Farewell Party Photos

On the outside chance that some folks might be interested in the farewell party for Greg and Kyle go here to see some of the photos of the event.

There will be more posted later. I have to go to the hardware store to return some faucet handles that are the wrong ones.

I'm back...

home.

More later.

Day Six and I'm in Phoenix

The trip from El Paso was uneventful and that is how it should be. I did get to pass the site where there had been a terrible accident on I-10 at Bowie, Arizona the night before. I passed through about 1100 hours yesterday morning and the burnt out huld of a semi was still smouldering on the shoulder of the road. I had seen the news report about it in El Paso before I departed. The report did indicate that the highway had been opened again. That was relief.

I arrived at the motel at 1300 hours, checked in, made a couple of calls to let folks know I had arrived and then caught up on my internet correspondence. Around 1500 hours my daughter called and invited me to come over and help them with some last minute shopping. I was out the door in a flash only to discover that Tweedle-dee the Wonder Dummy was alive and well right here in Phoenx. When I tried to start the car I discovered the battery was dead. I had forgotten to turn off the headlights. I always travel with them on for safety reasons. I was able to find a helpful young man with jumper cables and was soon on my way.

It was great to see my daughter and the two boys. No, strike that, two young men. It has been a couple of years since I last saw them. They have grown into tall and handsome young men. I suspect they will break a few hearts and have theirs broken as well. We had to wait for my granddaughter to show up to provide transportation. She marches to her own drummer and time is probably a nuisance to her. She does manage to get to work in a timely manner and she does her job well.

I must admit the drive to the store was very exciting. I didn't realize that the Huyndai Accent has only to positions on the throttle wide open and closed. She does use her turn signals when changing lanes, a skill she demonstrated often.

She has made some interesting choices in her young life. They haven't all turned out quite the way she thought they would, or maybe they did. Anyway, she seems to be able to keep a cheerful, positive attitude thorugh it all.

I like to think I have a special bond with her from a time when she was about six or so and they visited us. I wish I had intervened in an interaction between her and her step-dad. At the time I thought , mistakenly, that parents could be psychologically hurtful to their children when disciplining them. What an ass I was. At any rate, I am still bearing the guilt on that one and take this time to publically apologize to her for not doing more.

Well now, that went a little further than I anticipated. What an interesting choice to continue it.

Today is the big day. The farewell/bon voyage/congratulations for graduating/getting through high school party which is set for later today. I am not sure how many folks will be there, but I promise to take more than a few photos. Some of them may even show up here.

The saga will continue.

Photos of the Southwest

Mr. Q, these photos are for you.

The Franklin Mountains on the West side of El Paso #1

The Franklin Mountains on the West side of El Paso #2

The Arizona desert between Tucson and Phoenix #1

The Arizona desert between Tucson and Phoenix #2

It is hot and dry in this part of the country. With a little bit of luck on my return trip, I will be able to get some photos of some other spots I noticed on the way to Phoenix.

Enjoy!

Day Three of El Paso/Phoenix Trip

Day three is winding down. My brother Keith has finished practicing on his newly rebuilt Gibson Epiphone guitar. It sounds absolutely beautiful. He has many artistic talents. Music is just one of them. His main art form is painting.

Let me digress a little bit about the trip itself. The little red jewel of motor car is performing like a champ. The mileage is excellent, between 29 and 32 mpg. Not bad considering a cruising speed of about 75 mph. Thank goodness for cruise control. I decided to fill up about every 200 miles. I was able to cover a lot of ground that way. The trip took me past Topeka and Wichita in Kansas, Oklahoma City and then through Amarillo, TX. It took just about 12 hours to drive from home to my overnight stop in Santa Rosa, NM. It only took about 4 hours to get from Santa Rosa to El Paso. Is it ever hot here in the Southwest. In the low hundreds every day so far.

One of the reasons for my stop over in El Paso was to work out with him the plans to begin marketing prints of his works. As you might imagine there are a lot of details to be worked out. Our first effort is to develop a marketing plan. At the same time we have to research the best site for establishing web site for his work. We haven’t settled on a name for the site yet. We know it has to be unique and catchy and not one that will generate millions of hits on google. Suggestions anyone?

Btw, because of limitations of time I have not been able to read and leave comments to the blogs I usually visit. I will try to make up for that either in Phoenix or when I return home. It is interesting how much I miss the opportunity to learn how you all are doing.

I am also planning to capture some of the stories of my mother’s past. At almost 93, she is reliving some of the many events in her life. She has been known to make the comment that she should write a book about her life, but no one would believe it.. I think I will try to capture as much of it as I can. I may even have to start a new blog devoted to Jane’s story. Just a thought.

TTFN

Preparing for the road trip

The suit case is packed. The golf clubs are in the trunk. (Yeah, that's one of the really neat things about the Del Sol. It will accommodate my clubs and a whole bunch of other stuff, including the suit case.) Most of the files are transferred to the lap top. Just one more transfer to make before I shut the desk top down.

I'm not sure just when I will start out in the AM. Departing before 0700 hours would be a good thing. I plan to drive all the way to Santa Rosa, NM on the first day. That will give me a shorter day on Tuesday. I am still trying to decide on whether to drive to Albuquerque and save about a half hour, or go through Alomogordo and save gas. Well that's a no-brainer. Save gas.

Next weekend I will be in Phoenix for the farewell party for my grandsons who have decided that time in the military is a good thing for them. Even with the world events, I can only support their decision's. After all, I did spend four years enlisted in the Air Force and 18.5 years commissioned in the Army. The two tours in Viet Nam were not a lot of fun, but they allowed me to learn some lessons, I hope.

I'll will be taking the lap top with me and will try to check in periodically to keep in touch with you all.

More on the MoveOn Email

Thanks to comments from k9 and bird to the previous posting I suggest that you see the other side of the caught red-handed allegations from MoveOn by checking out this link, factcheck.org

As usual, there is more to the story. The factcheck article provides more information that changes the color of the MoveOn plea.

It is important to us all that we become aware of misdeeds of our elected officials, however, there is no excuse for purposely misleading the public. I am sure that most political ads are designed to specifically put their candidate/public official in the best possible light and do just the opposite for the opponent. That's life.

You might like to bookmark the factcheck.org and visit them from time to time. I also recommend using snopes.com to check out those emails asking you to tell everyone about this sad/dangerous story.

Thanks again k9 and bird. It's nice to know there are folks out there who care enough to share good information.

MoveOn Letter

I received this email today and thought you all might find it of interest.

I just thought you might like to know how things are lining up for the next election's theft.

There are links to the MoveOn site for contributions and other information. I am NOT asking you to contribute. That is your choice.

As part of our big plan to win the election we've been running TV ads in key districts around the country. Yesterday I got news that a TV station in Virginia has refused us the right to air our newest ad that focuses on Iraq. They won't even return our phone calls.

It smelled fishy so we looked into it. Sure enough, the Republican Party has been threatening to sue TV stations that run our ads. That's not all. Two of the senior executives at the station—including one of the guys who makes the decision about running ads—actually donated to the Republican's campaign!

We want to show that playing dirty doesn't pay. Our plan is to INCREASE the size and length of the ad buy on other stations in the district. Can you contribute $20 or more to help fight back? Click below. Click here.

If we create a disincentive for playing dirty it can help make sure the playing field is fair across the country. We can do that when we raise $500,000 and keep the ads on TV for two weeks longer. And, we have a special new TV ad about Iraq.

The new ad uses the "Caught Red Handed" theme that has worked so well. It talks about how much money members of Congress are taking from defense contractors in Iraq at the same time our troops don't have enough body armor.

Some people say that Democrats should avoid the Iraq debate during the election. We think that's dead wrong but we need your help to show that's true.

We've tested these ads, and we know they produce a punch with voters—even among people who don't yet support leaving Iraq. (You can view the whole ad on the contribution page.)

To prove that Iraq is important to focus on during the election we hired a top political polling firm to investigate the opinions of voters in the top 68 "swing" districts—two-thirds of these districts are represented by Republicans.

Here is what we found:

• The war is by far the most important issue to voters in these districts right now.
• By wide margins these voters think the war was a mistake and not worth it. People are angry about the war.
• A discussion about Iraq during the campaign increases support for the Democrat. A Democrat who takes a firm stand for getting out of Iraq does better than a Democrat who take wishy-washy position—even in the face of Republican attacks like, "cut and run."
• Republicans are vulnerable to all sorts of attacks—including their blind support for Bush's policy of never-ending war.
• Voters are universally angry about how defense contractors have been put ahead of our troops and how priorities here at home have been neglected.

These results are paradigm-shifting news but not surprising. Every poll out there shows anger about the war. Voters are ready to hold Republicans accountable for letting Bush get away with everything—especially Iraq.

To win in November we need to put Iraq in front of the voters. So far MoveOn is the only organization that will do that in these elections. That's why we can't leave these elections in the hands of the Democrats alone.

With your support we can do what the Democrats won't yet: make 2006 a year of accountability for Republicans on Iraq. If we can show this works then Democrats and others will follow in our footsteps—boldly speaking out about the mess in Iraq.

The best way to bring our troops home is to show consequences for politicians who want to follow Bush on Iraq. This ad plays double duty by helping bring the troops home and win the election. We can do good and do well.

Can we count you in? We're going to need thousands of MoveOn members to step forward and make this commitment.

Thanks for all you do. –Tom, Wes, Justin, Rosalyn and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team Wednesday, June 14th, 2006

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

"Happiness, Prosperity, Longevity"...

...are sentiments that are more than mere words. When dear friends wish them for you and then provide these gentle, beautiful reminders, how much more do you need? These were gifts from our Cambodian friends Hoc Sieu and Amina. It has been almost a year since their visit.


The nice thing is that we do not need these reminders. They are always on our minds and in our prayers. Here is a couple who had come to the United States to escape oppression and sure death to become productive American citizens. They are special to us in so many ways. They are an inspiration and I am proud to call them friends. We wish the same to them.

Children are for nurturing

One of the wonderful things about cyber-space is the opportunity to exchange views with others about a myriad of topics. Recently, while reading Bog's blog and the comments to that particular posting, I chose to visit Absolute Zero. It is an important blog with an important mission. It is all about dealing with the illness of pedophilia. By using the term illness, I in no way intend to minimize the effects of such an illness.

I was particularly interested in the quote from a pedophile who says he has not acted on his fantasies and is remorseful about them. It sounds just similar to a comment from Lestat at Absolute Zero's Introduction posting.

It did cause me to give more thought to the problem so I sought information about it at webmd.com. Searching for pedophilia I came up with an article entitled What is pedophilia? There are three pages to it and I recommend reading all three.

There is no excuse, reason nor explanation that will ever convince me that there is anything remotely justifiable about pedophilia. Period, point, end of sentence, no negotiations. Children deserve the right to be protected from that type of manipulation. For anyone to say that others should understand their sexual proclivities toward children are only partly right. We need to understand that it is an illness, but, more importantly, they must come to the same conclusion. Then they must take the next step and get treatment. Pedophiles must be kept away from children.

The What is pedophilia article has some important directions for protecting children and I commend it to you all. They also make an important distinction between pedophiles and homosexuals. There is a very big difference. And only one of them is an illness-pedophilia.

Compassion is important. However, protection of children is more important.

photo test pad

Shannon was having some difficulty in posting more than one photo to a posting on blogger. I am not sure what her difficulty was. I was able to take post these photos directly. I thought you might have to post them one posting at a time and then copy and paste the html code into one posting. But this worked for me as it has in the past. I

I had problems accessing sites and comments last week. Shannon I hope this is helpful

Ben Kessler I wish you well in your endeavors.

I cited Ben Kessler's speech in yesterday's posting and have given his diatribe more thought.

I was particularly ROTFLMAO amused by the following:

"Finally, remember: Graduation is a time to look forward to the future with hope. I hope all you masturbating, condom-using, bedding out of wedlock bastards burn in Hell!

"You'll never laugh at me again! You won't! You won't! I'm going to be a PRIEST and you'll have to respect me and listen to me because I speak for GOD ALMIGHTY!

"You don't give God's messenger a wedgie! You don't leave dirty caricatures of God's Messenger in bathroom stalls! You don't put Ben Gay in the jock strap of God's Messenger! Shame on you! Shame on you all, you filthy sodomites!

"May The Lord bless you and keep you. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen."

I wonder if he sees the humor in all of this? Ben, I would like to show you more compassion than you have shown others. Here are a few things for you to consider as you go into your calling:

1. You command respect not demand it. Respect comes from others as a result of your respect for them and for yourself.
2. While the priesthood has suffered some reversals due to the criminal behavior of some, it is generally aimed at ministering to the flock. (I personally think they are all trying to maintain control and power over others, and your speech is a prime example to prove my point.)
3. On the outside chance you said all you did with your tongue planted firmly in your cheek, you might have a chance at being a stand-up comic. But only if you had a smile in your eyes.
4. If you don't like what is happening to you, you do something different until you do like what is happening to you.

Just some thoughts.

Some thoughts about selfishness "according to Ben Kessler"

Ben Kessler's speech was presented at his graduation ceremony. It has been argued by many in many forums. There are those who think he is a saint and those who think he is a devil.

I do not agree with much of what Mr. Kessler has said. Most of what he said was centered on a very selfish effort to castigate the individuals who had played some rather childish and stupid pranks at his expense. He comes off as a whiney, complaining child.

I would like to examine a couple of statement she made that cause me great concern. "Good morning, friends, Catholics, fellow students, sexual deviants and chronic masturbators. . . For those of you who use contraception, shame on you! You are murdering the billions of innocent babies that live inside your sperm! "

The mere thought of this statement suggests that Kessler has a most unique view of biology. Studying conception will help Mr. Kessler understand something about the process. It appears as though only one sperm is needed to fertilize the egg. That means there are thousands of sperm that didn't win the race. Given Mr. Kessler's view, what are we to do? There are a thousand potential human beings who are not going to get a chance. And this is only when we consider sexual intercourse between a woman and a man who might want to conceive.

If what he claims is accurate and true, then there are many (all men who ejaculate) who are murderers. When you add all sexual partners the list expands exponentially. By Kessler's claims we are all murderers. The only exception might be men who have severe sexual dysfunction. If this is so, then the police need to be more help in enforcing the murder laws.

And we haven't even suggested the criminal behavior of those young men who suffer from the embarrassment of nocturnal emissions. Another million sperm wasted in the sheets.

These are just some thoughts on the subject.

Del Sol, Tilley Hemp hat, and me.

Several weeks ago I promised photos of a Tilley Hemp hat, the Del Sol with the top off and me in the mix somewhere.

Well, a promise is a promise, so here you are. Enjoy?!?




Photos by Julianne.

Reiki, a view of the world from here.

Quite a few years ago, a friend asked me if I knew Ray Key. I said we had never met. She informed me that Reiki was not a person, but a universal concept. She thought that I was ready to learn about it, and recommended that I read a couple of books about spirituality. Since part of my life quest is to enhance my spirituality and knowledge about it I read the books. Anatomy of the Spirit, by Caroline Myss (Mace) and Reiki: Hawayo Takata's Story, by Helen J. Haberly were the books. I am forever indebted to my friend for the introduction.

In the introduction to Takata's story she is quoted, "Reiki means Universal Life Energy and we are all composed of this energy. Everyone can use this energy for healing -- and I can teach you how!" These are very powerful and challenging words. Takata's story was told by her to Haberly. It is an anecdotal account of how Takata came to know about Reiki and how she became a Reiki Master

After reading the Reiki book, I decided it might be time for me to investigate further and to become attuned as a Reiki practitioner. My friend suggested a local Reiki Master from whom she received attunement. In 1998 I received my First Degree attunement and in 2000 the attunement for Second Degree. The primary difference between the two is that the second degree allows for long distance "treatments".

The primary goal of the Reiki practitioner is to aid others in achieving more harmony in their lives. This harmony brings the individual in tune with the Universal Life Energy. While I don't practice the first degree hands on approach, I do send Reiki energy through the second degree method, to folks on a daily basis. They are free to use it or not. The choice is theirs.

Reiki is not a panacea nor a crutch. It is a way of thinking about the universe and my place in it. It makes sense to me and that is my choice. It may seem to be a lot of hocus pocus, and you may be right about that. However, from my own personal experience I have seen wounds heal without a scar. One, when I stupidly handled something that cut my finger. After cleaning the wound and stopping the bleeding, my Reiki Master held the cut finger for several minutes. The wound healed without a scar. Two, I burned my arm taking something out of a hot oven. I centered myself and focused on the Reiki energy and held my hand on the burned spot. There is no scar there to this day. There may be other explanations, but I choose to go with the one that suggests that Reiki did the job.

So, whether this discourse means anything to you, or not, I present it as one person's view of the world.

Serve well! Live fully! Do good works! And, as Leo Buscaglia has said, "At least don't hurt them."