Cowboy at a crossroad

Having just returned from a three day leadership conference, I am truly confused, in a good way.

I feel a shift in my focus coming, a turn from the easy path that I have been on towards a harder and steeper trail.

I am not so naive as to think that stepping from the background to the front line of ministry is going to be easy on me or my family. However I am going in with my eyes wide open.

I have seen the toll it can take on people. They start off with a head of steam and a Devil may care attitude only to burn out. They get discouraged, they find themselves doing all the work, the get beaten up by those inside the church. They try hard, fail, and give up.

It's easy to spot them in any church, they are the ones who sit quietly towards the back of the church and sing with little emotion in their voice, they roll their eyes when the pastor announces a new ministry or outreach. They've been there and still have the scars from their attempt at doing what they thought would be a fun meaningful ministry.

The one thing I took away from this conference is effective ministry is messy. I am not expecting perfection, loads of support or even agreement, what I do expect is hard work, long hours and more that a few heartbreaks along the way.

I am not sure what ministry God is leading me towards, that is the confusing part. I would love to grow our men's ministry. I hope I can start a new outdoors ministry to bring others to Christ through our love for the outdoors, hunting, off road sports, horses, the list is long.

As much as I want to find others to share my enjoyment of the outdoors, there is one question that I will constantly ask myself. Are these activities leading people to Jesus Christ and are we equipping them with the tools to they need to grow in their faith? That has to be the focus.

We have a great message that really matters, so to be effective we must have a passion for lost people.

Fun? You bet, we should strive to have fun at every turn no matter what the activity.
Fellowship? Darn right, reaching out to make new friends is important.
Faith? It will take time for some people to make that commitment, but leading people to Christ must be the primary focus.

Without faith, everything else is just a club. Having a good time and making good friends is not the goal of ministry, it's a by product, it is the result of people caring for one another and encouraging them as they grow in faith. Getting people involved in your ministry is the first step, making them feel welcome and wanted is crucial, but the ultimate goal is to have lost people know how much Christ loves them.

Pastor Ray summed it up in his general session.

Good Deeds leads to Good Will that leads to the Good News.

If you're so moved, please pray for me as I try to get a little closer to what God wants me to be be.

Thanks

I have never been to Germany but...........

A photo released by police on Tuesday, April 24, 2007 shows a horse standing next to a sleeping man in the foyer of a bank in the east German village of Wiesenburg on Monday, April 23, 2007. The obviously drunken man tried to rest with his horse in the bank's entrance, when passers-by called the police who could convince the man and horse to leave the bank. (AP Photo/Police Handout)

But I have waited in a warm bank lobby for my friend to get back with my truck after giving a pretty girl a ride home at 3:00 in the morning.

But hey, I was young and not especially bright.
Come to think of it, the latter description may still fit.

I will be attending the Thrive Conference in Granite Bay Thursday and Friday so blogging will be light or non existent.

I hope to be back this weekend fully charged and ready to go.

Islam vs. Islamists: Voices from the Muslim Center

Too bad you probably won't get to see this piece on PBS. At least in its current form.

I hope Gaffney and PBS come to some arrangement, this is a topic that needs to be front and center.

The flap over Islam vs. Islamists was largely driven by a piece in the Arizona Republic which reported that WETA had demanded the firing of Gaffney and another co-producer for their involvement with the CSP, and aired a laundry list of complaints about WETA's involvement during the production. "A WETA manager pressed to eliminate a key perspective of the film: The claim that Muslim radicals are pushing to establish 'parallel societies' in America and Europe governed by Shariah law rather than sectarian courts," the Republic reported, adding that one of WETA's advisors had shown a clip of the film to the Nation of Islam, a subject of the documentary.

The article goes into the finer points of how PBS, the CPB and the station WETA operate and interact, but it seems that Gaffney is persona non grata in the Public Television world.

The series 'America at a crossroads' has been worth watching. The piece by Irshad Manji about women in Islam was thought provoking and well produced. I bet the 'Islam can do no wrong crowd' over at CAIR had kittens when they saw it.

General Reid sues for peace.

In a stunning move, the commander of all US and coalition forces Major General Harry Reid, declared today that the war in Iraq is lost. General Reid handed his engraved sword over to a 19 year old Muslim Jihadist and said "we will go home and fight no more". The two shook hands and posed for a photograph to record the event.

The young Jihadist thanked the General then promptly detonated the suicide vest he wore under his coat, killing all in attendance. Thus ended the surrender ceremony.

I realize this is silly but my point is this, just because you stop fighting doesn't mean they will stop trying to kill you.

The Democrats are only fearful of one thing, success in Iraq. They cannot allow the surge to show any signs of success. They want to cut off funds before the surge has time to work, ensuring it's failure and emboldening our enemies.

Way to go Harry.

Small group leader, what was I thinking?

Have you ever thought about doing something you really should do, but always chickened out? I have thought about being a small group leader in church Bible study ministry for years. Well its too late to turn back now. I have 10 people who signed up to meet once a week at my home to participate in the 40 Days of Community small group study.

The reason for my poultry-like behavior is my feeling of being completely unqualified. I go to church almost every weekend, participate in our mens group and I have been a lay pastor for a two years. I have been asked to perform the wedding ceremonies for two of my friends and a funeral service for a friend's father, yet I still don't consider myself a worthy Christian by any means. I am just a man who is trying to shut up and listen to what God has in store for me. So why did I sign up to lead a small group?

God uses broken people. In that department, I am over qualified.

We are using Rick Warren's program for our study, I watched the group leader DVD last night and I came away feeling relieved and exited. We are going to have a great time, make some new friends, learn about God's purpose for each of us and for our church. We will also pick a group community service project to complete.

I have to make sure the kids clean their rooms and be sure the dishes are done for six Thursdays nights, but the payoff could be life changing for me or anyone in our group.

Six night of watching television or six nights of making our community and ourselves better, that choice is easy.

A black day in Blacksburg

As the details come in from this tragic day, as of this posting the details of the murderer are yet to be released, we struggle to find the reasons for such vicious acts. The reasons and motives behind this tragedy will never be fully be known as they died with the murderer. Even if we knew the thought process behind this evil act, it would do the families of the victims little good. An act of murder on this scale defies all logic and reason.

The truth may be simple yet disturbing, the killer did not think like the rest of us. His mind was simply not wired right. No one in their right mind who finds themselves in despair or anger concludes the only way to solve their problem is to murder scores of innocent people. Rational people can snap, but this was not a heat of the moment event. If the Norris Hall killer was the same person who murdered the first two people at 7:00 and then went to the Hall at 9:15 and chained the doors so people could not escape, this was a deeply disturbed killer who wanted to kill as many as possible.

Americans are shocked and angry. Our universities and schools are supposed to be safe places. We look at this tragedy and wonder what, if anything, we can do?

Some are angry at the police for what seems like a lack of real time action, why wasn't the campus locked down after the first two murders? Some are now calling for an end to 'gun violence'. Some want to ban firearms all together. What is the proper action for us to take?

If proximity and availability of guns were the problem, there would be a dozens murders every day at every shooting range in America. I never feel more safe then when I am at a shooting match with 100 people who are armed. I have more firearms than I can count and I have yet to harm a single person with them.

Sadly, there is little we can do to prevent unstable people from killing our fellow citizens. We walk down the street and the only thing that separates us from the unstable person who wants to kill us in his car is a stripe of paint. Every time we get into a airplane to go on a business trip or vacation, we are completely vulnerable, if the pilot was served divorce papers that morning and whats to end his life in a spectacular way, there is nothing we can do. Airplanes and automobiles are not the problem, its the unstable person in control of them. Taking my guns away will not make you safer. Taking disturbed people off the street will.

As we learn more about the killer and his possible motives and actions in the days and weeks that led up to the murders, maybe we can piece together some useful information that can identify and possibly avert another tragedy. After Columbine, schools and parents were on full alert, many students were identified as possible problems and while we may never know how many were capable of murder, I would bet that a tragedy or two was averted by parents and teachers just paying attention to troubled students.

Not everyone follows the rules of society. Unstable people put poison in Tylenol, they mail anthrax to reporters and politicians, the drive SUV into groups of students at universities. Humans are capable of wondrous joy and terrible evil. That evil showed its face today in Blacksburg.

Every life is precious, and I can only imagine the sorrow and grief the friends and families of the victims are dealing with, there are no easy answers, only more questions.

Please pray for the fallen and the families.

Strawberry and Mushroom pickers qualify for $720,000 house?

I think someone needs to spend a little time in the poky, and I'm not talking about the produce pickers.

The husband and wife work as strawberry pickers in the fields around Watsonville, and each earns about $300 a week. They have three children. Not only did they dream the impossible dream, they managed to finance it.

It all began when they were talking to another family about escaping their subsidized apartments and getting a real house. The other couple -- Jesus Martinez and his wife, who also have three children -- work as mushroom farmers, earning about $500 a week each when there is work. The two couples decided to pool their resources and begin house-hunting. Given their total income, they estimated that they could afford payments of $3,000 a month. They spotted an ad in the local magazine La Ganga for Maria Avila of Rancho Grande Real Estate and called her.

"We wanted to live in Watsonville," says Rosa. "But [the real estate agent] said the houses there were older and more expensive." One of the first homes they were shown was a "new" four-bedroom, two-bath house in Hollister for $720,000. When the Ramirez's heard the price, they worried that they couldn't afford it.

But the couple says they were assured them it was possible.

Worried they couldn't afford it? Ya think!

"The monthly payment was supposed to be $4,800, but then after we bought it, it went up to $5,378," says Rosa, speaking of their zero-down mortgage with a one-month "teaser rate." "Our agent told us that once we refinanced, we could get the payments down to $3,000 or less." For a number of months Avila, who arranged for the loan with New Century Mortgage, paid the difference between what the buyers had said they could afford -- $3,000 -- and the actual loan payment. According to the buyers, this arrangement was supposed to carry them over until the group refinanced.

The money-saving refinance failed to materialize, and eventually, Avila stopped subsidizing their current mortgage.

The farm workers may be really dumb financially, but the mortgage company and the real estate company should have their licenses yanked.

Wow, who signed off on that loan?
Fired? For sure.
Arraigned? Quite possibly.

Iran, playing both sides in Iraq?

Not really, they are playing one side. That side is called 'we at at war with America' and anything it can do to weaken the Iraqi government and therefore America is fair game.

Iran accused of arming both sides in sectarian divide

American military officials say weapons that appear to have been manufactured in Iran as recently as last year have turned up in the past week in a predominantly Sunni area.

The chief spokesman for the American military command in Iraq, Major-General William Caldwell, said that prisoners in US custody had said Iranian intelligence agents were supporting Sunni insurgents, and that surrogates for the Iranian intelligence service also were training Shiite extremists in Iran.

"We have in fact found some cases recently where Iranian intelligence sources have provided to Sunni insurgent groups some support," said General Caldwell, who sat near a table covered with arms that he said were largely of Iranian manufacture. They were found in a mostly Sunni neighbourhood in Baghdad, he said.

The US has previously suggested an Iranian link with Shiite militants in Iraq, but the accusation of a link between the Iranian intelligence service and Sunni insurgents is new.

Arm the Shiites to kill the Sunnis, you bet, Arm the Sunnis to kill your own Shiite brethren, you bet, and if you can kill some Americans along the way, you get a gold star.

When will we wake up to the fact that we are already at war with Iran? Or more to the point, they are at war with us.

And people did feast upon the lambs, and sloths, and carp, and anchovies, and orangutans..

Ok, so it was tri-tip roast and chicken, but the Yolo County Republican Party Lincoln - Reagan dinner was a hit.

Keynote speaker Ron Nehring was on the money as he spoke about the power of Republican ideas. The tribute to Ronald Reagan given by Kirby Wells also spoke to the power of those ideas.

The annual dinner is a chance to keep in touch with old friends and make a few new ones. I bid on a few of the silent auction items but in the end only walked away with one.

Great job to all at Yolo GOP.

(name the movie from the post title)

And the point of this is what?

I like guest opinions in newspapers. Every once in a great while you find a talented person who has something important to say coupled with an ability to write.

Then you have this.

...But no one would dream of making it more difficult to have children. Imagine financial penalties for having more than two children, for instance. Why two? Well, that is replacement growth — two parents, two children. But such a platform would be unthinkable politically: millions of large families casting their votes for the other, pro-creation candidate. That’s right, no one talks about birth control at a national level — growing economies are predicated on growing demand for products and that hinges on a growing population.
But in China they limit family size. The one-child family is still national law. In China, they have to. After all, it is the most populous country in the world, with 1,314 million people. But we are not far behind, after India with 1,095 million, the U.S. weighs in at number 3, with 300 million. Surely, there will come a time when large families are frowned upon, when the government will sanction against large families either in monetary terms or by making them illegal. Right now, larger families are rewarded through our taxation policies — more children, more deductions.
So if you worry about rural Yolo becoming urban “Sacramento West,” the bottom line is to tell your kids not to have children of their own. If they want families, adopt, and if they must have “biological” progeny, stick to one or two — replacement growth. But no parent ever says that.

Read the whole piece if you must, but the basic point seems to be the Government of the United States needs to limit in some way the number of children you are allowed to have. Talk about social engineering. I would bet these folks have read the population bomb a number of times. The problem is there are too many Americans, and I guess we are bad people who must be stopped. Besides, with less people, the carpool lanes will be less crowded and we can drive our Prius without having to dodge all those SUVs, right?

Al Vallecillo and Tim Caro are the authors of this deep thinking, replacement growth idea. I wonder if these two men, who seem to travel around together protesting the war when they are not pondering guest opinions, ever thought about having children in that world.

Would you have to fill out an application at the Department of Procreation? Oh, I'll bet that would be a great experience.

Blong ( the sound of the computer operated waiting line prompt) Now serving number 765 at windown 65.

Yes, my wife and I have our paperwork all filled out, we both have our blood work, medical exam clearance, past 5 years tax returns, forms from our local planning department and a Procreation Lottery winning numbers for you Mam.

Yea, well you see line 163 on the DPD773EZ form? You didn't have your local building and planning department notarize the change in your home zoning to allow you to convert your extra bedroom into an 'authorized new human occupancy space"..

You mean the nursery?

Don't interrupt me gain, yes, your nursery needs to have a rezone before a new human can occupy that space.

That was my mothers old room, she past away last year, I've already had the room rezoned.

Your mother died last year?

Yes.

Last fiscal year or last calendar year?

I don't know, last June.

That was last fiscal year, if the room's occupant dies and the room is not rezoned before the next fiscal year begins, you must re-apply for re-zoning.

It took me six months just to get an appointment with the planning department last time.

I'm sorry, it's time for my break. But you need to get the rezone notarized by next Monday because your Procreation lottery number expires then.

When is the next lottery?

Oh three years from now, but if you have been a winner, you are ineligible for another turn. I gotta go, my bunions are killing me.

Jim Smith gets his freak on....sort of

If you read the Daily Democrat, Woodland's newspaper, you know editor Jim Smith. I like Jim, I don't always agree with Jim, but he's a good guy. I called the newspaper office one day at 7:00 pm to ask for a meeting location that ran in the paper a few days before, Jim picked up the phone and dug through a few old papers to find the article for me. You know you have a small staff when the editor answers the phone at 7:00 pm on Wednesday.

I'm not quite sure when it happened, but our good man Jim has gone crackers. If I knew how to get a screen shot from a Google video, I would post a picture of Jim doing a news broadcast wearing a feathered mask.

Let me assure you that-

Plus this

Equals something very disturbing

To be fair to Jim, he is a rather plain looking fellow who lacks the flair and panache to excel in a visual media format, but for the love of all things good and pure, it is time for an intervention.
I will have to speak to someone down there and see if he just needs some time off, or serious professional help.

Jim, friends don't let friends wear feathers.



(Jim's photo is from the Daily Democrat's website, I don't know who the credit goes to)

The last guy you want to see in your rear view mirror.

Well, except for Ted Kennedy.

If you are Stuart Appleby, the last person you want one stroke behind you is elTigre'.

I don't know much about the mental state of the thirty five year old Australian, but the only thing I would eat tonight is dry toast, a Pepto bismol milkshake and chase that with a couple of sleeping pills.

Actually Appleby is a very consistent golfer. Steady and cool, just what you need when your playing partner is the Tiger freakin' Woods on Sunday at The Masters.

How are you going to stop a golfer who is worshiped like a God? No kidding, there is a Church of Tiger Woods.

My money is on Jesus in a match play format.

Have a Happy Easter everyone. Hide the eggs for the kiddies, eat the chocolate rabbits, pass on the Peeps, but for goodness sakes attend a Sunday Easter service at you local church. Easter Sunday is a great way to discover the message of Jesus Christ.

Crawford Peace House, another Utopia crushed by reality.

No matter how much they hate George W Bush, peace activists are still just people. It seems that some of the people in the movement are greedy and dishonest.

With allegations of money mismanagement, threats of court action and some members leaving, a group that has sponsored war protests in President Bush's adopted hometown has been anything but peaceful.

The Crawford Peace House recently lost its corporate charter with the state, and a former member who now has rights to the name is threatening legal action because the group continues operating.

Sara L. Oliver and some others are calling for a state investigation as to why only $14,700 is now in its bank account, saying tens of thousands donated during Cindy Sheehan's 2005 war protest are unaccounted for.

"There are people who have said, 'Don't say anything because you'll hurt the peace movement,'" Oliver said. "But if the peace movement isn't pure and transparent and holy as it can be at its heart, then it's just like George Bush: lying, thieving, conniving, backstabbing bastards."

Maybe they gave out a few no-bid contracts to Haliburton or gave some kickbacks to Saddam before his necktie party. Probably not.

More than likely, someone just wanted to buy more pot and tie dyed t-shirts, oh and tacos from Jack in the Box. Two tacos for 99 cents is a good deal, but a house full of stoned peacenicks can consume a metric ton of tacos in a very short time. I afraid the bong hits for peace rally was a bit too successful.

Maybe they should hook up with 'accountants for peace'. I'm not sure if a group like that exists, but someone needs to be minding the store in Crawford.

Brilliant move.

Some may take exception to my opinion, and it is just that, but I think Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is pretty pleased with himself right about now. He kidnaps a dozen or so British soldiers, holds them hostage for a while, parades them on Al Jazeera to show the Islamic world that he is not afraid of the West and when the heat gets a little too hot, he lets them go and is treated as a wise diplomat.


He also gave the anti-war left a great public relations gift. How long will it be until Nancy Pelosi comes back from Damascus declaring that all you have to do to get results in the Middle East is talk to them? Oh I can hear it now.

'They are not monsters, they are people who value open and honest dialogue. If this administration would only talk to Iran and Syria like I did, we would not be over there fighting an unwinnable war.'

Sure Nancy, and all they want is to live in peace, quietly going about their 14th century lives if we would just stop selling them Coca Cola and Brittney Spears CDs.

Mahmoud may be completely crackers but he does know how to spin the all too spinnable left and undermine the President at the same time.

Crazy like a.... like a Jihadist fox.

Jackass Journalism

CNN's Michael Ware has finally thrown off the mask of objective journalist to reveal what many of us have know for years, the MSM is filled with liberals who would be marching next to their anti-war activist brethren if they didn't think they were doing more by poisoning public opinion in front of the cameras and behind their newspaper by-lines.

During a live press conference in Bagdad, Senators McCain and Graham were heckled by CNN reporter Michael Ware. An official at the press conference called Ware’s conduct “outrageous,” saying, “here you have two United States Senators in Bagdad giving first-hand reports while Ware is laughing and mocking their comments. I’ve never witnessed such disrespect. This guy is an activist not a reporter.”

Senators McCain and Graham flew into Iraq and drove into Bagdad, making stops at an open market and a joint Iraq/American military security outpost before appearing at the press conference.

This is not the first time Michael Ware has taken issue with Senator McCain’s comments about early progress in Iraq. Last week, after Senator McCain told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he needed to catch up on the news coming out of Iraq, Michael Ware responded, saying:

“I don't know what part of Neverland Senator McCain is talking about when he says we can go strolling in Baghdad.”

Michael Ware has also publicly expressed his views on the war last year in an interview with Bill Maher, saying, “I've been given a front-row ticket to watch this slow-motion train wreck … I try to stay as drunk for as long as possible while I'm here … In fact, I'm drinking now.”

Not a bad idea, lets get all the White House press corp drunk as skunks and let them show themselves for who they are. But then again, if you know how to read the news, you already know how they think.

Yolo Cowboys turns lefty

That's right, with the hypocrisy parade within the global warming community swelling it's ranks, I have decided to contribute. More on that later, for now lets look at the newest hypocrisy bandwagon jumper, John Travolta.

Is this the humble dwelling of an environmental champion? You bet it is, and this is just one of Travolta's houses. But thanks to Scientology, he's not worried, L. Ron has it all figured out.

Clocking up at least 30,000 flying miles in the past 12 months means he has produced an estimated 800 tons of carbon emissions – nearly 100 times the average Briton's tally.

Travolta made his comments this week at the British premiere of his movie, Wild Hogs.

He spoke of the importance of helping the environment by using "alternative methods of fuel" – after driving down the red carpet on a Harley Davidson.

Travolta, a Scientologist, claimed the solution to global warming could be found in outer space and blamed his hefty flying mileage on the nature of the movie business.

But his appointment as a "serving ambassador" for the Australian airline Qantas doesn't seem to have much to do with the movies. Nor does a recent, two-month round-the-world flying trip.

"It [global warming] is a very valid issue," Travolta declared. "I'm wondering if we need to think about other planets and dome cities.

"Everyone can do their bit. But I don't know if it's not too late already. We have to think about alternative methods of fuel.

"I'm probably not the best candidate to ask about global warming because I fly jets.

"I use them as a business tool though, as others do. I think it's part of this industry – otherwise I couldn't be here doing this and I wouldn't be here now."

What about the outer space solution John? Dome Cities? Where were your handlers from the Scientology church? You know they get upset when you start telling the world about the Thetans, that's the stuff you keep inside the castle dude.

Back to my turn twirling the baton at the hypocrisy parade.
This blogger, meat eater and cattle rancher is telling you not to eat meat.

It's terrible, it's murder, you are eating fear!

Do I sound credible? Do I sound courageous?

Nope. I just sound like a braying jackass, like Al Gore.

By the way, where is my Award?

Happy Ceasar Chavez day!

So how did I celebrate you ask? I bought a couch! Two actually, pretty cool huh?


I know I should have participated in a march for illegal alien rights or protested the working conditions of farm workers in the Imperial valley, but I really need new sofas. The microfiber sofa and love seat we have are eight or nine years old and the kids have wrung all the life out of them you could expect.

Why do we celebrate a socialist labor union organizer on the last Friday in Mach? It must be the great need for new sofas. Happy CC day.

Is this why concrete prices keeps going up?

I know the Chinese like to build big things, but check this out.

A 21-KILOMETER concrete dragon, considered to be the longest in China, is being built by private investors in central China's Henan Province.

The structure will eventually wind its way along the ridge line of the Shizu Mountain in Xinzheng City, according to a local newspaper report yesterday.

Investors are aiming to cash in on the influx of tourists they believe the giant beast will draw.

The dragon's head will be nearly 30 meters tall, and its body will be nine meters high and six meters wide, the report said.

The project is expected to be completed before October 1, 2009, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The Maloofs should give me floor seats

It has been a while since my son and I attended a Sacramento Kings game, so when our friend Debbie asked if we wanted to go, I jumped at the chance. With tip off at 12:30 we went to the servants service at church.

It is a great idea for those who are the set up and tear down team at churches. Just a simple thirty minute service about an hour before the regular service. If you have ever been on a setup team or helped with daycare, been an usher or parking patrol, you know that you miss most if not all the sermon. So at 9:30 my son and I sat in the first few rows with fifteen or so others and listened to Pastor John talk about how every day things that seem like mundane rituals can be transformed into opportunities we can use to practice patience, service, humility and compassion. All the things we should strive towards as we put God in front of ourselves. Good message, great time.

Feeling refreshed, we headed to Arco for the Kings game.

Here is the part where I should say that I knew the Kings would beat the Pacific leading Suns, but that would not be true. I told more than a few people that I expected the Kings to loose by twenty points. I have always had a soft spot for the Suns, even though they now have Steve Nash, the Canadian. Did I ever mention that I hate Canada? I do, it goes back almost twenty years so I should be over it, but I'm not.

Anyhow, when they announced that Brad Miller would be out for the game my hopes grew. Without the 7 foot granite statue playing the Kings might have a chance to run with the Suns and defend the quick and powerful front line of Stoudemire and Marion.

As the game wore on and Bibby started knocking down threes in the fourth quarter, I actually believed the Kings would win, and win they did. 107 - 100

So Joe and Gavin, if you need a good luck charm for next year, I am availble for most home games. Judging by the empty seats in your 'sold out' arena, you could use a little Yolo Cowboy mojo.

Sad goodbys and rough days

It has been a very rough past two days for my wife. Her old Border Collie Ben, had to be put down on Thursday. Ben must has been deaf for years now, but recently his hips gave out and it was time to put him down. The same day our vet came by to take x-rays of my wife's horse Dan B. and the prognosis wasn't good. My wife has owned her longer than she has known me, by about six months.

Dan B's real name is Rosanne, or at least that is what her papers say. She was born 1986 and SNL was big in the 80s. If your an old curmudgeon like me you know who Rosanne-Rosanna-Danna is. So Rosanne, became Rosanna Danna, then my father in law, who has a habit of slaughtering names with regularity, started calling her Rosanna Banana and then Danna Banana and somehow the horse became Dan B.

She was a Quarter Horse of uninspired breeding, but good looking. She was a 14.3 hands tall sorrel with a flaxen mane and tail. She was basically unbroke when my wife bought her and so I volunteered to ride this short ornery horse to score points with my future wife. Bad Idea. I am not sure if there are city horses, like there are city people, but this horse was terrified of cows. She took one look at those smelly four-legged-horse-killing cows and said no thank you, I'll be over here eating hay if you need me. I learned this the hard way as I was in hot pursuit of a rather fast bovine who decided to make a run for the gate at the other end of the pasture. I whirled Dan B around and off we went, hoofbeats and dust flying up behind us as I took a direct line for the gate to beat the wayward cow and foil her escape.

It was tie, and just like in baseball, the tie goes to the cow, or the runner, I always get those confused.

Moments before our tie, I was thinking this could be a pretty good horse, she runs fast and she doesn't seem to mid the cattle anymore, just then Dan B. looked over and saw the object of the chase, a cow, and not just any cow, a fast mean cow. I thought we had beaten the cow to the gate when I looked down and found I had no horse under me. In a move that would make Michael Jordan proud, she did a crossover dribble and turned 90 degrees in one stride leaving me suspended in the air traveling at a high rate of speed. This seemed to go on for three or four seconds, but I am sure it was no longer than the time it takes for an airbag to deploy, and mister, let me tell you how I wish I had one right then.

I landed on the point of my hip and rolled four or five times in flailing ball of boots, chaps and Wranglers. I had torn off most of my shirt and had a double handful of dirt and gravel down my pants. My wife to be and my father rode up and asked how I was, I lied and said I was fine and was just going to ride back to the house.

The next day I had classes over in Sacramento but I could make it. I had a really cool and oh so painful bruise on my hip for two weeks. It started on the outer ring as the normal purple color you are familiar with, and then an inner ring of black and in the center was a bullseye about a silver dollar size patch of yellow.I still don't have any feeling in that spot to this day.

That was my first ride on Dan B. but not my last. She turned out to be good horse and she hauled both our kids all over the ranch. She has been a pasture ornament for the past few years, just eating and doing horse things, she deserves it.

When the vet called back Thursday night and said that both her coffin bones were completely rotated, I had to tell my wife that Dan B. would have to be put down. My wife is usually off on Fridays and I work, but I told her to go to work and I would handle everything. I am the one who takes the old dogs into the vet to be euthanized or the one who has to get a pistol if there is an emergency on the ranch. I know this is my job as the husband, but sometimes it gets to me in a bad way.

I spent the rest of the morning cleaning the house. I started in our bedroom, and I mean clean, windows, baseboards, mini blinds, the whole deal. I just wanted my wife to come home to a clean house and dinner ready. It worked for a while until our daughter drew a picture of a horse under blue sky with the words 'Remember Dan B' over it. My wife broke down in tears and sobbing asked our daughter to put it up on the fridge, She said it looks great.

Rough days are part of the package, you can't feel really good on a good day unless you've known the pain of really bad one.

Three words for you

Star Trek Karaoke

Almost back to normal

Well, not that I have ever been close to anyone's definition of normal, but with my new hard drive humming along and not too many glitches reloading my operating system and all my programs, I have a fully functioning computer again.

Just to give you another friendly kick in the butt, back up your data. Tonight.

So what did I miss?

Al Gore preaching his gospel of doom, I mean testifying in front of his worshipers in DC?
Saw that. Those poor penguins drowning. I wonder what they did when the earth was much warmer during the middle ages? Damn oxen powered SUVs.

What about Valerie Plame testifying that she was indeed a super secret under cover agent who's cover was blown by Scooter? And did you know that she had no role in sending her hubby to Niger?
Saw that too. She may want to go back and either ask the special prosecutor why he didn't indict anyone for blowing her super secret cover, or maybe she should re-read the memo she wrote recommending her Bush hating husband be sent to look into prewar intelligence?

I covered the non story about the 8 US attorneys.

All this gets me thinking, and you know how dangerous that can be, was I this blood thirty to get President Clinton during his time in office?

Maybe I was, but I don't think anywhere near the crazy, 'invent a scandal' mindset the left and the media is in today. With any luck the country will grow tired of these artificial non-scandal scandals and dump the Democrats in 08'.

I hope Dennis Kucinich will try to impeach the President and the republicans can sweep back into power.

So here is my wish list for today, impeachment in 07' and Fred Thompson in 08'.

I told you it's dangerous when I start to think, or maybe it's the four hours of sleep I have had the past few days.

Is it bad when your Bios doesn't recognize your hard drive?

My freaking hard drive went Tango Uniform as my Air Force friend says. That would be t!t$ up for us country folk. If you need further definition, any animal you find on the ranch with it's utter up in the air, that's real bad.

You can all get in line to chastise me for not backing up my critical data. I believe it was over a year since I backed up my photos and other docs. Dang it.

I told my wife I am going to buy life insurance tomorrow. Loosing your data forever, unless the data recovery people can get mine back for $400, is very painful. Kind of like dying without the proper amount of life insurance. Backing up data, getting a full medical check up and having life insurance is something we always mean to do, but it is so easy to put it off until tomorrow or next week.

There is nothing more expensive than regret.

How many drafts do you have?

This has been a busy week for me. At work I am on a construction project that has us going up 30 feet on scissor lifts and we are short handed so its up and down all day. We are working early hours so I have been getting up at 5:00 and with the time change last weekend, I'm pretty beat. Add to this another foal born Sunday, three down and one to go, and then coming home last night to find a seventeen year old girl with no driver's license had driven her car into the ditch in front of my house. Needless to say I have not found the time to blog.

I have started a few posts this week and just couldn't finish them. I saved them as drafts. I now have a dozen or uncompleted posts in my draft folder. I started a post on the 8 US attorneys who were fired, pointing out that Bill Clinton fired 93 of the 94 US attorneys when he came to office, and wondering just what part of 'I serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States' people don't understand?

If I finished the post now it would seem like flogging a dead horse, the people who are interested in the story have seen this information and to those who hate Bush so much, little in the way of facts would sway them . Oh what the heck I will post it anyway.

Bush fires US attorneys because he is a bad person.

Thats it for the news, now over to Connie with our weather. How is our weekend shaping up Connie, can I plant my spring flowers yet?

That seems to be the way the networks cover the news. All headlines, little or no perspective.
Lets look at what you get from the MSM.
There is this story.

U.S. attorney inquiry reaches White House-

The House Judiciary Committee on Friday sharply broadened its investigation into the firing of eight top federal prosecutors, calling on the White House to provide legal documents and make present and former senior officials available for interviews -- including former White House counsel Harriet Miers.

OK, I will give the MSM and Chuck Schumer the benefit of the doubt, Bush fired these attorneys for political reasons. So, flippin what? These people are appointed, let me repeat that, appointed by the President. They serve at the pleasure of the President. (HT ABP)

3-2.120 Appointment United States Attorneys are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate for a four-year term. See 28 U.S.C. Sec. 541. Upon expiration of this term, the United States Attorney continues to perform the duties of the office until a successor is confirmed. United States Attorneys are subject to removal at the will of the President. See Parsons v. United States, 167 U.S. 314 (1897).

Where was the hue and cry from Chuck Schumer when newly elected Bill Clinton told Janet Reno to fire every US attorney, that was all 93 of them, and appoint his own people to fill those positions?

Upon taking office, in an unexplained departure from the practice of recent Administrations, Miss Reno suddenly fired all 93 U.S. attorneys. She said the decision had been made in conjunction with the White House. Translation: The President ordered it.

Why not give the American people a little perspective? Ooh, Ooh, I know, I know,,, because that wouldn't make Bush look bad, and we can't have that now can we?

Fred Thompson for President in 08?

Run Fred run!
Fred Thompson has been a shoe salesman, a truck driver and a factory worker before he became a lawyer and a law maker. My kind of guy. Spring is coming on fast, so here is my horse racing analogy.

In a strange election cycle where presidential candidates are raising and spending millions of dollars 18 months out, a closer like Thompson can wait for the not so exciting front runners to get locked into a speed duel and tire on the first turn while Fred stalks them from a comfortable distance. By the time people start paying attention to the race this summer and fall, he could be in a perfect position to make his move on the far turn and run past the spent front runners.

But then again, politics has nothing to do with horse racing. Never mind.

Now if this were a NASCAR race, Thompson would be taking four tires and fuel, giving up early track position for a late run on fresher tires.... Oh, never mind.

Run Fred run!

Is George W Bush a closet hippie?

I love the mental twisting and gut wrenching going on inside the green community. Can they put aside their absolute hatred of President Bush to praise his personal example of conservation? A brave few are putting their money where mouth is and giving George a reluctant thumbs up. You may think the guy is Hitler with a Texas accent, but his eco-friendly home is light years ahead of the examples set by politicians who are the supposed champions of the environment. Others cannot seem to get past their hatred.

If George W Bush personally stopped global warming by throwing Laura, his two daughters and Barney the Scottish Terrier into a burning volcano as a living sacrifice, that wouldn't be enough for the hate filled left. They would demand he toss in Cheney and Rumsfeld for good measure, and then would move to impeach him for exceeding his production of carbon units without purchasing enough of Al Gore's carbon offsets.

Look, I don't like certain people on the left because as Samuel L Jackson says, "I don't like you cause' you're going to get me killed". But when they do something worthwhile, I will give them their do. I thought Bill Clinton was a masterful politician, but he was also a very flawed human being and a terrible President. Bill was all about trying to make people like him by saying 'look at me, aint I great'.

If this home belonged to President Clinton, he would be holding all his interviews there, showing Catie Couric the rainwater capturing system and how he uses the grey water from the home to irrigate the small amount of landscaping he has. Bill would be milking this house like a dairy cow. But if George Bush tried that, Catie would ask repeatedly why he owns a home that is green while he is personally trying to destroy the earth?

If the eco politicians and Hollywood lefties want to sell their mansions and move to Crawford Texas were it's 114 degrees in the summer and you can't get good udon noodles, then I will sing their praises. Until then, please keep quiet about the environment. Those who live in 34,000 square foot glass houses should rid themselves of rocks.

A house full of screaming 6 year olds.

I am not sure how to do it, but I think the future of alternate fuels has to be 6 year old girls. If we could harness the bouncing and dancing pent up inside their little energizer bunny bodies, we could tell OPEC to keep their oil. We just returned home from Woodland where our daughter spent the evening at a friend's birthday party. Wow.

The sound of the party was audible from 50 feet outside the home. Ten girls singing and dancing to Hanna Montana, mixed in with a few high pitched screams and giggles is enough to make a grown man wince. My wife and I thanked the mother for inviting our daughter, and while the girls tried to find all the clothes and accouterments one needs to bring to a pajama birthday party, I slipped out the door to 'go pull around the car'. Any excuse to get out of earshot.

I would estimate my daughter burned enough energy to run a 5 horse power lawn mower for three hours in the time she spent there. When I get home from work, I want to sit down and relax. Ah the joys of youth.

"who was drunk,"

That needs a bit more context, but I love that line in a news story. Here is my latest favorite example.

First, the headline-
Man Burns Genitals in 'Jackass' Stunt

Then the description of the event-
Jared W. Anderson, 20, suffered serious burns to his hands and genitals, according to the criminal complaint. Randell D. Peterson, 43, who sprayed lighter fluid on Anderson and lit him on fire, was charged with felony battery and first-degree reckless endangerment Tuesday in Eau Claire County Court.

Then the money quote-
Witnesses told police that Anderson, who was drunk, volunteered to do the stunt Sunday after watching the movie, the complaint said.

I have been 'who was drunk' in the past, it's not something I recommend to anyone. I am now 'who stayed sober and recorded the event'. I don't have a hangover in the mornings and I can usually keep my friends from spraying lighter fluid on each others genitalia, usually.

Cross dressing Taliban leader caught.

I keep hearing that the Middle East is all about Male honor, pride and ego, it seems that times are changing. Either that or he is one very progressive Taliban leader. I wonder if he has been stuck in his cave watching too many episodes of Queer as folk on Showtime.

Afghan soldiers have captured a Taliban leader who tried to flee a security operation in the south dressed in a burqa, NATO said on Wednesday.

Tuesday's capture in Kandahar province came as NATO launched a major offensive in neighbouring Helmand to secure a key hydroelectric dam and combat the opium trade.

The man was named as Mullah Mahmood and described as an expert bomb-maker. U.S.-led coalition forces also detained five more suspected militants in eastern Khost this week.

My money is on pure cowardice. Not that I would be any better, if I had NATO forces coming to kill me, I would dress up as Rossie O Donnell or Hillary Clinton if it would get me out of their sights.

Sorry for the mental picture of me dressed up as Rossie, not pretty is it?

Lincoln - Reagan Tribute Dinner date change

The Yolo County Republicans annual Lincoln - Reagan Dinner has been rescheduled to a date in late April. I will post a date as soon as it's firm.

Song stuck in my head part III

I have done this to myself mind you, but I still feel the need to explain how I am being tortured by Sam and Dave.

If you have watched the 1980 film The Blues Brothers you have heard 'Hold on, I'm coming' performed by the duo Sam and Dave.


It was the music playing as they drove through the mall with the police in pursuit.
"Man, this mall has everything"

I love that song, but I have had the horn section intro going through my head for two days now. It is the default sound that my brain plays when ever it has a spare moment. I feel like a detainee at Gitmo, but this torture is self inflicted.

Well don't you ever be sad
Lean on me when times are bad
When the day comes and you're in doubt,
In a river of trouble, about to drown.

Hold on, I'm coming.
Hold on, I'm coming.
Hold on, I'm coming.

I hope I am now just a carrier and you have been infected.

Ron, please retire.

At one time I was a huge Kings fan, now I follow the Sacramento Kings from a distance. When I lived and worked in Sacramento I shared a pair of season tickets with a co worker and we each took 20 games with two seats. I was great. My son and I were on hand to watch game 7 of the Western Conference Finals in 2002. We walked down the steps at ARCO Arena in stunned silence when the hated Lakers crushed every Kings fan's heart. I have never been the same.

Sure, I still watch the games on the Comcast Sports, but I can't stand Grant Napier. He's an east coast loudmouth with a bad temper who speaks the Maloof company line when he should be calling players out. He is too close to the team, he travels with them and can't seem to separate his friendship from his job as a sports reporter. I don't care if you think Brad Miller is a great guy, he is soft, he's a 7 foot cupcake. No amount of passing skills or average jump shooting is going to make up for the fact that he can't jump higher than a beer can, on its side. But enough about Grant and Brad. ( I'll take a case of Hams Beer and a bag of Salsa Verde Doritos for both of them, and I don't even drink beer.)

What to do Ron Artest? Or Ron Re-arrest or whatever fun little name we have for him now. When Artest played for the Pacers I thought he was a immature thug. Now that he plays for the Kings, I still think he's an immature thug. Albeit one who has been on his best behavior for half a year. It is very hard for a person with Artests anger problems to change, but he needs professional help. Artest seems to be a very big, very rich 7th grader. He has not learned how to deal with life yet, I hope for his sake he takes a year or two off to get his life together. Ron always acts contrite and always says he has learned his lesson afterwards, but he just can't seem to stop himself when he snaps. He cannot continue down his current path, that path leads to a tragic death, Ron's or someone else's.

Please Ron, retire. Get some help

Cherokee people, Cherokee Tribe, so proud live, too proud to share their casino money.

Who will the MSM side with in this story. It seems like this reporter wants to side with the Cherokees.

The Cherokee Nation vote this weekend to revoke the citizenship of the descendants of people the Cherokee once owned as slaves was a blow to people who have relied on tribal benefits.

Velie said Saturday's vote already has hurt the tribe's public perception.
....It's throwback, old-school racist rhetoric," Velie said.

"And it's really heartbreaking, because the Cherokees are good people and have a very diverse citizenship," he said.

Miller, the tribal spokesman, defended the Cherokees against charges of racism, saying that Saturday's vote showed the tribe was open to allowing its citizens vote on whether non-Indians be allowed membership.

"I think it's actually the opposite. To say that the Cherokee Nation is intolerant or racist ignores the fact that we have an open dialogue and have the discussion, he said.

I dug a little further and found a piece from down under that told the whole story. It seems like the Cherokees are not very tolerant when it comes to sharing their casino money.

The election has also high-lighted the massive gambling revenues many tribes now enjoy because, as "sovereign nations", they are free to build casinos on tribal lands in a country where gambling is largely illegal.

The vote limits citizenship to those who can trace their heritage to a "Cherokee by blood" list, part of the Dawes Rolls census created by Congress in 1906. Under that census, anybody with a trace of African-American blood – even if they were half Cherokee – was placed on the freedmen roll.

Those with full Cherokee or mixed white and Cherokee ancestry – even if seventh-eighths white – were put on the "Cherokee by blood" roll.

Today about 25,000 of the 270,000 Cherokees are descendants of freedmen, but the tribe is growing rapidly with new citizens enrolling each month. Members are entitled to a share of the $350 million annual budget from federal and tribal revenue, housing and medical support.

Those who want to expel the freedmen have said that, without the vote, thousands more descendants would seek to cash in on the tribe’s revenue and welfare network.

"Don’t get taken advantage of by these people. They will suck you dry," wrote Darren Buzzard in a widely circulated e-mail last year.

"Don’t let black freedmen back you into a corner. Protect Cherokee culture for our children."

Chad Smith, the tribe’s principal chief, said that about 8,700 people had voted in the special election, more than the turnout for the Cherokee constitution vote four years ago.

That sounds very open and tolerant indeed Mr Smith.

Uh, yea, I'll have two double quarter pounders, biggie fries, two apple pies, oh and a Diet Coke, I'm watching my weight

That makes about as much sense as the way the left talks about saving the environment all the while living as though their energy is produced by ferries or elves.
By now you have all seen the examples of hypocrisy the Democrats are showing in their fight to keep us from killing the planet.

Al Gore's glacier shrinking Mansion
John Edwards sprawling estate he is clear cutting into the countryside.
Nancy Pelosi wants a Boeing 757 to shuttle her family and staff between San Francisco and DC.

The list goes on.

If the Democrats want to lead by example, I have an idea. Video Conference Congress. I am serious. Spend one week in Washington every other month and the rest can be done via video conference. It would be a great way to get back in touch with the voters, they could keep their kids in school back home and the thousands of hours of jet travel back and forth every three days would be reduced ten fold. We get to see our congress critters more and we won't be burning a few million pounds of jet fuel. Everyone wins.

Heck, Dennis Kucinich will probably steal my idea before the month is out.


But by what I see from the 'Green Jesus', Al Gore, I am going to buy a coal fired wrist watch, or kerosene powered iPod just to keep up.

New additions

My wife has been busy the last few nights watching the video feed from wireless cameras we installed to monitor the barn and foaling stalls. Her partner in this horse adventure is her mother, she also has a video feed monitoring another foaling stall at her house, with four mares all due within three weeks of each other it makes for long nights. Not a lot of sleep, but the rewards are pretty cool.

Here is the first foal to hit the ground.

Here is the second.

Pretty cute eh?

Ron Nehring to speak at Lincoln-Reagan Tribute Dinner in Woodland

The Republican Party of Yolo County is holding its annual Lincoln – Reagan Tribute Dinner on Tuesday March 13, 2007. The doors will open at 6:00 pm followed by dinner at 7:00 pm. The event will be held at the Heidrick Ag History Center, 1962 Hays Lane in Woodland.


The featured speaker of the evening will be Ron Nehring, the Chairman of the California Republican Party. Since his days as President of his College Republican club almost twenty years ago, Ron Nehring has worked hard to advance Republican ideas and candidates. He managed campaigns for Republican candidates in his home state of New York before moving to Washington, D.C. and working for some of the brightest minds in the Republican Party.

Mr. Nehring is a leader who has stepped up to teach campaign and communications strategy and tactics. He has taught campaign seminars throughout the United States and Canada, and even in such troubled areas as Iraq, Bosnia, the Middle East and Haiti through the International Republican Institute, the Leadership Institute and the Project for California 's Future.

Mr. Nehring will be speaking on “The Power of Republican Ideas”.

This is the Yolo Republican Party’s annual dinner, all republicans and interested persons are invited.

A report on the upcoming elections and activities of the Yolo GOP will also be made.

For more information about the event please visit www.yologop.org or contact Mark Pruner at (916) 204-9097 or Doug Young at (530) 666-3669. For reservations call Mark or Doug.

No rain, too much rain.

I am the only guy at work who is happy about a soggy February. That's ok, the grass is finally growing in the hills and the cows are putting on weight.

Also, one of our mares had a foal last night, pictures to come soon.

Cash up front or pay over time?

Having recently performed the funeral service for a family friend, I had a chance to talk about life, salvation and God to folks who don't regularly attend church, which is almost everyone I know. I had the occasion to speak to one man who said he believed in God but it was clear he had been through tough times and was wrestling with his sin. He sounded as though he had given up on God or perhaps he though God had given up on him.

'I am who I am, if you don't like it, too bad, I can't change'.
I have heard this statement from many people. I have probably said it myself a time or two.

That my friends is a cop out.

I told the man just that. I said that if you don't wake up with the feeling that today I am going to be a tiny bit better person than I was yesterday, then what is the point? Most Christians look at the ultimate example of Jesus and then look at where they are in their life, no wonder they get discouraged. We are broken, imperfect people, the idea that we should become the person we want to be without the work, struggle and sacrifice it takes is not realistic. Being a better person and a better Christian isn't impossible. It takes time, time with God, time reflecting on your strengths and weaknesses and the desire to live day by day and decision by decision. Are there days we fail? You bet. Does that mean we shouldn't try? Not at all.

For some people the acceptance of Jesus Christ leads to an immediate conversion where the bad habits and old life are pushed far back into a small corner of that person where they can mostly be kept in check. They still struggle against their sinful nature and it is a life long struggle. For others, it is like the Grand Canyon, the steady drops of water over time carve out a new landscape. They can't point to a date or a time when they put that sin behind them, but they know it doesn't hold the power over them it once did.

I include myself in the last group. As much I want to stop all my sinful ways in one day and go forth and sin no more, I can't do it. I usually struggle for a long time and eventually that desire or bad habit gets weaker and God get stronger until that sin doesn't hold the power over me. While the list of broken habits and urges is very short and the list of sins I struggle with is quite long indeed, I am making headway. Small drips each day, over time make a difference. On the days I fail and fall back, no matter how hard they are, I know I can regroup and with God's help I can start back up that hill.

As a final thought I would like to say I have been a very poor Christian, the only time my friends hear me talk about Jesus is at weddings and now funerals. I am trying to fix that, I have invited a few of my friends to church this week. I will keep asking them to come, maybe its my turn to drip on them.

The ACLU -protecting your right to hang rubber bull testicles from your truck

I do find the rubber bull testicles tacky and stupid, but do we need to have law enforcement spending one minute protecting the public from this terrible threat?
No, I didn't think so.

I think these young guys who put them on their trucks are also the guys wearing Big Johnson t-shirts. I wonder if they are compensating for something?

Almond Blossom Festival in Yolo County

The Capay Valley Almond Blossom Festival is this Sunday. It's a great time to visit the valley when the trees are blooming, and the ribs are cooking up in Rumsey. If you come through Esparto, check out the FFA breakfast at the high school and the classic car show. Then drive up the valley past the casino to get up to Rumsey for some great ribs. Along the way the small, and I mean small, towns of Capay, Brooks, Guinda all have something going on.

If you haven't taken a drive up highway 16 West through the Capay Valley in the spring, you really should. It is a beautiful place this time of year, Realtor season as we call it.. It is going to be crowded this year because the Chinese new year is this week and the casino traffic will be in full force, but if you get up to Esparto before noon, you should be ok.

No blogging until the weekend

I have been asked to perform the funeral service for my good friend's father. I am honored they asked me, so I will be off line for while.

Larry was a great guy, he will be missed.
The family is doing well, I just hope I can make it through without crying.

Upside down and on fire, hmm this can't be good.

Not the way to cross the finish line in a NASCAR race. Come to think of it, upside down and on fire doesn't seem like a good condition to be in under any automotive circumstance.

This was a great finish, 500 miles and three feet to win.

I'm not a huge fan of 'Go Fast, Turn Left' racing, but the the last thirty or so laps are fun to watch.

And life goes on after the fire

My wife and I will try to get up to Zamora today to watch some of the sheep dog trials at the Slaven ranch.Photo from Deo Ferrer/Daily Democrat

The scars of the devastating fire that swept through the rolling hills of Zamora and into the Hungry Hollow area are hard to spot now. The blackened fence posts are silent reminders of how the country looked last fall. The burnt grass has given way to a lush carpet of green. The last few weeks of rain and warmer weather came just in time for many in the livestock industry. For ranchers like the Slavens the effect of the fire is most evident by what you cannot see, sheep.

The rolling green hills should be offset by the bright white of newborn lambs. The lambs should be running and playing in the warm sunshine under the watchful eye of the ewes. That cycle has been cut short by the fire. There are only a few dozen lambs on the ranch this year. The Slavens will have to purchase new ewes to replenish their herd. Ranching is hard enough without starting over again from scratch.

It is easy to forget about the past on a day like today. Spring is on it's way, the grass will grow and the land will rejuvenate itself. The Slavens are great hosts for the dog trials, especially with the hard year they have had. Good people are hard to keep down too.

I'm hit!

They got me.
The dang counterfeit corporate holiday conglomeration, the CCHC for short, made me feel so guilty I actually broke down and bought my wife a Valentine's day greeting card. I also bought cards for my son and daughter to give to her, giving me a grand total of three greeting cards and thus qualifying me to purchase a small stuffed dog for the discounted price of $3.99, it usually sells for 9.99. They sank their hooks in deep on this one so I bought the dog too. It actually looks a bit like my wife's Jack Russel terrier Lexi, the little ball of hate.



I came home tonight and rummaged through my daughter's coloring sets until I found a brown marker, they don't make many brown markers you know, and started converting the white beagle looking stuffed toy into some semblance of Lexi. It worked, the nose is little large for a JRT but the coloring is spot on.

My wife and I don't usually exchange gifts on Valentine's day, but the CCHC pressure was too much to bare.

Stop me before I buy a St. Patrick's Day card!

What a weekend.

I enjoy politics. I enjoy discussing politics and writing about politics, as my friends and my wife can attest to. This weekend I was able to pull back the curtain and see the wizard for myself.

It is easy to loose yourself in the world of politics. We all get to play 'what if' with the world around us. What if Iran gets caught transporting their latest surface to air missiles to the Shiite militias? What if someone asks Barack Obama a serious question and demands a detailed answer?

Those kinds of questions, and the answers they bring, can fill up the average newspaper and use a few billion pixels on computer screens around the globe.

That is one part of the political world. Another part involves people actually writing pages upon pages of the most seemingly uninteresting legal boilerplate that other people must decide whether or not to make into a new law, or bylaw or city ordinance or UN resolution. I took a peek inside this world if only for a moment at the Republican convention this weekend.

A spirited race for vice chair was the highlight for me. I met both candidates, spoke to many members from all over the state and heard their views on different topics and candidates. It was a political junkies dream. I was also able to attend a workshop for new members taught by our new party chair Ron Nehring. I learned a great deal from this workshop and came away with one phrase that I couldn't get out of my head.

The world is run by those who show up.

I am not sure who first came up with this statement but it is undeniable true as well as completely misunderstood by the general public.

Most people are happy to go about their busy lives and are not personally involved with the world around them. I say busy lives but I think there are very few of us who fill their time with important and meaningful commitments. Many of us have children with soccer games, basketball practice and other commitments we choose to fill our time with. and that is all well and good. Children are precious and I love to spend time with mine, but I want them to live in a place that still holds onto the values and ideas I love. It is easy to claim that I am too busy.

We are too busy to sit in on a city council meeting, a county board of supervisors meeting, a school board or parks commission meeting, the list goes on and on. Have you ever wonder why the city did this, or the county did that, or who's that person sitting in that high backed leather chair who is supposed to be representing my interests? You should know. You should show up.

The people whose politics and interests run counter to yours are at that meeting, and can you guess what they are doing? Telling the powers that be what they think about the issues that will affect your life. If you show up you may not make a difference on any one single issue, but you will have shown up, and by doing so you know what is going on first hand and you can influence people more effectively.

If you don't show up on election day, you are letting someone else make decisions for you. I would rather show up and loose than stay home and settle into the comfortable world of complacency. If you think there is no difference between the political parties, or they are all just bunch of crooks, that is what the people in power want you think. They less people sitting in on these meeting, or paying attention to how they vote, the less responsive your government is. The republicans in Congress just had a little taste of what happens when you get too far from your constituents and too close to special interests, including their own interests.

In about a week just over 30,000 people signed the pledge to stop funding the RNSC if they gave any money to any Senator who votes for the non-binding resolution to oppose the troop build up. The Republicans stood thoer ground. 30,000 regular folks paying attention gave the republican leadership a much needed dose of backbone at just the right time. They showed up.

This weekend I saw just one small corner of the sausage factory. What I saw did not make me give up sausage. This world is full of meetings, committees and commitments. It is not glamorous in the least. But it is important.

Is it important that Ron Nehring is the new chairman of the California Republican Party? You bet it is. The same is true for Tom Del Beccaro being our new vice chair. These are the people who will lead us in the next elections. One bit of advise to them as they go forward. I hope the GOP moves away from being the party of political infrastructure, my get out the vote effort is bigger than yours, and gets back to the party of my ideas are better than yours.

Ideas are what moves people. Ideas can make people show up.

Rudy day at the convention

It was definitely Rudy day at the 2007 California Republican Convention. Rudy's lunch was sold out, even the overflow room was sold out, but by a turn of good fortune I was tipped off to the location where I could snap this photo of Mayor Giuliani. From the three people I spoke with who listened to the Mayor's speech, all were impressed. I could only stand outside and wait for a photo op, but what the heck, I shook his hand.


This is me and the some dude in an Uncle Sam Elephant suit ( I am the one on the right)



These are the miserable folks who were protesting Rudy in the rain. (Sucks to be you today)
Someone needs to go back to protester school. Hey Rudy, Surge This! That was their message. Whatever.


The police were out in force making sure everyone behaved, this guy was hamming it up for my camera.

The convention is a bit overwhelming for a newbie, but I did run into one of my fellow Western Alliance bloggers Craig DeLuz and former WA blogger( a little bird told me he may be blogging in the future ) Aaron Park. I am going back Sunday to the convention, I just wish I didn't have to miss church.

I will report tomorrow.

Wish me luck

I am off to the 2007 Spring GOP convention in Sacramento. This will be my first state convention, time to dust off the sports coat and tie. On the bright side, I will have a chance to wear my good Rockports, they are the most comfortable shoes I own, and they look sharp too.

I hope my neighbors don't see me driving down the road, they might think someone stole my truck. They would find it hard to believe I used to dress like that all the time.

Cleared for takeoff?

Tower this is Lalapelosi 1, we are ready for takeoff on runway two niner East.

Roger Lalapelosi 1, please taxi to the end of the runway and you are cleared for takeoff on two niner East.

This is your captain, we are cleared for take off on route to San Francisco, one of our flight staff will be coming by to secure for cabin for take off, thank you for your cooperation.

Madam Speaker? Where is everyone? Maybe there are in the next section.



Hello?



Hello? Anyone here? They must be in the special area she had made in the back.

Madam Speaker, can you please put down the gavel and take your seat.

In a minute, I am recreating my big moment, the grandkids get a kick out of it.

Don't some of these kids belong to Rahm Emanuel?

Yea, but my press people say that voters like me more when I am surrounded by children so I take them everywhere.

Won't Congressman Emanuel want them back some day?

I have them on a six month lease, don't worry, they go to school and everything, unless I have to give speech or speak at a fund raiser, then we bring their teachers along and some friends from school so they won't feel alienated.

Isn't that a lot of people to by flying around with you?

Are you from FOX News or something?, Just button it up missy or you will be flying a cargo plane out of Greenland for the rest of your life.

Mam, when ever you are ready, we can take off, but we can't let your niece fly the plane.

Bummer.

Shoebat rocks Freeborn Hall

Walid Shoebat has something to say, and he is going to say it. I was impressed not only by the man's passion, but his logic. He started the evening by holding up one of the propaganda fliers handed out by the Muslim Students Association protesting his lecture, he then went through each claim and debunked it, it was great.

He spoke of his ties to the PLO and Islamic terrorists and his conversion to Christianity and the repercussions of his conversion. It was a first hand glimpse into the radical Muslim mindset, very powerful, very personal.

I only stayed for a portion of the Q&A that followed but his comment to one older gentleman's question still has me thinking. The question was asked of Shoebat if he had plans to publish a book in Arabic to try to teach the next generation of Muslim youths the truth about the Jews and the West. Walid answered back that we have to first teach Americans about the real threat that radical Islam holds for this nation. He said we must teach this nation to wake up first before we can start teaching beyond our shores.

I agree. The longer liberals teach their multicultural garbage in our universities and public schools, the harder it will be to educate the nation to the very real threat of radical Islam and its supporters. I spoke to a blogger who attended the lecture, he said he was going to send in a post to Charles Johnson at Little Green Footballs, I am not sure if this is his post, but he had never been to Davis and was shocked when he browsed the UCD Bookstore and couldn't find any books that offered an critical look at Islam. I was not surprised at all.

It seems that at almost every public college and university in America you can slam and degrade every form of Christianity without any problems from anyone. Catholic, Protestant, LSD, they are all wrong and open to the most one-sided, hateful teaching by the faculty, heck at some places you can probably major in 'Christianity has ruined the world'.

Just try to take and honest, critical look into Islam. You will labeled at racist, a religious bigot or worse. Plus you have the added bonus of death threats by those who follow the 'religion of peace'.

For any of my Readers who are Muslim, it is time to think about your religion. If you want want to worship as a peaceful Muslim, you must start organizing in your mosques to reject the calls for martyrdom and Jihad. If your Imam is preaching hatred towards Israel and the West you must stand up and object. If they tell you to shut or you will be punished by God, you may want to rethink your beliefs. If you don't have a problem with the hatred of Jews, martyrdom and jihad, then you are the problem.

Walid Shoebat at UC Davis Tuesday the 6th

I hear that Walid Shoebat's speech will sell out by noon tomorrow, but I have my ticket. The best part will be wading through the scruffy protesters and enduring their chants as they try to disrupt Mr. Shoebat's presentation. I get a kick out the angry moonbats as they try to file injunctions to keep him from speaking. Nothing like a former PLO terrorist turned Christian to get the 'free speech' activists worked up. Why do they want to shout him down or get his presentation canceled?

He doesn't hate the Jews, and you can't have anyone comment on the Middle East who doesn't think that Israel is the main problem, that just won't do.

I will post a report Wednesday, if I'm not in jail.

I enjoy a spirited discussion, sticks and stones and such. But I will not be pawed at or pushed around. That is assault, and I don't the police to protect me from an assault, I am quite capable of defending myself.