WHCA Dinner Gunman Cole Allen’s Full Anti-Trump Manifesto

Above, gunman Cole Allen sent out a manifesto just before the attack.

White House Correspondents Association dinner gunman Cole Allen sent out to family members an anti-Trump manifesto ten minutes before the attack.

He planned to target Trump and members of the Administration at the dinner. 

According to the New York Post:

Accused White House Correspondents’ Dinner gunman Cole Allen sent a sprawling manifesto to family members about 10 minutes before Saturday’s attack, sources told The Post.

The 1,052-word missive obtained by The Post Sunday morning — signed Cole ‘coldForce’ ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ Allen” — outlined his “rules of engagement” for the shooting and stated he believed it was his righteous duty to target administration officials.

This guy is definitely a wack job. 

To read more, go here.

WHCA Shooter Identified

The shooter at the White House Correspondents Association dinner last night at the Washington Hilton has been identified.

He has been identified as Cole Allen, a California (no surprise!) teacher (again, no surprise!) from Torrance. 

President Trump and Vice President Vance were escorted to safety.

In viewing a video of the incident, it is a wonder that the Secret Service and law enforcement were able to stop him. That sucker ran fast! 

It is thankful that there were no serious injuries. A uniformed officer's bullet-proof vest protected him. 

If the Washington Hilton sounds familiar, it should. It was where the assassination attempt on President Reagan took place on March 30, 1981.

Above, the site of the Reagan assassination attempt at the Washington Hilton. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Last Supper... of 2025

Above, outside of Jerry's Cafe last evening. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One benefit to living in a rural community and near a small town is that it is much easier to have a restaurant dinner on New Years Eve.

I remember how difficult it is to go out to dinner on New Years Eve in Los Angeles. Restaurants at that time would have long waits for tables. 

Above, the last supper of 2025. My usual enchilada and chile relleno. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I had to wait about ten minutes for a table at Jerry's Cafe in Gallup last evening. It was no worse than a Friday night crowd. After being seated and had been there for awhile, I noticed several empty tables. 

I don't know what today's outlook is for restaurant dining. I am planning to eat at home tonight.

Tonight's Dinner

Above, the KOA's main building. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The evening has been nice and relaxing.

The weather has been also pleasant. I noticed some clouds, but my weather apps indicate no rain is in the forecast.

Above, fired up the Weber barbecue. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the neighboring campers has her cat with her, so I am not the only one who travels with a cat. 

I barbequed a porterhouse steak for dinner. I had Bush's Baked Beans and some Del Monte Green Beans to go along with it. I had bought the steak for Thursday night's dinner at the clampsite, but one of our group will be making dinner for everyone.

Above, enjoying an after-dinner coffee. The saying on the mug means, "he was
ugly, strong and had dignity." It is from the John Wayne Stock & Supply Co.

The clampsite is three hours away, at least that's what Google Maps says. We'll see.

For You Foodies

One of the easiest meals to prepare are ones from Del Real Foods.

They are located in supermarket meat section and are easy to prepare since they're already cooked. One can either heat them up with the ol' trusty microwave or on a stovetop.

One of my favorites is their Chile Verde.

Last night, I tried out their Pollo Asada. Along with it, I also had their Arroz Con Vegetables as a side dish.

Both came out good. I had about half of the chicken and will have the remaining half tonight. There is plenty in the Arroz Con Vegetables for another meal and some snacking.

Here's last night's meal after plating (before I added Hatch Valley salsa:

Staying Home

Above, this morning's light dusting. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was a good thing that I cancelled going to Santa Fe for tonight's GOP legislative dinner.

I took a look outside a few minutes ago and we are starting to get a light dusting of snow. I kept tabs on the weather reports for Jamestown and Santa Fe the past several days and decided that it wasn't worth the 185 mile drive in this weather. Truckers on the interstates here don't seem to know how to slow down.

So, two days ago, I contacted the Republican Party of New Mexico and told them I won't be going to the dinner and they have my okay to let someone else use my dinner ticket. 

RPNM 2024 Legislative Reception & Dinner

 

I decided to attend. I haven't been to Santa Fe since the gun rally that took place at the Capitol in January 2020. It should be interesting!

For tickets, go here.

Last Night

 

Last night's Thanksgiving dinner was an enjoyable one. 

We started the evening by popping open a large bottle of Barefoot Pinot Noir wine from California. Larry Lucier, Russell Azbill and I probably haven't consumed so much wine in years and we ended up getting good buzzes from it. It was quite good, enough so that I will likely buy more in the future. 

The turkey dinner was also quite good, courtesy of Greg Lucier. Larry made some excellent pumpkin pies that were excellent at well. I was going to try a cherry pie he also made but didn't get around to it.

All in all, a good time was had by all.

Supper Group Member Dies

Our monthly supper group gathering at the Gallup home of author and historian Martin Link will not be taking place this month.

I spoke with Martin a little while ago and found that he and I would probably be the only ones there. One member is sick with a cold. Another can't get out of her ranch due to muddy roads. Three dropped out. 

Above, John Rains.

Sadly, member John Rains passed away three weeks ago. The cause of his passing wasn't disclosed, except he called his doctor asking him to make a house call as he wasn't "feeling well". When the doctor arrived, he found John on the floor dead.

So, we'll have to wait for next month for the gathering.

Saturday Night Dinner At The El Rancho Hotel

Above, the El Rancho Hotel lobby last night. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last night, Mitch Geriminsky and I headed to the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup for dinner. 

It was raining out as we drove into Gallup. It must've been a warmer storm as the temperature was around 43°, too warm for snow.

Above, in the El Rancho Hotel dining room under the watchful eye of John Wayne. 

For the first time, I decided to get a John Wayne Burger, which was a half pound of Angus beef with guacamole, lettuce, tomato and onion. It was quite good with a char broiled taste. Normally, I get chile rellenos there, but a I was still a little bit full from breakfast. Mitch had the W. C. Fields Burger. It was basically the same burger except it had chopped green chile peppers instead of guacamole.

The restaurant was almost full when we arrived. I was told it was busier the night before. Opening a bigger dining room last summer is paying off.

Above, the John Wayne Burger. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The hotel lobby was full of people, many of them connected to the Red Rock Balloon Rally. Speaking of which, it was too rainy and windy for any ascensions, I was told. Better luck next year. 

The lobby had its Christmas tree and decorations up.

Mitch headed back to Lake Havasu this morning around 5:00. 

Oh-oh!

Above, yours truly with Martin Link last January. Photo by Russell Azbill.

A few minutes ago, I received word that the Martin Link Gallup supper group member Bob Weeks is in the hospital with COVID.  I think he mentioned before that he was vaccinated. 

It was a good thing that I didn't attend Sunday's dinner at his home due to allergy issues, but there is a possibility that those who did may have contracted it. Hopefully not. I was with one attendee's husband today at Denny's. If she got exposed to it, then he may also be exposed to it through his wife. Again, hopefully not.

I don't think that I should be too concerned since I have been fully vaccinated, including two boosters (Pfizer). Generally, symptoms show up anywhere between 3 to 14 days from exposure (give or take). 

Roger, one of our gang in Jamestown, came down with it months ago and we didn't catch it from him. Hopefully, we'll have dodged a bullet again. Knock on wood!

We'll just have to wait and see.

Wine With Thanksgiving Turkey and Ham

Above, a couple of dinner wines I have regularly. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This coming Thanksgiving, I will be having Thanksgiving up at the Lucier's. 

I will be contributing to the dinner by bringing wines. During our ride back from Denny's yesterday, I asked Greg Lucier what meat is on the menu and he said ham.

I had earlier checked with Wine Spectator and Dr. Vinny made these recommendations for Thanksgiving dinner wines:

Usually when I give advice about Thanksgiving dinner, I say that you can throw the turkey out of the equation, since turkey is pretty neutral and goes with nearly any wine. Instead, you need to find wines that will pair well with a complicated array of side dishes. Many traditional holiday sides can have a sweet component to them, such as cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and even stuffing with dried fruit or apples. A Thanksgiving wine needs to be versatile enough to go with any of these sides, and I have to assume there is a green bean casserole in the mix.

But ham, you say? Ham narrows the focus a little bit more. I love Riesling and Gewürztraminer with ham, and those would typically pair well with the sides, too. On the red side, I’d continue to stick with soft and fruity examples of Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Grenache. And don’t forget the bubbly, which goes with just about everything.

When we were discussing Thanksgiving dinner, I mentioned the Riesling and Gewürztraminer. The Riesling received a favorable response. I will concentrate on the Riesling and, on the red side, either the Zinfandel or Pinot Noir. 

The local Gallup Albertson's supermarket has a good selection of wines. If I have questions, Eric, the liquor manager, is knowledgeable enough to answer them and make recommendations. 

Bar D Ranch Photos

Above, the Bar D Wranglers perform following dinner. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Along with having a chuckwagon barbeque dinner and seeing a show, Bar D Chuckwagon has other things to see and do.

They include a train ride, blacksmith's shop, art gallery, record shop, gold panning and refreshment stand that serves Margaritas.

We had a good time there and would go again.

Here's some more photos of our visit:

 

Fun Time At The Bar D

Above, at the Bar D.

Last night, we attended the Bar D Chuckwagon Dinner and Show in Durango. 

We had a great time wandering around various shops and attractions (including gold panning) before the barbecue dinner started.

Jessica had a beef dinner and I had a chicken dinner. 

Above,  the Bar D Wranglers. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

 

The entertainment was provided by the Bar D Wranglers, the house cowboy band. They played a number of familiar western songs.

We both agreed we'd do this again.

Dinner Group: Moving Native American Dances A "Bad Idea"

Above, Ohkay Oelinge dancing at the County Courthouse Plaza. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last evening, we had our monthly supper group dinner at Gallup historian/author Martin Link's home.

It was a good dinner consisting of tamales.

During the conversation at the dinner, it was the unanimous consensus of the group that moving the Native American dances to the Gallup Cultural Center from the County Courthouse Plaza was a bad idea.

The reasons cited are as follows:

• Small area not accommodating for large gatherings.
• Small "arena".
• Poor parking.
• Train noise.
• Poor seating.

Prior to when the dances were held at the Courthouse Plaza, they were held in an area now occupied by the Gallup Skateboard Park. They were moved to the Courthouse Plaza for much of the same reasons cited above. 

Above, the County Courthouse Plaza was ideal for audience participation. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

 

Another reason for the Courthouse Plaza venue: audience participation. Audience participation in the dances requires a large area, which the Courthouse Plaza was ideal for.

Everyone agreed the Courthouse Plaza location was the perfect venue for the dances.

The Day In Gallup

Above, wrapping up the day at the El Rancho Hotel restaurant.

Today was spent in Gallup taking care of business while Larry Lucier was having his physical therapy.

I had to go to the UPS Store to print off some forms for renewing my passport and other stuff that I let sit. Then I headed to the market to pick up a few things. After that, I headed to Gallup Coffee Co. for a hot mocha in downtown. 

Above the Historic El Rancho Hotel from across the street. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Following that, I took Larry to his bank and to the local dispensary, which is across the street from the El Rancho Hotel, where we ended up having dinner before heading back to Jamestown.

It was a little cooler out than it had been and windy. But it wasn't overwhelming. 

The average gas price in Gallup was $4.049/gallon, a penny less than the Flying J in Jamestown.

It wasn't a bad day. 

Supper Group Gathering

Above, Martin Link getting dinner cooked. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As we are nearing the end of the month, our monthly supper group met last evening at Gallup writer and historian Martin Link's home. On the menu was bouillabaisse, "a traditional Provençal fish stew originating in the port city of Marseille. The French and English form bouillabaisse comes from the Provençal Occitan word bolhabaissa, a compound that consists of the two verbs bolhir and abaissar." (source: Wikipedia)

Above, the dining area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was an enjoyable evening with good food and conversation, much of it was about classic movies thanks to members Sandy and Bob. The night's Academy Awards was hardly mentioned as nobody even saw or heard (or really cared) of the top nominated films.

I usually carpool there with Greg and Marlo Lucier, but they were unable to attend and Russell Azbill had some health issues, so this was the first time in about three years that I drove myself. It was just as well as I had to stop at Albertson's to pick up some groceries. I got done fairly quick and was a little early at Martin Link's. I also had to get some gasoline and the price for it in Gallup was $3.978/gallon, seventeen cents cheaper than at the Flying J.

Above, the deck yesterday. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As the day's temperature went over 70°, I spent much of the day on my deck relaxing and enjoying the view. We may get rain and snow showers tonight and tomorrow. 

Oryx Meatloaf Tonight

Above, yours truly with Martin Link. Photo by Russell Azbill.

This evening, we braved the cold outdoor temperatures to attend our monthly supper group dinner at Gallup author/historian Martin Link's home.

The main course tonight was oryx meatloaf. Not bad!

This is an oryx (antelope):

I got back home about 45 minutes ago.  

Gov. Lujan Grisham's Lavish Dinner Party

Above, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

People who find their wives, girlfriends or "significant others" are lying to them, the best course of action is to give them the boot, for they belong to the streets. The same goes for lying politicians, male or female, and those who live lavishly at taxpayers' expense while people are suffering the pandemic. In either case, you can never trust them again.

Well, Gov. "Malevolent Michelle" Lujan Grisham has been caught living "high on the hog" at the taxpayers' expense. Piñon Post has the full story.

It begins with:

While New Mexicans suffered one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates, record-high inflation, and soaring gas prices Michelle Lujan Grisham traveled to Scotland for a “climate change” summit called “COP26,” which focused on funding climate change extremism through cooperation between global stakeholders.

At the Scotland event, scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced radical job-killing proposals she aims to ram through the 2022 Legislative Session that will not only cripple New Mexico’s energy economy but will harm the poor in significant ways. Many of her cabinet secretaries and staff joined her.

At the time, the Governor’s spokeswoman Nora Sackett bragged about how the taxpayers would not be funding the trip, claiming a climate change dark money group would be footing the bill instead.

However, once Lujan Grisham arrived back in New Mexico, Inspection of Public Records Act requests revealed that in early November, right after she got back from the vacation-style “climate” excursion, the taxpayers footed the bill for a swanky seven-person dinner party at the Governor’s Mansion. 

According to the documents obtained in the IPRA, the taxpayers paid Abobo Catering $1,057.27 for the party, totaling over $150 for each person’s expensive meal. 

To read more, including the party's bill, go here.

She belongs on the streets. Voters can send her there next November!

Navajo Tacos In Gallup

Above, last night's dinner plate. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We brave souls left Jamestown last evening and headed to historian/writer Martin Link's Gallup residence for our monthly dinner gathering. It was cold out and thankfully we carpooled in a car with a good working heater.

Last night's menu was Navajo tacos along with beef and pork tamales and chili rellenoes. We were all seated near a warm crackling fire.

Martin's home was all decorated for Christmas and we all were caught up on what happening in the Gallup area.  

Usually, when I am dropped off at home after the dinners, I'll linger a bit to enjoy the view of the Milky Way. But it was at least 32° outside and I beelined it into the house. It was too cold out to enjoy the view.

A few photos of last night's dinner:

Above, the set-up upon our arrival. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the inviting fire warmed things up. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Martin's Christmas tree. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Martin Link giving one of his informative talks. Photo by Armand Vaquer.