Civil Rights Violation? Yeah, The Civil Rights of Cops.

The radical open borders crowds are going nuts about those poor criminal invaders from South of the border having their civil rights violated.  Bullshit!  It's the civil rights of the GOOD GUYS that I'm more interested in.

Five Hispanic men authorities described as drug smugglers shot a Pinal County Sheriff's deputy Friday afternoon when the officer came upon them and a large amount of marijuana in a remote part of south-central Arizona.

Wait, that's racist, using the term Hispanic. Just ask anyone from that benevolent La Raza organization.

Pinal County Lt. Tami Villar said Friday's incident "sends a very powerful and loud message that we have a problem."


Villar said the suspects were armed with long guns and at least one handgun. She said gunfire with helicopters came about an hour after the initial incident. An unknown amount of marijuana apparently handled by the shooters remained in the desert.

Villar said Puroll, 53, was attacked about five miles south of Interstate 8 near its junction with Arizona 84. She said the veteran deputy is assigned to patrol the area known for drug smuggling.

She said the suspects were Hispanic men who "appear to be undocumented."

No way! These were probably just good christian family folks who came North to better themselves. I mean, golly, on the nightly news, they say it's that Nasty Racist Arizona Governor causing all the trouble.  Seriously, that Pinal County Deputy was probably a profiling racist himself.

Round them up, deport them. NOW!

Militarize the border. NOW!

I wonder if Sheriff Clarence "Dufus" Dupnik has his tail tucked between his legs tonight?   Watch Pima County Sheriff "Dufus" exhibit his command of the issue at about the 1:05 mark in the vid.

The United Nations Sucks Sweaty Goat Testicles!

I WILL NEVER HONOR THIS FLAG.  EVER.

I have NEVER been a fan of the UN.  Despite doing more good things for those less fortunate than us around the world, more than any other country in the history of mankind, the U.S. constantly gets bashed by the UN.  Did I mention I HATE the effing UN?  Here's just the latest thing that pisses me off. 

You know the Iranians, those Persians that Obama has been coddling?  Those terrorist thug Iranians. Those despicable Iranians who have sown anti-american sentiments throughout the world and U.S. soldier killing IED technology all over Iraq and now Afghanistan. The ayatollahs who want nuclear weapons to vaporize Israel.   Remember those guys?  The guys who fund the terrorists of Hezbollah, and are buddying up to Chavez in Venezuela, you remember them, right? Well they don't think much of women's rights.  Check this out.

  "In some areas of north Tehran we can see many suntanned women and young girls who look like walking mannequins," he continued. "We are not going to tolerate this situation and will first warn those found in this manner and then arrest and imprison them."


The warning follows recent comments made by a hard-line Iranian cleric, who claimed women dressed in revealing clothing were disturbing young men and causing earthquakes.

So those mullahs that Obama thinks are misunderstood, want to round up suntanned women and put them in prison.  I wonder if the National Organization of Women (NOW) will be protesting this?  Or if Mr. Obama himself, shown all over the news today crying at at a female civil right legend's funeral, will mention anything about the callous disregard for women in Iran?  I doubt it.

But wait! What does the UN think about the Iranian's  "Islamic Women and Goats are Equal" attitudes? Wait.........wait.............wait for it......................YES THAT'S RIGHT, THEY DID THIS!

NEW YORK — Without fanfare, the United Nations this week elected Iran to its Commission on the Status of Women, handing a four-year seat on the influential human rights body to a theocratic state in which stoning is enshrined in law and lashings are required for women judged "immodest."

That's right, those misunderstood Persians get some lovin' from the UN.   THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS!!!

Can you tell I'm pissed?  I'll tell you what I think of the Iranian government and mullahs.  (mom, quit reading here, sorry)  THEY ARE FUCKING SAVAGES!

Not only do the UN's actions make me want to puke, but in the context of Obama rebuffing Israel (our best middle east ally) and not being strident and aggressive against Iran's alllllllllllllllllllllmost there nuclear program,  and his coddling of Islamic extremists, I'm seriously worried. 

The only thing I can think of is that the United Nations is just trying to help women by eliminating skin cancer. After all, the Iranians report that a burqa has an spf value of 100.

Food Chain/Leeks?

 

I'll admit it. Until yesterday I had never bought Leeks.  But they looked so good. Giant green onions begging me to take them home.  Ok, you bought Leeks, now what?  I trimmed them down to  just below the darkest green and  coarsely diced them up. A little olive oil in my favorite cast iron skillet, and in they went along with a couple small sweet peppers and a little home made beef stock. A little salt and black pepper as well. This was three Leeks. It simmered for about 15 minutes on low heat.

click pics to initiate drool sequence

I diced 4 russet potatos  and boiled them until they were fork tender, as well as chopped and browned a couple pieces of bacon.

Everybody in the pool, along with a cup of milk.

Then a handful of grated cheddar cheese, and a little tangy asiago cheese over that.  I also added a couple tablespoons of sour cream. 

A little more stock and let it simmer for about 15 minutes being careful to not smunch up the potato chunks.

The leeks are very mild. Distinct but not sharp like a green onion.  This could be a great cool cloudy day soup, or even served cold on a hot summer day, but I put it alongside a burger. 

I WILL be buying more Leeks.  I think next time I'm going to crosscut them thinly and throw them into a jar with the juice that's left after the pickles are gone, and after a couple days work them into some kind of slaw.  I love new toys.  BTW, I've been trying something different with burgers lately. Add the condiments, for me it's BBQ sauce and spicy brown mustard,  on the grill then cover them with the cheese. NUM NUM!

Sometimes Life Sucks

That's why I'm going out to the garage and engaging in lifesucks therapy.  Neighbors are gonna be pissed.

Jazz is the ultimate antilifesucks rhythmic medicine.  While I bang, you listen along to Regina Carter. This is what I'm going to go drum to. African American jazz violin goddess.  Seriously, check it out.

Bass BBQ/Food Chain

That's Bass. Not Bass.  You know, bass drum, bass guitar, you know, bass.  Bass are fish, not instruments. There's a difference. Got it? 

The point of the bass vs. bass thing is that, despite reading every enclyclopedia I could find, I didn't know the difference between, "base instinct",  and "bass instinct"  until I was about 15.  I felt SO stupid when I found out.  I thought "base instinct" was "bass instinct"  because I couldn't control those deep bass rhythms that incessantly sprang forth from my soul.  An incessant, welcome rhythmic backdrop to my life. Unexplained, it was just always there.  Constant thumpin' companion.

 If my right foot, without conscious permission, just starts poppin' away, that's bass instinct.  If I throw a fat Canadian nightcrawler, perfectly threaded on a laser sharpened hook, into a Smallmouth Bass' nest and she attacks it,  that's bass instinct.  Then there's BASE instinct.

A base instinct is the reason geese, ducks, and myriad other birds fly south for the winter.  Without G.P.S.  I believe one of the most "base instincts" than humans have is sitting around the cave chewing protein off bones.  Today, I succumbed to one of my base instincts.  Enough bass lately, let's do basic beef.

That's a rack of beef ribs, rubbed with molasses, then a run through the dry rub I made.  Dry rub is highlighted by fresh ground coffee and black pepper.  Also, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried onion, salt, cumin, and a little crushed red pepper.

Plug in bullet type smoker and wait about 4 hours. Lid on of course.

Succumb to the incredibly delicious and coronarilly salacious pleasure of indulging in one of mankinds oldest "Base Instincts."   It's all about the gnawing.

click this pic to double your cholesterol count.

What a rare treat. To indulge until satiated, just like our anscestor cavedudes who had 31 year life spans. That's a "BASE INSTINCT."

this posting was NOT approved by the American Heart Association.  However, it WAS funded by the American Cardiac Surgeons Association  and a couple big cattle ranchers in Northern Nevada.

Noah's Ark?

Having recently put forward the idea that perhaps there was a swallow's nest  on Noah's Ark, I found this to be interesting.  There have been many claims of the Ark's discovery, this is the latest.  Be sure to click and watch the video.

MEXICO ISSUES TRAVEL ALERT FOR ARIZONA

Mexico has issued a travel advisory for Mexicans in Arizona.  Apparently they don't feel like Mexicans should go anywhere near a place where the law is going to be enforced.  It seems to me that the powers that be in Mexico ought to be a little more concerned about Mexicans in a FAR MORE DANGEROUS PLACE  than that horribly oppressive state of Arizona.

I have never been prouder to be an Arizonan.  You know your state is on the right track when Al Sharpton threatens to come lead a march. 

UPDATE:  Some illumination from Michelle Malkin.  How do you explain those pictures Mr. Sharpton?

Piksher Taker Wannabe/LSD?

One of the things I like best about photography are the surprises in your pics that you never saw when you snapped them.  Backdrops and your subject's surroundings can elevate a pic from ordinary to extraordinary.  Many times when I'm uploading from my camera and see the pic for the first time full size, I'm astonished at some of the stuff I didn't see through the viewfinder.


click the pics for the LSD effect.

What is that?   Or this?

That looks like something from the Hubble space telescope. An aqua colored moon around a flat planet with rings perhaps?

That's definitely got to be green jellyfish tentacles.

I must insist that you click this one to enlarge.  Free acid trip.

Your guess is as good as mine.

I love the little swirls in the bottom right corner of that one.  So about now you're thinking to yourself, "Stephen is taking acid when he shoots pics."   The truth is, I wasn't taking the pics of any of the stuff you see above.  Yeah, Ok, I was, but it's not WHY I took them.  Here's what I was looking at.

Another cool thing, enlarge that beaver to see the reflection of his nose under his bow wave.

This moocher wanted some of my lunch.

I love how just the tiny ripples from this beaver catch the light.  Maybe it's the old adage:  Everything he touches turns to gold. Actually moochers usually come in pairs.

Last one.  My favorite from last night's stakeout at the Beaver's cove.

I love surprises.

Closin' Time/Piksher

"OK, let's go!  Everybody out. Party's over. Let's go. See you next year."

Inevitability is certain.

Government Style Engineering

This cracked me up. h/t to Bayou Renaisssance Man. 

Blast From the Past/Poor Little Porker

Sometimes, your quarry is just too cute to kill.  That would include young javelina who get left behind as their family scatters when huge monsters start flinging arrows.  The poor little guy was just all tuckered out and really, really wanted his Mama.  Slow roasted whole, he would have been some tasty eats. But.......he was just too cute.  Even with an unpunched tag on the last day of the season.

So the only thing he got shot with was my camera.  And also got kissed by a MONSTER!

His reaction to kissing my brother is probably pretty similar to what mine would have been.

HELP!

I'm Lucky to be the Scrivener.

When you  invade a male beaver's territory, while he's struttin' his stuff for a pretty young lass, he's not shy about letting you know what he thinks.

I've been watching beaver at this location for over 15 years.  That water is sitting at about 450' above sea level.  Not what most people would think of as "beaver habitat."  But most people are  spending too much time worrying about inconsequential B.S.

i dare you to click this pic!

I caught one bass from what could have been many,  and was more interested in the beaver after that. As it got darker I really had to ratchet up the exposure, but it was worth it.

This frisky fella, didn't get the belle of the beaver ball, but he definitely had the pimpest hat in the cove.  (click that pic to see the hat.)

On the way in from the beaver-fest, I stopped and rendered assistance to those less fortunate than myself.  These folks were broke down and effed up.  I towed them in. There is a certain ironic element in  my 25 HP Evinrude towing this bad boy in. 502 cubic inches of NUTHIN' gettin' towed, while your wimminfolk are flirtin' with the fat hairy fisherdude runnin' and gunnin' that 25 HP speed machine.

These people didn't catch a largemouth bass, they didn't see any beaver, or photograph any beaver, nor did they stop and render assistance to their boating brethren. They were also oblivious to the fact that right behind them on that huge red ourcropping, the swallows we have already discussed, were working their tails off.  But, who am I to judge?

UH OH!!!

Sometimes you just find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Random Pics

Marla is celebrating her 100th blog post.  She says she's especially good at posting pics and rambling on about them.  So this is for Marla.  Happy 100th!

                                      Marla doesn't like fish.  I do.

                                                 

Marla has a love/hate relationship with her cat.  Me too.

Marla is marrying a farmer.  I used to be a farmer.

Marla likes taking pics of sunsets.  So do I.

Marla loves her family.  So do I.

You should all go by and tell Marla hello.

                                                 

Once Upon a Time, There Was This Dude Named Noah...............

Here in Havasu our native rock is gray, and brown mostly. Typical Sonoran and Mohave desert stone carved by the mighty Colorado River.  Along the river you can find rocks delivered here from places far away by mighty, ancient floods.  Some of those floods were inconceivable by today's standards and those angry, churning waters moved vast amounts of material towards the sea.  That's why here and there along it's course, the river left signposts of it's power.

click pics to enlarge

We have alot of rock formations like this jutting up out of the normal brown and gray.  The red mud came from Utah, or the faraway area that is now the Navajo Nation.  Our minds cannot even begin to wrap around the torrential immensity of the size flood it would take to move this material.  An ancient sandbar left behind as the water receded. 

If you look closely you can see the striations of gravel and small rocks that were layered into the mud, then ultimately encapsulated as the mud turned to stone.  Testament to the ancient rhythms of our earth.  Speaking of rhythms, how about the rhythm of life.

Those nesting swallows are definitely doing their part in carrying on the grand seasonal rhythm of springtime.  New life.  They aren't worried about the NBA playoffs, or the November election, or the monthly rhythm of the bills arriving in the mail.  They are mostly worried about building this safe neighborhood for their kids. And just like us humans, feeding those kids.

A swallow homesite provided by an ancient, cataclysmic flood.  The color of their nests is indicative of the color of the usual sediment here.  I wonder if  a long time ago, in a land far to the north, before it got washed here and turned to stone, if that red earth nurtured other living things. Plants, or burrowing rodents or even our ancestors.

I wonder if there was a mud nest on the ark with two swallows in it?

Respecting God, Fish, and My Tummy

I've been fishing alot lately.  Springtime is my favorite time to be on the lake.  Summer crowds aren't here yet, the water is crystal clear, the temps are warm, and the fish are hungry. I can totally relate to the hungry thing.

 This time of year I always bring a couple fish home to eat.  Most get thrown back out of respect for the resource.  I know there are "militant" catch and release folks out there, but I believe that keeping the occasional fish for the table is not only moral, but also respects what God has given us for sustenance. Remember, beer is also food.  My ex-swimmer food knocked over my canned food. DANG IT!

I filletted this chubby smallmouth bass and kept looking at the carcass.  Destined for the garbage?  I could see that there was still ALOT of unharvested meat and it bothered me.  Two little fillets and the rest going to waste.  Unless.............................I respected what God had provided.

Saved from the trash and into a hotel pan on the stovetop.  That pan is 17 inches long so you can see that this fish was large.  A little olive oil and Italian seasoning with a squirt of lemon juice and things started smelling pretty good in the kitchen. I also added water as needed to get some steam action. As this "garbage" cooked it started to reveal treasure. Protein and flavor treasure.

That right there is collar and cheek flavor heaven.  Succulence.  I was struck by how often we overlook gifts in our haste to keep on doing things the same old way.  If we harvest food sources and waste them, I believe it's morally wrong. I got my eyes and heart opened, and my tummy filled up.

Ok, I know it's a yucky pic, but that little pile of meat is what was left BESIDES the cheek and collar.  That pile of goodness is going to be a fish taco for my lunch today.  When the carcass went in the trash, not only was my hunger satiated, but I also knew that I had fulfilled my moral obligation to not waste what God has given. Including barley, malt, and hops in a can!