Everything below was one this morning, thank goodness.  It’s now about 8:PM.  Left the house around 11:30 for a funeral at Holloman Air Force Base down in Alamogordo.  It was my first military funeral – a friend who retired after 38yrs as a MSG.  My friend Tom, a recently ordained Episcopalian priest, did the service, his first memorial service.  He’s also former military so he was able to wear his ‘ribbons’.  He had everything but a Good Conduct Medal!  (Yep, we had to mention it).  

Have you ever heard anything about the chapel at Holloman?  I’ve lived here for 9 years and have never been on the base.  The stain glass is beyond art.  It is probably the best ‘modern’ stain glass I’ve ever seen.  Two huge windows and the back panels in the entry.  It creates something of a 360 degree interpretation of the local scenery, from White Sands to Sierra Blanca with even barbed wire and in one panel a deer drinking from a stream.  There’s an eagle in one.  Cactus in the other.  I can’t believe this isn’t a major stop on the art tours.  (security and all that).  I’m just awestruck at the artwork.  It is indeed a masterpiece.  I just can’t believe no one has even mentioned it to me.  

While I type this I am watching some movie on the SciFi Channel. It is mediocre, but the “hero” is an Iraqi War Vet.  Times and society have indeed changed.  

Mommy Cat has taken to exploring my huge, gorgeous jade plant.  It is not a good development.

I don’t get this hysteria about certain GOP POTUS candidates bailing from the You-Tube debate.  My grandmother Froehlich always said if you lie down with dogs you get up with fleas.  I think this is the perfect analogy to the whole conundrum. (I can’t believe I spelled that correct the first time!). They need the exposure with that specific demographic, but don’t need to sacrifice dignity nor pander to them.  I think it is better to leave it alone.  If it were FOX doing it, I would say go ahead.  But we all know you can’t trust CNN.

I’m so wiped, this is all you’re going to get today, or rather tonight.

Did the ancient Egyptians invent bowling?

Specter is said to have a new immigration package.

If conservatives don’t think they haven’t made an impact on Hispanics and the GOP, maybe

A legal clinic is attacked for helping illegal immigrants.
“A former Canyon County commissioner and vocal foe of illegal immigration says instructors and students at the University of Idaho Law School are breaking the law by offering free legal representation to people who face deportation or other immigration proceedings. "Federal law states that anyone who aids and abets an illegal alien in remaining in the United States is committing a felony," Robert Vasquez told the Lewiston Tribune…

MY RANT OF THE DAY
If you live in a city, in a bubble, or in the abject clueless world of anti-immigration racism you either do not know or are ignoring the problems people in agriculture are already facing due to the draconian atmosphere surrounding illegal immigration.  In other words, they can’t find anyone to work – at any price, I might add.

(Doc is being annoying right now)

Case in point.  My friend Alicia is a teacher here in Ruidoso.  Last night she was telling me about her 2 day training seminar (rough job this one) that included tours of a local winery, pecan grove, and pistachio packing plant. At one of the stops, and I will not say which, one of the business owners, as part of his tour, was telling them about the labor shortage.  He said it is a problem for him, especially now that his vineyards are finally starting to produce.  (For those of you who don’t know it, New Mexico is quickly becoming one of the top wine producing areas in the nation.)

Grapes, especially those for wine must be picked by hand.  For a small vineyard the family can pitch in and make it happen. But, he was saying, for some of the larger vineyards around Deming, they are already starting to have problems.  Deming is right on the border.  There is NO ONE to work.  ICE has cracked down so seriously that they have no one to pick their grapes.  Bottom line, dear anti-immigration conservative – your wine consumption is going to be greatly effected before this whole mess is resolved.  

Naturally you don’t care about inflation and government interference.  You don’t care about the economy.  You don’t mind growing the government as long as you are dealing with those evil illegal immigrants.  Good for you.  Hold fast to your values no matter how destructive they are to the country and the GOP.  I’m proud of you. You’ve proven you can’t be moved.  You’ve proven you are completely disconnected from reality.  Hate does have it’s privileges.


So what if he’s a Dem.  This is a fascinating profile of the political animal who is Hank Aaron.  And, once again, he puts Barry Bonds to shame.  Read about the Real Homerun King.

Now the Dems have decided that GWB is no longer going to be able to get his court nominations through the Senate.  You gotta admire their gall.

Like Powerline puts it – if this isn’t a coup…?    I don’t know why Powerline should be so concerned about Schumer “changing the constitution”.  They’ve been doing it for months.  Only now, the difference is their arrogance is showing.   If you want my dos centavos, and you don’t, let’s let them try.  They’re at 19%?  Can we go for 15% approval rating?  If this isn’t fun, I don’t know what is.
Captain’s Quarters

The Politico
...“The Supreme Court is dangerously out of balance. We cannot afford to see Justice Stevens replaced by another Roberts, or Justice Ginsburg by another Alito.” 

Schumer’s assertion comes as Democrats and liberal advocacy groups are increasingly complaining that the Supreme Court with Bush’s nominees – Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito – has moved quicker than expected to overturn legal precedents. 

Senators were too quick to accept the nominees’ word that they would respect legal precedents, and “too easily impressed with the charm of Roberts and the erudition of Alito,” Schumer said. 

“There is no doubt that we were hoodwinked,” said Schumer, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee and heads the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. A White House spokeswoman, Dana Perino, said Schumer's comments show "a tremendous disrespect for the Constitution" by suggesting that the Senate not confirm nominees. 

"This is the kind of blind obstruction that people have come to expect from Sen. Schumer," Perino said. "He has an alarming habit of attacking people whose character and position make them unwilling or unable to respond. That is the sign of a bully. If the past is any indication, I would bet that we would see a Democratic senatorial fundraising appeal in the next few days."
…”

Flopping Aces
MacsMind has an excellent solution to the problem.

If what the Race42008 says is true, we’re in deep dodo.  Evidently today’s college generation is the most Democratic since the New Deal.  This is absolutely terrifying and has horrific implications for our future.

Poll methodology explained.

This came to me from a blogging friend.  “SallyVee” who leaves comments now and then.  It is op-ed by Michael Medved and Lanny Davis and highlights the next big problem we are going to be facing, Iraqi refugees.  It came to my attention because, as Sally put it, the reference to the “evil” Lindsey Graham, exposing him.

Wow!  Right Pundits is refreshing today.  I am impressed.
“…Every time I read Polipundit.com, I come away amused at how truly ignorant they are on the issue of immigration. It is almost as if they have decided, that on this one issue, they will completely ignore logic and reason. The bloggers on that site are even against legal immigration. Who do you think is going to pay for your social security in the future? Oh, that’s right, you won’t need social security because you will have taken care of everything yourself. The only problem with that theory takes place after the 12 to 20 million illegals are deported. The cost of every piece of fruit, corn, mushrooms and numerous other items will double almost overnight. It will be nice to test the theory of stagflation again. Hopefully, your business will not suffer or you will not be laid off if employed by someone else.

They are taking jobs from good Americans - insert accent. Hey, the illegals have the jobs that you xenophobes pray that your kids will never have to do - ever!

They are correct about border security, it is a joke. The fence probably won’t work but I find it hard to believe that the technology to control the border does not already exist. By the way, the Mexican border is only part of the problem. We can not even identify most parts of the border with Canada. Osama could virtually walk in untouched through Maine, Vermont, Montana and numerous other states.

My problem with the illegals is that it is unfair to people who have tried to immigrate legally. However, we have to deal with the reality of the situation at hand. In the end, it is not workable to have millions of illegals not on the books and not realistic to think that we have the resources to deport even a small fraction of illegal aliens. Strong border enforcement may help stem the problem in the future but it will do nothing to address the millions already here. Also, despite what some think, we really do need legal immigration from a demographic perspective….”

The Dartmoor mystery beast photographed.  It’s a dog?  Or is it a big cat?