The weather is turning nice finally. You can feel it in the air in the mornings. Soon all will be back to normal and we Arizonians will be over-run with tourists and snow birds and 5th wheels that need to have slow moving vehicle signs on the back. I have one of those myself and I find that I drive considerably slower pulling it than I do when I am pulling another trailer.
Last night we went as saw the movie Secretariat. Keep in mind I watched Secretariat race on T.V. when I was 9 years old. I remember standing in front of the screen watching him run away from the field in the Belmont. It was history in the making that I think will never be matched. Anyway. I love Diane Lane. I think she is one of the most talented actresses of our time. She is great in her role as Penney Chenery. The story line is fantastic and it is the only movie made about any facet of the horse industry that seems to show a realistic view of what actually goes on. The emotion. The risk. The cost, constantly losing money, The good ole boys club and the stress. And it does a really great job of showing the long stride that Secretariat had that made him so special. His stride is longer than any other ever measured by a race horse, and if you watch the slow motion racing sequences they film them from an angle that makes it look like the horse in the movie is taking a huge stride himself. I love a good story and this movie is a good story.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
none of the above.
Sorry that I havent taken the time to write a new post to my blog lately, I have been a little busy. I have three major beefs to complain about and its going to be a bumpy ride. So pull up your socks and hang on.
Bitch one. Candidates running for office. We have no viable quality choices. I have been watching the commercials and reading about each of the candidates in most of the local and national races and Ive decided that none of them deserve to be elected. I think that we should have an option at the bottom of each of the choices that should include an option for None of the Above. If None of the Above gets the most votes, then the candidates dont get elected and they dont get to run for office again. Leaving space for new candidates to run for the vacant offices and maybe if this happens enough we will eventually get quality candidates, and voter turn out would increase.
Bitch two. I have quietly said for a long time that all of the marching and parading and protesting that has been done by the "out" gay activists has not actually done any good for the gay movement. Its harder than ever on gay teens to come out and the general voting public votes to abolish gay marriage rights almost everywhere they are allowed to vote on them.
Bitch three. Recently those of us that race cars had the opportunity to attend Competition School at a NASA Arizona event. Cost was $350.00. The school was actually taught by three volunteer instructors that have a combined racing experience totally just about 100 years. The school consisted of two full days of classroom instruction as well as 6 on track sessions designed to give the applicants some actual racing skills and experience before they actually get turned loose on their respective race groups. 15 people attended. My distress comes from the face that one person was allowed to miss classroom time to attend to some personal issues. They recieved more personal instruction than any one else. Was held up to the class as having exceptional skills. That person was also the only one to complain about her fellow students, and complained about the driving skills that were practiced on the track. Never mind that she was like a rolling chicane while on track during the skills. Parking in every corner and complaining about the cars around her being too close. This is racing, open track, pass anywhere, wheel to wheel racing. Pull your head out, stop spending so much time promoting yourself on facebook learn some skills and keep your mouth shut.
Bitch one. Candidates running for office. We have no viable quality choices. I have been watching the commercials and reading about each of the candidates in most of the local and national races and Ive decided that none of them deserve to be elected. I think that we should have an option at the bottom of each of the choices that should include an option for None of the Above. If None of the Above gets the most votes, then the candidates dont get elected and they dont get to run for office again. Leaving space for new candidates to run for the vacant offices and maybe if this happens enough we will eventually get quality candidates, and voter turn out would increase.
Bitch two. I have quietly said for a long time that all of the marching and parading and protesting that has been done by the "out" gay activists has not actually done any good for the gay movement. Its harder than ever on gay teens to come out and the general voting public votes to abolish gay marriage rights almost everywhere they are allowed to vote on them.
Bitch three. Recently those of us that race cars had the opportunity to attend Competition School at a NASA Arizona event. Cost was $350.00. The school was actually taught by three volunteer instructors that have a combined racing experience totally just about 100 years. The school consisted of two full days of classroom instruction as well as 6 on track sessions designed to give the applicants some actual racing skills and experience before they actually get turned loose on their respective race groups. 15 people attended. My distress comes from the face that one person was allowed to miss classroom time to attend to some personal issues. They recieved more personal instruction than any one else. Was held up to the class as having exceptional skills. That person was also the only one to complain about her fellow students, and complained about the driving skills that were practiced on the track. Never mind that she was like a rolling chicane while on track during the skills. Parking in every corner and complaining about the cars around her being too close. This is racing, open track, pass anywhere, wheel to wheel racing. Pull your head out, stop spending so much time promoting yourself on facebook learn some skills and keep your mouth shut.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Heroes
I have quite a few heroes. Some of them probably deserve it and some of them probably dont, but they are my heros and I wish for them to stay that way. My heros encompass a varied group of individuals and professions. Some athletes, some animals, some actors etc. Recently the government has started what seems to me as an all out assault on some of my hero athletes. This assault has started because congress has decided to get involved in the battle to fight steroids, or performance enhancing drugs as they choose to call them. I believe that congress is over stepping their bounds here. This is not a matter of governing our country, all sports governing bodies have their own drug policies and it is up to those bodies to enforce them. I would prefer it if the congress stayed out of this conflict. Roger Clements is a hero of mine, as is Mark McGuire, Jackie Joyner Kersey, Lance Armstrong, and many others. I can assure you that even if these athletes had used performance enhancing drugs they are still EXTREMELY talented individuals and most likely would have achieved the same accomplishments either way. They obviously had the drive and the dedication and the love of their sport to achieve goals that the average athlete never will. I dont care to know if they used performance enhancing drugs or not. Lets show some support for our heroes and demand that congress get back to work on governing our country and stop worrying about issues that arent any of their business anyway.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
where is lindsay?
I cant believe its been a whole week without a Lindsay Lohan news update. I must admit I am really disappointed. I was just sure that she would have hundreds of reporters sneaking around the bushes and using telephoto lenses trying to catch her all broken down, going thru withdrawl no make up on and eating herself into a bigun!
I did see in the news that a California judge blocked the state from giving the state employees one day off a week as a budget cutting measure. I guess the state should just fire some of them so they can make their budget goals. Makes sense to me, that way at least the judges on the federal pay rolls will be able to keep their jobs when CA is so broke the state has to stop paying their employees. Maybe the can hire all the illegals moving into CA from AZ. One of the Hispanic rights groups in CA is buying up billboard space here in AZ basically bashing our state govt. I wish they would spend some of their money on cleaning up all the trash that the mexican illegals are leaving in the Arizona desert on their way in. I wonder if they know that July was the second deadliest month here in Arizona for illegals die-ing in the Desert on there way thru. Its too hot, and they run out of water and they die a horrible death on the way over. But I guess thats ok. Just last week a little girl escaped from a drop house where she was being held with 19 other illegals by a coyote. She went to wal-mart for help. She said some of them hadnt eaten anything in days. They were just giving them water. It doesnt make sense to me that a people knowingly makes the choice to trek thru the desert. Risk dying, or get hauled over here in the back of a truck and then locked up in a drop house and hope their families can pay enough to get them out. Why dont they just stay home and put all this effort into trying to fix their own country.
I did see in the news that a California judge blocked the state from giving the state employees one day off a week as a budget cutting measure. I guess the state should just fire some of them so they can make their budget goals. Makes sense to me, that way at least the judges on the federal pay rolls will be able to keep their jobs when CA is so broke the state has to stop paying their employees. Maybe the can hire all the illegals moving into CA from AZ. One of the Hispanic rights groups in CA is buying up billboard space here in AZ basically bashing our state govt. I wish they would spend some of their money on cleaning up all the trash that the mexican illegals are leaving in the Arizona desert on their way in. I wonder if they know that July was the second deadliest month here in Arizona for illegals die-ing in the Desert on there way thru. Its too hot, and they run out of water and they die a horrible death on the way over. But I guess thats ok. Just last week a little girl escaped from a drop house where she was being held with 19 other illegals by a coyote. She went to wal-mart for help. She said some of them hadnt eaten anything in days. They were just giving them water. It doesnt make sense to me that a people knowingly makes the choice to trek thru the desert. Risk dying, or get hauled over here in the back of a truck and then locked up in a drop house and hope their families can pay enough to get them out. Why dont they just stay home and put all this effort into trying to fix their own country.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
why do we bother to vote
Why do we bother to vote. I am getting more concerned about this particular issue every day. I vote. Things dont usually go my way but I do anyway. We vote in many different ways. A friend of mine says that we vote everytime we open our pocketbook by choosing products or services. If enough of us dont buy products or services they stop making them. Why doesnt that seem to work with our government. I thought that this was supposed to be a government by the people for the people. Recently two things that have disturbed me the most have been lawsuits that have overturned laws that the majority of the people in a particular society or group have voted for. I'm not going to say how I feel about the following two issues, some of you already know and some of you might be surprised by how I would have voted but my opinions are moot.
First, the people of Arizona voted, buy their elected officials, and polls in Arizona back this up. To write and approve immigration bill 1070. By the people for the people. Then parts of the bill were blocked in the courts. One appointed judge thinks she knows more about what the people of Arizona want more than they do themselves.
Second, just yesterday the courts overturned the marriage ban in California. I personally support this ban because I do agree that "Marriage" as we know it, should be between a man and a woman. Certain things such as Child Birth and Parenthood should remain between a man and a woman. Civil Unions on the other hand are another issue, but this vote and law was about marriage. The VOTERS of the state of California VOTED to ban gay marriage, and once again the appointed judge decided to overturn the ban based upon how they interpreted the laws.
The solutions to these problems are very simple. Register to vote and VOTE. Vote the politicians responsible for making these judicial appointments out of office. And Vote politicians into office that are going to represent the majority of how Americans feel. A perfect example of this is how our chocolate president is dragging his heels on immigration reform. The longer he waits the more likely he is to win over the liberal mexican vote in this country. Which I feel is a beligerent slap in the face of the people who have immigrated here legally. Get out and Vote people.
First, the people of Arizona voted, buy their elected officials, and polls in Arizona back this up. To write and approve immigration bill 1070. By the people for the people. Then parts of the bill were blocked in the courts. One appointed judge thinks she knows more about what the people of Arizona want more than they do themselves.
Second, just yesterday the courts overturned the marriage ban in California. I personally support this ban because I do agree that "Marriage" as we know it, should be between a man and a woman. Certain things such as Child Birth and Parenthood should remain between a man and a woman. Civil Unions on the other hand are another issue, but this vote and law was about marriage. The VOTERS of the state of California VOTED to ban gay marriage, and once again the appointed judge decided to overturn the ban based upon how they interpreted the laws.
The solutions to these problems are very simple. Register to vote and VOTE. Vote the politicians responsible for making these judicial appointments out of office. And Vote politicians into office that are going to represent the majority of how Americans feel. A perfect example of this is how our chocolate president is dragging his heels on immigration reform. The longer he waits the more likely he is to win over the liberal mexican vote in this country. Which I feel is a beligerent slap in the face of the people who have immigrated here legally. Get out and Vote people.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Luke air force base
Since the announcement that Luke Air Force base had made the cut to become one of the two bases that will host the new F-35 aircraft. Providing the base passes various studies concerning noise, use , pollution etc.
What a stupid set of reasons to base that kind of decision on. I've spent some time on the internet studying the history of the base. The growth of Phoenix and Glendale and I have come up with this conclusion.
The base was built in 1941, and has a fantastic past. It has played a major part in every conflict the U.S. has been involved in since WWII. That alone should be enough to keep the base open and make it worthy of housing a new fighter jet. Noise considerations should never become an issue. The base was there first. Common sense should tell people that if you build a house near an air-base. There will be noise. Now I am sure that the greed of the increase in tax base is what drove the city to allow housing additions to surround the base. But what amazes me is the thinking that taxes would be more important than the millions of dollars in income, medical care, fringe employment supplied because of the base that will help drive the Arizona economy. Luke air force base alone supplies 2.2billion dollars a year to Arizona's economy. It's estimated the the changover income brought to the local economy will be upwards of $125,million dollars.
I say buy all the offended home-owners houses, at fair market value, sometime at the end of the year when they have gone down another 1% a month. I think that is do-able, they can be condemned under the eminent domain provisions in the law. Then bulldoze them down. Problem solved.
Common sense should tell you not to build a house by an airport.
What a stupid set of reasons to base that kind of decision on. I've spent some time on the internet studying the history of the base. The growth of Phoenix and Glendale and I have come up with this conclusion.
The base was built in 1941, and has a fantastic past. It has played a major part in every conflict the U.S. has been involved in since WWII. That alone should be enough to keep the base open and make it worthy of housing a new fighter jet. Noise considerations should never become an issue. The base was there first. Common sense should tell people that if you build a house near an air-base. There will be noise. Now I am sure that the greed of the increase in tax base is what drove the city to allow housing additions to surround the base. But what amazes me is the thinking that taxes would be more important than the millions of dollars in income, medical care, fringe employment supplied because of the base that will help drive the Arizona economy. Luke air force base alone supplies 2.2billion dollars a year to Arizona's economy. It's estimated the the changover income brought to the local economy will be upwards of $125,million dollars.
I say buy all the offended home-owners houses, at fair market value, sometime at the end of the year when they have gone down another 1% a month. I think that is do-able, they can be condemned under the eminent domain provisions in the law. Then bulldoze them down. Problem solved.
Common sense should tell you not to build a house by an airport.
Monday, August 2, 2010
the joy of having a dog
I decided quite some time ago that I like dogs better than most people. Not cats or birds or horses, Dogs. I've also decided that my opinion of people can be influenced by observing the relationship my friends have with their dogs. I realize if I was truly a good person I wouldnt have an opinion, but I also belive that everybody has an opinion on every subject and those who say they dont are actually just hipocrits. The real challenge is to not let your opinion of things effect you life or your relationships in any way. I think I am really good at that. Anyway back to the dogs. I know some people who are real shits in their everyday lives but when it comes to their dogs they are the most loving caring person on earth. I hope that this type of compassion would eventually work its way into how we treat others. Often it does not.
I have a real asshole for a dog. His name is Hannibal. I bought him at a horse show when he was 8 weeks old. In spite of his beauty, and he is a very handsome dog, he was the last one left in the litter and I am sure that when I bought him he was living on benedril or something because within 6 hours of purchase he turned into the asshole that he is today. I paid a fortune for this dog. I thought that he would mellow when he got used to me, I was wrong. Within 24 hours of his purchase everybody who came in contact with him at the horse show told me to take him back. Of course the people that I bought him from, who told me they were also at the show, disappeared from the face of the earth. In the first 24 hours he bit a hole in my nose, and tried to bite everyone who tried to pick him up. He was cute, everybody that saw him picked him up. A good friend of mine said "he's nasty you should call him Hannibal", and it stuck. The rest of the week at the show was spent trying to make him happy because frankly, he never was. He was too hot or thirsty or didnt want to be held, or wanted to run off, or was growling at the horses or tearing something up. He was more work than the four horses I had at the show.
Well now its been two long difficult years later and like I said, Hannibal has grown up to be a VERY handsome dog. I love him to death. He is still a handful. Very growly and difficult, chews up all his toys, he is getting very territorial. He loves to think he is hearding the horses when he is actually chasing them, and he is one great little alarm. When one of the horses lays down and rolls, or runs in his pen, or starts giving me shit when I am working it. He goes batshit crazy. Bites the fence and carries on like he is possesed by the devil. I'm not so sure he's not.
But there is also another side to Hannibal. He has started to like affection. Demanding it in fact, he wants to sit next to me now when I am sitting at the desk, wanting me to pet him, and every nite when I go to bed he gets in bed with me and snuggles and loves on me like he really likes me. In the morning when I wake up he gets back in bed, and brings all his toys too. He has four or five at any given time, and he wants to hold a toy in his mouth, while he lays up against me with all the rest of his toys around him, and I am supposed to pet him or he will whine and carry on. You may think this is not good, but its really a considerable improvement.
I have loved him all along, working it out in my head somewhat along the lines of adopting a child that turns out to be difficult. Now I have it and I'm going to love it. Now that he is starting to act like he likes me I am really happy. So if you see me at a horse show, or at a race I will probably have Hannibal with me. He thinks that he loves to go along. And like I said most of the time I like dogs better than people so I let him come along. I'm happy to have him with me.
I have a real asshole for a dog. His name is Hannibal. I bought him at a horse show when he was 8 weeks old. In spite of his beauty, and he is a very handsome dog, he was the last one left in the litter and I am sure that when I bought him he was living on benedril or something because within 6 hours of purchase he turned into the asshole that he is today. I paid a fortune for this dog. I thought that he would mellow when he got used to me, I was wrong. Within 24 hours of his purchase everybody who came in contact with him at the horse show told me to take him back. Of course the people that I bought him from, who told me they were also at the show, disappeared from the face of the earth. In the first 24 hours he bit a hole in my nose, and tried to bite everyone who tried to pick him up. He was cute, everybody that saw him picked him up. A good friend of mine said "he's nasty you should call him Hannibal", and it stuck. The rest of the week at the show was spent trying to make him happy because frankly, he never was. He was too hot or thirsty or didnt want to be held, or wanted to run off, or was growling at the horses or tearing something up. He was more work than the four horses I had at the show.
Well now its been two long difficult years later and like I said, Hannibal has grown up to be a VERY handsome dog. I love him to death. He is still a handful. Very growly and difficult, chews up all his toys, he is getting very territorial. He loves to think he is hearding the horses when he is actually chasing them, and he is one great little alarm. When one of the horses lays down and rolls, or runs in his pen, or starts giving me shit when I am working it. He goes batshit crazy. Bites the fence and carries on like he is possesed by the devil. I'm not so sure he's not.
But there is also another side to Hannibal. He has started to like affection. Demanding it in fact, he wants to sit next to me now when I am sitting at the desk, wanting me to pet him, and every nite when I go to bed he gets in bed with me and snuggles and loves on me like he really likes me. In the morning when I wake up he gets back in bed, and brings all his toys too. He has four or five at any given time, and he wants to hold a toy in his mouth, while he lays up against me with all the rest of his toys around him, and I am supposed to pet him or he will whine and carry on. You may think this is not good, but its really a considerable improvement.
I have loved him all along, working it out in my head somewhat along the lines of adopting a child that turns out to be difficult. Now I have it and I'm going to love it. Now that he is starting to act like he likes me I am really happy. So if you see me at a horse show, or at a race I will probably have Hannibal with me. He thinks that he loves to go along. And like I said most of the time I like dogs better than people so I let him come along. I'm happy to have him with me.
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