These are blogs.

I’ve talked to plenty of people in the legal system, and I’ve heard one phrase a lot.

If you can’t argue the law, argue the facts. If you can’t argue the facts, argue the law. A family in Texas is obviously arguing the facts.

Pete Palmer, a sophomore at Waxahachie High School in Texas, was sent home from school for wearing a John Edwards 2008 T-shirt.

The family is arguing Palmer’s free speech was violated.

“It’s a First Amendment constitutional right that people have fought and died for and I don’t know why he should give it up just because Waxahachie thinks it would be okay or neat for him to do so,” Paul Palmer said.

The problem is that he and his family should have known the policy.

“T-shirts, other than (school) clubs, organizations, sports, or spirit t-shirts, college or university t-shirts or solid-colored t-shirts, are prohibited,” according to the policy.

The first defense for the family would be, in my mind, Tinker v. Des Moines School District. Kids weren’t allowed to wear black armbands in protest of war, but the Supreme Court ruled otherwise.

In that case and others, the Supreme Court has often ruled against those who created policies specifically tailored to stifle certain types of speech. The family would have a great argument if that was the case.

Problem is, that’s not the case. Waxahachie’s policy wasn’t banning political T-shirts. It was banning T-shirts, except shirts that promote schools or sports teams. That means you can’t wear a “Save Mary Kate” T-shirt, just the same as a T-shirt for any candidate for any office.

If the Palmers, or any other family, have a problem with the policies of their respective school, they’re probably better off arguing it before they break them instead of doing so after the fact and invoking a sentimental argument.

While I was waiting to speak with U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., earlier today, spokeswoman Jude McCartin told me the atmosphere of Washington, D.C. requires a thick skin. She told me, and I’m paraphrasing, “You’re yelling at somebody one day, but then you’re introducing a bill with them the next.”

The night’s not even over, and she’s already been proven right.

I was in attendance at Tuesday morning’s water field hearing at the Clovis-Carver Public Library, where Bingaman, D-N.M., and Pete Domenici, R-N.M., heard testimony on the Ute Water Project.

Domenici was none too kind on the Bureau of Reclamation, who he felt was dragging feet when it came to support of the pipeline project that would move reserved water from the Ute Reservoir to participating communities.

Here are his exact words following testimony from the BOR representative:

“I don’t have much faith in the Bureau of Reclamation. I don’t have it now, I didn’t have it last week, I didn’t have it last year.”

Pretty harsh words. Of course, tonight’s e-mail also included one from Domenici’s press office, unrelated to the field hearing.

“U.S. Senator Pete Domenici today announced that he will join Bureau of Reclamation officials in hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony and tour of the new Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility at Alamogordo later this week.”

Maybe McCartin does press for Domenici, too.

You might have heard by now about the at Ute Lake State Park. By all indications, it seems the situation was handled without incident.

At least he wasn’t caught in a tree.

I like to consider myself a people person, and going to the bank to deposit checks is one of the greatest chances to talk with people. However, I gave that up recently after I tried banking through the automatic teller machine.

The ATM is beneficial for many reasons:
1. I don’t have to leave my car
2. I don’t need to show any type of picture ID; I only need my debit card
3. The ATM gives me an account balance with the receipt
4. I’m instantly credited for the transaction, as it shows up as available balance.

It’s reason No. 4 that’s always had me curious, though. Every time I go to the ATM to bank a small check (say, a rebate check), I’m tempted to enter a deposit amount far greater than the check — say, $150,004.75 for a $4.75 rebate check. I wouldn’t use the extra pending balance fraudulently, because I’d only want to see what my account would look like with all those zeros. Besides, a bank employee would surely catch the mistake during normal accounting practices.

But I’ve always stopped myself, because such an action technically constitutes wire fraud. There’s no distinction between the robber who intends to use the money to buy a car and me, the guy who wants a cheap laugh and an imaginary fortune.

I called a friend of mine who works at an area bank for an opinion — would the bank appreciate my obvious joke, or would it prosecute to the fullest extent of the law?

Neither, she guessed. She once made a $100 accounting error on her personal account, and her bank charged her some type of correction fee. It was a small fee, but we guessed in a case as egregious as what I was planning, I might get penalized with a fine as high as $10.

In the best case scenario, it would cost me $10 to be able to see $150,000 in my checking account. In the worst case, you’ll see me facing a charge of wire fraud.

So if you’re parked behind me at the ATM, you might be there for a while. I’m weighing my options.

I’ll admit I didn’t watch much of the CNN presidential debates this past week, but a segment of what I did watch stood out.

As somebody who’s followed politics for years, I know the power of hypothetical questions. Michael Dukakis’ fate was sealed in 1988 when he said he wouldn’t want the death penalty in the circumstance somebody raped and murdered his wife. That helped George H.W. Bush get elected president, starting this country’s Bush/Clinton pseudo-monarchy that is in its 19th year (and could last 36 years if Hillary Clinton is elected for two terms and Jeb Bush follows up by doing the same thing).

It’s far from the last time I’ve seen hypothetical questions, many of which were launched during Sunday’s Democratic debate. Wolf Blitzer asked the candidates if they would take out Osama bin Laden if it meant killing several innocent civilians. Dennis Kucinich objected because it only promotes the assassination of U.S. leaders in the future, but most others said they would if it was 5-10 civilians and not 2,000-3,000 civilians killed.

Later, each candidate was asked how they would end genocide in Darfur. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he would pressure China to play a role due to the country’s huge economic influence there. If China didn’t join the effort, Richardson said, the U.S. should consider boycotting the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Only John Edwards applauded Richardson for the idea, while others bristled.

It’s impossible to tell how the Republicans would have answered the question (probably because Blitzer didn’t ask it during Tuesday’s Republican debate). Based on existing evidence, many of the best-qualified candidates for president have no problem killing innocent civilians to achieve political and security ends. Those same candidates do, however, have a problem with giving up sports to achieve political and security ends.

I’m not surprised, just disappointed.

p.s. I don’t think I’m conflating the issues of al Qaeda and Darfur. Since an Olympic boycott would prevent military action, I consider it a security measure for the U.S.

By the time you read this, my birthday will have likely arrived (maybe left, as well). I ordered myself a camcorder, and it was to be delivered by a package service I won’t mention.

I’d used the tracking number to know it was coming on Saturday. So on Saturday I waited. And waited. And waited past my time to go into work. I finally left for work an hour late, skipped my normal break and got home later that night to see a “Sorry we missed you” tag on my door.

The tracking information said the delivery was made 20 minutes after I left for work. I called the company Monday to inquire about my package, and what time it would next be delivered. The following is how I remember the conversation:

Customer Service Rep: Thank you for calling (name withheld), how may I help you?
Me: I was inquiring about a delivery I missed because I was at work.
(I give her the tracking number)
CSR: The package was delivered Saturday, but you weren’t available.
Me: I know. I was at work. I waited from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the package. I was seeing when it would next be delivered.
CSR: We don’t deliver on Mondays. We deliver Tuesday through Saturday.
Me: Will it be at the same time? I work at about the same time every day, and we’re just going to run into the problem again.
CSR: The route is the same, so you should expect it at about the same time.
Me: Is there any way I can have it delivered to my office? I work at a pretty established building.
CSR: No, we don’t alter package delivery.
Me: Okay, so you can’t do that. I can’t get my package if I can’t miss work, and you will only deliver it when I’m scheduled to work.
CSR: Well, you can pick it up at our service center.
Me: Where is that?
CSR: It’s on 18112 Elm Street in Loo-bock, Texas.
Me: Um, it’s Lubbock, and it’s two hours away from me. That’s even less of an option.
CSR: Is there anything else I can help you with?
Me: Well, you didn’t really help me with anything.
CSR: (uncomfortable silence)
Me: Well, I guess not.
CSR: Well, thank you for…
(I hang up)

After I hung up, I saw a report on TV about how the new postal rate increase took effect. Effective Monday, a first-class stamp was up from 39 cents to 41 cents, and people made accusations of price gouging.

When I went to the post office later that afternoon to mail two letters, I bought a pair of 2-cent stamps to supplement what I already had. While in line, somebody said the price of a gallon of gasoline went up five cents. So much for that 4-cent profit.

As much as I like to bash government when it has its shortcomings, I can’t do that with the U.S. Postal Service. Everywhere I’ve lived, there’s been at least one post office. In each place, at least one clerk took the time to learn my name. Not every package comes straight to my door, but my package is safe and sound a few blocks away. I don’t have to rearrange my day or go to Loo-bock to receive a service I paid for.

That’s worth two cents any day.

In my line of work, there are plenty of interesting and famous people I talk to. There was the time I talked with NBA Scouting Director Marty Blake for a story that never ran, or a Saturday morning phone call from former Seattle Mariners General Manager Pat Gillick.
More recently, my athletic interview was Hank Baskett, a Clovis native and Philadelphia Eagles receiver.
I’ll be very direct: Hank is one of the most media-friendly people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. He calls you back, and he’ll also help you in underrated ways (case in point: He exchanged numerous text messages to help me identify two people he spoke with during the tournament for a photo I snapped). He gives lengthy, well-reasoned answers. Iif he ever reaches the point where he catches 50-75 balls per season, he’ll be a shoo-in for the league’s All-Interview Team.
He’s also good with the press because he doesn’t let you trap him, or make him take a controversial position — no matter how much you make him try, or how trivial the position is.

While he was in town for his charity golf tournament, I got a few minutes with him. We talked about the tournament, the NFL Draft (which was on the same day) and general Philadelphia things.
The stuff about the tournament made the story we printed on Sunday, and the rest is making this blog. All quotes belong to Baskett:

We shortly discussed the draft as it played on a big-screen TV in the background. He said last year’s draft was a life-changing thing, but this year is just about seeing how your team would benefit.
A little bit before we talked, the Eagles traded their No. 26 pick to the Dallas Cowboys for Dallas’ second-, third- and fifth-round selections. He admitted he was a little surprised, but liked the deal.

“That just gives us more artillery for our arsenal. The more, the better. You can’t ever have too much in the NFL. Anybody who’s going to come in, help you win the Super Bowl is a good thing.”

Donté Stallworth left, so the receiver position is a priority for the Eagles. I asked him about the fine line between knowing you need receivers and being concerned about your spot on the depth chart.

“We’re not even worried about that. We picked up Kevin Curtis. We believe we’re all stronger than last year. We’ll go into minicamp, then we’ll know about depth charts.”

And what of the quarterback situation? It’s unfair under most circumstances to force a second-year receiver to comment on a decorated veteran quarterback like Donovan McNabb. I thought it was fair, since:
• McNabb’s missed significant time the last two seasons (2005 sports hernia, 2006 ACL), and
• Backup Jeff Garcia, who led the Eagles to the second round of the playoffs, signed with Tampa Bay.

“Donovan’s been coming back, working harder than ever. It’s unfortunate we lost Jeff, but A.J. (Feeley) showed in the Atlanta game that he can come in.”

(Full disclosure: The Atlanta game had no impact on the Eagles’ playoff position, and Baskett may be a little biased. He caught seven balls for 177 yards, including an 89-yard touchdown in that game.) Just in case, the Eagles picked up quarterback Kevin Kolb from the University of Houston.

At the point we were talking, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn had gone from a possible top three pick to No. 22 (Cleveland Browns). He really didn’t have much of an opinion.

“Y’all know more about sports than I do. I don’t watch TV. I see how they hype up the draft. I learned what the draft can do to you last year.”

I tried to put him on the fence about a prime Philadelphia issue: Who makes the best cheesesteak?

“I’ve been to Tony Luke’s, I’ve been to Jim’s on South Street, I’ve been to Pat’s (King of Steaks), I’ve been to Geno’s. I spread it around.”

Another safe answer, but he did mention a variation of the popular Philadelphia sandwich.

“The best cheesesteak rolls are at Davio’s. Those things are awesome.”

The following statement is going to put me in a staunch minority, but I need to stand by my convictions.
I actually like V8.
A lot of people turn their heads at the vegetable drink, but not me. I enjoy the spicy hot and normal variety, but can do without the lemon twist variety.
The aluminum can form is the best, because you can feel how cold it is just before you slam it down. That’s how I drink it, all in one motion. Sometimes it’s so cold, it ends with the irony that I got an ice cream headache from vegetables.
However, two things bother me about V8:

1. The aluminum cans are sold in two sizes — 11.5 ounces and 5.5 ounces (as a six-pack). Each 5.5-ounce can claims to have “one full serving of vegetables,” while the 11.5-ounce can claims “two full servings of vegetables.” Since 5.5 times 2 equals 11, and 11 is 0.5 less than 11.5, it makes me wonder what’s that extra 0.5 doing?
2. Why does it say “full servings” on the can? Wouldn’t “serving” be enough, without wasting words? Please don’t point out the irony of dedicating 16 words to the concept of wasting one word, because I know.

I hope you weren’t anticipating an educational blog today. I’ll work harder next time.

Sometimes you’re thumbing through our newspaper or browsing the site online and you’ll see one quote from a source. It brings up the melodramatic image of the newsroom with phones ringing off the hook, and a reporter with a cigar in his mouth and a fedora calling people and giving them 10 seconds to respond.
I’m glad to say it’s not really that way. That one quote is often the result of asking the expected question, then asking more questions based on the one or two words you didn’t expect to hear.
That’s why I love doing our “In Tribute” series. The obituary for longtime Clovis resident Sue Crow read that she ran Vogue Cleaners after her husband died and that she loved art. It’s the extra question or two with family members that let me tell readers in Friday’s story that Crow loved to can tomatoes, painted a mural in the living room and never accepted Hawaii as a state.
Sometimes tidbits like these don’t get in the paper. It’s not because they’re bad — it’s more likely they didn’t fit with the story.
Case in point, Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting at KICA. Bill Kurtis, best known for his work on A&E’s “Cold Case Files” show, is one of the partners in Tallgrass Broadcasting, which purchased the station and plans to make Clovis its central office.
There were two quotes I used from a 10-minute interview I had with Kurtis:

• “It’s booming economically,” he said about Clovis. “We see a population that is growing and an opportunity for these stations to serve it.”
• “The Internet is a major, tectonic change in media businesses,” he said later, addressing the shift in media and profitability. “By losing newspapers on a national level, losing cable, advertisers are losing platforms for reaching people. They are turning more to local newspaper and radio stations. There is always hope for community connections.”

There was a lot more I discussed with Bill Kurtis, but I left it out of the story for two reasons:

1. It didn’t have much to do with Clovis.
2. It didn’t have much to do with the acquisition of the stations.

I’m somewhat shortchanging my readers if I bog them down with details irrelevant to the real story — why did they buy this station, and how does that affect the place I live?
Conversely, I feel I’m shortchanging readers if I don’t share some of these gems. Here are some of the highlights from Tuesday that didn’t show up in Wednesday’s edition:
• Kurtis felt documentaries were one of the best ways to give people news, because the long story just gave more details and allowed more education on topics people just didn’t discuss every day.
“We covered global warming 15 years ago,” Kurtis said, “and nobody believed it.”
• To see a documentary about global warming, “An Inconvenient Truth,” take Oscar honors, shows what a shift the medium has taken.
We discussed the documentary “Supersize Me.” Kurtis recalled the fierce opposition McDonald’s had to the documentary where Morgan Spurlock nearly killed himself by eating only McDonald’s food for one month.
A good concept, well done in documentary form, won’t go ignored for long, Kurtis believed.
“The documentary form is now (going) to major motion pictures,” he said. “That’s where the major issues are going … they’ve become documentaries.”
• Kurtis has his sights on another project. He wants to be the next Paul Harvey, as he hopes to start a national newscast. His one concern with news radio is it’s become too opinionated, whether it’s Rush Limbaugh on the right or Al Franken on the left.
“There seems to be a need for somebody to go down the middle,” Kurtis said. “I’m an old-fashioned newsman who doesn’t know much other than to tell both sides of the story.”
• Kurtis’ voice gives everything an important tone. I was talking with KICA disc jockey Kevin Gardels, and he said he thought he got a great interview with Kurtis. I joked that Kurtis could talk about Jell-O recipes and make it sound dignified with his voice.
“I remember my wife and I had gone to the supermarket one Sunday eve. Cherry was the flavor we had picked. My wife opted for whipped topping. I felt the choice to be somewhat pretentious, especially since it was a non-dairy topping she selected. We took our items through the express line. We had more than 10 items, but Susan the clerk flashed us a smile that said, ‘Eleven is just fine, sir.’ The dessert and the trip made for an experience I’ll never forget.”
Maybe when he has that news program, he can sell Jell-O like Paul Harvey sells Craftmatic beds.

For those who don’t know, and those who do, my name is Kevin Wilson. This writing may have different elements than the follow-up writings that will appear on this site, but they have one important bond.
These are blogs.
I’m a 1996 graduate of Broadwater High School in Townsend, Mont., and a 2000 graduate of Eastern New Mexico University. I was the 1999 homecoming king and the first resident assistant in Curry Hall history to plan my own birthday party as a social program and pay for it through Housing Department funds.
I have worked at Freedom Newspapers for seven years and enjoy the variety it has provided. I have been editor in Portales and Tucumcari, and have handled various beats from sports to movies to the Ute Water Project.
With this blog, what you can expect is what I like about other blogs — thoughtful discourse, mixed with some pop culture and irreverence.
I think it would be a little heavy if I was going to get right into political issues, or episodes of “24,” but you can expect to read about both on this blog. Also expect to see some stuff about my favorite hockey team, the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres are the top seed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and they’re close to finishing off the New York Islanders.
Instead, I’m going to steal the first blog of fellow CNJ blogger Courtney Post and change the answers for me. In the music business, they call it “sampling.”

I love to look at the window, realize it’s morning and then steal an extra 20-30 minutes of sleep. I enjoy sleep because I’m good at it.
I absolutely hate mornings, especially if work’s involved. Coffee doesn’t improve my mood, because I hate coffee.
I listen to music all the time. My favorite bands include The Roots, Collective Soul, Slum Village and Boyz II Men. Favorite solo artists include Craig David and Mandy Moore.
The best movies ever made would have to include Citizen Kane, The Usual Suspects, L.A. Confidential, Die Hard and Can’t Hardly Wait.
I love writing, and it’s enjoyable to do it as a journalist because you get to tell somebody else’s story.
My first time being published was an essay contest in high school, as the Helena (Mont.) Independent Record printed my letter on the meaning of Christmas. My first national publication came in SLAM Magazine, Issue 39.
At some point, I’d like to write a movie. It would be something like Spike Lee’s “Bamboozled,” except without the drama of racism.
Thanks for reading, and comment away.