Back Again

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Well, I’ve said it often enough (see the archives), but with the coming elections I think I ought to start blogging again. So much is going on right now that I feel I have to get involved. Since I was called a ‘political junkie‘ by Joe Monahan, I figured I should get with it already. Also, I don’t know how well our part of the state is served as far as blogging is concerned.

I’m not sure how to bring this up with the boss, so I’m going along with the premise that I have been doing this since before I started the job. Actually, that isn’t so much a premise as it is the truth. Still, I worry about what our publisher will say; especially since I don’t think I’m going to be restricting my opinion all that much. However, it seems to me that any Daily Press readers who find their way here will likely appreciate knowing my personal leanings on things, since I plan on staying as objective as possible while writing for the paper. If my publisher has any problems, well, I’ll deal with them later.

So, anyhoo, what is going on? For starters, the folk over at Daily Kos have started a drive to get Sen. Bingaman’s amendment for habeas corpus at Guantanamo Bay. So, do as they say: call your senator.

In other news, two challengers to the Silver City native (Bingaman, that is) recently made campaign stops in Silver City. I’ll get some linkage for my profiles of their visits as soon as I get a chance (I might have to post the stories here). They are definitely different brands of Republicanism. The one, Allen McCulloch, is an engineer-turned-doctor from the Farmington area.

McCulloch’s primary focus seemed to be on education — at least that’s what I gathered from his 30-minute discussion with area Republican supporters. He shocked me by saying he’d agree that “we’re spending billions educating the uneducable.” But, he’s a smart and capable guy, so I think we’ll overlook the rookie moves for now.

His presentation was tailored to rural, southwest New Mexico, and he touched on quite a few things that are important to voters down here: health care, mining, education. He was quick on his feet, providing thoughtful yet concise answers to questions from the audience, and very rarely did he stray from a safe, general message of improved economic, social, and educational opportunity.

David Pfeffer, on the other hand, came off as a more passionate kind of Republican — passionate at least about securing the U.S.-Mexico border, prosecuting the War on Terror, and returning to what he calls “civil discourse.” What struck me as completely strange was how willing he was to disregard that type of discourse. He said Democrats are in “full revolution mode” and wondered when “Christian” became a bad word.

Now, the funniest thing occurred during the Pfeffer meeting. The area Republicans were discussing their young star, Abe Villarael, who is currently editor of The Mustang. The talk turned to the Mustang’s previous editor, his lack of grammar-skills, and in general the poor shape of the newspaper before Villarael took the job.

Of course, that was me they were talking about.

I stuck around for a few more minutes, but I had met with Pfeffer earlier in the day and therefore figured I had enough to write a complete report. After politely excusing myself I headed home.

Regardless of my own personal feelings about the meeting (did they know they were bashing me?), Pfeffer is going to appeal to a different type of person than McCulloch. For somebody who was a Democrat until a year or two ago (note to self: check on that) he seems like a fire-branding neo-conservative.

“The war in Iraq is absolutely the right thing to do,” he said. “Like President Bush said after 9-11: you’re either with us or against us.”

Long story short (you still reading?) I don’t think either of these guys has a shot against Bingaman — he’s untouchable in this state. His approval is up over 60%, and, like Domenici, he’ll probably win until he stops running for office.

Alrighty, plenty late, so I’m outta here. I’ll be back soon — I promise.

Hunter Thompson Dead

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Well, just a quick note, and a link to a more important post. Steve Gilliard provided an exceptional post on the passing of Hunter Thompson today. You must go read it.

A quote:

“Which is why Hunter Thompson was a hero. He was honest to a fault and mean to a fault. In a world where journalism has become about asking questions politely and fiction about settling grudges with parents and schoolmates, he was about something far more important.”

Quite right. Too often as journalsts we settle for what we’re given, and it’s true at almost every level. We could all learn a little something from the man’s legacy.

Election Results?

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One of my duties as News Director for my radio station is to broadcast election results from the County Clerk’s office as they come in from precints. Tonight I was broadcasting results from the 2005 School Board Election.

It’s been a long night. We only have five “districts” in the entire school distric, and only three school board seats were being contested. However, people in the district with the closest race were told that they couldn’t vote in that district, and instead had to go to another district. The race was decided by a mere 19 votes. The loser was, obviously, quite upset, and will most likely appeal the election.

In another district, one of the candidates filed for candidacy in the wrong district. He didn’t get many votes, but even if he had won he would have been unable to hold the school board seat.

So, out of three school board races, only one went off without a hitch. Wow.

I’m out.

OK, the “I’m Baaaaaaaaaack” thing has to stop.

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Well, today in the supermarket I met one of my best friend?s mothers. She said she had been by and read the site, so I figured I might as well get something new up here. Sooooo tempting to do another “I’m Baaaaaaaaaaaaack!” post, but I decided against it.

Things have been incredibly busy for me lately. For one, the radio station gig is keeping me quite occupied, and when you throw school into the mix you can only imagine. However, I’m no longer doing the Editor’s job for the student newspaper, so I guess that’s good news.

Anyhoo, the most significant thing in my life is my new hobby: photography. Yesiree folks, I?m a budding, amateur photographer.

That’s just an example. I’ve added a link to my gallery over there on the right, so I hope you check it out. Also, check out the “Hip Reference, Clever Metaphor” blog posted there in the “Linkage” section. You’ll enjoy it, I promise.

Time to run for now. Keepin em short and sweet, so hopefully I’ll post more of em!

I’m Baaaaaaaaaaaaack! vol. II

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It?s like d?j? vu all over again! Yes, after a seven month hiatus ?rants/raves? has returned. Let the trumpets sound and the women dance and the children sprinkle their rose petals (that?s still SOP, right?) as the people rejoice.

Much has changed since the last post. Stasistech.com is no more, and I have no idea what will become of the domain name (if you browse the archived entries on the right and see a link to an ?article? know that it won?t be there). I spent the beginning of the summer working as an intern for US Senator Jeff Bingaman. Upon my return I was hired as the News Director for KNFT radio. In addition, I took on a leadership role in something called the American Democracy Project.

I?ve been busy.

I lost my best friend over the summer as well. Granted, I had been in love with her, and things hadn?t worked out, but really, she filled a role in my life that had never been filled before. And the last several days have left me wondering, and wandering.

I?ve been confronted by a realization: the way we see others can never fully be conveyed to somebody else. As much as I sought help and advice from my friends, they never did (and never will) know the ?rest of the story? (as Paul Harvey would say). And I came to this realization after observing people in similar circumstances.

When I came back from D.C. my friend had just been dumped. Now, I know both parties, but I?m partial to the gal, because I know her better. We ended up spending a few weeks together, sometimes laughing, sometimes with her head on my shoulder as she cried. She was a mess.

And through it all, she completely trashed the guy. I mean, she didn?t pull any punches. As I was only getting one side of the story I completely thought the guy was scum. For starters, this girl is amazing: she could have any guy she wanted, and he doesn?t want to be with her? What a jerk!

Then, last week, they got back together, and everything is suddenly OK.

I guess that?s how things are. The situation I described is incredibly similar to the story of another friend. And I realize that we?re all that way. As much as I dissed on this girl that broke my heart, I still consider her one of the finest people I?ve ever met. These last few days I?ve also come to know how much I miss her. I don?t get e-mail anymore, since she?s not writing me. I don?t have a phone call to look forward to every night, or every weekend for that matter. She wanted me to need her, and I do now more than ever.

I see her the same way my friend saw her ex: with prejudice. Sure, we talk the talk, but we don?t walk the walk. We can never see the bad things people do, or if we do, we choose to ignore them. And you know what they say: ignorance is bliss.

I’m Baaaaaaaaaaaaack!

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Well, it?s been quite some time since anything?s been done here on the Stasistech Network. With my budding journalism career, and Archon?s potential move out of town, there hasn?t been enough time in either of our lives for this ?trivial? website stuff.

Lately, things have been busy in my life to be sure. But recently, I?ve felt an inclination; a feeling that I?ve been missing something in my life. Maybe I miss my family and friends knowing what?s going on with Avelino. Or, maybe I need the relief from stress that I see when I do write here. Or, maybe my work with The Mustang, which requires a balanced approach to the news, has left me in the dark. I might just miss the opportunity to write whatever the heck I want, without worrying about the topics, or the writing style, or whether my sarcasm will offend somebody.

There?s been a lot going on in my life since I last wrote here. And, while there have certainly been a number of developments, I?m still the same liberal cynic who still chooses to be optimistic about the direction in which our society is headed.

For example: the New Mexico Lottery Scholarship. Governor Bill Richardson recently announced that he wanted to shift the Scholarship in a way that would benefit need based students. In its current incarnation, the Lottery Success Scholarship doesn?t touch on need based students in anyway ? I think the criteria boils down to residency and GPA.

However, the amount for federal funding for need-based initiatives has dropped sharply in recent years, as the national economy has slowed. That means students expecting need-based funding on a national level can expect something like 47% less than they could just 2 years ago.

So, why do I bring all this up? Well, the student government here at WNMU, the Associated Students, has teamed up with the student governments of several other universities in the state to lobby against the governor changes. Their basis: they believe that they?ll be losing the scholarship if it goes to a need-based system. And turns out, guess what: they won?t!!

Anyhoo, that sort of thing always gets my chaps in a bunch (or something like that). I?m sure our regular readers (all two of you) know this and expect it by now. But, I thought I would toss some thoughts down, since it would be ?inappropriate? to do so in my legitimate rag.

I went for a bike ride on Friday night, such as I haven?t done in over three years. I met up with my old friend Jonathan ?Froof-Dawg? Mullen in Las Cruces, and we decided to go ride our bikes around campus. At 2:00 in the morning. Yes, a night ride is a special thing, and nothing can punctuate how special more than the Star Spangled Banner, bellowed out in the middle of a University dorm complex at 4:00 AM. Sure, the R.A.s were a little upset, but nobody shot us, and the campus population of cats didn?t join in, so I guess we weren?t that bad.

The next afternoon I went for another ride with Jonathan, along with my very good friend Joshie and his roommate Joseph. Yes, I rode with three guys whose names all begin with the letter ?J.? We took a spin around ?A? mountain (I guess that was for me, since there?s no ?J? mountain in Las Cruces? and I was reminded of how pitifully out of shape I am.

But, the ride was magnificent. Climbing up the little switchbacks around here is fun, and there?s some great downhills all across the Silver City area. However, nothing is quite like that technical trail in Las Cruces. The climbs were insane, patched with basketball sized rocks everywhere. There were some definite technical sections of downhill trail as well ? the backside of the mountain contains a few spots that are positively tricky if you?re not paying attention. In fact, I crashed out pretty hard, though on one of the tricky climbs ? I managed the downhill sections OK.

But, this weekend?s bike rides did serve to remind me why I love the sport so much. Why, no matter how out of shape I am, I still struggle to get up on the saddle again and finish out that last section of trial. You can get Bike magazine and read all the sappy letters about the beauty of nature, or the companionship of friends, or the exhilaration of a nice set of singletrack. But for me, it all comes down to one thing ? out there, you?re on your own. Just you and the bike, fighting the trail to find your way home.