Thumbs up: To Mother Nature for the much-needed moisture in late February and early March that will allow communities such as Las Vegas to stave off Draconian water-saving measures.
Thumbs down: The attempt by the New Mexico House of Representatives to require interlock devices on all vehicles to counter drunk driving. It could have been a case of imposing the regulation on all, in order to go after the few violators. Fortunately, the bill never made it to the senate or to the governor’s desk.
Thumbs up: To the Optic’s Casey Stege, whose photos of the giant snowfall really circulated. Once the photos hit the Associated Press wire, they got disseminated to media outlets all over, with out-of-state people noting that they saw Stege’s photos in their newspapers.
Thumbs down: To Parade Magazine. A month ago, it featured a section on health and exercise for the elderly. But whom did they feature in most of the photos? Not any specimens of human tapioca but only the most sculpted 20-people who are already in shape and don’t need exercise and diet as desperately as the rest of us.
Thumbs up: The exciting professional bout between Las Vegas’ Frankie Archuleta and Albuquerque’s five-time world champion Johnny Tapia.
Thumbs down: A paucity in definitive information about TV coverage of the fight. The day before, KFUN claimed no knowledge of the whereabouts or availability of the Spanish-language channel Telefutura (not to be confused with Telemundo, on Ch. 10). The Albuquerque Journal wrote that the channel is generally not available in New Mexico. Posters advertising the fight failed to mention televised coverage, and even the Optic omitted any such notice.
Comcast, the local cable outlet, opted to televise the sold-out fight, but that decision came late. Though many of us are pleased Comcast aired the fight, we believe many more people would have tuned in, had they only known.
Thumbs up: To Morris Madrid for his animation during the final rounds of the fight. A close look at the tape reveals our city manager showing as much stamina as the fighters themselves.
Today’s fight audiences for the most part simply sit there. Madrid brought back some of the long-lost customs. In fairness to Tapia and Archuleta, we need to point out that they’d been on their feet for a full eight rounds. Madrid didn’t begin his gyrations until the ninth and 10th rounds, and was obviously more rested than the boxers.
Thumbs down: If Hollywood ever were to make a movie about the state legislature, it certainly would not be named “Jaws.” Rather, “Gums” would be more fitting. The legislature keeps waffling on the issue of cockfighting.
That violent, cruel activity (one hesitates to call it a sport) is illegal in every state except Louisiana and parts of New Mexico. The rationale that “It’s a tradition” and “should be preserved” just won’t cut it. Any activity that arms any of God’s creatures with lethal weapons and doesn’t end until one or both are maimed or killed, constitutes cruelty. And speaking of tradition, Christians used to get thrown in with the lions. Wisely, mankind has wised up.
Thumbs up: Good sportsmanship exhibited by Johnny Tapia, who lost a split decision to Archuleta. Upon hearing the decision, Tapia hoisted the winner on his shoulders. Later, Tapia absolutely refused to make excuses for the loss.
Thumbs down: Some television programming. One late-night program, “Laura,” features families at war, usually over someone’s extra-marital affair. The participants shout, scream, weep, sweat and growl as they bare their souls. One program showed several muscular guards holding down the participants–to prevent them from injuring one another. Yet, when a woman arose, apparently to claw out the eyes of her unfaithful partner, the guards hesitated long enough to give her a chance to attack. Of course, the victim was being held fast to his chair. Regrettably, marital and relational problems exist anyway without the need to air all of them on national TV. Could it just be that the free airplane flight and free meals and hotel rooms make it worthwhile for those who want their 15 minutes of fame, even if it means undergoing humiliation?
Thumbs up: The Highlands University Board of Regents’ announcement that it intends to constitute a full search committee and proceed with a national search. That’s encouraging, but the regents’ announcement that they reserve the right to add a name to the final list looms as an act that could create a chilling effect on committee members.
Thumbs down: To the writer of “Work of Art,” whose language -purist father apparently never taught him the difference between a pronoun and a preposition. I still don’t know. I do remember, however, that while in high school, I ended most of my sentences with a proposition.