This ain't hell, but you can see it from here...

Temps are supposed to get up to 120 this weekend making it one hot 4th of July. The extreme heat has to make me wonder about our forefather's, the pioneers. Ambling across the land in covered wagons, hardships, Indian attacks (actually the Indians were doing them a favor trying to warn them off), disease and heartbreak, then they come upon a scene such as the one in the picture above. The fact someone said, "Looks good to me," says a lot about our ancestors lack of intelligence. One could give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe they arrived in winter when it is cool, but water is mighty scarce in these parts and the view should indicate to most rational beings that this is not a good place to inhabit in any season.

Maybe it's a little harsh calling the settlers morons, after all I know better and yet here I am. It is just as hot, but unlike Conestoga wagons, my vehicle has air conditioning as does my dwelling, which is not made of sod or mud and sticks (instead the builders used chicken wire and bird-shit). There is water to be had, though we are thieving it from the poor assholes downstream and fighting with California and Nevada over the Colorado river water rights. Arizona is in the midst of a record drought, which in my opinion won't abate anytime soon. Whether one is a Global Warming fan or not, it is readily apparent that there is climatic change afoot and hot and dry is the future forecast for sunny Arizona.

And the imbecilic settlers? Oh, their progeny is still here, and the pioneers legacy can be seen in the vacant slack jawed expression on the faces of all the NASCAR fans at the Phoenix International Race way, or the pickup trucks jacked eight feet off the ground with Clem and Bubba tossing beer cans out the window as they drive along. Intelligence is fleeting, but hillbilly is forever.