In all her infinite wisdom...

Happy 4th of July.

2007-06-29T12:10:00.001-07:00

I am re-reading a book about Vampires and Greece, see Pandora by Anne Rice, and there is a very interesting chapter that talks about freedom. Basically it said that during the reign of Augustus Ceasar governments were run by logic not ideology and the time was peaceful and prosperous (yes, they had slaves so they hadn't gotten that far) but it was not lost on me the trouble that we are in because we have not learned from history.
Happy 4th, let it be a very logical, peacful and prosperous one at that.

Just Day Dreaming

2007-06-13T14:23:00.000-07:00

I am driving on the Interstate this morning and I start thinking about strange things. Like;the reason we don't know when we are going to die is because we would all go crazy. I mean it is one thing to get your death sentence and party like a rock star until it happens but what if there were hundreds of thousands of people who were also going to die that day, that week or that month and they knew it? Pandamonium.

Just day dreaming....

Because I Roll Like That.

2007-05-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

I am a little crazed right now. I spent the weekend helping to steam off the most ungodly wallpaper I have ever seen from the dining room and kitchen of our new house. The transformation is astounding. Finally it seems like a place that just might one day represent "us". I am in a paint choosing quandary. The house was built in '55 so do we try and upgrade to a contemporary style and color palette or maintain some of the retro styling?
I added a little more craziness to our lives with a new kitten as of last Thursday. He is a cool little cat. Actually he is Sabine's half brother; they share the same mom. He has little Manx points on his ears and a leopard spotted belly. Very cute. He is obsessed with his tail which can entertain me for hours, if I only had them to spare. We named him "Cash" for Johnny of course.
Planted the Garden finally on Sat. Your basic garden variety. I now know why they use that expression. The people before us must have really liked gardening. The plot is 40 by 60'! Hello! Who has time to weed that much of a garden?
Anyway, we are enjoying our new place. The hard work is paying off. We still have not been able to get the Internet hooked up, making blogging all but impossible for a while.
I did want to congratulate Wacko Lib on he and his wife's new baby boy!

Rehburg is Poop.

2007-05-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

Dear MoveOn member,
Last week the House of Representatives voted on the McGovern bill, which required a mandatory withdrawal from Iraq by early 2008. It's the strongest bill that's come to the floor of this Congress yet, and your representative, Rep. Rehberg, did the wrong thing and voted against it.
Most Democrats—including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Barbara Lee—voted for it. Unfortunately, a few dozen Democrats voted against it—including Rep. Steny Hoyer, the second ranking Democrat in Congress. Since Congressman Hoyer's vote can influence the way a lot of other representatives vote, it was a big failure of leadership.
It's time that Rep. Hoyer got the message: The American people want a quick and responsible end to the occupation in Iraq. Can you chip in $25 to help us run radio ads highlighting his vote in his district so his constituents—most of whom oppose the war—know what's going on?
https://pol.moveon.org/donate/iraqhoyer.html?id=10325-7928199-XxH5sE&t=2
The McGovern bill got 171 votes in Congress. That's not enough to pass, but there is good news here. A year—or even a month—ago we wouldn't have imagined that so many members of Congress would vote to mandate a swift exit from Iraq.
In fact, right before the vote happened we were told to expect only about 90 votes for it. Your calls helped almost double what was expected. This vote was a huge sign of progress, but there's a lot more work to do.
While Speaker Pelosi and Caucus Chair Rahm Emanuel voted for the bill, Majority Leader Hoyer abandoned them and the voters. If he'd start voting to quickly withdraw our troops from Iraq, it would bring a lot of other members of Congress along too.
Democrats should be emboldened and pushing for a mandatory exit from Iraq—not holding back.
Please chip in $25 to help us make sure folks in Rep. Hoyer's district know how he voted.
https://pol.moveon.org/donate/iraqhoyer.html?id=10325-7928199-XxH5sE&t=3
Recently, 11 Republican Members of Congress met with President Bush at the White House and berated him on his handling of Iraq.1 Meanwhile, polls show President Bush has a 28 percent approval rating and 57 percent of Americans favor Democratic efforts to tie any war funding to a plan to end the war.2, 3
The tide is turning. The country is with us. Thanks for all you 're doing to end this war.
Sincerely,
–-Nita, Eli, Wes, Karin and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team Monday, May 14th, 2007

Closing on the House Tomorrow.

2007-04-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

The day is here-almost, at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow morning we will begin signing our lives away and become house poor and really we could not be happier.
There must be something intrinsically based in some of us, the primal need to seek shelter is a satisfying event for the boy and I. It is by far the scariest, most adult thing, I have ever done.
Wish us luck!

To Everything there is a Season...

2007-04-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

I have noticed a tinge of sadness in the eyes of many of my co-workers this week. The pressures of work, of home, of health problems, of money problems, the list goes on. I tried all week not to think of the sadness of the shootings at Virgina Tech. I blinded myself from the media frenzy surrounding it and just tried to send prayers to the people affected including the family of the man who perpetrated this monstrous deed. I tried to blanket myself from it and sadness found it's way into my world anyway, I met a 14 year old girl with terminal cancer, my dear friends daughter in law is in the hospital delivering a still born in her 7th month. Where is the sense in all of it?
I read Wacko Liberal this week and see that this feeling is apparantly as catchy as a virus. But I don't believe there is a vaccine, it is really just part of the human condition and I suppose the point is to teach us. Without the balance of bad can we understand the joy of good?
I have had struggles in my life and I have found my ways of coping. Some healthy, some probably not. Am I a happy person? For the most part but sometimes it gets to me, this craziness ,this feeling of despair. All I can say to those of you with this sickness in your hearts right now is that I have found truth in the simple sayings that have stuck with us through out history; To Everything there is a Season: be reminded that a season of bad will change into a season of good, it is simply the law of the universe. This Too Shall Pass; and it does, but when it does it will leave it's mark as readily as a scar from a wound. We are never the same, sometimes we are better for it, sometimes not.
Our season will come.

Lent; A time for Introspection. The Longest Blog Ever.

2007-04-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

First things first, although I profess to be a Catholic I do not practice all of the dogma of the Church as may be apparent by the content of my blog and it is not my intention to convert anyone to this religion. I simply feel like sharing what has been on my mind the last 40 days before Easter.

I was raised by a very Catholic mom but my father was a convert and didn't go to church with us much. While growing up there were times when I envied him and there were times when I pitied him. These times were reflective of how I was feeling about God and my religious faith over all. I was a good little Catholic girl for the majority of my life. I tried to live by the concepts that had been taught to me by my family on my mothers side and by the Church through CCD and ultimately my confirmation. My relationship with the church itself has been one of great content, embarrassment and in a few cases hate. Let me try and explain.

Growing up in a small town in Central MT I had no idea about prejudices regarding religion until one of my best friends had to tell me, at the age of 10, to make sure not to mention to her Grandfather that I was Catholic. He was a Mason and truly hated Catholics. About a year later I was staying the night with my new best friend who was Pentecostal. I asked my mom if I could go to church with her the next morning and she was at the door picking me up with in 10 minutes. That was embarrassing especially because of my mom's total misinformation regarding evangelicals and the fact that I repeated what she said during gym class and hurt my friend very badly. Our children listen to us.

I didn't think much about religion until college but was surprised that guys were always interested in getting in the pants of a "good little Catholic girl." This was very interesting ot me. There is something very sexual about the Catholic school girl de-flowering. I think it has to do with the outfits they wore to school. I wouldn't know, I attended public school. HA!

I was very involved with the Catholic Campus Ministry. For the first time I enjoyed going to church because it was more of a social event. I learned a lot in this time in my life. Mosty that Catholics have their own set of rules about morality but that no one Catholic believes what the one standing next to them believes. In that way it can be very versatile. I have met some who are very moral-old school. Some are very laid back about morality because they believe that with confession they can literally get by with anything-think Mafia, others who have never explored any other religious school of thought and others who, like me, find the symbol and ritual of the Church to be a very powerful life affirming tool but not neccesarily allow themselves to be defined by the structure of the Church. But mostly, I found Catholics to just be people looking for a little security in a crazy world.

I went out of State to Oregon State University for a year and a half and met my match. She was my new room mate and the daughter of a minister. She had spent most of her life in Germany as a Missionary. I have never met anyone who I adored and hated more. She was truly trying to be what most Christians claim to be. Her every waking moment was spent in adoration of God. She prayed constantly. She would not listen to music unless it was Christian. I made her go to Pet Detective with me and some other girls and she walked 5 feet in front of us on the way home, sobbing. I was really angry with her. I finally made her tell me why she was crying and she said, "That was not glorifying to God." Of all of the people I have ever met in my life she made me think about what it meant to be a Christian. Could I do it? Did I fit the bill? I began to study the bible and took many classes on the Theology and World Religions, a passion I still cannot quench. To my mothers dismay I went to 28 different churches that year, I was exploring the options. She did not speak to me for 8 months. Eventually I realized that for me the Bible is a social tool. One that I believe was written in response to the human condition by leaders, all men, over 2000 years ago. I know that it was written to be a guide line to help people, not to harm them but I found that it had a lot of loop holes. For example, love your neighbor, but only if they are not gay, Jewish, Romans, murderer's etc. Because of this inconsistency I started to form my own idea about Christianity. We men had taken something we could feel; the presence of a higher power, and tried to define it. We did the best we could, we tried to do it from a place of love but we messed it up somehow. We didn't get the whole picture because we could not put away our hate, fears, bigotry, not even for God.

I began exploring Eastern Philosophies, Religions and Mythology. Although they are all very unique I started to see some patterns within them. The virgin births, the messiah, the wrathful gods. It fed into my original experience that we are just trying to make known that which is unknowable.

Now back to Catholicism: Religion became unimportant to me for a few years. I found the very idea of organized religion laughable and then a tragedy occured, my sister died at the age of 29. I was so angry at God but more powerfully, because of this very real anger I understood that I believed very much in him. I say him, because to me, in my life experience, God is male. He is the father and the son and the holy spirit. After my sister's death a chain of events began to unfold that made me choose Catholicism and stick to it. I had not set foot in a Catholic Church for at least 2 years and then there I was next to the casket of my sister in the Church where my mother was baptised and married, where all of her siblings were also baptised and married, where all of us; her children were baptised and educated. There was a lot of history in that Church and I felt it. It was the most powerful thing I had ever experienced. I thought of the Asian concept that we should honor our dead ancestors as they, like what our culture refer to as Angels, held us up in trying times. I had been searching for a long time and in just a moment of breathing the familiar scent of incense and wine I knew I was home. I knew I was honoring the memory and the life of my sister and all of my ancestors who had grown up in this faith; some in this very church. I took communion that day and although I cannot describe it, it strengthened me knowing that a sacrifice had been made, blood and body of the Savior that I had been raised to know as God. I felt held up, loved, comforted by taking it into my weary and grieving body. I knew then that I had seen past all of the mistakes that we as humans make when attempting to control and define this higher power, this vibration that is but that cannot be defined and I realized that that was OK. I did not have to believe everything the Priest said, I could vehemently disagree if I wanted to; the higher power was not going to condemn me for listening to the Pope as a Sage or listening to Billy Graham; religion meant nothing-the experience it created; one of capturing this higher power and knowing that I was intrinsically part of it was the only thing of importance!

Like understanding a divine secret I understood the importance of knowing that we connect with this higher power on our own terms and that our relationship with him/her/it, is the most personal thing we carry with us. It is OK not to be defined by a religion, it is OK to question, but it is certainly OK to say that you may not agree with every person who stands in that church or temple or whatever it may be, because this is a relationship that only you and God can take part in, and whatever you get out of that hour can sanctify and hold you up through the trials of the week in the secular world.

So I am a little weird, I look forward to Lent every year. I think it is because it makes me slow down and think; be more introspective. 40 days and nights of thoughtful contemplation. No meat on Fridays. The Stations of the cross. All of these rituals reminding me that of my heritage, my history, of my ancestors who hundreds of years ago heard these same words, may have even spoken these same prayers. I decided to repeat a mantra this Lent, it goes: We are not mortal beings trying to be spiritual, we are spiritual beings trying to be mortal. It holds a lot of meaning for me.

In 2000 my mother and I traveled to her home land, Ireland. We were able to walk through the so-called ships that were like the one's that her family came over on. Many people died on these trips to America. The ships were smaller than a Winnebago and the families were crammed in without sunlight and in deplorable conditions. I could not help noticing that my mom cried as we walked through on the tour. When we talked about it later she told me that she could feel the spirit of her ancestors, she could feel their prayers pushing her forward into her life; so different because of the sacrifices they made to make it so.

And so, on Sunday, I take an hour to go to Church. I find it to be meditative, and comforting. I find that I am fortified for the week ahead in a way that I would not be had I not taken the Eucharist. For me, this is God. This is my time with him. This is my time to honor those people who sacrificied so much so that I would have the luxury to choose- or not to choose; a religion.

The boy seeks his communion in the rivers with his fishing pole. He does not call it Church but I know that when he comes back, the small stress lines in his forehead will be lessened. He will come walking up the front steps tired and achey but full and he needs not to try and explain or define it. I know it will be this way with or without a good days catch. It has simply been his Lent.

Max Baucus on Iraq

2007-04-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

Dear MT Fem:

Thank you for contacting me in regard to the state of affairs in Iraq . I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

The Iraq war is a heavy burden for all Americans, especially Montanans. I have seen firsthand how the National Guard and Reserves in Montana have deployed in record numbers. Our troops are over extended with some serving their third and fourth tours in Iraq .

I believe the top priority is to support the men and women protecting our country, and I have tried to do so by giving our soldiers the proper equipment and the tools they need to stay safe and succeed. I have criticized spending on high tech weapons systems at the expense of boots on the ground. I voted in favor of every defense bill and war supplemental in order to give our troops essential equipment for their mission.

I will continue my support of our troops. In fact, I commend our troops. They have shown exemplary strength , and have done everything that we have asked from them. They removed the tyrant Saddam Hussein. They addressed the potential threat of weapons of mass destruction. They have done their job well , a nd their service has been outstanding.

However, I am very concerned about the deteriorating situation in Iraq . Our brave troops stand in the crossfire of a civil war. We have lost more than 3,000 troops in the escalating Iraq conflict. Many Montanans have lost their lives in Iraq , and the number of casualties occurring each day is increasing. Those men and women who have lost their lives have served a noble purpose. They have taught us lessons in courage , a nd we must honor that courage by finding a new direction.

It is time that we change course in the war. I want to see an end to it , and I want to see our combat troops come home.

We must not escalate the conflict by throwing more American soldiers into an Iraqi civil war. We must train Iraqi Security Forces to take on more responsibility , and to stand up for themselves. We must also engage Iraqi's and their neighbors to work toward peaceful solutions through diplomacy.

It is time for America to change course. It is time for a renewed political effort to bring factions in Iraq together , a nd it is time to bring the combat troops home.

Thanks again for getting in touch. Please feel free to contact me in the future with any additional questions or concerns.

With best personal regards, I am Senator Max Baucus

The Reaping

2007-04-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately this movie had a lot of great stuff but they showed it all on the previews and the ending was kinda hokey.
See this movie at the theater if you are interested in Biblical Apocolypse and love the Million Dollar Baby, see it on video if you want to see it but would rather do your taxes.

Hopeful Easter.

2007-04-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

Today, a very good friend of mine sent me an e mail that broke my heart. 2 years ago, and the day after Easter, her son, then 12, shot himself in the head. His death has shattered so many lives and touched so many others.
I was sad to read that Easter brings mixed emotions for her, as a reminder that her son took his own life and that for her, as a Christian, it is representative of Hope and the renewal of life.
Her words spoke deeply to me and so I want to share them.
She said, "Although this time of year is painful for me, because I have to think of the death of my son, I thank God that if it had to be, if the thing had to take place that it took place at this time, because no matter how dark the memory and pain of losing him, I still cannot forget that Easter is a celebration of Hope and some how that helps, not a lot, but just a little and sometimes just a little is just enough. "

I think this time of year, this time of hope, is something we all should cling to, Christian or not. I hope that your Easter Holiday will remind you of the renewal of spring, of life and most importantly of clinging to that tiny trace of humanity that can bring us all together; hope.

All Her Infinite Wisdom on Buying a House.

2007-03-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, been too long since I have blogged. I miss you guys! Anyway, the house buying experience has been, well, educational. Here are a few things I have learned so far.

Your price range is higher on a stick built than on a Modular, even if the Modular is on more land. Lesson learned; if you can do it, go for the stick built home.

Find out what your top monthly payment is before going to a Lender. Lesson learned; some mortgage companies will lend you much more than you can comfortably afford each month. Find out how much that payment will get you on a loan and stick to it within around $5000.00. Believe it or not it is only about $30.00 more per $5K on the price of the home but that can add up fast.

Always find out how much the utility bills are costing the current owners. (especially in MT) We looked at a place, that because of poor insulation had $200-$300.00 utility bills per month. Add that to your $1500 mortgage and you are broke!

Make your Realtor work for that money. We have had many Realtors and, God Bless them, they are not always working for you. I mean lets face it, the more they can get you to buy the more money they make. Stick with your original monthly budget, no matter what!!! And always go with your gut on your Realtor, if doesn't feel right tell them you have decided not to use their services.

Home inspection 101; and some may not agree with me but spend the money to find out if there are issues with radon, and water. Mold-take it or leave it, but these are factors that could literally make it impossible for you to re-sell your property.

And finally, if you are buying your house with a partner, decide who handles what aspect of the process and which ones are shared. The boy and I learned this from a friend of ours who almost got divorced over their home buying experience. Remember this a joyful occasion in one's adult life and damn it, you better enjoy it.

Truly, I am here for you, a shoulder to sob on through your home buying experience. Ok, it is not all that bad and the end result will be incredible but wow, it is not for the weak at heart~

Buying a House.

2007-03-04T20:56:00.000-08:00

We are buying a house. We are ready to be home owners or maybe it would be more accurate to say that, in this area, we are ready to be owned by a home.
Most weekends are spent combing the newspaper and real estate sites and scheduling viewing's Oh joy. At first I thought this would be fun but I am pretty much over it now.
We found a great place and were beat out on the counter offer. That stunk. We found another one that is about 20K more than we intended to spend. Are we having fun yet?
I am looking forward to making one of these houses our home. It will be worth it in the long run. I will be so glad when we are not in a situation to get advice. Enough already, we have heard every opinion on real estate and loans that I can possibly swallow. This means anything else just might not stay down. :-)

Again with the Terrorist Liberals!

2007-02-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

Dear MT Fem,
According to House Minority Leader John Boehner, I'm a "terrorist sympathizer," and you probably are too.
Just days ago on the floor of the House of Representatives, the Republican leader claimed that "al Qaeda and terrorist sympathizers around the world are trying to divide us here at home. Over the next few days, we have an opportunity to show our enemies that we will not take the bait."
This isn't the first time Republicans have linked Democrats with terrorists at the time of an important vote. In fact, it's become the norm.
In October 2004, then-Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert claimed that al Qaeda "would like to influence this election" and would be more comfortable if John Kerry were elected.
This past August, Vice President Cheney claimed that anti-war voters in Connecticut were encouraging "al Qaeda types" to "break the will of the American people in terms of our ability to stay the fight and complete the task."
And just days before our landslide victory in the November midterm elections, President Bush claimed that "the Democrat[ic] approach in Iraq comes down to this: The terrorists win and America loses."
Put a stop to the slander. Help the Democrats pass the House Iraq resolution, and help wavering Republicans stand up to this rhetoric:
http://www.democrats.org/noescalation
The "bait" that Boehner refers to is the House Democrats' war resolution that Governor Dean emailed you about on Tuesday -- a vote of no-confidence in the president's plan to escalate the war in Iraq.
You see, with 70% of the public opposing escalation and potentially 60 Republicans crossing party lines, the Republican leadership is resorting to desperate measures to try to fool the American people and stop this damning vote.
Support the Iraq resolution -- and tell Boehner that we aren't buying his publicity stunts:
http://www.democrats.org/noescalation
The Republicans know the mess they're in. In a desperate letter to their Republican colleagues, Congressmembers John Shadegg and Peter Hoekstra wrote:
"The debate should not be about the surge or its details. This debate should not even be about the Iraq war to date, mistakes that have been made, or whether we can, or cannot, win militarily. If we let Democrats force us into a debate on the surge or the current situation in Iraq, we lose."
Why are Republicans scared of a debate on America's top issue? And why can't they stand up to the Democrats on the current situation in Iraq?
Because it wasn't the Democratic Party that led us into a war on false pretenses. Democrats didn't alienate our global allies by ignoring diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful resolution. Democrats didn't reject the advice of our military leaders, who recommended we change the course. And Democrats didn't decide to put more of our troops in harm/s way to interfere in a bloody civil war with no end in sight.
The Democrats didn't start this war, but we're working to end it -- and the House resolution is an important first step to changing the course and bringing our brave men and women home.
Support the Iraq resolution today:
http://www.democrats.org/noescalation
Don't let John Boehner imply that we are terrorist sympathizers. Don't let the Republican leadership continue these publicity stunts.
While they try, we'll be busy fighting back and governing.
Sincerely,
Tom McMahon

Lost vrs. Survivor

2007-02-07T16:34:00.000-08:00

What is it about Lost? It is a plot less soap opera; I admit it. Well actually, I could take it or leave it, but the boy, he loves it. He admits to planning his life around it. I watch because he watches. I don't care about any of the characters, I don't like or dislike them. Now Survivor, that is a show. Mean and nasty. Dirty as it gets. Can't wait.

What is it About Texan Politicians and Their Lack of Respect for Constitutional Rights?

2007-02-02T15:22:00.000-08:00

Texas governor orders STD vaccine for all girls
Decision comes after maker of cervical cancer shot doubled lobbying efforts

AUSTIN, Texas - Bypassing the Legislature altogether, Republican Gov. Rick Perry issued an order Friday making Texas the first state to require that schoolgirls get vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.
By employing an executive order, Perry sidestepped opposition in the Legislature from conservatives and parents’ rights groups who fear such a requirement would condone premarital sex and interfere with the way Texans raise their children.
Beginning in September 2008, girls entering the sixth grade — meaning, generally, girls ages 11 and 12 — will have to receive Gardasil, Merck & Co.’s new vaccine against strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV.
Perry also directed state health authorities to make the vaccine available free to girls 9 to 18 who are uninsured or whose insurance does not cover vaccines. In addition, he ordered that Medicaid offer Gardasil to women ages 19 to 21.
Perry, a conservative Christian who opposes abortion and stem-cell research using embryonic cells, counts on the religious right for his political base. But he has said the cervical cancer vaccine is no different from the one that protects children against polio.
“The HPV vaccine provides us with an incredible opportunity to effectively target and prevent cervical cancer,” Perry said.
Merck is bankrolling efforts to pass state laws across the country mandating Gardasil for girls as young as 11 or 12. It doubled its lobbying budget in Texas and has funneled money through Women in Government, an advocacy group made up of female state legislators around the country.
Perry tied to MerckPerry has ties to Merck and Women in Government. One of the drug company’s three lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, Perry’s former chief of staff. His current chief of staff’s mother-in-law, Texas Republican state Rep. Dianne White Delisi, is a state director for Women in Government.
The governor also received $6,000 from Merck’s political action committee during his re-election campaign.

Net Roots I Love You!

2007-01-25T17:19:00.000-08:00

The title of this blog is meant to make up for my total lack of ambition through the first part of this year. I am sorry to Net Roots for not contributing but I am an avid reader. I have lots of excuses, sick, tired, sick and tired, you know but excuses are not going to make up for all of it so this weekend I am going to sit down and figure it out, even if it means contacting the head honcho 20 times by e mail. Be looking for my e mails this weekend Shane!!!

Bobby Kennedy Jr. in Oprah Magazine

2007-01-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

I was yet again at the Dr.'s office when I picked up a copy of Oprah Magazine. I noticed on the cover that there was an interview with Bobby Kennedy Jr. After reading it I asked the receptionist to photocopy it so that I could share it on my blog. The part that got my attention the most is as below:

"When I was a boy, my father took me to Europe-Greece, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Italy, Germany, England, France. Everywhere we went, we were met by huge crowds, sometimes hundreds of thousands of people who came out because they loved our country. They were starved for our leadership. They looked to us for moral authority. They proudly named their streets after our presidents. And I remember after 9/11, the headline in the French newspaper lea Monet was WE ARE ALL AMERICANS. For two weeks after 9/11, there were spontaneous candlelight vidils in Tehran, initiated by Muslims who loved our country. It took more than 200 years of disciplined, visioniary leadership by Republican and Democratic presidents to build these huge reservoirs of public love. We were the most beloved nation on the face of the earth. And today-in six short years, through monumental incompetence and arrogance, this White House has absolutley drained that reservoir dry. America has become the most hated nation on earth. There are five billion people who either fear or just don't know what to think about the US. For me that's the most bitter pill to swallow.

You can read the rest of this interview in the January 2007 edition of Oprah Magazine. It is by far the most eloquently worded analysis of what this administrations legacy will have cost our country.

Sick of Being Sick

2007-01-15T17:01:00.000-08:00

On Friday, after an entire week of fevers, ear aches and severe sinus pain I went to Urgent Care. I sat in a waiting room with many people who apparently had the same symptoms that I did and I felt myself attempting to breath through my nose.
In a few minutes I would learn that I had a sinus infection, Bronchitis and infections in both ears. I was a bit surprised because, as I said, I had all of these symptoms for an entire week and the verdict was grave indeed. So I asked the Dr., who was at the time filling out a prescription for antibiotics, why I had never had a cold that lasted 7 days to find out that I was not getting better but getting worse. He explained to me that because of flu shots and antibiotics the cold virus was getting stronger and it was probable that I had two colds, back to back. He called it piggy backing. I could not mention the irony as he handed me the prescription and in an effort to get back to work, since I missed the good part of a week, I am taking them. The severity is lessoning, I can be assured of that but I am not better yet. This is day 10.
I am asking myself now, if the medical establishment knows that colds that were once simple sniffles are turning into Bronchitis, pneumonia, Whooping Cough because of the treatments, are these treatments really safe anymore? I contacted one of my good friends who is a Chinese Herbalist and she told me some pretty interesting stuff. Of course antibiotics will kill the infectious bacteria but it will also kill the good bacterias in my system. For this she recommends Acidopholis to add the healthy bacteria back in. As far as the flu shot she says don't do it. Your body makes itself healthier by having a strong immune system. A strong immune system will do the work for you. So, feeling a little better I go back out into cold season with 1000 mgs of Vitamin C a day, 2 tblsp. acidopholis, washed hands, plenty of water and hope that I will not catch another killer cold or two. Be well, stay healthy.

Getting Hitched

2007-01-01T16:24:00.000-08:00

The boy proposed last night at 12:02 a.m. and, of course, I accepted!
I am looking forward to wedding preparations, we are thinking Fall of '08 cause we want a fall wedding and our dream is to honeymoon in Rome. This will take some time to get the money set aside for such a trip and the boy's family will be coming from all over the States.
I am feeling really blessed to start the year out in such a meaningful way. 7 has always been my lucky number!
Maybe the house will have to wait, so much for New Years Resolutions!

What it is to be 33 me.

2006-12-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

I am somewhat sorry to see the end of this year approaching. It has not been the greatest year, I have had my trials and tribulations as life goes but I really like being 33. Wow, my best friend will be 34 on the 31st of this month. I am always sympathetic to her when she worries about aging. I am always somewhat relieved that every year she goes first.
Wow, my friends have babies now. Not that I want any but it is freaky, I still feel like the high school kid I was. This really is a great time in one's life. By now I have shaken all of the insecurities that come in one's 20's and I just like the roundness of the # 33 I guess. It will be July when I turn but this year has been really good to me. I feel more confident at work. I got my promotion, hell, I even got a raise. I feel confident in my relationship which is a feat in itself. Who would have known I would be such a late bloomer. I have to thank Troutburst, he told me to take a chance on the boy, they were room mates at the time, and I did. I hate having to thank him but he is a good friend.
My New Years resolution last year was to get more organized, which, I think I did pretty well on. One could always be more organized. This year, to get a fricking house no matter what the house payment is per month. I am over renting.
33 what a great age. Never thought I would like my 30's but why not, you have only yourself to blame if you screw up. When it works you feel really good. So, 2007 approaches. The first of the year is my 3 year anniversary with the boy. I plan on doing something really nice for him. Maybe a sleigh ride in Big Sky. Something romantic.
I know it is a generic thing to say but I truly wish everyone a great New Year. Just think, a clean slate. Think of all of the possibilities. Maybe I will even get something written in Net roots. I will be glad to see the Christmas season end, I will be happy to enter into a New Year. I will be 33 for a while longer and I intend to enjoy it.
To one and to all, Happy New Year.

Apocalypto

2006-12-18T16:53:00.000-08:00

Regardless of what I think of Mel Gibson as a person, this is an incredible movie. There were a few scenes that were less than pleasant but no worse than most hack and slash movies these days. There was a birth scene that made me squirm, I liken it to when a man sees another man get hit in the kahunas.
This was a totally original movie. Two in a row for us which is impressive. I think this one felt more like a really good foreign film because it was not sugar coated at all, very earthy and real and because of course there are subtitles. The story line is good, keeps you involved from beginning to end. I know it is a good one when I say, "Holy shit." , several times under my breath. There is one part that I thought was hokey, I will refer to it as the Omen scene. Kinda dumb really but the rest of it left an impact. See this movie if you like realistic historical accounts, Mel Gibson movies, and bared breasts of natives.
Rent this movie if, you have no children watching or really aren't so into giving the anti-Semite your hard earned dollars.

Tenacious D

2006-12-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

Although I find Jack Black strangely alluring (I am not the only one who is attracted to this guy I found out this weekend) this movie was, well Tenacious. For one thing they, Jack Black and Kyle Gass, are really talented musicians both with how they play the guitar and their singing ability. Really, they are, I'm not kidding here. Secondly, they are totally original, which in today's re-make hysteria world is like a breath of fresh air. Thirdly, they are totally disturbing. They say the "F" word like it is part of their religious doctrine. Again, strangely, it is not really offensive the way they present it, probably because they are mostly singing it. It would not be accurate to say they drop the "F" bomb because when you are singing the "F" word it is kinda like saying darn instead of damn.
The movie resembled a musical gone wrong, way wrong, but Dave Grohl as Satan, was pretty darn cool. Excellent effects for sure. The POD (not telling what that is in case you want to see it) is a pretty funny idea really. Again, original and new, which I liked very much.
I would recommend this film at the theatre to anyone who likes Jack Black, Tenacious D, hard rock, or Meat Loaf. I would recommend it, to rent, for anyone who is just looking something a little different or a little underground.
Enjoy.

Word Play, the Movie.

2006-12-01T21:53:00.000-08:00

See this documentary if only to hear the pure wisdom that Bill Clinton imparts. The music is also really great. Jon Stewart is my idol. Anyone who can do a crossword puzzle is my idol.

My Movie Addiction

2006-12-01T17:49:00.000-08:00

I realized that I might have a movie addiction issue sometime in the late 80's when I began associating life events with movie premiers. Something like, I lost my first tooth when Star Wars came to the theatres.
My love of movies probably came from my Dad who could watch a movie from his couch over 15 feet away from the T.V. with the 6 of us kids running in and out of the living room. I revered his level of concentration and I knew I had mastered it when I sat through, Father Goose, while our roof caught on fire. I did not even notice the smoke coming out of the wood stove near the chair I was hunkered down in. It was a defining moment in my life. He also showed me the magic of Sci-fi that I may not have found on my own. Star Trek was a must see on Friday nights in my house hold, later it would be Westerns that we shared a passion for and ultimately it must have been the old Disney Cartoons that we b0th loved most. My Dad was 6'7" and had an 8 foot couch on one end of the living room. He would lay on his side and I would get the best seat in the house, the triangle shaped space created behind his knees. I watched many movies from there. I came home from college one year and my older brothers had rented, Army of Darkness, I must have been 18 years old and I ended up behind my dads knees on the couch watching that movie. Truly those were wonderful times in my life.
I love movies for many other reasons, they take me to places I have never been (see 7 years in Tibet), they offer me points of view from people I will never meet(see the entire God Father series), they teach me about love(see What's Eating Gilbert Grape), hate (see To Kill a Mockingbird), violence (see Fight Club), laughter (see A Mighty Wind), really the entire spectrum of human emotion.
I consider myself a devoted fan but not a fanatic. Is there a difference? Oh yes. I do very poorly at those movie games though people think I would do well. I am terrible at remembering the names of movies but I can remember portions of entire scripts verbatim. I recently found out that I can place a voice pretty well. I mean by that, that while watching, Over the Hedge I accurately named all of the actors who were doing the voice overs for the characters. I was pretty proud of myself. (Not one of the better Computer Animated Films I've seen.)
The movies brought me the boy too. I met him at work when I was dating a non movie goer. I started going to the movies with the boy pretty regularly and when I broke up with the non movie goer it was not long until our love of movies had started a long and lasting friendship that ultimately turned to a romance.
You can tell a lot about a person by the types of movies they like to watch the most. For example, I love a good thriller. I am a person who needs to try and figure things out before the ending and I love a good challenge, in my life I over analyze things. The boy likes Drama because he is really into story lines. I think this reflects his introverted and reflective nature. He is a people watcher because he likes the complexity of human communication. He uses films in his analogies I've noticed. It is very interesting to get a few beers in him and get him talking about this.
We should own stock in Hastings and Movie Lovers but renting is better than cable unless you have AMC. I have not tried the online renting thing as the experience of finding the perfect movie in the store is almost likened to finding the perfect book, the cover speaks to you, there is a thrill in finding a great "unknown movie" (see Priscilla of the Desert) or an International film that will make you blush, (see Emile). You never know what will strike your fancy because your mood has as much to do with the enjoyment of the movie as your taste does.
I am off to see Word Play. I will let you know if it turns out to be something recommendable and of course I am always looking for suggestions... Oh, please, just no heavy gore; my Dad has long since passed and I don't think the boy would understand if I ended up behind him on the couch.

Hunting Widow Rejoices.

2006-11-26T16:05:00.000-08:00

The boy has left me at least one day a weekend for the past several to take his best friend hunting. Of course, I send him off, with a "be careful and wear your orange" and then I go back to bed. If I wake up by 8 a.m. I let myself read in bed for as long as I want. Finally up, I grab the dog and go for a walk. I then think about all of the housework that needs to be done and errands that need to be run and... I grab my book and a blanket and head for the couch. Yesterday I even had a bag of popcorn for lunch.
The season has ended and so have my days of excess. The boy and I got up, walked the dog, went grocery shopping and then to a matinee. "For Your Consideration" was the flick of choice today. A pretty funny romp. We had the whole theatre to ourselves until a lady came in but we enjoyed hearing her laugh at it as much as we did. God I love those films. So really my day was not too tough. I did have dishes to do when I got home so there was that.
Gotta put up the Christmas tree now, it is only a 3 footer. We have practically drawn out a schematic of where it should go to keep our 6 month old calico cat, Sabine, off of it. Right now she has found a handled bag with unwrapped Christmas presents in it and she is tearing it to pieces, just like everything else not tied down. I never have the heart to make her stop because she is obviously having such a ball. It is really noisy in here now and so I had better get going.
Peace to all this Holiday Season. Hope all the hunters got their game. Alas the boy and his friend did not but I sure enjoyed my books.

Thanks for Thanksgiving.

2006-11-21T18:11:00.000-08:00

Thank you, whomever it was that came up with a November Holiday. I realize that right around the corner there is Christmas but I cannot possibly thank enough whomever it was who relegated this Holiday to November.
OK, well the weather has been nice. I am still waiting for the storms. But the frenzy that I have felt at work and at home have been enough to send me into permanent fry brain status. Now I walk outside to start my car in the morning with a hair brush in my hand instead of my keys. I seem a bit delayed in my every day life. I am always a second short on my responses, my quips fall flat. My timing is off. I just need a break.
This is a great one as Holidays go. I am sure if I sat and thought long enough I would come up with a reason not to like Thanksgiving but no, I refuse. I love it. I love my upcoming 4 day weekend.
I am even thankful this year for many things that I have not been thankful for in the past. Some might call it old age but I am thankful because my insurance premium went down and my stocks went up. I am thankful that I can go to my Mom's for the Holiday and still have a few days to sleep in when we get back. Of course, I am thankful for my health, my happiness blah blah blah, but mostly I am just thankful for the break.
Happy thanks-giving day.

OJ Simpson's New Book.

2006-11-15T14:10:00.000-08:00

Please, if you are interested in reading his book, find out first if the money will line his pockets or go to the family of the deceased. He is on MSN today with the smuggest grin I have ever seen. I don't know if he "did it" but the title of his book is, "If I did it", that is just a sick way to sell your book.

Aging parents;it's a bitch.

2006-11-13T18:04:00.000-08:00

This is a little off the beaten path for me but I feel the need to share what I am sure many people have already found out. When one's parents become one's child there is no telling what this will do to your state of mind. My mother was widowed in '97. She has been on her own for these many years and her health has started to deteriorate. Last Spring she had a mild stroke. She seems, well confused more now. Talking to her on the phone takes a real act of will. I cannot be doing something else, like loading the dishwasher, I have to truly focus because if I don't who knows where the conversation will go.
This past summer her confusion turned from simple loss of words to loss of dates, times, events. This scared the hell out of me. Being the youngest and the only one really in a position to help I sought the Power of Attorney. Surprisingly she was eager to sign it. She recognized that she could not handle her house and her bank account. Things that had once been simple became increasingly more difficult and she called me and said that she could no longer keep up our family home.
She is moving to Bozeman. She will have her own place. I am excited and I am scared to death. I have such a mix of emotions, relief that I know she will have better care here, terrified that I will have to give up my lazy Sunday afternoons to see that she has the food she needs for the week. She will not drive in Bozeman, she has already stated that. Will I have to be the chauffeur? What if she is lonely? What if she gets depressed? How will she survive without her church? All of these things,they plague me. I feel so selfish thinking this way. I have been praying a lot about it hoping for some peace to settle in.
On the outside I am holding it together. I have rolled up my sleeves. The house is on the market. I spent 5 days there helping her decide what she keeps, what she gives to her kids, what she donates and what she just plain throws away. There is 45 years of "stuff" there.
My Mom's life revolved around us kids. You would know this in only a few minutes of being in our house. She sacrificed a lot for us. She never worried that we would take over her precious lazy Sunday afternoons. She probably has never had one in her life.
I know it will be okay. I have a strong bond with my Mom. My real fear is watching her deteriorate. Old age is really a bitch.

Hope for Change.

2006-11-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

Here we are in the awesome position to heal things with the conservative portion of our country. Let's try and keep in mind the feeling of being completely out of control of our country and how it felt to have a hard core right in power. We can do better than they did, there is no doubt in my mind, but it solves nothing to become the hard core left;no matter how much it would please us. Let's try and make the fears of the right be less than those fears that we have lived with for these 6 years of hell. Lets try and hear and listen and meet in the middle. We can do this, this is basic stuff we learned in Kindergarten. We can heal this Nation. What more could we ask for than that?

Hit Mute.

2006-11-03T14:18:00.000-08:00

Notably I have been less prolific as the campaigns come to their closing. My thoughts are manifested internally and do not make good writing.
There is something I do want to share though that has transpired purely as a fight or flight mechanism. The irritation I feel at watching t.v., with the slanderous campaign commercials, has lead me to a button on my remote control that I find very satisfying;the mute button. I have watched all candidates, not just the right wingers, smile fakely, hold babies, talk to the people around them with over exaggerated hand gestures and the like. It's really sick. Once in a while I can talk the boy into ad libbing over them saying such outrageous things as, "I always smile like this when you are touching my testicles." Try it. It is really pretty fun.
So here comes Tuesday. I can't wait to vote. Can't wait to get it all on paper. I would like to be awake when the polls come in but I probably won't be. At least I will not be wearing out my mute button that night as I flip through the stations.
Go Tester. Now shut the hell up.

Republican Military Family Will Vote Democrat.

2006-10-29T15:56:00.000-08:00

I just had a conversation with my good friend whose son-in-law will return from his second tour in Iraq next Spring. I have always known that she was a died in the wool Republican and yet we have always been able to discuss politics. I was shocked when she told me that her entire family would be voting Democratic in the upcoming election and in the next presidential election. It seems that this war has not been ingrained into the military families. They are not completely brain washed by the rhetoric of this administration. Her exact words were, "We have had enough." She also said how sorry they all were for having voted Republican. So, change is in the air. People do see that this war is about oil or revenge or something other then Weapons of Mass Destruction. People do see that we have no plan to get out of there and they see that people they know are dying; and for what?
I hope this uplifts the spirits of some of us who sometimes feel that we are living in a time where people are completely controlled by the media, propoganda etc. and not their own faculties.
There is hope, my friends, there is hope.

Blurring lines.

2006-10-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

Am I Democrat or am I am independent? I have recently begun this thought process in my head. What I believe usually falls within the line of the Dem party but lately, maybe because of all of the negative campaigning, I have felt less like aligning myself with any one politician. The very word "politician" sounds somewhat dirty.
I have always felt, in many areas of my life, that it is not good to be a black and white thinker. Even when someone or something is causing me or someone I love stress or hardship I try and see things from their view. Right now, in this political theatre we call Democracy, I feel less knowledgeable about the issues, people and ideas behind my vote. That scares me. Gone the day of ignorance is bliss. I know this stuff. I know that even though I think I want to vote for someone that I don't really know them. I have not sat down and discussed anything with them. I try and be "up" on issues but aren't they just spun by the media? How do I know that the information I am basing my vote on is right? These are tough questions. I have needed time to stand back and look at these things. I am to much of a gray area person to say I am a Democrat, I know that I will vote for everyone of them on the ballot just so those rascally Conservatives don't get their way but doesn't that really take away my ability to choose? Do I really have a choice at all? Are two parties enough to hold all of the ideas, feelings, experiences of a nation? I think not.

Rolling Stones...why yes I did see them in O6.

2006-10-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

I did it, I saw the Rolling Stones in concert. I want to stop here, breath, and then tell you that it was a truly amazing concert. I have seen my share of concerts but this by far was the best concert experience of my life. The stage was actually a 3 tiered stage within a stage. There were people standing in it! Behind them were screens and from the audience all you could see were there silhouettes. The band looked like they were 3 feet tall from our nosebleed section until the portion beneath them began to roll forward and brought them right to our feet. It then hydraulically dropped down to match the level of the original stage. From there Mick lead the concert with 3 hours of aerobic exercise that I could not have done in my teens, all the while never sounding out of breath. In fact the giant screens, there were 3, did not make him look as if he was even breaking a sweat. The crowd never sat down for the entire performance and it was packed, not a seat to be seem from our birds eye view. There were families, with kids, cowboys, Harley dudes, Dr.'s, lawyers, the working class, you get it. Everyone was there, dancing and singing with them until the finally. Huge roaring columns of fire shooting out of the top of their 6 story stage. Over 21000 people gasped as the heat was felt all the way back to the furthest point of the stadium. It began with and ended with the crowd singing back to Mick and Fireworks shooting off like the 4th of July. The "M" above the stadium was flashing all night long as people took the trail up the side of the hill to watch from there and their flashes went off. To top it all off the moon rose right above the stadium and appeared to be watching the whole spectacle. The weather called for rain but it was perfect all night long. I took my 23 year old nephew with me and he told me this morning he could die a happy man. I get it. I get why the Stones have been around for 4 decades. I get why Rock makes everyone feel incredible and get along for 4 hours like family. It was nice, it was better than nice, it was a life experience that I will never forget. Thanks to the Stones and all of the rest of the fans who made the experience so memorable.

Angry People Everywhere

2006-10-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

I am solemn tonight because of the tragedy that occurred in the Omish Community in Wisconsin. There is still that little idealist voice inside me saying, "Some things are sacred." apparently nothing is. What is going wrong? What happened 20 years ago that could have been harbored and taken out in wrath and violence on little Omish girls?The youngest six years old. A baby really. What kind of terror could those little girls have gone through herded like sheep into a room with a man, an outsider, an outsider who was crazy, wielding a gun? My heart breaks for those who lost their little girls, my heart breaks for those whose little girls survived. My prayers go out to the community. I can only imagine the shock and horror of a day like today. God bless them, God bless us all.

Not Happy with Tester Commercials.

2006-09-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

Anyone watching even a little bit of TV these days will see the ridiculous ads that the Republican party has mounted against Tester. For a while Tester continued his non-bashing, non-defensive ads that pretty much made me notice that he was, I thought, above the immature and hot headed commercials from the Burns side. Not so, it seems, as of late. His temperament is better suited for showing that he is a good old Montana boy than for mentioning Jack Abramoff's contributions to Burns etc. It is beneath him. It is comparable to a play ground fight and I am not proud to see it.

Tester Sign Scandal

2006-09-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

Today I noticed that the John Tester sign in my yard has gone missing for the 4th time. I suppose the wind could have caught it. I suppose the deer out here could be playing with it like a kite. Anyway, I will post another in the hopes that whatever force out there removing it will leave it alone long enough for the election to come and go.

Rehberg on the Radio Tonight.

2006-09-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

Granny Insanity posted this on her blog: Rehberg is going to be on Yellowstone Public Radio with this Monday Sept. 18th from 7pm to 8pm.

Here's my chance to make good on my personal goal to bring down Mr. Dennis Rehberg. I e mailed a question to the station. Hope they ask it. I am going to listen to the radio and see if I feel calm enough to call in. I am one of those people who gets shaky voice when I am passionate about something. If you have kahunas and want to make an ass of Dennis please join me.

Warning; Very Corny stuff.

2006-09-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

Today I am writing on love. On that mystical feeling that connects us to another being. But at the moment I am only writing on the love that I feel for the boy. This weekend he sacrificed a night at home to help me with a very boring and uncomfortable business dinner. In the process either he had too much to drink to make the night barable or got some slight food poisining. Sat. morning I awoke to a very white boy. I made sure he drank plenty of water, liquids. That night, after bringing the liquids up almost like clock work all day he finally felt able to eat some egg flour soup. He kept it down and so started the slow path back to health and happiness. That night we had many plans, a congratulatory party for our friends engagement and a long awaited "poker party", and though I am sure I could have left him at home and he would have been comfortable as long as I made sure he several episodes of "Rome" to watch, I stayed with him, making sure he was comfortable, getting him what he needed. I knew in a moment that he would have done the same for me and for a simple second I marveled at love and how strongly I had bonded with a perfect stranger. A person, who now, I could not imagine my life without. It gives me hope for mankind. I feel blessed for knowing and sharing my life with such a loving and caring person as the boy. I can only offer him in return my deepest gratitude, kindness and love. It is not much but it seems to be enough.

Letter from Iraq.

2006-09-17T16:36:00.000-07:00

I recieved this from my Seargent Major Cousin, who usually sends me what I call, " Our colors don't run." propaganda e mails. I have no idea who wrote this but whomever he is, I salute him.
I thought I would post it and share it. It makes me think. I hope it will make you think as well, no matter what your opinion is on this war.

All: I haven't written very much from Iraq. There's really not much to write about. More exactly, there's not much I can write about because practically everything I do, read or hear is classified military information or is depressing to the point that I'd rather just forget about it, never mind write about it.

The gaps in between all of that are filled with the pure tedium of daily life in an armed camp. So it's a bit of a struggle to think of anything to put into a letter that's worth reading.Worse, this place just consumes you.

I work 18-20-hour days, every day. The quest to draw a clear picture of what the insurgents are up to never ends. Problems and frictions crop up faster than solutions. Every challenge demands a response. It's like this every day. Before I know it, I can't see straight, because it's 0400 and I've been at work for twenty hours straight, somehow missing dinner again in the process. And once again I haven't written to anyone. It starts all over again four hours later. It's not really like Ground Hog Day, it's more like a level from Dante's Inferno.

Rather than attempting to sum up the last seven months, I figured I'd just hit the record setting highlights of 2006 in Iraq. These are among the events and experiences I'll remember best.

Worst Case of Déjà Vu - I thought I was familiar with the feeling of déjà vu until I arrived back here in Fallujah in February. The moment I stepped off of the helicopter, just as dawn broke, and saw the camp just as I had left it ten months before - that was déjà vu. Kind of unnerving. It was as if I had never left. Same work area, same busted desk, same chair, same computer, same room, same creaky rack, same . . . everything. Same everything for the next year. It was like entering a parallel universe. Home wasn't 10,000 miles away, it was a different lifetime.

Most Surreal Moment - Watching Marines arrive at my detention facility and unload a truck load of flex-cuffed midgets. 26 to be exact. I had put the word out earlier in the day to the Marines in Fallujah that we were looking for Bad Guy X, who was described as a midget.
Little did I know that Fallujah was home to a small community of midgets, who banded together for support since they were considered as social outcasts. The Marines were anxious to get back to the midget colony to bring in the rest of the midget suspects, but I called off the search, figuring Bad Guy X was long gone on his short legs after seeing his companions rounded up by the giant infidels.

Most Profound Man in Iraq - an unidentified farmer in a fairly remote area who, after being asked by Reconnaissance Marines (searching for Syrians) if he had seen any foreign fighters in the area replied "Yes, you."

Worst City in al-Anbar Province - Ramadi, hands down. The provincial capital of 400,000 people. Killed over 1,000 insurgents in there since we arrived in February. Every day is a nasty gun battle. They blast us with giant bombs in the road, snipers, mortars and small arms. We blast them with tanks, attack helicopters, artillery, our snipers (much better than theirs), and every weapon that an infantryman can carry. Every day. Incredibly, I rarely see Ramadi in the news. We have as many attacks out here in the west as Baghdad. Yet, Baghdad has 7 million people, we have just 1.2 million. Per capita, al-Anbar province is the most violent place in Iraq by several orders of magnitude. I suppose it was no accident that the Marines were assigned this area in 2003.

Bravest Guy in al-Anbar Province - Any Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (EOD Tech). How'd you like a job that required you to defuse bombs in a hole in the middle of the road that very likely are booby-trapped or connected by wire to a bad guy who's just waiting for you to get close to the bomb before he clicks the detonator? Every day. Sanitation workers in New York City get paid more than these guys. Talk about courage and commitment.

Second Bravest Guy in al-Anbar Province - It's a 20,000 way tie among all the Marines and Soldiers who venture out on the highways and through the towns of al-Anbar every day, not knowing if it will be their last - and for a couple of them, it will be.
Best Piece of U.S. Gear - new, bullet-proof flak jackets. O.K., they weigh 40 lbs and aren't exactly comfortable in 120 degree heat, but they've saved countless lives out here.

Best Piece of Bad Guy Gear - Armor Piercing ammunition that goes right through the new flak jackets and the Marines inside them.

Worst E-Mail Message - "The Walking Blood Bank is Activated. We need blood type A+ stat." I always head down to the surgical unit as soon as I get these messages, but I never give blood - there's always about 80 Marines in line, night or day.

Biggest Surprise - Iraqi Police. All local guys. I never figured that we'd get a police force established in the cities in al-Anbar. I estimated that insurgents would kill the first few, scaring off the rest. Well, insurgents did kill the first few, but the cops kept on coming. The insurgents continue to target the police, killing them in their homes and on the streets, but the cops won't give up. Absolutely incredible tenacity. The insurgents know that the police are far better at finding them than we are. - and they are finding them. Now, if we could just get them out of the habit of beating prisoners to a pulp . . .

Greatest Vindication - Stocking up on outrageous quantities of Diet Coke from the chow hall in spite of the derision from my men on such hoarding, then having a 122mm rocket blast apart the giant shipping container that held all of the soda for the chow hall. Yep, you can't buy experience.

Biggest Mystery - How some people can gain weight out here. I'm down to 165 lbs. Who has time to eat?
Second Biggest Mystery - if there's no atheists in foxholes, then why aren't there more people at Mass every Sunday?
Favorite Iraqi TV Show - Oprah. I have no idea. They all have satellite
Coolest Insurgent Act - Stealing almost $7 million from the main bank in Ramadi in broad daylight, then, upon exiting, waving to the Marines in the combat outpost right next to the bank, who had no clue of what was going on. The Marines waved back. Too cool.

Most Memorable Scene - In the middle of the night, on a dusty airfield, watching the better part of a battalion of Marines packed up and ready to go home after six months in al-Anbar, the relief etched in their young faces even in the moonlight. Then watching these same Marines exchange glances with a similar number of grunts loaded down with gear file past - their replacements. Nothing was said. Nothing needed to be said.

Highest Unit Re-enlistment Rate - Any outfit that has been in Iraq recently. All the danger, all the hardship, all the time away from home, all the horror, all the frustrations with the fight here - all are outweighed by the desire for young men to be part of a 'Band of Brothers' who will die for one another. They found what they were looking for when they enlisted out of high school. Man for man, they now have more combat experience than any Marines in the history of our Corps.

Most Surprising Thing I Don't Miss - Beer. Perhaps being half-stunned by lack of sleep makes up for it.
Worst Smell - Porta-johns in 120 degree heat - and that's 120 degrees outside of the porta-john.
Highest Temperature - I don't know exactly, but it was in the porta-johns. Needed to re-hydrate after each trip to the loo.
Biggest Hassle - High-ranking visitors. More disruptive to work than a rocket attack. VIPs demand briefs and "battlefield" tours (we take them to quiet sections of Fallujah, which is plenty scary for them). Our briefs and commentary seem to have no affect on their preconceived notions of what's going on in Iraq. Their trips allow them to say that they've been to Fallujah, which gives them an unfortunate degree of credibility in perpetuating their fantasies about the insurgency here.
Biggest Outrage - Practically anything said by talking heads on TV about the war in Iraq, not that I get to watch much TV. Their thoughts are consistently both grossly simplistic and politically slanted.
Biggest offender - Bill O'Reilly - what a buffoon.
Best Intel Work - Finding Jill Carroll's kidnappers - all of them. I was mighty proud of my guys that day. I figured we'd all get the Christian Science Monitor for free after this, but none have showed up yet. Talk about ingratitude.

Saddest Moment - Having the battalion commander from 1st Battalion, 1st Marines hand me the dog tags of one of my Marines who had just been killed while on a mission with his unit. Hit by a 60mm mortar. Cpl Bachar was a great Marine. I felt crushed for a long time afterward. His picture now hangs at the entrance to the Intelligence Section. We'll carry it home with us when we leave in February.

Biggest Ass-Chewing - 10 July immediately following a visit by the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Zobai. The Deputy Prime Minister brought along an American security contractor (read mercenary), who told my Commanding General that he was there to act as a mediator between us and the Bad Guys. I immediately told him what I thought of him and his asinine ideas in terms that made clear my disgust and which, unfortunately, are unrepeatable here. I thought my boss was going to have a heart attack. Fortunately, the translator couldn't figure out the best Arabic words to convey my meaning for the Deputy Prime Minister. Later, the boss had no difficulty in convening his meaning to me in English regarding my Irish temper, even though he agreed with me. At least the guy from the State Department thought it was hilarious. We never saw the mercenary again.

Best Chuck Norris Moment - 13 May. Bad Guys arrived at the government center in the small town of Kubaysah to kidnap the town mayor, since they have a problem with any form of government that does not include regular beheadings and women wearing burqahs. There were seven of them. As they brought the mayor out to put him in a pick-up truck to take him off to be beheaded (on video, as usual), one of the bad Guys put down his machinegun so that he could tie the mayor's hands. The mayor took the opportunity to pick up the machinegun and drill five of the Bad Guys. The other two ran away. One of the dead Bad Guys was on our top twenty wanted list. Like they say, you can't fight City Hall.

Worst Sound - That crack-boom off in the distance that means an IED or mine just went off. You just wonder who got it, hoping that it was a near miss rather than a direct hit. Hear it every day.
Second Worst Sound - Our artillery firing without warning. The howitzers are pretty close to where I work. Believe me, outgoing sounds a lot like incoming when our guns are firing right over our heads. They'd about knock the fillings out of your teeth.

Only Thing Better in Iraq Than in the U.S. - Sunsets. Spectacular. It's from all the dust in the air.
Proudest Moment - It's a tie every day, watching my Marines produce phenomenal intelligence products that go pretty far in teasing apart Bad Guy operations in al-Anbar. Every night Marines and Soldiers are kicking in doors and grabbing Bad Guys based on intelligence developed by my guys. We rarely lose a Marine during these raids, they are so well-informed of the objective. A bunch of kids right out of high school shouldn't be able to work so well, but they do.
Happiest Moment - Well, it wasn't in Iraq. There are no truly happy moments here. It was back in California when I was able to hold my family again while home on leave during July.
Most Common Thought - Home. Always thinking of home, of Kathleen and the kids. Wondering how everyone else is getting along. Regretting that I don't write more. Yep, always thinking of home. I hope you all are doing well. If you want to do something for me, kiss a cop, flush a toilet, and drink a beer. I'll try to write again before too long - I promise.
Semper Fi,

Letter to the Editor.

2006-09-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

For the first time in my life I wrote a letter to the editor. Of course it was on my favorite subject as of late, the ignorance of Dennis Rehberg (thanks Wacko, I love calling him Dennis now.) Anyway, I wanted to say that it was scary and exciting all at once. People I know said they read it. Some said good job, some said, well...they said they saw it and that was good by me.
The whole idea I think is that blogging has made me a little less fearful of my thoughts and ideas. Expressing them in writing has become easier.
So...if there is a point to this; if you have waited to write I urge you to go ahead with it. It is very cathartic in a way and hey, so you have to use your real name but that is not always a bad thing either.

BOYCOTT DISNEY

2006-09-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

Get the word out, BOYCOTT DISNEY!!!
If they think they can unapologetically create a fictional drama and blame a real tragedy on the Clinton Administration they have another thing coming. Please spread the word.

Denny Rehberg is Going Down.

2006-09-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

I have made it my personal mission to make sure that Denny Rehberg is brought out on the table for his ridiculous, illogical, self aggrandizing, bogus platform. Now mama's mad.

Letter #2 from our friend Denny Rehberg.

2006-08-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

Thank you for contacting me regarding your views on Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards. It is good to hear from you. I am pleased to report that on August 1, 2001, I joined with 268 of my colleagues to reject an amendment to the energy bill that would have placed automobile fuel economy standards on SUV's and other light trucks. I am concerned with arbitrary increases in CAFÉ standards and find that they would be counterproductive. It has become evident over the past decade that Americans prefer to purchase larger sports utility vehicles (SUV's) rather than purchasing more fuel-efficient compact cars. Consumers should be free to buy vehicles that meet their family needs in terms of affordability, passenger room, payload capacity, increased safety features and utility. Automakers offer more than 50 models with fuel economy ratings above 30 miles per gallon, but American consumers have not shown an overwhelming desire to purchase these types of vehicles. I was proud to reject arbitrary increases in CAFÉ standards last fall and will maintain this view when considering the Energy Bill Conference Report this fall. Again, thank you for contacting me on this important energy issue. For more information and to sign up for my e-newsletter, please visit my website at http://www.house.gov/rehberg. Keep in touch.

This speaks for itself.

Laura Bush here for an Ice Cream Social.

2006-08-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

I hear Mrs. Bush is in Bozeman today trying to help Conrad with his campaign; by eating ice cream. Yeah, that should do it.

Donate Books to Katrina Victims Libraries.

2006-08-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

Dear MT Fem,

An important fact has to be remembered as we recall the victims of last year's devastating storms:
Almost half of all children in New Orleans lived in poverty -- before Hurricane Katrina.
The callous and inept federal response to Hurricane Katrina revealed that, when faced with a crisis that experts had actually predicted, the Republican administration was utterly unprepared and unresponsive.
Meanwhile, the shameful foot-dragging since the storm on reconstruction and help to families shows the same lack of interest in solving real problems and saving lives. So far, the administration has gotten around to spending barely half of what Congress authorized.
The Republican administration's failures before and after the storms are linked by a common approach to the solemn responsibilities of government. Simply put: they aren't interested.
This Republican leadership's philosophy means that our government simply will not meet the needs of our people.
Not because it's impossible -- but because they don't believe it should.
And so we are left with each American having to do what he or she can to help.
There is too much to be done for individuals acting alone to fix everything, but until we achieve a change in leadership we all must step up to the plate.
One way to do that is by donating new or used books to the Children's Defense Fund, an organization that's working to make sure that school libraries in Gulf Coast are well-stocked for returning students.
Only 18% of New Orleans children had returned by the end of the last school year, according to the New York Times. More children will return this year, but the conditions they will return to can be terrible.
I want to ask that you participate in a book drive for the children of the Gulf Coast. It's important, and it's a tangible way for you to make a difference:
http://www.democrats.org/bookdrive
While we all take time to reflect and do our small part to help, one thing is clear: Democrats offer a new direction.
We believe in a government that takes its obligations to the American people seriously, one that is always improving the services and protections it provides -- a government that becomes more efficient as it meets challenges and takes on new challenges with serious commitment.
And we believe passionately in the responsibility of public service -- doing the hard, unglamorous work that comes with solving real problems that impact people's lives.
With that sense of responsibility missing in our leaders today, we find ourselves in deep trouble.
A fifth grader interviewed by the New York Times recently -- one of the few who have made it back -- told the reporter that his father, who is in the National Guard, has been sent to the Middle East. Meanwhile, back on the home front, their house has been burglarized.
The boy summed up what people on the Gulf Coast -- and people all across the country -- are feeling right now:
"We deserve better."
Governor Howard Dean, M.D.
P.S. -- We've set up a resource center to help people learn more a year after Katrina. From the promises made and subsequently broken, to a look back at the failure of leadership on the levees in New Orleans, take a minute to explore just where we are one year later:
http://www.democrats.org/katrinaanniversary

Am I a Fascist?

2006-08-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

As if you had not heard:

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah Aug 29, 2006 (AP)— Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Tuesday accused critics of the Bush administration's Iraq and counterterrorism policies of trying to appease "a new type of fascism."
In unusually explicit terms, Rumsfeld was expected to portray the administration's critics as suffering from "moral and intellectual confusion" about what threatens the nation's security and accused them of lacking the courage to fight back.

I can only say, "What the hell is he thinking?".

Mere dribble...

2006-08-23T17:55:00.000-07:00

On witnessing and thinking about my adult years as a Democrat, a humanitarian, a pacifist,a feminist, an American...I am spent. I have never been so ashamed of the actions of our Government. I have never been so outraged at the price we will pay for our "way of life" which sickens me with the mentality that as long as we are not without, we are not suffering from shortages, disease, war in our own back yards than we will agree to the mass murder the war offers us, the degradation of the sacred earth our addiction to oil causes us, the arrogance and self righteousness our religion offers us.
I cannot be a part of it, and yet I am, day in and day out, I put the gas in my car that fuels the war machine. I buy, buy, buy, buy with some thought of filling up the lost soul, the void left by no longer being in touch with my roots with the earth, with the life force that I used to be able to feel. Now I feel half empty with the state of the world, the realism that it will always be this way, the feeling of powerlessness at not ever being strong enough to change it. Despair? Hopelessness? This is not me, I am the strong willed bitch, the she wolf. I go for it, I get it, I kill it. But now, I question my own strength and the strength of those in positions to make it right.
I once believed in balance. For every evil bastard there was a kind soul. For every yin a yang. I don't know why I feel that this balance is shifting. I fear it shifts in the favor of the heartless, the mean spirited, the greedy. When will I see this balance restored? What can I do to see that change take place? I pray, I write, I call, and then I see myself contributing to this vicious cycle with my consumerism. I feel like the junkie wanting so badly to kick the habit. I see no easy solution. I see no simple way back to the balance that once restored my soul.
I write in hopes of answers. The proverbial light. Where is the girl that wanted to save the world? How far will I have to go back to find her? Will I be excepted? Will I no longer fit in if I go there? This is by far the toughest challenge we as humans have-to live authentically. Is it even possible? These are just words, the actions are perilous. I am intoxicated by the idea of being more, doing more, making a difference but the fear of the unknown crowds in on that more and more these days.

Bush Singing, "Sunday Bloody Sunday".

2006-08-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6805063692754011230&q=label%3Aufo&pr=goog-sl

Conrad at Potato Fest, Manhattan

2006-08-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow! Saturday, August 19
Coming out Big for the Potato Festival
The Gallatin County Democrats have funny, big plans for the Manhattan Potato Festival.
See Friday Chronicle 'Big Sky' section for detailed schedule of the Potato Fest.
Conrad is going to be there, so drop by to say goodbye to him because it will be one of your last chances to do so.

My First Letter from Denny

2006-08-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be interesting to note that I have been writing to Denny on environmental issues for many years and for some reason, so close the election time, he had finally taken a moment to answer.

Thank you for contacting me regarding energy issues. It's good to hear from you. (Why Denny, that is so kind, it is good to hear from you too, after all these years.) It is no secret that the United States does not have a coherent energy policy, either long-term or short-term. Today we are more dependent on foreign oil than ever before. (Really, well than as our leader you must be ready to help us get this monkey off our backs). The Department of Energy predicts that in less than 20 years, America will rely on foreign countries for nearly 65 percent of our energy needs. This is not only a threat to our economy, it is a threat to our national security.Unfortunately, our energy problems are not confined to oil production. Despite growing demand, our natural gas production has fallen 14 percent since 1973. The result is that natural gas prices are 20 times higher in some parts of the country than they were just one year ago. The energy problem we are currently experiencing affects virtually every aspect of our nation's economy. High energy costs have caused a number of Montana businesses to either shut down or cut back operations, which is costing Montana much needed jobs. We have got to get a handle on this problem.I believe we must increase our power generation and transportation capabilities. (Ok, well you must be thinking green and hey we know I am on board lets hear your ideas!) America has the tools to confront our energy problems, and we must use them. (yeah, wind turbine, solar, you go baby...)While energy conservation is critical, the U.S. cannot conserve its way out of this energy crunch. It is vitally important that we take steps to increase domestic energy production through access to and exploration of oil and gas prospects, (Whoa, wait a second, did I lose you on this Denny? You just said we have to kick this habit and now you want more?)and through new and expanded energy delivery infrastructure, advanced coal technology,(Oh great) solar and wind power(Ok, maybe you are still with me here.. yeah, OK talking ethanol next.... We also have to explore alternative renewable fuels, such as ethanol, which burns clean and supplies an important market for our agriculture products. America has huge deposits of natural gas, coal and oil. (No. NO DENNY! You did it again, make up your mind, are we or are we not addicted to this stuff?)In Montana alone we have several hundred years worth of natural gas and coal deposits. I support investment in developing new technologies that will make good use of our energy sources in clean and efficient manner. (But wait, am I just having a withdrawal here or didn't you just mention coal, oil and natural gas????)The bottom line is that we have the natural resources to head off this problem before it gets even worse. (OK, that's it Denny, you say one thing and then you say another, am I to believe that we can use the rest of our natural resources to head of the problem with over use and dependance on natural resources? I don't think so bucko!) But that means we need to develop a national energy policy that encourages the development of our resources in an energy efficient and environmentally friendly manner. Thanks again for contacting me. For more information and to sign up for my e-newsletter, please visit my website at http://www.house.gov/rehberg. Keep in touch. (I plan on it you piece of crap.)

Lindeen/Rehberg Race Low Profile for a Reason

2006-08-14T11:46:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Grannyinsanity for letting me know that I mispoke. Monica is running for House not Senate. My apologies for this mistake that was previously in the following post!

A friend just asked me to check out the Lindeen Campaign and so I did. What I found was a charming lady with a no nonsense approach to her campaign for House. What I also found in the Billings Gazette rather concerned me as below:

"The tough part, Lindeen said, is getting people to notice the race and start believing she can win. People and the media are so focused on the Burns-Tester matchup that it's hard to get out her message, she said.In fact, Lindeen said she thinks Rehberg's strategy is to keep the race low-profile, keeping the focus on Burns. Rehberg has agreed to two debates in October, but Lindeen is pressing for more.If the attention is on Burns, she said, "Rehberg will not be held accountable for how he's voted the past six years, and he will win. That's his campaign strategy."

I would ask that if you want new representation in Congress other than Denny that you post as much on Monica Lindeen as possible. Let's make Rehberg's strategy of slipping in unseen and unheard behind the Senate race difficult if not impossible.

Getting Smart at the Pump?

2006-08-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

This is the latest:
Instead of adopting smart energy solutions that will help wean Americans off oil and save us money at the pump, the U.S. Senate voted just last week to open eight million acres off the shores of Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi and Alabama to destructive oil and gas drilling.

With the price of gas reaching all time highs this administration will pass more bills like these than our history has ever seen. What are we prepared to do to fight this? Our we really prepared to buy less gas and religate ourselves to a disciplined driving schedule that does not allow for "leisure driving"? I wonder how high gas will have to get and how many holes will be punched into our country before we say enough. I think it will have to be much more and that is sad for this country, this continent, this world, our earth.

I hate Wal Mart.

2006-08-07T08:45:00.000-07:00

I have always hated Wal-Mart. I shop there almost weekly with my boyfriend who cannot stand shopping anywhere else either because of price or selection.
Yesterday, I was crabby and I was shopping at Wal Mart when all of the sudden I look over and Conrad Burns is shaking hands at the register. I really hate Wal Mart.

Baucus' Nephew Dies in Iraq

2006-08-02T16:56:00.000-07:00

I heard this on the news as I was headed to bed last night but I cannot find anything on it online. Can anyone direct me?

Today as a Woman.

2006-08-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today as a woman, I put my Tester for Senate bumper sticker on my car. It was not lost on me that there was a time in this country that a woman would not have owned her own car and certainly would not have been able to voice her political views with such ease. I am truly thankful for living in such a country where I can do both of these things. I choose to have a career and not have children, that, even 20 years ago would have been a taboo mind set for any woman. Today as a woman I have more freedoms than were ever available to my predecessors and I intend to keep it that way for the woman, who in 20-30 years will feel awesome putting that political (hopefully Liberal) bumper sticker on their hoover craft.

THE COPPER KING EXPRESS TO HELL

2006-07-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

Today we met the boys family in Anaconda to take a train ride from Anaconda to Butte. It was a little pricey but we thought it would be a really neat experience. WE WERE WRONG!!! DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TAKE THIS RIDE, at least during the heat of summer. The only reason you might want to take this is to provide yourself with proof of the massive destruction that mining has done to that area. It looked like a bomb had gone off. IT WAS SO DEPRESSING and horrid. 4 hours of hell.

HatcH Festival of the Arts

2006-07-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

I volunteer for Hatch Festival and find it very rewarding. There are a lot of naysayers who would like for it to fail locally because they are eager to say it is a failure. This year I was able to help in the selection process of the Groundbreaker or Short Student Films. Some were great, some were very not great but over all the experience waw a very cool. If you think about it, we are really lucky to have the HatcH folks here to celebrate the arts during a Festival that celebrates all of the arts, not just film. It is the first of it's kind. Of course it is going to have some jitters the first couple of years but it is a blast and totally worthwhile. I can see the growth even in the past couple of years. So, if you love any of the arts, check out there website or get involved. It is local, it is fun and it is cool.

Volunteer Locally

2006-07-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of e mails from the major Environmental Movement and though I read them and always contact my Senators and Representatives over issues that I am concerned about I do not subsribe to any memberships. I worked for an Environmental Group and I saw what membership monies were applied to. Instead I prefer to volunteer because I know that my man hours are actually contributing to something more than the Prez's children's college fund. Besides lets talk about Non profit status. I would love to be a Non profit, the grants and funds available are mind boggling. If they are smart and care about the issues they will find a way to get the money from those people who, because they have caverns of cash overflow, need the tax write off.
I know of many local organizations that are involved in some really worthwhile projects. My particular favorite is Hopa Mountain. Check out their website. Let me know about your favorite local Non profits.

Music and Summer

2006-07-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

Heading over to the Summer Fest for some 95 degree weather and some music. The summer is packed now, pushing plans all the way out through August. I hope to catch some Music on Main and at least one more Emerson's Lunch on the Lawn. Any other great music events I need to know about for the summer?

Mercury Advisories for MT Waterways.

2006-07-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

Dear MT Fem,

Thanks for contacting NRDC. According to EPA's summary of 2003 data, three states -- Montana, Washington and Wisconsin -- now have statewide consumption advisories for mercury, raising the total to 21 states with statewide advisories for mercury contamination in every freshwater lake and/or river. Twelve states have statewide advisories for mercury contamination covering all their coastal water. In addition, the number of river miles with mercury contamination warnings nationwide has jumped 60 percent since 2002; likewise the number of mercury-contaminated lake acres has increased 8 percent.

For more information, please see the following links:

EPA Fish Advisories
http://www.blogger.com/

NRDC Guide to Mercury Contamination in Fish
http://www.blogger.com/

Thanks again for contacting NRDC and for your support.

Amy Greer
NRDC Membership

More on Mercury in MT Waters

2006-07-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

I did some research. There are 37 bodies of water that are "posted" with high levels of mercury.
Yesterday's Billings Gazette had an article regarding 10 Eagles found with high levels of mercury. They are trying to determine where the source is coming from.
I am checking with FWP to find out what bodies of water are supposedly posted. I will make sure that information is then made available here.

Vacations and Veterans

2006-07-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

The saddest part of this week is it's ending. What a great week though. I had to work a little. Got a promotion-yeah.
The boy (this is how I refer to my boyfriend) went fishing every day. He caught 28 fish on the Gallatin, 29 if you count the white fish, all in one sunny morning.
Going to the gun show today. Yes, I am a liberal who loves guns as you will find many that do. Looking for a shot gun as a birthday present to myself and this fall I plan on doing some skeet and trap shoots and I need to get up to par.
Speaking of par, we are going to hit a bucket of balls on the drive range today. Do I feel like a Yuppie or what? I like the idea of golf but I probably will really stink at it. The two surgeries I had at once on my right arm will make it interesting if not impossible but I am going to give it a try.
We did the 4th of July parade thing in Ennis. It reminded me of my child hood in Central MT. The parade could be removed like a puzzle piece from Ennis to my home town and it would be an unnoticable difference. I know the boy noticed that I cried a little when the VFW went by. I could not help to think of our nation during those wars and, now in my time, again at war and for what? Because Hitler was slaughtering innocent Jews? Or the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. No, not even because our Twin Towers are gone with only the horrifying memory of that day in September.
I stood up an started to clap as they went by. There were only 4 of them. 3 men and a woman. The guy next to me had a small family and he made them do the same but no one else clapped for them. They were even surprised I think, as they all looked over at us and then blank faces went to smiles. I just wanted to thank them for having the most difficult job in the world. I wanted them to understand that I, a war protestor, honored them for their difficult task. Whether I agree with the politics or not I always have a heart for our soldiers. Let's honor them. Let's say, "enough is enough", and bring them home.
I head to the greens now. Rested from my week off. Ready to head back to a new challenge at work, thankful that I have all that have and all for my friends and family with a twinge of sadness at how hard these things were fought for.

An Inconvenient Truth

2006-07-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

See it. Tell people about it.
Al Gore does a really good job of succinctly linking our melting earth with our dependance on oil. We can do better. We have no choice but to do better. See it. Tell people about it.

From a short story called, "Ford Gray".

2006-07-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

My Dad had huge Ford pickup trucks that smelled like the inside of the oldest book in the library, all of his life. I can still get teary eyed just seeing one of those beasts in a junk yard. If I were able I would open it's long abandoned cab, sit inside it; cry. If not to cry then to use it's cab as one might use a confessional but in this case the priest on the other side would be the soul of my dead father. There I would hold a much needed spiritual communion with him exacting my anger while finally forgiving him his humanness.
Would it be possible that there would be enough juice in the battery that I could get the AM to play just one song? Ya load 16 tons and whad'ya get, another day older and deeper in debt, Saint Peter don't ya call me cause I can't go....I owe my soul to the company store. Truly a hymn fit for such circumstances as this.
Though our father owned many in his life, the last 77 with a 350 sits in our mothers driveway. So huge, so looming; my mother just leaves it lurking there because to sell it would be the saddest thing to do, and to keep it... sadder yet. It has sat there since 1997 when my dad died. Will it be 10 years next October?
My dad, with our ill begotten help, painted it himself and it shows a little. He was not a body man, he was a rancher, moved to the big city of 6000 turned mechanic. His spirit broken and his desire to live lost he made a living that one might call a dying. His sons, 2 of them, sorrows purveyors at never living up to the expectations of the greatest man and the greatest failure. So much like him, they seek life as violently as they can attain it. Drunkenly or stoned in whatever fashion the day meters itself out to them. We, the rest of us, watch in distinct horror at having to relive what we thought was a Greek tragedy written in the history of a dead man but now we see it living in the lost, the brothers, the men of the family now. Both now unable to take care of themselves, one closer to the grave, the other closer to the prison cell; they have become the dirtiest trick God has ever played.
What bitter pride they feel for knowing the man, his harsh manner and brutal tongue sometimes flecked with the humor and character that lines their flesh. Those Ford trucks, they still haunt them with this same bitterness; a reminder of their paternal heritage, the pride I suppose would be part of just knowing that your father is the one man that helps you be the man that you are.
For them the Ford sits in that driveway with as much resentment as it can muster for my father, paranormally, from the grave. Or is it just that last cellular memory of the huge man, leering from it's windows, forearms spattered with red freckles and light blonde hair?
He was 65 when he died and he had no gray in his hair. The gray Ford parked in the driveway had aged for him. Letting him die a little longer, berating all of us until he could not avoid the last rites on his death bed because his pain outspoken his words.
We wet sanded that body by hand and, I remember, it was red before he painted it Ford Gray. It was the meat beneath the flesh. It was his Christine and we cling to it as idolically as if he loved our being, our communion with him. We hate it too, it's presence calling us to it to make us sit inside and smell it, things dead, things gone, things better forgotten. Still we sit, we remember, we cry, we turn on the radio and listen to Hank Williams Sr. the eerieness is not lost on us that this is what he listened to last before dying.
We loved the man, his anger, his drunkenness, our inability to ever please him. We honor the man that others tell us he was. We fear him, we miss him, we hate him and we love him. We wash over it all with Ford Gray and say that it is done. It is over but it is all that we are, every organic morsel...Ford Gray.

I bitch therefore I am.

2006-06-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

I am always bitching about the state of the State. So I decided to do something about it beyond posting his sign in my yard:

Dear MT Fem,
Thank you for signing up to volunteer with my campaign for U.S. Senate. Grassroots volunteers like you will help us bring strong leadership and change to Washington D.C. Please tell your friends about our website. A strong volunteer base will make a big difference and guide us to victory in 2006.We'll be in touch as the campaign progresses with more opportunities to help out.

Sincerely,
Jon Tester

A Seperate Reality Dems vrs. Republicans

2006-06-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

I realized how seperate my reality is from a gentleman driving a white 4 door sedan in Belgrade today. His bumper sticker read, "Annoy a Liberal, work, succeed, be happy." I thought, Well hell that is exactly what I think... maybe we are not so different after all ? On thinking on it a bit longer I realized the seperation in our reality was this; that from a Liberal point of veiw a opposing bumper sticker might read, "Annoy a Conservative, work, succeed, be happy without hurting the environment, women, people who do not believe exactly as you do, gays, the underpriveleged etc."

The Fem

2006-06-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

I was asked today why I choose the title, "Montana Fem" and it gave me a lot of pleasure to describe what that means to me.
My mother one of 7 girls in a family of 11 was definitely a Feminist while not knowing it. She had 4 daughters herself and instilled a great degree of pride in us at being female. Throughout the course of my life there are many incidences that sustain me in my belief that I was a Feminist before I knew it.
Now, as I get into a more mellow mindset in my 30's, I find myself more comfortable then ever being a female in this world. I have passed those awkward teen years when standing up for myself as a woman would have been a social ill and my twenties when I was too busy trying to figure out who I wanted to be to notice that I was perfectly fine the way I was.
In my late 20's I took an Eco Feminism class and I learned that being a woman did not mean being anti male. I love males and always had a hard time with that concept. In fact my first real conversation with a hard core feminist was with a man name Rob. My mind expanded, I understood why I did not feed on anger towards men but still felt strongly that being a woman meant having a harder row to hoe. Some of my Feminist friends do not understand me when I say that I have excepted that, to my bosses who are male, I am less in the work place than my male counterparts. I try to explain that I am secure that I work hard and that I earn all of the respect that is given me, not because I am a male but because as a woman I have had to earn it.
I work in a male dominated industry, Guitar Manufacturing, and I am not afraid to say that I use that to help me succeed. I don't mean I have slept my way anywhere I just mean that the men that I work with are used to dealing with other men and to deal with a woman, especially a woman who knows her stuff, is somewhat refreshing and impressive to them.
Lets face it, there are differences in the sexes. I am not in the mindset that we are exactly equal in every way, but we are equal as humans and should treat each other as such.

Robert F. Kennedy

2006-06-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

I recieved a letter from Robert F Kennedy Jr. today and he had some things to tell me about the environment. First off I would like to say how excited I was to get anything from a Kennedy, except Maria Shriver, that would suck.
Robert mentioned in this letter that, "45 of the American States post warnings about mercury contamination in lakes and streams." Will we be soon to follow? What is to be gained by the Republican mind set that it is more important to make a buck than be able to have your water mercury free? What are we as Montanan's willing to do to make sure that we are not 46?

Today I blog.

2006-06-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

So I decided to join the world of blogs. Is that right? Do I say blogs? When I comment on my friends site I always tell him, "I blogged you.", and he nods agreeably but I have no idea if that means anything to him. I await the knowledge and experience that will answer these questions. Today I blog.