I'm Back!

Wow! It's been a long time since I blogged. Laziness. So what has happened since my last post? Well, we elected a new president. Thankfully, the voters saw through the BS and elected a person that has goals and plans. We shall see what happens.

Anyone notice that we are down to 40 days until "W" is gone! Yeah!


Work is finally slowing down. Where have I been. Hmm. Ted Turner's Ranch for a week, lots of creeks in Northern NM and finally home. Here is web blog that one of our guests posted. Yup that is me with the cheesy grin.

40 days!

Now is the time to get your republican friends/and or on the fence independents and democrats to seriously think about who they are going to vote for.

Yes I know the Republican Party wants someone that will back them on abortion issues, guns, etc., but if the RNP is pro life then why do they destroy the environment without much concern!

8 years is enough. . . . . The economy is ruin, we (United States) has almost no credibility globally and all this money the Republican Party has supposedly saved us by lowering taxes is not in your pocket (ie. higher gas prices, higher food prices, etc.) So did they really save any of us money.

Yesterday, McCain tried to back out of his scheduled debate so he can help with the economic bailout! Wasn't it just last week that he stated that the fundamentals of the economy are fine. So which is it? Congressman are perplexed that he is rushing back to DC to help, considering he hasn't voted on any bill since last April.

McCain's suggestion for a rescheduled date for the debate: Oct. 2nd (hmm. I think that day was already booked for a debate with the potential VP's). Trying to hide Palin, perhaps.

Give someone new a chance

NY TImes

Vote For Change

Did you catch Obama's acceptance speech last Thursday night? If not, you should! I have always said that the common man/woman needs to run for president, so they know exactly what most of America is like and not what their private school/ivy league upbringing pretends to teach them what the rest of the United States is like. Senator Obama is wealthy, and did attend an Ivy League school, but he grew up just like the rest of us. Critics have stated that Obama's speech didn't contain any substance as to what he wants to do while in office. Those that doubt him are so far off and only want the status quo. Need more info concerning his ideas, check out his webpage. He lays it all on out.

Senator McCain has been stating that Senator Obama is inexperienced and people shouldn't want someone with very little experience running our country. Hmm. Then what was Mr. McCain thinking when he selected Gov. Palin as a running mate. Just remember, at age 72 Mr. McCain is no spring chicken and if something should happen to him health wise, the US would then be run by someone with just 2 years of experience. Females should be insulted to think he can steal the woman vote by selecting somone so new to politics. I am ready for any race and either gender to run our country, but JUST MAKE DAMN SURE THEY ARE QUALIFIED!

Here is some info I just received!!

Yesterday was John McCain's 72nd birthday. If elected, he'd be the oldest president ever inaugurated. And after months of slamming Barack Obama for "inexperience," here's who John McCain has chosen to be one heartbeat away from the presidency: a right-wing religious conservative with no foreign policy experience, who until recently was mayor of a town of 9,000 people.

Huh?

Who is Sarah Palin? Here's some basic background:


She was elected Alaska's governor a little over a year and a half ago. Her previous office was mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage. She has no foreign policy experience.1

Palin is strongly anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest.2

She supported right-wing extremist Pat Buchanan for president in 2000. 3

Palin thinks creationism should be taught in public schools.4

She's doesn't think humans are the cause of climate change.5

She's solidly in line with John McCain's "Big Oil first" energy policy. She's pushed hard for more oil drilling and says renewables won't be ready for years. She also sued the Bush administration for listing polar bears as an endangered species—she was worried it would interfere with more oil drilling in Alaska.6
How closely did John McCain vet this choice? He met Sarah Palin once at a meeting. They spoke a second time, last Sunday, when he called her about being vice-president. Then he offered her the position.7
This is information the American people need to see. Please take a moment to forward this email to your friends and family.

We also asked Alaska MoveOn members what the rest of us should know about their governor. The response was striking. Here's a sample:

She is really just a mayor from a small town outside Anchorage who has been a governor for only 1.5 years, and has ZERO national and international experience. I shudder to think that she could be the person taking that 3AM call on the White House hotline, and the one who could potentially be charged with leading the US in the volatile international scene that exists today. —Rose M., Fairbanks, AK

She is VERY, VERY conservative, and far from perfect. She's a hunter and fisherwoman, but votes against the environment again and again. She ran on ethics reform, but is currently under investigation for several charges involving hiring and firing of state officials. She has NO experience beyond Alaska. —Christine B., Denali Park, AK

As an Alaskan and a feminist, I am beyond words at this announcement. Palin is not a feminist, and she is not the reformer she claims to be. —Karen L., Anchorage, AK

Alaskans, collectively, are just as stunned as the rest of the nation. She is doing well running our State, but is totally inexperienced on the national level, and very much unequipped to run the nation, if it came to that. She is as far right as one can get, which has already been communicated on the news. In our office of thirty employees (dems, republicans, and nonpartisans), not one person feels she is ready for the V.P. position.—Sherry C., Anchorage, AK

She's vehemently anti-choice and doesn't care about protecting our natural resources, even though she has worked as a fisherman. McCain chose her to pick up the Hillary voters, but Palin is no Hillary. —Marina L., Juneau, AK

I think she's far too inexperienced to be in this position. I'm all for a woman in the White House, but not one who hasn't done anything to deserve it. There are far many other women who have worked their way up and have much more experience that would have been better choices. This is a patronizing decision on John McCain's part- and insulting to females everywhere that he would assume he'll get our vote by putting "A Woman" in that position.—Jennifer M., Anchorage, AK

So Governor Palin is a staunch anti-choice religious conservative. She's a global warming denier who shares John McCain's commitment to Big Oil. And she's dramatically inexperienced.

In picking Sarah Palin, John McCain has made the religious right very happy. And he's made a very dangerous decision for our country.

In the next few days, many Americans will be wondering what McCain's vice-presidential choice means. Please pass this information along to your friends and family.


Sources:


1. "Sarah Palin," Wikipedia, Accessed August 29, 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin

2. "McCain Selects Anti-Choice Sarah Palin as Running Mate," NARAL Pro-Choice America, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17515&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=1

3. "Sarah Palin, Buchananite," The Nation, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17736&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=2


4. "'Creation science' enters the race," Anchorage Daily News, October 27, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17737&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=3

5. "Palin buys climate denial PR spin—ignores science," Huffington Post, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17517&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=4

6. "McCain VP Pick Completes Shift to Bush Energy Policy," Sierra Club, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17518&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=5

"Choice of Palin Promises Failed Energy Policies of the Past," League of Conservation Voters, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17519&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=6

"Protecting polar bears gets in way of drilling for oil, says governor," The Times of London, May 23, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17520&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=7

7 "McCain met Palin once before yesterday," MSNBC, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=21119&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=8

NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE? Please do so and make sure voice is heard!

2 Weeks of Camping

Finally back from the Valle Vidal. The 2008 version of Rio Grande cutthroat trout restoration was not as eventful as last year. In 2007, we had bears to deal with. Not so much this time, though they did wander through camp a couple of times. Mostly it was rain and hail that soaked all our gear for about 5 days. Hopefully this time we got all the fish out of Comanche Creek so we can put the native cutthroats back and move on to the next location. Next up, Ted Turner's Vermejo Park Ranch. I will be spending about a week there removing non-native fish. Yeah I know it's a rough gig!!! Here's a couple of pics from the Valle Vidal.

Early morning flow measurements, after working all night!!!


Sunrise on Big Costilla Peak

Olympic Cheer

If you are like the rest of the world, you have probably been glued to the TV, reading newspapers, etc. to get info on the results. Very exciting.

So are you looking for someone to cheer for? Here she is. Amber Campbell hails from Tucumcari, NM (my hometown) and is the sister of one of my good friends. She will be competing in the hammer throw on the 18th and 20th.

Check out Amber's Blog to get the latest on her Olympic experience!

Good luck Amber!!

2 Weeks Equals

1 Wedding, 1 Raft trip, 1 Baseball game, 16 cases of wine, 12 cases of Tecate, 6 L of Mango Rum, 1 keg, and 2011 miles. That's what you consume when you have a wedding for 200+ family and friends. Talk about a good time. Ashleah and I headed up to Denver about a week before our wedding to finish up the little details. Once they were done, it was time to celebrate. The pre-wedding party was great. Lots of beer drinking around the Omni Interlocken Pool. The crew from Tucumcari can still put them down. Of course you never know what's going to happen once a few Tecate's are consumed!


Wedding Day! and rumor has it that you are supposed to be nervous. Not me, I was ready to marry Ashleah. STUNNING, GORGEOUS, BEAUTIFUL, and WOW are just a few of the words that flashed through my mind as Ashleah came into view. I cried immediately! The ceremony was great, and the reception was fun. It was great to see all our friends in one spot.

The wedding is over and now we are off to Utah to spend a week on the Green River (pseudo honeymoon).<
2 AM arrival and a quick nap in the truck and its time to get the raft on the water. What a great time, once we were able to catch up on some sleep.
More beer, a bit of tequila, and river vows. Life on the river was great.

Now we are back in Albuquerque doing the work thing. Yesterday was rough (1st day back at the office), but I imagine we will both get back into the swing of things.


Want to see some pictures of our wedding! Check out Adam Welch Photography!

We're Off!!

Down to just a handful of days before Ashleah and I tie the knot. Busy loading stuff today before hitting the road. Next stop Denver, Colorado. Wondering what 240 bottles of homemade wine looks like! Here it is! I felt like Al Capone as I loaded all the boxes into the truck!
Notice the honeymoon gear in the background. 1 week of rafting on the Green River! I have the best future wife there is! Back in two weeks . . . . . .