Thoughts from the Middle of Nowhere

It has just come to my attention that Karen at Karbon Kounty Moos is at a new web address. I wondered why she hadn't been posting much lately. Update those bookmarks. The older address still works but is not being used. Go to the new one please.

One's friends are that part of the human race with which one can be human. George Santayana

The yearling heifers waiting for a bite of feed on a cold morning. It was -20 F around here. Too damn cold for this time of year. The cattle might be ready for it but I definitely wasn't. Taken 11/29/2006.

Mysterious old Greek gadget turns out to be early computer

After a century of study, scientists have unlocked the secrets of a mysterious 2,100-year-old device known as the "Antikythera mechanism," showing it to be a complex and uncannily accurate astronomical computer.

The mechanism, recovered in more than 80 highly corroded fragments from a sunken Roman ship, could predict the positions of the sun and planets, show the location of the moon and even forecast eclipses.

The international team of scientists reported today in the journal Nature that the first-century B.C. device, the earliest known example of an arrangement of gear wheels, shows a technological sophistication that was not seen again until clockwork mechanisms were introduced in the 14th century.

A computer over 2000 years old. What a story. Gives a person a little more respect for ancient peoples and what they were capable of.

Respect the masterpiece. It is true reverence to man. There is no quality so great, none so much needed now. Frank Lloyd Wright

I think this headline is a little premature.

National ID Is Dead

USDA effectively and quietly knocked the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) in the head last Wednesday. It did so with the unheralded publication of the "NAIS User Guide," which replaces all former NAIS draft documents. This document, for the first time, emphasizes NAIS as a voluntary program rather than as a steppingstone to a mandatory one.

In fact, at the very beginning, the guide explains, "USDA is not requiring participation in the program. NAIS can help producers protect the health and marketability of their animals -- but the choice to participate is theirs."

Maybe I'm cynical, but I really don't think NAIS is dead. Can everybody out there remember how the Federal Government mandated a 55 MPH speed limit in the 70's? Since they couldn't set a national speed limit themselves they required the states, by threatening to withhold highway funding, to set speed limits and all states fell right in line and did it.

What's to stop them from doing this here. Requiring a mandatory ID system by the states by blackmail them. I think it is something to be aware of and to remain wary of. Also of note, what will happen with the Democrat congress and in the future a new administration?

All of us Americans that value freedom will need to be wary of NAIS in the future. The USDA might have had to back off for now but vigilance is required to ensure its ugly head does not rear up again.

Blackmail has become respectable. Robert G. Menzies

Can we say Paper ballots? It sure would solve the problem.

Vote: the instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country. Ambrose Bierce

This yearling heifer really has a personality. She has discovered she can step up to a person and take cake out of their hand. Here she seems to be saying. "what you want, fool." Taken 11/19/2006.

It's been decided finally. Republicans have gained control of the Montana House after the Laurel recount. So which road will they take? Will they hold true to traditional Republican values of less government and lower taxes or will they just try to outspend the Democrats in an all out bid to win the elections the next time around?

Some Republican leaders, including incoming House Speaker Scott Sales, have said they'd like to see broader property-tax cuts and more surplus funds returned to taxpayers in the form of rebates or tax cuts.

Rebates or tax cuts? If they opt for rebates they are just trying to buy votes, if they go for permanent tax cuts I might think they hold traditional Republican values. I'm not holding my breath though.

In reality we are looking at deadlock in the state government. Each side trying to get it's way and neither winning. It's going to be an interesting ride to see what happens. Will Gov. Schweitzer be the true Bipartisan Governor he claims to be or will throw a temper tantrum if he doesn't get his way? Stay tuned for the fun.

Whenever a fellow tells me he's bipartisan, I know he's going to vote against me. Harry S. Truman

I was working on a waterhole and Beau had to come over and check out what was going on. He is a very friendly horse compared to the rest of them. Taken 11/22/2006.

P.S. I am sorry for the picture quality, I think my camera is dying. All the pictures I have taken lately are blurred on the right hand side of the picture. I've cleaned the lens to no avail. The CCD must be going out. I am pricing new cameras but they want an arm and a leg for a good one.

Well, I hired a guy for the job. The response to my ad for a hand was pitiful and there was not much to choose from. Usually I get more responses than I did this time. I don't know what that is about.

I am not overly impressed with this guy but what am I to do. I need somebody to help out around here now that feeding is upon us. I moved some critters around yesterday and am going to be feeding more hay on a daily basis now and I will be glad for the help.

Maybe once he is here and working I will be more impressed. I sure hope so. The biggest problem will be not letting my present state of mind about him control my thinking once he is here. Giving him a fair chance will be important and I hope I can.

Equal opportunity means everyone will have a fair chance at being incompetent. Laurence J. Peter

Montana post offices tops in nation again

For the 13th time, more than any other state or postal geographic district in the country, Montana post offices again tied for highest score in the nation for local overnight on-time first-class mail delivery service last quarter.

Montana's 97 percent score was two points above the national average of 95 percent covering the period from July 1 to Sept. 30.

I am definitely in the minority here. My mail must be the only one in the state that isn't reaching me. In the past two months I have had 15 first class letters that I know of fail to reach me at all. All of them were bills and caused me major problems. Almost all of them were mailed and delivered in the same office. Ask the Post Office about it though and they claim it's not there problem. They always tell me if I would pick up my mail more often, things like this wouldn't happen. How me picking up mail once a week and them not delivering mail to my box are related is beyond me, but that's the claim made by them.

As for the customer satisfaction rating of 96%, I would like to know who they are buying off to get that high of rating. I would fail them if it were up to me.

At the post office, they give you three hours of work, and you try to make it last eight hours! Denzel Washington

FROM THE PHOTO ARCHIVES

I just discovered this picture hidden away on a hard drive. Thought I would share.




Cattle scattering out on lush green grass grazing. For as lush and green as it was early in the year it sure got dry, and the grass worthless later on. Taken 5/22/2006.

I just love the way things work sometimes. It really shows the power the large compamies have over the USDA. I never commented on the situation but this summer rice producers in the US had a big problem. It seems like some genetically engineered rice contaminated most of the United States rice supply which has caused devastating effects to the industry in lost foreign markets. Just like BSE hurt cattle producers in the foreign markets.

So, how does the USDA fix the problem? Approve the genetically engineered rice for human consumption. A quick and easy solution. Not only does it allow the farmers to market the contaminated rice, it bails out Bayer CropScience from its little problem of accidentally contaminating the United States' rice supply with unapproved genetically engineered rice. Pretty nifty solution if you ask me.

Now a company that is working on genetically engineering a crop doesn't have to worry about the crop getting away from them, the precedent has been set. If a company contaminates the food supply in the US with an unapproved genetic component, the USDA will bail them out by approving it for human consumption.

Pretty damned handy isn't it. The farmers and the big company gets bailed out and the consumers in the situation? It has to be good for them because the Government says so, that's what the big companies pay them to do.

Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status. Laurence J. Peter

The Government now claims NAIS will always be voluntary.

HA, IN A PIGS EAR!!!

Check out my thoughts on this at No Mandatory Animal ID.

The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present. Niccolo Machiavelli

This old snag laying on the ground really caught my eye. It has a lot of character. I don't know that it translates well in the picture. Taken 11/17/2006.

I would like to wish everybody a happy Thanksgiving. This is a time to give blessings for the abundance of our harvests and for the blessings of the past year.

While my harvest's of crops and livestock were poorer than normal, I give thanks for what I did have. It was a productive year and things worked out for me so I give my thanks.

Between friends, loved ones, and family, I give thanks for all these relationships in my life. There is more to life than work and these people are what make life worth living. This is the most important blessing their is. People. Our relationships with our self depends on our relationships with other people so having other people in your life makes a person complete. I am complete, and happy. Who can ask for more.

The funny thing about Thanksgiving, or any huge meal, is that you spend 12 hours shopping for it and then chopping and cooking and braising and blanching. Then it takes 20 minutes to eat it and everybody sort of sits around in a food coma, and then it takes four hours to clean it up. Ted Allen