Gus

 Gus was one of the kittens from two litters born in our backyard.  He was relentlessly sociable.  He found the ideal caregiver and became a warm center of her life for eighteen years..  Both are now gone.

Blue Eyes

 

The People's Champion vs. Big Money

 The last airing of of the PBS Friday program, New Mexico In Focus, featured a discussion about the primary election and the meaning of the voter turnout favoring Democrats.  It was enlightening, but might better have been aired before the election to make it more clear what people were voting for.

The disaffected Never-Trump Republican analyst summed up the choice of Deb Halland over Dem rival, Sam Bregman, as a vote for the status quo.  That is true only if one mainly focuses on the continued choice of voters to exclude Republicans from State-wide offices.  Bregman was clearly seen by many of both left and right as pushing policies compatible with long-held Republican views.

Former NM State Senator, Dede Feldman, pointed out that the real issue dividing the candidates was one of authenticity.  

Haaland's primary opponent, Sam Bregman, ran on a law-and-order agenda while paying lip service to the New Mexico public's distaste for Trump. Meanwhile, a big part of his campaign budget came from MAGA political action committees.  When the landslide outcome was announced and Bregman was asked if he would support. Halland in the general election, he responded with a scowl that he would NOT be supporting Haaland in November.

As Dede Feldman said, Haaland's long career in New Mexico politics has been characterized by a tireless effort, while traveling to every corner of the State, to present her own story and her views on the issues faced by ordinary New Mexicans.

We first became aware of Haaland when she made a presentation at the Main Library as part of her State Congressional campaign.  We were charmed by her articulate honesty and clear understanding of the historical, social and economic challenges which have shaped the State.

Haaland's lack-luster Republican opponent in the upcoming race for Governor does not himself seem to present much of a threat.  However, big Republican money is sure to be deployed during the rest of the year against Haaland.  While pushing the former Rio Rancho mayor to a win with an avalanche of cash is unlikely, every effort will be made to undermine Haaland's tenure as Governor. 

ICT

"ALBUQUERQUE — In a centuries-old town, Deb Haaland celebrated her nomination as the Democratic candidate for governor of New Mexico against Sam Bregman. If she wins in November against Republican Greggory Hull, she will become the first Native American woman to be governor in the United States..."

Spanish Broom Flamenco

 Dinner on the Tiny Grocer patio and another fine performance.

 

Not A Mystery

 That Donald Trump might fall asleep in Cabinet meetings is nor hard to explain.  It appears he is a poor sleeper, spending much of the night and early morning hours composing long rants on his Truth Social platform.  Here is one of the many stories on the subject:

------------------ 

Trump Fires Off More than 160 Posts in Late-Night Truth Social Spree, Covering Everything from Christmas to Michelle Obama

Trump stopped posting by midnight, then reemerged early in the morning to declare, "TRUTH SOCIAL IS THE BEST!" ... (People)

----------------- 

Muddy as it is,  the ideological orientation of the rants still has some residual appeal to the MAGA base.  For the broader public the consequences of a President with the character of a truculent child is clearly becoming more alarming by the day.

Trump's inattention to the actual process of governing leaves the running of the Country in the hands of misfits who cycle through the Cabinet, leaving chaos in their wake.  The question that looms now is 

Can the Country get to 2028 without a disaster of unrecoverable proportions?

A Sunday Car Show

Priorities

 How many homeless in the U.S. as of 6/1/26?

An estimated 745,652 people are experiencing homelessness in the U.S. on a given night. This figure is from the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) annual Point-in-Time count.\\

What has been the cost of the iran war so far? (As of 6/1/26)

Long-Term Projections: Economists warn that the long-term tab—which must eventually factor in veterans' medical care, replacing depleted munitions, and macroeconomic drags on GDP and inflation—could ultimately range from $630 billion to $1 trillion.

Divide $1 trillion by 745,652 (number of homeless on any given night)

(US$ 1 trillion) / 745 652 = 1.34110818 million US$

Source: Google AI 

******************

Clearly, making millionaires of every homeless American would solve the housing problem, but it could probably be resolved at a lesser cost per person with some left over.  Going forward, it would be a good idea to not become mired in pointless wars. 

Sunday Best

At The Botanic Garden

Nopal

 Flowers and fruit in a nearby alley.

 

Spanish Broom

 The Spanish Broom flamenco group performs often in Old Town and elsewhere in Albuquerque.  The graceful dancers, guitarists and cantaoras frequently practice their classic style in informal settings at no charge.  One of the nicest benefits of living in Albuquerque.

 

Coffee With Birds

 We went to visit the new bookstore in Old Town.  It wasn't quite open so we backtracked to Blackbird Coffee for a latte.

This place has had numerous owners in the years we've lived in the area.  The current owner seems to be making a go of it.  The size of the shop was recently increased significantly by the acquisition of of a neighboring space and it is often filled up, with a line going out the door.

As we sipped our latte we were able to watch the Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest-Cam projected on the screen above the counter.   Margaret fed a quarter into a new electronic palm-reader gadget just below the screen.  Overall quite a pleasant experience.

Flight

 One thing I miss about living in Southern New Mexico is the opportunity to visit the War Eagles Air Museum in Santa Teresa.  Besides the interesting static displays there were also frequent opportunities to see the old planes flying.  It is a little shocking to see the current admission prices compared to what I remember, but it seems in line with what museums everywhere are doing now.

North American T-6 Texan

New Mexico Political Winds

This is an interesting mid-term election year in New Mexico.  In recent years the outcome of the Democratic Party primary election has determined who occupies any State-wide elective offices at both the State and Federal levels.  That is very likely to be the case again, particularly as the Republicans seem determined to shoot themselves in the foot.

None of the three Republican candidates running for Governor in their primary have significant name recognition that would mount a serios threat to Democratic Party dominance.  The one guy with the biggest campaign chest via self-funding seems to think filling potholes is the State's most serious issue.

In addition to tissue-thin chances of the Governor candidates there is also a serious leadership conflict in the Republican Party.  Several suits have been mounted against the party chairwoman because of what is described as a conflict with party rules about who is eligible to run in the primary election.

Of course, the Democrats have their own conflicts to wrestle with as well.  Two Democratic Party candidates are vying for the office of Secretary of State of New Mexico which oversees elections.  Both have similar experience and pretty much identical campaign pitches with a heavy emphasis of keeping Trumpian interference out of State elections.  The more high-profile primary race, however, is that for who will likely be the next Governor.

Sam Bregman is trailing his opponent, Deb Haaland, in the polls.  He is a tough talking candidate with a good record as the Bernalillo County DA, appointed by current Governor Lujan Grisham.  Bregman cultivates a macho image wearing a black cowwboy hat, and he is an accomplished orator.  If he were running unopposed he would likely be a shoe-in to replace Lujan Grisham.

It turns out, however, that the other Democrat in the race, Haaland, has built up a formidable dossier as a Party leader, a Congressional Representative and the Secretary of the Interior under Joe Biden.  Haaland's campaign relies on reviewing her experiences in office along with an appealing life story which a lot of Democrats have bought into during her long political journey.

Most of the TV ads attacking Haaland come from a political action committee, Accountable New. Mexico, which is not immediately tied to the Bregman campaign, but is clearly acting in support of the Bregman effort.  Bregman, in his presentations, casts doubt on Haaland's claimed accomplishments, but to what effect is unclear.  As reported in the Santa Fe New Mexican:

"Accountable New Mexico reported its donors in the last campaign reporting period, all four of whom contributed money to Haaland’s challenger, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, in the previous campaign reporting period.

While Bregman has denied any involvement with the group, he is tied to at least three of its initial four donors through the horse racing industry. Bregman previously served as chairman of the New Mexico Racing Commission before stepping in as Bernalillo County district attorney in early 2023."

How all of the above will contribute to the outcome of the primaries or the actual State elections is pretty uncertain at this point.

Memories of Place

The nearest neighbor to our desert home in southern New Mexico was the Martinez ranch and roping arena.  Our driveway bordered that expanse of swamp cedar to the left center of the picture.  The Rio Grande is to the right.  Tonuco Mountain to the north was a frequent destination, mainly to see the many petroglyphs there.  In our last Spring I found a Prairie Falcon nest high in the sandstone cliffs.

Aspirational Threat Display

On Alert

Opal Eyes

risk assessment

Viewpoint

 I have walked by this piece in the museum sculpture garden many times,  but only realized recently that it accurately depicts a cowboy standing beside Donald Trump.

 I may have to explore this theme. further with AI.

Looking At The Moon

While I am developing a roll of film in my kitchen I often ask Alexa to play the songs of Billie Holiday. One of my favorites is I'll Be Seeing You.  I always think of my mother as I listen to the song and wonder if, for a time,  it was one of her favorites as well.
    The song was first published in 1938.  Billie Holiday recorded it in 1944.  That was the year my father died in his Sherman tank on a snowy road in Belgium.

 

I'll be seeing you
In all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day through.

In that small cafe;
The park across the way;
The children's carousel;
The chestnut trees;
The wishin' well.

I'll be seeing you
In every lovely summer's day;
In every thing that's light and gay.
I'll always think of you that way.

I'll find you
In the morning sun
And when the night is new.
I'll be looking at the moon,
But I'll be seeing you.

I'll be seeing you
In every lovely summer's day;
In every thing that's light and gay.
I'll always think of you that way.

I'll find you
In the morning sun
And when the night is new.
I'll be looking at the moon,
But I'll be seeing you.

Three Wheels

Highly Recommended

 Blue Corn pancakes on Thursday morning at Bike In Coffee.  (One order is plenty for two.) 

Today

New Mexico Primary Early Voting Starts Today!

Time For A Cleanup

Economic Reality

53 nations gather to plan a fossil fuel phaseout  (The Conversation)

 

US President Donald Trump is a longtime climate denier and oil industry ally, who sums up his own energy policy as “drill, baby, drill”. Yet he is doing more than almost anyone to speed up the global shift from fossil fuels to clean energy and electric vehicles (EVs)...

The Case for Mexico's Annexation of the U.S.

 Claudia Sheinbaum's address to the Summit for Democracy. 

Foto Oficial Claudia Sheinbaum, Presidenta de México

Network Security

Data Security

Sorting Out Homelessness

 We were impressed with the turnout at the recent campaign event supporting the candidacy for governor of New Mexico by Deb Haaland.  After the event, however, Margaret commented on her surprise that the segment allotted for questions did not produce anything on the topic of homelessness.  That might have just reflected the short time available, but it still seems that the subject might have had a higher priority of concern.

It seems people may just be overwhelmed by the size and seeming intractability of the problem of homelessness.  Most efforts to combat the problem have often seemed superficial, or just  a shifting ot the problem from one locale to another.  

Estimates of the scope of the problem and ineffective remedies are probably mostly accurate.  Less clear are perceptions of the fundamental causes.  There seems to be a widespread tendency to ascribe moral and behavioral impropriety to the homeless, with an accompanying suggestion of a need for correction or punishment.  In fact, about half of the people confined in Albuquerque's jails are classified as homeless.

It seems more likely that successfully analyzing the fundamental causes of homelessness needs to look more broadly at historical and economic  trends.  That thought prompted me to submit a request to Google's AI Mode to produce a chart comparing the trajectories of homelessness and economic inequality since the beginning of the Reagan Presidency in 1981.

The congruence of the the two trend lines seems far too close to be ascribed to coincidence.

Comparing homeless rates among different countries and economies does not yield easily to statistical analysis because of different national statistical approaches.  However, some relevant facts emerge from queries about homelessness internationally.

 The U.S. has the highest income inequality of the major advanced economies. While its reported homelessness rate (approx. 23.1 per 10,000 in early 2025) is lower than some European peers, it has a much higher percentage of "unsheltered" homeless people living on the streets rather than in temporary facilities. In 2023, approximatel  653,104 people experienced homelessness in the United States on a single night in January. 

 Finland is widely cited as the only EU country where homelessness has consistently declined, driven by its "Housing First" policy. This approach provides permanent housing as a fundamental right before addressing other issues like addiction or mental health, rather than requiring people to be "housing-ready" first.  Since the strategy began in 2008, the country has successfully converted almost all temporary shelters into permanent housing units.  According to 2023 data, there are fewer than 3,500 people experiencing homelessness nationwide in Finland.

Sunshine

The defeat of Orban in Hungary is a hopeful signal of what may be a possible way for the U.S. to rid itself of our own despotic regime.  At the same time there is no guarantee that what comes after will ultimately help restore democracy.  The course of events that led to Orban's defeat and the uncertainties that follow are nicely recounted in Jacobin.

Deb Haaland for Governor

 We enjoyed attending a campaign event today with Deb Haaland, who seems likely to be New Mexico's next governor.

Such good energy, intelligence and moral clarity.  What a contrast to what comes out of Washington these days!

Look at Deb's website for her plans for the State and some of her life story which makes her such a good fit for the job. 

Former State Senator, Jerry Ortiz y Pino, provided the session's introduction to Haaland's history and experience with due credit to the details from the good Wikipedia article about her. 

Also: 

This article by Joshua Bowling at Source New Mexico. 

Walking The Dog

Spring Finery

This large Siamese was following a woman pushing a stroller.  He was complaining loudly, apparently wanting her to stop, but she plowed on around the corner and left him behind.  I called him and he walked in my direction, but I was not the human he was looking for.

The Final Frontier

 News reports of the recent flight around the moon talked about the astronauts impressions of seeing the far side, and their adaptations to space travel including toilet repair.  One pictures them jockeying for position at the capsule's window trying to make snapshots of the moon's surface.  Had they taken time for a space walk, we might have seen this scenario:

 What is clear is that for all that money spent  little  real science was accomplished.  Humans are not required for making pictures, or really anything else in space exploration.

Update: 

It turns out my AI-generated image was not as far out as I thought according to a note by radspix on Flickr:

With a nod of appreciation to our current astronauts. 

The original Minolta Hi-Matic (rebranded as the Ansco Autoset) achieved fame for being the first Minolta camera in space, taken by John Glenn on the Friendship 7 mission in 1962. It was the first camera used by the Americans to capture colour photographs from space. So the story goes, John Glenn purchased the camera from a local drug store and NASA modified it to enable it's use by gloved hands. NASA apparently thought the camera was manufactured in the USA. 

Crazy Brave: A Memoir

photo: Shawn Miller

Joy Harjo's memoir provides some valuable insights into what it is like to grow up as a minority person surrounded by an often-hostile dominant culture.  In addition to that cultural challenge, Harjo also had to contend wirh violent abuse by her step-father which ultimately drove her to abandon her family home as a teenager.  Just surviving those experiences seems remarkable enough, but on top of that Harjo found her way to a functional and productive adult life;  a life which included becoming the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States.

What struck me early on in Harjo's story was how much it resembled the story of another woman half a world away, that of novelist Arundhati  Roy.  As a member of a Syrian Christian family Roy had to constantly contend with living in the shadow of the Hindu majority.  She also, like Harjo, was subjected to parental abuse which drove her to leave home as a teenager, and to negotiate a precarious voyage to adulthood to ultimately achieve success at the highest level. 

Both women were highly intelligent and both showed early interest in creative pursuits which seemed to help to sustain their dreams in the face of daunting circumstances.  Were those traits the secret to their ultimate successes?  Many others with similar traits and experiences must have proceeded into unsatisfying lives and untimely deaths.  Sheer luck certainly played a role.

I am left wondering if Harjo and Roy ever had the chance to sit down together to compare their life experiences or, if not, how such a meeting might help us to understand how devastating early adversity might be overcome. 

Seven Cranes

NHCC

 I'm looking forward to this event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

I enjoyed taking a number of classes at the Instituto Cervantes.  The most memorable was taught by the poet, Tony Mares, who spent his childhood in Albuquerque's Old Town.  Courses at that level have not been offered for some time, so I'm hoping this Day of the Book is a sign of better things to come.

What can we do now?

Robert Reich has some ideas.

The war in Iran is an American failure. What do we do now?

Robert Reich

 

Granite Street Afternoon