Swickard: Notes from the land of the setting sun

© 2014 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. It was 45 years ago that man first orbited the moon. The moon was landed upon six times with the last time four years later. Sadly, America walked away from the moon and ceded the moon to the Chinese who this month landed and sent a rover to stir up the moon dust.

     Perhaps that is the way it should be with great nations, they can only be great as long as the people feel the challenge to be great. Then they must join the rest of the nations in the world who are just trying to get from paycheck to paycheck and not lose their minds with their teenagers. Average nations do not reach for the stars.
     Tony Blair said the measure of a nation is how many people want in and how many want out. Some Americans are leaving our nation to escape our confiscatory tax policy. Their problem to find a government not fouling its own nest.
     Here in America our space program has mostly been dismantled. The space station was put up as a fueling area for craft reaching to the moon and planets. But America now hitches rides to the Space Station on Russian craft. Russian President Vladimir Putin this week said he is going to revitalize the Russian Space Program.
What is the American plan? No plan. We are waiting on the 2014 elections to make any meaningful change in our society but then it will be into the 2016 presidential elections and so we cannot make any kind of real change and then in 2017… sorry, the 2018 elections are coming and we cannot make changes. And so on.
I have to admit the fall of our great nation was on my watch and I feel it every day because the America I inherited as a young man was so very different from the America now. That was a “Can do” America that could go to the moon and return safely. Today we have trouble going to the store and returning safely. Read full column

Swickard: Notes from the land of the setting sun

Michael Says for January 3, 2014 - Steam Locomotives

Eugene V. McKim, Sr. - Locomotive Engineer

@ 2014 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. In early January 1957: the last standard guage steam locomotive in regular operation on the Southern Pacific Railroad was retired. At that point the SP railroad became fully dieselized.
     At one time my grandfather Eugene McKim, Sr., drove those steam locomotives but as they were retired there were more engineers than seats to drive them. So he did other things involved in pipefitting and mechanical work retiring also in 1957.
     Steam Locomotives were cheap and rugged and could go over large distances over cheaply built and maintained tracks. In the United States, large-scale manufacturers constructed locomotives for nearly all rail companies, although nearly all major railroads like the Southern Pacific had shops capable of heavy repairs. Steam locomotives required regular, and, compared to a diesel-electric engine, frequent service and overhaul which was fine when steam was the only alternative.
     So it did not make any sense to run steam when there was diesel. Fifty six years ago the last oil can was put up and the only steam is small excursions like Durango Silverton and the Cumbres & Toltec in Chama, NM… thus is progress, eh?

Michael Says for January 3, 2014 - Steam Locomotives

DWI arrest numbers declining yearly

NewsNM Swickard: Of course they should decline as the risk of punishment changes behavior... You drink, you drive, you lose is a good slogan. From KOB-TV.com - By: Erica Zucco, KOB Eyewitness News 4 - New Mexico State Police say more checkpoints, more prosecutions and increased patrols are paying off.
     “Having so many state police officers on the road last night, along with Motor Transportation Department officers, I think people realize we're taking this seriously and they felt our presence out there,” NMSP Sgt. Damyan Brown said.
     They say New Year’s Eve – typically one of the biggest drinking holidays – was pretty quiet this year. NMSP arrested seven people for DWI, comparable with five last year. With Albuquerque Police and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputies arrests’ added in, more than twenty people were booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center for drinking and driving.
     Thankfully, state police say no serious accidents were caused by alcohol. “That was our main goal last night - to prevent any kind of tragedy happening to the innocent people of New Mexico who are just trying to enjoy the holiday,” Brown said.
     Overall, there were 4,003 DWI arrests in Bernalillo County for 2013. That’s almost eleven a day. It sounds like a lot, but there is some good news. Records show a slow but steady decline in the number of DWI arrests per year. More

DWI arrest numbers declining yearly

Michael Says - for January 2, 2014 - Governor McDonald

1st elected NM Gov W C McDonald

@ 2014 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. -  Here on the second of January, 2014 I was thinking about the first elected New Mexico Governor William C. McDonald. He was born July 25, 1858 in Jordanville NY, and admitted to the Kansas bar at age 22.
Later that year he moved to White Oaks, Territory of New Mexico where he started as a miner, progressed to store clerk, civil engineer and manager of the Carrizozo Cattle Ranch Co. He used the Bar W brand. He became the first elected Governor State of New Mexico 7 November 1911. His inauguration occurred 14 January 1912 in Santa Fe. It is interesting to note that the final Territorial Governor, William Mills left office technically when the territory became a state January 6, 1912 and William McDonald was not sworn in until January 14, 1912. The state had no governor for eight days and seemed to do fine. McDonald served as the state created the state 

Got the dates wrong. 1912 to 1917

infrastructure and also was serving doing the attack by Pancho Villa and the start of the first World War. He died April 11, 1918 and was buried in the Cedarvale Cemetery at White Oaks, NM. My friend Glen Ellison, a Lincoln County Historian, remarked, “He watched a town be born, watched it crawl, stand up, and run. Then he graced this country with his grave.”

Michael Says - for January 2, 2014 - Governor McDonald

2014 The Year Of the Horse

2014 The Year Of the Horse

Global warming scientists had to be rescued from ice

From UK Mailonline.com - They went in search evidence of the world’s melting ice caps, but instead a team of climate scientists have been forced to abandon their mission … because the Antarctic ice is thicker than usual at this time of year.
     The scientists have been stuck aboard the stricken MV Akademik Schokalskiy since Christmas Day, with repeated sea rescue attempts being abandoned as icebreaking ships failed to reach them.
     Now that effort has been ditched, with experts admitting the ice is just too thick. Instead the crew have built an icy helipad, with plans afoot to rescue the 74-strong team by helicopter.The expedition is being lead by Chris Turney, a climate scientist, who was hoping to reach the base camp of Douglas Mawson, one of the most famous Antarctic explorers, and repeat observations done by him in 1912 to see what impact climate change had made.
     It is thought that the group, which includes scientific researchers and a journalist, will now be able to escape by air after two sea rescues failed.
     Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis was unable to reach them because it was not strong enough to break through. A top-of-the-range Chinese icebreaker, the Snow Dragon ('Xue Long'), was deployed earlier in the week, and hoped to reach the ship by saturday. However just after midnight on Friday it too got stuck just six nautical miles from the ship. More

Global warming scientists had to be rescued from ice

Swickard: Happy New Year, we made it to 2014

© 2013 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. Years ago one of my fears was growing old and feeble. Yes, it seemed so awful to become an old fool who cannot remember his friends and family. Then one year I lost that fear. It was completely gone. Instead I wonder each year if I can make it to the next year.

     The change came when I found out that I had cancer. Everyone who has cancer has that one moment when the enormity of our mortality chokes them. My first thought was that I did not mind dying but I did not really want to be there when it happened.

     While going through the cancer treatments my thoughts focused on making it to the next Christmas and New Year. Next year and the New Year took on a whole new meaning. And I have not lost that perspective.

     Almost every day there is some moment when I recognize that this world would go on quite fine without me. Not to say that I have anything against living. I am enjoying being here so I hope I am still alive and well at the end of 2014. That is my resolution.

     When people say that for their New Year resolution they wish to lose weight or read more books, frankly, I am not interested. I am still day to day, week to week appreciating life. It also helps to tolerate watching Congress, The Cowboys and Miley Cyrus, Me, I am just glad to be here, who cares about them? Read full column

Swickard: Happy New Year, we made it to 2014

Apollo 8 commander reflects on historic Christmas Eve moon mission, photo

Former Las Cruces NM resident, Frank Borman

From the Billings Montana Gazette - by Zach Benoit - On Christmas Eve of 1968, three men captivated the American public as they became the first humans to orbit the moon and snapped what would become one of the most iconic images of the modern era.
     Tuesday marked the 45th anniversary of "Earthrise" — a dramatic color photo of the Earth rising over the lunar surface, with the blackness of outer space as a backdrop — which was taken by astronaut Bill Anders and beamed back to Earth as he and the other two astronauts on the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission took turns speaking to an enthralled, spellbound nation.
     One of those astronauts, and the mission's commander, lives in the Billings area and said on Tuesday that it's still tough to describe the feeling of what he and the two others — Anders and Jim Lovell — on the mission saw.
     "We were coming around on the revolution on Christmas Eve and we looked up over the lunar surface and there was the Earth," said Frank Borman. "The Earth was so beautiful with all of the different colors. I think all three of us were totally enraptured."
     While the moment wasn't expected, the mission's success was. Borman said that, while the three astronauts blasted off on Dec. 21 before circling the moon 10 times three days later and heading home, the week-long mission was the culmination of years of hard work, planning and preparation.
     Fueled by competition with the Soviet Union and a challenge from President John F. Kennedy to land on the moon by the end of the decade, America threw huge amounts of resources into its space program.
     Being the first to orbit the moon with Apollo 8 was the product of much of that work. "Four hundred thousand Americans worked on that project," Borman said. "The three astronauts got most of that credit but a lot of people worked on it and deserve most of it. Everything worked perfect. They made our jobs easy."
     It was also the first time live TV images of the lunar surface were shown to the public. After sharing the images, the crew took turns reading aloud from the Book of Genesis before Borman closed with one final message. "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth," he said. Read entire story

Apollo 8 commander reflects on historic Christmas Eve moon mission, photo

Christmas wishes to all who celebrate Christmas

© 2013 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. To all who celebrate their connection to a religion now or at any other time of the year, I bid you good cheer. It does not matter which religion, I am happy for you. Within my circle I say Merry Christmas. It is not said to be aggressive toward other religions, I am simply celebrating Christmas.
We who celebrate Christmas must defend Christmas because some in our country would remove it. Example: A few years ago I wrote my annual Christmas column and was surprised when a local legislator publically called me an anti-Semite because I wrote favorably about Christmas.
I do not step back from my Christian beliefs despite name calling. That column brought up an interesting question: Congress declared the Christmas Holiday more than a hundred years ago. They specifically used the word Christmas. It seems Congress indicated this country is a Christian nation by such a designation.
People of other faiths can protest that our country has no business celebrating Christmas. Perhaps we should put it to a vote. Once and for all let Congress vote Christmas or not. Then no one could destroy Christmas if Congress affirms.
Yes, I know that our political leaders will not put it to a vote because they have no guts. While I am not trying to force this view upon anyone, I am just stating the obvious. This is a Christian nation that is very tolerant of all religions.
In other countries there is not much religious tolerance. In the Middle East you would get your head cut off for our Christian beliefs. My issue is to tolerate other beliefs but not let those beliefs take over my country. I do not want to force my religion on anyone any more that I want to be forced into another religion. Read full column

Christmas wishes to all who celebrate Christmas

NM ranks among top for animal abuse

New Mexico once again tops an undesirable list. The latest: being named one of the best five states to be an animal abuser. 

The rankings are made in a report by the national nonprofit Animal Legal Defense Fund, which does an annual analysis of animal protection laws. 

According to the report, New Mexico, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Kentucky are among the states where animal abusers get off easy. 

Among other weaknesses, the group says New Mexico has inadequate felony provisions for neglect, no felony provisions for abandonment, no provisions on sexual assault, no increased penalties when animal abuse is committed in front of children and no provisions for veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse.

Information from Associated Press. 

NM ranks among top for animal abuse