Pax Nortona – A Blog by Joel Sax
From the Land of the Lost Blunderbuss
Month: October 2003
Utah Trails 1
Posted on October 17, 2003 in Hikes and Trails
One thing that impressed me on this trip was how many people took so little time to enjoy the features of the trails.
Hedonism and Greed
Posted on October 17, 2003 in Morals & Ethics
It’s on the left that you will find peacemakers, people persecuted for righteousness sake, the poor, etc.
Utah Travel Diary 3
Posted on October 16, 2003 in Biomes Vacation Fall 2003
An elderly hiker examines a boulder. Another fellow says “Very nice, actually. Very nice.” He tries to circle the pond by way of the talus.
The Great White Spark
Posted on October 16, 2003 in Site News
A white spark the size of my fist appeared at the back of the CPU tower. The accompanying nasal buzz and the faint blue scent of ozone told me that the power supply had given up the ghost.
Political Soccer
Posted on October 16, 2003 in Citizenship
Think of politics today as a soccer match. The wRong holds that they get a point every time they kick one out of bounds. When we make a real goal, they dispute the result.
If a Tree Falls in a Forest….
Posted on October 16, 2003 in Journalists & Pundits
….does it make a sound when the American media is not there to cover it?
How to Defraud the Voters
Posted on October 16, 2003 in Campaign 2004
If people stop believing in elections and want change, what will they do? I have said for years that our country is becoming Latin-Americanized, meaning that there is a growing rift between what the People want and what the Government delivers.
Last thoughts
Posted on October 16, 2003 in Gray Davis Recall
I’d like to see gas stations posting not only the taxes added on, but the expected profit margins on their pumps.
Utah Travel Diary 2
Posted on October 15, 2003 in Vacation Fall 2003
It doesn’t take long to get to Mystery Falls from the seven pale rose stairs that lead to the Virgin River at the end of the Riverside Walk. I feel a bit like a Baptist gone to irrigate his soul and purge the sins away….
Dream
Posted on October 15, 2003 in Dreams
I’m walking down Highland Avenue in San Bernardino, much as it used to be and more like it should be today. I’m chasing Tracy my cat who is dragging a wagon with her litter box behind her. We’re heading home (east) and I want to pick her up so that she doesn’t get too tired. I lose her, though, in front of the businesses along the street, so I hail a cab. The cab driver agrees to take me home for seven dollars, which I know is the proper rate. I share the cab with him and two wives. Asa we pass a wrecked and abandoned storefront where there used to be a Muslim bookstore, I sigh and shake my head. I can still see the places where the word “Allah” has been embossed on pieces of silver and nailed to the wall. The cabbie suddenly makes a sharp left into what used to be a bank building. It is now a mosque and the front is covered by a huge curtain embellished with purplish-pink arabesques. He drives through the curtain, explaining that we must delay our trip because it is time to pray. Inside, we circle the floor of the mosque four times. The cabbie and his wife bow towards Mecca along with the believers who have positioned their prayer rugs along the edges of the mosque. He drives out when he is finished. He then announces that he must let me out there. I pull out my wallet and negotiate with him. I have a five thousand dollar bill and several smaller ones. “Can you at least take me to Waterman Avenue for this?” He relents and agrees to take me to my doorstep for $7.
Utah Travel Diary 1
Posted on October 14, 2003 in Cats Myths & Mysticism Neighborhood Vacation Fall 2003
Looking up the canyon, past the pumpkin colored walls of the lower gorge, is like seeing hot glaciers capping the red rock.
