
Friday, August 17, 2007
So much to ponder, so little on TV

Sunday, August 12, 2007
Maybe what is behind us makes more clear what is ahead

Saturday, August 11, 2007
Now and then you think about "now and then".
Mexico, New Mexico and Texas all from the back yard
Saturday, today............................might indeed be a day to note some......................"Random Specific Thoughts about some odd items. On a counter top are samples of soon to be new counter tops. . An orange peel, and left over from this weeks long car trip and then some items from the garden, and a book just sitting on the counter. It was a long week buying a house in El Paso. From the back yard of the house you can see Mexico. New Mexico and Texas. On a more random note this week I only looked at the TV twice. One night Johnny Cash from 1969 was a re run. He sang Man in Black. Then last night a movie called "Tender Mercies" caught my attention. A song about a White Dove made me think some. Black for Johnny C. was about "standing out" with concern. The song about the White Dove was about Goodness coming upon us. To lighter moments for the week did indeed have fuel for thought........................ Johnny C. When you think about it you find it is mostly just black and white.
Man in Black Song words
Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on
.I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,But is there because he's a victim of the times.
I wear the black for those who never read,Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.
Friday, August 10, 2007
"Like" the wings of a Dove is Goodness

When troubles surround us,
Jalapenos don't quite do it.


Sunday, August 05, 2007
"Vinegaroon" in ABQ and new lands to the South
Today we left for El Paso via Las Cruces. Late last night about 10:30 ( I call that late) Zach found this bug on our front sidewalk. Vinegaroon is the name of the bug. It has a vinegar like mist that it uses to attack with. Seems odd that this was found in the late evening in our front yard. Now of course the bug is a item to save and look over. vineagar
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Maybe this is an omen. Maybe it means it is time to move South. That probably will work. With a house for sale now it is time to look for one.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Well you do now....................

Zach is learning to ride a bike. Figures he will need too. His is a multiple speed. I recall a lot of time on a bike growing up. Roadmaster with a belly tank, fenders and a basket was the first bike I had. Rode it up the hill we lived on the first day I had it and then back down. Crashed into something and bent thr fork back to where the front wheels would not move becuase it was pressed into the main frame. Even so I spent a lot of time on a bike then. I remember a lot of bikers going by as I ran along the roads over the years. One guy, a neighber came up to us in a a canyon where we lived in his black leather and helmet. I didn't know him from Adam but as I came up to him I said "unmask your self, stranger". He did and it turned out to be a neighbor. Then again I heard a story of a truck driver who was delivering one of our good customers product that they didn't want. The customer said I don't use that brand. He apparently laughed and said "well you do now". Now I laughed when I heard the story. What else can you do when you have your hands full of similiar type issues. Hate to laugh at bad behavior.
No clear picture yet.


Course Kathy doesn't know where EP is and she has no real picture of what to expect. Then again we are heading there tomorrow so that will clear up some. Listed the house today. Packing up the top of the book shelves. Wouldn't want to look cluttered ya know. We will spend a night night with Mike and the Grand cat. Then off to EP. Tonight I am going to go to the Philosophy Club meeting and discuss Aristotle. Ya see Aristotle is different than Plato, the guy we talked about a few months back at this gathering. He vs's Plato is more into what we have around us rather than the "form" or the big concepts which might in fact be up there or out there. Rather than just contemplation he looked at an empirical investigation of stuff. (Book reviews on these guys can be found on the Amazon link) When we "listed" the house the agent told us that all the agents get a chance for an extra $10,000. They toss in $250 per listing that they try to get the sellers to pay for when listing so that these houses turn into chances received if they sell them for the big drawing. So all I can say is that this fee was not paid by us. Ya see all these agent folks need incentives. Selling on straight commission is plenty good as an incentive when it works. Maybe a hard close look at incentives is more up Aristotle's ally. On the other hand when you look at these pictures which, unlike the ones below from the window of a room in the middle of the night are about nothing but the imagination one is left only to imagine what the reality may be. Aristotle and a trip to EP you see are both empirical investigations. (This day is good for a couple of posts I would imagine)
Friday, August 03, 2007
Out the window by the "dock of the bay", ouh
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Hmong
A run that matters more than others mentioned.

Saturday, July 28, 2007
Got Books
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Pride, and a need for a better life.



A Statement of Pride rising high above the sidewalk, downtown Albuquerque
El Paso on the other hand is different. It has no North side that I can identify. It has a lower valley. That is from the Rio Grande and probably the part below I-10. The above that is the Valley. Fort Bliss in in the middle of the upper Valley and to the East is the biggest housing spread you can imagine. It is new and goes on for ever. The base is getting ready for a lot of folks and figures it will last a long time. To the west you find UTEP and a mountain range. The mountains here shown are part of these. They are the highest points in Texas. A road goes around them by UTEP to the West Side and then another road goes through them to the West Side. I have been staying a lot on the West Side. Las Cruces is up the road from there about 35 miles. A very large pole with a very very large Mexican Flag is just over the border across the river in Juarez. This flag can be seen for miles and sort of just hits you in the face as you drive toward the border on the Freeway. Pride is what this flag is about. Proud of a heritage. Even so the place where the flag sits is the worst part of Juarez. The city of 3 1/2 million or so is layered I am told. Some of the worst is by the border. A lot of poverty. People live in cardboard boxes and have zero income. The some of the city is more upscale. Some from one side help those on the other. Help can mean food. It leaves the question of how much help can it take to make a difference. It is interesting to find many quietly working to help. Often one person at a time. Pride and need exist together. A proud people. So much need.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Texas, the proud home of BJ 4 or 6 days a week it seems.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Fire, Ice, Beauty and Vice


Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Shoulda took more pictures or stayed I suppose


Friday, July 20, 2007
Half a building and the cornor where two states and a country touch
Off on the top of the mountain is a statue that marks the place where New Mexico, Texas and Mexico touch. It is a shot out of the right car window as I drive to work from spending the night in Sunland Park which is around another mountain to the West of El Paso. Looking out the left side window before too long from this spot is UTEP. Then below that picture is the new whse facility. What looks like the far end is actually the middle of this building. New Camera to shot some daily shots.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Barb Wire, Tango, Jimmy, James and Hunters
Tango or Waltz? Tango
James Brown or Marvin Gaye? James of course.
Wildflowers or arrangements? Wildflowers, not arranged please.
Cello or Trumpet. Cello of course.
Watch wearing or not? The time is right on the lower left hand of the screen, who needs a watch. Or else I can ask.
i-Tunes or something else? i-Tunes since I don't know what something else might be. Works great on a run. Don't know how I got along with out it.
Jimmy Carter or Gerald Ford? Come on who says either of them ought to be on this list. Jimmy at least stands for something even if he has read too many of his own books its seems. Both seem like nice folks.
Willow Tree or Pine? Come on again who says either of them ought to be in competition with the other. They are both fine things. Willow fits one mood. Pines are good.
Sophia Loren or Liz Taylor? come on, really, did you ever see Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Well it was Paul that caught my eye.
Matt Damon or Ben aAfleck? come on, really, I wouldn't recognize either one of them if they knocked on the door selling Jimmy Carter's a wonderful man books.
Socks or Barefoot? Ok, KJ in socks me barefoot is fine. She likes wool ones in the winter, ya know.
Gathers, Hunters, or Accountants? Come on. Who are we kidding here. Don't own a gun. Never did. Never will. Put me down as a hunter even so. Gathers are ok.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Tango or Waltz, down "which" Road

by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with as sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.
Friday, July 13, 2007
The Cats not in the hat and probably has some good insight into the real meaning of it all
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Pressure makes Diamonds

Saturday, July 07, 2007
each others company. Listened to some good music some of which was from the 1940's and 50's and all of which was patriotic. We listened to a recording of President Roosevelt in prayer. What do folks talk about as they sit around the back yard? Well three of us spent some time on Aristotle and Plato. We had all be re reading and updating ourselves on Aristotle. You see even these folks gathered in Raphael’s "The School of Athens" are kind of relaxed. Could have been the 4th of July the day this picture was captured. Many seem to just be enjoying stuff. The two in the center were Plato on the left and Aristotle on the right. By the way, the School of Athens was painted in 1509 or 1510 and it was part of Raphael's commission to decorate the Stanze di Raffaello, in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. (At the same time, Michelangelo was next door painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.) The School of Athens was Raphael’s vision of the community of intellects from the classical world; the greatest philosophers, scientists and mathematicians of antiquity. I often figure our time in Northeast Albuquerque has been one where we found the scientists and mathematicians. Lot of smart people around everywhere but the science labs in our area attract an interesting group. In some ways it gets down to whether your finger is pointing up as is the case with Plato center stage above or out as with Aristotle also center stage. I figure Plato is what I like about life and Albuquerque and Aristotle is like what I have found here in the neighborhood. Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Sun in Flight, Fierce tears, good night
By Dylan Thomas
Sunday, July 01, 2007
some guy making a choice, apparently
Yesterday Zach and I went for a 4-mile walk/run. It was my regular path. The path follows a long street to the North and then crosses over to a long street back to the South. Along the way I can see bronze horses and a bronze buffalo in the front yards of homes that are set in a very open desert setting. The horses are real eye-catchers. Love to see what seems to be the spirit of adventure caught in bronze.
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Running is about seeing new things, perhaps with renewed eyes, and finding old things and thinking and talking. Music can be the companion as much as the sights or the person next to you.
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