FIGHT 'EM EMMA

READ THIS!

NOW!

READ IT!

DO SOMETHING!

NOW!

In case the link above didn't work, here it is:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/05/opinion/sunday/emma-gonzalez-parkland.html



And, when given the opportunity, go to a theater, or check on line and  - watch Farenheit 11/9.

Super immigrant

Superman is an immigrant.

NM State Fair History

This is from Albuquerque Journal State Fair Supplement

September 2, 2018

Times they are a changin'

Just think about this for a while...


The race for governor of Florida will be between a guy who turns 40 in mid-September and a guy who turns 40 next July.

Green Mountain Getaway

The Green Mountains

There’s a reason Vermont is called The Green Mountain State – and it has little to do with Green Mountain Coffee – a homegrown marketing ploy of Keurig – now owned by Dr Pepper/Snapple Group.  And, don’t expect to tour the Green Mountain Coffee factory, but you can tour the old railroad station in Waterbury (across the tracks from some big buildings that may have something to do with Keurig and/or Green Mountain Coffee) – the tour consisted of some coffee samples and standalone exhibit kiosk’s.   Don’t bother.

But, do tour Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream place, if only for the samples at the end. They have an interesting history, I like their social responsibility, and they made one helluva product, even though the company is now owned by Unilever.  That gets mentioned in the tour, but the emphasis is on Ben & Jerry, who reportedly still live nearby in Burlington.

The hills around Stowe are alive – not only with music from the Von Trapp Family Lodge – but from bars, bistro’s, and coffee houses. 

It’s really neat. 

Over time the image of Stowe has changed – I guess – from a winter playground – to a 4-season getaway.  I understand, hidden in the hills, are huge 2^nd homes that include swimming pools, tennis courts, and the such.  Getaways.

We stayed in one of the Von Trapp family facilities (The Von Trapps of The Sound of Music fame – although the tie to that story and the movies contain many mixed messages – a fact present family members recognize).  The Von Trapp Family Lodge is a private hotel and 2300 acre development that is operated by the grandson of Maria (who was played by Julie Andrews in the movie).  Sam’s dad, Johannes, was born near Philadelphia – so his tie to the Austrian countryside is one of history.  And, Johannes was never one of the family singers.   The name, and the history, and the images remain, but that’s about all. 

Here’s what the lodge looks like now.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s a fabulous place – and if it was 2,000 miles closer to Albuquerque I’d think seriously about going there quite often.

The stay in Stowe, and nearby Burlington – was for business, not all pleasure.  

There was the requisite visit to the county “field days” – where tractors were pulled, skillets were thrown, 4-H projects were exhibited – and carnival rides spun round ‘n round.

Kind of a flat-like-a-pancake sopapilla/funnel cake.

More in a future posting about the visit to the world’s 2^nd largest predominantly French speaking city, Montreal.

Ban Fireworks

On the Border Rodman

On a recent business trip to So-Cal my inquisitive mind wanted to know -  how are international relations with our neighbor to the south.

What's it like on the border.  So, off to Tijuana - kind of.

The stop at a shopping center brought forth these images:

From US to Mexico - it seemed like worlds away.

There weren't any new walls, that we could see - but there was a facility for handling those who chose to walk across the border - North to South or South to North.

Waiting on the retaining walls, inside the US, were dozens of folks waiting for arrivals from Mexico.  They came, they went, they shopped.

Of note, the stores we visited at the Las Americas Outlet Center didn't seem to accept Mexican money.  I'll bet any of the stores across the border accepted the US dollar.

Back up north, the purpose of the award.  New Mexico State Fair General Manager Dan Mourning accepting the Merrill Award from the Western Fairs Association.  The Merrill award was presented for the work that New Mexico had done in establishing a "sensory station" that allowed our friends and neighbors who are autistic and have similar maladies, a place to enjoy the fair.  The New Mexico State Fair venue has led to numerous other fairs adopting a similar program - a quiet place to get away - if only for a few moments. Here's Dan with Western Fairs Association Executive Director Sarah Cummings.

Then, there was this.  My attempt at international relations for countries across the pond.  Here I am with a famous basketball player, who has played a role in relations with North Korea - the one and only Dennis Rodman.

I'm glad he didn't stand up!

Thursday Morning Tweets in the city

The sights and sounds of the city were evident this Thursday morning.

Shortly before dawn, somewhere in the immediate vicinity of our humble abode (that's abode, not adobe), a typical city street lined with houses.

Front yards that were once grass are now "hardscaped".

In the back yards, far away from curious eyes, came the triumphant echoing call

That was followed, by the hollow call from one of our most persistent hangers-on, the cousin to the pigeon -

Mourning his (or her) way - looking for love.

Meanwhile, a few hundred miles south of us, I captured this picture a couple weeks ago, beach side near Puerto Vallarta.

Here is "Iggy".

Nature, in all it's glory.

Listen and watch, as nature goes about the daily routine.

The natural tweets are much more peaceful than the electronic ones!

Throwback to Grandpa Beimer

La Junta, Colorado Tribune
June 13, 1906

Grandpa and Grandma. 

Grandpa was born in Ft. Madison, Iowa.

Grandma was born in Sweden.

The happy couple many years later in Taos.

Say it again, Sam

You gotta check out my friend Sam Donaldson's takes -  He knows of what he speaks  -  as opposed to so many people that just blabber away...




http://samdonaldsonlive.com/

It's our planet

This is our planet.

Please protect it - from all harms physical and political.

Spring in Minnesota

It is the first week of April, folks, and this is what it looked like on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds this week. 

During this business trip, I also took a side excursion to Austin, Minnesota.

That's the home of Hormel - the folks who bring us SPAM and Cure 81 hams.

There are many other foods in their lineup of products - including Muscle Milk - and close to my heart - salsa!  Who would have thunk!

The drive to Austin, to my surprise, was through The Valley of the Jolly Ho-Ho-Ho Green Giant...

Now, if the the snow will melt, the tractors will get into the fields and all will be good with the world.

Oh, the dirt in Minnesota - as best I could tell - is black.  I think that's good for growing.

The March in Albuquerque

Streets in Old Town Albuquerque were swarming on Saturday, March 24, 2018.

Not swarming with bees, not swarming with tourists (although I imagine there were a few), but swarming with thousands of folks who wanted to express anger at the inaction concerning safety of our schools, and the proliferation of people with assault rifles.

Here are a few photos.

 

And, in regard to that last photo...this today:

Pope Francis is telling young people to keep on shouting and not let people silence them.

“The temptation to silence young people has always existed,” the pope said during a Palm Sunday service in St. Peter’s Square, according to Reuters.

He said there are many ways to silence young people and "make them invisible."

"Many ways to anesthetize them, to make them keep quiet, ask nothing, question nothing. There are many ways to sedate them, to keep them from getting involved, to make their dreams flat and dreary, petty and plaintive," he said, the news service reported.

“Dear young people, you have it in you to shout," he continued.

“It is up to you not to keep quiet. Even if others keep quiet, if we older people and leaders, some corrupt, keep quiet, if the whole world keeps quiet and loses its joy, I ask you: Will you cry out?”

Sign of the Times

Seems like there are more and more of these.  SAD!

Here Here There There

How Old Is Dirt?

Billy Graham in Albuquerque

The year was 1975.

The location was University Arena - The Pit.

The occasion - conduct a TV interview with one of the most famous people in the world.

The camera was set up in one of the rooms that would normally be used by a basketball team.  This day, it was a "ready room" for Billy Graham - who had brought his crusade to Albuquerque.

We waited for a short period of time, then the door opened and in walked the familiar face, and his wife Ruth.

We shook hands and looked eyeball to eyeball, his piercing eyes burned to the back of my brain.

Something happened in that room when he entered - it was something that was felt but not seen or heard.

To this day, I say, the preacher Billy Graham carried with him someone - something - some higher power.

I know not what - but it was something.

March For Our Lives

Another thought

Another Shooting

Tom Brokaw sent out this on Twitter today - February 15.
8 minutes ago

How will historians judge our time when school shootings are routine? Civilization gives way to madness by gunfire. It’s a national crisis and it is homegrown. Assault weapons are for war, not for civilians

Tequila Throwback

Yep, folks, this is one of the steps along the way to barrels of tequila.

The picture was taken during a visit to Jose Cuervo's place in Tequila, Mexico.

These giant "pineapples" are the heart of the agave plant, and once processed (cooked), the liquid travels along and eventually ends up bottled and on the way to your favorite liquor store.

Enjoy!

Present Day Watergate

It was 44 years ago tonight, January 30, that Richard M. Nixon delivered a State of the Union address and said, referring to investigations into possible political wrongdoing..

"I believe the time has come to bring that investigation and the other investigations of this matter to an end.  One year of Watergate is enough!"

Does that sound familiar?  It should!

Replace "Watergate" with the word "Russia" and what do you have?

Mr. Nixon also famously said, "I am not a crook!"

Throwback

This is kind of a throwback.   A week ago some of us were in Havana, Cuba - going for a ride in vehicles we remembered from our growing-up days, and visiting the island 90 miles from our mainland - than few Americans visit these days (and there will be fewer if that man with the yellow hair has his way).

This photograph was taken at Revolution Square, the same spot where Fidel Castro was known to make 10 hour speeches - sometimes in the heat of the day - and the plaza would be filled with the faithful.

On the day we were there, the day this photo was taken, there were lots of vehicles that we remembered, and lots of new Chinese tour busses - all bringing tourists.

What a blast from the past!

I'm behind the wheel, and the other co-conspirators on the trip, left to right, Jim Baca, Connie Beimer, yours truly, Ed Mahr, Joline Mahr and Bobbi Baca.

(I didn't get to drive the car, just pose for the picture!)

Havana

Asi es Cuba!   So is Cuba!

That was the phrase that resonated during a recent visit to that island nation.  In the coming days I'll post a few pictures and tell a few stories about the visit.

For today, 2 pictures taken from the deck of our cruise ship.

This first shot is of the skyline.  Notice there are 4 large construction cranes in operation over that part of the city that is called New Havana.

How many cranes in operation have you counted around Albuquerque, lately?

Perhaps more telling of what can be seen, this is the opposite side of the ship.  The water in the bay was shimmering from oil, grease and gasoline.  The roof of the terminal (uh, the former roof of the terminal) was indicative of many sights.
And, notice in the background, golden domes atop a relatively newly constructed Russian Orthodox Church.

Oh, the tour busses we traveled in were not even a year old, made in China.  I don't know if it's the same company that's making the ART busses for Albuquerque.

MLK Standing Watch

Our employee at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue should be forced to go stand in front of this for a while.  Awesome, even on a cool day in November when we visited.

Amen to this Trump Statement