BrewerCare Body Count: 1

From KTAR -

After battling Leukemia for the past year, Mark Price has passed away at a Valley hospital from chemotherapy complications.


Price, whose story had been followed nationally, had found an anonymous donor to privately pay for the more than $200,000 needed for a bone marrow transplant after the new budget cuts for Arizona's Medicaid program eliminated coverage for many types of transplants.

Sad to say, there will probably be many more to come.

My condolences go out to Mr. Price's friends and family...

Three nominated to fill Jorge Luis Garcia's seat in the AZ Senate

From an email from that Arizona Democratic Party -

3 nominees announced for consideration to fill seat of late Sen. Jorge Luis Garcia

TUCSON -- On Monday night, 39 precinct committeepersons of the Arizona Democratic Party convened for a Legislative District 27 meeting in Tucson for the purposes of nominating replacements to fill the seat left vacant by the untimely death of state Sen. Jorge Luis Garcia.


Three nominees were affirmed by acclimation (uncontested). They are as follows:

--Maria De La Luz Garcia (Sen. Garcia's wife) of Tucson

--Robert Gilby of Tucson

--Sami Hamed of Tucson

The names of these nominees were submitted today to the Pima County Board of Supervisors by Don Bivens, Arizona Democratic Party chair. The Board of Supervisors will choose the replacement from among the three names submitted. That appointee will be sworn into office and serve the remainder of the term until January.

As the press release notes, Maria De La Luz Garcia is Senator Garcia's wife. Both Bob Gilby and Sami Hamed are long-time Democratic activists in LD27 (and for the County and State parties).  In fact, both were House candidates this year.

Without personally knowing any of the principals involved (I've briefly met them all at one ADP function or another, but that isn't the same as "getting to know" them), I feel comfortable predicting that Maria De La Luz Garcia will receive the appointment of the Pima supes.

Traditionally, in such situations, where the appointment won't have much or any real world impact, it frequently goes to the late officeholder's spouse as both a way to honor and respect the family *and* to avoid the appearance of playing favorites close to an election (though both neither Hamed nor Gilby made it through the primary).

Given that the appointment will for approximately two months...

Short Attention Span Musing

...Corporate influence has reached even to some of the races at the bottom of the ballot.  The Arizona Multihousing Association is running robocalls in the University Lakes Justice of the Peace race.  They're using John "Hut" Hutson, a former member of the Tempe City Council, to smear the JP candidacy of current State Senator Meg Burton Cahill.  Earlier this year, they sent out a questionnaire to all JP candidates.  A document with questions crafted to determine if judicial candidates are predisposed to favor them and if they would accept PAC money from them. (It includes the question "Will you accept PAC funds?")

Most of the sitting judges that I have heard saw the questionnaire thought that completing the survey could constitute an ethical violation for them.  They were less sure about candidates for judicial office who aren't already judges.

Still, it will be interesting to find out if her opponent, a retired barber, filled out the questionnaire.

...David Schweikert's apologists "supporters" have been responding to charges that Schweikert has profited from the misery of the housing crisis in Arizona by say that the real estate vulture hasn't done anything unethical, nor did he force any homeowners into foreclosure, and that in fact, all of his vultured properties were purchased directly from banks and other mortgage-holders.

They seem to have gone silent on the subject, other than to claim that accusations are all lies and that Schweikert is a saint with a perfect hairdo.  That change in tactic is interesting given the timing - it occurred at the same time that news broke about how most banks engaged in poor, even fraudulent, practices when foreclosing on homes in many states.

Wonder how many of his vultured "legally-obtained" properties were improperly foreclosed on by banks?  Of course, given that this is Arizona, the land of practically-nonexistent consumer protection laws, we may never know...

...Finally in sad news, Arizona lost a statesman and voice for the voiceless on Friday with the passing of State Senator Jorge Luis Garcia.  This year, he was a candidate for a seat on the Arizona Corporation Commission.

The praise for Garcia and the condolences for his family and friends has been pouring in.

From State Senator Meg Burton Cahill - " I join so many others in Arizona in sadness regarding our state senate Democratic Leader Jorge Garcia's death. I will miss his strength and grace under pressure...He was a public servant and statesman - always working to make sure those of little "voice" at the capitol were represented. I will miss his urging of "Have a peaceful day" daily."

From Tim Schmaltz, CEO of the Protecting Arizona's Family Coalition (PAFCO) - "He was a relentless advocate for the poor and vulnerable, a fellow social worker, and just a fine decent man. He had a gentle soul and cared deeply about family and community and vulnerable people. He was a great champion and ally. May he rest in peace! And may his family be comforted by much love and care. Amen."

(both quotes via Facebook)

From State Representative Kyrsten Sinema - "We have lost a friend today, and Arizona truly is grateful for Sen. Garcia’s tireless work on behalf of Arizonans, working every day to help others. He will be missed as a steward, as a colleague and as a family member. We offer our condolences to his loved ones."

(Courtesy the website of the Arizona House Democratic caucus)

From State Senator Rebecca Rios - "Senator Jorge Luis Garcia was a compassionate and humble man who tirelessly fought on the behalf of others.  We will miss him greatly. We extend our condolences to his wife, Maria, children, Yvette, Dominique and Rolando and four grandchildren."

(Courtesy the website of the Arizona State Senate Democratic caucus)

From Don Bivens, chair of the Arizona Democratic Party - "We all mourn the tragic loss of Senator Jorge Luis Garcia. So many of us owe Jorge a debt of gratitude -- for his leadership, for standing up for the vulnerable among us, and for the lives he has touched. Democrats have lost a longtime friend and colleague. Arizona has lost a true public servant who had much more yet to give. And his family has lost a devoted husband, father and grandfather. We offer our deepest condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time."

(Via email)

The Arizona Republic's guestbook for Sen. Garcia is here.




I didn't know him well, but did meet him a few times during my activities as a blogger at the lege, and always found him to be warm, intelligent, and perceptive.

Some thoughts from southern Arizonans who knew him far better than me:

AZBlueMeanie at Blog for Arizona offers his perspective here.

The LD30 Democrats have their memories of Garcia here.

Tedski at Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion has his here.

Carolyn Classen, writer of "Carolyn's Community" at the Tucson Citizen, offers her memories here.


My deepest condolences go out to his family, friends and colleagues.

Stephen J. Cannell (1941 - 2010)

From the LA Times, via the Kansas City Star -

Stephen J. Cannell, the prolific television writer and producer who co-created "The Rockford Files" and "The A-Team" and later became a best-selling novelist, has died. He was 69.

Cannell died Thursday evening of complications associated with melanoma at his home in Pasadena, said his family.

Picture from his website, cannell.com.

While in recent years, most of his fame came from his work as a best-selling novelist, most people know him best as the mind behind some of the most popular TV shows of the last 40 years.

Most of his shows weren't critical darlings, but most of the shows were something that most critics are not -

Likeable.

His shows combined strong (but human) characters with solid writing to tell entertaining stories, and telling stories is what good TV (or good books, or good movies, or good plays) is all about.  While most of his creations weren't comedies (with one notable comic-bookish exception where thousands of rounds were fired in almost every episode but it seemed that no one ever was actually hit), most of the shows exhibited a light touch, humanizing the characters.

Of the many shows that he created, my favorite (and one of my favorite TV shows all-time) was The Rockford Files.  The title character, an ex-con/ private investigator Jim Rockford, was played to laconic perfection by James Garner.  It's the first show that I can remember where if the lead character was hit or shot, he was actually injured and not magically healed by the next scene.

Wiseguy, a late 80s creation from Cannell, was the first show where I sat up and thought to myself "I wish I had written that!"  It was one of his darker shows, yet it also illustrated and emphasized the bonds between friends and families and how they can balance and fortify us in the most trying times.

Cannell's greatest impact on pop culture probably came from his shows The A-Team and 21 Jump Street, shows that gave the world Mr. T and Johnny Depp.

Over his career, the shows he created and the stories he told were never "appointment television," but were the sort of entertainment that viewers could rely on to be entertaining without being intellectually taxing or insulting.*

In this age of "reality" television, his deftness with characters and scripts is sorely missed.

My condolences go out to his family, friends, and thousands of fans.


*OK, I still don't understand the appeal of The A-Team.  I just know that it worked at the time, for me and millions of other viewers.

Tony Nelssen, Scottsdale City Councilman, passes away

From a press release on the City of Scottsdale's website -

Councilman Tony Nelssen passes away

The City of Scottsdale is deeply saddened by the passing of Councilman Tony Nelssen on Wednesday, May 26, and extends its sincere condolences and deepest sympathy to the Nelssen family. “This is a great loss for Scottsdale,” said Mayor Jim Lane. “Tony Nelssen was a passionate and dedicated citizen who was truly devoted to improving our community. He was a great colleague and friend, and he will be missed greatly.”

Councilman Nelssen began his service on the Scottsdale City Council in June 2006. He was active in civic affairs for more than two decades prior, serving on a variety of city commissions and advisory groups, as well as neighborhood and civic associations.

In 1996 he founded The Great Sonoran, a group advocating innovative, site specific and climate sensitive architecture suited to the Sonoran Desert. Scottsdale derived much of its sensitive design guidelines from those developed by The Great Sonoran.
He was a member of the Scottsdale Planning Commission for two and one half years, and the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission for six years. On the state level, Councilman Nelssen was a member of the Arizona State Heritage Fund Public Advisory Committee.

Tony Nelssen was a strong equestrian advocate who was named Horse Hero of the year in 2002 in the Town of Cave Creek. Nelssen also taught computer graphics and digital photography at Paradise Valley Community College, and had taught courses at Arizona State University, Phoenix College and Scottsdale Community College.

He is survived by his wife Marg, son Ian and daughter Hannah.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Scottsdale Police Department’s Mounted Unit in Councilman Nelssen’s name. Donations may be made payable to the Scottsdale Police Department Mounted Unit and mailed to police headquarters at 8401 E. Indian School Road, Scottsdale, AZ, 85251.

I barely knew Councilman Nelssen, having met him only once or twice. While we were almost never in agreement politically, no one who met him could ever question his deep love for Scottsdale.

My condolences go out to Tony Nelssen's family and many friends.

Arizona Republic news coverage here; memorials from AZRep columnist Laurie Roberts here and AZRep editorial writer Cindy Hernandez here.

Len Copple, former Tempe City Councilman and community activist, passes away

Picture courtesy the website of the City of Tempe's website.





















From the City of Tempe press release -

Former Tempe City Councilmember Leonard (Len) Copple, 68, passed away early Monday morning after a courageous battle with acute lymphocytic leukemia. What will be long remembered are the decades of service, the wit and the character of the man behind what some call the city’s “velvet voice.”

Copple, a retired Tempe lawyer, served two terms on the Tempe City Council, from 1998 to 2006. In 1994, he was appointed to serve a six-month Council term for Don Cassano, who resigned to run for Mayor. Copple served on the city’s Planning and Zoning commission from 1984 to 1989. For many years, his commanding voice could be heard on the city of Tempe’s on-hold messaging system describing various community amenities and services. Copple’s family said Monday that he was perhaps most proud of his role in bringing light rail and the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon to Tempe.

Tempe Community Council (TCC) named Copple a “Tempe Treasure,” as he had been nominated many times for that organization’s Don Carlos Humanitarian Award. He was the front desk receptionist for TCC’s Earned Income Tax Credit program for eight of the last nine years. Copple also had many years of involvement with Tempe Sister Cities and other community organizations.

“Len was not only a voice for those without; he was fiercely dedicated to improving Tempe through his charitable volunteer work,” said TCC Executive Director Kate Hanley. “He was a friend to everyone he met.”

Services will be 1 p.m. Sunday, May 23, at Mission del Sol Presbyterian Church, 1565 E. Warner Rd., in Tempe.

Copple is survived by his wife, Jean, three children, six grandchildren and a brother. The family asks that donations be made to the Friends of the Tempe Center for the Arts (700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, 85281) or to the Leukemia andLymphoma Society (http://pages.teamintraining.org/dm/rnr10/cathyswann).

From the AZ Republic story on Copple's passing -

Councilman Ben Arredondo served with Copple on the Tempe City Council during Copple's terms from 1998 to 2006.

Copple was a stellar example of what a civic leader should be, Arredondo said.

"I thought Leonard was one of the most honorable persons I've served with. He stood by his convictions," Arredondo said. "I think that the two things he'll be remembered for are his honesty and his honorable intentions. That's what it takes to be a strong politician that people respect."

In a phone conversation, Corey Woods, a current member of the Tempe City Council spoke of Copple's kindness both toward the community (which has been well documented), and toward individuals.

For instance, after Woods' first run at a council seat in 2006, Copple volunteered to help first-time candidate Woods take down his campaign signs. After that, they were fast friends. They remained so even after Copple left politics behind, frequently meeting at Pier 54 in Tempe for lunch. There, Copple would often serve as a confidante and sounding board.

An emotional Woods observed "the entire community will miss him."

Expect more tributes to Copple in the coming days.

My condolences go out to Copple's family and friends on their loss.

Edward Woodward dies at 79

Most of the readers of this blog probably aren't familiar with the name, but Edward Woodward was the star of one of the most iconic 80s TV shows, The Equalizer.

Woodward was a highly-respected actor in England. Before accepting the role of Robert McCall, a retired and disillusioned Cold War-era spy who helped the helpless in the mean streets of New York as a way of paying penance for some of the sins he committed in the line of duty, he was probably best known in the U.S. for his role in the film Breaker Morant.

The show was gritty, human and had a GREAT opening theme from Police drummer Stewart Copeland.

The Washington Post has a full bio and obit here; the Indianapolis Star has a report on Woodward's passing, as well as the death of another, much younger, icon from the 1980s, Ken Ober. Ober was the host of MTV's first non-music program, Remote Control. Yes, at one point in time, the "M" in "MTV" stood for "Music." Shocking, I know...

Kevin at Exurban League sums it up thusly - "Great show. Fantastic intro. Gonna miss him."

The folks over at EL are usually spectacularly wrong on all issues political, but they've got some pretty good taste in movies, music, and TV. Though they lose serious points for the David Hasselhoff reference. I know it was the Berlin Wall, but Hasselhoff?

Ted Kennedy 1932 - 2009

Ted Kennedy, one of the last remaining lions of the Senate, has succumbed to brain cancer at the age of 77.

Pic of Senator Kennedy throwing out the first pitch for the Boston Red Sox this past April found at DemocraticUnderground.com.

My condolences go out to Senator Kennedy's friends and family and to all who looked up to him and his long record of public service.

CNN coverage here.

Democratic Party statement on the passing of former Congressman Jim McNulty

From an email -

Arizona Democrats lost one of their great leaders yesterday, as Former Congressman Jim McNulty died at age 83.

McNulty will be remembered by Democrats as a tireless public servant who had a bright vision for Southern Arizona. Originally from Boston, the G.I. Bill brought Jim to Arizona to study at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Following graduation, Jim worked for a Bisbee law firm. He then served as a State Senator from 1969 - 1975, followed by representing Arizona's Fifth Congressional District from 1983 - 1985.

Jim was honored to serve in the halls of Congress. He wrote a book on the experience titled Running Uphil. Jim was active in the Democratic Party for years after leaving office, helping fellow Democrats win elected office.

Don Bivens, Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party remarked, "I admired Jim, he will be missed, he was a man of principles, and a wonderful leader for Arizona."

Tedski at R-Cubed has a more personal remembrance here.

A Black Man Dies Defending The Holocaust Museum

pic courtesy CBSNews.com

At today's shooting at the Holocaust Museum by James W. von Brunn (left), security guard Stephen T. Johns (right) gave his life in defense of the museum and its patrons.

There's a certain karmic balance (not the best phrase, but it's the best that I can come up with right now) in a black man giving up his life to defend the Holocaust Museum against an attack from a strident white supremacist/anti-Semite.

The African-American and Jewish communities have had their differences over the years, but today's tragedy should serve as a reminder that they have far more to unite them than to divide them.

Shared enemies being at the top of the list.

My deepest condolences go out to the wife, family, friends, and colleagues of Mr. Johns.

On a personal, even selfish, note, my sister had already made plans to visit the museum this weekend with her son. As such, my deepest thanks go out to Mr. Johns and the other security guards who stopped Mr. von Brunn. Their quick and courageous actions, and sacrifice in Mr. Johns' case, helped to safeguard my family members and all of the museum's visitors.

Kerry Martin, wife of State Treasurer Dean Martin, dies during childbirth

From AZCentral.com -

State Treasurer Dean Martin's wife died of complications from childbirth Monday after delivering the couple's first child.

The child, Austin Michael Martin, is in critical condition.

Kerry Martin, 34, had been married to her husband for 13 years.

Details are still emerging about today's tragic events, and I'll update when things become clearer.

My deepest condolences go out to Dean Martin and the friends and family of Kerry Martin on their loss.

Are Limbaugh, the NRA, Faux News, and the rest of the right wing echo chamber going to send flowers to the funerals???

Or will they just pay for the team of high-priced defense lawyers?

From AP via Yahoo! News -

PITTSBURGH – A gunman wearing a bulletproof vest and "lying in wait" opened fire on officers responding to a domestic disturbance call Saturday, killing three of them and turning a quiet Pittsburgh street into a battlefield, police said.

Police Chief Nate Harper said the motive for the shooting isn't clear, but friends said the gunman recently had been upset about losing his job and feared the Obama administration was poised to ban guns.

Richard Poplawski, 23, met officers at the doorway and shot two of them in the head immediately, Harper said. An officer who tried to help the two also was killed.

{snip}

The three slain officers were Eric Kelly, 41, Stephen Mayhle, 29, and Paul Sciullo III, 37. Kelly had been on the force for 14 years, Mayhle and Sciullo for two years each. Another officer, Timothy McManaway, was shot in the hand and a fifth broke his leg on a fence.

Poplawski had gunshot wounds in his legs but was otherwise unharmed because he was wearing a bulletproof vest, Harper said. He was charged with three counts of homicide, aggravated assault and a weapons violation.

On Saturday, AZBlueMeanie at Blog for Arizona had a timely post on the right wing's steady drumbeat of "they're coming to take away our guns ho ho he he ha ha" and its incitement to violence.

AZ examples of that drumbeat can be found at Sonoran Alliance here and American Conservative Republican here.

Enough already. I'm not calling to restrict the exercise of free speech, or even to abridge the ability of law-abiding citizens to possess firearms, but I will find it interesting to see how the NRA and the other anti-society (but pro-gun! Gotta have dem guns!) groups reconcile their hate speech with Poplawski's heartfelt and deadly application of that speech.


BTW - There's a reason that every professional cop that I've ever known has hated one kind of call for service most of all - domestic disturbances. They literally have no idea what to expect when they arrive at the scene. While Saturday's incident was unusual in its level of viciousness and lethality, it's far from unheard-of for officers to be attacked by suspects or even the victims involved.


My deepest condolences and thoughts go out to the victims and their families, friends, and colleagues.

Senator Claiborne Pell passes away at 90

From AP -

Claiborne Pell, the quirky blueblood who represented blue-collar Rhode Island in
the U.S. Senate for 36 years and was the force behind a grant program that has
helped tens of millions of Americans attend college, died Thursday after a long
battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 90.

My deepest gratitude goes out to Senator Pell for his decades of public service (in addition to serving as a U.S. Senator, he was in the Coast Guard in WWII, seeing service in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, and he also worked as a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. State Department), and my deepest condolences go out to his friends and family on their loss.

Information on the Pell Grant programs is available here.

Memorial Service for Joel Sinclaire

Info courtesy an email from Jeanne Lunn, forwarding info from Joel's family -

















As most of you have heard, our dear friend Joel Sinclaire passed away in his home on November 23, 2008.

In addition to being a true professional and first-class business mind, Joel was a ceaseless advocate for positive change. While he was those things and more, he would always say his most important role was that of husband, son, and friend.

His memory lives on with his wife Doreen, his mother Claire Sisenwein, his brother Adam Sisenwein, and with the countless friends who were touched by his good humor and sharp mind.

Memorial services are to be held Sunday, November 30, 2008 at 2 P.M. at the Mt. Sinai Jewish Cemetery located at 24210 N. 68th St., Phoenix, AZ 85054

A notice of the Memorial Services can be found by clicking here.

Please consider making a donation to one of the following charities in
remembrance of Joel:

Toys for Tots

Jewish National Fund

Sierra Club

Directions to Mt. Sinai -

24210 North 68th Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85054
(480) 585-6060

Mt. Sinai is located just north of Pinnacle Peak Road, two miles east of Tatum Boulevard and half a mile west of Scottsdale Road.

From the west:
Take I-17 or the 51 to the 101 and head east. Take the Tatum exit and turn north on Tatum. Make a right onto Pinnacle Peak Road, headed east. Go 2 miles, just past the power station on the left, to 68th Street. Make a left onto 68th Street and proceed north to Mt. Sinai.

From the east:
Take Scottsdale Road to Pinnacle Peak Road. Make a left onto Pinnacle Peak, going west. Proceed a half mile to 68th Street, and make a right. Go north to Mt. Sinai.

From the south:
Take the 101 North to Scottsdale Road. Turn north on Scottsdale Road to Pinnacle Peak Road. Make a left onto Pinnacle Peak, going West. Proceed a half mile to 68th Street, and make a right. Go north to Mt. Sinai.

Joel Sinclaire, candidate for county supervisor, passes away

From AZCentral.com -

Joel Sinclaire, an attorney and candidate for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, was found dead in his Scottsdale home Sunday afternoon.

He was 46.

It is unknown how Sinclaire died, his friends said Monday afternoon. His mother discovered him in the bed of the Scottsdale guest house he shared with his wife around 1 p.m. Sunday.

In addition to his recent campaign for the supes, he was a small business owner, family man, and environmental activist involved with The Sierra Club.

My prayers and deepest condolences go out to his wife, mother, and his entire family at this time of mourning and grief.

Madelyn Payne Dunham passes away

In a sad final note to the most historic presidential campaign ever, Senator Barack Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Payne Dunham passed away Sunday evening.

She was responsible for most of the Democratic presidential candidate's upbringing, and Sen. Obama credits her with instilling the work ethic and values that have helped propel him to the verge of the presidency.

From the AP story -

Obama announced the news from the campaign trail in Charlotte, N.C. The joint statement with his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng said Dunham died late Sunday night at her Honolulu apartment after a battle with cancer.

"She's gone home," Obama said as tens of thousands of rowdy supporters at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte grew silent in an evening drizzle.

"And she died peacefully in her sleep with my sister at her side. And so there is great joy as well as tears. I'm not going to talk about it too long because it is hard for me to talk about."

My condolences go out to Sen. Obama and his entire family. While tomorrow may otherwise be one of great joy and spectacular achievement for him, it will do little to assuage the heartache of their loss.


(pic courtesy USA Today)













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...And to the wing nuts who cried about some sort of conspiracy when Senator Obama took a break from his campaign to visit the woman who so inspired him when she was ailing (documented at HuffingtonPost here) -


Bite me.


(Hey - Senator Obama and his family have to be tactful, civil, and restrained. Me? Not so much.)

Barack Obama and his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng have asked that people make donations to a search for a cure for cancer in lieu of flowers (CNN) If any of the wingers have even a shred of conscience, they'll make just such a donation.

I'm not going to hold my breath on that one.

Later!

850 Miles...

...It took approximately 16 1/2 driving hours (10 on Wednesday, 6 1/2 on Thursday), but I finally arrived in Denver.

At the height of freakin' rush hour.

Note to self: the next time you have the brilliant idea of driving through lunch to make it to your destination before rush hour hits, make sure you know what time rush hour actually starts in your destination city. Turns out that while Phoenix's PM rush hour starts at (roughly) 4:30, Denver's starts around 3.

I hit downtown Denver at around 4.

Bumper-to-bumper on I-25, speed ranging from 20 mph to a dead stop, for 10 miles or so.

Your normally witty and charming blogger was anything but for a while there...

Note to delegates: When possible, plan on shuttling from your hotels to the convention site. It'll save you a lot of headaches.


Other things that I learned on the drive to Denver -

- The folks that recommended that I not take I-17 to get to I-40, that instead I take Rt. 87 to 260 to 77 north were right about a few things. That route was scenic. There were lots of lush trees and rolling hills and majestic vistas. What they forgot to mention was that the speed limits were much lower than I-17's 75 mph, and there were almost NO FREAKIN' PASSING LANES!

When I reached Holbrook and the junction of I-40, I figured out that I had averaged less than 45 mph for that part of the trip. 25% less than the 60 mph I had figured on when calculating my schedule. Made up some of that shortfall on I-40 to Albuquerque and then I-25 north of Albuquerque to Santa Fe.

- Santa Fe was great, at least for the time I spent there. I ate dinner at a local place called the Blue Corn Cafe and Brewery. The meal was something called New Mexican Shepherd's Pie (From the menu: "Seasoned ground beef and calabacitas topped with mashed potatoes, green chile and cheese then baked in a skillet".)

It was great, with the green chile giving it just the right kick. The service was great, too - once the server found how thirsty I was, she brought me two Sprites, not just the one I had ordered. Which brings me to the next lesson...

- Drives like this can be very dehydrating. Don't just bring water (I had a case of .5 liter bottles in a cooler), *drink* it. That night in the motel, I was dizzy from the drive, and drank 5 bottles of the water, even after the two large Sprites.

- Which brings up another "I should have known this already" point - Bring and use sunblock. My left arm was fried on Wednesday, and I needed to drive with a towel over my arm on Thursday to minimize further damage and pain.

- Based on bumper stickers anyway, Obama has the lead in Colorado and New Mexico. I didn't see even one McCain sticker (or sign for that matter) in either state so far, and could do well in AZ as they were about even there.


...And on an unrelated but truly sad note, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D-OH) passed away after suffering a hemorrhage from a brain aneurysm. She was the first black woman to represent Ohio in Congress and she was the first black woman to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee.

Deepest condolences go out to her family, friends, constituents, and colleagues...

George Carlin passes away at age 71

SHIT.

I was first exposed to his brand of humor by his album "Class Clown." The fearlessly savage yet totally personal brilliance of that album was eye- and ear-opening, to say the least. Prior to that release, he had mostly been a mainstream (for that era) "Vegas-style" comedian, aka - safe enough to take your grandmother to one of his shows.

PISS.

That album marked a professional change in Carlin. Gone were the slyly rebellious but ultimately bland personas (Al Sleet, Hippy Dippy Weatherman) It their place was a counterculture icon, showcasing his irreverent takes on his own childhood and Catholic school years (the title track, "Special Dispensation," among others) and life in general. The comedic riffs were both riotous and poignant in their truth - most people in that certain place and time could identify with Carlin's stories.

FUCK.

However, the routine for which he is still most well-known for, "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television" stole the album.

CUNT.

That routine was so controversial that it led to a Supreme Court in 1978 that upheld the government's authority to censor what is broadcast over the airwaves. That case didn't slow Carlin down one bit, though - during his career, he released more than 20 albums, wrote three best-selling books, appeared in movies and TV shows, and made a number of cable specials for HBO.

He made a career out of needling self-inflated authority figures, dissecting cultural taboos, and just plain shredding "conventional wisdom."

COCKSUCKER.

Even today, 35 years later, he still offends the tender sensibilities of the country's self-appointed guardians of propriety, as illustrated in this post at Seeing Red AZ.

MOTHERFUCKER.

While that Supreme Court decision still stands, and all over-the-air broadcasts are subject to federal censorship (hence the infamous "Nipplegate" incident at the SuperBowl a few years ago, the rest of society has moved on where the government, via its proxies at the FCC, has not.

These days, each of the infamous seven words can be heard on basic cable, with special thanks in this regard going out to Turner Classic Movies, aka TCM. They aired an unedited version of "Apocalypse Now" during their Academy Award commemorative programming.

That very quickly took care of any of the seven that hadn't already been uttered on "The Shield" or late-night programming on Comedy Central.

TITS.

To anyone who was offended by some of the language in this post: You're too old, too young, or just too full of shit.

Note: above photo of the Class Clown album cover courtesy Amazon.com.

Tim Russert 1950 - 2008

Picture courtesy Alex Wong -- Getty Images For "Meet The Press" via Washington Post

Like most of us, I didn't know Tim Russert personally, but he brought an intelligence, insight, honesty and fairness to his profession that will be sorely missed by viewers and newsmakers from across the political spectrum.

State Sen. Jake Flake passes away

Courtesy AZCentral.com -

Ariz. State Senator Jake Flake died Sunday after suffering a fall at his home near Snowflake. He was 72.

Mary Louise Flake, the senator's wife, said her husband fell shortly after he awoke around 8:45 a.m. After his fall, he passed out and couldn't be revived, his wife said.

The longtime cattle rancher and former Arizona speaker of the House has been a fixture at the Legislature since 1997.

My condolences go out to the entire Flake family...


Note: For those of you who were wondering, Sen. Flake was Congressman Jeff Flake's (R-AZ6) uncle.

Note2: I'll ask the tacky but obvious question in a later post (but it's based on this post)

Later!