Pictured above: Immigrant and Asylum Seeker Vigil, ICE property, ABQ
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ABQ Weather or Not
Hot! Hot! Hot! - and no AC in the building this morning. Happy Monday! Time to initiate prophylactic measures: shades down as soon as the sun comes up. Hold off as long as you can before turning on the AC or swamp cooler. And, in the evening, when temps drop below 75, throw open the windows and try to capture some of that cooler air. New York had a Blackout over the weekend, let's try to prevent an Albuquerque Brownout. Thanks!
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THE GOOD
The most exciting Men's Wimbledon Championship in history! WOW!
The Women's, not so exciting. Serena just couldn't seem to find her game - but who could have been a more gracious and appealing winner than Simona Halep? Looking forward to seeing more of her.
THE BAD
Activism is the rent we pay for living on the planet.
- Alice Walker
Stewardship of our Public Lands - let's just confine this to the roughly 450 million acres in 12 western states and look at how they are faring under the BLM and the Forest Service. No more humming This Land is Your Land, this Land is My Land - what was once multiple use with an ecosystem health maintenance plan is now abuse with biodiversity disaster. Not good. If Tom Udall thinks he can make more of a difference at home than in DC as our senator, I wish him luck. He has felled timber, overgrazing, fracking, and mining assaulting our landscape to deal with and we, as citizens, need to remind our representatives that The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 requires that "the long-term needs of future generations" must be taken into account in managing these lands. This stinks - time for us to make one too.
AND THE UGLY
Fanning the Flames of Racial Hatred - it's getting pretty hard to avoid this heat as well. And a lot of it is coming from our backyard. Regardless of where you stand on the issues of Immigration and Asylum Seekers, I think at this point we can safely say the conditions at the border are deplorable and need immediate attention. 700 people being housed in facilities meant for 100, sinks not functioning so women have had to drink from toilets, men and children alike sleeping on concrete floors with simply a Milar blanket...this is not an American profile anyone welcomes. Let's not blame the facilities operators, the CBP officials, the Republican silence or the Democrats' relentless attacks - this belongs squarely at the feet of our President.
This isn't to say that other administrations were blameless. It is to say that the number of immigrants seeking entry to the US is unprecedented and we need leadership, not partisanship and racism. We do not need Tweets. We do not need a President singling out 4 young Congresswomen (who are American citizens and were elected to office by a democratic process) and telling them to "go back" to their own countries because they are doing their jobs.
Let's take a pause and rethink this. We need compromise and we need action - in reverse order, because those children are at risk and they are being abused. This must change. ASAP.
This just in: Third Country Rule (e.g., Asylum-seeking immigrants who pass through a third country en route to the U.S. must first apply for refugee status in that country rather than at the U.S. border.) to be implemented immediately. Adios protections.
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And All That Jazz
Now through July 28th, events include:
If you're a jazz fan, this is your moment. Details: WEBSITE
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Food Truck Traffic
Hyder Park / TUESDAYS / 5pm - 8pm
Netherwood Park Bites / WEDNESDAYS / 5pm - Dusk
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THIS WEEK'S TIP
Prepared to be amazed: CLICK HERE
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iCOOK
This is a real go-to summer soup recipe - and it gets rave reviews. So, if you don't mind a little slicing and dicing and you can get your hands on some jicama: Go for it!
PS You'll probably have too much jicama. Use leftovers in salads and coleslaw for crunch.
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iCOCKTAIL
The Aviation cocktail is a real classic - and its distinctive pale blue sky hue can be attributed to an ingredient most people have never heard of and likely don't have on hand: creme de violette. Don't despair - Bartender Hugo Ensslin's cult fave used it, but by 1930, Harry Craddock had dropped it when he wrote "Savoy Cocktail Book." So take your pick: for a rainy day read or a VERY pale NM blue sky day, all you need is ice, lemon juice, gin, some Maraschino liqueur (I prefer Luxardo) and you decide on the CdV.
(Maraschino liqueur? Yep - if you're interested in Classic Coctails, it's a must.)
WITH:
2 parts gin, 1 part lemon juice, 2 dashes each: maraschino liqueur and creme de violette.
Garnish with a lemon twist.
Aviation Variation:
1.5 oz gin, 2 tsp lemon juice, 2 tsp each maraschino and creme de violette w lemon twist garnish
Mix all ingredients except the twist. Shake in an ice-filled cocktail shaker until almost frozen, strain into an uncut coupe glass so that you can admire the color. Garnish.
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OUTtake - Parting Shot
Peace becomes you.