Fireworks galore

Son and his family were gone last night and we didn't buy fireworks. Even before it got dark around here the neighbors started setting off fireworks so we went outside and were entertained by all the stuff going off around us.
Grinnygranny is proof reading my second novel and with a few other alterations I'll have it ready to send off for a publisher.

Publish America just e-mailed me and they're not going to discontinue my book in soft cover. The still want me to buy a bunch to get into the cheaper paperback version. Which I might do in a couple of weeks, but not right now.

Going back to work as a legal assistant sometime this week, nock on wood, thought I'd be back at it last week, but legal things have their own time table. I'll call tomorrow and find out when to report.

We've watched 1776, my choice, and Independence Day, wife's choice, as our way of celebrating the country's birthday. I can't believe how many blogs are becoming negative on this. I'm not into the "My country right or wrong" mindset, but I'm still proud to be an American and live in this country.

Presidential Picks

Here is the top ranking of presidents:

Results of Siena College Research Institute Presidential Ranking Survey

Top Ten Presidents to see the whole ranking of best and worst presidents click here.

2010

1 F. Roosevelt

2 T. Roosevelt

3 Lincoln

4 Washington

5 Jefferson

6 Madison

7 Monroe

8 Wilson

9 Truman

10 Eisenhower

I'm no presidential scholar with a PHD to back up my picks, but I thought I'd play the game anyway.

My picks based on what they accomplished in office:

1. George Washington - I'm not a real fan of his military ability. He had some real blunders in the Revolutionary war, but he got the job done. Why I rank him numero uno is that he (a) created the office and set its traditions. He could have done what many generals throughout history have done when given this kind of power and become a dictator or become emperor put the constitution in a museum and that would have been that. He had to be begged to run for his second term saying he'd rather dig ditches. (b) By putting down a tax rebellion he established the federal government's authority. (c) He set the tradition of two terms for presidents that lasted over a hundred years and led to the term limit amendment. (d) He advised agains military alliances with other countries which would drag us into wars we don't want to fight. WWI is when we stopped listening to that advice for either good or ill. (e) When he became impatient with congress dithering on legislation started sending his own for them to vote on leading to presidents being the initiator of laws instead of just being a tribune that says yea or nay. (f) Chosing the best people possible for his cabinet and then let them do their jobs. He played referee between Hamilton and Jefferson, but the interesting part of the history books on Washington's presidency is that he is mentioned very little. His cabinet is center stage. All other presidents are center stage for their terms.

Hence without Washington leading the way for the office our republic would not have been established.

2. John F. Kennedy - He's not even on the experts top ten list.

Sorry experts, but without Kennedy's cool head and being able to trust his brother to fight against most of his cabinet, the military and intelligence agencies none of us would be alive today. The Cuban missile crisis nearly ended all life on this planet. I shudder to think about how close the election was in 1960 and what Nixon's decision would have been if he was sitting in the oval office in October of 1962.

3. Franklin D Roosevelt - My grandfather believed in three things: God, FDR and Henry J. Kaiser. (He worked at Kaiser Aluminum). Until our peace and prosperity made the general electorate insane with greed letting the Reaganomics destroy our economy again; Roosevelt's New Deal and financial regulations allowed capitalism to win WWII and the cold war. He didn't do it single handed. Obama would love to restore the regulations that were dropped, but he doesn't have a congress and supreme court to back him like FDR did. William Manchester in his book The Glory and The Dream states that in 1942 after Pearl Harbor 40% of the men who reported for induction into the military were deemed 4F or unfit for military service due to berry berry, an eye disease due to malnutrition in childhood and rickets, the bowing of legs due to lack of calcium in childhood and that if Hoover had been reelected in 1932 to continue letting the market fix itself the U.S. might not have been able to field an army for WWII.

4. Abraham Lincoln - He preserved the union. All that needs to be said. He did not free the slaves. The 13th amendment did that after he was dead. There is a part of me right now that wishes he had listened to some back in that day who didn't think the South worth fighting for and thought good riddance.

5. Theodore Roosevelt - Do we ever need a trust buster today! Do we ever need someone who cares about our natural resources and ecology.

6. Harry S. Truman - W may have called himself "The Decider," but of all the decisions any president has ever made the one to drop the atomic bomb has to be number one or two if you count Kennedy's decision not to invade Cuba avoiding a nuclear war. He also knew when threatening to use it was effective. He made Stalin back down from his planned invasion of Turkey with a single telegram.

7. William Jefferson Clinton - Oh stop groaning. Who gives a fuck about him having a groupie?He held office for eight years of relative peace and prosperity. He was the first president since Andrew Jackson to create a surplus.

8. James Monroe - the second most popular president of his time. Only Washington was more popular. He presided over the "Era of Good Feeling" respected and admired in both North and South. A time of peace and prosperity before the shit hit the fan over slavery and tarriffs.

9. Thomas Jefferson - Most historians include him here because of the declaration of indepenence, but that doesn't count on his presidency. I include him because of the Louisiana Purchase. His presidency was really a matter of bad timing. The Napoleonic wars forced him to stop all shipping with the embargo act leaving him with a huge black mark on his time in office.

10. James K. Polk - Maybe he provoked Mexico into war, but he did add California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado and Utah to the union. That has to count for something.

French and Spanish Aid

Click here for a nice little artilce about the French admiral De Grasse's victory in Chesepeake Bay which led to the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.

Coming up on our Independence day celebrations we so often forget about the help France and
Spain lent us so we could achieve it. From France we were given muskets, cannon, shot, powder and troops under two generals. Spain provided an army and aide from Florida. What is little known is that there was fighting between the French and English in India, Spain and England in central and South America and a combined fleet from Spain and France beseiged Gibralter. One has to give credit to Admiral Howe. He bungled his advantage when Washington was trapped on Manhattan and Long Islands. I mean without a fleet the American army was trapped on two islands surrounded by the greatest navy in the world only a complete incompetent would let them out of such a trap. But when the one spot on the globe Britain absolutely could not afford to lose was threatened he provided England with the most brilliant naval victory prior to Nelson's victories agains Napoleon.
The writer of the article mentioned above credits Chesapeake Bay as the battle which really won the war for America. I think it was Gibralter. It was a victory, but Parliament was faced with continuing this war and it expanding to another global conflict similar to the Seven Years War (French and Indian War) with no end in sight. At this point the cost of the war was greater than they were willing to pay just to compensate the British East India Company for some lost tea.
When will we ever get to that point where our involvement in Western Asia has become too costly in men, money and military dominance to prop up Exxon, Shell, BP and Aramco?

Book Publisher's killing me

By the way folks that's meant as hyperbole.

Publish America is trying to squeeze it's authors right now. They're shifting to all hard bound. The price has stayed the same, but $21.95 is just too much for a book like this.
Today they made us an offer to keep the book in paperback, but you have to buy 19 copies in only a two day window. The books will list at $9.95, but I can't cough up that kind of money after I just bought 25 copies a little over a month ago.
They've got me and I think a good number of their authors over a barrel right now.
I want to keep selling the book and right now I'm starting to get into venues where I can, but they keep jerking me around on obtaining copies and prices.

Baby bird

Went out to golf today. On the tenth hole we picked up a follower: a gosling with just a hint of chick down on the head. It followed us for nearly the whole back nine. It did break off at the first water hazard we came across and then followed the team behind us. The only problem we had with it was on the greens where it kept getting in the way and we had to shoo it away.

We had a nice group of curmudgeons last night at the Isotopes game. The 'Topes lost 15-3, but it was nice to see each other and get caught up on things.

Looks like I'll be going back to work as a legal assistant for a couple of months. So much for the retirement. The money will come in handy.

Book Signing

A couple of friends invited me to join them tomorrow in the village of Tijeras at an arts and crafts fair. We'll set up a table to sell our books. I'm hoping there will be a good turn out and I can get some sold.

Addendum:
Sold one copy of Optimus and two of Friends Forever. I'm set to do a book signing at Tesuque's flea market on the 10th and will join with five other writers for a booth in the State Fair in September.

Random thoughts

• Watched the epic marathon tennis match between Mahut and Isner. Methinks this will change the rules to allow for a tie breaker in the fifth set. This was just unreal. Everyone is saying that this will never happen again, and with a tie breaker in the fifth set it won't.
• Nice to see the Queen show up again at Wimbeldon.
• Did everyone hear a loud sigh of disgust yesterday? Obama has replaced flip-flopped on generals. The neocons sighed in disgust because they couldn't throw their usual shit fit about Obama being soft on terror (this yo-yo was Bushco's number 1). Anyone who is tired of this neverending war sighed in disgust because this isn't what we voted for.
• Took son and daughter to the golf course and we hit a bucket of balls. I wanted to chip and putt, but Notah Begay's Jr. camp was setting up. If eldest grandson was down here it would be nice to have him signed up for that.

Captain Alert

I've posted a piece on Populism over at my Captain's Log Blog concerning an article I read by Jim Hightower. Check out what I've said or better yet click on Hightower's article and read all of it.

A Little Drama

Saturday night daughter's bf got his car stuck in the sand on the mesa behind our house. Mom came over with a roast for dinner just about the time bf came by with a friend and truck to get him out. The truck got stuck. His friend had to call a tow truck. Bf's parents came home from a trip to bring by their truck with a winch to get him out.

We watched the US Open Saturday and Sunday. After watching it almost all day Sat wife wanted to go golf. We got up early and did nine holes before it got too hot. Got home in time for the car drama and then watch Tiger melt down. Kind of hard to repeat the great round he had the day before.

Today is wife's last day at work for two weeks. She's now on vacation. I hope that means more golfing together as we're not going out of town.

Anne Littlewolf called. She sold a painting in Old Town this month. She's ecstatic. I went down to the cafe last week and bought a pound of Strawberry Cream tea. It's expensive as hell, but tastes like heaven. They're thinking of coming down here for either the state fair or balloon fiesta. Watch out when the twins get together.

Curmudgeons are getting together for an Isotopes game this Sunday evening. A few other friends and wives will be joining us too. Going to be a good time.

Punt

Had a rather windy golf tournament yesterday. Still good exercise and didn't overheat like the last few times I've played. In the evening wife and I down to Bosque Farms for a barbeque. Attorney friend has a new toy he just loves playing with: a smoker. We had brisket, chicken, hot links, and ribs smoked over apple wood. We left stuffed.
When I got home and made the mistake of checking e-mails the speaker for this Monday nights Writer's 2 Writers meeting canceled. At this short notice I doubt if I can find a replacement, so when in doubt punt. I'm going to be the speaker. Another speaker canceled on me this week for the August meeting and I was working on a topic in case I couldn't find a replacement. Guess I'll be spending most of Monday whipping it into shape and pray that all those wanting to hear the other speaker aren't disappointed or since I sent the mass e-mails out letting everyone know of the change that no one shows up.
I've decided the topic will be: Fact Checking it's just as important for fiction as non-fiction.

Good friend Michael Manning, would you be interested in a quick trip over here August 9th? I could sure use a good speaker...

Some things...

should not be talked about on the golf course. Thursday I went out with the Gaggle and was paired in the cart with a guy who was retired navy. As we were teeing off the other three guys in the foursome for some unexplained reason decided to vent about our senior senator and how they agreed with Arizona's immigration law. It didn't help matters that I was playing a rather lousy round of golf, but the idiot I was driving with naturally asked what I had done for a living and when I told him I had been a teacher he went off on a tirade about why the schools didn't teach the Constitution anymore. That was the last straw. I answered, "Why should we when Bush called it 'useless scrap of paper' and proceeded to take us into two needless wars, begin using Bills of Attainder and abolished Habeas Corpus."
He responded by saying that maybe we needed to avoid that subject.
No shit Sherlock!

BTW: I taught World History and the major theme was the rise of Democracy, from ancient Athens, The Roman Republic, The Enlightenment, English Civil War and the evolution of Parliamentary Democracy in England. In U.S. History I spent three weeks every first semester going over the actual constitution and the Bill of Rights with the rest of the year, as they came up, discussing the other ammendments focusing heavily on the 13th, 14th and 15th right after the Civil War. In Law class they got a double dose under Constitutional law as we covered numerous Supreme Court cases and I had them write a law, debate it and try to get it passed in a mock legislature, we did mock trials and mock appeals. I sponsored at two schools the YMCA Youth and Government club where the students conducted a model legislature in the Round House in Santa Fe over a weekend every year. They had to write a bill and be on committees to debate bills that students from all over the state submitted. There was also a Forum where instead of a bill they wrote research paper on the specific topic and then discussed it within the group to prepare a formal resolution to the legislature. There was a model Supreme Court as well. It was amazing every year watching the students in action as they learned the ins and outs of our government. Don't fuss at me about not teaching the Constitution. It's our political leaders who need a refresher course in Civics, not the schools.

Blood pressure much lower now. Off to a tournament and hoping to have a much better round of golf.

Fuss and Feathers

This last week you'd have thought a certain gentleman was the devil incarnate. That he'd committed the most horrible crime on the planet or all time. He missed a call in a baseball game that didn't change the outcome, but a pitcher was denied the third "perfect game" of this season.

Big fat hairy deal. Now the one that robbed the Redsox of a World Series, that was the crime of the century, and I'm not a Red Sox fan.

It's HOT

Wife wanted to golf yesterday we were going to walk the executive nine. She made it three holes and rode back with the girl that goes out and sells drinks. I hit the next three holes to where the sixth green is next to the first green then walked the first fairway back to the club house. It hit 100 degrees by nine in the morning. I thought it wouldn't get that hot until around five in the evening. The rest of the day we kept the ac on high and watched the French Open Women's final in the bedroom where it's cooler than the living room and drank lots of Gatoraide.

Talked to the attorney I worked with in April. He has another case and will need some help, this one should take some time. He'll let me know later this week if its a go.

Bought some plastic hanging pots to hang tomatoes upside down at Wally World. They were only four bucks each and came with soil and seed. I didn't feel like working with seed so I also bought some plants. Got them hanging off the back porch yesterday. When they grow out it should provide some shade on the patio, being on the south side it gets too hot in the evening to enjoy sitting around the glass table. I also bought one for strawberries, but haven't found any strawberrry plants to put in it yet.

Sprayed grass and weed killer on the driveway cracks and rocks in the front yard. I know it's a losing battle it seems like the grass weeds treat this stuff more like fertilizer than killer anymore.

I need to prune down my rose bushes now that the initial flowering has passed. The apricot tree is loaded this year. In about a month it will be quite a race between me and the birds to pick them off. I'm the only one in the family that like apricots so I may have to make juice out of most of them.

I like sleeping late but it's better to get up early and take a nap in the afternoons while it's so hot. I can get lots done this way.

Another Day for Memories

• Yesterday we went to church, picked up a pizza on the way home and had family dinner. Daughter came by with her boyfriend so that made a total of nine. Sadly that's too many for our small table which makes us have to eat in the living room and even then it's a little crowded. We had a nice meal of lasagna, pizza, garlic toast, jello with mandarin oranges and lemon bunt cake w/ice cream.
• Afterwards Mom took all the women with her to do some shopping leaving the kids with son and me.
• We discussed going up to Santa Fe to visit Dad's grave or visiting Linda's father's grave here in town, but they both decided they would rather cherish their memories from pictures instead of a grave stone.
• Heading out to do some more shopping.

Life is going on

• Daughter has moved out and in with her boyfriend. Yesterday she went to the hospital they diagnosed her with an infection and put her on anti-biotics. They came by today to pick up her laundry and she seems to be doing fine. She's meeting Grinnygranny for lunch today.
• I bought a device at Radio Shack that converts the music on cassettes to your computer. I had forgotten what a pain audio cassettes were. Fast forwarding and rewinding to get them loose enough to play without distortion. I also forgot just how many cassettes we have and it's taking some time to get all of them converted. I still have a stack of LP's to convert as well. But then what else is retirement for? I don't even want to think about going through all the (picture) slides my grandparents left me and Mom and Dad's that need to be converted. Egads that could take years.
• Got some more editing done on my next novel, doing a couple of rewrites here and there, but it's coming along and I should have it ready for publication soon.
• Doesn't look like we're going to see our eldest grandson this summer, which has Mom rather upset, and we're none to happy about it, but right now there's nothing to be done but accept the situation and make sure he gets to spend Christmas with us.
• Yesterday was Daniel's last day in pre-school. It was rather quiet around here when he was away for a few hours. Abigail is getting into everything, but is so cute about it.

My View

Faithful fellow blogger Michael Manning left this comment on my last post:

An excellent and timely post, PM. Christ wasn't into politics. He cut to the core and held steadfast to being grounded in love. He didn't care for labels. I once had breakfast with a buddy of mine from England and he asked me. "Where do we get all these labels? Tories? Labor? Conservatives? Democrats?" I told him that I wave off this media circus--including "the dimwit from Alaska" who isn't worth commenting on. I do not hate her. She needs therapy. She and others like her are all immersed in ego on both sides of the aisle. I think for myself while these various groups are so smug to believe they have the inside track to Jesus. They don't. His message is so simple. "Follow me". What I see both parties doing is spending day after day beating the hell out of one another and nothing more. They have failed us. If they were employed in a job like the rest of us, they would be fired. Christ was about serving. I ask this: Do these politicians have a spirit of serving others? I don't think so. They should be "serving" the needs of the American people who elected them. Those who fail, like our own Governor in Arizona (a travesty) must be voted out. But correct me if I'm wrong, PM. Christ stayed clear of this baloney and kept focused on serving. This message is lost on Washington. Which is why I have no faith in politicians or labels. It's going to be up to young people who enter public service with the correct mind set. Namely, to serve others. That's what Christ did. I'd welcome your view.

Michael I agree with whole heartedly on politicians. Take Jesus out of the issue, which is what the Constitution did by restricting the use of any religious test for the holding of public office, and the first amendment prohibiting the establishment of any one brand or type of religion. Politics should be religious neutral and religion should be personal not national.

Let's look at what in my view is the criterion by which a voter should use to choose an appropriate candidate:

1. They work for us. We the People voted them in and We the People can vote them out. They are public servants, not public masters.
2. Nothing says "I'll be your master" more than when they boast of being businessmen and will run the government as a business. A business exists to make money. Governments exist to provide services and to do that they spend money. Every congress in every state and at the national level, when they meet it is to decides how to spend money, not make it. There is no way to run a government as a business. Any politician that makes that claim is a crook looking to steal as much out of the public taxbase as they can get their hands on, or they're in it to pad the nest of their business buddies. Is it any surprise that when we elected two oil men for the national executive that we had sky high fuel prices and regulations were relaxed on business which has led to a total economic melt down and the oil spill disaster in the gulf. There is no greater example of cause and effect that this.
3. It is the job of the government to provide services. Services that the general population needs: Roads and bridges in good repair for transportation and commerce. Hospitals and health care that are affordable, police and firefighters for protection of our lives and property, prisons better than a dog pound, a military to protect us from attack, not to bomb people who have done no harm to us in order to make money for corporations that aren't even headquartered in this country. An educational system to provide an enlightened electorate. In short the government should provide a level playing field for everyone not stack the deck for the rich in order to exploit the rest.
4. If a Christian wants to vote their conscience according to their beliefs a politician who promises to serve the public in this way should be their first choice. The dimwit from Alaska doesn't seem to fall into this category. Otherwise she'd still be in office instead of quitting in order to do nothing but make money spouting drivel for morons. Not being in Arizona it wouldn't be my place to comment on your governor, but from your comment I think we're on the same page.

On My Soap Box

Mike Lux at Alternet got me thinking today. He has an article entitled: Why are so many Christians Conservative?

Which is a very good question and his insights are well reasoned:

if you actually read the Gospels, it is clear that Jesus' main concern in terms of the people whose fates he cared about was for the poor, the oppressed, and the outcast. Comment after comment and story after story in the Gospels about Jesus relates to the treatment of the poor, generosity to those in need, mercy to the outcast, and scorn for the wealthy and powerful. And his philosophy is embedded with the central importance of taking care of others, loving others, treating others as you would want to be treated. There is no virtue of selfishness here, there is no "greed is good," there is no invisible hand of the market or looking out for Number One first. There is nothing about poor people being lazy, nothing about the undeserving poor being leeches on society, nothing about how I pulled myself up by my own bootstraps so everyone else should, too. There is nothing about how in nature, "the lions eat the weak,"

Concerning how Conservative Christians defend their belief system he says:

I have never talked to a conservative Christian about economics and not heard them quote this verse) is the one time in which Jesus says that "the poor will always be with us." The reason they love this quote so much is that they interpret that line to mean that in spite of everything else Jesus said about the poor, that since the poor will always be with us, we don't need to worry about trying to help them. Apparently since the poor will always be with us, we can go ahead and screw them. But Jesus making a prediction that there will always be oppressive societies doesn't mean he wanted us to join the oppressors.

I've dealt with the conservative mindset all my life in Baptist Churches. For the first thirty years of my life there was an acceptance of differing opinions and fellowship prevailed. In 1978 when the thugs marched in and took control of the convention for twelve years there was a fight for the soul of the convention and the thugs won by as Russell Dilday, one of the casualties of this war said, "Using satanic practices." He caught a lot of flack for that statement, but when the winning side used slander, deception, and illegal means to remove him from the presidency of the largest Baptist Theological Seminary in the world, which at the time had an enrollment of over 5,000 students compared to todays less than 3,000. He was right. Thugs don't play by the rules of Christian Charity.

Fundamentalists may call themselves Christians, but they have long forgotten who and what Jesus was and stood for. They have their fire insurance guaranteed by John 3:16 and that's as far as it goes. For the rest of it they are cultural Christians that will believe anything a preacher says. Two hundred years ago God sanctioned Black Slavery. They conveniently forgot the Levitical law that all slaves be freed after seven years. Today we have a culture of greed. Ebeneezer Scrooge has replaced Jesus as their theologian, and they wonder why all the money in the world still makes them cold, barren and sour?

I look on the face of the Republican front runner for Governor in our state's primary election coming up. He boasts of being a Reagan Republican (his opponent was recently endorsed by the Alaskan Dimwit). He is the most bitter looking individual I've ever seen running for office.

I remember when Gary Johnson was elected governor sixteen years ago and the Repugs controlled the state for eight years. Every time I went up to the round house all you could feel emanating from the committee rooms and chambers was how mean spirited it was.

Look at the faces of those in the Tea Party. Don't they look like they were raised on pickle juice?

Life of anything but leisure

• Mom bought some furnature Wednesday. E and I took the van to pick it up. I keep telling Mom her little town house isn't getting any bigger the more stuff she puts in it. She saw a couple of patio chairs that weren't too much and yesterday called to have me go pick them up. I sent E to get them and they were already gone.
• Had a nice round of golf with the Gaggle yesterday. First time since I retired went out with the guys. It was fun.
• Today the Alzheimer's group had a rummage sale, raffle and cookout across the street from where Grinnygranny works. Took Mom to get her hair cut and went up to see what they had. Bought a few things at the rummage sale and had some hamburgers and hot dogs.
• Mom's little poodle isn't doing well so she's taking him to the vet this afternoon.

Too Close For Comfort

Woke up this morning to news that tornados hit Norman, Ok. Naturally since Bruce lives there we were worried. I checked his blog. He has a video of the marina on Thunderbird lake one mile from his house that was demolished, but it skipped him. Good news that he wasn't harmed, our prayers go out to those not as fortunate.

Honoring Motherhood

Happy Mother's Day

Mom came over and we drove down to Bosque Farms for church. It was the first time Mom's been down there, but she enjoyed it very much. When the service was over she talked to Michelle in North Carolina. Penni's husband is planning on driving out here this summer and she'll be able to spend some time. Mom's happy about that too. A good Mother's day for her.
We came back to town and had lunch at our favorite noodle place with E and his family. It makes for a pretty large group. The food is good and it's nice for all of us to sit around and spend time together.
The church gave all mothers a nice potted flower plant. Some kind of lilly. Mom and Grinnygranny seemed very pleased with theirs.

Here's hoping all the mothers out there are having a good day.

Old Town

Anne wanted me to check on the artwork she put on consignment at a coffee shop in Old Town. All of her work is still on the walls.
Grinnygranny had yesterday off so we went down to see and walked around some of the shops. It's been years since we've walked around the place since it's basically a toursit destination. GG had to go to the Cat Shop, but we were saddened by the lack of product. It's clear the store is on it's last legs. In fact many of the stores appear to be hanging on by only a thread. One of the byproducts of an economic down turn. It could be that its a month before the peak tourist season. There are some shops there that have fantastic art. Not all of it the kind you hang on a wall. Lots of pottery, t-shirts, mugs, metal work, jewelry... Silk scarves with very intricate pattersn seem to be popular.
We bought a few items, it is possible to find some things under ten dollars. It was actually a nice break from just going to a mall and walking around.

A Good Day

Mom has some friends from church and one of them is an artist. There was an art show in Rio Rancho today with proceeds going to a battered women's shelter. Mom wanted to go since her friend had some of her work on display. I took her and they were selling raffle tickets. I bought ten dollars worth and Mom bought five dollars worth. They had a number of artworks to choose from if your number was picked and they drew a new number every ten minutes. If you really wanted one of the works you could also buy them for fifty dollars each.

We looked at all the work and as would only be expected some were good and some were so so and some were pure crap.

Mom's friend had two paintings on display and one in the raffle. I had twenty tickets and one of them was the second number called. I went to get the lady's painting and would you believe it was the first one chosen. I picked not a painting but a quilted picture of the native american Oso or the Bear.

A few numbers later I got to pick another and chose a nice pencil sketch from a Chinese artist of a mountain scene.

Then one of Mom's numbers was called and she picked an abstract sky scene with dark clouds and a yellow patch breaking through the clouds. It looks really nice on the wall of her bedroom.

I put the bear picture under under the shelf with all our kachina dolls and the Chinese print in the bedroom.

Mom talked one of her friends into buying one of my books, which I sold for ten bucks, meaning I won a hundred dollars of artwork and broke even . A couple of the other ladies there expressed interest in my book so I gave Mom a couple to sell them tomorrow at church.

All in all a good day.

Retired again

• Yesterday the parties in the case I was working on reached a settlement. Today I went in, boxed up all the documents and said goodbye to being a legal assistant. It was work. It was interesting. It was fun, to an extent. I feel good for the client who was vindicated as much as the legal system allows on things like this.
• We were going to have a focus group this Saturday to present all the exhibits and see if they would be understandable to a jury. I had set up the box lunches, contacted some golfing buddies and teachers from school who were looking forward to doing this. It was kind of a let down for them when I called and said they wouldn't be needed.
• I received my state sales tax id # in the mail today. Next week I will go down to city hall and get a business license, not that I'll be needing it much anymore.
• I talked to a young man today who's a student at art school in Santa Fe about turning Optimus into a graphic novel. He's interested and has already read the book (daughter's on again off again now on again boy friend). He said he'd work on the opening pages of the book and we can go on from there.
• At the Captain I've had a little to say about the movie: Legend of Bagger Vance.

It wasn't easy

Mom was fussing that when I posted about little Abbie's first birthday that there wasn't a very resent picture of her. That's because she's started walking and is non-stop motion. Still with some patience and perseverance I got a few pictures of her in the cheerleader outfit that she looks so cute in.

Recap

This was one long tough week.
I'm starting to get into the groove of things in my new office setting. Still when you've spent years getting off work around 3 and walking home for a nice nap; I'm a little out of shape for this driving in rush hour traffic, 9-5 stuff.
Took Mom to the hospital Tuesday evening. Daughter had been with her all day and she was getting worse. They finally admitted her around 1:30am Wednesday. Gave her some pain medication and and anti-nausia stuff. They ran tests that day and released her Thursday evening. The hospital was packed with sick kids, seems a nasty little stomach flu is making the rounds. Daughter had it two weeks ago, Son had it, then I had it and wife had it all last week.
The doctor concluded she didn't have the stomach flu, but was having a reaction to an anti-biotic.
Daughter took her out for a haircut yesterday afterwards, wife, daughter and Mom had a nice dinner at Olive Garden. Hopefully all is well with her now.
We brought her little poodle home with us for those two nights. The cat wasn't too sure about having another dog in the house and let us know about.
I'm taking wife and daughter out to Japanese Kitchen for some good teppan yaki this afternoon as a kind of reward for some of the help they've given me with this new job.
I need some rest!

What's new at the Captain

I've decided that I will post reviews of my favorite movies at the Captain's Log blog. I've kind of run out of things to rant about that aren't becoming repetitious, and I needed something to write on that blog instead of shutting it down. I have other things to say on this one. I'll keep you posted here on the movie I'll be writing about there. The first movie is: Meet Joe Black

Grand Daughter's One Year Old

Saturday is our granddaugher's first birthday. Kind of hard to think the year has gone by so fast, and hard to remember when we didn't have her. She is so cute, today she got her first hair cut and looks even cuter.

The camera's too hard to program for the right date.

Computer problems

Auntypesty's computer crashed a little over a month ago and is kaput. She's been using mine, there is a really ancient one that she can do games and stuff on in her room, but it won't connect to the internet.

Today Grinnygranny's computer went the ominous beep beep beep. There's no way all three of us can use one computer, so we went out to buy a new one. I'm using it now. A rather nice one with a 17" screen which I'll have to get used to, but it's nice. Now I just have to learn Windows 7.

When we got home Ginnygranny's computer came back to life. It somehow corrected the problem and is working. We'll take it in for a tune up next week just to make sure it's good and fixed.

This will let Auntypesty have my old one once I get stuff moved over.

Didn't need the added expense right now, but it is nice to have a computer that is twice as fast as the other one.

This is work

It's nice to have an office, not have to worry about a bell schedule and have something to do. But working in a law office is like doing nothing but grading papers all day. I keep thinking, where's the fun in this? Then again if it was fun they wouldn't call it work.

I was looking forward to spending more time on the golf course once I retired and have been so busy I haven't been once. Ah shucks. This is only a temporary job, so when its over I'll have time to do the other things.

Name Dropping

What do I have in common with: Ricky Van Shelton, John Denver and Richard Crenna?

Answer: We all own or in the case of Denver and Crenna owned an original Anne Littlewolf.

In fact I'm one up on them. Anne brought me down another painting of Lone Wolf she sold the other one. Now I own two. The first one is the one on the header named Aspens in Colorado.

She now has five of her pieces on consignment in Old Town. My (spiritual) twin is going great guns in the art world.

Painting the town red

Anne Littlewolf is in town. She came in on Wed and we had a nice evening chatting and getting caught up. Yesterday we went through the Albuquerque Museum to look at the art work there, then visited a couple of galleries in Old Town. One of the gallery owners is closing his shop at the end of the month and is opening up an art school in Los Lunas. They've set up where Anne can come down a weekend a month to teach in a hands on environment. Setting this up is worth her trip down here.

Have to finish that thought later.

5:30pm

Well, I'm back. While I was writing the post this morning I got a call from a lawyer friend and he gave me a job as a legal assistant helping him out on a trial coming up next month and he needed me right then. I spent a couple of hours helping him and I'll be doing a number of things next week. I'll have to get a business license and will most likely get creamed on income tax and social security. I got to thinking: wow my retirement lasted all of one day!

While I was tied up Anne went back to Old Town and found a place that is letting her put up some of her work on consignment. We then fought with our printer to see if we could get some of her paintings to print out to her satisfaction. The pictures she has and the printer aren't up to snuff, but she does have some options up in Colorado and she's been given the name of someone here who does prints of artwork.

Then we went to Fudrucker's so she could meet the curmudgeons. Russ showed up and he was greatly appreciated. It must have been a busy day for the others. Still Anne, Grinnygranny and I had a nice time talking about various things.

Who says things slow down when you retire? I've never had to juggle so many different things at once in my life!

Maybe, maybe not

Friday was my last day in the classroom. There was a nice reception in the teacher's lounge and we're still eating sheetcake that was left over and I brought home. I received the bronze statue of three horses (we're the mustangs) and the well wishes of my students and fellow staff memebers. I'm not officially retired until Thursday and have to do grades on Wednesday. The man taking over for me should do well and the students shouldn't miss a beat with me gone, which is a good thing.
While reading over all the retirement paperwork I discovered that I can go back next year if I want. The only real reason for leaving was financial and once the bankruptcy if finalized in May there's nothing to stop me from going back for as long a I still have fun.
This could really just become an extra long summer vacation for me.

Bittersweet

Healthcare is finally voted on, but still has a few hurdles. Most of the provisions don't go into effect until 2014 so it's going to be a slow process. This is good. Rushed legislations, like the American Patriot Act is usually bad legislation.
I wish it had a public option and would have preferred a single payer plan, but we got more than the nuckle dragging neanderthal tea baggers want.

The republicans were against social security and foretold the end of the world if passed. They fought Medicare and Medicaid tooth and nail saying that it would bankrupt our country, and it passed. Both of those positive social programs have increased the quality and quantity of the people in this country and have become the third rail of politics. You touch it you die. That more than anything is why the corporations and their lackeys have fought so hard and been so rabid against this bill. Maybe the voters will learn that only progress improves the well being in this country.

Fun While It Lasted

Lobos got beat by Washington yesterday. Still their first season winning 30 games had the town buzzing. New Mexico State was beat by Michigan State, so the big dance is over for us this year.

I was supposed to be in a tournament yesterday, but they postponed it until today because of snow. It's sunshiny and nice now. I'm hoping to have a nice outing.

My Gripe with CBS

Tried to watch the Lobo game last night. The problem was that they kept cutting over to other games. I know they want to show the last minute of a close game, but in basketball the last minute can last for twenty with all the free throws and time outs. Meanwhile on the game you're wanting to watch when you get back there's quite a bit missing. I mean the Lobos are up by 14, they cut away and when you back Montana has closed it to within 2 points, then they cut away again. They at least showed the last five minutes and it was very exciting, but I'd have enjoyed seeing the whole game.

Wrong Analogy

I've waited a couple of weeks to post this. One I wanted to cool down and two I wanted to think over what I'm saying.

Chris Rock made a surprise appearance on Bill Maher a couple of weeks ago. The topic was health care. He made the analogy that health care reform is like people who've paid for first class on an airplane being upset when others who haven't get upgraded.

This analogy is totally wrong when it comes to health care because the true analogy is that the taxpayers are the ones paying for those in first class and paying to sit in coach and half way through the flight getting shoved out without a parachute.

Medicare and Medicaid are both paid for by tax payers. To qualify for the first you have to be over 65 years of age. To qualify for the second you have to be poor.

The working class pays for this medical care and have to pay for private insurance through their employers or go without. Those self-employed that try to get insurance find it exorbitant in the extreme.

Personal example:

We have a good health plan, not through the schools, but through my wife's employer. My daughter spent an hour in an emergency room, had an ultrasound and a unit of blood, then transferred to the hospital had minor surgery and a two day stay. The health plan payed the bulk of the costs, but what was left over swamped us financially and forced me to retire early and declare bankruptcy.

Contrast that with my mother who was in the emergency room for a day, six days in the hospital and ten days of rehabilitation. With Medicare, payed for by taxpayers and a supplemental plan that is a considerable cost to her, she has only the ambulance bill to fight over. I do not begrudge the medicare plan that helps my mother. Financially it was a life saver for her and without it she would have died. I do not begrudge the medicaid that helps my son and his two children.

Still the working class shouldn't have to pay for everyone else's health care and then be denied the care they need or get wiped out financially. There needs to be a level playing field here. Medicare for all or a single payer system is the only fair system, and it is the kind of health care that almost all the other industrialized countries in the world have and in those countries the number of bankruptcies due to health costs are zero. In the U.S. I've become one of the 150,000 families forced into this situation.

On a side note: Thanks George W. for changing the bankruptcy laws that have forced me to retire and lower my income so I can declare bankruptcy. The gift that keeps on giving.

Little Fall

We were just getting ready to leave for Church today when Mom called. She'd gone to early church and fell right on the knee she had replaced in September. I went over and she was icing it down. Doesn't seem to be much damage as she was able to walk on it and there wasn't any swelling.
I brought her over here and we had a nice lasagna dinner then watched three hours of the John Adams mini-series she's never seen. She was getting a little stiff by the time I took her home. She's going to call her doctor tomorrow and will most likely get some e-rays taken on her knee to make sure there no other damage.

Feeling Human Again

There is something about this time of year. I had a bad cold last year during Spring Break and this last week I've had another bad one. I guess one bad cold a year isn't too bad, but I'd kind of hoped I'd dodged the bullet this year. At least it's over with before Spring Break so it won't ruin my plans of golfing that week.

Winter doesn't seem to want to let go. We had a sprinkling of snow today with another storm supposed to hit tonight. The wind is what makes everything so cold. I do hope it warms up for the weekend.

Countdown

As it stands now, March 26 will be my last day in the classroom. I'm not retiring because I'm burned out, tired of the job or even want to retire. The dear Corporats changed the bankruptcy laws and if I work I make too much money to declare bankruptcy, if I retire I can. That's a crappy way to end a career. Daughter was in the hospital in January. There is no way we can pay the bills accumulated after the insurance pays its 80%. It declined to pay the emergency room and that bill alone sank us.

Assistant principal showed me a resume of a young man who's just finished his student teaching in December that's applied for the position. I wish him well. It will be a good foot in the door for him.

I've spent three weeks cleaning out over twenty-five years of accumulated teaching supplies. Maps, posters, interact lessons, books and have distributed them to others in the department. The room looks rather bare and my wardrobe is practically empty. There a big book case of stuff and a few other things I'll leave for my replacement. A hell of a lot more than what I had the first day I walked into a totally bare classroom in November of 1982.

The other teachers tell me that they can see a change in me since I applied for retirement. I look a lot less stressed. Well no shit Sherlock. I haven't had to attend all the crap pd meetings to learn how to be a better teacher! Some things I won't miss. I will really miss the students. God how I'll miss the students, even the ones that just want to sleep, text or listen to music. I'll miss them.

Doom and Gloom

The New York Times had an article yesterday by Piers Brendon in reference to an article in the Washington Post by E.J. Dionne Jr. concerning a diatribe by Vice President Biden. Biden very eloquently defended the sustainable power of the U.S. against all the people predicting the collapse of the U.S.

It seems that the doom sayers are quoting Paul Kennedy's Rise and Fall of the Great Powers.

It's not often that one of these super duper books everyone is talking about is one I own, have read, even quoted on this blog. In fact I use an excerpt from this book in my US History class to explain why Britain had to grant us independence and our failure in Vietnam and our eventual failure in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Kennedy bases his assessment of the rise and fall of empires on economics. All empires eventually exceed the capacity of their economies to meet the greed of the leaders in expanding power. It's an insightful explanation of how Spain with all the gold and silver coming in from the New World became bankrupt in such a short time. He points out how England could not sustain an empire after exhausting it's economy with two world wars, but what caught my attention was how he placed England on the industrial power list and how it fit within it's natural resources.

Seen from the economic viewpoint he makes perfect sense and the figures do tell the tale in some instances, not all. If you take his logic to its ultimate conclusion the United States shortly will no longer be the world's largest economy. A fact many people are pointing out suddenly realizing that China and India are in the process of surpassing us. The fact that Bushco accelerated this situation by at least twenty years in their disastrous reign of stupidity seems lost on those blaming Obama for the situation, though he could do more to stop it. Japan after all is an exception to his equation. Japan has the population, but not the resources to an economic power, yet they manage it anyway. Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations seems to work well with them.

In short resources and population will win out in the end and it looks like the US will eventually become the third largest economy based on resources and population. Is this the end of the world? Only in our pride. Kennedy points out that in 1980 the life of the average Englishman was much better than that of an Englishman in 1900, but they didn't feel like it was because their empire no longer ruled the waves. Somehow better technology, health care, income and life expectancy aren't as important as believing you're better than everyone else.

Is that all Americans have to live for? The right to strut around and say We're Number One! We do that quite a bit at the Olympics. Why are our athletes the only ones who drape themselves in the flag when they win a medal? Maybe it was understandable in 2002, even 2006, but really doesn't this get a little old? Standing on the podium and being proud as the national anthem is played is plenty. Being wrapped up in the flag is to me (and I may be tarred and feathered for this) a little "in your face" to the other countries.

Biden is also responding particularly to the Christian Right with their Rapture theology that this country will be destroyed. Hell they think the whole world will soon be destroyed and blame it all on immorality. Why they're still fighting the fight against, shit I'm tired of writing out the list tof the things they're against you know them all by now anyway. They love to trot out the Roman Empire to prove their point. The point by the way that Brenden in his article is refuting.

Question: where are the barbarian masses waiting to invade us? Is this why fundies and repugs are so anti immigration particularly from Mexico? Are they wanting to bankrupt our economy so they (immigrants) don't have a reason to come here?

Is the U. S. really going to be invaded and overrun?

1. First we're not an empire like the Soviet Union or Ancient Rome that will break apart. I don't see us becoming 50 separate countries, though Texas might be a case of good riddance if they choose to secede.
2. Our borders will stay the same, if we fail it will be internally because of a lack of will to fight for what America really stands for: namely individual freedom with a government controlled by the people not by corporations. What is ruining the U.S. right now is the lack of checks and balances. A legislature to timid to do its job, judiciary bought and paid for by corporations and an imperial presidency not contained by either of the other two. We now have presidents who declare war not congress. Presidents have the power to incarcerate citizens without charge or council and more sinisterly able to order the murder of citizens without oversight. How important are the powers denied to congress and the president in the constitution guaranteeing the people of Habeas Corpus and that a Bill of Attainder is not allowed. That the right of due process of law is now a quaint footnote in history is what is causing our country to fall. This was brought about by our own elected officials not by terrorists or invasion from another country.
3. We've faced corporate rule before. Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft (Republicans) brought them to heel by breaking up the monopolies. Franklin Roosevelt tamed them with government regulation. Who will step up and face them down this time. Somewhere Obama and the democratic majority in congress needs to find the backbone to do it again.
4. The greatness of America is not in how much money we make. It's our legal system which is based on spirit of the law, not letter of the law. When Common Law that prevails wealth follows for all. Civil Code stacks the deck for the aristocracy and we stop being a first world super power and become like every other third world country filled with graft, corruption and non-ending wars.

If there is an analogy between the U.S. and Rome it's not the analogy of 465, but more of the transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. From a representative government to a dictatorship. How long will it be now that the American Patriot Act has effectively negated the rights of the accused to knowing why they've been arrested and an attorney, destroyed the concept of privacy from warrant less search and seizure. When torture and legalized assassination accepted presidential power. How long before Congress becomes a rubber stamp politburo permanently like it was under Bush. How long before the president does everything like the Emperors of Rome and all we are left with is the illusion of democracy? Does it take a Republican stooge elected president by corporate advertising ordering his favorite horse be named a Senator before it hits us?

Mom's Home

And blogging about her exerience. I came down with stomach flu last night so M had to pick her up. She's staying with her for a few days to help her out.
I'm starting to get snow blind from watching all the skiing on the winter olympics. It has been a good year for team USA.

Update on Mom 2

Mom's scheduled to be released from rehab tomorrow. She'll have a rehab at home for a little bit. It's good to have her back on her feet.

Disappointed

I received an e-mail from publish america. They will turn Optimus into an e-book for
$50. It's not the money here, I can easily afford this, but I get 8% off each book sold and e-books sell for $9.99. That means I would get $.80 on each book. I'd have to sell 60 e-books just to break even. Still debating if it's worth it.
Are there 60 people willing to pay ten buck for this book and read it on their computers?

Chewbacca

There's a scene in the Empire Strikes Back where Darth Vader is torturing Luke's friends so he would stop his Jeddi training and rescue them. Chewbacca is in a room in agony while in a room with loud irritating noise.
Today we're having a lock down drill. The alarm has been going for over ten minutes with no end in hearing: high pitch beep, low pitch beep, high pitch beep, low pitch beep.... I know how Chewbacca felt.

There are some things about teaching I will not miss.

Thoughts

• Mom's doing well. M took her a computer so maybe she'll have the energy to post on her blog. They've told her that she'll be there until the middle of next week because they want to make sure she can be by herself.
• Bruce is apoplectic over the selection of pornographer in chief Kenneth Starr becoming president of Waco Junior College (What Wayland alumni call Baylor). Can't say I blame him. After Russell Dilday was shitcanned at Southwestern BTS and the Fundies took over the largest theological seminary in the world (subsequently diminishing the number of students and losing that distinction) Baylor created an alternative seminary. Now the nitwits have that one too. The mental midgets are Marabunta (Army Ants) consuming everything in their path leaving only a scorched earth. Maybe we can nominate "born again" Larry Flint to be president of the SBC. If it's okay for Starr to publish that much pornography on the internet why not?
• I'm on the countdown to retirement. Six weeks and over 27 years of my life comes to a close. On the bright side the state house of reps has passed a bill ending what's called double dipping, or sitting out a year and then coming back to teach being able to collect regular paycheck and retirement. It doesn't go into affect until July 1 of this year, so I'm still eligible to double dip. But with the cuts they're making to education across the board all districts will be reducing staff for the next few years. The possibility of getting back into APS after a year will be slim. 50+ students per class is one way to deal with a teacher shortage.

Mom in Rehab

Mom went to rehab last night. She'll be there for a week. When I took her a few things today she was eating well, mostly because their food was a lot better than the hospitals.

Wife and I are getting ready to have an nice dinner for Valentines. Everyone else I hope you have a nice weekend too.

Pondering

When will Obama realize that a leader leads, he doesn't beg?

Update on Mom

Mom's having trouble again with the doctors not wanting to let her have her arthritis and neuroposy medications. Then they wonder why she is so difficult to deal with. Take away these medications and they might as well be trying to electrocute her. It looks like she'll be there for a few more days and then she'll be in rehab before they'll let her go home. They must be a glutton for punishment.


At Southwests Writers Saturday there was a photographer taking pictures of authors with their books. Here I am with Optimus and Friend's Forever.

Hospital Time

Mom's in the hospital with pneumonia. She was reluctant to go, but she'd been unable to lift her head off the bed for three days, hadn't eaten anything and drank very little. I spent most of Sunday night with her in the emergency room. After I came back to get a sub and leave lesson plans they finally found her a temporary room in what they call provisional care. She was finally put into a regular room last night. Auntypesty spent most of the day and evening with her while I caught up on sleep and had the Writers2Writers meeting last night. Mom's not too happy I made her go by ambulance, but when my father-in-law fell and hurt his back I transported him to the emergency room where they left him sitting with two crushed vertebrae for three hours because all their attention was focused on those coming in by ambulance. I learned two things that night: I could have severely injured him and no matter how much they may fuss about the cost of an ambulance use it.

Sounds Interesting

I found a link at Russ's blog out of Colorado that has some pretty interesting stuff. Including this article about Yak meat locally raised and sold.

I wonder if Anne would bring some when she visits here in early April?

Know Nothings

Paul Krugman made a statement on his blog that kind of tells the tale of what's happening today in our government.

The moral here is that right now the GOP literally has no ideas about how the nation should actually be governed.
And the scary thing is that lack of ideas seems to be a winning platform.

We have the party that doesn't know what to do about the mess they created, because if they did anything to clean it up it would mean they were wrong. They also won't let anyone clean it up because it would mean they were wrong. And Saint Reagan couldn't have been wrong!

My question to ponder:

I wonder if anyone in the teaparty party has had the bright idea of placing Reagan in a glass coffin and putting him in a prominent place either in the capital building or White House?

Oops question:
Is bright idea and teaparty party an oxymoron?

Good News

Optimus will be turned into an e-book shortly. It will be for sale on the Sony reader and the new I-pad. Publish America is still fighting with Amazon and it's not available on the Kindle. Amazon's little problem with MacMillan over the weekend may change that issue. I'll keep you posted when they're available.

Pondering Again

If a blue dog's nuts got caught in a vise, would he feel it?

Humility

To start Yogi in Tulsa, Ok has posted a nice review of Optimus. Check out what he says.

Had a tournament today. On the way I was stopped and got the first speeding ticket in over thirty years. The officer said it would be $74.

When I got there to the course we weren't sure it would be held since there was still quite a bit of snow on the course. The grounds crew did a fine job of brushing off the greens and we played.

It was a simple tournament with four different levels based on handicap. I won my level hitting my average. I got a check for $75. So lest I boast too much I only netted one buck for the days effort.

Still I usually don't get anything so it's better than nothing.

Waste, Waste and more Waste

I ran across this website and post from Schoolgate. It addresses an often underlooked at problem with all schools. Their half-assed approach to technology. I think every teacher has a war story that deals with the way computers, televisions, projectors, younameit is unfairly distributed in a school.

Schools set up a couple of computer labs and put a bunch in the library. Wow wonderful for the five or six teachers, usually friends of the person in charge of the labs, who get to the list the first day and monopolize them for the whole year. Signing up to take your class to the library? Good luck. Most of the time it's being used for testing!

We have a mobile lap top lab. You can't check it out without proper training, which I have, but they won't let anyone in our portables use them since we have such lousy paving that the jarring in transporting the lab to our rooms would destroy the computers.

Technology in a school always goes to the chosen few. We have some of them at my school. They have ceiling mounted projectors, a smart board, five or more computers for students to use, their own laptop plus desk top for grades and attendance. While 3/4ths of teachers have a chalk board, overhead projector and the desktop for grades and attendance. If the district hadn't mandated computer attendance they wouldn't have the lone computer.

Enter the Technology department. Five years ago they took a teacher allocation to hire one "techie" to maintain and set up all the computers. We now have five, count them five techies, that are boxed in by non-used monitors, and boxes of keyboards, other peripherals and dead cpu's. How many thousands of dollars are now sitting around their office as useless junk?

Meanwhile I had five computers received from a grant that had to be discarded last year because the district would not put the new anti-virus protection on them.

Meanwhile this year I'm teaching economics without the students having a book and no classroom set. We are using three different textbook adoptions of books still in somewhat usable shape for U.S. and world history, NM history doesn't even have a book written for it.

Maybe I'm old school having been around since before the flood, but it doesn't have to be this wasteful.

I recognize that some subjects are worth the cost of computers and software ie Computer Aided Drafting.

• With a computer and a projector life is much better than a chalkboard or whiteboard. This cost is negligible compared to the cost of smart boards and labs. This should be available to all teachers at the school, not the chosen few.
• All students need a book. Without it the rest is meaningless.
• Most work should still be done with paper, pen or pencil.
• Teaching the subject should be more important that teaching to the test.

Question To Ponder

When I was in high school the activities director was Jay Thiebert. His door was always open to any student not supposed to be in class. My senior year I only needed 4 classes to graduate out of the six period schedule. I spent a lot of time in his office with other students.
He was an accomplished artist and I guess out of boredom he started drawing figures of all the students that were regulars in his office and assigning everyone a nickname. The day he made mine he was stuck for about a minute, but he noticed I was wearing my AFJROTC uniform. I was captain of the school's huddle of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and chaplain of the JROTC, so he chose as my nickname Wild Blue Yonder Ponderer.
I've always pondered or thought about things that other people either accept or don't even bother thinking about, which really drives Grinnygranny crazy. There's only one other person I've met who ponders things the way I do and that's Anne Littlewolf, which is one of the reasons we call each other twin.
Soooo, I thought I'd start writing down some thoughts to ponder.

Number 1:

If you work for a soul less entity, will you eventually lose your soul?

Brrrr

• This morning the sun was shining for the first time in three days. It looked really nice, so I went to the golf course. Temperature was low forties, but the wind picked up. At first just a gentle breeze but it cut like a knife. I made it through the first nine and went on to the tenth hole, but then the wind became sustained at around 30mph. Headed home. It took some time to thaw out.

• This is a crazy year for Pro Football. Usually the teams with the strongest defense dominate the playoffs. This year none of the teams playing to day displayed much defense. Maybe offense is in the ascendance.
• One of my favorite shows this past season is Lie To Me. It shows the different facial expressions and mannerisms people use when lying. You wouldn't think a show whose gimmick is body language would be that good, but it really is. It also has made me a little more attentive to some forms of facial expressions. This morning I watched HBO's Inside Sports with Bryant Gumble. They showed an interview done three years ago with a Doctor in charge of policy regarding concussions in the NFL. Every question about the dangers of concussions and their after effects he repeatedly said, "No," then brought his lips tightly back in a grimace. He did it every time. After about five questions I started laughing. It was a prime example of lying through your teeth. He was obviously grinding his teeth in anger for being forced to lie by the league knowing full well what the real effects of concussions are. In every answer he was violating the Hypocratic oath. Such are the effects of our corporate masters.

Back To Normal

Daughter is back and home and recovering. Things should be getting a little more back to normal. I wish to thank all those who posted comments expressing their concern.

Worry Time

Daughter is having surgery. After three weeks of doctors saying there's nothing wrong yesterday they finally admitted there was. She was admitted in the afternoon but it took until 3:30am for them to get her a room and she is scheduled for surgery, who knows when it will actually happen. This is what happens when you have one of those Cadillac plans Obama wants to tax. I wonder what would have happened if we were on an HMO or no insurance?

I Don't Give A Damn

Readers of this blog know that on many issues I am very passionate and speak my mind on them. There are however some things I really don't care about and unless prodded beyond endurance refuse to comment on. So here are some of the things I don't give a damn about:

• Anyone elses sex life, be they politicians, athletes, or celebrities.
• Obnoxious loudmouth television and radio personalities be they liberal or conservative.
• Anyone predicting the end of the world or blaming natural disasters on whichever group they want to pick on.
• How to get rich quick.
• Who is or just came out of drug/alcohol, sex, blah blah blah, rehab.
• Listening to 911 tapes.
• Red carpet pictures, with the exception of wardrobe malfunctions.

Give me some time and I might add to the list.

Regulations

Laws and regulations are about the same thing. Both are needed so that everyone can get along in society. In civil society we have laws, police, judges, jails, prisons for those who don't want to play by the rules and get along with everyone else.
In business there are regulations that everyone is supposed to play by so that in all transactions both parties get value for value.
Look at a society where the rule of law has broke down. The laws are laughed at, the police are corrupt, judges take bribes, jails and prisons either don't exist or are death traps. That's a country we would consider hell on Earth. Another name would be a society ruled by "dog eat dog" morality. Anarchy in short. Survival of the fittest or social Darwinism.
Why would anyone halfway sane believe that business doesn't need laws, cops, judges and prisons for those handling all the money in an economy? Yet that was the kool-aid offered under the Reagan economics and such is the fallout we have today.
Would any sane country hold a commision in which the top felons from murderers, rapists, burglars, armed robbers, and drunk drivers are asked if they think laws against them should be tightened?
Take away the tatoos and baggy clothes, dress them up in expensive suits, have them come in private jets it still doesn't make those who are testifying before congress any less thieves. It's just that they have bought off Congress for pennies, Judges for a song and are continuing to plunder the national treasury in broad daylight.

Papers falling down

Picture: hands in air a group of papers thrown in air and falling down to the ground.

I ran off twenty copies of Friends Forever and sent them off to Anne to sign and send me some so I can sell them.

She sold ten copies to one of the ladies heading hospice in Gunnison and the another lady wants as many as she can get and is taking it to the state hospice convention.

She's keeping me busy running them off. I guess my next job after I retire will be as publisher. I'm certainly not getting to sell any of them down here. I don't want to sell any that aren't signed by the author.

Frustration aside, this book is turning into something special. If Colorado's hospice decides they like it then going national enters the picture. They may even decide to act as publisher or get it to one.

To Annon. from Vermont

I've contacted Anne Littlewolf with your request on how she gets all the nice little trinkets for her Cowboy Christmas Trees. If she wishes to share that information she'll post a comment here for you.

And here is Anne's response:

HI---the Cowboy Christmas trees are a combination of found objects (native sage, grasses, etc), an elk spike, a piece of wood for the base (cedar is my favorite when I can get it) and fencing wire. The cowboy motif decorations are from Hobby Lobby, and since they're not mainstream golf, football, baseball, etc. they can be a bit tricky to find. The little packages and strings of bulbs, etc.,are common Hobby Lobby stock, so that's no problem, but the cowboy style things can be a hunt. I also use twine, Indian beads, horseshoes, sort of whatever strikes my fancy on each one. No two are exactly alike, but they sure are fun to make.
Hope this helps, and thanks for asking.

Gwen

Way back in the day, I'd left Seminary and my future, my marriage was over and we were fighting over who'd get stuck with the bill. I was living at home which was near Bataan Memorial Park. I took a little poodle, Mom's baby, named Mimi for a walk at the park. Across from the park I noticed a new book store had opened named Trespasser's William. I picked Mimi up and walked inside.

There was this nice lady who greeted me and we had a wonderful conversation about our favorite writers. She opened the store with children's books and used books. She asked me if I'd ever read anything by Harlan Ellison, and I recognized the name. I'd read a few of his short stories that I'd come across in science fiction anthologies: Repent Harlequin, Said the Tick Tock Man, I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream. One thing about Ellison is that you never forget his titles. She told me I had to read The Glass Teat, which is a series of articles about television in the 60's. So I bought it and I was hooked on Harlan from then on. In that summer of lonliness I'd go into her store where there'd be a few people just sitting around talking books. Eventually I found a job and got on with my life, but those times of discussion helped bring me back to the real world.

Reading Ellison's writings helped me recover from those dark days too in a strange way. There's a warning at the beginning of his book Deathbird Stories not to read it in one setting as the content is too distrubing. They are disturbing stories and very depressing and it may not sound right, but reading depressing stories lifted my depression. He put into words what I was feeling and I knew that I was not alone in my pain.
I traded in a number of used books for more of Ellison's until I'd exhausted her supply and I had to go down by the University for more. It was a moment in time where my interest in him and the publishing industry meshed. Most of his stories were being re-released in anthologies and out-of-print books were being republished. Over the years I've gobbled up just about every book of his that I've found.

Back in that day if a paperback book didn't sell the store would rip off the front cover, send it back to the publisher for a refund and throw the rest away. She gave me a box of books with the covers ripped off and in that box was almost a complete set of Robert E. Howard's Conan series. Those books kept me awake as a security guard on the graveyard shift.

I have many favorite authors: Isaac Asimov (my first love so to speak) Robert Heinlein, Poul Anderson, James A. Michener, Edgar Allen Poe, Barry Sadler, Mickey Spillaine M. M. Kaye, Bari Wood, Anne McCafrey, Colleen McCullogh, JRR Tolkein, CS Lewis...
Harlan Ellison is top of the list and I have Gwen to thank for introducing him to me.

After Grinnygranny and I were married and moved into an apartment far far away I didn't go back to the little store for some time.

Gwen shut down her used book section and focused on children's books. I went there and bought some books after Eddie was born. She'd started going into the elementary schools and putting on book fairs. Many teachers would take their classes to her store on field trips. It wasn't long until that little store across from the park wasn't big enough and she moved further up the street to a larger location. I don't know when she closed the store and moved away I was just disappointed when I drove by and found it gone.
Last night at the Writer's2Writers meeting Dave, who I'm taking over this writer's group from, gave me a newsletter from the children's writers group to read in way of some announcements. While reading the newsletter I came across one item letting everyone know that Gwen had passed away last November 21 in Colorado.
She will be sorely missed as she had a lasting impact on the children of this town and my life.

Frustration

• I put all the names and addresses onto the e-mail account and tried to send them the first e-mail for Monday's Writers2Writers meeting and Hotmail puts a hold on new accounts for mass e-mails. I had to get Dave Corwell to do the mailing for me, hopefully I'll get the situation up and running by next months meeting.
• I've run off twenty copies of Anne's book Friend's Forever and the kind lady in the production room is in the process of binding them. The first ten went in the blink of an eye.
• It looks like the Curmudgeons will be meeting again on the 16th at a place yet to be decided. There are many problems in the world that need to be solved over a beer or two.

All Good Things Must End

Tomorrow it's back to school, at least for a little while, nothing is set in stone right now.

I've finally added all the names and e-mail addresses (164 of them) to the Writers2Writers e-mail account so I can contact everyone before each meeting. Yahoo has been a real pain letting me only post 3 or 4 at a time and I'm still fighting them on my first e-mail to the group, seems they put a hold on the account afraid I might be spamming.

A Big Step

Next week I'm going to contact the retirement board and look into the feasability of retiring. For the last three years I've had the luxury of teaching because I wanted to not because I had to. As long as it was still fun, interesting, and I looked forward to walking to work each day I'd stay with it.
Last semester wasn't fun, it wasn't interesting and I dreaded the short walk to my classroom on certain days. If I have to I can finish the year out, but if I'm that burned out it wouldn't be good for the students (as my Dad said when he decided to retire, "They have to be here, I don't), and not good for my health either.
The nice lady who used to teach next to me for many years and this last semester was across the walk from my portable resigned and will substitute. Another fine lady, special ed teacher, will be leaving for another school within a few weeks of the coming semester.
When I was younger a good friend of mine said about administrators that we (teachers) are permanent and they are temporary. If I was still a young teacher and needed the job I'd stick it out until La Madronna goes on to greener pastures, but I don't have to put up with this nonsense anymore and I won't.
I might find a job at a private or church school next year. The upcoming legislative session is going to close the double dipping law that would let me teach and collect retirement so I won't be going back into an APS classroom. I'm a teacher not a babysitter so I will not substitute, been there done that, not interested right now.