!! Near the downtown mall is a pizzeria cum artisan bread shop, Zeffiro's/Popular Artisan Bread. It serves excellent brick oven pizza. Across town, by the university, the same people have been teasing us with a banner announcing the opening soon of a New York style pizza place. For those of us from "the east" there is nothing like a N Y slice---thin crust, delicious sauce, good toppings---fold it in half , place it in your mouth, and allow your taste buds to experience ecstasy. And now we can experience this wonder in Las Cruces.

I had gone to the bicycle shop to check the status of the tune-up on my mountain bike but it wasn't ready. So Leny and I went to lunch at Zeffiro's N Y style pizza on University. She stayed in the truck, I ordered a plain slice to go, took it to the truck, and shared it with her in the parking lot.

It was as good a slice as I've had since leaving the east coast!!! So I decided that dinner would be a N Y pizza, to be eaten during the Big East showdown between Villanova (YAY) and Syracuse (BOO). I called in the order. The wife and I went to pick it up. Now there is one negative---the very friendly young woman who cheerily took my money said it would be a minute for them to box the order, then never gave us the pizza. Giving the place the benefit of the doubt, it being new with new staff and still needing to work out the kinks, let alone considering their proximity to the university and how many people might not pick up orders, I patiently waited about 25 minutes for her to call my name to pick up my order. The wife of course picked up on my growing impatience and went out onto the patio. I approached the counter and the young person acted as if I had just entered the establishment---total air head. There was no-one home behind that sweet smile!!!! After we established I'd called in an order and had already paid for it, the owner/manager came over. He apologized and refunded my money. The pizza and calzone were under the counter, getting cold. The cashier still did not give them to me---it took another employee to hand them over!!!! Hopefully they get over their birthing pains soon because I will say the product is absolutely outstanding!!!!! The acid test of a pizza is whether it tastes good cold and this pizza certainly did!!! I bet it would be even better hot!!!! Hopefully I'll experience it that way next week. Now if they'd only add anchovies to their list of toppings it would be perfection...............

Death in D C

2010-02-13T07:50:00.003-07:00

Mourning time hath come.

On two issues the Democrats have proven why they cannot govern, even with the change agent the people elected in November 2008 as their leader. It is truly time to change the name of the American capitol from the "District of Columbia" to the "Dysfunctionality of Congress."

The latest fiasco by the Democratic leadership is the Senate's alleged leader Harry Reid doing all he can to strip a bill fashioned by---hold your breath---a Democrat and a Republican to boost jobs. The details are too much to go into here---see the N Y Times piece. Suffice it to say that once again Reid has managed to sabotage the president's initiatives in trying to get the Republicans to participate in rather than stonewall his program.

Reid's blunder follows on the heels of his and the House speaker Nancy Pelosi's total mismanagement of health care reform, which degenerated into health care insurance reform, which is now nowhere. I know there are those who say good riddance and keep the government's hands off my medicare, but most economists, even those of the conservative ilk, take the position that unless health care inflation is brought under control, deficits at the federal level never will be and future generations will pay and pay as America's position as the world's economic engine sputters into decline.

I almost wish I lived in San Francisco because if I did, I'd be working to get a new representative----Where is the "Draft Gavin Newsom, Dump Pelosi" movement. He'd do more good in her seat than following the Gubernator............

The Revolution Circa 2010

2010-02-06T16:15:00.008-07:00

Tonight's the night-----TEA PARTY!!!!!!!!

The first convention for this new party is being held in Nashville TN. At more than $500 a ticket it costs a lot more than those other revolutionary venues like Woodstock in 1969, Chicago's Grant Park in 1968, or John Lennon's Toronto or Paris hotel rooms. And the list of speakers and topics, and the workshops!!!!

But the keynote speaker---former Alaska governor, wolf slaughterer, and moose cleaner Sarah Palin. This time without a lead-in from Tina Fey. I'm sure her performance will be more than worth the price of admission. Or not.

Isn't it amazing how John Lennon foretold this movement in his song Revolution---"you tell me it's the institution/ well you know/ you better free your mind instead." The tea-partiers are so full of original, thoughtful slogans--Obama care is socialized medicine; If you think health care is expensive now, wait until it's free; Let's take back America for Americans. But my personal favorite is when those choruses of retirees all chant for the government to keep its hands off their Medicare.

Maybe John was wrong----he assumed they had minds that they could free.

GCCB

2010-01-24T09:42:00.016-07:00

Yes, we're on the green chile cheeseburger thing again. I know most readers will never come here and experience this sensation. So here's some propaganda from the NM Dept. of Tourism that will hopefully entice you. And if you make your base of operations Las Cruces, you'll have a place to stay!!!!!!

First, please watch this so you can understand:

Got your taste buds all atwitter??????? Don't tell me your mouth isn't watering........lying isn't very nice!!!!!! Especially to Pirate Dogs who will haunt your darkest nightmares if you treat them so.............Note the loser Bobby Flay in the video. Buckhorn has excellent GCCB but we still rate The Owl numero uno!!!!!! The atmosphere adds to the experience and The Owl, with Conrad Hilton's original bar, the business cards and dollar bills stuck to the walls and ceilings, is the ultimate environment for enjoying this unique treasure of the Land of Enchantment.

So click on this link for the only map of New Mexico you will ever need. You trust the Pirate Dogs, right??? They are waiting for you to come and join them in the trek to taste a green chile cheeseburger at each of the locations on the map---except for the Blake' s Lotta Burger locations. Those are pretty inconsistent, it being a fast food chain. But the two locations in San Antonio---MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

LOL

P.D.

State of the Union 2010

2010-01-22T15:21:00.011-07:00

So the first state of the union address by Barack Obama, originally believed to be scheduled for Feb. 2, has been the victim of constituent pressure. Rather than pre-empt or, worse yet, compete with the season premiere of Lost, the prez and team have scheduled the big speech for Wed. Jan. 27. Bending to special interests already.....And think of the poor speechwriters. Seven seasons of West Wing have taught us all about the angst of the White House staff in crafting this annual message and policy statement. To move it forward a week would have sent Josh and Sam into apoplectic fits and a long stay in a sanitarium.

In a previous post, we said we'd comment on some of the political news, so here we go---from the perspective of some rather intelligent canines---the Pirate Dogs!!!!

The first subject is hubris. The Democratic leadership (or lack thereof) embodied in Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid were so certain they could use their numerical advantage and senatorial super-majority to ram through anything on their agenda. In the course of attempting this one party take-over of the republic, these two have totally undermined the bi-partisan goals of their party's leader---the president. So the Republicans do a drug war thing--"just say no"--- and all the economic recovery and needed programs like environmental protection and health care become subject to the pork needs of every Democratic denizen of the halls of the capitol. These "leaders" of the Democratic party are so inept they allowed a Republican victory in a Massachusetts special election for the Senate seat that has been held by a Kennedy since 1952!!!!! Scott Brown ran the type of campaign that might entice any voter. If he eschews his "Number 41" b.s. and actually does what he said---represent the citizens of MA first, he would be a breath of fresh air in the Senate.

Next we have Pat Robertson saying Haiti's deals with the devil caused the tragic earthquake. What is it with "Christians"???? Now the soldiers in the Middle East can't aim their weapons properly because all the gun sights have biblical inscriptions on them and they are being recalled and replaced!!!! Or at least removed. Did it occur to these people that part of the rationale for the Islamic jihadist is their perception that they need to defeat the Crusaders, i.e., Christians, in order to preserve their life style and religion. Aren't they to be allowed the same freedom of religion as the citizens of the United States??? Didn't the King of England in 1776 call the Sons of Liberty "terrorists"?

Scandals----aahhh, what would American media be without them. Around the clock Tiger affair coverage, Mark Sanford and the Argentinian/Appalachian deception. Now John Edwards has admitted fathering Rielle's daughter and the National Inquirer's editorial board is going to submit their coverage for a Pulitzer prize, that most coveted award for SERIOUS journalism!!!! The National Inquirer---home of "I was an Alien Love Slave" exposes.......People, are you there?? Thank heaven they are "ineligible". What a fiasco that would be-----maybe even worse then McCain picking Palin !!!! Or thinking Reid and Pelosi could steer health care reform through the legislative process and have it emerge as a really positive benefit for the American people!!!

Next, let's discuss campaign finance reform. Now that the Supreme Court has overturned parts of McCain-Feingold and opened the door to limitless contributions, maybe it's time for real reform. Let the federal government take one dollar from each tax return and put the money in a pot for the presidential election. The money would be divided equally among all candidates appearing on the ballot in 26 states. (26 states is one more than half the total number of states. Some states have very low filing fees which encourage very marginal or fringe candidates to enter their primaries. If candidates can file in at least 26 states this might prevent public funding for the extremists and wackos.) Any additional expenditure would be illegal and we wouldn't want a criminal for president, would we?? No fund raising is permitted in local elections. Each office seeker should pay a filing fee and get out and meet the voters and convince them of their worthiness to serve. Just like the Founding Fathers had to---you didn't see George Washington or Thomas Jefferson doing polls and paying political advisers!!!!!!

Finally, the BIG ONE---health-care reform. Now Paul Krugman has some ideas in his column today but how about this----let's make the plan that all the government officials, Senators, House members, and federal employees have available to the general public?? Even a Republican couldn't vote against that without having to answer charges of elitism. What's good for our bureaucrats and elected representatives should be good for all the citizens, right???

THE MAP

2010-01-20T18:48:00.003-07:00

Ok---it's one year for Obama, State of the Union time, all kinds of stuff----like the Massachusetts senate seat the Republicans just won that has been held since 1952 not only by Democrats, but by BROTHERS John and Ted Kennedy. So much for the forefathers diatribes about royalty............And the Pirate Dogs are observing all this and we will comment----over the week-end.

But right now----it's green chile cheeseburgers!!!!!!!!! The NM Dept. of Tourism has released the map for aficionados of this culinary treat. In the Clovis area, Taco Box made the cut and their version isn't bad, much better than say Mickey-D's, Wendy's, or Sonic. Peppers on the Plaza made it in La Mesilla. Bobcat Bite is on the map. Of course both the OWL and the Buckhorn are there. Who wants to accompany me and the Pirate Dogs in visiting as many as we can over maybe a long week-end this summer??

Bonus

2010-01-17T08:44:00.003-07:00

An unexpected bonus this Sunday morning. Having the usual cup of coffee and perusing the online New York Times. Checking the normal online haunts. Then a squeal of excitement from the kitchen.

To the east of the adobe shack rise the Organ Mountains. The house itself sits in the valley north of Las Cruces. This particular clear crisp morning we were awarded the sight of nine hot air balloons drifting along. That isn't all that unusual a sight in the Mesilla Valley. We saw balloons Saturday as we headed out to do our weekend shopping and run errands. The bonus this morning was to see the air craft landing in the open area between our location and the main roads a few miles to the east.

Not only do we have those lovely views and the privacy of the pecan orchard but we are also near a hot air balloon launch and landing site!!!

I'm sure pictures will appear soon on CZ's site so stay tuned.

The Next Thing to Fix

2010-01-14T06:03:00.005-07:00

Way back in 1789, when thirteen former colonies, fairly similar in population, conceived a constitution, they could not foresee how the new nation would spread across the continent of North America. Nor how population patterns would emerge. The great mass of citizens settling along the coasts. The incredibly low population densities in the Midwest and Southwest. The polarization of the citizenry---the god-fearing conservative heartlanders and the secular liberal promiscuous residents along the two oceanic coasts.

So these great men devised a House of Representatives, which is structured to represent the citizens on a basis proportional to the population of the various states. I think I read somewhere that thanks to the 2010 census, CA may lose a couple of representatives and TX may gain them. And the Senate, conceived as a gentlemanly forum of debate, discussion, and leisurely reflection on issues, to be attended by two formidable lions from each state. Now this made sense back in 1789 when the new entities were similar in population and the driving need was to unify the disparate former colonies. But today??

Gail Collins, writing in today's New York Times, puts this error by our forefathers into perspective:

"There are 100 members of the Senate. But as Brown [Republican in the special election for Ted Kennedy's Seat] is currently reminding us, because of the filibuster rule, it takes only 41 to stop any bill from passing.

U.S. population: 307,006,550.

Population for the 20 least-populated states: 31,434,822.

That means that in the Senate, all it takes to stop legislation is one guy plus 40 senators representing 10.2 percent of the country.

People, think about what we went through to elect a new president — a year and a half of campaigning, three dozen debates, $1.6 billion in donations. Then the voters sent a clear, unmistakable message. Which can be totally ignored because of a parliamentary rule that allows the representatives of slightly more than 10 percent of the population to call the shots.

Why isn’t 90 percent of the country marching on the Capitol with teapots and funny hats, waving signs about the filibuster?"

So after we fix heath care---regardless of your opinion of the present package, it's a much needed start!!!-we need to fix this error by the founding fathers. After all, we changed their rules about counting slaves in the population (the 60% rule in the Constitution). We can change the structure of the Senate the same way. Let's get rolling!!!!!!!!

Virtuous

2010-01-13T16:11:00.004-07:00

Faith, Hope, and Charity. What Christian doesn't know these three virtues as the cornerstone of the faith. And the Golden Rule, right from Christ in the scriptures, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Words and feelings to live by and to guide us, the poor sinners trekking through the vale of tears and the valley of death. And how we count on the approval and example of our spiritual leaders. Pope Benedict, for all his flaws, met the woman who knocked him down on Christmas eve and forgave her. A true example for his flock.

But here in the US, with Christian fundamentalism running rampant, there are other shepherds, like Pat Robertson. Not one to be in thrall to the pope, this preacher came at the tragedy in Haiti with all the compassion of a spawn of Satan himself-----no forgiveness or compassion here. That earthquake was visited on the poorest Western nation because of a pact with the devil. Bet they have a lot of "homos" there too, huh, Pat??? Sometimes I wonder what the hell bible these yahoos are reading................

Losing Ground?

2010-01-06T19:04:00.005-07:00

So 2009 , the year just finished, was all about Darwin and evolution. The 200th anniversary of his birth. The 150th anniversary of the publication of his masterpiece The Origin of Species.

If you listened to all the talking heads and watched any of the specials you got the feeling that evolution had culminated with modern Man. Did it??? I would refer you to this link that was on Google news today: dolphins as humans. When I was in college I wrote a short story about a future where humankind had ceded its mastery of the planet to other species. The final paragraph was a description of a dolphin's tears as it proudly stood on the moon, surveying all the garbage humans had left to despoil the lunar landscape. It won a prize for short story fiction and got published in the school's literary gazette.

Need more proof about evolution continuing beyond humanity?? I present as evidence Gilbert Arenas. This yahoo makes how many million dollars a year??? And now he's lost it, hopefully permanently. Like Roger Clemens---I remember hearing him speak and thinking that if he couldn't throw a fastball like he did, he'd starve because there wasn't enough grey matter in his skull to allow for his survival.

I don't have a problem with professional athletes making money. Their careers are short and their physical prowess must decline with age. I really have a problem with the idiot franchise owners in professional sports who entice talents like Michael Vick or Kevin Garnett to eschew their education and "turn pro." Garnett seems okay, Vick had his dog days and served time for them. Arenas and Clemens are evidence we may someday be surpassed by another species on the Tree of Life. And I hope I'm not around to see it. Go Dolphins---and I don't mean the Miami football team...........

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-01T06:54:00.005-07:00

The blue moon rose large over the Organs on New Year's eve. Fireworks graced the skies at midnight ushering in the first year of the second decade of the 21st Century. Just a couple hundred more years until NCC-1701 leaves its moorings for its maiden voyage.

The biggest concern is that we make it that long. Some kind of health insurance reform will get through Congress in 2010. It will be largely influenced by lobbyists since despite all of Barry Obama's post-partisan change beliefs, the District of Columbia is still a place where money talks and everything else (like ethics, representing the voters who sent you, honesty) walks.

Should we even discuss the latest foiled terrorist attempt? Does the end justify the means or lack thereof?? The guy got caught, the bomb did not go off. It wasn't 9/11 all over again. So all the recommendations by all the investigative committees in the world can't defeat the fact that human beings are not infallible. It is the nature of the species to err in order to evolve.

Speaking of errors, what exactly is the problem with those whole body screen machines?? Being an individual with a knee implant, I can attest that the machines (Albuquerque has them) are far less intrusive than some bozo using wands and "patting" me down. They are also much faster, making the lines at airport security check points flow much more smoothly. If the concern is privacy, as I've heard voiced by opponents and talking heads on t.v., then we need to eliminate Facebook, Google, credit cards, credit bureaus, government, and probably most other human institutions because we cede a little of our precious privacy every time we interact with one of them.

Just a few thoughts--

"...and Happy New Year. Let's hope it's a good one, without any fear. War is over if you want it, war is over now." -- John Lennon

Zeffiro's

2009-12-29T12:41:00.005-07:00

There are some very good Italian style eateries back east. Pasquale's in Candia NH comes to mind---wonderful food. Best pasta Faggioli I ever had, and the minestrone is excellent also. And Flatbread Pizza in Portland ME---good wood fired oven crust pizzas.

But we just had lunch in a place that will give either a run for their money. Las Cruces is where one might fantasize over Mexican cuisine but Zeffiro's Pizza Napoletana will make one believe they found a little Italy. The minestrone was excellent and the pizza------we had the "Capricciosa" with fresh mushrooms, kalamata olives, prosciutto..............as good as any I've ever had. And the pirate dogs who had been confined in the Nargle absolutely scarfed the crust we brought them.

So even though there's snow on the ground (got a couple inches overnight) it's very warm in the tummy right now...........

Holiday Travel 2009

2009-12-27T08:22:00.006-07:00

Watching MSNBC this morning---news about the terrorist they caught in Detroit. And the flooding at Reagan International in Washington DC. I guess I really should keep watching. After all, there's got to be a connection. You know what Dick Cheney and all the Republicans will come up with---

"Late in the night (or early Sunday morning) the Saturday after Christmas, twenty-four towel headed ayrabs separated themselves from the surveillance cameras and crammed into the men's rooms in the U S Airways terminal. Quickly and stealthily they stripped off their headgear, shouted Allahu Ackbar', crammed the towels into the toilet, and flushed like mad and all in unison. Needless to say, this disrupted the plumbing system, causing massive backups in the toilets and urinals. One of the older pipes, targeted for replacement in the new transportation infrastructure federal over-spending project (commonly knows as a bail-out bill, just what was needed in this case) burst. It seems the money was held up by Republicans on the oversight committee. Water cascaded from the ceiling and shorted out computers, causing flight delays and cancellations. Poor affluent Amerikans couldn't make their flights to the Caribbean to extend their holidays. All kinds of flight delays, mucking up travel as bad as the weather last weekend. And all this in sympathy for their Al-Qaeda compatriot in Detroit. Beware Amerika!!! Once again the Arab hordes are at the gates............Raise the alert level and be prepared for even more abuse at the hands of the TSA."

Thanks, Dick and Georgie W. Now for the latest about Kate Gosselin and Tiger Woods, could it be???, our Hollywood reporter Sleazeellen Hemroid..............

Unreformed

2009-12-24T05:53:00.006-07:00

This morning the Senate passed the health care reform bill. 60-39. Who was missing?? Was this 40 Dems and 20 Repubs in favor?? As Aerosmith says, DREAM ON.

Now that the bills are through the nonsense of quorum calls and cloture resolutions and all the other b.s. that our representatives use to avoid governing and making hard choices, what did we get?? A political deal where any Dem senator who wanted could get some pork or special consideration for his/her state!! Abortion reform? Insurance pools? Less responsibility for the state and more for the Fed on Medicaid?

What about all the millions of baby boomers who would like to retire but can't get reasonable cost health insurance? What is so bad about a Medicare buy-in at 55? That's what all federal employees basically get for their health insurance. If it's good enough for Senators Liebermann, McCain, and Nelson it should be good for the rest of us!!!!

Now there will be a conference committee to blend the House and Senate versions into a bill that can become law after Barack Obama signs it. So to Nancy Pelosi, John McCain, John Boehner, Joe Liebermann, Barry Obama----before you go any further, please, over the Christmas recess, read Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy and learn how a LEADER acts.

The American people want HEALTH CARE REFORM not political hash. Early buy-in to Medicare, a public option for health insurance, reform in how medical professionals are compensated (pay for results, not number of procedures). This is not too much to ask and we, the people, deserve better than what we've gotten to this point!!!!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-22T20:35:00.003-07:00

Dad's cousin sent him this, he shared it with us, and we thought we'd share it with all of you!!!! Please click on these words:

"Merry Christmas"

We love you all!!!!

from the Pirate Dogs

Anton Chico

2009-12-17T17:43:00.006-07:00

Any self-respecting gathering of more than one chihuahua should have an Anton Chico. We don't---but hopefully the humans will add one soon!!!!

The story of Anton Chico is one that brings tears of pride to those of our proud canine race. It isn't enough that chihuahuas defeated Aztec slavers and those who sacrificed dogs to Quetzalcoatl. These valiant dogs moved north into New Mexico and secured the area near the Manzano mountains for the humans who followed them. Part of that was enabling the fortress of Don Salvador Tapia to colonize the area he named after the chihuahua who led him there---yes, Anton Chico was that dog. He led the people who repelled the Texans seeking to claim the land as part of their state which they believed should encompass the entire watershed of the Rio Grande. Were it not for this brave chihuahua, Albuquerque might be in Texas :-( Then what?????

So long live Anton Chico, noblest of the small dogs!!!! And this is the reason all families with multiple chihuahuas must get one named Anton (or Antonia--we are not misogynists) Chico!!!!

A true testament, written as inspired by the verbal history of chihuahuas by Bertequila, midshipman and chronicler of the Pirate Dogs.

Reality?????

2009-12-08T17:49:00.002-07:00

My brother sent me this link to a story about "Student Day" in Iran. Remember when those days were a celebration of learning, a time of joy?? Now I guess we can add Opening Day of Hunting Season.......

Then there's the ever politically correctly minded Harry Reid comparing the Republicans to slave owners. Please don't take this wrong, but I see his point. He was comparing the obstructionists of today to the same class of politicos in the mid-1800's. Reid is just ham-fisted like his House counterpart Nancy Pelosi. If we get the programs we need to reform health care, fight global warming, get the economy back under control, it will be in spite of these two "leaders" not because of them.

We won't comment about Tiger except to remind readers that absolute anything corrupts absolutely.

Yesterday it snowed and we had a little ice storm on the high plains. Today the winds hit 60 mph. Please tell me again about NM weather---how warm and cozy we have it.........

Leny has developed a stubborn disobedient streak that manifests itself on Sunday when I leave LC for the work week in Clovis. She sits by the truck, refusing to come indoors. If we get insistent, she rolls over on her back, paws up like she wanta her sharpradorial belly rubbed. She hates my leaving as much as I do............

So enjoy whatever reality you are inhabiting. Got your Christmas shopping done yet??????

Update from the Mud Shack

2009-11-28T07:54:00.005-07:00

What ever possesses people to do some things is totally incomprehensible to me. A standard washer/dryer pair takes up just over 58 inches---each is 29 inches wide, you need a couple inches clearance. So why make a laundry room 55-1/2 inches wall to wall??? Glad those new front loaders can be stacked; sorry to not be able to use our less than 2-years-old conventional top loaders.........

Gotta do a commercial for Lowe's---got the units on sale and they delivered Sat. a.m. at 7:30!! So nice to not waste a day hanging out waiting for delivery/service people!!!!! I've always had better service from them than their competitor.

Since the gas heater in the front of the house needs work, we have been heating with wood. The kiva fireplaces are wonderful. They are easy to light and once the massive masonry structure gets warm it retains the heat and keeps the area warm all day and most of the night.

We found a place that offers a variety of firewood for pretty reasonable prices and spent Friday stacking a 1/2 cord of pecan for our heat source.

Now Comcast is another story. The customer service people were a pleasure to deal with, the contractor was a jerk. We wanted at least two live connections. He provided one and groused that it wasn't on the orders to do two. Of course he still had his ladder against the roof and it would have taken him about 5 minutes to reconnect the splitter he had just disconnected.....It took me 10 minutes but that's because I had to wait for CZ to find me a pair of pliers to undo the connection.

There's some other small repairs that need doing, like the line to the swamp cooler that decided to spring a leak Thursday night......but no big deals considering the house is a fifty year old adobe!!!!! And I can sit in just about any room and marvel at the views, or curl up on the couch in front of the kiva fireplace with a good book or magazine.......

Can I figure out how to retire NOW???????

T-Day '09

2009-11-26T06:18:00.002-07:00

Dad drove past a sign on a church in Alamogordo that said "This Thanksgiving, try counting your blessings, not your calories." So---

mud house

lots of running room

'Roid, Weetz, Bertequila

cousin dogs

Klingon Kats

warm kiva fireplaces

a great place to live

my people all together here for the holiday

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!!!!!

Leny

First Mate of the Pirate Dogs

Elegy

2009-11-14T18:24:00.004-07:00

So our 97 year old aunt died last Wed. in her sleep. The way one should check out---sleeping and with no pain. Nice service, too---very quick, no wake, viewing for two and a half hours before the funeral mass.

Lately I've been re-discovering Teilhard de Chardin and thinking and reading about religion. Aunt Mary watched "the mass" every Sunday at 10:00am. I knew better than to do my weekly Sunday call at that time. I guess I lost my faith one August day in 1966 and never really got it back.

So as the quote that serves as a header for this blog states, "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience." So should we view Mary's life. And be happy for her that her suffering is past and she rests in the bosom of the creator along with the litany of family that preceded her--parents Alessandra and Vincenzo, siblings Rose, Frances, Philipina, Delia, Philip, Gennaro, and Amalio. Requiescat in pace, Aunt Mary, for no-one deserves that peace more than you.

Gone and Done It

2009-10-25T14:50:00.005-06:00

So after sitting on the market since mid-June with lots of showings and no offers, we signed a contract to sell our house Thursday at around 8:30PM. Needing a place to live, we had searched the internet and then on Saturday drove to Las Cruces and made an offer -----Today it was accepted!!!!! YeeHah and here we go again.

The house is an adobe, 3br/2ba on about 1/4 acre fully fenced and bordered by a pecan orchard on three sides. There are 2 kiva fireplaces and three outdoor living areas. The property is north of the Las Cruces city limits but only about 10 minutes to all the amenities of the city.

Here's a few pix:

This is the back of the house with 2 patios and french doors.

This is the family/living room with kiva fireplace.

This is the view out the back door of the back yard and the pecan orchard that borders the property.

More can be seen at Clair's Picasa site.

Dumb and Stupid-er????

2009-10-22T17:28:00.004-06:00

I give up. It's getting cold even here and the pirate dogs and me are getting to feel like it's time to hibernate. Maybe when we come out of that state things will be somewhat normal?????

This morning I posted a link to an Onion satirical article on Facebook. The gist of it was "moron" picketing in WA state thinking they were in Wa DC. The last sentence was that to combat the ignorance, the gov was gonna spend $3-trillion on education. Would that were true......

Throughout the day I check Google News to see where the Dow is (affects my retirement) and just to stay in touch with the "real" world (outside the office). And the Onion is prescient---we have been taken over by morons!!!!

Take Fox News---please, preferably off the airwaves. These idiots, led by Greta van Susteren, are trying to paint the administration as having an Enemies List and Fox News is #1 on that hit parade. Shades of Nixon and the Plumbers, whom I'm sure they would have supported!!! Problem with Fox News---all ego no grey matter. All bluster and no brainwork.

The premise that stupidity is rampant in our fair nation is the subject of a column i n the Berkeley Daily Plane t on the dumbing down of America. Basically the author's take is that oversimplification due to constant noise has led to a degradation in the thought processes of the American public.

Now what I've thus far presented are opinions. I could scrape up more of them, I'm sure. But let's end this discussion with a fact that conclusively makes the case for this premise that we are stupid as a people. The governor of CA, Arnold Schwarzneggar, today signed a bill supporting the building of a 75,000 seat football stadium in the LA area. This phenomenal WASTE of money in a state that can't educate its children, can't balance its budget, has made drastic cuts in services, and needs to free prisoners to cut the prison population or be in contempt of court!!! LA needs a football stadium as much as the rest of us need to contract AIDS and Swine Flu at the same time!!!!!

Dumb, dumber, stupid, and stupider. Time to hibernate. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

El Beisbol

2009-10-21T16:33:00.004-06:00

I guess baseball season is over.

Tuesday night we settled in to watch the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (who dreams up these monikers???) even up their American League Championship Series with those NastY Yankees. Being true Red Sox fans, of course we favor the Angels. Long story short---didn't happen. The Yankees won 10-1 taking a 3-1 lead in a best 4 of 7 series. If their opponent were the Red Sox, there might be hope. But the Angels?? Let's give them some applause for finally ending the dominance of the Red Sox over their West Coast patsies---the Sox have owned the Angels in the post season going back to 1987.

Back to Tuesday---I understand if Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo of NESN, the Red Sox flagship t v station, shill for the team and are not at all objective in assessing the skills of the Beantown Boyz. I even suffer thru the Fox Sports Southwest fools who laud the Texas Rangers when I watch that station to see my beloved Sox. It's only natural for t v announcers to favor the home market team. But is it too much to ask for some objectivity from national announcers like Joe Buck and Tim (the terrible) McCarver on Fox's national coverage of the playoffs??? The first Yankee run came on a play with Alex Rodriguez scoring from third base. There was a grounder to second, the Angel defender was a little too deep and the throw home was high.

Well to hear Tim McCarver's analysis, A-roid (A-rod after steroids---ever look at his earlobes---hi-def is sometimes too much information) is the greatest thing since sliced bread, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, and Reggie Jackson all embodied in him. Honestly, I think I could have scored on that grounder, replacement right knee and arthritic left knee and all. Now A-roid is number 8 on the all-time homer list. Of course, given the steroid and drug era, so what?? He's up there with Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGwire---the Jacked-up Three. The 'Roid got the bulk of his homers with such play-off denizens as the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers. When he finally got to play post-season, he was basically 0-for-October until this year. And McCarver makes him sound like Jeter, for god's sake!!!! Sorry, A-roid doesn't belong in the same sentence as the Yankee captain. I hate the Yankees and love the Red Sox, but I can respect Derek Jeter as a class act. He's the only one of the Skankees I'd like to see move north to Fenway.

So no more ALCS, unless the Angels have a Red Sox miracle up their sleeves. And we'll take solace in the fact that even if the Yankees win the World Series, Los Soquitos Rojos will still have won twice as many world championships this century.

Nothing's Easy

2009-10-14T18:59:00.003-06:00

After all the flap about the peace prize, we really need to get serious about blaming the current administration for things. Onion has a piece about Obama negotiating with a forest fire--guess he CAN do anything!!! Today the news broke that American kids are even worse at math than last year after we elected what we thought was a REAL education supportive president. There's tsunamis in the Pacific and Dylan was right about SoCal---"a hard rain's gonna fall" and all those multi-million dollar homes the elite built on those recently denuded-by-fire hills may come tumbling down like Jericho's walls. Barack, blow that trumpet!!!!!!!!

But the ultimate insult, worse than H1N1 swine flu, is H3N8!!!! Obviously this plague has been visited upon us by Yahweh as punishment for our electing Obama. What, you didn't hear about this?? The ultimate apocalyptic event, worse than a Vince Vaughn movie or a Mayan prophecy?

H3N8 is a virus that infects horses. Apparently it can be transmitted to dogs, causing pneumonia in man's last and only best friend. Vets are recommending vaccinations for the K-9 population to protect them. Holy spiraling health care costs, and right on top of the swine flu vaccine issues!!!!! Barack, Barack, why hast thou forsaken us???? After nine months in office, all there is for you is blame---- blame for the wars you didn't start and the deficit you didn't create. Bet you even support Limbaugh's buying the St Louis Rams!!!! Don't worry, someone is sure to paint you with that brush,too......

Book Comment

2009-10-01T16:41:00.004-06:00

I recently read Myths, Illusions, & Peace by Dennis Ross and David Makovsky. It's a fascinating study of the relationship between the US and the Middle East, especially Israel and Iran. Some parts seem to be self-serving, almost as if Mr. Ross is polishing his resume. He was a negotiator for Palestinian-Israeli peace talks under H W Bush and Clinton and while an adviser to Obama, might he wish for a more active role? Anyway, the book is illuminating and well worth the read if one is interested in the Middle East. One of the final paragraphs pretty well sums up the pathetic incompetence of the last eight years:

"Truth be told, credibility is a function of many facets of our behavior. Are we effective? Do we tend to preserve the moral high ground? Do we frame issues or objectives in a way that others internationally or regionally accept? Do we shape policies in which our objectives and our means are in sync, or is there always a wide gap between them? Do others believe that we will do what we say we will do, or are we likely to put those who join with us in an exposed position? Do we avoid surprises that raise questions about our purposes or judgment, or both? Ultimately, credibility boils down to reliability and effectiveness. After the ineffective policies of the Bush Administration, its successor must recognize the importance of being able to produce on the objectives it proclaims. "

~Dennis Ross, David Makovsky: Myths, Illusion, & Peace, p. 319

So if there is a lesson to be drawn from this book and the experiences of the past few years it is in our national interest to regain our credibility in the world and re-establish our claim to the higher moral ground we have ceded by our actions in the "war" on terror. The actions recommended by Messrs. Ross & Makovsky might not be out of place in our domestic discussions on health care, Afghanistan, and firearms as well.

Making of a Birthday Card 2009

2009-09-22T17:38:00.016-06:00

Our daughter's birthday is in September. This year, the Pirate Dogs decided to send their sister a card. O M G!!!!! The task would try the patience of the saints.

First, you assemble the crew:

Come here, 'Roid!!!

Then get them in position:

Please stay, guys!?!?!

Can't do a card without a message, right? Try that with a chewy chihuahua...

Bertequila, please.....

Now, Bertie, leave it alone.

Now, a few takes----------

Bertie's leaving and what's with Leny's expression??

Nice sitting but could you look any weirder???

Looks like Bertequila's leaving again

Gee, guys, would you sort of look like you're having fun??

Finally, they get down to business............

Happy Birthday to our sister Dee!!!!

Course they only do it for the rewards.......NOT!!!!!!

Good job, guys!!!

Chihuahuas love to get on their hind legs--makes 'em feel tall like big dogs..

And all that was done so we could be late with this:

The Pirate Dogs love you and we're sorry this was so late!!!!!!!

LOL

(Notice the absence of any felines---the Klingon Kats know to make themselves scarce when this crew is being made to perform....)

Short Week

2009-09-13T09:28:00.007-06:00

Last week marked the traditional end of summer--Labor Day. This week usually seems very packed with events for such a short-work week. It's the traditional back-to-school week; the time to prepare for the harvest and start the process of stocking up for winter; car sales; and that last summer week-end of irresponsibility.

This year the week seemed even more densely populated with events.

Tuesday had the presidential brainwashing of America's youth with socialist clap-trap. Horror must abide at the very thought of encouraging these impressionable minds to endeavor to fulfill their potential. Far better for our democracy that the next generation be dull and easily swayed by the demagoguery coming from the speakers of their radios and televisions. Just imagine what, say, Rush Limbaugh's or Fox News channel's ratings would be if their listeners or viewers were capable of critical thinking or schooled in the intricacies of logical debate. No wonder the hue and cry to prevent the president from addressing the nation's students about their opportunities if they stay in school, eschew gangs and drugs, and learn to think and evaluate issues and arguments.

This week, the Economist had two articles of note. First is the Lexington column that basically called health care reform a non-starter because American are afraid of rational public discussions about death. Second was an article titled "The nanny state" that addresses the issue of public spending on child well-being and how it misses the mark more often than not. The US is pretty much in the bottom half of OECD countries when it comes to effective use of public spending on childhood well being. It's tragic that we rank 24th of 30 countries in the health and safety of our children.

Wednesday brought the much awaited address to Congress on health care reform. Except that wasn't the topic. Health insurance reform was and it really looks like that's all we'll get. And I feel betrayed. I have very good health insurance through my employer. But if I retire before Medicare kicks in, which I hope to do, I need to feel anxious about the cost of any coverage. Basic health insurance will cost me about 5X what I presently pay per month!!! And like many retirees, my income will be less than it is at present. Doesn't take a genius to see this is not a good outcome. So while I appreciate the efforts of congress and the administration to attempt insurance reform, that's sort of like the cart before the horse. What is needed is health CARE reform. Health care providers should be paid for results, not number of tests prescribed. Certain screenings like HPV, mammograms, colonoscopies, cholesterol screening, prostate screens, should be, if not free, than at least at a minimal cost. Prevention and wellness are the keys to cutting medical costs and there is little beyond platitudes coming from congress to address these issues.

Last time I looked, the candidate who got the majority in the electoral college becomes president. Of all of the United States. So whether one might consider him a liar, a socialist, a reactionary, etc, he is still the president. Nixon was---lots of truth there, right?? LBJ was, another paragon of virtue. Bill Clinton---what can I say, Monica?? "W"--as in "Weapons of mass destruction"---even more truth telling. So I guess my comment to all those who say the current person residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is "not my president" is to go where your type president lives---maybe Russia, with Medvedev and Putin; or France with Sarkozy; or Zimbabwe with Mugabe?? I was prepared to go to Canada rather than serve under Johnson in Viet-Nam. I guess I'd say to you the same thing I heard back then---America, love it or leave it.

Lastly, Bertequila spent Tuesday night thru Thursday morning at the vet. Time to get him neutered. But even though he now has no balls, he's still got more cojones than the screamers and bloviators.

Of sock monkeys and snips

2009-09-09T17:43:00.004-06:00

Bertequila's time has come. His maleness was getting to the point that it had to be dealt with. So off he went to the animal hospital for a 2-1/2 day stay to be neutered. This should affect his propensity for leg-lifting all over the place.....or so we hope.

Meanwhile, Auntie Bucksnort and Mom re-arranged the master bedroom. They put the last new sock monkey on a chair in another bedroom. Being lonely for my little buddy, the sweatered chihuahua Bert, I found the monkey and promptly christened her Sadie. Why not, that's the girl's name in the song off the White Album right after "Everybody's Got Something to Hide 'Cept for Me and my Monkey."

LOL,

Leny

'Tude

2009-09-06T08:54:00.007-06:00

Leny spends a fair bit of time blogging and inspiring posts. The Captain and the Midshipman also get their share. Which leaves Crow's-Nest Weetzie with a fair amount of "Weets-itude."

Weets gets under the covers in the bed and growls ferociously at any creature that contacts her. The snarling and gnashing are reminiscent of scenes from Dante's Inferno. When she takes up her position on the back of a sofa (highest point--hence her nick-name Crow's-Nest) it takes a braver soul than her dad or mom to remove her.

But Weets is the glue banding the Pirate Dogs together. She warns of danger and the need to take action---roaring into the backyard, barking and growling and nipping Leny's jowls to spur the First Mate to action against some perceived invasion, like the woman who walks by every evening with her Airedale. Or those dastardly neighbors with the well-groomed and ribbon-bedecked Pomeranian.

Yes, though she's one of the chihuahuas 2 in the crew, it's Weets-itude that drives the adventures of the Pirate Dogs.

Bo 'Bama

2009-09-03T16:58:00.007-06:00

I guess I need to take take a previous post, a letter to President Obama, and put it in hard copy and stamp it----Seems Bo Obama is currently cool. And my mom has something in common with Bo's dad Barack---she does the pooper-scoopin' here!!! Even if he isn't a Sharprador, I still really gotta get one of these baseball cards!!!!!!!!

Leny

A "Sharper" P.o.V.

2009-08-30T07:51:00.003-06:00

Things have been frantically slow this summer. It seemed that for a while several times a day we Pirate Dogs were bundled into the car and shuttled off to Bucksnort and the cousins because some stranger wanted to see our house. (Very unusual odors awaited and excited us whenever we returned home.) It was so frequent that our beloved CSS Nargle was moved over there!! That made it very difficult to improve our phaser marksmanship on the Klingon Kats....

But there have been no offers on the house despite the showing activity. Our mom is frustrated and gets exceedingly grumpy with each episode of frantic picking-up and hauling us off to Auntie's. I was listening to our parents talking the other night about some guy who's supposed to be a fighter pilot that loves the house and wants us moved in three weeks---but the bozo hasn't made an offer and needs his daddy to see it first!!!! If he'd made an offer when he first saw it, we'd be moving out by now. Of course Mom got all excited and now there's boxes in the dining room full of stuff we don't use much---- They said he looked again Friday with his daddy and now the Realtors won't call and tell us what's up!!! Seem the real estate market here only operates Monday thru Friday. What a way to do business......

Then there's the midshipman----Seems Bertequila has sensitive underarms. He got some rash on his left arm and kept licking and niggling to make it worse. When Mom tried to assuage his suffering with aloe the dweeb licked it off. So Mom raided the stuffed animal collection and (would you believe???) found a sweater on a stuffed penguin that fit the midshipman!!!! With his garment on, Bert can't lick the area and the meds stay on the sore spot. So now Bert's arm is healing. That sweater is getting a little tacky though. Hope Mom knits him a new one soon. That chihuahua isn't olfactorially pleasant at the best of times........

But I got my dad all weekend so life's good and the bone turks are flowing.

Leny the Sharprador

First Mate of the CSS Nargle

AAAAAHHH!!!!

2009-08-15T14:04:00.004-06:00

Today is one of the best days in Clovis. Even though we were marooned at Bucksnort's with our cousins Seymour and Esmerelda, the olfactory pleasures we experienced when our parents picked us up were so wonderful. That delectable smell when we bundled into the car--like something roasted but not burned; something spicy and maybe wonderfully hot....And when we entered the house, it was all but overpowering, in a deliciously sensual way-----They had been to the Farmer's Market and gotten our supply of green chiles!!!!!!!!! If you've never smelt the delightful aroma of fresh roasted green chiles, we can only pity you. You haven't even made it up to a dog's life.......

The Pirate Dogs---'Roid, Leny, Weetz, and Bertequila

Circles

2009-08-10T07:57:00.013-06:00

"The wheel in the sky keeps on turning...." Journey was certainly right about how strange the patterns in life can be. This blog has, on occasion, commented on recurring themes over the years. And now, here we go again...............

It's 2006. She's had it with the attitudes in junior high. He works for a national company. They've just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a family reunion in Yellowstone Park. Now the family's dispersed back to their own lives and the couple wends their way down I-25 through Colorado and into northern New Mexico. Wouldn't it be great if she could retire and he transfer?? They would be closer to the grand-kids but far enough away to avoid the politics of extended families and in-laws. And perhaps they could settle in a "destination," a place that might be alluring enough to entice other friends and family to visit them. With these dreams occupying their mental processes, they visited places like Trinidad CO, Pecos NM, Santa Fe.

Then they found a town named Cochiti Lake. About 40 minutes from Albuquerque and 25 from Santa Fe. A giant dam across the Rio Grande forms a picturesque no-wake lake. The town of some 400+ people nestles into ridges across the two lane state highway from the lake and its recreation area. The people they met were very welcoming and friendly. Ahhh, she could retire, he could transfer to Albuquerque, life would be good---the pueblo and territorial style houses they had fallen in love with, the hiking and biking possibilities, the lake access....Paradise after the years in New Hampshire and enduring those winters.

Returning to New England, they set the wheels turning. She put in for retirement. He began the transfer process. They had a realtor set up a portal for them to track prices and house availability. Alas, the prices were steadily rising. And the number of houses on the market decreasing. Would there be anything both desirable and affordable by the summer of 2007 when she retired?? Would they be able to sell their cape in the already slowing NH real estate market?? Why was his transfer taking so long??

Then in June 2007, the house sold, she retired, and he was offered a better position----but in Clovis, not Albuquerque. So they packed up their family of multi-legged "children" and moved. It wasn't the style they wanted but at least it was New Mexico!! (In truth, it was more west Texas.)

Through the economic downturn of 2008 into 2009, the agricultural businesses near Clovis expanded and did well. The nearby Air Force base underwent a change of mission and flourished, with the expectation of as many as 5,000 new families coming to the area. Meanwhile, the real estate sorrows that afflicted the rest of the country had descended on northern New Mexico with a vengeance. Prices were plummeting. Properties were spending hundreds of days on real estate agencies' listing services.

So our intrepid couple decided to plunge again. They found a wonderful property in Pecos but hadn't sold their place in Clovis. They contacted a realtor and listed. The action was hot and furious but no contract yet. The Pecos owner reduced his price. Oh horrors---it's now under contract!! What to do, what to do.....

A few other abortive attempts to find a suitable place...Then, as Bokonon would say, "as it was meant to happen", they recalled Cochiti Lake. Que un milagro!!! The prices had DROPPED. Imagine a territorial style house on a ridge where the worst view is the faint glow of Albuquerque some 50 miles to the southeast?? A ravine below your backyard where there are coyote dens?? Looking west, there's no towns for about 100 miles.

There's a realtor who will be pushed hard the next few days. Really want this place!!!!!! And the wheel continues to turn...................

Of Cheeseburgers and Properties

2009-08-02T10:13:00.005-06:00

Oh, my, another weekend, another 600 miles. We need to get moved............

Our house has been on the market about 40 days with over 30 showings. I wish some of these people would open up the checkbook already!!!!! It's nice to get a lot of positive feed-back but I'd really rather have a signed contract.

Yesterday we went to Estancia, this time we met a realtor, to check out the 2 houses on 20 acres. Now the property is on the side of a hill, which makes for some great views:

There are wonderful outbuildings---a marvelous barn and a separate tack room/horse stall that would make an ideal kennel as well. Problem is that the houses are too close to the property line and the outbuildings are in better shape than the houses. One is definitely cognizant of being in a 15 year old or so double wide. I've seen manufactured houses and mobiles that are very nice. We considered one in NH before we found the Podunk place. These two are very spacious (one has 4 bedrooms, two and a half baths, formal dining room, a breakfast nook and 2 fireplaces!!!) but all in all, you're in an older trailer. Afraid I just can't do that. So hopefully we get an offer this week and can go buy the Pecos place next weekend.

Now about them burgers----as you can tell from my new profile photo on this blog, as well as the photo on Facebook, I love green chile cheese burgers. I study them. I'd drive miles for one. I'm always willing to try out a new source of one of these culinary fiestas. So when I saw that a place in Santa Fe called Bobcat Bite had won awards for its green chile cheeseburger, I had to go there. Now I'll say this---it's the largest of the good samples I've tasted. But I'm afraid I can't rate it higher than number 3, behind The Owl and The Buckhorn in San Antonio, NM. The Owl is the gold standard---home-made patties, dare I say poignant green chile, and a wonderful atmosphere. The Bite has a friendly staff, an old adobe building, and seats only 26 so there's frequently a line at the door. But the burger just doesn't stand with The Owl. But after we move to Pecos, I'm sure I'll frequent Bobcat Bite when the craving for one of my favorite foods assaults me if for no other reason than The Owl is 100 miles away.

Frustrated

2009-07-24T17:55:00.002-06:00

Well, I almost managed to blow a long weekend. Finally got to The Owl on Tuesday for a couple green chile cheeseburgers. Also got hold of a realtor in central NM where we have been looking on our own to set up a tour of some properties.

I have followed the political doings in our capitol over the past couple of weeks. The elected representatives in Congress have basically tabled environmental legislation. Cap and trade only works if there's some payment and the special interests have convinced our representatives to represent them, not the people. So a lot of the caps are not traded but given away. Maybe, hoping against hope, the Congress will realize over recess that this idea stinks worse than a coal fired power plant and change the bill to allow and enforce a carbon tax with the proceeds going to provide affordable renewable clean energy.

Next is the Sonia Sotomayor hearings in which a bunch of old white men proved that a "wise Latina" is, in fact, smarter and wiser than them. Of course, some senators absolutely have to play politics so they will oppose the nomination not because of anything the nominee said or did during the hearings; nor are they in total disagreement with her record as a jurist. They even admit she'll be confirmed. So why are Cornyn and Hatch voting no if not for purely partisan reasons??

Finally there's health care. What the hell is Barack Obama thinking leaving the shepherding of this most important of all reforms in the hands of Pelosi and Reid!!!! At best these two are political hacks. At worst they are absolute proof that absolute power corrupts absolutely. They go out of their way to antagonize the minority---I would hope after their years of being out of power they might realize that allowing the opposition to inject a few ideas might make the bipartisanship that Obama seeks possible. But, oh no, these two dunderheads just keep ramming through their agendas and the poor citizens,as well as the G O P, be damned. I guess I'll be spending a lot of time watching "West Wing" dvds---at least when Jeb, Toby, Leo, CJ, Sam, and Josh screw up I don't pay for it.

Some Music Thoughts

2009-07-23T00:00:00.003-06:00

I'll be right up front about this---The Pirate Dogs love the version of "Jingle Bells" done by those barking, howling dogs. And it is a bone of contention in our house that I refuse to download a copy of it. Of course, we don't have "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" either.

Now the wife is a librarian and decided to improve the storage and cataloguing of the cd collection. She decided to eliminate all those plastic jewel cases and get everything in order by artist. So the Pirate Dogs and I went sifting thru them to find material for the Ipod.

One song we definitely agreed on was John Lennon's "Hey Bulldog" from Yellow Submarine "Sheepdog/Standing in the rain/Bullfrog/Doing it again/Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles/What makes you think you're something special when you smile.."

But there was much discussion over female singer songwriters. After much listening to songs and debate, with Weetz growling a lot at Bertequila, here's something of a consensus:

Tori Amos--We love the EP Crucify. There's a great cover of Led Zeppelin's "Thank You"but the perros really love "I feel stupid /and contagious/here we are now/entertain us/So mulatto/an albino/a mosquito/malabito/or denial..." the Cobain classic "Smells Like Teen Spirit." And the Strange Little Girls cd is nothing if not that.....especially the intro to "Happiness is a Warm Gun."

Laura Nyro--Now the Pirate Dogs don't recognize her but they sure know the hits: "And When I Die" made famous by Blood Sweat & Tears; "Wedding Bell Blues"--The Fifth Dimension smash chart topper; "Eli's Coming" from 3 Dog Night. Maybe I'm very partial because my name's Bill???

Lucinda Williams----name a better album than Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. I love her voice, her emotion, her riffs, and her lyrics---"you can't depend on anything really/there's no promises there's no point/ there's no good there's no bad in this dirty little joint/no dope smoking no beer sold after 12 o'clock/ Rosedale Mississippi magic city juke joint/ Mr Johnson sings in a corner by the bar/ sold his soul to the devil so he could play guitar/ 2 kool 2 be 4-gotten hey hey.."

But since you asked, or rather we asked, the best album by a female songwriter is Carole King's Tapestry. She's backed by James Taylor and his band. Already an established hit maker as part of the Goffin-King team that wrote hits for the girl groups of the '50's and early '60's, this was her debut as a solo act. And it's a must have for anyone who appreciates the music of the era post-Beatles. "My life has been a tapestry/ of rich and royal hues/ an everlasting vision of an ever changing view/... / Now my tapestry's unraveling/He's come to take me back." Written for an entire generation................

Feeling Like Lord Voldemort

2009-07-21T21:11:00.005-06:00

Horcruxes----splitting the soul and storing the pieces in special places. Now according to Dumbledore and wizarding lore, this occurs with each killing by the creator of the horcrux---very dark magic. But is that the only way???????? Can't the soul be split by natural forces, like loving and longing??

Dad feels his spiritual place is Pecos, specifically the ruins of the ancient (did you know people settled there as early as 800AD???) pueblo, in the kiva-- Horcrux #1.

I've been with him on a pilgrimage to The Owl Bar and Cafe, home of the BEST Green Chile Cheeseburger in the world (and the green chile cheese fries too!!!)---#2.

Of course there's the Sacramento Valley where the kids and grand-kids reside----#3.

I know we Pirate Dogs are #4:

Now according to the books, the most powerful magic would be to have 7 horcruxes. We'll see what Dad does for the other 3.

Leny

"Quo Vadis?"

2009-07-21T00:00:00.001-06:00

On my "Igoogle" page this morning there was a quote attributed to Muhammed Ali to the effect that if you are 50 and view life the same way as when you were 20, you have wasted 30 years.

When I was 20, big issues were ending the Vietnam war, considered by many as unnecessary and unjust; protecting the environment and reducing waste; and making politics more representative and less about special interests.

Now, 40 years later, 10 more than in Ali's nugget of wisdom, the big issues are ending a war that is both unnecessary and unjust; protecting the planet from global warming; making politics more transparent and representative; and we can add, restoring America's moral leadership in the world.

So is what we have a generation that has learned nothing and wasted 30 or 40 years????