SUENOSDEUOMI'S RUMINATIONS

Green Coyote - Art In The Park

Green Coyote by artist Don Kennell, the newest work of public art on display at Santa Fe's Railyard park.

Approaching this strange, gigantic creatures, my pups were about to launch in to a serious bark attack.

This has got to be the cutest, most adorable gigantic coyote there is!

Not sure my pups, Isabella and Sumo would agree.

Yep, Don's work of art creates quiet a stir and grabs the attention of most anyone passing by, here two guys with one 33 year old parrot.

Next, coyote with passing Rail Runner train, yeah!

This coyote has different colored, green and blue, brilliant, bright eyes created by the amazing artist Mitchell Berg.

Art in public spaces can really affect the community positively I was able to observed this myself.

Don Kennell's Yard Dog staring from the park across one of our busiest streets over toward Whole Foods, really attracted people to it and the area. Kids would sway on the swing, families would have their picnics nearby, tourists would take each other's pictures with the sculpture, occasionally I would lend a helping hand. I felt a real loss when that work of art was taken down November 2012. Folks no longer gravitated to that area in the park. So, my surprise and joy was all the greater when I discovered this Green Coyote. I might add that real live coyotes have been sighted right near this spot as they like to travel along water ways such as the nearby Acequia Madre (Mother Ditch.) During Occupy, the longest occupation by a camp of a public space that started in fall of 2011, protesters made it a point to feed those real coyotes! At my first spotting of the Green Coyote a sweet young couple had taken refuge underneath it. This capture will linger in my mind only as I had ventured out without camera, fearing, no expecting, and here in the high desert southwest truly welcoming more rain. I sure look forward to more photo ops with this most delightful, gigantic creature.

Well done, Don Kennell, thank you!

2 Million People Incarcerated!

2 Joints - 13 Years!

Grant Clemency To Non-Violent Drug Offenders!

I signed this petition:

http://www.bravenewfilms.org/grant_clemency

Black Lives Matter

Ella’s Song

Composed by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon

Founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock a cappella ensemble

Refrain:

We who believe in freedom cannot rest

We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes

Verses:

Until the killing of Black men, Black mothers’ sons

Is as important as the killing of White men, White mothers’ sons

And that which touches me most is that I had a chance to work with people Passing on to others that which was passed on to me

To me young people come first, they have the courage where we fail

And if I can shed some light as they carry us through the gale

The older I get the better I know that the secret of my going on

Is when the reins are in the hand of the young who dare to run against the storm

Not needing to clutch for power, not needing the light just to shine on me

I need to be just one in the number as we stand against tyranny

Struggling myself don’t mean a whole lot I come to realize

That teaching others to stand up and fight is the only way my struggle survive

I’m a woman who speaks in a voice and I must be heard At time I can be quite difficult, I’ll bow to no man’s word

Posted in light of on-going police brutality against black folks, the latest victim we heard of sadly being a beautiful young woman, Sandra Bland.

"This video of the arrest of Sandra Bland shows totally outrageous police behavior. No one should be yanked from her car, thrown to the ground, assaulted and arrested for a minor traffic stop. The result is that three days later she is dead in her jail cell. This video highlights once again why we need real police reform. People should not die for a minor traffic infraction. This type of police abuse has become an all-too-common occurrence for people of color and it must stop." ~ Bernie Sanders - from the Bernie Sanders For President facebook page.

"Part of the point is that the lived experience of black women is excluded from the public discourse. It’s never going to be their turn to have their voices heard, so they have to create the opportunities to make their voices heard. Protests are always criticized as being at the wrong time because those who need to protest are never the people writing the agenda. That’s the value of protest." - Tim DeChristopher interviewed by Bill Moyers

The unforgettable Robin Williams in top form.

Planned Parenthood Under Continued Attack

Republican presidential hopeful Mark Rubio calls for the defunding of Planned Parenthood, asks us to stand with life.

I personally benefited from low-cost health care graciously performed by Planned Parenthood (no abortions involved ever, but affordable breast and cervical cancer screenings.) I stand for the affordable care Planned Parenthood has offered for decades to women in need. I stand with Planned Parenthood in giving women choices as regards their own bodies. I stand with Planned Parenthood in support of modern women, from women to women. I do not support the trumped up charges and attacks by supposedly god-fearing, christian men that are willing to defend an unborn fetus, but do not care to support a mother with child with proper benefits and child care options. I oppose men that believe firing a woman from her job because she got pregnant could ever be fair and called for. I oppose men that profess to choose life, but are all too eager to send sons (not their own, but those especially from low income households) in to wars and harms way. I want to thank Planned Parenthood for the care I personally received. Don't let christian men that are ancient history take modern women back in time, don't let those men that should have no say in public policy making take away women's care and women's most important choices. I ask you to stand with Planned Parenthood, sign this petition.

Food Waste - John Oliver

Brilliant weaving together of Trump, DiCaprio &

the incentivizing of the giving away of food via tax deductions for businesses

by the one and only and incomparable John Oliver.

I never bought in to the idea that expiration dates are a law in and off themselves.

My neighbor of late has supplied my pups with plenty of expired high end, seriously costly meat tidbits to their delight.

40% of food never makes it to the table,

while we have kids here in New Mexico that go hungry!

A time will come when we will look back only to shake our heads in disbelief.

Mandela Day

"Mandela was born in 1918 and died Dec. 5, 2013, at the age of 95.

He fought for decades to end apartheid in South Africa.

Organizers urge people to dedicate 67 minutes out of the day to help others."

Today would have been Nelson Mandela's 97th birthday. In 2009 the United Nations declared July 18th Mandela Day - a day that honors his incredible life and legacy. Madiba believed we all have the power to change the world, and in honor of his 67 years of service to his fellow man, join me today in dedicating 67 minutes of your time to someone...anyone! You can read a book to grandmother, offer to buy groceries for a neighbor, clean up your neighborhood, volunteer at the public library, walk a dog... the ideas are endless... Use hashtag ‪#‎MandelaDay‬ so I can see what great work you're doing! ‪#‎Time2Serve‬

- Morgan Freeman

"Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu – it means you must serve your fellow man"

"No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." Nelson Mandela Autobiography 1995

#MandelaDay

Each act of kindness helps to change our world for the better,

make a difference, get involved this Nelson Mandela Day.

All Images Off Facebook

Impromptu Love Fest

Isabella wears her happiness at being out and about with a goofy smile

that often proves infectious.

Historic & Momentous Eulogy

President Obama's Eulogy starts at 1:21:01

MAD & GLAD!

My buddy Joe, Comedian and Senior Editor of MAD Magazine.

Freedom Won!

Freedom to chose - divorce -

as we know, most that marry will go through a usually painful divorce.

Scalia did not ask me, I am still considering myself a hippie, somewhat.

I am still anti-establishment,

I am still for freedom.

But I must admit, it took me a while to come around to the idea of marriage between other then a prince and a princess. That fairytale ideas from childhood had gotten stuck in my head and would not dislodge easily. It was my friend that introduced me 12 years ago to such an outlandish notion as same sex marriage in her thesis for law school. Of course I tried to argue her points. I am still against marriage in principle, but all for voluntary long term relationships, which I admire whenever I happen to come upon one.

George Harris (82) & Jack Evans (85)

Married in Dallas TX today, 6.26.2015

Daily Kos

I do not equate marriage with love.

Marriage is an arrangement and now those seeking legal immigration to the US should have double the choice of partner potential available to them for a marriage to qualify them for immigration!

What I really treasure is the discovery of the U.S. Treaty of Tripoli: "The government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion." I am sincerely relieved to have found a legal, valid point to refute the claim that US society is supposedly based in Christianity made by a former Tea Party dog walking buddy. I was surprised to hear that, but did not until today know of a legal answer to his claim. I am sincerely relieved, my thanks to Mary Bonauto, who made the argument in an exchange with Chief Justice Roberts. How odd that Roberts seemed unaware that marriage does not require a religious ceremony and does not have to twist any priest's unwilling heart or arm!

Along the lines of equal rights, our City Council, spearheaded by our gay Mayor, voted for ALL GENDER PUBLIC RESTROOMS meant to provide safe public bathrooms for everyone, despite such a thing seeming to me an oxymoron. There is no real safety in public bathrooms, now is there? It's a place to go in - and out as fast as possible, touching as little as possible. But lockable single rooms will insure that no one will have to listen again to another's conversation from another stall while in the process of doing their business. With gay pride happening this weekend, the LGBT community and our society as a whole has a lot to celebrate.

The one and only John Oliver in his wisdom explains matters to us:

YES!

Basket Case

Sumo spent all night for the first time ever in the cat bed,

a Nigerian straw basket bought in the eighties,

covered with a freshly laundered towel.

He looked cozy and not exactly eager to get up and out.

Silver

Lisa Law's Now Antique Hippie Bus

on the Railyard Plaza, Santa Fe,

for last Sunday's Summer Solstice Celebration.

Purple Peace

Fiesta Parade, Santa Fe, 2008

Yes, we had our own Ghandi complete with a thick german accent!

After decades of Lisa Law's participation in our local Fiesta,

a celebration of our local hispanic history,

there have been rumors that this rig is no longer welcome.

I suspect it may have something to do with proper registration for this bus.

Some suspect more sinister motives.

Time will tell (or Lisa.)

Good Morning

Behind El Museo Cultural which hosts our annual Currents new media art exhibit.

What a morning it already has been! I accused one of the workers on our 'monstrosity', our brand new 11-plex movie theater, who in a very nice chat had revealed to me that he is from Las Cruces, the southern, more conservative part of our state, of not standing up for his beliefs because he did not wish to reveal to me his political leanings. I had inquired, with a big grin, if he voted for Susana, my derogatory term for our Republican Governor!

Truth is I feel like I lived in a 'new-agey' bubble among like- and alternative minded folks. Somehow it seems to me we missed the turn to the right our country took. These days I feel a need to know, I really want to know what people are thinking, feeling and standing for. I wonder and ponder why we are in the mess we are in? Who are my fellow Americans whose political choices, or lack of, entwine us in to a shared fate? Yeah, blame it on others! Well, no, I blame myself some, ever since 9/11 for not having been engaged enough on a social and political level. So I ask, always with a smile, and express myself often to strangers, often with mixed results.

I do believe we are social animals. We tend to follow a herd kind of mentality. I can see it in myself, doing often unconsciously what others are doing, or demonstrating to me. Somebody does not pick up after their dogs, something I abhor, soon enough I find reasons to not wanna pick up after mine. Seems to me this is only natural, so I have to engage reason, sense and sensibility, to do the right thing. (I pick up after my dogs, I say 97% of the time and make up for it on those rare occasions I did not.) Seems to me that if enough people speak their minds and express themselves honestly and engage, rather then disconnect, the people as a whole, our society will move forward in a positive direction. Am I mistaken? No, blaming of course is not the way forward, but holding accountable ought to be part of it. Stating our truth and engaging with those that think differently ought to be part of it. Looking at any one thing from many different angles ought to be part of moving our society and social conscience forward. Dismiss this as the ramblings of an aging, socially isolated, lone and too talkative woman if you must.

Stormy Weather

My Breakfast Table Today

Pancakes topped with yesterday's currants,

picked at our nearby public park

(no pesticides allowed!)

Goat butter may just be my discovery of the year, I love it!

It allows me to use my new cast iron pans on my new stove without burning

or sticking, a dilemma I grappled with for the past 16 months.

I can even flip the darn cake,

and I am left with a nice golden crust.

Goat butter does not stink of goat at all,

sorry, I am not a fan of goat cheese or milk,

no matter how healthy it may be for us.

I like it so much better then Ghee, or clarified butter, which does stink,

terribly, left out in a pan for a bit too long.

Goat butter works much better for me then olive- or sesame oil.

I learned ages ago to avoid heating olive oil,

I do believe it is best used cold over salads and such.

I am experimenting with alternatives to the organic rice milk I have been using.

Coconut milk is what I added to my coffee and my pancakes today.

Dr. Weil has been on the fence on coconut butter

in regard to heart and vascular health and so am I.

The taste is fine, but beware of the additives.

Almond milk does not taste great to me.

Produced mostly in California for us Americans at least,

it requires a lot of water in now a drought stricken state.

Not the most environment friendly choice anymore!

The lettuce shows up on my table because it needs to be potted

and yes, I do have a small bowl of compost on my breakfast table.

John Oliver: Torture

John gives us another reason to vote for Bernie, or Hilary, but caution, you may not want to look at Hummus for a good long while to come:

6.16.2015 Good News:

Senator Udall Statement on Senate’s Vote to Prohibit Torture

Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement on the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan 78-21 vote to reaffirm the ban on waterboarding and other inhumane interrogation techniques. The amendment now moves forward as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.

“Torture is a stain on our nation’s all too recent history. As the comprehensive investigation by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence confirmed, the CIA’s post-9/11 'enhanced interrogation' techniques were not just brutal and inhumane — but also ineffective. This amendment reaffirms the torture ban and ensures that we never again compromise our core values and resort to such methods. Americans should never torture in the name of security, no matter who is in the White House.”