Dads

Hib Rein & Betty (Connie's Dad & Mom) in Sayulita

RIP

Grand Dad Beimer in Taos

RIP

Dad Sam Beimer holding maybe champion in Taos

RIP

Grand Dad Johnson (Mom's Dad), probably in Taos

RIP

June Flowers

Admiralty Speaks

It sickened me yesterday to see security personnel—including members of the National Guard—forcibly and violently clear a path through Lafayette Square to accommodate the president's visit outside St. John's Church.

I have to date been reticent to speak out on issues surrounding President Trump's leadership, but we are at an inflection point, and the events of the past few weeks have made it impossible to remain silent.

Whatever Trump's goal in conducting his visit, he laid bare his disdain for the rights of peaceful protest in this country, gave succor to the leaders of other countries who take comfort in our domestic strife, and risked further politicizing the men and women of our armed forces.

There was little good in the stunt.

While no one should ever condone the violence, vandalism, and looting that has exploded across our city streets, neither should anyone lose sight of the larger and deeper concerns about institutional racism that have ignited this rage.

As a white man, I cannot claim perfect understanding of the fear and anger that African Americans feel today. But as someone who has been around for a while, I know enough—and I've seen enough—to understand that those feelings are real and that they are all too painfully founded.

We must, as citizens, address head-on the issue of police brutality and sustained injustices against the African American community. We must, as citizens, support and defend the right—indeed, the solemn obligation—to peacefully assemble and to be heard. These are not mutually exclusive pursuits.

And neither of these pursuits will be made easier or safer by an overly aggressive use of our military, active duty or National Guard. The United States has a long and, to be fair, sometimes troubled history of using the armed forces to enforce domestic laws. The issue for us today is not whether this authority exists, but whether it will be wisely administered.

I remain confident in the professionalism of our men and women in uniform. They will serve with skill and with compassion. They will obey lawful orders. But I am less confident in the soundness of the orders they will be given by this commander in chief, and I am not convinced that the conditions on our streets, as bad as they are, have risen to the level that justifies a heavy reliance on military troops.

Certainly, we have not crossed the threshold that would make it appropriate to invoke the provisions of the Insurrection Act.

Furthermore, I am deeply worried that as they execute their orders, the members of our military will be co-opted for political purposes.

Even in the midst of the carnage we are witnessing, we must endeavor to see American cities and towns as our homes and our neighborhoods. They are not “battle spaces” to be dominated, and must never become so.

We must ensure that African Americans—indeed, all Americans—are given the same rights under the Constitution, the same justice under the law, and the same consideration we give to members of our own family. Our fellow citizens are not the enemy, and must never become so.

Too many foreign and domestic policy choices have become militarized; too many military missions have become politicized.

This is not the time for stunts. This is the time for leadership.

MIKE MULLEN is a retired admiral of the U.S. Navy and was the 17th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The Good Times

Nesting Roadrunner Style

Beep!   Beep!

Here are a couple of shots from out the front door. The last few days, as soon as the sun comes up, our state birds are gathering sticks…and they make a return trip to the supply depot about every 4 minutes.  Even the street sweeper didn’t deter them from their appointed rounds.  Time must be of the essence.

And we’ve found the nest high in a pine tree at the corner of the house. 

Question…how do you spot a birds nest?   Look for lots of poop on the ground…

Mommy and Daddy stay together for life.  Have 2 or 3 nests a year.  Lay 2 or 3 eggs.  Mom & Dad take turns sitting.

Our guard dog saw one thru the window the other day and just growled…didn’t bark!   

I think animals know when to just watch and let nature take its course.

The 43rd President of the United States (George W. Bush) listened to Trump’s inaugural and turned to the former Secretary of State (Gen. Colin Powell) and said, “well, that was some weird shit.”

Indeed it was.

Trump, raged about “American carnage” and described a dystopic America that existed only in the fever dreams of a noxious mix of conspiracy theorists, demagogic commentators and dishonest propaganda platforms getting rich by spreading the disinformation planted by foreign intelligence services.

Three years on it turns out Trump’s speech was prophecy. He has brought devastation to America. His legacy will be mass death and economic collapse caused by his staggering incompetence and ineptitude.

The United States is the epicenter of Covid-19 disease and death and the reason is because of Trump. Trump has failed at an epic level. He has divided the county and stoked a cold civil war. He has lied more than 17000 times and desecrated the American Presidency. He has assaulted American patriots , our most important institutions and attacked the rule of law. He is corrupt, indecent and utterly lacking character.  He processes none of the qualities of greatness and goodness that have steered our country through its’ darkest nights. He is a fool without compare. He is intellectually unfit and mentally fragile. He is unworthy of his office and unfit for its duties.

We are living in a moment of American weakness unlike any of us have ever seen. Trump is the architect of that weakness. He is the instrument of our precipitous national decline.

Recovery from this disaster will take many years. Trump is not capable at any level of leading it.

The election ahead is the most important this country has faced since 1864. Let it end this rancid era of the reality show Presidency. Let it send this tiresome and ignorant bully back to Trump Tower and cleanse the stench of his corruption, idiocy, racebaiting and failure from our national life. The name Trump will long linger. It will stand for suffering and unnecessary death. It will stand for economic collapse and financial ruin. It will stand for failure and weakness. It will stand for decline and dishonesty. It will stand for stupidity and indecency.

But, mostly it will mark a tragic time in America where the worst leader in our long history, a man so outmatched by history’s test was the President.

He will be remembered rightfully as the worst one we have ever had.

Steve Schmitt - Republican Political Consultant

On The Road to Villanueva

OK, we broke protocol.

Kind of.

After 4 weeks around the house, except for the not-frequent visits to a hardware store, and a supermarket, it was time to head out.

The 323 mile journey, during which our only contact with fellow New Mexicans was a friendly wave along the highway, and at the drive-thru window at Wendy's, away we went.

Here's what we saw.

State Road Three - between I-40 and Villanueva!

These 345,000 volt electric soldiers, I recall from my years in the electric utility business, carry power across the sagebrush plains between switching stations in Bernalillo and Blackwater (near Clovis).   It's 216 miles long.  I think, now, in additional to traditional power generation sources (coal fired power plants), the lines are used to transmit power from solar and wind generation used by PNM and other utilities across the west.

Villanueva State Park, on the banks of the Pecos River was tranquil.  It had been opened up for day use, only.   There were picnickers in one site - and nary another soul around - except for the state park employee who kindly told us that day-use at the park didn't require payment of a fee!

Along the way we visited another state park - Storrie Lake near Las Vegas.  There, our trusty Teddy, looked longingly at the lapping blue waters, probably wondering how he could get to the ducks that were quacking in the distance.  But, not wanting to get his little feet wet!

On thru Mora, Cleveland, Holman, Tres Ritos, SiPaPu, Vadito, Penasco, Las Trampas, Ojo Sarco, Truchas and skirting Picuris, Nambe, Pojoaque, Tesuque, Cochiti, San Felipe, Santa Ana and Sandia pueblos we went.

Arriving back in The Big Duke City 8 hours later.

It was worth it!