Mild Rants

I was browsing at, shall we call it a mature adult web site, when as you can see in the below screen shot was accused of doing something illegal and told I could settle up or clear my record by paying $300 online to an entity which referred to themselves at MoneyPak Vouchers who claimed they had the FBI hot on our trail! Was accused of committing a crime envisaged by article 161 of United States of America criminal law which apparently involves viewing/storage and dissemination of banned pornography. All we were doing was watching an older white male spank a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader which constitutes only the softest type of porn. MoneyPak also threatened to charge us with fraud based on Article 377 of US criminal law. Please comment if something similar has happened to you so the appropriate class action can be initiated.

Did you hear about the white police officer who shot and killed the UNARMED black man who had just raped a white woman? Maybe you did not hear about that one. I know you heard about this account of white officer shooting an UNARMED black man who had just committed a strong armed robbery and refused to comply with the officer's request to get out of the road: Enraged protesters set fire to buildings and cars and looted businesses in Ferguson, Missouri(St. Louis) after a grand jury decided not to indict a white police officer in the death of an UNARMED black 18-year-old  in one of America's most racially significant cases in the last decade. At least Michael Brown's parents know he was a  gangsta and have not been vocal in their opposition to the non-indictment of the white officer named Darren Wilson who followed the law when he shot the thug and scofflaw. Darren Wilson would have shot anybody who charged and assaulted him in the fashion Michael Brown did. Any memb...

A 12-year-old boy carrying  a replica gun died Sunday after he was shot by a Cleveland police officer responding to a 911 call about a person pointing a gun in a park. Deputy Chief Ed Tomba said the officer fired twice after the boy pulled the fake weapon which did not have the orange safety indicator usually in view on the muzzle. The boy did not threaten the officer or point the gun towards the policeman, but reached into his waistband and grabbed it after being told to raise his hands, Tomba said. The officer then shot the boy as he was reaching into his waistband not being aware the gun was an authentic looking replica of a semi-automatic pistol. I sure hope this does not play out in the media as a case of an innocent unarmed kid being shot by a police officer. When I was a kid, play guns did not look anything like real automatic weapons. This kids parents should take on the responsibility of being award of their kids whereabouts and what kind of "toys" they are c...

Keith Bell of Roswell, New Mexico should be listed as a state national treasure as his cartoons often reveal penetrating commentary on the idiocy of our leaders and the policy they espouse. Today's cartoon in the RDR humorously amplifies a significant traffic problem that exists in cities with an over abundance of four way stop signs. There are the folks that do the infamous rolling stop and then drive right on through without yielding to those who were at the intersection before them. Then there are the motorists who hand signal you to go through even though they were at the intersection well before you. Some of his work  has to do with all the farmer and cowboy types who drive in Roswell. These good old boys are used to driving and working in the country where driving is less formal and less controlled by traffic laws. All of this is a strong argument for making all major intersections controlled by traffic lights. Bell's hilarious  cartoon reminds me of the inte...

I thought John Stossel was intelligent until I read his syndicated column titled force control freaks to give smokers more places to smoke. I don't know what John is smoking when he declares that secondhand smoke is not harmful to non-smokers, but he apparently also smokes cancer causing cigarettes. Sounds like he is getting some payola from cigarette manufacturers and tobacco producers. Anytime somebody does anything that is harmful to the health of those around them they lose all their rights John. If I were the editor or the owner of a newspaper I would revoke your rights to write your column in it. You lose the trust of loyal readers who used to value your opinion when you publish such nonsense. If cigarette smokers want to slowly kill themselves than that is their right, but that right ends in public places and restaurants where families are assembled and trying to enjoy themselves.

Many citizens in the small towns of New Mexico are dirt poor. Roswell is a large town by NM standards but is no exception. Many of its people live below the poverty level which elevates crime and drug use. So in a town where money is scarce, payday loans abound, and folks live from paycheck to paycheck I was surprised to learn that thousands of residents in the Alien City are owed substantial amounts of money! Money is very hard to come by creating a sense of helplessness and depression, so an announcement that many dollars in unclaimed funds are there for the taking has to be very uplifting and an answer to the many prayers for those suffering through difficult times. Two pages in the Roswell Daily Record newspaper disclose that hundreds and hundreds of poor working class residents are collectively owed thousands of dollars in Unclaimed Funds!  This mean hard working citizens like Mayleen Agostini,Desi Aguilar,Shane Adams,Lois Cagle may have a windfall payout in the future ...

We always enjoy our thanksgiving trip to Roswell,NM. Reading the local newspaper is always a special treat. We were intrigued by a couple of real estate ads in the classifieds. There was an advertisement for a charming home and a beautiful spacious home. Adjectives like charming and spacious are code in real estate parlance for hidden electrical and plumbing problems. Not always, but often these hollow advertising terms are deceptive because they really say nothing positive about the house that is for sale. The charming house on 313 east Poe does not accept HUD renters. I would carefully check the plumbing as once we rented a home on Evergreen there for $900 per month and the friggin shower had no water pressure. The slum lords, I mean landlords insisted we still pay the full rent even though we could not shower on those brutally cold winter mornings in Roswell. Eric and Luis are trying to rent a beautiful spacious home in the Briar Ridge area without divulging what he want...

As the Christmas season approaches, the signs of high pressure consumerism are already quite manifest. Shoppers hustling from one retail outlet to another frantically trying to make that right gift choice for an inlaw that they despise or find just that right choice for their autistic child. The following fascinating attempt by a group in San Francisco to separate from the maddening high paced pressure and anxiety imposed on us by corporate America and technology is a must read for anyone who is looking to rid themselves of the ulcer causing pressures many of us live through and grudgingly  tolerate daily! Globally, people want to live more naturally and stress free and are willing to sacrifice material wealth and comfort to achieve this             It began as a simple, or simply terrifying, pledge             taken by a small group of friends feeling overwhelmed by all the          ...

Can you believe that as recent as 10 years ago, college administrators denied financial aid and support for a gay student at Baylor in Waco, Texas?. Matt Bass revealed that he was effectively forced to drop out of his lifetime passion of becoming a minister when school admins questioned his sexual orientation. These days that would be an easy lawsuit to win as there are many legal protections which protect employees and students..  A potential employer can not even legally ask you if you are married or are a Christian. Asking about your sexuality is even more off limits during job interviews.              Supporters of a former Baylor University seminary student             who lost his scholarship because he is gay rallied Saturday to             protest the school's decision.             Matt Bass and other gay students and alumni say they don't expe...

The two pictures you see of a Roswell, New Mexico pauper/"street person" is quite misleading. This appropriately attired gentlemen lives in the southeast part of town known for its rough neighborhoods, shootings, burglaries, and meth labs. The first picture shows the beggar standing across from Marshalls next to Sams Club gas station on this busy Saturday afternoon. The beggar knows that with a such high volume of traffic, maybe one in 30 motorists will feel sorry for him and donate enough for him to collect around $150 for standing around for 3 hours. The second picture is a close up where you can see his very standard pity invoking "God Bless" sign. The beggar apparently does not know that the Good Lord helps those who help themselves. Whats really sad is that many Roswell citizens have seen this guy around town minus the beard and wearing nice clothes! I think he should be arrested for deception and something equivalent to stealing based on creating t...