Moving On

Well I like the home place right now but like a tumble weed I feel like moving on. Whether the change is for the better I will have to wait and see. Come see me at my new homestead which is located here. You can sit down and have a cup of joe with me while we chew the fat.

Good-bye my Fancy!
Farewell dear mate, dear love!
I’m going away, I know not where,
Or to what fortune, or whether I may ever see you again,
So Good-bye my Fancy.
Walt Whitman (1819–1892)

Brucellosis

I have been watching the reports out of Wyoming about Brucellosis since it was first reported in the Billings Gazette. The first question I asked myself was if this herd was vaccinated? Well this report this morning shows that it is a vaccinated herd that has been struck with this disease. This is going to be a very troubling to many people in the cattle industry including me. I always vaccinate my cattle for brucellosis assuming it will give my cattle immunity. Yea I intellectually know that know no vaccine is 100% effective but I hoping that it was a little more effective that the 70% quoted in the article. Then this whole situation is going to ignite the whole brucellosis in the Yellowstone Park elk and bison herds and might this be where the infection comes from. It is going to be interesting to see where this all leads since there isn’t much a person could do about it.

What is not mentioned though in the news article are how this mans neighbors are being affected by this. Their herds, I am sure, are being quarantined too and they are having to get Their cattle in and test them too. My sympathy goes out to them and to the owner of the herd infected since he took reasonable precautions against this problem by vaccinating his herd and apparently this was partially ineffective for him.

And whoever walks a furlong without sympathy walks to his own funeral drest in his shroud. Walt Whitman (1819–1892)

Presidential Candidates

Here is a site that sees how your opinions matches up with Presidential candidates. It is quite funny to see how they stack up.

Under a Presidential government, a nation has, except at the electing moment, no influence; it has not the ballot-box before it; its virtue is gone, and it must wait till its instant of despotism again returns. Walter Bagehot (1826–1877)

Holiday Cheer

Well it's that time of year and my favorite Christmas carol is Tis The Season To Be Surly. Yes, surly. You go out to do some shopping and store clerks and other shoppers all have scowls on their faces and mayhem in their hearts. At least this is the way it seems to me. I always try to maintain a smile and good cheer while I am out at this time of year but that just seems to make people madder. I don't know maybe I smile and am happy just to see the reaction of the surly people around me. If we all do this though maybe the Christmas season will be happier for all.

Lord, confound this surly sister,
Blight her brow with blotch and blister,
Cramp her larynx, lung and liver,
In her guts a galling give her.
J.M. (John Millington) Synge (1871-1909)

Going Postal

I was very glad to see this opinion piece about the postal service. I have my share of trouble with them but I can't seem to ever find anyone else that has any trouble so this makes me feel better knowing that they just aren't targeting me.

Living in the Middle of Nowhere we don't have any mail delivery. My wife goes to town once a week to get groceries and picks up the mail. Usually we have more mail piled up in a week than will fit in the box so they put a yellow slip in the box to let us know we kneed to go to the counter to get the rest of our mail. This is when the fun starts. Over half the time the person behind the counter says we have no mail and to go away. We show them the yellow slip and they say it was put there by mistake. We get on our knees and beg for our mail and maybe they will decide to get us our mail. Then usually letters are opened, magazines read (if delivered at all), and packages crushed. One time, when we complained about the poor service, most of our mail, including bills, mysteriously vanished for around a month before we started seeing our mail again. Convenient isn't it, you complain and they throw your mail away. Then we called the regional postal inspector and he told us to file a complaint but he wouldn't do anything about it. It was too common for him to worry about. We went ahead and filed the complaint and sure enough nothing happened. Her statement "We've all about had it with ineffective supervisors running an operation that puts service last, is short-staffed, badly scheduled and treats customers as bothersome enemies who spoil their day" really sums it up for me.

The only statement she makes that I disagree with is that UPS and Fed-Ex are better. We have to beg the UPS man to deliver to us and most of the time he won't. Then it usually takes a couple of days on the phone to find who he dropped the package off with and go get it if we can. Sometimes we just can't find it at all. At least Fed-Ex has a little better policy. They don't deliver it to us and call and tell us if we want our package we need to come to the Billings office and get it. Nice people aren't they.

The incompetent with nothing to do can still make a mess of it.
Laurence J. Peter (1919 - 1988)

Running Scared

As the flu grips the nation this year people appear to be panicking and throwing out accusations left and right as for who is to blame. This story though really takes the cake in my opinion. To blame President bush for the lack of flu vaccine is ludicrous.
“The determination of supply is a market issue” says Bill Pierce, spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, “The companies and manufacturers determine how much supply to produce."
The only reason there is a supply shortage is that people are panicking over the outbreak and people who normally don’t get a flu shot are trying to get one.

I get a flu shot every year and when I get it they tell me it will take a month before full immunity kicks in, so what good is it going to do to get a flu shot if the outbreak is all ready rampant? To top it all off , as this story reports, the vaccine for this year does not cover the flu variant that is causing all the trouble so the effectiveness of the vaccine that people are panicking over is unknown. So with these two strikes against the vaccine is it really worth it? It seems to me like taking sensible and reasonable precautions to avoid catching it is the best that we can do instead of running around like a chicken with their head cut off trying to blame somebody.

I have not ceased being fearful, but I have ceased to let fear control me. I have accepted fear as a part of life, specifically the fear of change, the fear of the unknown, and I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says: turn back, turn back, you’ll die if you venture too far. Erica Jong

Gotta Have Hope

I found this article very interesting from my standpoint. The specter of BSE in the U.S. is something that scares cattle producers to no end. What I find interesting is the statement “if we ever have something here.” Maybe I am more pessimistic then they are but I feel that it is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when a cow is found to have BSE in the U.S. With all the testing procedures they have in place to insure the safety of the meat supply they will trip across a case sooner or later. The situation as it has turned out in Canada I guess needs to be seen as hope that we will be able to recover from this situation if and when it ever happens.

Nothing is as simple as we hope it will be. Jim Horning

Little Girl With A Big Heart

Here is a very heart warming story about Makenzie Snyder. This 13 year old girl has started an organization, Children to Children, to help kids that are in foster care. People say that children don’t care anymore. I contend that many kids do care and are good kids they are just under reported. Makenzie Snyder is proof of this. This story at this time of year really makes me think of the true meaning of Christmas. I say God Bless to her and wish her all the best in her work.

You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it's a little thing, do something for others - something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it. Albert Schweitzer (1875 - 1965)

Arm Twisting

I wonder if sometime in the future Congress will consider letting people exercise personal responsibility or if they will continue to legislate the ‘nanny state’ to protect us from ourselves. Now there is a bill being introduced in Congress to make seatbelt use a federal issue instead of a state issue. If states don’t enact a primary seatbelt law the federal government will withhold a small percentage of their Highway Trust Fund money. Do as we say or you won’t get this money. This is one of the federal governments favorite ploys to coerce the states to do what they want. The states need to wise up and start standing up to this arm twisting tactic and tell the feds were to put there mandates.

Above and beyond this whole discussion of whether it is a state or federal issue should be interjected that it is an issue of personal responsibility first and foremost. You can legislate all you want about seat belt usage but people will make a personal decision whether to use them or not on their own without any government entity, state or federal, deciding for them.

Nothing strengthens the judgment and quickens the conscience like individual responsibility. Nothing adds such dignity to character as the recognition of one’s self-sovereignty. Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815–1902)

Make Up Your Mind

Wind power always made environmentalists happy but now they are going to oppose them. It appears they kill too many birds for their tastes so they think that maybe wind power isn’t all that great. Wind farm operators have been working on the problem but it isn’t enough for the environmentalists. They are demanding an environmental review on them. We all know that an environmental review is an opening salvo in stopping a project environmentalists don’t like. Is there anyway to make these whakos happy?

A hypocrite despises those whom he deceives, but has no respect for himself. He would make a dupe of himself too, if he could. William Hazlitt (1778–1830)

Prize Received

David over at Better Living Through Blogging! Recently had a fun little contest called "Title The Ultimate Chick Flick." Well surprise of surprises I won. I just received the prize in the mail today. A beautiful Better Living Through Blogging mug. Thanks much David. I appreciate it.

The aim of life is appreciation; there is no sense in not appreciating things; and there is no sense in having more of them if you have less appreciation of them.
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936)

Bull Wreck

Well did I ever have a big surprise this morning. We were going over to feed the critters when we saw a yearling standing by herself on a hillside. We drove up to see what the problem was, since a yearling by itself is extremely odd, and to our surprise there sits a newborn calf at her feet. Now I had noticed one starting to get heavy, but I didn't think she was that heavy. All I can say is that she done a good job and had it on her own like a trooper. I really don't remember a bull getting in with this bunch in March but obviously one did. I didn't notice anymore getting heavy so maybe she will be the only one. I hope so.

Life is a sexually transmitted disease. Anonymous

The Competition

This story to me shows the value of a ‘can do’ attitude. A strategy many people use when a big chain store moves in is to try to get their local government to pass some ordinance that hinders them or to try to tax them out or some other such useless garbage. Instead of running around like a chicken with his head cut off complaining, this man figures out a strategy to deal with it and commences on it even before the store opens. This is an attitude everybody should look at and admire. A man not afraid of a little competition and willing to take it on. I salute him!

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. Thomas A. Edison (1847 - 1931)

OOPS, Wrong Movie

A German Vicar ordered and gave out to his parishioners a video he thought was about the life of Christ. Well it turns out the movie was a porn video. He then had his staff round up all the videos he had handed out which I can understand. The question I have is was it really necessary for his staff to "established in a viewing session that night that 200 of the videos were pornographic?" The additional question is did his staff have a hard time doing this?

In religion and politics, people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second hand, and without examination.
Mark Twain

NRA a News Organization?

When I was a child and believed in fairy tales I might have bought the concept of the NRA as a news organization but now that I am an adult the whole idea is ludicrous. I have seen the type of information that they put out and to call it news would be a stretch of the imagination. The whole reason they want to do this is so they can put out their ‘information’ just before an election.

The proliferation of information sources offered on the Internet today tends to blur the lines between what is news and what is a blatant attempt at special interest lobbying. The article states that “The NRA is one of the biggest magazine publishers in the United States and provides news over the Internet.” With this kind of reach why do they need to expand to the television? While I might agree with the NRA’s position on some things like gun ownership rights, that doesn’t mean I believe they should be a ‘news organization’ so they can skirt federal election laws.

News is what a chap who doesn’t care much about anything wants to read. And it’s only news until he’s read it. After that it’s dead. Evelyn Waugh (1903–1966)

Taking a Stand

I applaud the USA Track & Field's Athletes Advisory Committee (AAC) for its recent stand on steroid use. Steroids and other drugs are major problems in our sports world and someone needs to be the first to take a stand.

I realize that track and field is not a ‘big money’ sport like professional sports in the U.S. but maybe some of these will take to heed the stand they have taken and reevaluate their policies. I am realistic enough to know that they will not, since there is so much money involved in professional sports, but I can dream can’t I.

To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act.
Anatole France (1844 - 1924)

Spend That Money

I see here that the President and his so called advisors are looking for ways to spend more of our hard earned money. They are said to looking for “ideas for a fresh agenda for the final year of his term.” In my humble opinion it will also give him more campaign issues and deflect public attention from the debacle that is currently going on in Iraqi.

It looks to me like all the ideas they are considering are ‘big money’ ideas and are going to cost us taxpayers quite a chunk of money to pay for them. Along with some of these ‘big money’ ideas are other proposals to make tax cuts permanent. While I am all for making tax cuts permanent, the idea of spending more money and keeping collections low are just going to balloon our deficit more than he already has.

We are involved in a war/police action in Iraqi and I don’t see that we need to be spending more money when we are already going deeper into debt. I don’t see how the government can continually spend more than it takes in. All that they are doing is adding a future burden to me and my children that we might not be able to support. If I did that in my private business I would no longer be in business. The books have to balance even if at times it is personally very painful, you figure out a way to do it.

Live within your means, never be in debt, and by husbanding your money you can always lay it out well. But when you get in debt you become a slave. Therefore I say to you never involve yourself in debt, and become no man’s surety. Andrew Jackson (1767–1845), U.S. president

Help Arrives

Well ever since I have been writing this I have been looking for a hired hand to help out around the place. Finding and keeping someone to work on the place is a nightmare. I can never seem to find anyone that is competent and willing to stay on any length of time. Hell, even if they aren't competent they don't stick around.

Just before Thanksgiving I hired a guy from down south and he said he would be here on the 3rd of December. Well the quality and intelligence of people that I can find to do this kind of work I didn't think he would show till next week or better. Well surprise of surprises he showed up right on time. Now if he is competent and will stay awhile things might be looking up around here.

Everyone rises to their level of incompetence.
Laurence J. Peter (1919 - 1988)

Polygamist Attacks

Well this story is no surprise. It was expected after the Gay marriage ruling in Massachusetts. This guy has enough strikes against him though I don't know why he is bothering. You know now that I think about it I can see where he is going with this. Since he is charged with rape for his 13 year old 'wife', if he can prove that she was legally his wife he might get out of the rape conviction that has sent him up for life. What a sick Bastard!

A law is something which must have a moral basis, so that there is an inner compelling force for every citizen to obey.
Chaim Weizmann (1874 - 1952)

Undeclared War

Well it looks like either some person or group that sends out all those unwanted e-mails that we get is going on the attack against organizations that try to stop spam. This story talks about how the spammers have released a new virus that is set up to create a denial of service attack on anti-spammers so to cripple there efforts to stop spam. The spammers that are suspected of doing this are a criminal organization that also traffics in stolen credit cards so for them to do more illegal activities, like release a virus, is not a surprise. So the war of the spam has begun and who knows where it will end but it will affect us all.

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948) (attributed)

Start Feeding

Well I have started feeding hay to the calves, yearlings and bulls since they don’t have much grass left in the pastures that they are in. I noticed while I got them in that the calves looked like they could use the extra groceries. The calves are the only bunch I plan on full feeding. The other bunches I am giving some extra to but not enough to satisfy them. They can graze for the extra they need.

I am being mean to the cows though. All I am doing is giving them a protein supplement and letting them graze for there roughage. They are in a pasture that hasn’t had anything on it all year so there is enough feed in there for awhile. I will probable start feeding the cows after Christmas if we don’t get a bad snow storm before then. Why spend extra money when you don’t have too?

Make money your god and it will plague you like the devil.
Henry Fielding (1707 - 1754)

Dog Attack

Well I see a local boy was attacked and mauled by a pair of Rottweilers over the weekend. I know any dog can attack a person but it always seems like it is a Rottweiler or a Pit Bull that is doing these things. Don't these people that have them know they are dangerous animals. I realize that they love their dogs but precautions should to be taken with such dogs and care needs taken with all dogs

This dog and man at first were friends;
But when a pique began,
The dog, to gain some private ends,
Went mad and bit the man.
Oliver Goldsmith (1730?-1774)

Additional:

I see here that there is another case in Denver this weekend involving Pit Bulls and the woman was killed.

Weapons For Peace

I know this sounds like an oxymoron, weapons for peace, but this is the way Alfred Nobel, of the Nobel Peace Prize Fame, thought about his invention of dynamite.

My dynamite will sooner lead to peace than a thousand world
conventions. As soon as men will find that in one instant, whole armies
can be utterly destroyed, they surely will abide by golden peace.
—Alfred Nobel

While I might agree with the philosophy behind the idea, anyone as smart as Alfred Nobel ought to have known that is not the way the world works. I mean if you invent something that is for war someone will use it just for that purpose.

Now this article talks about another member of the ‘my weapon is for peace society.’ Mikhail Kalashnikov, inventor of the Automatic Kalashnikov 1947, also infamously known as the AK-47, says that he wants to see peace in the world.

Kalashnikov, 84, says that despite the rifle's proliferation in war zones around the world, he has never really viewed his invention as a killing machine, but as an instrument of peace.
Jane's Infantry Weapons describes the Kalashnikov as the most important and widespread weapon in the world and estimates that well in excess of 50 million have been sold.

Maybe he is getting senile or something but to think that the AK-47 is a weapon of peace is absurd. I hate to say this but as long as there is weapons in this world there will be people willing to make use of them. I would personally like to think better of the human race but there will always be power hungry people that will wage war and others will have to pick up weapons to fight them. Maybe someday the human race will outgrow this. I sure hope so and the sooner the better.

Cynicism makes things worse than they are in that it makes permanent the current condition, leaving us with no hope of transcending it. Idealism refuses to confront reality as it is but overlays it with sentimentality. What cynicism and idealism share in common is an acceptance of reality as it is but with a bad conscience. Richard Stivers