Greg In The Desert

Some probably desperate and broke robber is trying to steal money from deposit boxes (in ATM machines) using fishing wire and hooks in Rio Rancho.

Rio Rancho police spokesperson John Francis said the man took fishing wire and fishing hooks to drop down deposit boxes to try to reel in money bags. Bank employees who would empty the deposit boxes the next morning told police they’d find the hooks and wires and that’s what tipped them off to look at their surveillance video.

Cameras at the Bank of America at High Resort recorded their suspect driving up in an older, white Chevy Suburban with red stripes on the side, opening the deposit box and going fishing.

I spotted a Dear Abby column, in the Chicago Herald News of all places, where wives are enforcing specific rules during eating on their annoyed husbands.

Dear Abby: My wife has been criticizing my table manners ever since our wedding. When we’re having dinner, if we’re having meatloaf, broccoli and mashed potatoes, I eat all of my meatloaf and then all of my broccoli before starting on the mashed potatoes.

My wife claims it is proper etiquette to rotate one bite of each different food rather than consume all of any one of them before moving on to the next. I have never heard of this rule and neither has anyone else I have asked.

Am I violating a rule of etiquette, or is this something else my wife has “cooked up”? — Ruminating in Rio Rancho, N.M.

Dear Ruminating: I have never heard of such a rule either, nor is it mentioned in “Emily Post’s Etiquette (16th Edition).” Your wife may have cooked it up, but that doesn’t mean you have to swallow it.

If the HGTV Dream Home Sweepstake doesn’t work out, there’s a raffle for a $190,000 house in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. I looked for it in Google Maps and found that part of the Cabezon development that the house is supposed to be in is photographed properly but not mapped properly. I had to use a few different mapping programs to find the house, which doesn’t seem to actually built yet It will probably be a fine house if you don’t mind living next to dirt lots for a while.

2483 Corvara Drive in Astante Villas Gated Community at Cabezon in Rio Rancho, NM. GRAND PRIZE: Win a beautiful brand new home valued at $189,900 or $100,000 CASH. Additional 100 CASH Prizes to be given away. Tickets are $75.00 each. Drawing will be February 27, 2010 at the home to be given away. This raffle benefits El Ranchito de los Ninos Children’s Home — a home for children who do not have a home of their own and are unable to live with their biological families.

We are getting a nice steady snow fall in Rio Rancho today. Still debating weather I’m heading to Sandia Peak for some skiing today (I’m definitely going tomorrow).

A map of the 50 states redrawn based on population has fascinated me. Mainly because the state of New Mexico gets obliterated into 4 other new states. It looks like Albuquerque and Rio Rancho get put into Llano Estacdo or “Staked Plains“.

It’s a suggestion by fakeisthenewreal.org to improve the electoral college system.

Rather than replacing a time honored system that, after all, has only broken down three times in over 200 years, the organization of the states should be altered. In 2000, the Census Bureau determined the United States population to be 281,421,906, distributed in 50 states and one federal district. The states ranged in population from to 493,782 (1) to 33,871,648 (2). This Electoral Reform Map redivides the territory of the United States into 50 bodies of equal size – 281,421,906 divided by 50 is 5,616,997. This map shows one possible way to redraw the fifty states (3).

Wired writes at roundabouts in the US and even links to the Rio Rancho Observer.

Opposition is much more widespread in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, where an admittedly unscientific poll by Loma Colorado Library found most in town want to roundabout to go. A big reason for the disdain is people don’t understand how roundabouts work or how drivers are supposed to use them. According to The Rio Rancho Observer, people have seen trucks almost roll over barreling through the roundabouts too fast, and some have even seen tire tracks suggesting people are going straight through them. And some people think roundabouts make driving more complicated because, as one man said, “you’re not quite sure what the other guy’s going to do.” Despite the mounting frustration, the town plans to build more roundabouts.

Wired says “most in town want to roundabout to go” based on a poorly thought out article that doesn’t prove anything.

You can tell some people driving in Rio Rancho aren’t familiar with roundabouts by the skid marks running through the middle of them. Roundabouts were not common when I was growing up in Arizona and haven’t seen them much in New Mexico until recently.

However, I’m a little confused by the Rio Rancho Observer’s article that suggests residents don’t like them.

According to the results of a small, unscientific survey conducted recently at the Loma Colorado Library, most people don’t like roundabouts.

A small, unscientific survey = most people don’t like? I’m not sure how that works (admitting you don’t have enough data and coming to a conclusion) but I think it’s giving me a headache trying to figure it out. The article is filled with plenty of quotes from people (maybe residents) to back up the unscientific survey results.

I have a solution to the local populations trepidation of something new. When one renews their drivers license, they must successfully demonstrate they can navigate a roundabout. If they are unable to do so they are required to have a texas license plate. That should be incentive enough to get good at driving in a circle.

Rio Rancho and Albuquerque received a dusting of snow overnight. The city doesn’t have the capability to sand the neighborhood roads and they are very icy at the moment. I normally don’t need much of an excuse to avoid work in the morning, this morning I have a good one.

The weather report calls for more snow in Rio Rancho but I doubt we will get any more. It looks like the southern part of the state is getting the snow this winter and the sun is starting to show here.

Update: It’s been snowing all morning, I can’t believe the weather man was right.

The local electric utility in Rio Rancho, NM is scheduled to move a gigantic electrical transformer through the city.

The transformer will be hauled by a massive, specialized truck that has 174 wheels on 24 axles and is the length of a football field, or about 300 feet. It is expected to take 8 to 10 hours for the truck to move the transformer about 12 miles from railroad tracks in Bernalillo, through Bernalillo and Rio Rancho, to the switching station currently under construction northwest of Rio Rancho.

It’s supposed to travel from the railroad in Bernallio, up 550 to 528, then from 528 to Northern Avenue to where the pavement ends. This isn’t far from my house.

It was originally schedule for Sunday however PNM doesn’t have all the road permits so it will sit on the truck until it’s moved. Hopefully I can find out when it’s been rescheduled to move so I can get some video of the event.

Update: from PNM

All permits have been secured. The transformer will be moved through Bernalillo and Rio Rancho beginning shortly after midnight on Tuesday, Dec. 22. The move is expected to take 2-3 hours, given the minimal traffic at that time.

I was up for the move but it was too dark to record video with the gear I have.

Update 2: The Associated Press had a few articles on this event. Every single news paper in the country had the same article as the local news and TV stations. I did find a little original reporting.

• KOB has very little video which doesn’t do much to show how big this thing is.
• KOAT has a slide show which does very little to show how big this thing is.

The local TV news stations KRQE has a news story about a preview event for the “Walking with Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular” show at the Santa Ana Star center in Rio Rancho. The show uses a combination of actors in costumes with animatronics to show very realistic dinosaurs which can walk freely.

In the preview event the video very clearly shows that they have what is reported to be a baby tyrannosaurus rex who interacts with children. Although the tyrannosaurus rex is not real, The children are allowed to pet it like it’s some sort of giant two-legged kitten (I have a kitten, they act just like this). The fact is that the tyrannosaurus rex is a very dangerous species of dinosaur much like all dinosaurs are.

Clearly the producers of Walking with Dinosaurs do not want children and adults to know the truth. If a child was to approach a real tyrannosaurus rex in real life, like they are in this preview event, the child would most likely be eaten. Parent’s need to teach their children the truth about how dangerous Dinosaurs are because clearly the makers of Walking with Dinosaurs cannot.

Update: More details of the show are on the Rio Rancho Observers website.