Author Archives: doscats

About doscats

Social crirtic and writer. Ph.D. University of Minnesota (American Studies)

Mugshots and Terrorists

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This past week Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was returned to the headlines in (in)glorious fashion since the U.S. Attorney General announced he will be tried in New York City for his part in the planning and execution of the 9/11 attacks of 2001.

Most of the buzz surrounding the announcement concerned the fact that, and the AG made the point especially strongly, he will be tried just a few blocks from site of the horrific attacks of that day.

(I remember watching TV that Tuesday morning and seeing the second plane fly into the second tower.  I don’t remember why I had the television on at that time, but the TV was on that morning and I saw it live.)

Additionally, concerns were expressed about the fact that his trial will be a civil affair and fall under United States’ jurisdiction with all the ambiguities and potential complications regarding what evidence, testimony, and procedures will be allowed. Continue reading →

Baldo plays…

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Baldo and Chica like to chase twigs, leaves, feathers, toy mice; any item I can tie to the end of some string, twine, or, especially, fly line.  I have cut about fifteen feet of weight forward floating fly line–it’s actually easy to manuever, to give movement to whatever I’ve tied to the end of the line for play time–just for this purpose.

The following video shows me playing thusly with Baldo.  I think I have  a 4-5 inch twig attached.  Hopefully, despite the shadows, you’ll see Baldo chase it as I turn in a circle after tempting him by pulling it through the grass.

Actually, it’s a lot like fly fishing.  I’m trolling for the big catch!

[flowplayer src=baldo_playing.flv, splash=baldo_plays.jpg]

fly fishing huntington reservoir

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A couple of weeks ago I drove to Huntington Reservoir about an hour south of Springville to fish.  It’s my favorite reservoir because of the Tiger trout–a hard fighting hybird female Brown and male Brook trout–the fact that there isn’t recreational boating, and some days late in the year I’m the only one on the water.

I used my camera phone to record some of my experience that day–I don’t remember the exact day/date–just to see how it would turn out.  I hope you find it kind of interesting and amusing.

I actually felt comfortable talking and narrating.  I’m kind of used to talking to myself these days anyway.

I eventually ran out of memory so that’s why the videos ended where they did. Continue reading →

My new friends

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Here are my two newest friends.  They live across the street.  Their owners didn’t take much care of them during the first couple of weeks they were in the neighborhood.  They would regularly cross the street and hang out here.

I was worried they weren’t getting fed nor, especially, affection.   Lately, though, they seem to be inside most of the time.  While I miss seeing them, I think they’re safer now.

They’re very cute little gatitos! Continue reading →

Tonight’s football game…

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Springville 16   Woods Cross 12

It was an excellent game.  Not a lopsided win for the home team this time.

Woods Cross, a Salt Lake area high school looked bigger than my high school team.  Eventually, their strength helped them almost overcome an early deficit created by early Springville big plays for touchdowns.

But the home team played clutch defense, stopping three drives deep in Springville’s territory that included one missed Woods Cross field goal.

It was in the cool, almost chilly night air during the last quarter where hyped nerves joined to make a dramatic conclusion to an interesting experience for me. Continue reading →

What kind of man am I? (“The question.”)

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It was a week ago today.  The first football game I had attended in years.

The weather was cold, with drizzling rain and light snow showers in the mountains and an occasional lonely flake finding its way to where I was sitting in the visitors’ bleachers.

Across the field was my high school football team playing in a first round state playoff game.  The home team bleachers were about half full.

I could have sat there if I’d really wanted to.  There was plenty of room, but I didn’t want to take the chance that someone might recognize me and ask me what I’m up to. Continue reading →

Afghanistan and Authenticity

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Driving home this morning after doing some light shopping I overheard “enlightened” public radio analysis and speculation regarding U.S. foreign policy toward Afghanistan as President Barack Obama currently ponders whether to  follow the advice of military leaders and send in more U.S. troops to fight the Taliban.

(So now we’re into nation-building, liberating Afghanis from authoritarian religious overlords, safeguarding against a mideastern domino theory, or just making sure the military-industrial complex can continue to exercise its war-making skills and justify its existence…?  hmmm…  What’s next?)

Listening to the description of Afghanistan as a corrupt, “narco” regime/state, I began to think about what I said in my last update about “authenticity” and how I might address some of my thoughts on the matter. Continue reading →

update 10-21-09

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Good morning.

I’m just sitting here with Baldo lying on my desk, breathing all stimulated and such.  Maybe he wants to go play or eat or something. I pet him occasionally, which he seems to like.  He feels really good even though he’s a bit chubby.  (More to love, right?)

Anyway, I think we’ll go outside for some fresh air and activity.  We both need it and the weather’s great right now.  Now that autumn is fully  with us–the leaves are starting to assert their independence from the trees–we/I need to change eating and (lack of) exercise routines.

I’m working on a few things that are website-related including learning how to compress and convert video files to better fit into my YouTube and website locations.  I’m also evaluating new web hosts that offer more storage for my website.  This means the site might be unavailable for a couple of days while it repopulates with a new web hoster.

I am upgrading in order to include more video content here.  This will include recent videos of me playing with Baldo and fly fishing at Huntington Reservoir this past Sunday. Continue reading →

Peggy

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One year ago today my sister, Peggy, died.

I want to honor and remember her with some images of moments I was able to share with her.

One of her many musical “favorites” that she fancied expressed something about her life was The Carpenters, “This Masquerade,” which is attached.

For Peggy, who I miss today, especially: Continue reading →

Fly Fishing and Defragmentation .

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If there’s one thing that can keep my focus these days, as it has for the last seven or eight years, it is fly fishing.  Whether I catch any fish or not.

It’s probably my favorite meditative activity.

Everything else in my life—trying to figure out how to survive financially, living with my aged father who struggles to be happy, my cats whose primary focus seems to be their next meal, trying to understand my relation to my environment in its many guises—recedes into my subconscious for the time I’m on the water.

Yes, I know there’s plenty of writing out there, including “zen” books on fly fishing, addressing the positive clarifying effects of such re-creating moments.  Those when the spirit, whatever that is, is renewed, invigorated, cleansed. Continue reading →