Tulum Mayan city ruins

I was not a good scholar and didn't catch what the meaning of the smaller building with the two faces on the front corners was.   One is eyes open and one is eyes shut and something about the struggle between life and death.    And then the big human sacrifice area.  I'm garbling with the Aztecs and did not catch the spiel about this, just that is was the sacrifice temple.   

I got mainly short video of the tower performers.  We saw this before going into the ruins themselves with no explanations while it was happening and it seemed like just a tourist gimmick.   The one guide explained later inside the ruins that each of the four guys spinning down on the ropes that are uncoiling does 13 revolutions.  13 and 52 are big deals in the Mayan calendar and belief system.   They believed a cycle of life was 52 years and they had a 13 day ritual at the end of each cycle which is the "no leap years needed in their calendar" 

The one guide also had some interesting bit on when the Spanish came.   Several years prior to their main landng a ship had wrecked and one of the survivors had been training to be a priest.  He was kept as a slave and knew the Mayan language.   The Mayans also had an Aztec princess who had picked up the Mayan language.  When the Spaniards went into Mexico they quickly ran into people who only spoke the Aztec dialect and it took the priest and the princess to translate to the locals, who were in resentment of the Aztecs and the high "taxes" extracted from them so were ready to rebel and were very wowed by the gunpowder weapons.  Thus the Mayans believed fate had ordained that the Spaniards would conquer since the necessary pair of translators were in place to help them out.  

Still alive.

Not sure why I haven't felt like doing any journal posting lately but I do tend to do most things in streaks and its not like I have any pressure to avoid disappointing followers.

Spent most of last week near Cancun Mexico attending a conference for COCONet.    Not even sure what the acronym is.   It is countries bordering the Caribbean using GPS to monitor for geodetic hazards and also feeding that GPS PW into hurricane models to hopefully improve track and intensity forecasts.   A lot of these countries get the full suite of natural disaster hazards.   Earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis as well as the hurricanes one thinks about hitting Caribbean islands.

Conference was pretty good.  Some good ideas on getting students to use the GPS PW data to get a group of future proposal writers and bigwigs in their national weather communities interested in using GPS data.   It is a very good data source for countries that may not be able to follow through with maintainence  and calibration for doppler radars and don't have a lot of money to buy radiosondes and launch them twice daily.

I was avoiding internet until thursday night when I dined with liberal scientists and they were all excited that some polls (probably wishcast ones) showed even FL coming back into play for Barry.  Had to go to ace(.mu.nu) to see about this.  There was no gnashing of teeth there so must have been just wish casting polls they read about.  (please lord let the country be going to soundly reject another 4 years of the scoamt.)

Earlier on Thursday we toured some Mayan ruins.  I was a bad tourist and didn't buy so much as a beer from any of the venders at the site.   Pushy salesmen tick me off, and especially when the one guide hurried everyone back and then steered them to a little convenience type store extorting $4 for a bottle of beer  I was not going to cooperate with that crap.   But sitting at the table one of the project engineers was talking about the election and he was at bargaining/acceptance stage.  Expecting Romney to win but saying *Romney will surely veer moderate; stabbing his crazy tea party VEEP in the back*.    I know this could happen and I'm sure I will be dismayed with some of Romney's decisions,  but as the campaign has gone along I have a sense that he was more liberal in Massachusetts because that is what the majority there wanted and how he ran there.

   He understands how crippling the trillion plus dollar deficits are, and I believe he understands that regulations and the threat of big taxes on small businesses filing under the personal tax category are stalling growth.       I did take the opportunity to point out to the table, talking about how cheap it used to be to buy a beer in Mexico or other Latin American countries that part of that was the fact that $16 trillion debt has caused a real inflation. 

I need to download my pics from the ruins and make that a separate post.  The conference was good, it was held at an all inclusive resort so they didn't have to provide per diem for the sponsored attendees.   But I am just not comfortable in the role of highish end resort guest.   The first day a cleaning lady was finishing up in the hall where my room was, pushing the cart of towels and bedding to be washed.  She was going to get the door for me and seemed a bit flustered when I insisted on holding it for her.   ???   She was dealing with a big cart to get through the door,  what kind of rude beeyotch would not hold the door for her instead of expecting her to leave the cart to get the door?  I suppose the doors all have jambs so they can manage but it struck me so very odd to get any reaction for such a trivial bit of common courtesy.   Also they didn't just clean the rooms, they came back in, in the evenings and 'turned down the sheets' and turned on the TV and it was jarring to have seen things one way when I dropped off stuff before going to eat and then come back to TV on and bedding re-arranged.  They didn't even have 'do not disturb signs' available in the room.  I would have deployed one since I was not going to need more towels to make it through my 3 night stay and I prefer privacy over 'coddling'.   

Mom's memorial folder page

Got the memorial handout done

I got the layout to work out so I won't have to wait on a professional and can just print it up.   Have to fix a few typos yet but its sunny outside so I'm going to go ride my horse first.   Dad approves of my non-conventional saying to accompany the inside pics.  ' Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - body thoroughly used up - totally worn out and screaming "whoo hoo what a ride!'   

This is below a pic of mom jumping Duke and then a portrait pic of her with a smile and glint in her eyes.   I'm glad he likes it.  I threw that quote in last night, partly comic relief putting things together but  it had been growing on me as a perfect fit for the pics and its pretty accurate of mom's worldview.  She was careful of her health but she certainly believed that experiences, not years, are what makes for a full life.  

moar sudafed and coffee

Yuck,  I hate being sleepy in the office.   Skipped 12 hour sudafed this am so I guess the good news I don't feel any sinus pressure.  Just feel a bit stuffy and that + general blah is making me sleepy.  I used up my adrenalin riding Sadie this morning.  She didn't do anything wild but it was a cold damp morning and she was acting a bit grumpy about going out and then did seem to have lots of energy and was on some alert for bogeys. 

Great take-down of the MakeBelieveMedia by Ace

  great post by Ace
>>>>>>>>>>>.........The fusion of religion and politics has in fact been every bit as deleterious as the liberals always warned us.
It's just that they were the ones who actually fused God and President.
I long for the days when elections were not about Salvation, and the Press Corps were not Acolytes, each vying to prove their devotion unto their Prophet.>>>>>>

Full story at the link.  I included the last 3 sentences but its that last one that I really love.  Sums up so well why I would vote for almost any Republican right now (although I do happen to think Romney is very good) but even if I thought he was just a power hungry jerk I'd vote for him because the Media will challenge a Republican president and public pressure would keep him way more honest than Barry has been even if he had no conscience of his own. 

I can't really blame Barry too much for ignoring the constitution and general laws of the U.S. since only the conservative blog community and Rush very mildly calls him out on anything.  There is almost zero non-radio/non web media pressure to make him reconsider and in fact a lot of active media pressure from the old media (TV and big city papers)  on congress when they have tried to rein Barry in on anything.   Power corrupts, but media scrutiny shining a spotlight on the chief holder of power is a great counter against the corrupting tendency;  but instead of serving this important role the old media have encouraged Barry to be corrupt by spinning for him and attacking anyone who dares criticize their  Messiah/Prophet every time he behaves badly. 

A little wistful ...

A friend is expecting in January.    She just described all the gymnastics baby to be is doing ....

Usually I am thankful I only have to worry about the future for the country/world in general but every once in a while someone's pregnancy makes me wistful that I have never and will never experience all that.

Oh well,  I had a fun ride yesterday with my dad.

I wimped out on going to an endurance ride saturday because it was forecasted to be and wascold and raw and aside from my wimpiness I did not care to ride an energetic, green Arabian in frisky weather + first time exposure to group of excited horses.

So instead I asked L if she would like to ride there on Sunday like we did last week. Saturday dad asked if I was going riding and I said "yes, want to join us" and he did. L ended up wimping out saturday night, she had gotten chilled on Friday and did not trust it would warm up enough on Sunday so it ended up being just dad and I.

I had planned that I would NOT get my feet wet, made sure to get a good lead rope (not one of my frayed things) on the saddle so that if Sadie needed more encouragement then just following the leader I could have dad pony her across.

However I did not plan on RazzMo refusing to cross for dad. He tried a bit when we headed out and Sadie was getting a bit worked up even as I kept her well back of where Razz was pivoting and being a big baby and I said "lets just go around for now, & make sure and cross on the way back". So we did that.

Sadie was pretty good, we were riding the pasture loop through the prairie dog town and there is a busy highway they were looking at to the North and a kids sports field to the east, neither right next to where we were riding but still more commotion than Sadie has dealt with before. At one point Sadie was in front, doing a power walk and I was thinking "well except for it being so cold yesterday she really was ready for the fun ride and crowd" and I was very relaxed and she saw something she thought was skeery and spun away from it.

Shade or Grey will still spook sometimes at dumb stuff but would have stopped after just a rollback but Sadie spun for a couple revolutions. She may have been upset that the initial move put me off balance (I think she still has some flashbacks from my dumb saddle under her belly this spring) I lost one stirrup and was concerned I'd hit the ground but she did not add any jumps and did stop as I was going Whoa Whoa and finally getting my balance with my stirrup-less leg on her flank and we rode on with no harm no foul rule in effect.

We had to cross the creek on the way back a at a different spot; its been so dry this summer they could just curve right and not get their feet wet but they had to go down a maybe 45 deg. bank first. Razz again would not lead so I got off and led Sadie across first and walked a bit before getting back on.

When we got to the water crossing it was pretty warm and sunny and since it was only 20-30 minutes back to the trailer to ride with wet shoes I got off and led Sadie across when Razz stopped w/o even seeing if dad could persuade him -- which he probably could have if he had needed to. I wanted to have "see its just water, no big deal" with Sadie more than I wanted to keep my feet dry. Sadie did make me very happy by walking right across beside/behind me after just a few seconds of sniffing the water. 

Nobody is entitled to be successful in America?!!

The only reason I can come up with why this is not being HAMMERED is that we use the word entitled to describe folks who think they should have the good life just because they were born in or snuck across the border into the U.S.  but really!   I think Obama saying no one is entitled to success is right up there with his "You didn't build that" marxist remark.  

Is Eli Manning not entitled to success?   He developed his talent, dealt with the famous dad and older brother who went to a more prestigious college and led his NY Giants to two superbowl wins.  And he is not entitled to every damn bit of success now?   In what reality?  

And how about brother Peyton?   Comes back from an awful injury,  takes a risk on a team that is floundering after finally wising up and tossing the dumbest coach ever,  taking commercials poking a bit of fun at the "fragile Peyton"  image he has now ....   He is not entitled to this success?   Barry should confiscate the Manning's money and distribute it to SEIU type union thugs and the welfare class?   

And I firmly believe that 90% of business owners who are successful also damn well earned that success.  They put in 80+ hour weeks,  they white knuckled through the lean start-up years when they could have lost their house or life savings if the business failed, they had the vision to see that their product or service would be in demand and support a profitable business.  These folks are not entitled to success?!   Like hell they are not entitled,  they damn well should be able to drive fancier cars, have bigger houses, or take luxury class vacations now, vs the folks who just played it safe working for a salary.  I am one of those play it safe, salary folks and I sure as hell don't think its unfair that I can't afford as big a house as someone who built a business,  I didn't share the risks why would I expect to share the rewards?  

What kind of idiot believes most business folks would put themselves through the white knuckle years and long hours if they don't get to enjoy the fruits of success later?   How ignorant do you have to be to not know how desolate communist economies always are when the governments owns businesses and no one is entitled to success when the business does well?  

What a difference a day makes ....

I was sad and gloomy Tuesday and Wednesday.   Grieving mom and wondering if too many people would find an excuse to vote for Barry again.   I did not watch the debate last night, actually got a bit of work done but then went to ace to see how commenters rated it.   What an emotional boost reading all the happy posts and some great zingers like "the SS had to take away Barry's tie and shoelaces"

Good ride on Sunday

I hauled Lady and Sadie to KenLyn stables today and L met me there. I had to get off and lead her across and have L help push her but got Sadie to cross the 'creek' (don't tell Sadie but it was so dry this year that only a few sections of this creek have pooled water so we could have gone around) I have really been wanting to work with water on Sadie and this was a great crossing to take a nervous greenie across -- nice footing with no squishy mud, and too wide to jump across

Once we got her in and she waked across I turned around and led her back and then through again to really reinforce the "see this is no big deal" theme.
Success after riding another 2-3 miles in a sort of narrow loop we came back that way and I was able to ride Sadie across following Lady. Sadie seemed pretty proud of herself for going through all the trees and crossing water etc. and I gave her lots of praise and horse cookies. She is a fun horsonality.