Brought Along The Passport - And Why, Exactly?

I brought along extra ID (my passport) on my recent trip to ABQ, because you have to do that these days:

 

The Las Vegas Strip as Seen From a Climbing Airliner - March 1, 2026

There’s always a stop on the way back from Albuquerque to Sacramento, and often it’s Las Vegas. Nighttime takeoffs to the northeast are the best, but takeoffs to the west are pretty good. Views of the Strip at night are the best!

 

Loaded Downtown View

There are pleasing coincidences in Albuquerque. 

Here is “The South Western Brewery & Ice Company Building” (Home of Glorieta Beer, since 1899). 

Scattered about are neon signs to be included in the future “Neon Park” museum. 

And the adjacent low warehouse? That was “Mesa Paper Products,” the headquarters of a criminal mastermind (played by Eddie Albert) in 1974’s “The Take,” starring Billy Dee Williams (shortly before Star Wars). They featured the best car chases! 

More on “Neon Park”:

Left behind from another era & dating back almost 90 years, many of the signs were iconic Mother Road/Route 66 neon business markers, drawing folks into the motels, diners or retail shops from the 1930’s onward. Judging by the battered conditions of some of them, many of the signs will now see better days…

A Visit To Fenton Lake - February 26, 2026

Yesterday (Feb. 26th) was fun, traveling around the Jemez Mountains of NM with my sister Michelle. We walked completely around Fenton Lake with her new dog Gemma (filming location for “The Man Who Fell To Earth,” 1976) and drove through the Gilman Tunnels (popular filming location for numerous shows, including “Pluribus,” Season 1). It was my first time at both places, long overdue, and made possible by ridiculous February warmth.

I really like this fan trailer for TMWFTE. Captures the movie well:

 

SWPACA Session Announcement

Hello Albuquerque folks! You are all invited to the Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul session at this year’s Southwest Popular/American Cultural Association meeting. It will be a thoughtful good time for all! 

There are three talks this year, starting late morning on Friday, February 27th. I will be talking about several things, including what appears to be efforts by the showrunners to communicate directly with and influence the unconscious minds of viewers. 

More information: 

Location: Marriot Albuquerque, 2101 Louisiana Blvd NE. 

No charge. 

Fri, 02/27/2026 - 11:30 am - 1:00 pm 9Session 3036: Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul 1: The Worlds of Vince Gilligan 

Room: Santa Fe 

Three talks: 

“Breaking Bad,” Feminism, and the Men's Rights Movement, Anna Gretz, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

The Most Dangerous Karen: "Pluribus" and White Female Rage, Patricia Zane Biebelle, Southeast New Mexico College 

Looking at “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” from a Jungian Perspective, Marc Valdez, Independent Scholar 

Come for a Vince-Gilligan good time!

[UPDATE: Biebelle was not able to attend, so it was just the two of the rest of us.  There was plenty of time to talk about other matters.  The crowd seemed larger than last year, and the questions were better.]

Investigating Filming Locations - A Day To Move - February 25, 2026

Today (Wednesday, February 25th), I tried to discover more information about a difficult-to-access Albuquerque filming location, a high-end townhouse (Oliver Farnsworth’s New York City apartment, from “The Man Who Fell To Earth,” starring David Bowie, 1976). I found my target location, but I was distracted by the activity two doors down. Movers were removing furniture from that townhouse. I asked them if I could meet the owners. 

The owners were a 93-year-old woman and her daughter on one of the most significant days of their lives. It was time to sell the place and move the elder into a nursing home. 

The elder was lucid and well-spoken: an Albuquerque native; bright, well-traveled. She reminisced about times gone by. But time had taken its toll and it was time to leave. 

One day I’ll learn more about my target location. Today, it was enough to learn about this place.

Travel To Albuquerque For The SWPACA Conference

Time for breakfast in the ABQ (at Loyola's, of course!).

Howe at Arden Protest - Sacramento, CA - February 21, 2026

Catching up on adding content. Here is the Howe at Arden anti-ICE protest on February 21st. Different music on different corners.