The Big Pit, Blaenavon, Wales

Big Pit's wheel machinery for the ore and people lift.

It's interesting that mines are called "pits" in Britain when we would tend to associate that with a surface strip mine or something like the Kennecott Copper Mine, spiraling down to remove a whole mountain of ore.

It might be because the word in Welsh is "pwll" which is a cognate for "pool" and also means "mine." The Big Pit in Blaenavon, just over the hill from where my ancestors lived, is known as Pwll Mawr in Cymraeg.

We were not allowed to take pictures in the mine which was good in a way because my SD disk went haywire that day. That bothered me ever since because I had limited surface shots, but then I realized there would be pictures on the web!

I've been in potash mines in New Mexico. This was my first coal mine. And it was fascinatingly horrifying.

The Big Pit website even had a photo of the guide who took us down.

President Obama's Farewell Address

Yes, I liked the speech. It reaffirmed that the President's views of politics and the Constitution are very much like mine. I don't agree with him 100%, but it's in the nineties.

This is a great speech. This is the best President of my lifetime.

I provide here the full text of the speech as found on CNN. I provide no further commentary at this time, but I have highlighted the parts I like the best.

Donny Trump - Big Popular Vote LOSER!

Donnie asked us not to use any unflattering photos (heh, heh)

You can go and check the facts on the 2 million plus popular vote loss. He should have hosted "The Biggest Loser" rather than "The Apprentice."  Not that it matters much in this evil time when truth is a short commodity as marketing lies are bought and sold to make the rich and powerful more so.

There was this great analysis of the recent election and the PEOTUS that when I find again I will link in here. It's not the only one, however, as many have noted the authoritarian strain of Trumpism. But the essence was that America is divided into two "families." One is the authoritarian that appeals to bullies, fundamentalists, the Donny, and a lot of blue-collar males (some women, too). The other is the collaborative that believes that its members are all in this together and can work out their differences through the power of their diversity. Guess which family or America I want to belong to?

"You Would Be In Jail!"

There are a few people I'd like to see in jail that aren't right now. I still think Dick Cheney ought to be in jail for promoting war crimes. But even if I were running for President against him, I don't think I'd tell him that I'd throw him in jail if I were President. I might try to investigate or refer a matter to the International Court of Justice. But then I might also equivocate because this country doesn't need more turmoil over Iraq. We still have plenty.

There are also friends and family of mine that think Hillary Clinton ought to be in jail. They are among millions of Americans who agree. And I also think that if they were running for President against her, they would not threaten her with jail in front of an audience of millions.

President Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton (2017-  )

It really won't be so bad. Actually, it will be worse than Bill's eight-years. The turmoil of anti-Clintonism, Anti-Obama-ism, and anti-all-kinds-of-other-stuff will tear this country nearly apart. But its institutions and Constitution are secure and will survive.

The Republican Party won't though. It's done for. Either Trump is the nominee and tears the Party apart in November, or the Party destroys itself before then.

After today's solid wins for Hillary, Bernie Sanders has no chance to catch her. Hopefully his brand of progressive politics, along with that of Senator Elizabeth Warren, and a few others, nipping at President Clinton's heels will help some.

Rubio is out. Kasich won his favorite-son status in Ohio and will go all the way to the convention to hope for the blessing of the Republican Establishment in a party crack-up. Cruz will go all the way to the convention to hope for the divine intervention of his God-PAC in a party crack-up. However this goes, the Trump supporters will not rest happy and will be a negative force stirring turmoil in the nation. But as they are not the establishment of any party and the Republican Party will shred, there won't be much of an organized loyal opposition to President Clinton.

A Few Constitutional Provisions for the Illegal Militia at Malheur

It always helps when supposed patriots have actually read the Constitution. It takes more than just waving it around or carrying it in your pocket. Yes, there are arguments about interpretation that have been going on since it was written, but the whole point was the political processes established to work out our differences - not for any definitive answer necessarily - just the opportunity to keep us working together to govern ourselves as a nation. And that's pretty inspired, IMHO. Just check out some of these when you claim to be an anti-government constitutional patriot:

First of all, its purpose. No big secret here. It's right up front:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Then, there's this little gem we federal attorneys tend to like:

Book Report - Worst Mine Disaster in the History of Britain - Senghenydd 1913

Alexander Cordell's, This Sweet and Bitter Earth (1977).

There are spoilers in the post title and more coming. As the book is out of print and hard to find, I think that's OK. I found my copy searching Amazon used and Abe Books; the latter is the best for British publications. And I'm glad I don't know all the details of Welsh History before I pick up these books. It helps bring it all home to me or at least to look on it as it is my ancestral abode. And it does come home:

Original Intent and Original Witnesses

Apologies for borderline apologetics here, but I was cruising the interwebs and came across a very basic and forehead-slapping idea:

When it comes to the Book of Mormon witnesses, the question is which historical documents is one willing to trust? Those whose faith has been deeply shaken sometimes find it easier to trust lesser evidence rather than the best sources or the overwhelming preponderance of the evidence. But that choice is not a foregone conclusion. It is neither inevitable nor irreversible. . . . Why not opt to believe in the direct statements of the witnesses and their demonstrably lifelong commitments to the Book of Mormon? This choice asks us to have faith in the marvelous, the possibility of angels, spiritual eyes, miraculous translation, and gold plates, but it does not require us to discount the historical record or create hypothetical ways to reconcile the compelling Book of Mormon witnesses with our own skepticism.

(Steven C. Harper, "The Eleven Witnesses," in The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon, 128–129.)

Of course! Just like the original intent of the U.S. Constitution is set out up front, loud and clear in the Preamble and does not require us to go digging deep into 18th Century word analysis of the Federalist Papers or some off-hand remark made by one of the founding fathers to a drinking buddy at the local tavern, we need look no further than the published testimonies of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, including Joseph himself, for an explanation of its origins.

Grant V's Big Adventure

In Washington DC for a work-required conference, I had to travel to Main Interior to meet with someone on another work matter and call a Judge. So I hopped in our agency limo and headed downtown.

It wasn't really that big of an adventure as I started out at Main Interior some 30 years ago and somehow managed the commute back then. It's just that as I age, my life takes on more epic meaning and I have a Samsung S-6 to document the epicness:

Aparrently they are still working on our federal employee limo service

Matthew Bristow Wheelwright & the Golden Spike

Maybe he was there, maybe he wasn't, but he has not been officially identified in the famous picture:

The Golden Spike

It's been a life-long desire of mine to get out to the Golden Spike National Historic Site and I finally did. The problem is that it's not on the way to anywhere, except the Spiral Jetty, which is where the Utah Science Teachers were having an outing. My daughter invited me to go along with her family. And it was fun.

Two of my Grandsons with the Jupiter and the 119 at Golden Spike National Historic Site, Promontory Pass, Utah

White War

Oh yeah, baby! The confederacy rises again as predicted!

Talk from an elected Congressman of the republican party, just revealed the whole game!

Live-Blogging SOTU 2014

President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Feb. 12, 2013.
 (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

It's close to time! Keep checking back as I try to update this as we go along. Although I am using my new notebook with a different keyboard that sometimes trips me up and Windows 8.1 which I haven't gotten used to yet and sometimes the strangest things happen if I accidentally touch the screen.

But I wanted to give you a little preview before the Prez starts. The country is down. Congress is a disaster. The Prez is polling terribly (although much better than Congress!) The Prez is not going controversial tonight. No socialism (as if) and not much liberalism even except for what the Beckheads and Teapots will find regardless of what he says. It will be all the things that he knows John ("Are-You-Kiddin'-Me?") Boehner will at least want to talk about:

"Let Us Have Peace"

Yes, those are the words of U.S. Grant from his first Inaugural Address. General Grant and the Fourteenth Amendment may be vindicated as so far, Utah Governor Herbert has not ordered state troops to fire on Ft. Douglas that overlooks Salt Lake City from the Wasatch foothills to the East. As Grant won a bloody war to secure the United States and establish Constitutional protections of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all the people of the United States, we now face a Constitutional crisis that our nation will endure without resort to civil war.

I'm highly suspicious that Judge Shelby of the U.S. District Court, District of Utah, planned ahead to issue his decision on same-sex marriage for the week before Christmas. He may have hoped that the spirit of the season would temper any adverse reaction to the ruling. It's not over yet as a legal question until the Supreme Court eventually decides the issue as it certainly will. But as even most of the opponents of same-sex marriage believe that it will eventually happen, I wish it would happen sooner rather than later so that we can stop arguing and all calm down to deal with the inevitable and get over it. It is not worth civil war and it is not worth tearing families apart, least of all at this season of the year.

Seven Score and Ten Years Ago

What's More American?

Flags whisking by during the program opening

We went to the Veterans Day Program tonight at the school where my daughter is teaching third grade. It was so well done and not just because my daughter was involved. There was a theme going that restores some hope for the good ole US of A!

I was a little worried with the emphasis on the idea that our military veterans give us our freedoms. No, I believe they come from God or Nature and it is dangerous to go with the notion that the military is the grantor of freedom and rights. (Just ask South America.)

So I started thinking that maybe the nearly universal honoring of Veterans in this country is the last link we have to the concept of a shared belief in our freedom and unique culture, most of which is still good. In the old days, it seemed that there was more respect for representative democracy, our governmental institutions, the President, and Congress. Even the Postman used to get more respect. I could go on about the "government is the problem" problem, but I've covered that ground sufficiently in other posts.

"¡Muerte a los Tejanos!"

My favorite thing about Kit Carson. That was the battle cry of the New Mexican Volunteer Regiment he organized in the Civil War. Let us remember there were Spanish-speaking people in the American Southwest long before there were any African-American or European "Texans." Like 200 years or so. The Tejano guys came by invitation of a new Mexican Republic and then they proceeded to break all the rules, most egregiously, slavery. One of the first things the Republic of Mexico did was free the slaves. The Texans were a bit more difficult to convince.

Live-Blogging Second Inaugural

I didn't really plan on this, but Senator Chuck Schumer (D, NY) was the first one out of the box quoting Lincoln and talking about the completion of the Capitol Dome during the Civil War and the placing of the Statue of Freedom on top ironically made by a recently freed Slave (Has Schumer been reading my blog?)

Senator Schumer Conducting Inaugural Ceremonies

Keep checking back. We'll see what I can get to. I do want to live-blog the Second Inaugural (ooh! Just typing that sends chills after Schumer's talk. I'm going back up top to change the title of this).

Family Totems III

A couple of weeks ago, I finally had a chance to show my first set of Family Totems and some other postings on my blog to my Dad and Mom and they were quite pleased. So here are some more:

"On the Road to Gettysburg" 1987. © Larry K. Vaughn

My dad had just started with watercolors in those days (after many years of acrylics and oils). He always was good with detail and powers of suggestion. You may have to zoom in to see but there are little blotches of orange in the green trees as this was a cicada-cycle summer in Maryland. The orange ties up with the roof and the farm implement in the barn. The yellow in the grass was emphasized as was the purple-blue of the barn for a good contrast.

This is a real place and is on the road to Gettysburg that our family (and Union Troops) took north many times. It's Highway 97, the Baltimore Pike. It hangs in our front room as a constant reminder of many good family adventures - and the preservation of our Constitutional Union through bloodshed and Lincoln's famous speech there.

Emancipation Day Sesquicentennial

Hurrah! Hurrah! We bring the Jubilee.

Hurrah! Hurrah! The flag that makes you free!

January 1, 1863, 150 years ago, the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect under the authority of President Lincoln and the difficult to define war power. See the movie Lincoln for his principled as well as down-and-dirty political fight to get the 13th Amendment removing a significant stain on our Founder's Constitution and fulfilling their ideals. At least Lincoln was able to fuse Jeffersonian principles of the Declaration of Independence with the Constitution for that "new birth of freedom."

How Being an Oregon Native Nearly Got Me into a Duel with a Virginian

While one of the typically bland gold on blue flags common to many states of the Union, the Oregon flag has some unique characteristics. The covered wagon pulling oxen would seem obvious from the famous trail. And there is a hint of evergreens and agriculture along with the golden sunset into the Pacific with an old sailing ship and modern (for the day) steamship.

But note the year prominently displayed. That gives a clue to the important slogan on the scroll "The Union." Yes, Oregon was established as a Free State for Free Men [and Women] in defiance of the interests who would spread slavery into Western Territories to become Slave States furthering the power of Southern Slave lords who practiced "the Divine Right of Kings." As Lincoln put it, "You work and I'll eat the bread."