Zona

I love you. You're santa but you still manage to be
a pirate. You're crazy enough to throw a couple
of yo ho's in the general xmas-ness

What kind of Santa are you?

December first is World AIDS day.

I took the whole family to Texas to visit my favorite uncle. This has been 11 years now so all the kids were young ranging from 3 up to 10.

My cousin David lived at home with my aunt and uncle and we spent a great weekend talking and playing and them getting to know my wife and family. Of all my dad's brothers this brother is the one I've known the longest.

David did not look all that well and my aunt told me he had a kidney problem. It was good to see them again as it had been some years since my last visit.

We had been home about a week when I got a call from my mother. My aunt had called her in tears to tell her that David did not have a kidney problem but was dying of AIDS. She was very afraid of how I would react. I knew that my kids had been in no danger whatsoever of contacting AIDS through casual contact with their uncle David.

David, his best friend, and their girlfriends had all shared needles and had all contracted the virus and are now all gone. My cousin was never a junkie but had used drugs off and on.

About a year later David passed away and I drove my parents to Texas to attend the funeral. It was the usual somber family gathering for the funeral but I made it a special point to go up to my aunt and calm her fears. I told her that I knew David had been no danger to my kids and when I heard the news I sat them down and explained AIDS to them and told them that it was a tragedy that has struck down so many good people like their uncle David. I told her that I was so happy that they got the chance to meet their uncle David and we embraced, both of us in tears.

So from an early age my kids have known that AIDS can strike anybody and that it is not the "punishment of god" that the religious hate mongers say it is.

I'll always be sad that it took my cousin's life to teach my kids about the tragedy of AIDS. I will always be sad that AIDS takes ANYBODY'S life.

Immigration 101

So here's the deal. W don't know shit about immigration.

Here's my take on the latest push for this so called guest worker program.

It MUST include a road to permanent legal residency and citizenship.

Here is the REAL reason that the govt doesn't want that. The reason they will NEVER tell you or me. The Amnesty Program came into being in 1986. Those who could prove certain conditions such as a certain amount of time living and working in the United States were able to go through a process that led to them being granted legal permanent residence and eventually citizenship. It ended up costing billions and was wracked with fraud. There are STILL cases making their way through the courts. Challenges to decisions and so forth. MOST of those who benefited through amnesty were low wage earners. The bottom rung. The silent underground that still exists today of the exploited uneducated migrant.

So here's the rub. THOSE people who got their permanent legal status, or "green card" through amnesty got OFF the bottom rung and got better jobs, bought houses, immigrated the rest of their families because of an addition of the amnesty act that allowed them to do so, and began to live something called the American Dream. Many of their kids are attending college. Many of them are now very successful business people.

So guess what? Business needed more bottom rungers to fill the gaps and they found them by the millions because I don't know if you pay attention but it sucks to live in Latin America if you're poor.

Now this guest worker program that many in govt are pushing for will allow those illegal aliens who can prove they are behaving and paying taxes to get a legal visa to work for three years. Then they MIGHT be able to renew it for another three giving them a total of six years. THEN they must get out. They MUST LEAVE the United States. Pull the kids out of school. Sell everything. Oh don't worry though. They only have to stay out one year before they can apply to get back in IF there's a job for them. Because you see that's the good thing about Latin America in the eyes of American business.

It's just overflowing with bottom rungers

It's a damned shame we're busy in Iraq....

because right now there is no government in Canada. We could take it pretty easy. At least Alberta. They've wanted to seperate for some time now. They got oil too. With only one road into Alberta form the rest of Canada it would be east to cut off the place from the east. We don't have to worry about BC. They've been their own little slice of the world for some time now. Don't gotta worry about Saskatchewan because they hate Alberta. Quebec hates everybody. Ontario is so arrogant they'ld think that after a while Alberta would beg to come back and then they could snub them like always. Atlantic Canada is too far away. Manitoba is hibernating because it's winter.

Piece o' cake.

The weather in Canada....

sucks and all the weather broadcasters try as best as they can to put a positive spin on it. I'm sorry but the phrase "it's going to reach a high of minus five" is not a positive statement. If the word "minus" is in the weather broadcast the only people who are "high" are the people who live here. People like me.

I should be back in Arizona.

Here's the weather broadcast for the Tucson area today.

Holy shit people it's down to 32 damned degrees today for a low. That shiny stuff on your lawn will disappear in an hour or so and is nothing to be concerned about so please stop jamming the 911 switchboard.

It's going to get up to 65 later with a slight wind out of the east so don't forget to play one club higher for those approach shots on holes going into the east and one club less for the downwind par threes.

For godsake stay indoors tonight unless you have that heavy parka because it's going to hit the forties at about 10.

Now after the commercial break our medical expert will calm all those frostbite fears by demonstrating that here in most of Arizona that's only one of those so called urban legends. Then after that Larry will talk about sports OTHER THAN hockey.

I should be back in Arizona.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.....

is running out of bands and people who know anything about Rock and Roll. Today they announced the newest inductees.

Black Sabbath
Miles Davis
The Sex Pistols
Blondie
Lynyrd Skynyrd

It's about time
What?
For ONE album by a non-singer and three non-players?
Yeah, OK, she was hot
It's about time

People WORSHIP Miles Davis as a JAZZ great but if you toss him in there ya gotta toss Grover Washington Jr in there soon because Grover at least had a crossover hit. (just the two of us) If ya toss the Sex Pistols in there you gotta toss The Starland Vocal Band in there soon because both were as relevant. (NO kids. The RAMONES started punk and were the influence of the Sex Pistols)

The Sex Pistols was a good band like Marilyn Monroe was a good actress. Ya catch my connection there?

Now it's argument time.

Groups/People who should have been in there BEFORE three of this years inductees.

Todd Rundgren
Neil Diamond
Jethro Tull
Yes
Genesis

Somebody's gonna stand up and say "zona, there's some standard about time". Well, Prince and U2 are both in and the five I named were around WAY before either of them. There's more to be named but I'll leave that up to you guys

On the road again.

With the recent death of my daughter's good friend I've decided to travel to Calgary next week to see her and her son and my son. It will be nice to see them again. Even though the wife is convinced that I will get off the plane and into a taxi to the casino then into another taxi to a strip club and then into another several taxis as me and an Irish friend or two or twelve hit the big pub on Crowchild which name escapes me right now.

Maybe the Flames will be in town.

Maybe it will snow.

Maybe the cops will pull me over and ask about the $$$ I owe them.

Maybe I won't pull over when they ask politely.

I get the occasional "fuck you cop assholes" wild streak in me.

I'm 47 but far from dead.

"Gee zona, you're going to party some and not spend every waking minute with the kids?"

That's right. Son and daughter both work and there is no room for me to stay with them without crashing on a musty couch and inhaling mold and dust and cat hair all night. Don't worry. I'll see enough of them to make us all feel better.

Unpolished, Unfinished

So many gone so young
Too many gone so young
I stand among the wars
And the illness
And the storms
Asking always questions
And getting blank stares

Where is my faith?
Why does it never fall
From above creation
Down easy on my weary?

So many gone so young
Too many gone too young
I stand out in the rain
And the sunshine
And the wind
Standing always searching
Standing one day alone?

The final list of my ten favorite cartoon characters.

Captain Klutz represents the late Don Martin's entire body of work all of which is one of my favorites.

Since I'm now pretty sure that all my computer savvy, surfing history finding kids are reading the blog I just wanna say,

Your mother is pregnant again!!

Now be nice boys and girls and post a comment so everybody knows who you are. Go ahead, SAY HELLO or I'll ground you.


Goodnight everybody!

Potpourri


Anderson Cooper of CNN fame has been in Los Angeles all week doing reports. I saw him interview a member of the white fence gang. This kid was hard core. Mellow kid, but hard core gang. White fence is a Hispanic gang with history back to the 60's. This kid was in foster care most of his life. His parents were both life long gang members. The culture of gangs in So Cal is very very strong and many times it's the only real family these kids have. So it was nothing for this kid to talk like he was talking. He's never going to reform. He can't. What is he going to reform to? He's White fence gang like you're Canadian or American or Dutch or Greek or Rhodesian.

What got to me is that Anderson told this kid that he can't see it. He can't understand why the kid's a gang member.

Bitch, please.

I don't know if you know but Anderson Cooper is a billionaire. His late father was wealthy. His mother is Gloria Vanderbilt. His only sibling is dead so Anderson will inherit it ALL. Anderson was born with a golden spoon in his mouth, one in each hand, and six servants all holding golden spoons in case Anderson dropped one. NO FUCKING SHIT you can't understand this kid Anderson.

So I made the stuffing and it's good and the wife and I were listening to tunes and laughing because Spanish is her first language and I explained what the Kinks song Lola is talking about.

Then the phone rings.

It's my daughter in Calgary.

One of her best friends went to the doctor for a post-op checkup today and collapsed and died in the office. Same age, 22, as my daughter. This frailty of life just brings everything to a very real level sometimes. So while we comfort our daughter and send flowers to a family that were good friends to us while we lived in Calgary I want you all to go hug somebody special and tell them how you feel about them.

Because you just never know.

DAMN!

I was all ready to hit the sheets when the wif walked in and reminded me that I have to make the stuffing for tomorrow.

That's my job.

For the past 20 years.

I'm not a fancy stuffing maker/eater.

Two boxes of mix.
Two cups of onion.
Two cups of celery.

Saute the onion and celery in butter and add chicken broth until it's the proper consistency.

I love to eat it before I cook it. I've been doing that since the sixties. I don't get yelled at for doing it anymore though.

Tony Pierce gave me a link so I had to run out and get some chip and dip and liquid refreshments for the expected company.

Did I tell you that I met Tony? One of the nicer guys I've met and a pleasure to hang with once you get by his security entourage, his posse, and all the chicks.

I've met two actresses who have had the pleasure, or DISpleasure, of working with AHnold and each one of them told me that it is prohibited to look AHnold in the eyes while on the set. Tony's not like that You can look Tony in the eyes.

Prince came through the airport once and in order to say hello his security wanted to frisk me and I WAS IN UNIFORM. I met Tony while in plain clothes and with a simple "He's okay" from Tony, the bouncers smiled and let me by.

Thanks for the link bro.

I'm sorry the dog died too but JAYsus people the thing's been decomposing for a couple of years now.

If ya want a CUTE dog click on Jenny Good over on the right there.

I'm a MORON so I don't know how to put the link in the actual post.

I Forgot!!

Yesterday was the anniversary of the Kennedy assasination.

But that's okay,

because I don't remember where I was on that day or what I was doing when I heard the news.

In fact I don't remember hearing the news and I might "remember" the funeral only based on the fact they've shown the footage so many times.

She's gone blonde

I'm still going thru some old pics. I shot these at the cajun festival on Sullivan's Island near Charleston, South Carolina in '96.

These are the other two core members of The Falling Pianos. Spencer is the one with the curls and Chris is the jumping bassist.

These were shot in our basement in Calgary by yours truly.

Not a clue

I'm baffled people. I'm here at work and I'm actually in a GOOD mood. I haven't done anything different. I walked down to Timmy's for my usual donut and hot chocolate. Maybe it's because it's slow or maybe I'M IN LOVE!! Or it's a stroke (as grampa Simpson would say)

The passengers aren't even bothering me!

This is pretty rare kids.

AND scary.

Just running through some old pictures at the house. The top is my two youngest in the Saddledome at Calgary after a Flames practice. I know people in that organization who were kind enough to let us do that. The middle is of me in Aruba and the bottom is me and the wife at Lake Louise, Alberta. That ice sculpture stays frozen all winter because the avg temp is about -5 degrees. The lake doesn't completely thaw until mid July.

I love a woman who doesn't take any shit.

That's my boy. He's 20 but he's wise beyond that now. Has a job, pays his own bills. Works hard at his drums.

NEW LINK

It's my son's band. The Falling Pianos. He plays the drums. They've gone celtic punk as you can hear.

It brings a tear to my eye as I remember the boys playing in our Calgary basement and drinking all my Pepsi. That's right. I drank Pepsi in Calgary because the States was a 3 hour drive and Canadian Pepsi kinda tastes like American Coca Cola.

I paid for most of their first recording which was straight punk and very good as well. I wish I knew how to post a taste of it here. Someday maybe.

The bass player has another band called Tartan Hearts and Danny is auditioning with Madcowboys which are both linked on the page.

The Falling Pianos have a pretty good crowd of fans in Calgary.

Bush misspeaks in Mongolia

President Bush was caught grasping for explanations over what occurred when he was unaware that a microphone was on as he greeted monks and children in Mongolia.

Bush to aide: "These look like happy people. I bet there's not one insurgent in the whole bunch".

Aide: "you're right sir. You're always right".

Bush to aide: "So why didn't we invade HERE? HERE'S where we would have been greeted with flowers"!

Aide: "Because the Chinese would have kicked our asses Mister President".

Bush to aide: "Good point. Remind me to give you a raise when we get back home".

Press spokesmen for the President were quick to point out that the President and this aide always joke around and that this particular aide is known as the "we're just kidding around aide" and not one of President Bush's "we're damned serious aides".

Rumsfeld spokesperson fired. Faces Court Martial.

Washington DC.

A military spokesperson for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was fired today and faces possible court martial over a statement wording flap.

The secretary was scheduled to be present at the opening if the new 1.5 billion dollar Pentagon day care center but his appearance at the ribbon cutting ceremony was expected to be very brief.

A still unnamed spokesperson for Secretary Rumsfeld issued a statement to the press that due to other pressing matters the secretary would be "cutting and running".

The secretary was unavailable for further comment and was believed to be on phone long distance to China.

News update from China

President Bush took some time during a break in talks with the Chinese Premier to take a bike ride with some Chinese Olympic atheletes. President Bush mentioned security concerns to a high ranking official who responded:

"Not to worry Mr President. Anybody who would be suspected of wanting to harm you was executed prior to your arrival. Please enjoy your ride with our patriotic young persons".

Elton John's band on Rock of the Westies

I just watched Elton John on the Actor's Studio or what ever that show is called and everybody always fawns over Candle In The Wind as his "best" song. I'm sorry kids but it isn't even in my top ten fave Elton John songs. Here they are in no particular order.

Where to now St Peter
Take me to the pilot
The king is dead
Feed me
Madman across the water
Sixty years on
Amoreena
Burn down the mission
Love lies bleeding
Someone saved my life tonight

I could probably list ten more before I got to Candle in the wind.

Two Elton John albums you should buy BEFORE Goodbye Yellow Brick Road even though I consider it the 70's best album.

Tumbleweed Connection
Rock of the Westies

He can't hit the high notes of Tumbleweed Connection which is why he doesn't play it and he doesn't have that tight band that he had on Rock of the Westies. He said in an interview long ago that the band on Rock of the Westies was his best band.

My annual bi-monthly political moment of the week.


"Democracy isn't the best system for everybody but it's the most fun to watch".

A Bolivian told me that. It's kind of interesting when you consider that Bolivia gained it's independence in 1825. One hundred and eighty years ago. To date Bolivia has seen more than 200 Presidents. Sometimes the right side of my brain tells me that Bolivia needs a strongman who's slogan is "block the roads and we'll bury you along the side". Then there's the left side of my brain that says......come to think of it the left side doesn't have a clue.

Bolivia has been in a serious economic crisis since the 80's and the outlook is bleak even though they discovered the second richest natural gas reserves under the eastern part of Bolivia. You see, that eastern part wants autonomy. It wants to be seperate from the rest of Bolivia. It's mostly lighter skinned while the rest of Bolivia is mostly dark skinned. The east is right wing while the west is left wing.

Bolivia holds Presidential elections next month and there are two major candidates, One is seen as the U.S. backed candidate and the other is seen as the Chavez/Castro backed candidate. One wants to ship natural gas through Chile (Bolivia's mortal enemy) and the other wants to legalize all cultivation of coca (which is made into cocaine).

Neither will last very long before chaos ensues again.

The only thing that has prevented total chaos in Bolivia is brute force. Brute force means people die. Brute force is usually associated with the right wingers. They're the "block the roads" slogan guys.

The Socialist candidate (Evo Morales) has used brute force as well. His supporters have blocked the major roads and shut down the country more than once sending Bolivians scrambling to find food as the markets shut down and prices soar.

Neither side has the answer because Bolivia has been the "hurricane devastated New Orleans" of South America for twenty tears and like New Orleans residents they need help right fucking now only it aint showing up.

People are so desperate in Bolivia that a savior with gold in his hand could show up in Bolivia and a mob would quickly kill him, steal his gold, and toss his body in a ditch without realizing he knew where gold mine was.

Strap on the seat belts again Bolivia. I'm praying for you.

This is SO appropriate to what I actually do for a living!


You are the Abuse Clerk! You dish out verbal (and
some physical!) abuse all day long...as long as
the customer keeps payin'! Aaah...such
satisfying work!

What Monty Python Sketch Character are you?

I bought this for my grandson. Cute eh? He'll have to wait until xmas to get it though. He's doing great and almost to the point of walking.

I've got me a big bag of Dove chocolates. Dove Promises. You open the wrapper and you read the promise inside. Kinda like fortune cookies. I don't read the promises. I just eat the chocolate and shit can the wrapper. That's kinda how I live my life. I don't read the warning label. I don't care about the prelim of a promise. Just give me the chocolate damnit.

Here, let me open another but this time I'll read you what it says.

The best holiday decoration is a smile

See there? Is that some kinda bullshit or what? Here's another.

Love is always the perfect gift

Scuse me while I puke. I try to give that gift away all the time but I get no takers because too many women want commitment along with it. They're never satisfied. Last one.

Always give from the heart

Yeah right, then they TAKE from the wallet.

I love Dove chocolates.

Saturday doings

I get up.
Headache
Rice Krispies.
Computer.
Limewire.

Yes I download music. That's what I love about Canada today. You see, everytime you buy blank CD's or casettes or video you pay, as part of the price, a service charge that goes to the record industry and the movie industry because they won a court ruling that they should get the money based on the theory that you don't listen to blank CD's, casettes and you don't watch blank video. You record stuff on'em. THEIR stuff. The Canadian Courts have ruled that since these industries are AWARE that you are doing this and they COLLECT money during the purchase of blank CD's and casettes and video it CANNOT therefore be illegal to do what those industries are already aware that you are doing and have charged you money based on that assumption. (If that seems like bad grammar blame the lawyers not me)

It's a beautiful thing.

To continue with my day...

Lunch.
Aspirin.
College football watching.
Don Cherry.
Jon Stewart.
I shower.
I get dressed. (by that I mean putting sweats and a different t shirt on)
I'm here with you.
I will eat dinner.
More TV.
Bed.

Drive west on Sunset to the sea
Turn that jungle music down
Just until we're outta town

I've been trying to figure how to put that into a post and make some cool remark so it makes sense but I can't so I put it here because nothing makes sense right now.

Just like the reason that baseball bat is on the floor by the bed.

The wife says I was swinging at what I said were giant dragonflies last night but I don't remember. Just like I didn't remember that I was out of nyquil yesterday and forgot to toss a fresh bottle in the cart at Target.

Just like the first thing I ate this morning was a twinkee because the kids finished off the cupcakes.

I love to freak out my wife by shoving an entire twinkie in my mouth. She stops looking at me now when I reach for the box.

I DID buy two yoyos at Target yesterday, Talk about hours of fun! I got an orange butterfly that sleeps really good and a purple regular model that I do my loops with. Now the kids want more since I've announced that these two are going in the box that I'm sending down to Bolivia.

I also bought Madagascar on DVD to send down. I haven't seen it yet and will watch it before I go to bed so I don't have the same Clockwork Orange like dream where my eyes were fixed open and Matt Good was on the screen in scrubs and a surgeon's mask explaining the evils of Internet Explorer to me while the Barney theme played on and on and on.

I gotta shake this head cold.

Do not adjust your monitor. Technical difficulties have interrupted our broadcast. We should be on the air in the morning. Thank you and good night.

How I know there's still a boy in me.

I was really thrilled when I looked through a telescope for the first time and saw for myself that Saturn really DOES have rings.

I'm always amazed that those huge ships float and those big planes fly and I can sit and watch both come and go for hours.

I stood for an hour on a residential street corner in Philadephia and watched and listened as the wind blew hundreds of fallen leaves around the street.

Things I believed as a boy:

That the world ended at the tops of the mountains north of Tucson.

That radio broadcast live performances and their parking lots were filled with musicians waiting to get in.

That I could step off the back of a moving truck and stop without falling just like Bugs Bunny. (thank god the truck wasn't moving too fast)

That I could save all those baby birds that fell out of their nests.

That a mouse trap caught mice by the tail just like in the cartoons.

That dogs and cats were the same animal. Dogs were the males and cats were the females.

That Martians had landed in Sabino Canyon north of Tucson. (when the local station put on their version of War of the Worlds)

I have issues with...

violence innocence sadness men submission

Take Word Association Test

I have been told on several occasions and by several people that I look or looked like two of these three actors.

Can you guess which two?

My wife, according to google images

Me, according to google images.

I was so tired that I went to bed. Then I remembered I wanted to take my nyquil because I have a cold. I was too lazy to get up. I couldn't get to sleep until I got my lazy ass up.

We got the message
I heard it on the airways
The politicians
Are now deejays

The broadcast was spreading
Station to station
Like an infection
Across the nation

The politics of dancing
The politics of ooh feeling good
The politics of moving
Is this message understood?


(The Reflex, Politics of Dancing)

I have "maxed out" on the amount of vacation time I can save at work. Now I must use all the new time I accrue or lose it at the end of next year. That means I will be forced to take 26 work days off in 2006.

I have enough air miles to get me there free.

I have enough credit card to keep me there that long.

The previous quikie posts were brought to you by the influence of large quantities of......

(((hiloyo)))

My name was hiloyo and I am a recovering internet chatter and I'm making steps to recovery everyday.

I bought my first computer in 1998 and soon found my way onto a site called Coolchat. Coolchat had several "rooms" and I became a regular in the "40 something" room.

Soon I was ((hug))ing and LOLing and ROTFing late into the night with people called Brie and Midnight and Saranita and Zaphod and more in what was a regular group. I was even "private messaging" from time to time but not too much.

Then the hackers came. Hackers could shut down the room and some of us would bounce over to ICQ where if you had speakers you were alerted to a new message by a UT OH sound. I hear ICQ is still going but Coolchat shut down some time ago when everybody discovered instant messaging on MSN.

I met two of my fellow chatters. One as I passed thru the Dallas airport and one who lives in Vancouver. But alas the wheels of time move and you wake up with a blog and chatting is just something that was so long ago.

So I show up at work today in my underwear.....

then the alarm goes off so I get up and complain to nobody that I don't feel so hot. I shower and go downstairs to watch some news and some sports and some Six Feet Under. I open a can of coke because I have a sore throat. Out the door at 4:20 and I just have the car door open when I see my wife standing in the open front door holding up my pants.

"Don't you want these?"

The alarm goes off so I get up and complain to nobody that I don't feel so hot. I shower and go downstairs to watch some news and some sports and some Six Feet Under. I open a can of coke because I have a sore throat. Out the door at 4:20 and flying down the road when a cop shows up outta nowhere and hits me with the light show. I pull over.

"License, registration and.....sir, why are you driving dressed only in your underwear?"

The alarm goes off so I get up and complain to nobody that I don't feel so hot. I shower and go downstairs to watch some news and some sports and some Six Feet Under. I open a can of coke because I have a sore throat. Out the door at 4:20 and flying down the road. I get to the airport parking lot and pull into a stall next to the car of a friend. I notice that she is in the back seat of her car. I see clothes flying around. She sees me. She's changing clothes because she's coming to work straight from a night out.

"What are YOU looking at?"

"DUH! You have to change the bra too?"

"Yeah dumbass it's RED and we wear WHITE blouses. Remember?"

"That's right. Who's honking their damned horn like that?"

"It's not a horn dumbass. It's your ALARM!"

The alarm goes off so I get up and complain to nobody that I don't feel so hot. I shower and go downstairs to watch some news and some sports and some Six Feet Under. I open a can of coke because I have a sore throat. Out the door at 4:20 and flying down the road. I get to work fully dressed and everybody else is fully dressed and I get to deal with that broad I mention in the post below this post. The good news is since I don't feel so hot I take half the day off sick.

November 13, 1995
How do they fit all that in a gas tank? blog

It's getting cold now and I've rotated to midnight shift. At least the kids are in school so I can sleep during the day. Wow, three of them go to the same elementary school. Jennifer in 6th grade, Danny in 4th and Ilsen is a first grader. Robert goes half days to the Early Learning Center and the teachers love him. He's a little hellion. Next month he'll be five.

Maggie is getting better every day. I'm glad I had the sick leave to use. The butcher that did the surgery will get his one day. God bless the nurse in Sierra Vista who put her foot down and got her transported to Tucson where they got those last two gall stones out. You don't know what frustration is until your wife cries in your arms because of the pain and there isn't shit you can do about it.

To see her smile and get about the house with more comfort every day is great.

I sent a Volkswagen beetle into secondary the other day and they pulled 40 kilos of cocaine out of false floor. That was pretty cool. The bricks were all greasy so they could slide them into the compartment.

I wish I could post some pics of some of the loads of weed we nail. It's all packaged like puzzle pieces to fit into gas tanks and looks really cool. I wonder if the dopers go to a guy who has patterns of tanks, say "do it like a 79 Cordova", hand him the weed and pick it up the next day all packaged and ready to go.


(explanation note: my wife had her gall bladder removed and a section of her "tubing" containing two large stones gave her trouble. It wasn't a close to dying thing. Just very painful)

BRASIL RULES THE SOCCER WORLD!!

For some reason all kinds of Brazilians have been visiting the ol' blog here. So seeing that I really believe that the World Cup final should be played between Brazil and Argentina every time I thought I'd make them feel welcome. No I didn't misspell Brazil on the top. I spelled it the way Brazilians spell it.

Sorry Euro soccer fans but that's just the way it is. The only reason it doesn't happen every time is that politics play a part in Brazil and Argentina selecting players for their national teams. Ask any Brazilian or Argentine and they'll agree with me.

November 13, 1985
Life gone to the dogs blog

Jennifer is saying pretty much everything you'ld expect a 2 1/2 year-old to be saying. Danny is just a bag-o-baby moving around and making three month old noises. The '74 Monte Carlo that I drive is doing okay even though the speedometer doesn't work all the time.

The house is actually half a house. We live in the back end and my sister, her husband and their son live in the front. It's an old neighborhood by the University of Arizona and there are some roaches but we spray and they head over to the front half until Liz sprays and sends them back. It's pretty much what we can afford on what I make.

Work is seven days a week. Dogs have to eat everyday and get turned out four times a day and have the kennel cleaned everyday. There are 105 of them and I can name everyone of them for you if you drop by when they're all out in the pens. Then five days a week we take some to race and two mornings a week we take some down to train on the track. It's a lot of work but it's a lot of fun which is why I don't look for something that pays more than $200 a week.

I bought some coveralls at the army surplus store so Maggie doesn't have to put up with me smelling so bad when I get home.

November 12, 1975
I was a teenage high school blogger

We lost the game last night but that's nothing new. Twelve of us went to Village Inn for pizza and I lusted after Karen all night like always. Then of course I chase after Becky when I really want Cindy. I don't know what it is about me.

John and I cruised Speedway for a couple of hours before calling it a night. Steve took his rechargable fire exchinguisher back last week so that fun's over for now.

Mrs. Robbins got on my butt yesterday for not reading Crime and Punishment. I hate to read. I held up the answers to the science test so Sarah could see them. Being a lab assistant in Earth Science is such a blast. Margot and Marcie keep flashing me cleavage so I will give them quiz answers. Margot says she's sorry that hers aren't as big as Marcie's but that's okay with me.

Me and Leroy are going down to fourth avenue to the used record store this afternoon. I have a date to go to the U of A game tonight with Kelly. That oughta be fun. Hers are bigger than Marcie's.

Hallway of doors

There is a locked door in the hallway
And I hold the key
It shines in my open palm
Multicolored reflection memory

There is a yearning deep inside me
That I cannot control
It dulls my very senses
A burden that has it's heavy toll

We stand on either side listening
It's a waiting game
Neither yielding to surrender
Pointing fingers and calling out blame

Veteran's Day

This is my father. He was drafted at the tail end of WWII and just after his swearing in a man burst into the room and announced that the war in Europe was over. So he went to basic and was later placed on a boat for Europe. He was stationed in Cologne, Germany as a military policeman.

He told me how all of the guys in his unit were given their own jeeps. Trouble is he didn't know how to drive. "The sargeant pointed to a big field and told me to go learn". He said it looked like bumper cars at a carnival but he and the others were soon driving through the city and surrounding countryside.

My father did not consider himself to be a "real" veteran because he did not fight in the war. He was never afraid of the German prisoners he guarded but he did worry about the American prisoners who were accused of commiting serious crimes during and after the war.

My father would years later tell my baby sister that he and the other MP's would let the German prisoners go to their houses at night. The prisoners were always back before role call in the morning. My father and the others risked court martial for their actions but the reason they knew the prisoners would come back was simple. The Germans were taking portions of their meals home to their families. Families that otherwise faced certain starvation in war devastated Germany.

My father did not consider himself to be a real veteran but we did and we saw that there was an American flag on his casket before we laid him to rest.

This is why my daughter is jealous that I grew up in the 70's. This is my pick for the best album released in that decade. I went and stole it back from her room and have it cranked up now.

You scored as agnosticism.

You are an agnostic. Though it is generally taken that agnostics neither believe nor disbelieve in God, it is possible to be a theist or atheist in addition to an agnostic. Agnostics don't believe it is possible to prove the existence of God (nor lack thereof). Agnosticism is a philosophy that God's existence cannot be proven. Some say it is possible to be agnostic and follow a religion; however, one cannot be a devout believer if he or she does not truly believe.

agnosticism
83%

Christianity
63%

Islam
54%

atheism
50%

Judaism
46%

Buddhism
42%

Paganism
38%

Satanism
38%

Hinduism
33%


Which religion is the right one for you? (new version)

I wasn't going to do this but I have to know if I CAN do it after seeing it on Binsk's blog.

The ABC's of Zona Boy

Asshole (to about 70% of people I meet)
Big
Crazy
Dan
Effortless
Father
Golfer
Hungry
Insane
Joyful
Knightly
Laughing
Moustached
Naughty
Opinionated
Pissed
Quick
Rude
Sinner
Talkative
Unruly
Vocal
Witty
XXL
Yearning
Zealot

About Me
Name:Madzionist
Location:United States
Nice Jewish boy determined to see islam defeated.

Holy shit. This guy was on my site meter as having dropped by the ol' hacienda. All his links were right, more right, and way right sites.

Kinda makes me miss the guys who hit my blog by putting "gay canine bondage" and other such things into yahoo search.

I know it's egotistical but since there have been pics of me posted on this blog and many others lately I thought I'd post a pic of me that I actually liked. Kinda like an opposing editorial viewpoint. This was a self portrait taken at the house I grew up in. My posts from Tucson were certainly what I thought were my best writing to date on this blog.

This monument was erected to commemorate the surrender of Geronimo. It happened south of this spot but the road goes by here and look they've even put up a ramada with a table so you and the loved ones can have a picnic and discuss the official end of the Indian Wars.

It's on Highway 80 between Douglas, AZ and Rodeo, NM in a town called Apache. That's if you consider three buildings a town.

Those odd shaped stones that look like holes are metates (may TAH tays) that the Apache used to grind corn.

Ritual of skulls goes mainstream
Ancient Bolivian tribute connects living and dead
By Fiona Smith The Associated PressSalt Lake Tribune

LA PAZ, Bolivia - It's a tradition people outside Bolivia might find creepy: Families perch human skulls on altars, revering them and asking them for protection and good luck. On Tuesday, the skulls were gussied up and taken to cemeteries, where the families crowned them with flowers and filled their jaws with lit cigarettes.

The chapel in La Paz's main cemetery was filled with hundreds of people jockeying to get their skull, or ''natita,'' in a good position for a special annual Mass. Thousands more people gathered outside.

''I was scared of them at first, but now I realize I was scared because I wasn't taking care of them,'' said Shirley Vargas, who brought two skulls, who she calls Vicente and Maria, to the Mass. ''Now I keep them in my room with me. I love them a lot, and they have helped our family when we've had problems.''

Yikes!!

All I can do is hope that our kids treat our skulls that nice.

Then there is the section of 4th avenue that passes through the city of South Tucson. Once a dark 4 lane street that people used to speed down to avoid 6th avenue to the west with all it's traffic lights.

That all changed some years ago when a group of very bright people came up with a brilliant idea. They chopped the road down to two lanes that shake thru the neighborhood making speeding impossible.

They also came up with a beautification program called "weed and seed" meaning they cleared out the weeds and planted shrubs and bushes and trees.

At the same time they constructed a bunch of murals and walls and benches and such that are all decorated with colorful and textured tile as you can see.

Of course what that meant is that the Mexican restaurants on the street had to keep up and make improvements and as a result there was an incredible economic impact to the area as anglos who had stayed away flocked to the area in droves.

I can tell you that to this date, even though the murals are right on the sidewalk and you can walk up and touch each one, NONE of them has been vandalized. I think it's because that everybody knows a vandal would be skinned upon capture.

Mi Nidito (My Little Nest) is the most popular restaurant in the area and if you plan on going there bring a crowbar to get in the door because they don't accept reservations. Well, they did ONCE but his name was President Clinton.

The Crossroads (near the bottom) used to be my fave. It lost a lot of it's charm when they stopped their drive-in service. Back in the 70's you could get your meal and even your beer served to you in the comfort of your automobile. My father ate lunch there everyday for about 15 years. It was a mandatory stop with me and my friends before we went across the street to the dog track.

Enjoy the pics below.