U.S. Getting Rough

This is unprecedented:

PARIS (AP) — Bolivia’s president left Europe for home on Wednesday in a flurry of diplomatic drama after his flight was rerouted and delayed in Austria, allegedly because of suspicion he was trying to spirit NSA leaker Edward Snowden to Latin America.

Bolivia accused the United States of ordering European countries to block President Evo Morales’ flight from their airspace, and accused European governments of “aggression” by thwarting the flight.

...Austrian officials said Morales’ plane was searched early Wednesday by Austrian border police after Morales gave permission. Bolivian and Austrian officials both say Snowden was not on board.

In Vienna, an official said that Morales’ aircraft asked controllers at Vienna airport to land because there was “no clear indication” that the plane had enough fuel to continue on its journey. The official, who demanded anonymity because he was not authorized to go public with the information, said Austrian authorities could not comment on whether the plane was denied overflights by other countries.

...Bolivia’s U.N. ambassador Sacha Llorenti said it was an “act of aggression” and that the four countries violated international law.

Llorenti said “the orders came from the United States” but other nations violated the immunity of the president and his plane, putting his life at risk.

ABQ Surprised By Nighttime Rain

East of the river anyway. At the airport, they recorded 0.17" of rain, the second-rainiest day (0.22" on 2/21/13) in nearly a year (since 0.63" on 8/18/12).

Needless to say, these amounts are tiny. Two small-ish showers a year, plus assorted sprinkles, ain't enough to keep the region from slipping into hyper-aridity.

The current pattern is holding - maybe slipping a bit to the west as the ridge moves slowly westward. Some chance of rain today. Moisture enters the U.S. from the tropics through California, does a hairpin turn in Oregon and Idaho, and then loops south through Colorado, where it enters NM. It's odd to have tropical moisture enter the state from the north, but as long as it works, that's OK.

"Falling Angels" - 1989

Fine display of why Jiří Kylián is the best choreographer on Earth.

Sac People Are Pansies

Much as I thought. The daily high temperature in Sacramento Executive Airport for the last month has always been lower than that for Tucson, AZ (with the exception of June 8th, when Sacramento's 108 degrees beat Tucson's 105 degrees).

Life is easier here than in Tucson. Enjoy what we got!

Looks Like The NVG Forecast May Be Slightly Wrong!

The NVG model has a precipitation bullseye forecast for eastern Arizona. Sure would be nice for New Mexico! (Truth is, everyone needs it.)

The way the day is evolving, though, it looks like the bullseye may land instead in Catron County and the Gila Wilderness of western NM. We'll see.

The big global forecast models can barely distinguish the difference between the two places, but I can.

[And as it turned out, I rained in eastern Arizona too!]

"Spamalot" Auditions (Monday) - DMTC - A Few Photos

Steven Ross

Jenny Ribadeneira

Scott Daugherty

Brennan Ballard.


Brennan was eager to share his recent adventures. He returned just on Monday! He played a Confederate soldier re-enactor on the Gettysburg, PA battlefield. He showed me a video of the hazy view from the Rebel battle lines. The flashes of Union rifles just a short distance away were clearly visible through the thick smoke in the woods.

My great grandfather, Stephen Buzzell, was there, fighting for the Union in the Peach Orchard in July, 1863. He didn't bring back any video, though. He had more immediate problems to deal with.

Fr feat. Jenny - Love Is The Music (Gospel Mix)

Completing the Trifecta of Perfect House Music!

I guess 2007 was a better year than I thought!

In A Viola Wills Mood

Enjoy Yourself (Twisted Dee Anthem)



Perfect House Music!


If You Could Read My Mind



Classic 1980 disco.


RIP (December 30, 1939—May 6, 2009)

Avalon Superstar - "So Alive"

When it comes to House Music, this is about as close to perfect as it ever gets! Love it!

Beautiful views of Summertime 2007 Boston, MA!

I was playing this song as I finished the last bit of drudgery regarding Data Entry for my Recall book Index. The music captured my mood. Next: Edit the Index, Final Edits as a whole, upload the manuscript, and move on to book cover!

Pepper Reappears

For the first time in four months, Pepper Von reappeared at the front of the exercise class this evening. He co-taught with Krystle Morales. Even though he was limited by his injury, people were very glad to see him reappear.

Cloudcroft Now Under The Gun

Now Cloudcroft is experiencing water problems:

CLOUDCROFT -- Cloudcroft is currently under the most intense water restrictions available under ordinance and the village is asking for cooperation from residents to ramp up conservation efforts.

According to a press release issued by the village, Cloudcroft faced a water crisis in 2004 when it was forced to truck in water for residents and filter surface runoff at "considerable cost."

On June 21-24, the village said, for the first time since 2004, that water use exceeded production capabilities.

The towns that seem to be having the worst trouble (e.g., Magdalena, Cloudcroft, and now I've heard even Las Vegas, NM) are not the ones with the most dire climate. Interesting. This drought is exposing every weakness. Every weakness. And after years of drought, there is no margin left. Things break from here on out, and they will break this year.

For the first half of the year, Albuquerque received 0.70 inches of rain. That's even less than arid Tonopah, NV, which clocks in with a miserly 0.95 inches.

Word From The Street

Walking to lunch, I saw this sign on the sidewalk. I took a photo, and as I was walking away, I heard someone who was lying down on a bench on the other side of a hedge (presumably the sign's owner) shout "God damn, it's hot!"

DMTC Scavenger Hunt Results

For the Hard List, Team Karoly won. For the Easy List, Team Cedric and Sean beat Team Bieberlicious and Ashley and the Heartbreakers.

'Albuquerque' Is Euphonius To The Dutch Ear

A portion of the fractured Google translation of this Web Page:

Albuquerque. How wonderful is not it? Sounds Albuquerque. Say it again: "ALBUQUERQUE". So many New Mexican atmosphere and polyphony in a city name.

Another Trying Puzzle For Someone Who Can't Remember Anyone's Name

Tropical Storm Dalila

Interesting the spread in path predictions on Dalila. NVG is forecasting a near-direct hit on Cabo San Lucas, with movement up the western side of Baja California, and eventual dispersion of moisture over Arizona. But with the big spread, who really knows?

Amber Rose - Loaded (dance) by Corina Bianca

Corina Bianca, Krystle Morales, and their awesome, awesome crew!

Catastrophe In Yarnell

The worst-case scenario:

YARNELL, Ariz. (AP) — The 19 firefighters killed Sunday in Arizona were part of an elite crew known for working on the front lines of region’s worst fires, including two this season that came before the team descended on the erratic fire that claimed their lives.

All but one member of the Prescott-based Hotshot crew died in what was the deadliest wildfire for firefighters in the U.S. in decades.

...“By the time they got there, it was moving very quickly,” Fraijo told The Associated Press of Sunday’s fire.

...State forestry spokesman Art Morrison told the AP that the firefighters were forced to deploy their emergency fire shelters — tent-like structures meant to shield firefighters from flames and heat — when they were caught in the fire. The Cronkite News Service had featured the group practicing such deployment in a worst-case scenario drill.

“One of the last fail safe methods that a firefighter can do under those conditions is literally to dig as much as they can down and cover themselves with a protective — kinda looks like a foil type — fire-resistant material — with the desire, the hope at least, is that the fire will burn over the top of them and they can survive it,” Fraijo said.

“Under certain conditions there’s usually only sometimes a 50 percent chance that they survive,” he said. “It’s an extreme measure that’s taken under the absolute worst conditions.”

Kat Graham - Put Your Graffiti On Me

Almost Complete With Populating The Recall Book Index

One nice thing about the radical, new post-sleep era that I've now entered is that I've been able to work much harder on the Recall Book Index than I had first anticipated, so entering the data is nearly-complete. I'll likely finish by tomorrow. There are still some issues with the Index: single references when there should be cross references; duplicate entries, wonky categories, etc. So, there is still some editing to do, but will likely finish the manuscript and upload the manuscript by the end of this week. Then, the more esoteric stuff: designing a book cover, deciding how many to order, etc.

I cast the Recall book as a work in California history. It strikes me that an outsider might find it fairly-dull and altogether too-detailed reading, but there is a lively story there nonetheless, of how all the minor 2003 Recall election candidates, despite having very little in common, were forced by media scorn to work together to enhance their electoral prospects. A heartwarming tale, in a way, of how a diverse, excitable band of egocentric drama queens - not that much different than a musical theater group - found that common ground.

Regarding the inadequate sleep, I have several theories why that might be occurring, but one unfortunate fact is that the bedroom window closest to my head can catch that early, near-solstice, northeast light. It will be a few weeks before that moderates.

Very little blogging lately. Some DMTC work instead (house-managed yesterday). WordPress for the new blog has been inaccessible anyway until today. But blogging will pick up once the Index situation is fully under control.