Disgrace in Boulder

The Ward Churchill Saga

Ward Churchill began the falsification of documents to fit his own agenda after he was drafted to serve in Viet Nam in 1966: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Churchill)

- In 1991,Ward Churchill was granted tenure at the University of Colorado without due process. The previous year he had been hired as an associate Professor of Ethnic Studies, without the required doctoral degree. He was given that tenure based upon questionable writings and unsubstantiated genealogy.

- In 2005, in a divisive break with mainstream AIM (American Indian Movement) politics and policy, Dennis Banks and the Bellecourt brothers (members of the Ojibwa Tribe) denounced Churchill and his so-called Native American heritage. His claims were found to be fraudulent by the AIM Council.

(http://www.aimovement.org/moipr/churchill05.html)

- On 26 June 2006, the Chancellor of the University filed notice of intent to fire Churchill based upon findings that he had plagarized both artwork and literary work and then published them as his own without attribution to the orignators.

- In June of 2006, David Lane, a high profile Denver social justice lawyer and ACLU member, took on Churchill’s defense. Lane subsequently crafted a lengthy and convoluted, and ultimately successful legal battle to clear Churchill’s conviction.

- Now, almost three years after he was fired, on 2 April,2009, a jury of two men and four women exonerated Churchill in what has been called a “compromised verdict.” Read the story here:

http://www.coloradodaily.com/news/2009/apr/02/ward-churchill-trial-blog-jury-university-colorado/

It has yet to be determined if Churchill will be reinstated as a Professor at the University of Colorado.

My own feelings keep me from saying much else with any objectivity.

Ward Churchill was born a seven days before my High School chum, Clayton Charles "Chuck" Kemp.

Chuck Kemp died off the Coast of Viet Nam in January of 1967, serving on a helicopter gun ship. His body was never recovered. He died defending the “rights” of filth like Ward Churchill to lie, cheat, deride and subvert with treasonous acts while living a priveleged and protected life in these United States.

There's Sumpin' about a Woman in Uniform

Kronprinsesse Mary, Løjtnant

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She is 37, mother of two children, born in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. On 19 February 2009, she was awarded the rank of Lieutenant in the Danish Home Guard.

She is also the Crown Princess of Denmark, Mary Elizabeth.

The princess has put in her time and training to become a ranked officer.
The Home Guard is a volunteer unit of the Danish military that is tasked with domestic security. Princess Mary joined the unit last year and received basic training in weapon use and care, basic first aid, marching drills, signalling, fire-fighting and rescue. She went on to officer school for additional training in security and surveillance command. Princess Mary’s attachment will be the Total Defence Region Copenhagen.

For those who are interested, the Crown Princess shoots a Danish military standard issue M-16 variant manufactured by Colt/Canada -Diemaco, designated a "C-7" with variants. Its the .223 Remington/5.56 X 45mm NATO round that has been in service since Eugene Stoner brought it to production just prior to the Viet Nam war.

Evidently, she has taken to her military training with charm, grace....and a goodly amount of gusto, enjoying the firearms and field training. That should not be thought at all unusual, given she is proud to wear the tartan and thistle on St. Andrew's Day....and a proud daughter of Scots immigrants to Australia.

Springtime in the Rockies #1

Hit and Run

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We are now in the midst of a very spring-like weather pattern. Yesterday, it was sunny and in the low 60's. Another upslope, hit and run snowstorm has arrived. It is one of three storms which are lined up to spread white gold along the Front Range throughout the week.

Heh.

- Skiers and snowboarders on Spring Break are happy...as are the thirsty city water providers.

- Farmers and ranchers see these storms as mixed blessings. The moisture is needed and appreciated. The cold and wind and snow and ice can be deadly to their recently born calves and lambs. And, it makes it tough to prepare for spring planting.

This is NOT your tinsel-town Springtime in the Rockies!

Spring Snow ~ Spring Sun

Of Wagner, Cats,

Firearms, and Food

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Today's Metropolitian Opera Broadcast was "Das Rheingold." It is the first of Wagner's four operas which comprise the Ring Cycle or "Der Ring des Nibelungen". Its a tale of theft, intrigue, infidelity, murder, mayhem and incest.

That would make a very human tale indeed, with the following exceptions:

It involves Norse/Germanic gods, giants, dwarves, river sprites, amazonian warriors, dragons and elves. That would be the standard fare of northern European fanatsies, don't'ya'know. The struggle for purity and power as embodied in the Rheingold, the purest gold in all of creation, held in secret and protected (supposedly) by three Rheinmaidens.

The gold is stolen by the dwarf Alberich and forged into an all powerful magic ring...which causes seven hell's worth of grief to all who pursue it.


In the end, it causes the downfall of the Gods and the destruction of Valhalla....And yes, then the Fat Lady sings!

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The inevitable rise of the sun towards the Summer solstice, the spring monsoon snows and the promise that, yes, one more growing season will provide grain and feed for man and beast, brought out the menagerie of cats.....the Raleigh Street Irregulars to luxuriate in the bright, mile-hi sun. Its the first warm day in five. The spring blizzard is melting, slowly, soaking into the winter thirsty earth.

Brigade Commander, William Sprocket (the Black Prince who Wails) and Master Sargent, Chester Rachet rest on the front porch rail. Chester has mellowed over the years. No longer the complete feral, he allows us to be near and will actulally sit in Ms. D's lap.

The latest addition to come to live with us is Daschel Cat'tal Mutt. He is a true feral. He does not meow or purr or allow any human near. A young married couple who lived a few doors down from us went through a nasty divorce and Dash was abandonded. He likes being around Sprocket and Rachet...his "pride". We keep him fed and he sleeps in the old leaky storage garage next to the reloading shed.

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Off to the east of the reloading shed is the small "Back Forty" where close by sit the smoker and the BBQ grill. Beyond is the garden plot where I have 12 years of composted kitchen waste, coffee grounds from the local coffee shop, and sheep/horse manure when available. It is a rich, double depth dug bit of ground where red wrigglers and giant nitecrawlers keep residence.

We have a volunteer sour cherry tree and a wild raspberry bramble that provide us with fruits for early summer tarts and cream.

"Square foot" intensive gardening is practiced. Wherein I plant winter hardy spinach and roots early under plastic covers. When they are harvested, I turn the earth over to summer salads. Then, on the north fence, I plant sunflowers, then south tomatoes, peppers and cukes then volunteer pumpkins rise most every year.

Along the east side of the house is an herb bed...Perennials of sage and horehound and oregano and rosemary where I mix in plantings of annuals: basil, thyme, cilantro, parsley....some of which reseed themselves to the rich earth.

In front of the house I plant mounds of Italian green beans, squash and drought hardy flowers....zinnias, marigolds, whatever comes to be ready in the local nurseries.

Food we raise and share. Good clean veges to mix with the harvest of wild game.

Not bad for an aging ol' fart living in the Nor'west corner of New Los Angeles.

Albuquerque Low

Blizzard ~ 26 March 2009

It was the classic set up. A large low pressure system settled in around Albuquerque, New Mexico. Its counter-clockwise rotation scooped up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and California. To the North, a high pressure system rolled down from Sasketchewan. Its clockwise flow pulled the cold air southward and pushed it up against Colorado's Front Range mountains.

The result was what the local meteorologists call a "back door" or "upslope" weather system. Unlike the prevailing westerly flow of winds, the winds blow from the east and north pushing the moist air up against the foothills and front range. As the air cools, it's ability to hold moisture decreases and it begins to snow....and snow....and snow!

The following photos were taken outside our home in a 24 hour time frame. Since we live in the North-west corner of Denver, we were hit with a good dose of blowing and drifting snow. Its tough to make accurate measurements. I'm guessing that we were blessed with about a foot of the white gold, probably holding at least the equivalent of 2 to 3 inches of moisture...a goodly amount. And we need it. Its been an unusually dry winter.

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09:00 hrs. -26 March 2009

11:00 hrs. -26 March 2009

13:00 hrs. -26 March 2009

17:00 hrs. - 26 March 2009

07:00 hrs. - 27 March 2009