Note:  Sedley is home to Hubs Peanuts, the best peanuts in the world.

His wife, my aunt Lucille passed away a few years back, she had diabetes (Type 1 I believe).  Their son Curtis also passed away a couple of years ago (he was also a diabetic).  Uncle Johnny did have a grandson and a newly born great grandson.  He also had an adopted daughter who lived across the road, Anita. She called him Pop and looked out for him.  Uncle Johnny had a long life, he was 90, but he will be missed none-the-less.

So back to the journal.  I haven’t been journaling, and I’m not sure why… it’s a good way for me to process what’s going on in my head, to create starts to stories and to work out problems with pieces in progress.  And so, one of my goals for 2009 is to start it up again.  I pulled off the shelf this lovely journal that Uncle Johnny sent as a thank you gift after he visited my sister and I in San Diego two years ago. We had a fantastic time, touring him and Anita around.  He went back and told the whole town what great tour guides we were–  which resulted in more folks (I mean distant relatives) from Sedley visting and looking us up, but that’s another story.

So thank you Uncle Johnny.

I’m sure you received a warm welcome in heavan from your sister Ruby (my grandma),  Lucille and Curtis, your sisters Virginia and Shirley, your brother Tommy, George (my Dad) and many more.

Maybe they even had a big ole plate of fried chicken for you…  rumor had it that you could eat an entire chicken on your own.

PS:  I almost forgot to mention, that the best package ever received in the mail came from Uncle Johnny in 2006.  I mean seriously, you can’t go wrong with a hundred Audrey Hepburn stamps, can you?

filled with Hubs peanuts

Every time I look at that sign I feel like it’s reminding me that my decision to move to The Duke City was a good one.  That I am exactly where I need to be now.

There’s another Change is Good sign over on Carlisle Boulevard, right next to what became Obama Election Central in Albuquerque.  Fitting, don’t you think?

Well as we all know by now, change did happen. It may not have been the “change we need” (thank God) but in fact the CHANGE we deserve.

I don’t consider myself to be particularly patriotic. I don’t fly the flag. I couldn’t care less about singing the national anthem (who can hit those high notes anyway?).  To me, the most patriotic acts we can perform are voting, free speech, assembling as we see fit…  and exercising the rights granted to us by the constitution.  That said, I do believe that this is the best county in the world. Sure, some other countries have great things (ancient history, fabulous food, multiple languages, universal healthcare) but the United States is truly the land of opportunity.  Barak Obama is the absolute embodiment of that kind of opportunity.  I am thrilled with the results of the presidential election.  Change is Good.

The cynic in me realizes we won’t have a huge change. We may get small steps in the right direction.  I don’t know why all those far right conservatives are so afraid of Barak Obama. He’s not that different than the other politicians in Washington.  Except in one big way.  His positive vision for the United States, and as far as I have seen, he has conducted himself with grace and dignity.  We deserve this kind of change.  We actually deserve more.

Today I went to the website for the office of the president-elect, aptly named Change.gov.  There was a place there to submit your own story or your own ideas. Now I don’t naively think that Barak Obama is going to read the email I sent.  Perhaps some poor student intern will be slogging through all the emails and trying to ascertain which ones of us are kooks. But I may get some sort of automated response.  My email may be sorted and stacked with a whole lot of other emails then counted and analyzed and put into a pie chart to show President-Elect Obama.  I hope.

On election night I had some friends over for an Election Night Vigil and Chile Party.  The vigil didn’t last that long. In fact, it was somewhat anti-climactic.  I had memories of the 2000 election that went on for months.  I didn’t think this one between That One and McCain would go on that long, but I thought it may last until 11 pm or so.  At least until after all the polls closed.

The one issue that was not settled by the end of the evening was Proposition 8, the ballot initiative in California that would actually CHANGE the constitution of the state to specifically deny the rights of same sex couples to marry.  And so Wednesday morning came, and the news that the proposition had in fact passed.  Seriously that dampened my joy at seeing Obama elected.

And so back to That One’s new website.  And my email.  Here is what I said:

Given the recent legislative initiatives banning same sex marriage in several states– including a change to the constitution of the state of California to legalize discrimination– I would like to see federal leadership on this issue. It is wrong to deny rights to any segment of our populace. I was dismayed with VP-elect’s answer to the question regarding same sex marriage in the debate. It sounds like we are arguing semantics but really, the issue is more than what we call it. It is an institution that is licensed and recognized by the government, and affords certain responsibilities and privileges to the parties involved. Call it what you like but it ought to be offered to any couple who wants to join and form a family.

For the record, I am not gay (not that there’s anything wrong with that). The fact that California (the state I called home until a couple of months ago) passed Proposition 8 makes me sick, and put a cloud over what should have been a grand night for our nation. I hope President-Elect Obama will take the lead and ensure that ALL citizens are afforded equal rights.

I hope you will join me in voicing your opinion and letting President-Elect Obama’s intern know what your concerns are. Whether you’re scared you’ll have to be working until you die because your 401K and your IRA are in the crapper, or you want the troops out of Iraq, or immigration policy that works…. or your kid gets cancer and you’re worried about hitting the lifetime cap on your healthcare plan.

Change is good, but only if we take full advantage of it.

6 am Gym

8 am Breakfast….  2 pm take over the world,  etc

pretty funny stuff.

What’s not so funny is the Anti-Homosexual Agenda. The folks pouring money into passing Proposition 8 in California. I hear the Mormon church has invested heavily in their Anti-homosexual Agenda….

Back in May of this year, the California Supreme Court overturned the ban on Gay Marriage.

California Supreme Court overturns gay marriage ban

By Maura Dolan, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 16, 2008

In a 4-3 decision, the justices rule that people have a fundamental ‘right to marry’ the person of their choice and that gender restrictions violate the state Constitution’s equal protection guarantee….READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE ONLINE–>

Before the Supreme Court had even dotted the last i on their decision, “They” (who are they anyway? and what are they so afraid of?) were rallying the troops and had at the ready a ballot measure, what is now Proposition 8, which will change the constitution of the state of California so that discriminating against same sex couples– specifically denying them the right to marry– will be perfectly legitimate.

Well this Saturday I will be attending a wedding.  Julie and Mirna are getting married. (Aren’t they cute!)

They are a terrific couple of women. They are both responsible, contributing, tax-paying members of society. They own their own home.  They are kind and generous people.

They deserve the same rights as everyone else.

I admit I am a little biased. Julie is my best friend.  But seriously, what’s the big deal?  How is their getting married harming anyone else?  If you have any questions, read the facts about why to vote NO on Prop 8. There is a lot of misinformation out there being spread by people that are ignorant, mean and just plain filled with fear.

It’s a shame that they feel like they need to get married NOW. In case Prop 8 passes, they hope they will be “grandfathered” in.

It’s my hope that Prop 8 fails.  I wish I’d kept my California residency just long enough to vote. Since I can’t, I’ll just encourage anyone who happens upon my blog to vote NO on Prop 8.

And just to make my point a little louder:

And if you get a chance, stop at a Hallmark store and pick up a wedding card to send to Julie and Mirna.

I can’t imagine people looking at this desert land and thinking it was a good place to build. It’s a harsh land. Heat in the summer, snow in winter, limited water. And yet, these pueblos are a testament to man’s ingenuity, and strength to not only live, but thrive in such a landscape.

Rather than take the bus down, Cassie and I opted to walk down. Yes, we could have taken the road… but didn’t realize until we were half way down the “path” that it was closer to rock climbing (down) than walking.

Here’s Cassie, leading the way. Me, I’m taking my time. Scooting on my butt when I have to, and I have a death grip on the handholds in the sandstone bluffs.

I stopped to look up and took this picture. It really doesn’t look as scary as it was.

The dark part in the center of the cliff is the “path” we took down.

I kept teasing Cassie, “Who’s idea was this anyway?” (it was Cassie’s but truth be told, I said, “Sure, let’s walk down.” I wanted to take pictures. Oh the sacrifices I make for my art!

You can see all my photos here:

I’m taking a course, Contemporary Literature and Film of the Southwest.  It’s a great class. The teacher is so enthusiastic about the works we read and the films we see that even though they are not the genre I would generally be attracted to, I find myself wanting to explore them.  (Westerns being one example).  And while viewing what I generally consider  ”entertainment” (films) through a socio-political lens, and trying to ascribe deeper layers of meaning is intellectually challenging for me, I’m finding it rather stimulating.  (Example, Gary Cooper’s High Noon was really about /was a statement against McCarthyism).  This kind of thinking is really putting my brain through some serious aerobic exercise.  And I like it.  I may not be good at it yet, but I like.  

The class has both graduate and undergraduate students, and as a graduate, our requirements for the class are different.  In fact, being a graduate student is different (more on that later).  In this class a large portion of our grade will be determined by a conference paper that we will write.  The topic, entirely our own choosing.  We are required to submit an abstract to a conference, and of course write the actual paper…  and if the abstract is accepted, potentially present the paper at an academic conference.  (eeek!)

I had no idea what a conference paper was, making the assignment very intimidating.  Once I wrapped my head around the concept, I had an idea to write about Blogs as the New Regionalism.  To make a long story short, the more I looked a blogs, the less foundation I felt I had to make such a case.  

With some guidance from the professor, I’m going in a new direction, and he suggested I check out this conference session at the American Studies Association:

Histories of the Dust Heap: Waste, Material Cultures, Social Justice, which included a presentation by Stephanie Foote, “Enviroblogging: Green Spaces in the Virtual World.”

While the topic is not exactly relevant to my paper, I decided to check it out.  

Fact:  I am not a member of the American Studies Association

Fact:  I am not really sure what “American Studies” is

Fact:  I’ve never been to an academic conference

Fact:  I was not registered for the conference

Fact:  I have never crashed a party in my life.

The conference was taking place a mere 2 miles from my house, I decided to go for it.  First I had a fashion crisis–  I wanted to look like I belonged.  The first two pairs of pants I tried on were too tight (damn, I thought with all the walking I’ve been doing I’d lost some weight).  The third pair fit just right.  Basic black dress pants.  I added a black and white striped button-down blouse for a business casual but not too chic look.  These are academics, afterall.  (no slam against academics, but they are not known fashionistas–  too busy thinking about bigger issues I think).

And off I went.  The conference center is where the David Byrne concert was held (he’s a musical genius, you know) so I knew where I was going.  I even parked at the Double Tree Hotel right next door.  I arrived at the conference center with seconds to spare….  actually by the time I found the room, they had already started. A quick check of the map and determined stride and I must have looked like I belonged.  No one questioned me except to ask where the West side rooms were. 

And so now I know what a conference paper is, I took some notes of some big words I can use in my paper, and I have a pretty good idea of what is expected as far as “presenting” the paper should mine be accepted.  

And I have crashed my first party.  (does it count that it was an academic conference?)

Bonus:  the parking attendant at the Double Tree must have been on break, I got to park for free ($5 savings, good for one burrito at The Fronteir)

Note:  The David Byrne Concert was awesome. His new music rocks. His dancers were phenomenal.  The lighting sublime.  The old music with a slightly updated remix was fun.  If he tours in your direction I encourage you to go.  Well worth the time and money.

It’s about gas prices in Albuquerque.

Not sure what prices are like at the gas stations in my old stomping grounds of San Diego– when I left in July they were nearing $4 per gallon. At Costco!

Things are sure different here:

Drivers line up for cheap gas

People in New Mexico and around the country are getting a break at the pump as oil prices plummet.

The average price of gas in Albuquerque hasn’t been at $2.85 for about a year. That’s why the Phillip’s 66 at Lowes in northwest Albuquerque is jam packed with people trying to save a few bucks.

People haven’t been this happy around a gas station for a long time.

CONTINUE READING–>

Of course the median income in New Mexico is something like $34,000/year

Here’s the story….

One of my roles is Editor of two company blogs. My boss pretty much lets me blog about what I want, although he always has things to say also (great stories I wish he’d tell more of!).

Anyway, one of the ways I find things is by setting up Google Alerts. So, the other day I got an alert on one of my keywords– the vendor name– and I clicked to check out what was new on the world wide web and Hello! Vendor’s new website is posted online. Yeah, it was in a part of their website that probably wasn’t supposed to be public…. but I couldn’t resist. The new site looks a damn site better than what they have now….  and my boss actually approved this post.

Their current site is circa 1999 and created by someone’s high school kid, I can only assume, complete with an animated GIF of an American flag. It’s ghastly….

So I took a screen shot, edited out the location and posted a sneak peek.  I mentioned we were really excited to see the nice clean graphics, and some of the new features like the Help Me Choose The Right Thingamajig Tool, and we were eager for the launch…  

Were they excited about the publicity?  No.  Let me rephrase that. FUCK NO.

The first dude that called, a customer service manager or something said,

“Please remove the picture and details from the site that references our new site. We don’t want our competion to see what we are doing - we are not sure how you even got that.  When the time is right in Q4 we will do a press release. We don’t want any other news about it until then…”

Then the second dude called, someone higher up on the food chain. A big muckety-muck I believe is the official term.  He practically called my boss out, like he was gonna beat him up or something.  ”I want to talk to you man to man…   I’ll be looking for you at the show” he said, referencing a big trade show next week.  

Apparently all hell has broken loose in corporate America.  Not because of the financial crisis, but because of little ole me.  It was a big secret that they were building a new web page, and now their competition is going to know all about their big secret website.  A website that has been 4 years in the making, (and 10 years overdue in my estimation).

Thankfully my boss is backing me up–  even though he could totally throw me under the bus. But he’s not that kind of guy.  And hopefully he won’t come back from the show with a black eye.

Is it just a better spin machine?  I honestly don’t understand this one….  as if Republicans don’t spend money.

Why is pork barrel spending only bad when it is money going to someone else’s district?  Most citizens are thrilled when their legislator brings money home.  They all do it. It’s a job requirement.  If it weren’t they wouldn’t be re-elected.

And while we’re on the topic of spending money…  why is it that we can fund the War in Iraq to the tune of some 400 million dollars a day and we can find 700 BILLION dollars to bail out financial institutions (who in my opinion are failing due to greed) and we can’t seem to fund HEALTHCARE for everyone?

And while we’re on the topic of healthcare….  so what if Obama’s health plan would cost $80 billion dollars. Again, we can fund war and find bailout money to save the financial system, but we can’t provide healthcare coverage to save individual lives?

And while we’re talking politics…  make sure you’re registered to vote!  For information about registering to vote in New Mexico, check the Secretary of State’s office.  For information about registering in California, check with that Secretary of State.  Deadlines are coming up!