I needed a break from the issues dominating the headlines lately. So Barb and I took a weekend day away from our usual home maintenance duties and took one of our nieces and her roommate on an antelope sighting and fly fishing trip. I won't say which niece but she hadn't ever seen an antelope in her 36 years so she is obviously not from around here.
To accomplish both missions it seemed necessary to head toward Wyoming. It was difficult to keep our niece and her roommate focused on anything other than their cell phones and giggly chit chat but I think we managed to show them 30 or so antelope between Westminster and Laramie. A wildlife highlight if ever there was one. Especially if you are from somewhere where prairie dogs don't even exist. They wanted pictures but in my experience, antelope tend to show you how fast they can run if you get out of the car to take a selfie. So I told them it was against the law and we kept moving.
Stopping for licenses in Laramie provided their first photo opportunity next to the big painted "We Specialize in Fly Fishing" sign on the sign of the building. If you see the picture on Facebook, it's not true. The ladies do not specialize in fly fishing although they did show some promising signs of their own.
When we finally got streamside I rigged a couple of rods which took longer than the girls wished but to their credit they did not start throwing rocks in the water to pass the time. They could have been donning their rented gear but wanted to wait and do that just before we started fishing, perhaps in case another photo opp presented itself. At waters edge I suggested they put their waders on while I scouted the stream a bit. I looked up to check on them a few times--enough to know they were busily snapping pictures of each other in various stages of putting on waders.
Perhaps I should have paid closer attention. Sensing we were ready to get started I went back to get them and heard our niece's roommate Jen ask if I thought it made any difference that she had put her waders on inside out.
If there were any doubt, I knew at that moment that I did the right thing when I declined to pursue a career as a fly fishing guide. It also dawned on me the day might not mimic any of my favorite scenes from "A River Runs Through It." So we redid the waders and took a new round of pictures and got to work. Oh my.
I quickly figured out that if I just let them take pictures when they wanted to instead of yelling at them to "Fish, damnit!" the day was going to go a lot smoother. To their credit they got the hang of things fairly quickly, sort of, and soon the line was going in the general direction of where I thought there might be fish. Only one willow was hooked all day which I think is darned remarkable for anyone's first day streamside, although I do credit their instructor with not letting them play out enough line to catch many willows on what were (in only the loosest technical sense) their backcasts.
After one fly change they began to miss several strikes on dry flies which excited them and held their interest. For awhile. The fish were quite eager and I cannot say the ladies missed many more strikes than anybody their first time out. A few more. Not many more. But lunch beckoned and fishing could wait.
I caught 5 fish showing them how to cast and while they took a lunch break. It was the only fishing lunch break I have ever been associated with that involved chicken cobb salads made at some organic deli in Boulder. Barb reported later they were quite good. My niece mercifully brought me a fishing appropriate sub sandwich which, while on focaccia bread, was delicious.
I had forgotten how exhausting one's first day of fishing could be and hadn't anticipated the apparently necessary naps after lunch although I have to say a streamside nap is one of life's underrated luxuries and I probably should have taken one myself. Instead, being the dedicated uncle I am, I used naptime to scout another few hundred yards of the stream trying to find some can't miss spots for my two charges. That is my way of saying I didn't catch anymore fish although I did miss a few strikes myself.
After naps however, the action did taper off greatly and the ladies had photographed everything within sight and were ready to go after an hour or two. My suggestion that the evening hatch would be worth sticking around for was met with stares that I wouldn't describe as blank but they may have harbored evil intent.
So we left. I am afraid of evil intent.
We had a great pizza and beer feast at the world famous Bear Tree Restaurant in Centennial, WY, compliments of my two very generous students and the laughter and stories about the day made me wonder how I could ever take anything so simple and trivial and beautiful so seriously. The ladies seemed genuinely appreciative of the experience and it seemed they had a great time, measuring success in number of photos not number of fish.
And Barb and I, while never able to forget our son is a cop in these troubled times of open season on law enforcement professionals, left the drone of MSNBC v. FOX behind us for a day and laughed and splashed in the water and remembered that life still can be good.
Monday, July 18, 2016
Friday, July 8, 2016
Who matters?
The latter half of 2016 may have been the worst time in my history to begin a blog intended to point out the humor that normally confronts me on a daily basis. There just seems to be too much going on that upsets me on a near daily basis the last couple weeks and I can't get past the need to deal with it.
Today I am heartbroken. Sure, about the murders of police officers in Dallas but closer to home than that. Yesterday a young man whom I have known since the day he was born posted a meme that said "Black lives matter. If you don't get that then you are the problem." Well I don't get it.
To his credit he took it down when BLM shooters begin pinging away at cops in Dallas and he's not the only person who has taken up the marching cry of #blacklivesmatter. But what sucked the wind out of my sail was that this young fellow, whom I love and respect, was raised alongside my own two children, one of whom grew up to be a police officer.
I went from angry to defeated a lot quicker than I would have thought. I know this fellow is too fine and compassionate a guy to actually wish my son and his friend dead because of a police uniform and I will certainly forgive him. I already have. But how did we get to a point where hate is so loud?
Before I was forced to turn off my radio today the media was trying to defend blacklivesmatter and claim that the gunmen in Dallas were not affiliated with any group. Sorry. I'm on board with that about as much as I am with the theory that the nutcase in Orlando was not motivated and inspired by ISIS. I'm going to try and resist the temptation (today) to get sidetracked with what a sick and disgusting tool the media has become and what utter despots journalists are. I don't think most of them have the intelligence for original thought anyway but they do give voice to those who want to drive the notion that all cops are at war with the black race.
Here is my meme: "Most cops are heroes. If you don't get that then you are the problem."
My son, the police officer, was not raised to hate or judge anyone by the color of their skin. He is as color blind as anyone I know. I can assure you that he does not wake up in the morning thinking, "I hope today is the day I get to kill a black man." He is a police officer because the instinct to protect those who need it is stronger in him than in most people. It may come from somewhere deeper but I know it at least partially comes from all his years as an offensive lineman, first anchoring the line that protected his best friend in high school and later forging a bond that has a good chance of lasting a lifetime with a band of brothers that was the offensive line for five years for a Division 1 college football team. Incidentally, he was an offensive captain both in high school and in college so it isn't just me who thinks highly of him.
At 6' 4" and 260 lbs. of solid muscle he is exactly who you want to see show up if you need help. I am hard pressed to think of anyone one should want more than him between them and a bad guy (skin color up to you, he doesn't really care) attempting to beat a wife, rape a daughter, damage or steal your property or any other nefarious activity. He takes serve and protect seriously and literally. After some trial and error, policing is something that makes him feel like football made him feel. I am proud as can be of him and more than a little defensive of those who sneer at the suggestion that blue lives matter.
And he is one of hundreds of thousands of good cops across this country who are exactly the same way. Most cops are heroes. I repeat: If you don't get it then YOU are the problem. I'm told these posts need to be relatively short (hard for me) so I won't burden the page with the statistics of what a small fraction of a single percentage of black deaths by gunshot are wrought by bullets from cop's guns or how close the statistics are on black v. white deaths at the hands of cops. If that shakes you up just consult MSNBC for a set of statistics that can help you feel better about hating cops. Those statistics will be wrong but don't let that stop you.
Are there bad cops? Duh. Of course there are. And the good ones would agree with all of us that they should be punished to the full extent of the law IF THEY ARE INDEED GUILTY OF A CRIME.
Who is driving this narrative of a war on blacks by our nation's peace officers? There's plenty of blame to go around but don't some of you find it puzzling that on any given weekend 50-60 black people, aged 3-70, are killed by other black people in Chicago alone? The Crips and Bloods have killed a WHOLE LOT more black people than cops and yet that rarely even gets reported. Why is that?
I think its because the black leadership in this country and the people who hold power by creating a victim class are reluctant to deal with the social meltdown in inner-city black culture. (Ummm! No he didn't just say that!) No not everybody. C'mon. But 75 percent of black families are being raised without a father in the picture. Not just divorced. Totally not in the picture. Who is teaching those youngsters what their behavior should be and what their role in the community should be and what their potential is if they dare to dream and work hard? That's a lot to ask of a single mom who is doing everything she can to keep food on the table and clothes on everyone's backs although those who do are a whole class of hero themselves.
Now sure, I just lost half of you who were inclined to disagree with me in the first place with my horribly racist comments. I don't intend my remarks to be racist. I think it's a real problem we need to address as a society. That said, it's not a problem white people have the credibility to fix. We'd like to help, sure. But we need a team effort here. I'm far from the first to suggest it but wouldn't it be more productive if American black leaders put their focus on keeping families together and having faith in the resilience of the human spirit? If you really want to stop black deaths by lead poisoning it seems to me there are bigger topics to tackle than the cops.
Ya', it does sound silly and all pie in the sky. Much easier to blame cops and white people for fun and profit and power.
And here's the moment you've been waiting for: I know how easily offended those of you who drink the koolaid are if anyone is critical of your guy in the White House, but is their a black leader in a more powerful position anywhere in America? The world? Would it be too much to ask for him to stand up and say, "Hey, quit blaming someone else for your circumstance. We CAN change. Yes we can."
That sounds so much different to me than "Not only do black lives matter, blue ones do too." Well, thank you Mr. President.
Ya' know what folks, All Lives Matter. I've tried to understand why believing that is racist and wrong and I just can't figure it out. Black lives, white lives, blue lives, Asian lives (how come they aren't pissed at us?), Latino lives (they aren't all mad at us either but that's another blog I hope I never write), Native American lives (geez, don't say red lives), lives of any color I may have missed. They all matter. Every single one.
There is no war on black people by cops. It is a myth perpetuated by the media, black leadership, whites who exploit a concept of black victimization for their own gain and whatever the blacklivesmatter movement represents to create a victim class and enable them to focus their frustration on having someone else to blame instead of on stopping the downward spiral of self-victimization. Not to mention the benefit that falls to the perpetuating classes I listed for their own financial and power status quo. And by posting your ridiculous memes all you do is help them.
And no, my young friend, I am not the problem no matter what you have been led to believe. Black people do not die because of me. You are still my friend. But watch it.
Today I am heartbroken. Sure, about the murders of police officers in Dallas but closer to home than that. Yesterday a young man whom I have known since the day he was born posted a meme that said "Black lives matter. If you don't get that then you are the problem." Well I don't get it.
To his credit he took it down when BLM shooters begin pinging away at cops in Dallas and he's not the only person who has taken up the marching cry of #blacklivesmatter. But what sucked the wind out of my sail was that this young fellow, whom I love and respect, was raised alongside my own two children, one of whom grew up to be a police officer.
I went from angry to defeated a lot quicker than I would have thought. I know this fellow is too fine and compassionate a guy to actually wish my son and his friend dead because of a police uniform and I will certainly forgive him. I already have. But how did we get to a point where hate is so loud?
Before I was forced to turn off my radio today the media was trying to defend blacklivesmatter and claim that the gunmen in Dallas were not affiliated with any group. Sorry. I'm on board with that about as much as I am with the theory that the nutcase in Orlando was not motivated and inspired by ISIS. I'm going to try and resist the temptation (today) to get sidetracked with what a sick and disgusting tool the media has become and what utter despots journalists are. I don't think most of them have the intelligence for original thought anyway but they do give voice to those who want to drive the notion that all cops are at war with the black race.
Here is my meme: "Most cops are heroes. If you don't get that then you are the problem."
My son, the police officer, was not raised to hate or judge anyone by the color of their skin. He is as color blind as anyone I know. I can assure you that he does not wake up in the morning thinking, "I hope today is the day I get to kill a black man." He is a police officer because the instinct to protect those who need it is stronger in him than in most people. It may come from somewhere deeper but I know it at least partially comes from all his years as an offensive lineman, first anchoring the line that protected his best friend in high school and later forging a bond that has a good chance of lasting a lifetime with a band of brothers that was the offensive line for five years for a Division 1 college football team. Incidentally, he was an offensive captain both in high school and in college so it isn't just me who thinks highly of him.
At 6' 4" and 260 lbs. of solid muscle he is exactly who you want to see show up if you need help. I am hard pressed to think of anyone one should want more than him between them and a bad guy (skin color up to you, he doesn't really care) attempting to beat a wife, rape a daughter, damage or steal your property or any other nefarious activity. He takes serve and protect seriously and literally. After some trial and error, policing is something that makes him feel like football made him feel. I am proud as can be of him and more than a little defensive of those who sneer at the suggestion that blue lives matter.
And he is one of hundreds of thousands of good cops across this country who are exactly the same way. Most cops are heroes. I repeat: If you don't get it then YOU are the problem. I'm told these posts need to be relatively short (hard for me) so I won't burden the page with the statistics of what a small fraction of a single percentage of black deaths by gunshot are wrought by bullets from cop's guns or how close the statistics are on black v. white deaths at the hands of cops. If that shakes you up just consult MSNBC for a set of statistics that can help you feel better about hating cops. Those statistics will be wrong but don't let that stop you.
Are there bad cops? Duh. Of course there are. And the good ones would agree with all of us that they should be punished to the full extent of the law IF THEY ARE INDEED GUILTY OF A CRIME.
Who is driving this narrative of a war on blacks by our nation's peace officers? There's plenty of blame to go around but don't some of you find it puzzling that on any given weekend 50-60 black people, aged 3-70, are killed by other black people in Chicago alone? The Crips and Bloods have killed a WHOLE LOT more black people than cops and yet that rarely even gets reported. Why is that?
I think its because the black leadership in this country and the people who hold power by creating a victim class are reluctant to deal with the social meltdown in inner-city black culture. (Ummm! No he didn't just say that!) No not everybody. C'mon. But 75 percent of black families are being raised without a father in the picture. Not just divorced. Totally not in the picture. Who is teaching those youngsters what their behavior should be and what their role in the community should be and what their potential is if they dare to dream and work hard? That's a lot to ask of a single mom who is doing everything she can to keep food on the table and clothes on everyone's backs although those who do are a whole class of hero themselves.
Now sure, I just lost half of you who were inclined to disagree with me in the first place with my horribly racist comments. I don't intend my remarks to be racist. I think it's a real problem we need to address as a society. That said, it's not a problem white people have the credibility to fix. We'd like to help, sure. But we need a team effort here. I'm far from the first to suggest it but wouldn't it be more productive if American black leaders put their focus on keeping families together and having faith in the resilience of the human spirit? If you really want to stop black deaths by lead poisoning it seems to me there are bigger topics to tackle than the cops.
Ya', it does sound silly and all pie in the sky. Much easier to blame cops and white people for fun and profit and power.
And here's the moment you've been waiting for: I know how easily offended those of you who drink the koolaid are if anyone is critical of your guy in the White House, but is their a black leader in a more powerful position anywhere in America? The world? Would it be too much to ask for him to stand up and say, "Hey, quit blaming someone else for your circumstance. We CAN change. Yes we can."
That sounds so much different to me than "Not only do black lives matter, blue ones do too." Well, thank you Mr. President.
Ya' know what folks, All Lives Matter. I've tried to understand why believing that is racist and wrong and I just can't figure it out. Black lives, white lives, blue lives, Asian lives (how come they aren't pissed at us?), Latino lives (they aren't all mad at us either but that's another blog I hope I never write), Native American lives (geez, don't say red lives), lives of any color I may have missed. They all matter. Every single one.
There is no war on black people by cops. It is a myth perpetuated by the media, black leadership, whites who exploit a concept of black victimization for their own gain and whatever the blacklivesmatter movement represents to create a victim class and enable them to focus their frustration on having someone else to blame instead of on stopping the downward spiral of self-victimization. Not to mention the benefit that falls to the perpetuating classes I listed for their own financial and power status quo. And by posting your ridiculous memes all you do is help them.
And no, my young friend, I am not the problem no matter what you have been led to believe. Black people do not die because of me. You are still my friend. But watch it.
Monday, July 4, 2016
A Fourth of July Thank You
Thought I'd blog twice this weekend with the extra day off and all. Plus I woke up this morning feeling patriotic and grateful for the service of those who have given us this great nation in which we are fortunate enough to live
.
Thanks to every service man and woman who put on the uniform. Whether you filed papers stateside, drove a jeep on a base in a country at peace, or sweated out firefights in conditions unimaginable to most of us: thank you.
I cannot tell me how sincerely I mean that. And if you wore a uniform know that there are 10's of millions of us who feel that way. Maybe 100's. Watching the flag burnings and witnessing the dismantling of our military by our government I wouldn't blame some of you for feeling unappreciated. But know that what the media reports is not what the nation feels. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to every one of you and we know it.
It's always kind of been that way though hasn't it? I remember flag burnings in the 60's. This country didn't go far enough out of its way to make you Vietnam Vets feel welcome but you were. She may try and hide behind her actor's guild card but we remember Hanoi Jane, and not fondly. (Fonda-ly?)
I was born between March 29, 1957 and December 31, 1959 which represented that freakish blip in our Selective Service System where the requirement to register was eliminated by President Ford. Probably had something to do with the fact his own son had "forgotten" to register. I was less in tune with the news in those days and was unaware I didn't need to register and while in college on my 18th birthday I became nervous that I hadn't gotten anything in the mail about registering for the draft but thought that might seem a poor excuse in court. So I called the Colorado State University ROTC office, thinking they might know what was going on, and asked what my next move should be.
.
Once we established that neither enrollment in the draft or volunteering for the campus' ROTC program were compulsory I hung up without even giving my name.
Seems cowardly and often I feel guilty about it. Maybe that is part of why I feel so grateful for those who did serve. I love the fact I live in a nation where all men are free and opportunity exists for anyone who is willing to work for it, even if that means resisting the temptation of the syren call of victimization. I love the fact I live in a nation where I was able to raise a family safely and with the opportunity to enjoy all the freedoms of being an American. Friday night football games which became Saturday afternoon football games. Watching my daughter dance. Working with my wife to maintain our home and raise our family. Being able to drive from one side of this great country to the other without having to pass through government checkpoints. Having the opportunity to provide for my family and on a couple of occasions to actually build businesses that seemed important. Saturday night barbeques. Cable TV (eventually). Freedom to choose. Freedom to speak. Freedom to live.
It is a rambling and inarticulate list, I know. And I suspect that collectively we could make a list of things we are grateful for as Americans that would be too long to read. And for that privilege, soldier-sailor-marine-ranger-whatever-they-call-you-air-force-guys, thank you. Thank you very much.
.
Thanks to every service man and woman who put on the uniform. Whether you filed papers stateside, drove a jeep on a base in a country at peace, or sweated out firefights in conditions unimaginable to most of us: thank you.
I cannot tell me how sincerely I mean that. And if you wore a uniform know that there are 10's of millions of us who feel that way. Maybe 100's. Watching the flag burnings and witnessing the dismantling of our military by our government I wouldn't blame some of you for feeling unappreciated. But know that what the media reports is not what the nation feels. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to every one of you and we know it.
It's always kind of been that way though hasn't it? I remember flag burnings in the 60's. This country didn't go far enough out of its way to make you Vietnam Vets feel welcome but you were. She may try and hide behind her actor's guild card but we remember Hanoi Jane, and not fondly. (Fonda-ly?)
I was born between March 29, 1957 and December 31, 1959 which represented that freakish blip in our Selective Service System where the requirement to register was eliminated by President Ford. Probably had something to do with the fact his own son had "forgotten" to register. I was less in tune with the news in those days and was unaware I didn't need to register and while in college on my 18th birthday I became nervous that I hadn't gotten anything in the mail about registering for the draft but thought that might seem a poor excuse in court. So I called the Colorado State University ROTC office, thinking they might know what was going on, and asked what my next move should be.
.
Once we established that neither enrollment in the draft or volunteering for the campus' ROTC program were compulsory I hung up without even giving my name.
Seems cowardly and often I feel guilty about it. Maybe that is part of why I feel so grateful for those who did serve. I love the fact I live in a nation where all men are free and opportunity exists for anyone who is willing to work for it, even if that means resisting the temptation of the syren call of victimization. I love the fact I live in a nation where I was able to raise a family safely and with the opportunity to enjoy all the freedoms of being an American. Friday night football games which became Saturday afternoon football games. Watching my daughter dance. Working with my wife to maintain our home and raise our family. Being able to drive from one side of this great country to the other without having to pass through government checkpoints. Having the opportunity to provide for my family and on a couple of occasions to actually build businesses that seemed important. Saturday night barbeques. Cable TV (eventually). Freedom to choose. Freedom to speak. Freedom to live.
It is a rambling and inarticulate list, I know. And I suspect that collectively we could make a list of things we are grateful for as Americans that would be too long to read. And for that privilege, soldier-sailor-marine-ranger-whatever-they-call-you-air-force-guys, thank you. Thank you very much.
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Stop Yelling
So this will usually be funny but I feel like I need to address the elephant in the room and try and bring my version of sanity to the gun control "crisis" at the front of so many minds.
First of all, stop yelling. Both sides. Stop it. It's a touchy issue and both sides are completely convinced they are right and yelling isn't helping. We need to listen to each other. I guarantee you will hear things you do not want to hear but the "ban all guns now" side needs to know that the "you can't have mine" side isn't happy about mass murders by mass morons either. And the "you can't have mine" side needs to hear that the way things are isn't working and it's not enough to say, "wish harder."
Full disclosure. I am a supporter of the second amendment. I own a gun which you cannot have. It is not an AR-15, if you are someone to whom that is important and I am not a member of the NRA lest you think I am marching to their orders. I too believe something needs to be done. I think that's our starting point.
I have to admit incredulity that the media (and I do not include all people on the left agree with the idiots in the media) are on a mission to make every shooting a law-abiding conservative problem. That bothers me. I take it personally. I am a husband, a father, an uncle, a son, a brother and a citizen of the same country you are. I've never killed anyone. I don't want to but I will if they threaten to do harm to me or my family. It hurts me when schools, bars and crowds of any kind are shot up by deranged and misguided, twisted pervs who've gotten their hands on a weapon.
There are some who will disagree but I am not a deranged and misguided, twisted perv but I do have a weapon and I want the killing to stop. I am open to considering anti-gun owners ideas but I can already tell you I reject the extreme solutions and if you yell at me I am through with you.
I don't know all the laws we already have in place but I know the lack of enforcement of those seems to be a huge part of the problem. Can I suggest we start with a review of those and some analysis on how to enforce those?
From there my initial suggestions which, for God's sake, are not nonnegotiable lines in the sand, include you being open minded about the arguments for conceal carry and the abolition of gun free zones (which scream "target" to me).
I have lots more thoughts but I'm interested to see if I have any support. I know I'll have lots of resistance. Just please try and be respectful if you can be. Not to be disrespectful myself but I know some of you can't handle that. Let's solve this world problem and move on to more humorous subjects like illegal immigration and transgender bathrooms (c'mon, you gotta' see humor there).
First of all, stop yelling. Both sides. Stop it. It's a touchy issue and both sides are completely convinced they are right and yelling isn't helping. We need to listen to each other. I guarantee you will hear things you do not want to hear but the "ban all guns now" side needs to know that the "you can't have mine" side isn't happy about mass murders by mass morons either. And the "you can't have mine" side needs to hear that the way things are isn't working and it's not enough to say, "wish harder."
Full disclosure. I am a supporter of the second amendment. I own a gun which you cannot have. It is not an AR-15, if you are someone to whom that is important and I am not a member of the NRA lest you think I am marching to their orders. I too believe something needs to be done. I think that's our starting point.
I have to admit incredulity that the media (and I do not include all people on the left agree with the idiots in the media) are on a mission to make every shooting a law-abiding conservative problem. That bothers me. I take it personally. I am a husband, a father, an uncle, a son, a brother and a citizen of the same country you are. I've never killed anyone. I don't want to but I will if they threaten to do harm to me or my family. It hurts me when schools, bars and crowds of any kind are shot up by deranged and misguided, twisted pervs who've gotten their hands on a weapon.
There are some who will disagree but I am not a deranged and misguided, twisted perv but I do have a weapon and I want the killing to stop. I am open to considering anti-gun owners ideas but I can already tell you I reject the extreme solutions and if you yell at me I am through with you.
I don't know all the laws we already have in place but I know the lack of enforcement of those seems to be a huge part of the problem. Can I suggest we start with a review of those and some analysis on how to enforce those?
From there my initial suggestions which, for God's sake, are not nonnegotiable lines in the sand, include you being open minded about the arguments for conceal carry and the abolition of gun free zones (which scream "target" to me).
I have lots more thoughts but I'm interested to see if I have any support. I know I'll have lots of resistance. Just please try and be respectful if you can be. Not to be disrespectful myself but I know some of you can't handle that. Let's solve this world problem and move on to more humorous subjects like illegal immigration and transgender bathrooms (c'mon, you gotta' see humor there).
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