war OF terror

Has the War on Terror become a War Of Terror? I have a lot of respect for John McCain. He has been there and done that. He has badgered the current administration enough to endear himself to most Americans and to practically destroy any hope of support from the Republican Party in his pursuit of the presidency. And, most Americans may now have lost respect for McCain after this latest compromise with the administration.

Rain...
A very refreshing storm passed thru the area today. The rain was good. We're hoping for a lot more. The front yard is a little brown after the past few weeks of dry, hot weather. Jane is moving things around in the flower beds. She even took a cutting from the banana tree and has a new palm taking off in another place. We could be tropical if only we had more rain.

Computer Crashing...
Perhaps there is some relation to my desire for a new desk top computer. This old lap top has about exceeded its usefulness. The memory is maxed and my photo tracking and editing program is causing it to crash. I added a new 160GB Seagate external hard drive. That too seems to be causing problems. It caused my System Restore software to malfunction. I think I've solved that issue. I still, however, have the crashing problem with Corel Photo Album 6. It locks up? Maybe I can convince the Finance Minister (wife) that I NEED a modern system. I'll keep trying.

Travel...
Not much new in this area. I think our plans for a camping trip to Palo Duro Canyon were premature. Maybe I'll get a chance to write about other places from our past travels. Guess I'll close on that tease. The computer is acting wierd.

later

The Devil Made Me

There's a lot on the blogs about Islamic Fascism. It seems like one of those inflammatory words, intended for a purpose that fail to produce their purpose. Is it just another example of "dignified" name-calling? You might know that with all the religious name-calling, the devil would get involved. Is there a devil in the Muslim religion? Hmmmmm... Are we pissed at the Islamic Atheists?

I copied the following from an interesting blog. The entire post, including the 14 points of Fascism, can be read by clicking the hyper link.

Geoffrey Nunberg is the author of Talking Right, a book about politics and language. In today's LA Times, Nunberg says Bush doesn't really know what he's talking about. Bush has used the term before, but the current use of the phrase signaled that the administration was shopping for new language to defend its policies at a time when the evocations of the "war on terror" don't seem to stem rising doubts about the wisdom of "staying the course" in Iraq.

Nunberg rightly says that this administration is attempting to link its "War on Terror" to World War II, the last "just war." He quotes Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) from last month, as he raised the specter of the Islamists' dreams of "a new, global caliphate where Islamic fascism will rule mankind," and he reminded the audience that "we had no problem understanding that Nazism and fascism were evil racist empires. We must now bring the same clarity to the war against Islamic fascism."By lumping ex-Baathists, Al Qaeda and Shiite mullahs; Chechens and Kashmiris; Hezbollah, Hamas, British-born Asians, and the ACLU together as Islamo-Fascists, the neo-cons are attempting to turn the complexity of the world into a simple fable. (Perhaps they'll call it "My Pet Goat.")But what is Fascism? Well, The Project for an OLD American Century lists the 14 points of fascism.

Is it appropriate to pray for the devil? Maybe war and religion should be separated?

Later

Sticks and Stones May ...

Do you remember the sticks and stones thing from your childhood?

Sticks and stones may break my bones
but names can never hurt me.

Sure stirred a ruckus in our international political scene, huh? George Putaki was on FOX News threatening to boycott Venezuelan oil. I'm sorta thinking he took the bait?

As for the name calling ... I've certainly heard a lot of it from our current if you ain't for us you're against us administration. What were some of the things George called Saddam; thug, common criminal ...? George, Dick and Donald are experts in the field. Is global politics childish or what?

Exciting News ...
I just had someone to tell me to "update your blog!" Maybe I'm not just writing to myself. LOL

I'll go now and check a few blogs. I like to keep up with who has called whom what!

Do you understand economics?

I'm trying. I try to understand how money flows. Who decides how much I can have and how much I can keep? Is it important for all Americans to have money? Someone has to buy stuff. Or, is it even necessary in our global economy? Are exported jobs paying enough to create new markets, new customers to buy stuff? Am I, the average American, expendable?

How was I able to buy gas yesterday for $2.31 a gallon? The last time I was out in my gass-guzzling pickup, I was thrilled to find gas for $2.79. And, that was only a couple of weeks ago. I think it has something to do with stocks, the stock market, or investments in oil or oil futures. I found this letter to the editor entertaining.

Is that the answer to our economy ... investing? We're producing less and less stuff in America. We do make drugs (pharmaceuticals). Their prices are regulated now that we have a MediCare Prescriptions Program. Pharmaceuticals seem to be a very good investment. The only people complaining about the prices,and/or government support of the prices, are the people who use the drugs. Investors are loving it. Insisting on competitive pricing would reduce the income of investors.

What else do people with enough money invest in? Oil Companies, Health Care Companies, Financial Institutions. Hmmmmm... Investing must be the foundation of Economics 101?
It certainly isn't "retirement plans." The government made it legal to eliminate those plans. They are a financial hardship ... on corporate America.

Honest, I'm trying to "keep it light."

What Can I Say ...

With all that is happening in our world, I am having a hard time "keeping it light." Rosie O'Donnell certainly caused a stir with her comments on the morning talk show "The View." Her observation that radical Christianty is just as dangerous as radical Islam is getting a lot of attention on TV and many news blogs. The conservative talk shows and Christian blogs are especially irate. I have to respond to one comment about Christians not creating bombs or killing innocent people. Who bombed the abortion clinics and shot a doctor?

Here is a link to a more liberal opinion of what was said and how it was presented on FOX.

Personally, it reminds me of the sad state of Freedom, especially the freedom of speach. The Dixie Chicks still have not recovered from expressing a dissenting opinion. Our current administration will attack anyone or anything that disagrees ... Dixie Chicks, Rosie O'Donnell, Joseph Wilson, Colin Powell, Congressman Murtha. It is frightening.

Don't Flush...

I cracked up. My prim and proper wife told me that we should NOT flush after we pee. Her explanation was that she is saving on the water bill so that she can water her gardens. Makes sense to me. The lake has receded much too far for pumping water. We haven't used it in several weeks. And, our neighbor had a huge water bill after using "city water" to save her lawn and gardens. We're in conservation mode. I'm learning to "close the lid."

The Monarchs are Migrating ...

This monarch is among the first I have seen this Fall. Several of them have gathered on the live oak that is their traditional migration roost. A few of them lay over annually. Only once have I seen great numbers of them. I would love to see that again, swarms of monarchs drifting to their winter home in Mexico. This one is gathering energy from one of Jane's butter fly flowers. I guess they appreciate that she doesn't flush. It ensures that they have a place to graze.

I took this photo of a yellow butterfly (or moth) on Jane's impatiens. I used to know how to tell the difference between a butterfly and a moth. One perches with its wings spread. The other perches with its wings closed. I just can't remember which is which? Whichever, I'm sure it too appreciates Jane's concern.

We had a nice rain this afternoon. It rained hard for about 45 minutes. Jane and I sat in the swing and watched ... and listened. Listening to the rain is quite relaxing. What talking we did turned to travel. We're considering a camping trip into the Palo Duro Canyon in the panhandle of Texas.

I'll save a bit for tomorrow. No need to post something too long to read. If nothing new happens, I'll tell you about Jane's adopted duck.

Later,

Life Around Us

We sat in the swing this morning, sipping our drinks and watching the lake. I saw an osprey. It dove twice for fish before being scared off by a boat moving into the cove. The osprey was unsuccessful on both attempts. It was the first osprey I had seen in several months. Perhaps a cooling trend is on the way.

We also watched buzzards circling high above, floating on the thermals that allow them to hang effortlessly in the sky. I'm sure they too were surveying the area for edibles. Their soaring reminded me of watching some of the most fascinating birds I've ever seen -- frigate birds. During our stays in the Florida Keys we often watched frigate birds ride the thermals. Their extremely long, delta-shaped wings seemed to carry them much higher than most birds. I've read that they seldom land on the ground because their long wings make taking off difficult. I did, however, see them on land in Key West.

The osprey reminded me that we have a pair of eagles that winter along the Llano River. I've tried photographing them but they were too far away for a good image. Even my 400 milimeter lens was not enough. Getting closer isn't possible because Texas Fish & Wildlife has fenced the area off. The eagles are a breeding pair and return this nest each winter. They usually raise two young before returning to their summer home.

Our talk soon turned to travel. Jane asked me, "If you had all the money you wanted what would you do?" I think she anticipated my answer, "Travel." That probably would have been her answer too. Soon, we were talking about where. I'd like to go to Utah but Jane has commitments through September. The mountain passes might be closed before we could get through?

We're thinking now of traveling south. We have friends in the Rio Grande Valley. Following the hummingbirds to the Fulton-Rockport area, near Corpus Christi, would be fun. We could stop for some seafood then venture into the valley ... along with thousands of other Winter Texans. We're pretty sure, however, that the crowds won't arrive until after Christmas.

We'll continue the discussion, probably in the morning while swinging, and post our decision.

Later,

Going Places

We travel. Always have. Always will. Last year at this time we were camped at the Orilla Verda Recreation Area, a BLM (Bureau of Land Management) site near Taos, NM. We stayed there for just over two months, hosting a campground and working at the Rio Grande Gorge Visitor Center in Pilar. It was especially cool because we were paid for having fun.

With our "headquarters" in the Rio Grande Gorge we used our liberal amount of "down time" to explore the area. Taos is a playground for the wealthy. The entire area around Taos and the Rio Grande Gorge is also a hotbed for "alternative" lifestyles. A movie with Sam Elliott and Joan Allen, Off the Map, is an entertaining example of the lifestyle. The movie was made in and around the Rio Grande Gorge.

Our exploration took us to most of the tourist sites and to many "off-the-beaten-path" experiences. We traveled the high road, the low (gorge) road, the railroad and sometimes the no road. The area is renowned for the artisans and artists who have visited there, lived there and practiced their art there. We visited places where Georgia O'Keeffe painted and those photographed by Ansel Adams. I kept my camera nearby in pursuit of one my favorite activities ... taking pictures. Me, Ansel and Georgia ... artists.

There is supposed to be an image here. It's hard enough learning to blog when everything works. Now, not only am I having formating problems, my pictures won't upload.

Gathering storm clouds provide special lighting to this scene in the Rio Chama Valley. It is only minutes from Georgia O'Keeffe's home in Abiquiu. It is a good example of what attracts so many artists to this area. Such storms occur frequently during the summer months, referred to as the monsoon season. This was taken while on one of our "no road" adventures. It leads to an out-of-the-way Islamic retreat that is located in an area referred to by O'Keeffe as The Far Away.

Northern New Mexico still draws many artists. Weekends frequently offer studio tours of artists' homes and studios. These tours are sponsored by the small towns and communities in the area and are spread over several weekends (months) to avoid conflicts. Many of the artists welcome visitors continuously. The following photo is of artist Anna Karin. On a high road journey, we toured her studio and watched her paint.

Here is another missing image. Someone has certainly succeeded in taking the fun out of this blog.

There was more to this post but without images it isn't worth continuing. Hope the techies get this working soon.

Lighten Up!

We're having some beautiful weather, cool nights and sunny days. The plant life appreciates it too. There's no precipitation but the lack of heat abates the need for water. Jane has been busy in her gardens. The blooming season is past but butterflies and hummingbirds still have a few flowers.

I've always enjoyed Jane's gardens. I love taking pictures and what better subject than a flower. It's hard to screw up a flower picture, unless the wind is blowing. This columbine image is from Spring. Jane's gardens are filled with color throughout the year but Spring is especially colorful.

Jane isn't a big fan of the xenia. I am. It must go back to my childhood when Pat Alston and I caught and cataloged butterflies from the xenias that lined the Alston's driveway. With just a little water, the xenia does well in the summer heat. Jane thinks they are too tall and "leggy." I'm partial to the endless variety of color and the birds, bees and butterflies attracted to them.


After posting such passionate political commentary, I think a lighter subject is in order. I don't want to drive away any readers who happen onto the blog. Lord knows, my family hates talking politics with me. My sister is actually afraid to get involved. She remembers when Newt Gingrich struck back by having my taxes audited. At least that is the story. The timing of the audit certainly made it seem politically motivated.


There is plenty going on to get passionate about. I took advantage of a Congress.org message yesterday to call for Donald Rumsfeld's departure. The e-mail went to the President, Secretary Rumsfeld, Kay Bailey-Hutchison, John Cornyn, and my Representative Mike Conaway. Rumsfeld's retribution is probably what I should fear. I'm retired military.


But, trying to keep it lighter, the trips along the shoreline with Oscar are refreshing. The cool mornings make our walks very pleasant. I've been taking my camera along in search of unique wildlife shots. So far, the wildlife has avoided me. A couple of buzzards let me get nearly close enough. The herons and cranes are more leery. And, the killdeer are so small that great stealth is required to get "in tight." I'm thinking of building a blind under the fishing pier so that the wildlife will come to me. I do a lot of thinking and very little doing.


I didn't post for a couple of days. There is always something to post. I just got busy, lost interest, and thought that writing to myself is a waste of time. But, wasting time is what I'm good at. I'll try to keep the blog active with more time wasting.

Later.

HOLY WAR!

Is Holy War an oxymoron? I've been in a war. I can't imagine anything more unholy. I guess the term originated with the Crusades of medieval times. That was about a lot of killing in the name of God. The Christians wanted control of Jerusalem and the surrounding "Holy Land." It was occupied by ... you guessed it, Muslims.

As a young troop in Vietnam, I had a hard time understanding, "WHY?" I didn't even know those people. The ones I got to know were pretty good dudes. But, someone wanted me to kill them. I didn't know why. I still don't understand why.

I guess the war in Iraq is different? They have something we need. I wonder if buying it is out of the question? How many lives is Oil worth?

Here is an interesting link. I was searching for a meaning of "holy war" when I ran across this. Are we in a religious war? President Bush seemed to indicate that in today's speech. First, he seemed to indicate that the Sunni radicals were our enemy. Later, he lumped the Shi'ite radicals into the mix. Has this now become a "religious war?" Are all Muslims the enemy? Are we protecting the "holy land?" I wonder if there are any Arab Atheists? Maybe that is where our intelligence is coming from?

Moving on ...
Oscar and I just returned from a nice walk along the lake. He's old too. And walks even more slowly than me. We enjoy our walks. I think a lot. Oscar just sniffs stuff and pees on things.

I need to take my camera. The lake has dropped to a level that we haven't seen in several years. The picture I use in my profile is when the lake is full. I need to take another for comparison.

We had a nice rain last night and into the morning. I haven't seen anything on the amount. The plants seem pleased. The lake seems undaunted. We need a downpour upstream to affect the level. September is supposed to be our wettest month. Maybe our lake will begin its recovery. If not, I'll probably not buy more polypipe for pumping water from the lake. I'm counting on the elements to protect Jane's yard and garden.

I'm still learning how to use the blogger software. I've created several other blogs, using different templates. I'm starting to get a handle on things. Browsing other blogs, however, has taught me that I have a long way to go. The ones with animated graphics are especially cool. I'll be looking in to that. I also need to work on controling where the text wraps around images. I'm not getting the WYSIWYG capability that I was counting on. There is way too much "trial and error." We'll get there. Stay with me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD

Paul Malone Price

September 4, 1915 - May 18, 1993

Today would have been my dad's 91st birthday. Remembering him still brings tears to my eyes. He was not an educated man but he was very smart. To this day, I am amazed at what he was able to do with his hands and his ideas. He could make anything. I still miss him ... a lot.

Labor Day Weekend

Celebrating Labor? Ain't that ridiculous. I don't have a job. Been retired for nearly five years. I suppose I should celebrate my wife's employment. She has three jobs, one of which she is celebrating by working today.

Jobs are good. I'm wondering why we export so many? I suppose we have too many. Why else would my wife work three jobs? Must be because we need the money. It certainly isn't for the benefits. Part-time jobs have no benefits. And, they usually pay far below what is required to support a family. Come to think of it, how many families can make it on a single earner's income? Don't both parents work in most families?

It's a holiday but I see very few reasons for celebrating labor in the US. The people who work the hardest for the least are the ones who are duped the most. And, they are the same people who sit back and accept the abuse. Most voting is done by those who have the most. I wonder if there is a survey on how many "working poor" vote ... or don't?

Enough of my ranting. I'll include the following from an Associated Press article about importing labor rather than export the jobs. I'm using copy and paste because I'm not sure how long a link would be valid.

Immigrants sue New Orleans hotelier

By MICHELLE ROBERTS, Associated Press Writer

NEW ORLEANS - Immigrant workers recruited from South America and the Dominican Republic after Hurricane Katrina sued a prominent hotelier Wednesday, saying they are being exploited.

More than 80 workers from Peru, Bolivia and the Dominican Republic have joined the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court against Decatur Hotels LLC and its president and chief executive, F. Patrick Quinn III. The workers are employed in housekeeping, maintenance and other hotel support jobs in New Orleans.

Mary Bauer, a Southern Poverty Law Center attorney who helped file the lawsuit, said workers were lured by recruiters in their home countries with promises of high wages and steady work.
They spent $3,500 to $5,000 for travel and other expenses, which Bauer said Decatur Hotels had yet to reimburse, and are being paid between $6.02 and $7.79 per hour without the overtime pay they were counting on, she said.

"They are hugely in debt. They say, 'We would have not have come if we had known the truth,'" Bauer said.

Luis Lopez, a room service employee from the Dominican Republic, said he's spent most of the last two months without the work hours he was promised. His last paycheck was for just $18, far less than the $500 to $600 he expected to earn every two weeks or even the $325 he would have earned on the job he left in his home country.

"They brought us here, and they don't even treat us like human beings," he said through a translator.
His wife, with whom he has three young children, is getting desperate as debt collectors swarm in and she can't buy food, Lopez said, crying as he held small photos pulled from his wallet.
Patricia LeBlanc, a lawyer for Decatur, said she had not seen the lawsuit Wednesday but the company's records indicate that all the foreign workers were getting satisfactory hours.
"We were satisfied and really happy with the foreign workers who came under the program," she said. "Work force is a problem here and we were happy with these workers."

The lawsuit against Decatur, which operates luxury hotels including the Astor Crowne Plaza, says the company abused the H-2B visa program to bring in foreign workers.

Such visas can be obtained by employers who certify that no one in the U.S. can do the work. LeBlanc said Decatur used the visa program for the first time after Hurricane Katrina because of widespread difficulty finding hourly workers.

The visas, which typically are good for less than a year, tie workers to the employer, so a worker may not take employment elsewhere even if working conditions are not as expected, a provision Bauer says effectively indentures immigrant workers.

Bauer said the use of the workers also denied jobs to residents displaced by Katrina. Housing has been a major obstacle to many who want to return after the storm, but Decatur has been housing immigrant workers instead of hiring displaced residents, she said.
____

Happy Labor Day!

INTERNET NOSTALGIA

I got the lawn mowed, the front lawn anyway. I'll probably mow the lakeside again tomorrow. I need the exercise. Other than the 45 minutes of mowing and a few minutes walking with Oscar, I have spent the day browsing.

I stumbled upon some old Army Security Agency historical sites. Would you believe I found the orders promoting me to SP4/E-4. Amazing! Here is the order, dated 6 September 1963. It's in alphabetic order. You'll need to page down to my name.

This internet thing totally blows me away. I've added my name to several groups of ASA veterans. I even contacted a pilot whose mom was a professor at Sul Ross. She had grants to study Indian culture. In addition to the study of dwellings, rock art, and culture, the Captain's mom shared legends and yarns of old maps and lost treasures. We spent many hours flying over the Big Bend National Park searching for a lost goldmine. I wonder if he ever found it?

Several families of us went camping in the Big Bend. Captain Lowrance's dad came along and brought his metal detector. The kids loved him. He took them exploring in the deserted quicksilver mines. They would just squeal every time the metal detector beeped. They uncovered dozens of Prince Albert tobacco cans. The big kids were wandering the hills and desert in search of the lost mine.

HEY!!! Here is a picture of my aviation unit in Vietnam. We were then known as the 3rd Radio Research Unit, Aviation Section.

That's me on the first row, first from the left. First row is radio ops, second row is flight maintenance, the pilots are standing. Man, what memories.

We had a relatively cool day. Cloud cover kept us below 100. The humidity made up for it. Jane tried to kill herself excavating a grapevine. She wants to use the grape arbor for a climbing flower. The birds loved those grapes. I'll never know how good they were.

I've used enough new knowledge for this day. I'll come up with a few more technical experiments tomorrow.

Bueno

HEADINGS & TITLES

Yesterday's success has emboldened me. Previous posts have had no headings. This one is intended to add a more professional touch to my amateurish efforts. I think I told the editor to make the title bold and yellow. If it does, I'll be tickled. If not?

After looking at a saved version, I am editing my success. The yellow looks a little sick but it is definitely not black. I'm pleased ... tickled.

I've managed to get nothing done today. I started mowing the lawn on Monday. I did not finish. Not only is the front not mowed, the lakeside is ready to be mowed again. But, I've had a lot of fun playing with this and other amusements that are equally computer related. I scanned last night for spyware and virus activity. Something was causing my computer to perform poorly and refuse to access some of my "favorites." I found something called download.trojan. Deleting that seems to have solved the problem.

While my computer was scanning, I watched the Cowboys and Vikings play to a 10-10 tie. It was disgusting. I'm reminded of the sAIN'TS of past years. The Saints were an exciting team because they could always find a way to post a last-minute loss. The Cowboys have arrived!

The hot, dry weather continues. It reached 100 degrees today and there is not even a hint of rain. There is, however, a possibility for some rain on Sunday. Maybe John, the Pacific hurricane, will push some rain this way.

I emailed the editor at Dirt Rider Magazine with a story idea. It is for next year. I hope that we can start working on it soon, if he buys my idea. Keeping my fingers crossed and getting the vintage photos cleaned up.

That's enough for now. I need to make a trip for some gas. The lawn is getting really rough. And, Jane is talking tough.