A white tent raised
Posted: Thursday, Sep 2nd, 2010
Iraq Body Count, the world's largest public database of violent civilian deaths during and since the 2003 invasion, estimates that between 97,642 and 106,540 Iraqi civilians have died from violence.
From an article by Anthony Shadid, a NY Times reporter, the horror of this number is represented in reality by "files tossed on the shelves." Shadid asserts that in ...more

The Norwegian leprechaun sounds off
Posted: Tuesday, Aug 31st, 2010
As I see it

Every where I go people ask me how Lloyd is doing.
Labor Day weekend a year ago our office leprechaun (Norwegian version) was run over by football players while photographing the game.
Since being injured he has undergone numerous medical procedures and hours of physical therapy.
In honor of Lloyd, and his heroic effort to ...more

Rabbitbrush Rambler: Where the buffalo roam
Posted: Monday, Aug 30th, 2010
Or where the bison roam, to be more precise. A few days ago, I enjoyed a beautiful sight of some bison roaming near Del Norte.
Backing up, this story begins in late spring when I noticed something unusual close to a barbwire fence along the south side of U.S. Hwy. 160 east of town. What ...more

Spotlight: Finding ultimate happiness
Posted: Monday, Aug 30th, 2010
Is happiness something only a few are blessed with, or is it a destination we may get to someday? Most people believe they will be happy after they get a house, a car, a great job; after they get married, have children, and so on ...
Gandhi said, "happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what ...more

Native Writes: Life on line
Posted: Friday, Aug 27th, 2010
Someone once said a person can become addicted to Facebook, e-mail and Twitter.
I don't give a rat's tweet about the last application on the list, I check my personal e-mail twice a day and look on Facebook when I see a message that sends me there.
The biggest problem between Facebook and me is that I have been trying ...more

Culture defined
Posted: Friday, Aug 27th, 2010
Just like any other year, school awakened my mind to new ideas or a new of thinking about old ideas. In a matter of 50 minutes my brain was forced think of three different terms and then try to define them. Quickly I learned one standard definition for some terms simply does not satisfy.
As I sat in ...more

Still Waters: Failing to yield
Posted: Friday, Aug 27th, 2010
Because I don't want anyone saying I used my authority to keep my name out of the paper and because I was born with a tendency to confess, I will share with you an incident for which I was ticketed this week.
It happened around 3 p.m. on Tuesday at the corner of Bell Avenue where it intersects Main Street, ...more

Piece of Mind: Grow up already
Posted: Thursday, Aug 26th, 2010
Sitting at my parents' kitchen table last week in Kansas my mom shared her wisdom. I was expressing general anxiety over what is now my current job. I made grand and optimistic claims of wanting to make sure I am doing something that has a clear mission and positive community impact.
Babbling on with my idealistic hopes and ...more

Movin' On With Nellie: Sometimes getting together is the ticket!
Posted: Thursday, Aug 26th, 2010
The Active Senior Celebration in Fort Garland was a success as I judged it. Driving up into the gravel parking lot, I saw a cloud of colors, then cars and vans came into focus as they seemed to stream from one corner of the lot to the other like a blanket of fog across the Sangre foothills or the ...more

As I See It: Antidepressants, sunshine and happiness
Posted: Tuesday, Aug 24th, 2010
I was reading an article in CNN this morning about things that make you feel better.
"....sunshine is the ultimate natural antidepressant...." the author wrote.
It seems to me that most of every day since I have been in the San Luis Valley it has been blessed with sunshine. Hence our designation as "solar energy capital of the world."
But ...more

Rabbitbrush Rambler: Take a deep breath!
Posted: Monday, Aug 23rd, 2010
Summertime, but the livin' ain't easy. We are plunging into another election season, and emotions are running high.
Two years ago, I became so thoroughly disgusted by the circuses we call political campaigns that I went unaffiliated and remain so. Only clear facts, demonstrating intelligence and integrity, will earn my support for a candidate.
And then there are ...more

Letters from Lloyd
Posted: Saturday, Aug 21st, 2010
Dear Readers,

I had planned that this "Letter from Lloyd" would be my last.
It was time to move on to other things.
I needed to wrap up my rehab with one final CT Scan (ink injected x-ray of my kidneys) on Tuesday so my primary care provider might find if a relationship exists between my kidney, prostate ...more