July 20, 2004
Got a great comment from a former magazine publisher (now a tv producer) up Boulder, Colorado way. He is doing a show called “Cowboy” for the Outdoor channel and wanted to talk about doing Classic Gunfights as a segment on the show. After some discussion I asked him how he found the magazine and he said he was in a bookstore in Boulder, saw the very dead John Wesley Hardin and said, “Now that’s a cover!” He was quite complementary about how edgy and crazy we are, bucking trends and “poking people with sticks.” This was music to my ears and just about flat made my day. Too bad I went to Sky Harbor today and saw 20 copies of our July issue sitting at eye level in a Terminal 3 newsstand. That brought me back down to earth (I’m hoping it’s a restocking and this is their second batch, can’t keep it in the store, eh?).

Kathy and I picked up Tommy at 11:30. The thing that was disconcerting to him as he flew into Phoenix was all the unused land. He’s referring to the leapfrogging syndrome so prevalent in Arizona and many parts of the New West. He didn’t remember it being that way (kids today!) and after a year in Spain where every town is efficiently centered and every space utilized and maximized, it was, well, culture shock.

We were supposed to meet his travelling partner Kendra and her father at Los Dos Molinos, but when we got out to the car and called Deena she got all teary because she had to be at work at two and wouldn’t be able to meet us if we went down to south Phoenix and she wanted to see her brother, dammit! Thomas and Kathy tried to go back into the terminal and find Kendra and her dad but they were gone. We called Los Dos several times and finally got through to the hostess who promised me she would find them and tell them we couldn’t make it. Hope she did. Got up to El Conquistador and met Deena and Mike at about one. It was mole Tuesday so Thomas, Kathy and Deena all had the special. I had the Conquistador tacos and an iced tea. Tomcat raved about Sonoran Mexican food and said it was the thing he missed the most about being over there. ($52 plus $10 tip cash).

Took Tomas out to our house and he was freaked out by the pavement on Cahava Ranch (it was dirt when he left). The dogs jumped all over him and of course Buddy jumped up and ate T’s hat.

Just kidding.

Some feedback from yesterday’s Latino Invasion comments:

“Very savvy view of the border situation, it seems to me (from where I sit seven miles from said border). Hadn't thought to compare it to the '49ers, or the incursion of gold seekers into the Black Hills--how true.

“One of the things that's regularly missed about the illegal border crossers, though, is that lots of them aren't from Mexico. A woman just died in the desert nearby last week from Brazil. No wonder the coat of Have isn't stretching to fit.
—Emma Bull, Bisbee

And here’s a comment by an ex-marine who’s initials are RG:

“The U.S. didn't take Texas from Mexico. The Texans won their freedom from Mexico in a revolution and then joined the United States. As far as the legality of the Texas Revolution, the Texans had as much right to take Texas from Mexico as Americans did in taking the original 13 colonies from Great Britain.

“California's Bear Flag Revolution, separating California from Mexico occurred before the '49ers headed there in their quest for gold. Therefore, they were entering California (already part of the U.S.) legally, unlike the Mexicans who are slipping across the border today.

“Of course, you know my motto: History is written by the victors.”

“Loving people live in a loving world. Hostile people live in a hostile world. Same world.”
—Wayne Dyer