WAIT, IS THAT A THREAT?

Can’t recall who coined the phrase about an electorate getting the representation they deserve, but it seems pretty cruel. Granted it’d be hard to improve our lot soon given the morons running both major parties. We have millions of people in this nation. Are these the best two guys they could find?

Would You Rather Crash in a RED PLANE or A BLUE PLANE?

Really, those are my choices? If so, we oughta blow off the primary process. Save a year of bad commercials and news shots of insincere bastards flipping pancakes in Idaho and just pick the candidates with two darts and a phone book.

Deep down these two may be lovely, but I have differences with McCain’s votes. As for Obama, who the hell knows *what* he believes… he has no record or even visible related experience. He has less time in Congress than most of the volunteer interns that bring his coffee, and has been known to just vote “Present” (I’m here, I abstain) on crucial measures. Way to stand on principle you rugged individualist, thank god you were there.

CAMPAIGN PROMISES and Other Fantasies

I guess we *could* try listening to what they say during a campaign… but that tells us only what the polls say we wanna hear. Hell, I already know what I wanna hear, I was kinda curious what THEY thought. Anybody that believes campaign rhetoric while ignoring the track record probably owns a timeshare on tidal land that came highly recommended by a guy with a great smile and a history of fraud convictions.

“NEWS” Reporters… and other Campaign Tools

The news is another possible route to an educated vote, but face it, the talking heads are often undeclared campaign volunteers. Does ANYONE wonder which side Fox is on? Meanwhile on the other side, Dan Rather gave us an intimate glimpse of how newscasters try to influence elections.

RATHER NOT

Dan had ample evidence he was going to press with faked docs to “prove” a rumor about a Presidential candidate, but apparently did so anyway because he believed the content of the allegation even if he had to kid himself about the authenticity of the evidence. [Thanks Dan, why let NEWS get cluttered by FACTS.] It was eerily close to election, and might have gone unchallenged but for the speed of the net and a sharp-eyed blogger who caught an inkjet era font on docs “typed” long before that was possible . Oops.

PHOTO-OP vs CRUCIAL QUALIFICATION

Meanwhile, examples of news bias occur 24/7. The fawning press reaction to the Obama junket to Afghanistan comes to mind. Professional newsmen speak to each other in grave tones about whether the trip will effectively counter claims he hasn’t the experience to be the Commander in Chief.

Seriously? How could it? When McCain went it was considered a photo-op, and barely mentioned. Now somebody else gets his picture taken near guys in uniform for use in political ads… but in THIS case it is might magically confer a whole new credibility as a potential Commander in Chief? There’s some infallible logic, and fine example of reporters making news instead of reporting it.

If I get my picture taken with a few nurses… can I be Surgeon General?

CONCLUSION: Buy a Hat… Hold Onto It

That THIS process decides who has access to thermo-nuclear devices just scares the hell outta me.

I'm Rob Jones... and I approve this message.

Career Day - A Morality Tale
David was in his 5th grade class and it was Career Day. The teacher asked the kids to stand up and tell what kind of jobs their parents did. The answers were all pretty standard for the local community… policeman, civil engineer, plumber, lawyer, electrician, various corporate sales jobs. David was being uncharacteristically quiet, and the teacher finally asked him to please share with the class.

“My dad is an exotic dancer in a gay bar where he undresses a lot on a big stage. Mom’s a waitress at the bar across the street, but they make most of their income doing a little side work as prostitutes in the alley after hours. Me and my brother stay at the pool hall with my uncle Frank while they work til 3 or 4AM.”

The teacher is shocked, and quickly puts the other kids to work on some exercises,then quietly takes David out into the hall to determine the truth of the tale.

Softly she says… Now David, I’ve met both of your parents, and I’ve even met your uncle Frank, and I’ve got to say that description you just gave doesn’t seem likely. Would you like to tell me the truth now?

David got a little red and squirmed a bit, but finally he looked up and said…

OK, look, Mom and Dad are both Senior VPs at Best of the Web… but ya gotta promise not to tell the other kids.”

—

Oh yeah… I figure I’ll hear about that one. :-p

Have a great day all, and try not to take life too seriously. We’re all gonna get to our destination some day, but the real trick is to enjoy the trip.

I'm Rob Jones... and I approve this message.

COMEDY CENTRAL or DALLAS CITY HALL?

Thinking of canceling my subscription to Comedy Central. Comedians are amateurs compared to politicians, and they show Dallas County Commissioners meetings on TV for free.

“Where the West Begins” vs Where the East Peters Out”

Before I get tarred with the same brush (I think I can still say that can’t I?)… let me mention I *don’t* live in Dallas. I live in the same metro area, but not even the same county. We are in Southlake, a punt and a pass from Ft Worth. Dallas on the other hand is a hell-hole in my studied opinion.

Dallas is (was?) home of The Cowboys, another local embarrassment. Wasn’t always so, there was a time if you asked about their record you got an answer in terms of wins vs losses. Today it’d be arrests vs convictions. Add to that everyone knows Jerry Jones isn’t fit to carry Tom Landry’s hat and is currently selling longtime fans down the river in return for a new stadium that will play only to corporate interests that can afford tickets (which seriously will cost more than the average house). Jerry Jones IS Dallas. He lacks a soul.

You wanna offend someone from Tarrant County, just say they live in “Dallas”. Might as well spit on their truck while you’re at it, cause they already think you’re a putz. Dallas is like Hell, only with hotter weather and even more lawyers.

So now know my dirty secret… I’m a blatant Dallascist. Go ahead, try telling me some of your best friends are Dallasites, but I’m not gonna budge.

FREEDOM TO BE REALLY REALLY IGNORANT:

The “Black Hole” Controversy

The latest flap at the Dallas County Commissioners meeting concerned a remark made by Kenneth Mayfield with regard to the department that processes traffic tickets. Apparently it is notorious for losing things, and Commissioner Mayfield referred to the problem by indicating it is becoming “a black hole”. {shudder}

John Wiley Price, a commissioner no doubt planted by interests intent on embarrassing the hell outta north Texans… leaps up and loudly voices his objection to the racial insensitivity of the comment, suggested that the department is really becoming “a white hole“… and honest to god folks… he and another cohort in stupidity (this one a Dallas Judge) are still demanding an apology.

The only thing missing from their meetings is a laugh track. Well, that and a good dictionary.

No doubt you’ve figured out Price is one of those dime-a-dozen bozos who gets elected by playing the race card even when it doesn’t apply. Like many politicos, his only skill is getting re-elected. He’d be laughed at by *real* civil rights activists, people who boldly challenged a system that offered liberty and justice “to all men” until you read the fine print and found the word “white” somewhere in the middle. There’s a difference between opposing racism and just being an ass. Price has long since established himself in the second camp.

Ridding the World of Racism one Astronomer at a Time?

On the bright side, with any luck maybe Price will now turn his attentions on all those obvious racists working at observatories. At least it’d get him outta north Texas. Seriously, there are only two possibilities, either he’s disingenuous, or has the IQ of a toaster.

Anyway, thanks for the entertainment John, now run along and let the big kids talk.

I'm Rob Jones... and I approve this message.

Hope everyone is having a great day, or in the case of the colonials in my neck-o-the-woods, a good holiday. :)

Ran across a CNN article about the discovery of the site of Washington’s boyhood home. Found it interesting it was also the site of a Union (read “filthy Yankee”) trench in the Civil War… and on hitting the foundation (the house was gone by then) they had to skirt the edge to continue their trench.

Lot of history on the east coast… the birthplace and testing ground of a young nation… the sites just tumble all on top of each other. If I lived that direction I’d consider a metal detector and a good shovel to be required purchases.

Anyway, here’s the CNN story. I’ll hang around the house and try to keep the fireworks lovers from scaring the hell outta my horses… maybe burn something dead on the grill before the serious fireworks displays get started. Happy 4th!

FROM CNN: Archaeologists find remains of Washington’s boyhood home
After nearly three years of excavation, archaeologists have confirmed the discovery of the site of George Washington’s boyhood home near the banks of the Rappahannock River in northeast Virginia.

Digging into the red clay of Ferry Farm, a former plantation in Fredericksburg, has unearthed the footprint of the home of the nation’s first president when he was a young boy.

The site of the plantation — which would have included the main house and other structures including a slave quarters — is nestled along 800 acres of rolling farmland, cherry trees and the banks of the Rappahannock River.

The George Washington Foundation, which announced the findings this week, thinks the Washington family moved to the site in 1738, when George was just 6 years old. Washington lived there until 1754 when, at the age of 20, he moved to Mount Vernon. The future president’s mother, Mary Washington, lived at Ferry Farm until 1772.

Archaeologists hope the site will shed light on the gray areas in the life of America’s most famous founding father. It was at the Fredericksburg farm where Washington, according to legend, could not lie to his father about chopping down a cherry tree.

But Paul Nasca, the foundation’s staff archaeologist, said it was unlikely that any of the farm’s cherry trees fell victim to the young Washington’s ax.

“There’s no doubt the Washingtons had cherry trees out here,” Nasca said. “But we do believe the great tale of Washington chopping down the cherry tree is myth. We haven’t found the cherry tree, and I don’t think we’ll ever find the cherry tree.”

However, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, on hand for the official announcement of the find Wednesday, said the legend still speaks to Washington’s honesty and integrity. “Even if they are myths, they portray what people thought of him,” Kaine said.

The historic site is open for visitors. In five to seven years, the foundation hopes to build a replica of the house near where the original stood.

Nasca said researchers have uncovered everything from early Native American to Civil War-era human occupation on the site.

“We were very concerned all of this occupation may have obliterated the Washington home,” Nasca said, “but, in fact, we were most pleased to find — even though they are fragmentary — [that] there are significant archaeological facts associated with the architectural footprint of the Washington family home.”

The plantation house was modest by the standards of the time. It was 53 feet by 47 feet, stood a story and a half high, and had two chimneys. The house also had a limestone cellar. The carefully laid limestone blocks of the cellar can now be seen peeking out from the ground excavated by a team of experts, interns, and volunteers.

Nasca says the limestone blocks were probably quarried in Virginia and laid in place by slaves. He says the Washingtons owned slaves, and there is evidence of slave quarters near the main house.

The foundation is continuing to excavate the site for artifacts. After sifting through the dirt, one young archaeologist found a nail, some window glass and ceramic shards from what used to be the home’s front yard.

As the team dug, they also uncovered a Civil War trench used by Union soldiers in the Battle of Fredericksburg. The Washington farmhouse would have been long gone by the fall of 1862, when the soldiers dug in for the winter on the Union side of the river.

It appears the the soldiers’ trench ran into the foundation of the old house and took a 90-degree jog around what would have been the main chimney of the Washington home.

Learning the Lessons of History
The day reminds me that once the Brits and the guys on my side they branded “traitors” were part of one nation, and parted on less than perfect terms.

Despite initial animosities between the established giant on one shore and the plucky little David figure across the water… in the end the shared history, values, traditions, and relations prevailed. The resulting two nations, both strong powers in their own right, have become friends and allies.

No wonder one of the docs that sped the revolution on its way was titled “Common Sense”. History has a way of teaching us if we just pay attention.

Here’s wishing you all a happy Independence Day, no matter which side of the water you’re on. :-)

I’m Rob Jones, and I approve this message.

Hmmm… Must be that time of year.

Group #1

• Mom: Tigger Dog - Husky (Beth’s Dog)
• Dad: Name Unknown (lives in neighbors yard when not visiting here) - Golden Retriever
• Date of Foaling: June 10 (verified)
• Number in Litter : 8 (6 surviving)
• Location: Knee space in Guest Bath cabinet
• Status - Mom’s first litter. Looks like 6 fat healthy piglets at a trough. Three are golden with thin white dorsal stripe, 2 have black/white w brown accents (husky markings), one is jet black w white tummy and tips of toes.

Group #2 (Wanna Kid Photo? YOU crawl under the house)
Mom: J.D. (aka: Jane Doe… was running outta names) - Mixed Hound w some Lab (Official Trail Pup)
Dad: Same Golden Retriever as above. He’s very popular.
Date of Foaling: On or before June 10
Number in Litter: ???
Location: Under the house about 60 ft past crawlspace entry

Status: I know one didn’t make it cause JD brought it out rather than keep a health hazard near others. Brood is safe under the house, potential predators wont enter the yard due to horses and other dogs. JD plans to get her figure back fast, she’s insisted on hitting the trails with me and the horses twice since these guys hit the ground. This is the dog that runs with every trail ride taken outta here despite having lost an eye when she hacked off a horse from a tad too close. She’s seriously tough for such a nice dog.

Group #3 (Note: 3rd pic is the father when he was a puppy)

• Mom: Katherine Lanvers Jones (aka: Kathy… the last name is a fairly recent addition)
• Dad: Mark Jones (aka: Polo… tho the longstanding nick is limited to those currently in my chair)
• Date of Foaling: June 15 (Happy Father’s Day Sgt Jones)
• Number in Litter: Just one, but it’s awful cute.
• Location: Dallas Presbyterian Hospital (not as imaginative as “under the house” but probably more practical).
• Status: Youngster is 8 lbs 4 oz, named Reagan Michelle Jones. Unlike the babies you look at and say “oooh… ahhh” in parents presence… then after you walk away you go “Was that thing human?”… this one really IS pretty. Probably because the parents are, but my story involves strong genes passed on by the paternal grandfather. Currently pink in color, she’s a future Championship Barrel Racer and World Champ in Cowboy Mounted Shooting.

This one is of particular import, as it is my mom’s first great grand-child, my first grand-child. [Is "grand-spawn" a word?] The Mom’s well and will be outta the maternity ward soon. Dad’s thrilled, he’ll be a good father, and tho I generally appreciate whatever tool he gives me for father’s day… this was an interesting departure from the norm.

Congrats Kathy, and Happy Fathers Day Mr Polo. Our prayers are with you.

I’m Rob Jones… and I approve this message.

The Smartest Guy in the Room…

About me? I wish. Talking about my dad.

Bob Jones - Graduated with a Math degree on GI bill after WWII. Could answer almost anything off the top of his head, or using one of a handful of sliderules he owned. Worked most of his life in Aeronautics Engineering, then finished up as a one of the few of real estate brokers whose word was more solid than somebody else’s written contract. Smart, had integrity, unshakeable… the stuff heros are made of.

One thing that always amazed me was the way he unflinchingly ignored the opinion of a crowd if he knew they were wrong. A gift passed from father to son, accidentally though it mighta been. I don’t recall him saying a word on the topic, he never had to, he lived it. To this day it doesn’t matter how large a crowd insists that 2+2=6 or somesuch nonsense… thanks to Dad I’ll still trust that it’s really 4 whether the majority present agrees or not.

Helluva theory, how’s it work in practice?

For what it’s worth I can attest that this can be a reeeally unpopular trait when you’re on a city commission and some consultant almost has everyone in the group baffled with bullshit… but bottom line, *Facts* just aren’t subject to a vote. Sometimes disagreeing with the crowd IS the only appropriate response.

Wait… Didn’t Lincoln Cover This Base Already?

In that vein, I might mention that just as a few still insist the world is flat, there are still a few in the directory world that think I’ve been “stealing” editors. Seriously… for something to be *stolen* you must *own* it. All I’ve done is offer some good people an opportunity, a chance to turn their skills into something for which they’re paid. Eventually we gotta get one of those “we own the volunteers” types to explain how they missed the whole “Emancipation Proclamation” thing. I was almost sure it made all the papers. Volunteers are people, not property.

But on the bright side…

Happily it appears the negative stuff has finally dwindled to a minority opinion. Many thanks to those broadminded types that helped get that across. Heck, the net’s a big place, it has room for at least two directories. If it starts to run outta space, hey, we’ll just use smaller fonts. :-) You guys still have one of the best directories on the net and some of the most dedicated folks I’ve ever worked with, and that too is a fact.

The Few, the Proud… the Nerd Herd

Like the Marine Corps… we’re still looking for “A Few Good Men” at BOTW (or women of course… I’m just shallow, not stupid) :-) . Of course anyone that thinks volunteering elsewhere makes ‘em someone else’s *property* need not apply, but those with a brain are welcome to drop me a note at robjones@botw.org . Always happy to hear from you.

Meantime… to the few that still think there’s a conflict… naah. People oughta be able to share good fortune with friends, and I still consider a lotta folks at the old place friends. That’s a fact, and not subject to the opinion of anyone else.

Somethin’ I learned from the fella I’ll forever consider The Smartest Guy in the Room. :-)

I’m Rob Jones, and I approve this message.

Given the technology and money available I can’t hope to compete with mainstream news when it comes to getting scoops. Being industrious (well sorta) I’ve devised a clever plan… I’ll just *predict* it. If history holds true chances are I’ll be about as close as they are to the truth. Anyway, I’ll give it a shot.

Come back in January and we’ll see how I did.

Dateline: Jan 26 2009

White House
In national news, Barack Obama was sworn in as President of the United States. Analysts are uncertain what this might mean to the Clinton campaign… but their spokesmen acknowledged that while this might be viewed by some as a setback… “Hillary will not give up until the people have spoken”.

Capitol Hill
After the dismal turnout in which the outcome of the election was decided by less people than get stuck in elevators on a given day… Congress voted to scrap the current electoral system and move to the proven selection method used on American Idol.

The Supreme Court is thus far mute on the constitutionality of having half the vote vested in a panel composed of an angry Brit, a drunken bimbo, and some guy who calls everyone “dog”.

Celebrity News

Today Lindsey Lohan and Brittany Spears were wed in an apparent effort to revive mutually flagging careers. The public ceremony was attended solely by paparazzi and selected members of child services. In lieu of a catchy “TomCat” or “Bennifer” type tag, it appears the national media plans to just continue calling them by their current name… “Sluts”.

How are they Now?

How is time treating the guys you paid to see at the box office?

Tom Cruz – Still weird.

Russell Crow – Still an asshole.

John Wayne – Still dead.
More as these stories develop.
Technology
Last month’s patch to Windows trouble prone Vista operating system seems to have finally done the trick. Users across the world report the system now performs flawlessly.

In related news, Microsoft announced the rollout of “Windows Tomorrow”, an untested new operating system which will immediately come preloaded on all computers produced anywhere. Existing Vista users can expect full and complete support of the current software until at least Wednesday.

Economic News
Plagued by rising fuel costs and decreasing revenues as the economy continues its headlong plummet into hell, American Airlines announced that effective immediately it is laying off all employees in an effort to keep the ailing air giant aloft.

In a stirring appeal to unity and company loyalty, the Chairman asked employees to remain on as volunteers “since tough economic times require teamwork, spirit, and sacrifice”. Afterward the board voted unanimously to award themselves large bonuses and adjourned for lunch.

International News - Afghanistan

In a video aired today on Al Queda Television, Osama Bin Laden repeated his standard plan to bury America, annihilate all infidels, take over the world, and spread the peace of Allah across the globe. Then in an added twist he indicated it is the duty of the faithful to phone in enough votes to decide the upcoming finale of Dancing with the Stars.

The last part initially puzzled analysts who immediately suspected an encoded message, but informed sources later indicated Osama’s just been upset ever since when Wayne Newton failed to make the finals.

.
International News - Iraq
In a surprise move the war in Iraq was entirely resolved this week when the Iraqi Parliament voted to post signs across Iraq declaring it to be a “Gun Free Zone”.

Police then rounded up hordes of frustrated but disarmed terrorists who, powerless to overcome the signs, peacefully complied, though later they vowed to carry on the fight by posting unflattering parodies of their opponents on the internet.

CONCLUSION

OK… Granted I made it up, but that never stopped Dan Rather, so I figure I’m just following time honored tradition. Anyway, if you don’t like it, get out there and do something to make it happen otherwise. At least with my news stories you get some notice.

That’s all the news… just as I imagine it to be.

Have a pleasant evening, and goodnight.

I’m Rob Jones, and I approve this message.

The man had finally had it. Repeated adversities had befallen him while all around him prospered…he had to know why. He looked to the heavens and spoke from the pain and torment in his soul.

“I am a good father, a loving husband, I give generously to those in need… why do these things keep happening to me?!”

A moment of silence, then the skies opened and a voice from the heavens said…

“I dunno… something about you just pisses me off.”

In defense of all things heavenly, the description of the good-deed-doer above isn’t me, no doubt any tragedy coming my way is earned. Nonetheless, it appeared this month as though someone wanted my attention. That’s ok, I like to think of myself as open to suggestion. Then again I like to think of myself as “tall” and that isn’t really true either.

Subtle Hint #1 - The Canoe trip:

We had a few storms on arrival at the Big Piney (note: that’s understated). I’d been on this body of water at flood stage before, have canoed this water for 2 decades, and it can be fun. It can also be dangerous, as indicated by the fact that the only time I’d been on it this high we’d ended our day shortly after coming across an accident that included a fatality. [That'll suck the fun right outta the day.]

The photo above looks like pretty wimpy whitewater, but when you consider it’s a picture of something called “Long Pool” it gives you an idea of conditions. We tried the short run (aka: the “easy” run) and by “we” I mean me and the only other guy dumb enough to get on the water with me (Hi Robert, you made my blog!). There was originally a 2 boat armada for safety, but the guy with boat #2 bailed just before we hit the water. I didn’t discover this until we were ON the water. So much for a backup.

They say “nature abhors a vacuum”, but for the record, I’ve noticed she’s none too fond of whitewater canoeists either. We made it a few miles, lost it, my PFD tried to strangle me while standing waves tried to drown me, got thrown against a bluff at about 35 mph, slammed in the back by the canoe that was thrown right after I was, sucked down by a vortex while the current tried to pin me to the concave wall, made it to the surface (barely and only for split moments), and had made it around the bluff and was struggling on the boundary between the current and a lifesaving eddy when I was assisted to shore by a kayaker… he and his buddy were about the only other boats on the water, but were there at the right time and in the appropriate craft.

Initially his assistance came in the form of telling me to swim to shore. Normally I’d have asked if I really looked like I was trying to decide whether to do that or to go try and gargle a few more rounds of standing waves, but I was far too busy trying to stay alive to think of saying anything cute, and the fact that I was on this water in an open boat gave him every reason to suspect I might just be that stupid. He did let me drag on the back of his kayak when he realized just how spent I was… a bold move on his part… I could have dropped him into the water beside me with the wrong move.

He may have been an angel in my eyes, but the all-seeing Terry Moore who runs Moore’s Outdoors assured me he’s known locally as Hippie Bob or somesuch. I’ll ask next year… I was a little too outta things this time (I’m blaming a headfirst shot into a rock wall). Etiquette usually dictates I at least know the name of those who help me to safety while I gurgle pleas for mercy. My canoe partner turned up (alive thankfully) about 2 more miles downstream. The boat, it could be anywhere now, but it was not high on my list to worry about it at that particular moment. I walked through about a mile of cows on Bates Farm and hitched a ride to go find help.

When they make the movie I’m gonna rewrite this entire scene. For starters, in my version I’ll heroically drag Robert to safety by holding the edge of his lifejacket in my teeth while I swim instead of momentarily pondering the feasibility of hitting him on the head with a paddle and using his inert body as a flotation device. Might also wanna change those seriously unmacho moments where I made promises about stuff I’d do if I lived (and I really hope these weren’t taken seriously). Meanwhile I hear the locals renamed Bates Bluff in honor of my exploits, so if you ever go thru Arkansas you might wanna stop and visit Dumbass Texan Ridge.

Subtle Hint #2 - The Mare Does a Backflip
Still sore but glad to be alive… after a few days of recuperation at home I hit the trails on horseback with Doug Packer (one of the canoe trippers) and his daughter. No problem, been riding these trails for years. Safe at last. I told my sore bod all the same reassuring things the Skipper probably said to Mrs. Howell as he loaded the last trunk with her summer minks aboard before setting off for a simple 3 hour tour.

My mount was a mare I’d ridden some but is still new to these trails. She’s got a nice racing pedigree (read that: she’s inbred, nervous by nature, and capable of moving at ridiculously high speeds). Notwithstanding an early departure from the ride by my wife when her horse decided the boats on the lake were out to get him, the ride started pretty well, though my ride insisted she preferred not to go down the trail at one point where the creek IS the trail. She isn’t real big on creeks, possibly having heard about my recent display of skill on a creek known as the Big Piney. She’d tried this same routine recently with my son aboard, and he wisely got off.

It seemed the thing to do was to get her to do the thing she feared. [OK, it *seemed* the thing anyway.] She went into the creek after serious coercion, then spooked bigtime and immediately opted to climb a vertical wall on the opposite side of the creekbed with me aboard. Wouldn’t really have minded this but for the fact that the top of the ledge was blocked by trees, so when she stopped forward motion gravity refused to be further denied… she fell backwards on top of me.

As she prefers to do a job well if she’s gonna do it at all, she then rolled over me twice, then (I swear this is true) removed castanets from somewhere and danced a sterling flaminco number on my torso.

Conclusions
Both instances above were a tad closer to fatal than preferred, but nothing happened in either but a few sore muscles and bruises (ok, and a lost canoe). “Miraculous” could be used in both cases, cause I was starting to be pretty worried the water was gonna win in the first case, and all that came to mind while going doing a backflip with a horse on top was “Isn’t this how McMurtry killed off Newt in the Lonesome Dove trilogy?” [Yes, it was.]

The thing on the water was the result of dumb decisions. The bit with the horse was, well, part of riding, it happens. Still, my attention has been gotten, and hopefully I have responded correctly.

Anyway, for future reference on the topic of getting my attention… a shiny object is pretty much all it takes. No need for crashing waters and aerobatic horses. Moses went for the burning bush, and in my opinion there’s a lot to be said for that route. Roasting a shrub without consuming it is always cool, and doesn’t require near as many icepacks afterward.

Oh well, for what it’s worth, I think the point I may have been missing is summed up in a line I’ve said several times lately, to wit… “Dang, I’m gettin’ too old for this stuff!” With that in mind, I’m trying out a new sport. [See action shot below.]

Oh Yeah… I’m Rob Jones, and I approve this message.

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