Our evolutionary path as humans came up through the animal kingdom. Animals are our kin and our friends, and it's great to have them around. You might not have invited them all over for Thanksgiving dinner (except for the turkey), but that's OK.
We took a couple of long walks over Thanksgiving weekend and plenty of photos, too — the squinting family, the cottonwoods' glory, the adorable baby. In so many of these pictures, lacing the background of fields and sky were the lovely blue mountains. I realized anew how grateful I am for las sierras — that I wouldn't want to live here without them nearby.
Phillips left out things in response
Editor:
On Nov. 21 Mr. Fred Phillips responded to my Nickle. I appreciate the time that Mr. Phillips took to do so. I also appreciate that he delineated, better than I have, how deeply embedded the tentacles of government intervention and intrusion have become in our daily lives. Mr. Phillips obviously sees this as a boon. My cynicism tells me that anything government gives it can take away. It can also demand our obedience by just threatening to take it away.
It's always nice to have that one tool in your toolbox you've used so often you've worn comfortable grooves into the handle. When a task requires you use it, you're relieved – the burden the task presented grows just a little milder. Indeed, tasks which can be dealt with using such a familiar approach can almost be a pleasure. Any task which doesn't require the familiar tool is just a little more irritating.
Wheelock wonders about response
Dear Editor:
Considering the role opinion columns play in stimulating public discussion and debate, I ordinarily do not respond to criticism of my opinion column, “The Pencil Warrior.” However, in his letter to the editor of Nov. 21, Chris Sichler makes suggestions I find antithetical to an enlightened and democratic society.
It's all to hit us at once: the fiscal cliff and the Mayan doomsday. What else could they throw at us — Donald Trump showing up at the party as Santa Claus?
The American Civil Liberties Union in New Mexico is trying to change existing state law that requires, mandates, obliges, commands, dictates and directs parents or guardians to send their charges to school every day of the school year. Students who don't attend school put their parents or guardians at risk of a fine, a jail sentence or both.
We lead off this month with the Geminid meteor shower. This year the new moon will not hinder meteor watching as the peak of the shower will occur on the night of Dec. 13-14. This year the shower is predicted to produce about 120 meteors per hour (two per minute). Look to the east in the direction of the bright star Castor in Gemini. This should appear to be the radiant (origin point) for the shower. Bundle up as this should be one of the best showers this year. Actually you may see quite a few Geminids for a couple of days before and after the peak.
In 1997 three people got together — one rancher and two Sierra Club activists — who were fed up with the warfare between their two groups. They began to talk about the health of the land, about doing things differently, about working together.
So, Thanksgiving — the one we do with the turkey, the dressing, the pumpkin pie and the two aspirin before sleeping it off — has arrived.
A little bitty glimmer of light exists somewhere in the dark tunnel of the New Mexico economy. The tiny flicker is in construction, of all sectors. This word comes from economist Alison Felix of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
Where does Brown live?
Editor:
In his most recent opinion column, Mr. Gene Brown attributes Mitt Romney’s defeat to a majority of Americans’ wanting to receive “free stuff” and handouts from the government, in contrast to his own proclaimed economic independence.
Who gave thanks first? The Encyclopedia Americana says, "The earliest harvest thanksgiving in American was held by the Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth Colony in 1621."
This classic detective story by Wilkie Collins, "The Moonstone," waits a few chapters before even mentioning the moonstone, which turns out to be a gem brought from India by an exploring uncle, who wants it given to Rachel on her 18th birthday.
What do we do with the post card?
Editor:
Many of you are calling or emailing the Socorro Electric Cooperative Reform Group to ask what to do about the postcard from the SEC.
At first glance, the Nov. 6 election might seem to have been pretty much a "status quo" affair.
The 2012 presidential election was groundbreaking and unique in a lot of ways. Ignore the super political action committees , the voter scamming and the ill-timed hurricane — the biggest game-changer this year was a New York Times affiliate named Nate Silver.
In order to assuage my near desolation brought on by the election, I decided to purchase a carton of butter brickle ice cream.
The fresh rejection by American voters of the country's most blatant right wing ideologues is a welcome event.
Someone has got to know the answer. Why is it that certain pests — like cockroaches and mice, for example — when they ingest a poison, crawl onto the middle of the carpet or floor and turn over on their backs to die?
