Capay Valley Almond Blossom Festival, 2008

What a difference a week makes. Last Sunday was wet and gloomy and the almond blossoms were still in the budding stages. Today was bright and sunny with many of the almond orchards in bloom. If you didn't get a chance to make it this year with the rain out last week, here is just a part of what you missed.

Downtown Esparto with all the food and wall to wall Harley Davidsons.

The Esparto Fire Department/Athletics Boosters is the place to be for Tri-Tip sandwiches and a cold beer, if you are so inclined and have a designated driver. The police were out in full force today, and baby let me tell you, they were open for business.

The Carshow is always great, I am a Chevy muscle car fan and there were Camaros, Corvettes and a few Bel Airs as well.

Being Yolo County, the redneck tradition seems to have Wrestlemania type sleeper hold on some of our residents.



Next up, the small town of Guinda.

The Guinda Fire Department is where you stop if BBQ oysters and shrimp are your thing. The boys do a great job.

Turn left at the corner store and you will find the Western Grange hall. Crafts galore and more food, my daughter bought two peanut butter cookies and ate both of them, that was not fair, I love peanut butter cookies.


The Security at the 4-H petting zoo is formidable, he looks like you owe him money.

The local blacksmith was on hand to personalize his handmade items, he is truly an artist.


The final stop on our trip up the valley ended in the tiny town of Rumsey.



Rumsey, home of the famous Rumsey Ribs



The Shane Dwight Band was very good, Rock and a little Blues thrown in made for a great time.



Inside the craft fair and silent action at the Rumsey Hall



The famous Rumsey Ribs, big suckers aren't they?

Well, that is about it. It was full day, we came home about 3:00 to mow the lawn and let the dogs play. Classic cars and the rumble of Harley Davidson V-twins will continue to roll by my house as the Almond Festival winds down.

I hope you make it next year.

Religious intolerance?

The Opinion writer at the Daily Democrat seems to be very angry at Ralph Drollinger, the Capitol Chaplin for making "intolerant" remarks about another "fellowship" group at the Capitol.

If you are looking for intolerance, religious or otherwise, it seems to be found in abundance at the editorial desk of the Daily Democrat.

Evangelical chaplain Ralph Drollinger usually confines himself to Bible studies for state lawmakers and is usually out of the public eye. This past week, however, he decided to make a name for himself by saying that God is disgusted with a rival fellowship group that includes people of all faiths.

"Although they are pleasant men in their personal demeanor, their group is more than disgusting to our Lord and Savior," Drollinger wrote on the Capitol Ministries' Web site.

The comments drew immediate fire from others in the capital, including the Republican lawmaker who sponsors Drollinger's Bible study group. Drollinger said "progressive religious tolerance" is an offense against God and causes harm to its practitioners.

Ok, it seems that the "more than disgusting to our Lord and Savior" is the phrase that chaps the hide of the Democrat's editor, but let him finish.

Certainly Drollinger is entitled to his views. He's even entitled to preach them to those crazy enough to listen.

But there is no place in religion - or politics for that matter - for those those who practice intolerance. We see the effects daily of those who feel their religion is the only way. People are killing themselves and others over such foolishness.

We should all be respectful of other religions, ministers particularly so. None of us has a direct line to God to know what he is thinking. Those who claim they do - who claim they know all the answers - are zealots and have no place in a civil society founded on tolerance for differing points of view, whether they be political or religious

Really? No place in religion or politics for intolerance? What planet does the editor live on, some Utopian alternate plane of existence where everyone's views are equally valued and celebrated?

Lets say Bob over here wants to run for President, or open a temple across from your kid's school, and Bob wants to kill all the Jews, lock up every homosexual and castrate anyone who doesn't agree with him. Should we be tolerant of Bob's views? Should we celebrate his diverse thinking and values? Hell no.

Bob has a right to spout his hateful views, but Americans can tell Bob to shut his mouth before we run him out of town, without having some politically correct imbecile tell us we must be tolerant of Bob and his views. The worship of diversity seems only to be practiced at the alter of political correctness, traditional views need not apply. As for zealotry, I think that those who wish to remove every reference to God in the public square run circles around Chaplin Ralph Drollinger.

So lets get back to the 'offending chaplain' shall we. If the editorial writer actually read the Chaplain's blog post that prompted the story in the Sacramento Bee, he either doesn't understand Christianity or doesn't want to. The Chaplin is truly concerned for these people who want to serve up Jesus in a religious buffet. Take a little of Christ's compassion, a little love, a bit of wisdom, but leave out the parts about sin, Hell and Christ saying "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Throw in some Buddha, mix in some Mohamed and a little Oprah, and you have the perfect religious buffet.

I know many non believers who use the same line of thinking the Chaplain objected to. The premise that Jesus was just a great moral teacher is a line of thinking that is simply untrue, even if you don't believe Jesus was the Messiah. If you actually read the Bible, not just books about the Bible, but actually read the New Testament, you have to come away with one of three beliefs about Jesus. He was either crazy, he was the Devil or he was Lord and Savior.
C.S. Lewis says it best.

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg--or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

Now that might not seem to palatable to the editorial writer of the Democrat, but is central to Christianity. You can write it off as intolerance if you want to, but Jesus said what he said. If you want to take it up with Jesus, be my guest.

2008 Capay Valley Almond Festival rain delayed but back on

It seems like this year will be a bit different with the main day on Saturday this year due to last week's rain out.

Last week's rains and winds might have washed out Almond Festival plans, but they didn't damper spirits. And after a short postponement, officials are getting ready to hold the event this Saturday.

The delay of the 93rd annual holding of the festival has created more buzz about the event

I hope you folks get the word out to everyone, come Saturday for sure and Sunday just to make sure you didn't miss anything.

In a hand basket......

If we killed all the TV executives tonight, there would be a live reality show from Hell by breakfast.
And it would get a 37% Nielson share.

Sometimes the shallowness of American culture is easy to spot, if not hard to believe. Britny, Paris, O.J., Jackass, Big Brother, Survivor, you name it, there will be slacked jawed, Doritos munching Americans sitting on a couch taking it all in. The latest trip down the hill towards voluntarily mental retardation was on the television the other night in the form of "The Moment of Truth"
It seems little Miss Peroxide here was willing to ruin her marriage, and it would seem, her life for some quick TV money. If you haven't seen the clip I will spare you having to watch a woman hooked to a lie detector say she has been unfaithful, and would leave her husband for her former boyfriend, just to win a million dollars. Wow. A million dollars for your marriage, your good name and any self respect you may want to keep hold of?

I don't usually quote the Bible on my blog, especially to make a point about some one else. I don't have any room to talk in the matter because I am a sinner and fall short of the Glory of God, but I must break out the King James translation for this one. It's Mark 8:36

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

What indeed?

Start burning more fossil fuel before we freeze to death!

You know, when you take a snap shot of the earth's climate and extrapolate a cataclysmic scenario based on it, sometimes the earth makes you look foolish.

Over the past year, anecdotal evidence for a cooling planet has exploded. China has its coldest winter in 100 years. Baghdad sees its first snow in all recorded history. North America has the most snowcover in 50 years, with places like Wisconsin the highest since record-keeping began. Record levels of Antarctic sea ice, record cold in Minnesota, Texas, Florida, Mexico, Australia, Iran, Greece, South Africa, Greenland, Argentina, Chile -- the list goes on and on.

No more than anecdotal evidence, to be sure. But now, that evidence has been supplanted by hard scientific fact. All four major global temperature tracking outlets (Hadley, NASA's GISS, UAH, RSS) have released updated data. All show that over the past year, global temperatures have dropped precipitously.

A compiled list of all the sources can be seen here. The total amount of cooling ranges from 0.65C up to 0.75C -- a value large enough to wipe out nearly all the warming recorded over the past 100 years. All in one year's time. For all four sources, it's the single fastest temperature change ever recorded, either up or down.

I know, I know, its just like the movie 'The day after tomorrow', we've been such bad humans, burning all those fossil fuels that we have warmed the planet up so much, its freezing as a self defense mechanism.

So if it keeps getting cooler can I get my coal-fired wristwatch? I may have to sell my Corolla and start driving my Cummins Turbo Diesel everyday just to stay warm.

The wonder that is Craigslist

So far this month, I have found my new dog Roxie, brought home a free weight set and sold a motorcycle on Craigslist.

I'm sure there are horror stories, but it seems to working out fine for me so far.

Yolo County politics is going to be very interesting this year.

I opened the paper today to find, well actually I didn't open the paper, I just can't make myself pay folding money for a newspaper that shows up at my house around 11:00 am, I opened the homepage of the Daily Democrat, I read Woodland's Mayor Dave Flory is not going to run for City Council. That will shake things up a bit.

With Prop 93 going down to defeat in the November election, it set in motion many events as the 'office seeking two-step' kicks into high gear. Senators running for Assembly, Assemblymen and women running for Senate, mayors running for Assembly, County Supervisors running for Assembly, County Supervisors wanting judgeships, it makes my head hurt just thinking of it all.


I will keep watching the Yolo County Elections page to see who has filed papers to run for which office.

Interesting indeed.

PS, if you are so inclined, Matt Rexroad's family could use a few prayers.

OMG!

All I can say is.....wow!
Bad, bad memories, bad Bob. Bad!


Get down with BobInglis

Just when it was starting to dry out.

Oh joy, 35-45 mile an hour winds and a few inches of rain. I'm not complaining, well, I am a little, but we can still use more water in the reservoirs that hold our irrigation water for the summer months.

I am firing up the generator and filling up the gas cans just in case. The romance of not having electricity runs out in three or four hours.

Capay Valley Almond Festival postponed one week.

UPDATE!

Capay Valley Almond Festival postponed one week. That is good news because we are in for one heck of storm this weekend.

The Boy Scouts will still hold their Pancake Breakfast @ the Eagles Hall on Sunday so be sure to stop by and support Eagles Troop 464.

As Homer Simpson says, Ummm Paaaancakes........

The San Francisco Chronicle puts the boots to the Gray Lady.

You know you screwed up when the San Francisco Chronicle slams the New York Times. SF Gate is saddened by this hit piece because they love the Times, but they understand how damaging a politically motivated story can be to their profession. Unless a photo showing Senator McCain and this female lobbyist playing tonsil hockey, comes out in print this week, the journalistic reputation of the New York Times will take yet another body blow.

Can you say declining readership? I have no problem with a hit piece like this coming from MoveOn or a George Soros funded 527, this is politics and the people in it know these kinds of stories, fair or unfair are going to be published. But the New York Times, the Gray Lady? Say it ain't so.

I don't understand how the Times can claim to independent or non partisan. The Times should just come out and admit that 90% of the people in the newsroom and 100% of those in the editorial offices are liberal. We all know it, why try to keep up the facade?

If the Columbia School of journalism offered majors only in 'Progressive Journalism" and "Conservative Journalism" I would bet the ratio between the two would 95% to 5%. When you have that kind of 'group think' going on everyday, in the hallways, in the break rooms, in the editorial meetings, and in the management of a newspaper, it is almost impossible for someone inside that paper to spot their liberal bias. Too bad.

All the lip service given by the MSM to the wonderful concept of 'diversity' is just that, lip service. Please don't tell me about Bill Kristol, one opinion columnist does not make the Times diverse, it just shows that you can spot him a mile a way because he sticks out like a sore thumb.

The Times loves diversity when it comes to race, gender, and sexual orientation, but seems violently repulsed by political diversity. If your paper has every race represented equally, the correct amount of women to men and have a large portion of the GLBT community represented, but they are all liberals and progressives, they write and report with one voice.

A liberal voice.

The MSM had better figure this out, and quickly. Opinion is everywhere in our multi-media world, and its free. Why do I need to pay to read opinion dressed up as straight news? Oh, that's right, I don't.

The news business has to come to grips with the fact that people want talented writing, insight and someone who can explain a two hundred page Congressional report, or City Council meeting decision in a clear and honest manner. They really don't care about race or color or gender, they want to know if the reporter leans to the left or to the right so they can factor that into their understanding of the piece.

If Jim Rutenberg, Marilyn Thompson, Stephen Labaton, and David Kirkpatrick, the Times reporters who co wrote the McCain hit piece, had an identifier on their bylines, it would make for more informed reading.

For example;

by Marilyn Thompson
who as the Editor of the Lexington Herald-Leader once took a $37,000 grant from a liberal political group to fund a four month investigative hit piece on Republican Senator Mitch McConnell.

I know it would be hard to fit that kind of byline into a narrow news paper column, but it sure would give the reader a little insight as to the political axe the writer is sharpening. The lesson here is, in a day and age when you can Google anything or anyone, as a reporter, your axe is going to show.

My advice to the MSM.
If you want to pick up you political axe, put down your reporter's pen.

Roxie

I am a dog person, I like cats, if they are likable cats, but those are few and far between.

Growing up on a cattle ranch, with my nearest friend several miles away, I spent most of my free time outside with our dogs. I have a sister, but she is an older sister and you know what a pain they can be when you are young, or middle aged, or old. Older sister are given a very rigid job description, that role is best described as 'fun suppression officer', but I digress.

I would spend hours down at the creek with my dogs after school or in the summer months. Chasing frogs, building dams to form small ponds where we would sit in the cool water on a hot day, it really was a great way to grow up. Our family had quite a few dogs growing up, I remember my first dog Rowdie, he was a black and brown dog of questionable lineage but possessed a great heart. Then there was my Mom's black poodle Cindy, who was my hunting companion. She would follow me through the hills and streams as I would chase the coveys of quail across our ranch. We always had cowdogs around the ranch too, blue heelers, McNabs and later we had a few Kelpies who would help us get the cattle out of the brush or bring back a steer who would try to sneak away from the herd.

I finally bought my very own dog after high school. He was a yellow Labrador Retriever named Buddy. He was the best dog I have ever owned. He rode in the front seat of my pickup everywhere I went. The girls working the drive up window would always make sure Buddy received his free hamburger patty, and he would lightly step over me to reach out and get his treat. We were a team. After Buddy, I have always had a lab to keep me company, until this past year. Jake the wonder dog died two years ago, and I didn't want to rush into getting another dog. I would wait for the right time and the right dog would find me.

Enter Roxie.

Last week as I was getting ready for my small group meeting, my wife wanted to show me something on the computer, I didn't want to be late for my group but I waited for my laptop to start up and she showed me a listing for a 18 month old female lab who needed a good home. Her name was Roxie and I emailed her owner to ask if she was still available, he said there were two other people who were coming to look at her and I told him that I didn't want to cut in line and I would wait. If things didn't work out with the other people, I would like to see her.

My wife tried to surprise me by bringing her home last Saturday, but I called and found out that Roxie was in the car and on the way home. Roxie is a very nice dog, she is kind and she was quiet and polite the first day she came home.

Now that she has been here a few days and discovered that she is at home, she has found two new gears, super fast, and warp speed. She blazes around the yard in a blur of black hair followed by another black streak that belongs to my wife's Border Collie, Elle. The two have so much energy that my wife takes out the four wheeler and does a few laps around the ranch just to tire them out so you can actually see them with the naked eye.

I have shortened Roxie's name a little to Rox, as in 'dumb as a box of rocks'. Now don't go all squishy on me, I still love her, but I swear she is developmentally disabled. She attacks every sprinkler she sees, she attacks the water as it comes out of the hose and she will follow the stream of water as it hits the ground. This can be a very entertaining game for me at least, sure its a bit cruel to make fun of a dog chasing water around the yard, but the Labradors with Disabilities Act has yet to be passed and I don't think I am in eminent danger of litigation or incarceration.



So we have Rox, and she has us. I truly do think she will be a wonderful dog.

No word on free burgers at the drive up yet. We will keep you posted.

Capay Valley Almond Blossom Festival, you have to be there

The last Sunday in February is when all the small towns up and down the Capay Valley get together to hold the annual Almond Blossom Festival. The Almond Blossom Queen has been selected and everyone is getting ready for the event.

It looks to be a nice day this Sunday although the blossoms are a little late this year. Check out the list of events at the Esparto Chamber's website and make your plans to come up and spend the day. Don't eat at the local fast food place on the way either, there is great food everywhere. A drive up hamburger is no match for a tri tip sandwich at the Esparto Fire Hall, or the BBQ to raise money for MS research at the Capay Junction or grilled Oysters at the Capay Valley Fire House in Guinda, or for the BBQ ribs and the live band up in Rumsey. If you get there early there is always a local favorite, the pancake breakfast at Esparto High School right on main street. If you're coming in through Woodland there is another pancake breakfast just as you go out of town at the Eagle's Hall. Boy Scouts make good pancakes.

Bring your Harley, bring your classic car to the car show, or just drive through the valley and enjoy the beautiful scenery. But you know you are going stop for Kettle Corn, just admit it.

I may have to rethink Huckabee.... Hmm...

I bet his media guy had a stroke when Governor Huckabee admitted this.

"When I was in college, we used to take a popcorn popper . . . and we would fry squirrel."

Maybe he's on to something. I can see them now, all across the USA, every major interstate off ramp will have a sign like this one....



This photo is proof positive that I need to get back to doing my yard work. But a little photo editing never hurt anyone.

Saddle up

As one gets older (read me) you don't feel the same about potentially dangerous endeavors the way you once did.

When I was in my twenties, I was darn close to being fearless. When I went skiing with buddies, I'd try anything. A double black diamond run? Lets go. Riding a rank horse? Saddle it up.

My fearless time frame also coincided with my drinking days, and believe me when I say, when fearless meets alcohol, trouble is right around the corner. I once challenged everyone in The Palomino Room during Bull Sale weekend to see who was tougher. There must have been 200 drunken cowboys in the place that night, and thank the good Lord that no one took me up on my offer.

That seems like a very long time ago. Today I am basically a whus. I don't like riding green horses or two stroke motorcycles. My idea of danger today is drinking milk three days past its expiration date. When I think about buying a new two year old horse and breaking him, I remember my father words quite well. He said, 'you know, there are a lot of broke horses in this world, go buy one'. Words to live by.

I am heading out Sunday to do a little riding with my friend and I hope the horse I will be riding is having a good day when I swing my leg over her back. Oh, I would probably stay on board if she gave a few crow hops and bucked a few times, but if she boggs her head and really turns it on, I will end up in a pile on the ground.

I don't bounce near as well as I used to, as a matter of fact, I don't think I bounce at all. I would probably just leave a small crater.

When I was younger, I would get pitched off a horse or do six backwards, tumbling somersaults on the ski slopes, I would take a few aspirin and be back at work the next day. Either one of those events today would land me in intensive care for a month.

I still enjoy riding my horses and my ATV's . On a rare occasion, I will still do something dangerous/foolish. I guess I won't jump in my casket just yet, I think I have a few more good spills left in me. I just want to save a few for my fifties and sixties.

Mark McKinnon, what did he say?

This story seemed to get my attention this morning.

On Wednesday, a top adviser to John McCain said more definitively than he has in the past that he will step down from the Arizona senator's presidential campaign if the presumed GOP nominee faces Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., in the general election.

"I would simply be uncomfortable being in a campaign that would be inevitably attacking Barack Obama," said McCain adviser Mark McKinnon in an interview with NPR's "All Things Considered." "I think it would be uncomfortable for me, and I think it would be bad for the McCain campaign."

I have always thought McKinnon was as good as you can get in the world of media managers.
I'm not sure how you keep from firing the guy with his statement today, but you sure don' t want him on the other side come November.

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to my wife, I bought you a white carpet rose to plant along the driveway.

To the rest of you, keep your heart shaped candy that must be made at the same factory where they manufacture Tums to yourselves.

Lincoln / Reagan Dinner 2008

The Yolo County Republican Party held it's annual Lincoln/Reagan Dinner tonight at the Hotel Woodland. The dinner was wonderful as well as the silent auction, but when you have a group of republicans get together, you had better believe that the talk will turn to politics and it will be spirited and inspiring. I had the chance to speak with Doug LaMalfa and two of the men who are running to take over his seat when Doug is termed out this fall, Charlie Schaupp and Jim Neilsen. It will be an interesting race to be sure. Greg Aghazarian was on hand as well as John W Jones and a few more I am sure I missed. Oh, and a table full of Davis College Republicans, great to have you here!

Greg Aghazarain, Doug LaMalfa and Tom Del Baccaro

While many local candidates for office spoke to the crowd of 100, the featured speaker of the evening was Tom Del Baccaro, the Vice Chair of the California Republican Party. Tom is also the man behind the Political Vanguard website and the author of The New Conservative Paradigm.

If you have not had the chance to hear him, Del Baccaro is wonderful speaker. Not only does he speak with conviction about the issues we as republicans hold dear, he speaks about the ideas all Americans care about. Having heard my share of political speeches, I always ask two question when the speaker has finished. First, did I learn anything new and important, and secondly, did I feel that the speaker was talking from his heart?

Tonight, Del Baccaro kept coming back to the 1976 election, where many republicans who were pulling for Reagan stayed home on election day because they were not all too thrilled with Gerald Ford. What did that get us? James Earl Carter, along with double digit inflation, 21% mortgage rates and a rudderless foreign policy. Tom's point hit home with me. McCain isn't my guy, he's not even my second choice, but he is far and away a better choice for President than Barack Obama. He finished with this question, what will we do, we as republicans? Will we stay at home because John McCain isn't all we want in a candidate or will we look past our differences in policies to keep a slick talking guy selling false hope out of the White House?

An honest question, and one we had better figure out quickly. If you are a Huckabee supporter, keep on believing, but be ready to throw in with McCain when your guy is out of the race. For all you Romney folks, Giuliani folks, FredHeads, and you Ron Paul supporters, who are thinking about sitting this election out, ask yourself this. Did I 'get back' at the country for not supporting my guy and staying home, or did I 'teach my party a lesson' by sitting this election out?

Let me answer that one for you. No, you didn't.

You gave us three new Supreme Court Justices nominated by Barack Obama and confirmed by Harry Reid.
(the sound of me stepping down off my soapbox)


This year's dinner was another success thanks to all of the volunteers who worked behind the scenes to make it happen. Great job, and we will see you next year.

The romantic in me

I guess by most standards, I am not very romantic. By 'most standards' I mean the ones set by the jewelry stores commercials and every other television and print advertisement. When I feel particularly romantic, I don't go to Jareds, I have learned romance comes in all kinds of different shapes and packages. Sometimes very unique shapes and packages.

I woke up this morning resigned to a full day of fence building. Today was the first nice weekend in the past month and the fields are drying out well, or so I thought. We stared on the front side of the pasture, pounding in t-posts and completed three sides. The lower part of the field still had standing water in it, so around noon we were finished.

Our daughter had gone to the ranch with my wife's mother and our son wanted to be dropped off at his friend's house so they could go see "Meet the Spartans'. My wife and I declined the invitation.

So there we were, at home, no children, no chores, and the better part of a beautiful day to spend doing what every we want.

Having purchased a new Honda Foreman 500 this past fall, I was secretly hoping she would want to visit one of her friends and I could sneak off and ride my new quad up at my friend's ranch. I was surprised when she suggested we go take a our quads and ride somewhere.

I called up my friend and asked if we could take a ride, he agreed, as long I brought a rifle in case we spotted a coyote or two on the ranch. We loaded up the truck and trailer and headed up the valley.

We road up and down the hills on the ranch, just enjoying the sun and looking at the cows and calves as the checked out their noisy visitors. When we came to a very steep hill I suggested that we trade quads. The 93' Yamaha Timberwolf is still alive and kicking at its age, but I wanted to make sure if anything went wrong climbing the steepest part, I was riding it. That was a fortunate decision. Half was up the hill, the old quad stalled and if you ride quads you know what a bad spot that is to be in. I set the hand brake and slowly slid off the side and walked it backwards down the hills. One more run at the hill in first gear and I was at the top. My wife climbed the hill with ease on the new Honda.

We rode another half mile up to the fence line and walked out onto the side of hill. I always keep a pair of binoculars on my quad and my wife and I spent two hours under an oak tree in the sunshine watching a small herd of 5 deer graze their way across the hillside. I didn't bring my camera, but I did snap these two pictures with my phone.

We talked, and watched the deer, talked a little more and just enjoyed being together. It was great afternoon.

I fell in love with my wife on an afternoon very similar to this one. We had been dating for a few weeks and I had spent all my money on dinners and movies and such. I knew if she was the one for me, she wouldn't care if I couldn't take her out on another expensive date, she would just want to spend time with me. I came out and told her I was broke until payday and I was going to head up to the hills to let my dogs run around and check the cattle. She asked if she could come along.

This year we will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.

There are a great many people who would rather have a small jewelry box with an expensive trinket given to them than spend an afternoon with their spouse in the hills of the Capay Valley, but those are not my kind of people.

Friday's random silliness

And by random, I mean random.
Here is your assignment, if you choose to accept it.

You are going to release an album, tonight. Here is all you need.

A name for your new band, a name for the new album, and cover art.

Go to Wikipedia random - what ever it is, that is the name of your band.
Go to Random Quotations - the last four or five words of the first quotation is the name of your album.
Go to Flickr - explore the last seven days and the third photo, no mater what, is your album cover. If you have a photo editing program, presto, you just released your album.

Here is mine.....
I am sure Maria won't mind if I name my band after her.

I know her lawyers would litigate me into oblivion so I came up with a second album. Here it is

California Republican Party Convention 2008

San Francisco here I come. The CRP will be holding its Spring Convention at the Hyatt Regency. I am working to get credentialed as member of the press. Last year in Sacramento, there were many bloggers working the convention. If I do get my press credentials, I will do a little live blogging between the presentations and workshops, both here and on the YoloGOP blog.

The workshops look great again this year, I am sure I will come home with some good ideas.

Mitt makes it official

A great speech, a good man.

"I am convinced that unless America changes course, we will become the France of the 21st Century - still a great nation, but no longer the leader of the world."

John McCain made a gracious speech as well. Its time to find common ground.

All I ask of any American, conservative, moderate, independent, or enlightened Democrat, is to judge my record as a whole, and accept that I am not in the habit of making promises to my country that I do not intend to keep.

All Right Matt, make your case for McCain.

I know when I'm licked, even if Governor Romney doesn't or at least he is still holding out hope that John McCain has a temper tantrum at a news conference as voters see the hot head his colleagues know all too much about.

Be that as it it may. I looks like McCain is our guy now. I am not close to being as short sighted as the far, far right wing of conservatives who will never vote for McCain, because given the choice between Senators Clinton and Obama, McCain is far and away a better choice for Republicans, and Americans for that matter.

PS, hope for McCain/Clinton and not McCain/Obama.

Grumpy old patriot vs. Grumpy slick politician is a fair fight.
Grumpy old patriot vs. Young dynamic dreamer is a landslide for the Democrats.

The only wild card there would be another 9/11 type attack before November. An attack on our soil might wake the electorate up to the fact that we are still in a war with people who want all of us dead.

To me it all comes down to two things, the war against radical Islam and the Justices on the Supreme Court. I can live with a moderate justice if my other option is another Ginsburg, or two or three.

So Matt, you're a McCain guy, what else can get exited about when it comes to the maverick from Arizona?

No election night blogging for this cowboy.

All eyes are on the returns tonight, my attention is focussed on music. I just changed the strings on my acoustic guitar. I don't swap string very often, mainly because I don't play as much as I should. Some guys who play all the time change strings once a month, some every two weeks. I change my strings every years or so. If the start feeling muddy or lose their brightness, I'll get a shiny new set.

Being a beginner, picking strings seems like standing in front of a wall books written in Chinese. Musician's Friend sells 422 types of acoustic strings alone. Bronze, Phosphorus, Nickel, Light,Medium, Coated, the options seem endless. That is why I usually go to a music store and ask someone what they play and why. So I dropped by Watermelon Music in Davis after work and started asking.

The set I bought were Elixir Nanoweb Light Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings. I paid three bucks more, but I didn't have to bother with shipping and heck, if you ask someone for their opinion about something, you should buy the product there. That is my thought anyway.

The Gore coating feels a little strange, but I'll keep tuning it tonight to let the strings settle in, and see how they sound.

California ballot propositions 2008

One word for you.
No.

I am voting no on everything.

Los Gigantes!

Holly Cow! The Giants win! What a game, and I hate the Giants.

I owe Eli an apology, not that he gives a hoot about what I say, but I was wrong, he is a winner.

Liberal Fascism, hard to find in bookstores, the book that is.

With a cover like this, its hard to imagine difficulty finding Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism in my local Borders in Davis, California. I saw a biography of Che Guevera prominently displayed at the counter, but you would think the # 4 best seller on Amazon's non fiction list would be out on the best seller tables for everyone to see, right? Nope, I had to ask for it at the front. I know I paid more for it at Borders, but that is the point. I love to buy my conservative reading there, I love to watch the clerk with the nose ring and pink hair look at me like I stepped off a spaceship when I purchase my copy of Shotgun News and a book like Liberal Fascism. Its worth the extra 8 bucks. As an added bonus, it sells another copy and makes them keep conservative books in stock, if not prominently displayed.

Maybe they don't display it because they don't like it's message?

Naw, couldn't be that, could it?

The days are long, but the years are short.

If I could find a way to live this simple message out, everyday, what a powerful way to live your life.

Its a very short movie, it still has me thinking right now.

Our children will be grown before we realize it.

8:40 AM, lets go see a movie!

Or not.

For everyone who has a pre-teen girl, you know all about Hannah Montana. She is everywhere, TV, radio, and now on the big screen, in 3D no less. Our daughter loves her and in a stroke of marketing genius, her new concert movie is being released for one week only. Just in case you are wondering, all the shows this weekend are sold out within a fifty mile radius of our house with the exception of 9:59 PM and 8:40 AM.

My wife, without the proper homework on the phenomenon that is Hannah, promised to take our daughter to see the movie. She is leaving the house right now to head down to Fairfield theater.

8:40 AM to watch a movie? My wife is not generally a pushover, she doesn't usually get caught up in fads and when Hannah went on tour she was not about to spend over fifty dollars to take our daughter. That wasn't a problem, tickets to Hannah's concert were being sold for two to three hundred dollars in the paper and on eBay. Sorry kid, Hannah isn't that important.

While my wife is in such an accommodating mood I think I will ask her about going hunting in Colorado this fall. Hey, she might just say yes.
Or not.

Ose vs. Oller vs. Egland for Doolittle's seat

This should be a race to watch.

Former Rep. Doug Ose, R-Sacramento, will announce Friday his candidacy for the House seat being vacated by Rep. John Doolittle, Sacramento-area Republicans were told Wednesday in an e-mail.

Doug Elmets, a political consultant who has worked for Ose before, declined to confirm the report from Carl Burton, president of Republicans of River City.

Ose held the Sacramento area's 3rd Congressional District seat from 1999 until 2005, when he retired to keep a promise to serve no more than three terms. He would face a primary in which former state Sen. Rico Oller, R-San Andreas, and national security consultant Eric Egland have already announced.

I Like Doug Ose, I've met him a time or two, I really like what I have heard about Egland, I'm not too sure about Oller.

It should be fun.

Its McCain in Florida

Let me contain my enthusiasm, ok, its contained.
The more I think of John McCain as our nominee I shudder.
I know all the reasons I should get behind him, and I will if he is the nominee, but here are some of the reasons I can't get exited about the Maverick from Arizona.

McCain/Fiengold, a terrible idea, a terrible law.

McCain/Kennedy, call it by any name you like, but its amnesty.

The gang of 14, we had the majority and could have ended the filibusters to get qualifies judges and up or down vote in the Senate. Thanks John.

Voted twice against the Bush tax cuts. Twice.

Global Warming "I will clean up the planet," McCain said. "I will make global warming a priority." How Senator? China and India will soon overtake the US in oil consumption and are already the worlds leading polluters, how is strangling American bussines in regulation going to stop China and India's pollution?

Those are just a few of the reasons I can't get exited about Senator John "but I'll build the G@! D^*&$# fence if they want it" McCain.

Our only hope is Hillary, if its Obama, the Republicans are toast.

I like Barack Obama and Chives Regal

I know you have been waiting for this. Just who will Ted Kennedy support in the upcoming election? We already know his fondness for Scotch, and now he seems to be working up an addiction to one term Senators from Illinois.

Summoning memories of his brother the slain president, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy led two generations of the First Family of Democratic politics Monday in endorsing Barack Obama for the White House, declaring, "I feel change is in the air."

Good for you Barack, I just hope Ted doesn't ask you to get in the middle of a Senator sandwich with Chris Dodd.

Hitler - Dallas Cowboys fan

Ok, I know I shouldn't post this, especially on a Sunday. Warning, there is a lot of 'sailor language' in the sub titles so be aware, its definitely rated 'R', but it sure is funny.

Hat tip to Instapundit

Bill Clinton, former President, - a small, mean man

One thing about the Clintons, if you want to see their true colors, watch them when things don't go their way. With the prospect of his wife's candidacy going into the toilet to a young upstart who in his opinion has not put in the time and work necessary to become chief executive, the former President is having a tantrum. President Clinton wants back at the table of power in the worst possible way. He is not comfortable without the spotlight and without feeling completely essential to the well being of this great land. That folks is not good news for the junior Senator from New York.

If Hillary doesn't put a muzzle on her husband, she risks loosing all the good will from her tear jerking, emotional couch session that jumped started her candidacy back in New Hampshire. Its hard to be seen as a caring, warm woman when you send your husband out to do your campaign's dirty work all the while hiding behind his former status as President.

If you ever wondered what the real Bill Clinton was like behind the scenes, take a look at the former President's behavior the past two weeks. Without his handlers to save him from himself, he looks the part of a petty, small and mean spirited man. In this case, looks are not deceiving.

I'll bet Hillary's campaign managers are secretly hoping for some sort of natural disaster to strike Tierra del Fuego or some other remote place so the former President can go back to hanging out with George HW Bush and raising money to help the victims.

Bill Clinton seems quite good at that. Political heavy? Not so much.

Ok, I'm ready to see the sun.

As someone with a vested interest in agriculture, I am always watching the weather forecast. With two dry winters in a row, I was a bit worried about the possibility of a third and the dramatic cuts in the amount of water made available to farmers within our water district. I am feeling much better with the soaking rains of December and January.

I would like to see a break in the next few day for the Red Bluff Bull and Gelding Sale, but it looks more likely we'll see snow before we will see the sun.

Oh well, a soggy trip to the bull sale beats a sunny trip to Fresno.

Fred 08', a campaign that never really started

Ever watch one of those Biker Build offs on tv?

The ones where custom motorcycle builders start from scratch and in five days they have to ride their new creation a hundred or so miles, to make sure it actually works, to a biker rally where thousands of motorcycle fans vote on who built the best custom bike?

I have watched a few of the programs and the motorcycles they build are awe inspiring. Some guys make their own frames from raw tube steel and hand build almost every piece of hardware that goes on the finished product. It's really cool, but 5 days to build a complete working motorcycle is a challenge even if you have been doing it for 20 years.

On a few shows, one of the builder has a great design, truly innovative and beautiful, but when midnight comes on Friday, the deadline for the build, they can't get the motor to fire up. As the clock strikes twelve, the builder looses the build off to his competitor.

If Fred Thompson was on this type of show, here is how that would play out.

Fred has a wonderful design, he may be the best bike builder of the bunch, he has great ideas and the finished product would surely win, except Fred took Monday of the build week off. He wanted to stay home with his wife and kid to pick out wall paper for the new bathroom remodel.

On Tuesday he came into the shop around noon and doodled some ideas for the bike on a napkin and went to have lunch at Hooters never to return that day.

Wednesday morning he showed up around 10:00 am and starts to order parts for his project, but the really cool parts will take time to get and the ones in stock had already been purchased by his competitors. Hmm, Fred calls around and finds some parts that he can tweak to fit his project and gets them ordered then he takes the rest of the day off.

Thursday rolls around and Fred shows up at the shop and waits for the parts to arrive. Fed Ex rolls in at 10:30 and it seems the parts he ordered were all wrong for this particular project so he pulls one of his old bikes out of the back and decides to borrow a few pieces off that one to get the ball rolling. He works on the bike until 5:00 pm and goes home because everyone else did and he's hungry.

Friday he starts at 7:45 am and is working hard for an hour or so until a buddy shows up at the shop and they go to lunch at Hooters, Fred loves their wings you know, he comes back at 2:15 to resume work. He works feverishly, with a few breaks for snacks and a phone call from the wife to remind him to pick up the dry cleaning. He works on for hours until something resembling a motorcycle is sitting on the build bench at 11:45 pm.

He steps back and says, you know, I thought this would be easier, I have been doing this for a long time and I always thought I was pretty darn good at it. With time winding down Fred kicks over the engine and remembers that he didn't hook up the fuel line. He connects the fuel line with two minutes to spare and again tries to start the engine. And Again. And again. No dice.

The clock strikes 12:00 midnight and with a small group of folks standing around his bike, he quietly concedes the bike isn't going to start. He heads off to Hooters before they close.

That is the Fred 08' campaign in a nutshell, or a biker build off analogy.

Anyone want a Fred 08' yard sign? I'm taking cheap, make me an offer.

Ron Paul / RuPaul 2008

Its an electoral juggernaut!

You want change? Baby you got it!

I want Ron as VP by the way.

Martin Luther King - a complex man

I was driving my son to a friend's house last night and with MLK day coming up on Monday we were talking about Dr. King and his role in changing America. I explained to my son that what Dr. King accomplished was to take the plight of blacks in the South and bring it to main street America. No longer could the vast majority of middle America ignore the injustice and the cruelty being carried out upon a segment of their own citizenry based on the color of their skin.

I liken it to a home with dry rot in the walls and foundation. You may not see the damage from a quick glance, but if you start removing the drywall and pulling up the carpet, you see the decaying wood and flooring. Dr King's role in the civil rights movements was to peel away the covering, and letting everyone see just what was going on underneath. If you had to look at the problem every day, day in and day out, it would become very hard to ignore. After a while you would make the decision to start the costly repairs. The images of fire hoses and police dogs were a vivid reminder that below the surface in this country, most specifically in the South, there was a problem that needed a remedy.

If you have read many of King's speeches, he held some views that I still believe are wrong when it comes to the best way to lift the poor out of poverty. While most of us are familiar with parts of Dr. King's 'I have a dream speech' he gave many, many speeches where he called for various forms of socialism. In his shoes, I am not sure I wouldn't have done the same. If it took the full force of the federal government to allow blacks the right to vote and to enjoy the full blessings of citizenship, then it would seems an easy reach to reason the only way to move forward would be having the federal government legislate prosperity and opportunity to the black community.

I want to say to you as I move to my conclusion, as we talk about "Where do we go from here?" that we must honestly face the fact that the movement must address itself to the question of restructuring the whole of American society. (Yes) There are forty million poor people here, and one day we must ask the question, "Why are there forty million poor people in America?" And when you begin to ask that question, you are raising a question about the economic system, about a broader distribution of wealth. When you ask that question, you begin to question the capitalistic economy. (Yes) And I'm simply saying that more and more, we've got to begin to ask questions about the whole society. We are called upon to help the discouraged beggars in life's marketplace. (Yes) But one day we must come to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring. (All right) It means that questions must be raised. And you see, my friends, when you deal with this you begin to ask the question, "Who owns the oil?" (Yes) You begin to ask the question, "Who owns the iron ore?" (Yes) You begin to ask the question, "Why is it that people have to pay water bills in a world that's two-thirds water?" (All right) These are words that must be said. (All right)

Now, don't think you have me in a bind today. I'm not talking about communism. What I'm talking about is far beyond communism. (Yeah) My inspiration didn't come from Karl Marx (Speak); my inspiration didn't come from Engels; my inspiration didn't come from Trotsky; my inspiration didn't come from Lenin. Yes, I read Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital a long time ago (Well), and I saw that maybe Marx didn't follow Hegel enough. (All right) He took his dialectics, but he left out his idealism and his spiritualism. And he went over to a German philosopher by the name of Feuerbach, and took his materialism and made it into a system that he called "dialectical materialism." (Speak) I have to reject that.

What I'm saying to you this morning is communism forgets that life is individual. (Yes) Capitalism forgets that life is social. (Yes, Go ahead) And the kingdom of brotherhood is found neither in the thesis of communism nor the antithesis of capitalism, but in a higher synthesis. (Speak) [applause] It is found in a higher synthesis (Come on) that combines the truths of both. (Yes) Now, when I say questioning the whole society, it means ultimately coming to see that the problem of racism, the problem of economic exploitation, and the problem of war are all tied together. (All right) These are the triple evils that are interrelated.

In the same speech King also spoke with the Christian heart of a Pastor.

And so I say to you today that I still stand by nonviolence. (Yes) And I am still convinced [applause], and I'm still convinced that it is the most potent weapon available to the Negro in his struggle for justice in this country.

And the other thing is, I'm concerned about a better world. I'm concerned about justice; I'm concerned about brotherhood; I'm concerned about truth. (That’s right) And when one is concerned about that, he can never advocate violence. For through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can't murder murder. (Yes) Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can't establish truth. (That's right) Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can't murder hate through violence. (All right, That’s right) Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that. [applause]

And I say to you, I have also decided to stick with love, for I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind's problems. (Yes) And I'm going to talk about it everywhere I go. I know it isn't popular to talk about it in some circles today. (No) And I'm not talking about emotional bosh when I talk about love; I'm talking about a strong, demanding love. (Yes) For I have seen too much hate. (Yes) I've seen too much hate on the faces of sheriffs in the South. (Yeah) I've seen hate on the faces of too many Klansmen and too many White Citizens Councilors in the South to want to hate, myself, because every time I see it, I know that it does something to their faces and their personalities, and I say to myself that hate is too great a burden to bear. (Yes, That’s right) I have decided to love. [applause] If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. And the beautiful thing is that we aren't moving wrong when we do it, because John was right, God is love. (Yes) He who hates does not know God, but he who loves has the key that unlocks the door to the meaning of ultimate reality.

And so I say to you today, my friends, that you may be able to speak with the tongues of men and angels (All right); you may have the eloquence of articulate speech; but if you have not love, it means nothing. (That's right) Yes, you may have the gift of prophecy; you may have the gift of scientific prediction (Yes sir) and understand the behavior of molecules (All right); you may break into the storehouse of nature (Yes sir) and bring forth many new insights; yes, you may ascend to the heights of academic achievement (Yes sir) so that you have all knowledge (Yes sir, Yes); and you may boast of your great institutions of learning and the boundless extent of your degrees; but if you have not love, all of these mean absolutely nothing. (Yes) You may even give your goods to feed the poor (Yes sir); you may bestow great gifts to charity (Speak); and you may tower high in philanthropy; but if you have not love, your charity means nothing. (Yes sir) You may even give your body to be burned and die the death of a martyr, and your spilt blood may be a symbol of honor for generations yet unborn, and thousands may praise you as one of history's greatest heroes; but if you have not love (Yes, All right), your blood was spilt in vain. What I'm trying to get you to see this morning is that a man may be self-centered in his self-denial and self-righteous in his self-sacrifice. His generosity may feed his ego, and his piety may feed his pride. (Speak) So without love, benevolence becomes egotism, and martyrdom becomes spiritual pride.

Every person I have read about in history was neither all good nor were they all bad. The strange thing about historical people is they still are human beings, fraught with flaws and endowed with great gifts. In Martin Luther King Jr.'s case I am left with deep admiration of a complex man, a man with a soft caring heart and an iron conviction that the injustice to his race must end. While I cannot ascribe to all that Dr. King believed, he was a great man, he was a great American and we should honor him for all he accomplished and all he gave to that end.

Vote for Huckabee in South Carolina?

The old saying about politics and strange bedfellows takes a new turn in South Carolina as the Thomson and Romney supporters may just vote for Huckabee to deny a victory to John McCain.

I don't like this strategy at all. If you can't win with your ideas, you can't win. Name recognition and having the MSM in your corner never hurts in McCains case but the Republican party wins by having better ideas than their opponents.

I am not a McCain supporter, he is wrong on too many issues, and by wrong I mean way wrong. He gets the war against radical Islam right and that would make me vote for him against either Obama or Clinton, but he is tied for my third choice in the GOP. I like Romney then Rudy followed by McCain/Huckabee. I really like Fred but unless he pulls off the stunner of the campaign season this weekend, he's dead as disco.

If McCain gets the GOP nomination the base will not walk precincts or write checks, they may vote for him if they think it will be close on election day just to keep a Democrat out of the White House, but I can see Bob Dole vs Bill Clinton II if McCain goes up against Barack Obama in November.

An honorable older man, way past his prime against a young man full of energy and preaching populism.

Final score;
Populism 2 - Honor 0

Fender's New American Standard

Ok, so what is going on with Fender? Is this some new slick marketing campaign or has Fender turner the corner on the American Standard when it comes to consistency, fit and finish?

Don't get me wrong, I am not a guitar guru. I play my all black Lite Ash Telecaster a few times a week and I am not good, but I love guitars.
Not quite in the same as my affection for hand crafted bolt action riffles, but close.

I did see a new Tele that I really liked the other day. It was matte black with EMG dual humbuckers, no tone knob just a volume knob, its the Jim Root Telecaster. The sound is incredible. Raw, thick with just a bit of the Tele spank. My son likes it a lot. He wants me to trade in my Lite Ash for it.


I don't think so. I am a traditionalist. I like the looks and the classic 50s stying of my Tele.

Romney wins Michigan Primary

But you knew that already. So, whats it all mean?
Beats the stuffing out of me.

The MSM who were pulling for McCain are down in the mouth about Romney's victory. The old media has been trying to shovel dirt on Mitt Romney for six months now. They see something they don't like in Mitt, an achiever and a good communicator who has been successful in all aspects of his public life. First the Media jumped on the Huckabee bandwagon after Iowa, then jumped onto the McCain wagon after New Hampshire, do you think they will get behind Mitt Romney who has almost twice as many delegates than his nearest competitor?

Not a chance.

Capay Valley Almond Blossom Festival 2008

I know that the last Sunday in February is still a ways off, but I was just sent this info and thought it never too early to get the word out. The Almond Festival as the locals call it, is a special time of year. Lots to see and do in every small town up and down the valley. If your coming from Sacramento or Woodland, here's where to get breakfast on Sunday, February 24th.

It seems that the F.O.E. Eagles - Boy Scout Troop 464 is having a Pancake Feed Fundraiser Sunday, Feb. 24th 7A.M. - Noon at the Eagles Hall 37650 SR. 16, Woodland CA.

$4 Standard Breakfast -Kids 5 and under eat free!
$6 all you can eat pancakes (after standard breakfast)
(Pancakes, Sausage, Scrambled Eggs, Coffee & O.J.)

If you're coming from Woodland out to Esparto to take a tour of the Capay Valley for the Almond Festival, stop by the Eagles Hall, its just past Raley's on the way out of Woodland on Highway 16.

Cal and the boys would be glad to feed you breakfast.

How bout them Cowboys?

Or not.
What a game. I was is in a full non-gloating mode all week with the Giants game coming up this Sunday. I had zero faith in the Boys this week, or the past few weeks for that matter. I'm sure you will hear about Tony Romo and his off-week trip with Jessica Simpson down to Mexico and how he should have kept his focus on football, I don't think his trip south of the border hurt his game today by any means. The series where he was sacked by not throwing it away and then throwing it out of bounds while in the pocket and taking a intentional grounding penalty was a bad series and his only dumb plays of the game, but you cannot lay the blame for this loss on the quarterback alone.

If anything, the whole darn team should have a session on focus, missed tackles, penalties on the offensive line, late hits, not getting the plays into the huddle on time, just a plain lack of focus. That my friends is laid squarely at the feet of Wade Phillips and his coaching staff. Phillips seems like a nice guy and the word around the league is that he's a player's coach. How many nice guy, player's coaches win championships? Not many.

After having a tyrant like Parcells as coach, it sure seems like the Cowboys are lax and a little too laid back to win when the going gets rough. You can't let dropped passes, false starts and terrible tackling form go unpunished. One is a mistake, two is a trend and three is a habit. If you need to sit some players to get that message across, sit them, if you need to get into a players face at practice so you don't have to do it during the game, then you need to do it.

Xs and Os are one part of the game, accepting poor performance on a regular basis is telling people that we really don't care about the details, and that folks is what separates playoff teams from Superbowl champions, and good coaches from great coaches.

Ah, to be a Freshman again

Freshman year of high school has to be one of the strangest times growing up. Not quite a kid any longer and definitely not an adult. Stuck in the middle of thinking about having fun with your friends and thinking about the opposite sex. Somehow or another, girls started looking different and I noticed that they smelled nice the summer before my freshman year.

I started to really listen to the music I was listening to and I started thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, not that I had a clue about what I wanted to do, but I started thing about it.

Fun times? Absolutely.
Scary times? Yes. I have to admit that the thought of leaving my tiny country school to attend the 'huge' high school with 1,200 kids scared me quite a bit. Looking back, I'm not sure why, high school was blast.

Which brings me to this morning.

I was serenaded last night by three freshman, my son and his two friends, playing every Metallica song they know on guitars and bass. They rented 'Balls of Fury" and are now settling down to watch it after breakfast and a short session of ATV riding around the barn. My wife and I are trying to keep our daughter out of their way, she loves the commotion and rough and tumble world of three teenagers playing, my son thinks she is ruining all their fun.

Never having a younger sister I imagine that having her hang around your friends when they visit makes it hard to be 'cool'. If I remember right, being 'cool' was very high up on the list of things to be when I was a freshman too.

I also rented a movie or two to combat this assault on my sanity. Last night I watched '3:10 to Yuma', I am glad I didn't pay $10 to see it in the theater. I give it a C-. Tonight my wife and I will watch 'The Kingdom'. I hope its better.

John Doolittle retires

Its about time, or I should say its well past time for the Congressman to head back to the private sector.

Doolittle, 57, came close to losing re-election in 2006 in one of the most conservative districts in California, and some in his own party believed he couldn't survive this time around.

Doolittle made no reference to his legal troubles in a prepared statement, instead issuing something of a call to arms to fellow conservatives.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity pending a public announcement in Doolittle's Northern California district.

The development comes as Doolittle, in his ninth term, faced growing political pressure from fellow Republicans who considered him a liability because of his involvement, along with his wife, Julie, in the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling investigation. House Republicans, still smarting from losing control of Congress in 2006, are eager to put that ethics taint behind them.

One more millstone removed from the the neck of the GOP.

I hope this leads to a general house cleaning, from the top down in Washington.

Scandals, earmarks, sexual impropriety, I don't need to go on do I?

Larry Craig, are you listening. Take your wide stance back to Idaho and make room for someone who won't be the butt of late night jokes from now until November.

Folks, if we don't start looking for and voting for fresh new faces in the GOP, we are going to be on the outside looking for a long time.

Knowing what you know now, would you want to roll the dice?

I just had a fascinating discussion in my small group Bible study about the way we view our lives. Well, at least I find it fascinating, it might bore you to tears.

I hear people all the time talk about how they would do things differently if they had the chance, or if they had just done this instead of that, their lives would be much better. We were sitting around after our study and chatting when we got on the subject of where you are in your life. I said that I wouldn't change anything in my life because I'm pretty happy with where I am right now.

I have a great family, nice home, I have my health, and I am pretty content at where I am in this journey through life. Don't get me wrong, I have had many low points. I had many disappointments, suffered great loss, found myself miserable not knowing what would happen next, and at times and been so broke I couldn't pay attention. But looking back, everything I went through, brought me to this point in time. Would I like to have arrived here without so many of the heart aches? I'm not sure, we learn a lot through our trials and through our suffering, it isn't pleasant, sometimes you don't think you will make it through, but you do.

I am also just as confident that I will soon face more adversity and heart ache. I am not looking forward to it, not at all, but it's coming and there is no stopping it. I hope I learn from each of them and become a better person because of it.

Maybe your life is a mess right now, maybe you're at the lowest point you have ever experienced. I feel for you. I may not know what you are going through, or the pain you are feeling, but I hope it stops and I hope you make it through today, then another day, then another.

My point is, if you asked me right at the lowest point of my life if I would like to roll the dice, to change my life and not have to go through this pain, I may have said yes.

That would have been a big mistake. I wouldn't be right here, right now, and right here, right now is just fine with me.

New Hampshire hates black people

Not only does New Hampshire hate Jesus, it seems the Granite State is not to fond of black people either. I swear, I'm not making this up. I hope I can find the link on Youtube soon.

I was flipping through tonights coverage of the NH primary and stopped by MSNBC. Why I don't know, but the panel was Keith Olbermann, Tim Russert and Chris Mathews. Mathews was opining on why the polls were wrong, he said there should be some kind of inquiry made on why the polls were wrong. Some other 'factor' was at play that made the voters break for Clinton and away from Obama. He said that the pollsters speak in proper english or politically correct english, and people tend to give politically correct answers. He wondered if someone with an 'Archie Bunker' voice came on the phone and asked who they were going to vote for, they would get a more honest answer.

What are you trying to say Chris? New Hampshire voters told pollsters that they would vote for Obama, but secretly they won't vote for a black man?

That's sure what it sounded like to me. Mathews can't get over the fact that Barack didn't win, there must be a reason why, that reason must be racism.

Way to go Chris, it couldn't be the emotion shown by Hillary in the past day or so, or Bill's angry smackdown of Barack's record of non accomplishments, it must be racism.

This is just the first of many times the false flag of racism will be hoisted by the MSM when their candidate doesn't win.

I would like to hear someone call Chris Mathews on the carpet for this.

He then asked Tim Russert if he agreed and Russert looked like someone shot his dog, then Russert smiled and said that the Des Moines Register was dead on and so it must be something else. It sure seemed like Tim was trying to yank Mathews foot out of his mouth.

McCain first, Romney second and Huckabee is an also ran.

Three different elections, three different winners.
Talk about an open field.

With votes counted from 51 percent of the state's precincts, McCain was winning 37 percent of the vote, Romney had 32 and Huckabee 11. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani had 9 percent, Texas Rep. Ron Paul 8

Is Romney done? Will McCain be a one state wonder like Huckabee? Stay tuned folks.

With tonight's primary, the delegate count stands at:
Romney 29
Huckabee 20
McCain 9

We have a long way to go.

Blogging by battery back up, again

Well, not quite. Our home has been one of the lucky ones in Yolo County for the past few days. With power out all over the area, our power stayed on throughout the worst of the wind and rain. That was until about 4:15 this morning when the alarm on the UPS that I use for my computer and DSL started beeping. I know almost every beep in my house. It wasn't the chirp of a low battery on a smoke detector or my carbon monoxide detector going off, so I woke up and saw that the power was off and the beep was coming from my UPS.

Neat.

I looked through my window at a sea of darkness, no lights in Esparto or any lights in my area. My buddy called me the night before telling me how his power has been off for two days running. I thought it might take a while for the power to come back on with all the outages and every crew PG&E has working around the clock. I checked the local news websites with the 10 minutes of backup power I had and there didn't seem to be any news about our area so I figured it must have been a blown transformer or a line down. Strange, there was little or no wind and rain last night, so my money is on one of the casino patrons crashing into a power pole trying to navigate the narrow country roads.

I stoked the fire back to life and threw on a few more logs. I already have the bathtub full of water to flush the toilet with so I was as ready. I found my little portable radio and tried to get some news on. No luck. Sunday mornings at 4:45 are very sparse when it comes to live news or any news, just a lot of folks selling vitamins or get rich quick schemes. Arrrg.

Oh well, I didn't want to wake my wife up so I sat on the couch next to the fire with my earbuds in listening to NLF Gameday.

The power did come back on about 9:00 am and I quickly hit the shower and made breakfast. You can't be too sure. The lights have stayed on all day and I just stayed around the house cleaning the garage.

Hopefully the all rain that is coming this week will have a place to go. The ground is saturated and there is standing water everywhere. I have cleaned all the ditches around my house so, I guess I am as ready as I can be.

Romney crushing all comers in Wyoming Primary

How much money do you think Mitt Romney would pay if he could have Wyoming as the first primary?

He is smoking all his rivals, but Wyoming is so darn small no one pays much attention.
I'm sure Camp Romney will spin it as a comeback and Huckabee and McCain will spin it as 'Wyoming had a Primary?', but as for the media, no one is there, no live trucks, no live newscasts from Casper, no interviews with the Carhartt clad cattle ranchers and school teachers.

Hey, I'm sorry Wyoming, your home to Darth Vader, I mean Dick Cheney and you know how much the media hates the Vice President. So go back home throw another few logs on the fire and get warm, you did your electoral duty and that's all we can ask.

New Hampshire hates Jesus

[Huckabee's] aides are wary of New Hampshire. “It’s all no tax, no government there,” said Bob Wickers, a top strategist. “It’s not ideal.”

Not the ideal place for a big spending moderate Republican, as well as the fact that 40% of the NH voters will not be evangelical Christians. As Dunlop says, "New Hampshire hates Jesus".

Now I'm sure there are fine Christian folks in the granite state, a small group of them anyway, they love Jesus.

(I apologize in advance for whatever Jackie and Dunlop say)

I just dumped the rain gauge

3 1/2 inches of rain from this second in a line of three storms heading in from the Pacific. It seems the storm door is open, or blown off it hinges is more like it.

70 MPH winds, rain coming in sideways plus the added fun of dodging fallen trees and telephone poles. Yes, its winter in Yolo County, but after two dry winters, you won't hear a peep of complaining from me.

I'm firing up the quad and I'm off to go dig out the culverts so the water will drain out of the fields.

Obama 55% to Huckabee's 45% come November

Don't just take my word for it.

Here is the data.

Not that I think the primary is over, its just started, but the one thing that makes me shiver is the two winners on the GOP side are Huckabee, who will be slaughtered in the general election and McCain who fairs much better in the general election but would be a disaster in the oval office from a conservative point of view. Gang of 14 ring any bells? Just think of more Supreme Court justices like Breyer and Kennedy, not Roberts and Alito. That being said, I will take any Republican over anyone the Democrats roll out in 08', except for Ron Paul, crazy people don't count.

This is going to get every interesting, very fast.
For Rudy, Florida can't get here soon enough and may be too late when it does.
Anyone need a Fred Thompson bumper sticker? There will be a big sale on those very soon.

For everyone who thought McCain was dead as disco, your truly included, the maverick is back in the game for now. It was interesting when I was looking at McCain's staff I found Mark McKinnon was running the campaign. It makes sense. McKinnon is about as good you get, tough, smart and able to dig in when things get rough.


New Hampshire has always loved John McCain and he may get the bump he needs from the granite state, but after that? Do you think the maverick is going to do well in South Carolina? Maybe.

If Romney shrivels up and fades away after a defeat in NH, where will that establishment money go? Huckabee? I don't think so, if McCain wins big in New Hampshire, Romney is toast and Rudy and McCain will divvy up the old line GOP money.

Time will tell.

The only good news I came away with tonight was this.

The Republican National Committee, which reported yesterday that it had raised $83 million for the year, easily topping the Democratic National Committee, which had raised $50.5 million in the first 11 months of 2007.

Oh, my let the spin begin!

I feel pretty

I am hoping for a Romney win and an Edwards win.
Huckabbe, as I have said, would be a disaster for the GOP come November.
As for the Democrats, I would love to run against the Silky Pony.

Aaaaaaaand there off!

As the starting gate opens on the Presidential race in 2008, the votes actually count toward something.

I would like to look back tomorrow and see which polls were right and which polls were dead wrong.

Democrats
Zogby Tracking Obama +4
Strategic Vis. Obama +3
Des Moines Reg Obama +7
CNN Clinton +2
ARG Clinton+9
Insider Ad Obama +1


Republicans
Zogby Tracking Huckabee +6
Strategic Vis. Romney +2
Des Moines Reg Huckabee +6
CNN Romney +3
ARG Huckabee +5
Insider Ad Huckabee +6

We are raising the plague flag.

Ugh. First it was my son, then it was my turn, now its my wife and daughter.

The flu, or something like it has stricken Casa de Cowboy.

The dogs, cats and Holly the Christmas Goat seem none the worse for wear.

Happy New Year to you too.