Thoughts from the Middle of Nowhere

I thought we were going to have a tussle with the High School but maybe we will get it solved short of bloodshed. In all of the papers my daughter brought home from school for us to fill out was a form for free/reduced school lunch. My Darling Wife packs my daughter every day because it's healthier and tastier than anything the school serves so why pay for something my daughter won't eat. So what did I do, threw the application for free/reduced lunch out and went about my business.

My daughter came home the next day all upset saying we had to fill it out or she would be in trouble. This po'd me so I was ready to go on the warpath but My Darling Wife called the school this morning before I got home to try and figure this thing out. The school told her, I have no way of verifying this, that the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) in Helena was requiring this to be filled out so the school was just complying. She asked her why the form or instructions for the form didn't specifically state that the form had to be filled out. The office told her that OPI told them it had to be filled out but not to put this information on the form. Only divulge this information to a parent, not a student, if the parent calls and ask the question.

Riddle me this, why does the OPI not want the fact that this form has to be filled out to be written down on the form? Might this not be legal? That would be my guess as for the reason.

To sum it up I left the form blank, signed it and wrote on it they could shove it up their arse. I will personally take it in to school tomorrow. Go ahead and try to make me fill it out, make my day.

Fight the power that be. Fight the power. Spike Lee

I finished cleaning the far pasture called the Williams place out today so I can start moving cows closer to home to ship the claves. I had made a pass through about a week ago getting some of them but then got busy with other projects and hadn't finished the job.



With the cold nights lately they were more than willing to head closer to home. I always say they are spoiled and with a hint of cold weather think they need a bale of hay. See all the grass they are walking in. They can eat grass.

All my life I've always spoiled the things that meant the most to me. Stanley Kubrick

What can I say about Hurricane Katrina. Devastating is the best I can do. There are numerous stories in the Gazette here, here, here, here, and here. Also in the paper is a photo gallery of some pictures coming out of the area showing the devestation.

This tragedy is going to affect all of us for a long time whether it's at a personal level of family being displaced or higher energy prices since 30% of US oil production comes through the New Orleans area. What I don't understand about people's reaction to this event is the number of people using this tragedy to try to boost their political agenda. I see a lot of , "it's Bush's fault, it's the Republican's fault, it's the war in Iraq's fault." Let's get real, it's a natural disaster that is god/mother nature's fault and we need to deal with the consequences with out all the finger pointing.

My advice is to donate money to whatever relief organization you are most comfortable with that will help the victims of this tragedy. Most people use the Red Cross for this. Right online you can make a contribution (credit card) to the Hurricane fund to help people. One thing to remember, small farmers and ranchers were affected in the area too and will need help. Most people don't think about the people in the country in these tragedies but they are affected too and need help. I at this point don't know a way to donate for them but I will try to find something.

Help and pray, that's what Americans are known for and what is needed now.

To help, to continually help and share, that is the sum of all knowledge; that is the meaning of art. Eleonora Duse

Sabine Bieber broke into sobs late Tuesday after hearing the verdicts against her in one of the most closely watched murder cases in recent Yellowstone County history.

While the verdicts were read at 8:47 p.m., the Laurel day care operator accused of using a common cold and allergy medicine to sedate children sat motionless. She was found guilty of negligent homicide for the death of a 1-year-old boy. She also was convicted on two counts of felony criminal endangerment.

The jury acquitted the 36-year-old woman on one count of criminal endangerment and one count of tampering with evidence. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

I think the right thing was done here. It doesn't surprise me that the jury acquitted on a couple of the counts, I would have too. The important thing is she is guilty of the boys death. The article says she can get up to 40 years. I think they should hang her but that is not the way the system works.

Justice resides naturally in people's hearts. Chinese proverb

So, does Federal law trump State law? Sometimes it can.

U.S. Constitution: Tenth Amendment

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

The question becomes if it does in this situation. This situation has a little more to do with Interstate commerce than a lot of situations do so I might have to give that Federal law might trump here. My opinion don't matter though, it's the judges opinion that counts.

Now a personal note on this. I would not personally want to eat horse meat but if that's what someone else wants to do that's fine. It's a mammal just like a cow so if you protest eating horses you should also protest eating a cow. If you don't like horse slaughter don't pass laws against it. Spend your money buying horses and feeding them until they die.

A horse is dangerous at both ends and uncomfortable in the middle. Ian Fleming

Click on picture to get full world image.

I really like these pictures. I saw them a while ago but this is the first time I have found them on the Internet. It really show mankinds spread across the globe. There has been quite a few articles recently about the rise of China and India as economic powerhouses and you can see the spreading of the lights in these countries as this is happening. Very interesting to see.

Truly an interesting spot to stand on,-if that were it,-though you could not sit down there. Henry David Thoreau

A small group of Montana bloggers got together on Saturday night and I managed to attend. Kim's passing through town on the way back to school was the stated reason for the get together but it really doesn't matter why, a good time was had by all.

Randy and Craig put the bash together and Kim, as stated before, Karen, Michael, Pandora, Amber (I never read this blog before but has been added to my RSS feed now), and I were all in attendence. A few spouses were in attendance including My Darling Wife, The Sugar Beet Baron, and Pandora's husband.

It was very interesting to meet all of the people and put faces with them. I felt like I have gotten to know them a little better through the past couple of years and actually meeting them was a pleasure.

Other descriptions and picture links to the event can be found at Randy's Place, Kim's home, Craig's castle, and for me Amber's newly found abode. There is enough pictures floating around that I won't show mine. Enjoy everybody else's.

I note that Randy said it was a very good Birthday present. I did not know it was his birthday but congrats on another year are in order obviously.

I'm glad to have met everyone and hope to get together again in the future. See you later.

Friends don't snatch or act snobby, and they don't argue or disagree. If you're nice to them, they'll be nice to you. Julie

I'm certainly not a lawyer, but as a widely published writer, I'm well aware that legal precedent holds that if you moderate, edit, or prune comments on your online forum -- or blog -- in any way at all then you stop being able to defend yourself as a common carrier and become a publisher who is, indeed, liable for the content that they publish.

This situation came to my attention from blogspotting and makes for an interesting problem. How liable are you from comments on your blog. I know there has been some legal questions in the local trail being covered by the Gazette blogInside the Courtroom: The Tiny Tots Trial that are new ground for courts and blogging so the comment situation is really beginning to flair up.

I had some problems with my blogging software for the past month or so that sent everything to moderation but I did no actual moderation. The problem is fixed but I will have to keep in mind this situation on commenting to see how it turns out. Interesting Times that's for sure.

To watch another carrying a load requires no exertion. Chinese proverb

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
413 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE KATRINA CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA

DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT
LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL
FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY
DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL.
PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD
FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE
BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME
WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A
FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH
AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY
VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE
ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE
WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN
AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING
INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY
THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW
CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE
KILLED.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR
HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS.

LAZ038-040-050-056>070-MSZ080>082-290300-
ASSUMPTION-HANCOCK-HARRISON-JACKSON-LIVINGSTON-LOWER JEFFERSON-
LOWER LAFOURCHE-LOWER PLAQUEMINES-LOWER ST. BERNARD-LOWER TERREBONNE-
ORLEANS-ST. CHARLES-ST. JAMES-ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST-ST. TAMMANY-
TANGIPAHOA-UPPER JEFFERSON-UPPER LAFOURCHE-UPPER PLAQUEMINES-
UPPER ST. BERNARD-UPPER TERREBONNE-
413 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

Damn, it could get real ugly, real quick.

There is quite a series of articles today in the Gazette about wheat farming in Montana that is interesting.

Higher costs, lower prices dry up farm profits

Grain harvest a bitter pill as cost of production rises

Competition squeezes Montana's grain growers

Crop yields partly make up for cost of growing wheat

Around 10 years ago I gave up wheat farming because in my mind it was getting to be a bigger money loser every year and with the farm programs being cut I didn't see a way to make it work. These articles are pretty much saying the same thing.

I did find the advice in one article about expanding or dying interesting. I've been saying the same thing for years.

"Whether you like it or not, in farming or ranching, under our current economic conditions, if you ain't growing, your dying."

I wish there was another way around it but that is the way I see it. What I am going to do in the long run I'm not sure but I always keep the above thought in mind.

Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field. Dwight D. Eisenhower

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo definitely leaves a person with a different view of things. It makes it really hard to focus and concentrate. Benign is one term I wouldn't use for it though. It really affects me.

And one of his partners asked "Has he vertigo?" and the other glanced out and down and said "Oh no, only about ten feet more." Ogden Nash

Every time I read a story about Gov. Brian Schweitzer talking about making fuel from coal, like this newest one, in Eastern Montana I ask the question, " what makes Schweitzer or anyone else think the Northern Plains Resource Council (NPRC) and other environmental groups allow this to happen?"

I would love to see some of the coal resources in my area exploited more but any time you talk about it the NPRC does everything in its power to shoot it down. Just look at the battle over the battle over the power plant in Roundup if you wonder if the environmental groups would be capable of stopping such a thing.

I will also point out that the proposed area for this development is on the border of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe has a very strong spiritual connection to their land, as do many other people who live in this area, and also tend to fight things that might pollute it.

Nowhere has either Brian Schweitzer or the cadre of Schweitzer sycophants out there ever addresed this very important issue involved with the Gov's plan. Some day maybe the press will start asking this tough question to the Governor but until then the Governor's media machine will keep Schweitzer's name in the press in such a good light that nobody dares challenge him.

The reason that adulation is not displeasing is that, though untrue, it shows one to be of consequence enough, in one way or other, to induce people to lie. George Gordon Noel Byron

Guess I had better start checking out how many extra hoops I am going to have to jump through to ship my calves out of state. What a pain.

The limits of prudence: one cannot jump out of a burning building gradually. Mason Cooley

I don't know if I would have been able to contain myself as well as these parents did. I would have opted for a lot worse.

Why are we so full of restraint? Why do we not give in all directions? Is it fear of losing ourselves? Until we do lose ourselves there is no hope of finding ourselves. Henry Miller

You might remember that this spring I mentioned my son's speech therapist was leaving and I had no idea whether he would be able to get services in another year. Well, he will.

The remaining therapist at Scottish Rite Speech and Language Disorder Clinic had visited with us and indicated she was going to try to fit him in once a month for services. We accepted this since there is no other speech therapist available. It wasn't ideal but what could we due. The therapist that was leaving gave us information on how to continue on our own. She felt My darling Wife was more than capable and dedicated of continuing with out a therapist with the proper guidance so for the last couple of weeks we have been buying all the material we need to continue on our own.

Yesterday we receive a call out of the blue from the therapist informing us she is taking the boy on full time and will see him once a week starting in September. Now why the change from once a month to full time I don't know but I accept if happily. We will supplement whatever we do there with the material we bought and continue on.

This is such good news that I can't even describe it. While I know My darling Wife would manage, having professional help is a relief.

Laughter is the tonic, the relief, the surcease for pain. Charlie Chaplin