Tractor Pulling: John Oncken Takes a Local Look

John Oncken:

A little background on tractor Pulls. They began with farmers gathering on Sundays to see who had the best tractor. Farmers took turns pulling a flat stoneboat or sled onto which men jumped as it was pulled down a dirt track. When the weight was too much and the tractor stopped, the distance was measured. Tractor pulls took off as a sport with the advent of the modern “sled,” which gradually adds downforce weight.

The Wileman brothers started a small tractor pull in Edgerton in 1995, Kraig says. “Kurt and I built the track and ran it for a few years.”

When the 140-cow dairy herd of Crazy Acres was sold in 1998, the Wileman brothers got serious about tractor pulling.

A year later the boys were competing in local and statewide events with the Badger State Tractor Pullers Association. Their big boost came when they began using better engines.

People Who Make Our World Work

Flying around these days can be a real hassle. Periodically, though, one has the opportunity to choose the road not taken. In this case, rather than using a rental car, I chose a 4:15a.m. shuttle from Santa Fe to the Albuquerque Sunport.

These conversations make up for all the hassles.

The tale begins in 1881, when a Barcelona native stopped in Santa Fe on his way to settle in Colorado’s San Juan Valley. Locals told him about something called a homestead opportunity. Finding the scenery and people of Santa Fe agreeable, he never completed the journey north to Colorado.

Very smart, but not educated“, the immigrant settled and built a business in his garden. Growing and selling jalapenos, carrots (“this big!”), corn, peppers and more, he married and raised five sons. The boys carried water to the garden from a nearby river seven (7!) times per day. Buyers quickly snapped up his two annual vegetable crops.

One of his sons (the shuttle driver) served our country in the marines from 1949 to 1969, starting at Camp Pendleton, moving to El Toro, Korea, Vietnam and Okinawa, becoming a DI (Sargeant). He served in Korea in 1950 and Vietnam from 1960 to 1965. It was “hell”. “I have nine lives”. A traveller asked what was the favorite part of his military service, “there must be one”: “Furlough – getting out of hell, I could see my family”.

Today, this 75 year old veteran spends his time driving a few shuttles each day from Santa Fe to Albquerque’s Sunport, fly fishing (catch & release) near Taos, making an annual visit to relatives in Spain and checking up on his daughter and grandchildren.

As I left the early morning shuttle, he proudly mentioned that he starts the day with 100 pushups and shows off to younger guys by doing 25 one arm pullups.

Gladwell: The Ketchup Conundrum

Malcolm Gladwell:

Many years ago, one mustard dominated the supermarket shelves: French’s. It came in a plastic bottle. People used it on hot dogs and bologna. It was a yellow mustard, made from ground white mustard seed with turmeric and vinegar, which gave it a mild, slightly metallic taste. If you looked hard in the grocery store, you might find something in the specialty-foods section called Grey Poupon, which was Dijon mustard, made from the more pungent brown mustard seed. In the early seventies, Grey Poupon was no more than a hundred-thousand-dollar-a-year business. Few people knew what it was or how it tasted, or had any particular desire for an alternative to French’s or the runner-up, Gulden’s. Then one day the Heublein Company, which owned Grey Poupon, discovered something remarkable: if you gave people a mustard taste test, a significant number had only to try Grey Poupon once to switch from yellow mustard. In the food world that almost never happens; even among the most successful food brands, only about one in a hundred have that kind of conversion rate. Grey Poupon was magic.

1000 Yard Stare

David Hackworth:

Guess what, folks? As you were checking out the Easter bonnets, our warriors were still paying the ultimate price in Iraq. Yes, America, the war in Iraq is still on the boil. We?re approaching 1,600 dead plus approximately 15,000 battle-wounded, along with thousands upon thousands of nonbattle casualties ? a deeply guarded Pentagon secret ? from accidents, sickness or stress disorders.
Lest we forget the sacrifices young men and women are making daily on our nation?s behalf, here’s one e-mail from the barrage we and Soldiers for the Truth (SFTT.org) receive weekly, a father sharing a letter from his son ?who is helping run the port in Kuwait where young heroes arrive in the war zone and depart from months later.? As Dad puts it, ?If this doesn’t bring a tear to your eye, nothing will.?
So haul out your hankies and read on for some serious ?ber-reality:

Free Speech & Blogs Cause Flap in Tennessee

The fast growing internet writer (and free speech) world is making some waves. Bill Hobbs relates the story of the Tennessee House Speaker killing a representative’s bill because he “had the nerve” to start writing about the “goings-on” in the legislature. More here and here. Civil, respectful discourse can only benefit our society. Internet writers are simply stepping into the void created by a changing media landscape.

I think Therese Berceau would be an excellent legislative blogger.

From High Society to Higher Calling

Adair Lara:

Then she threw herself a going-away bash at the Hilton hotel. “The first two-thirds of my life were devoted to the world,” she told 800 friends as they enjoyed music from two orchestras and tucked into caviar, coquille of seafood and fine wines. “The last third will be devoted to my soul.” It was Oct. 30, 1989, her 60th birthday.