Merry Christmas to all ! ! !

Maybe the New Year will have us all getting along like this! ! !

More of our Zoo !

Our newest kitten, Ernie.



Another picture of Ernie.


This monster is Elmo (flexing his claws)


Elmo has been diagnosed with feline leukemia but sure appears to be healthy and is doing fine.

As you can probably tell, our granddaughter named the cats!

Found the toy in the snow

Here's a short video of Mattie getting the toy. (QuickTime movie)





Dedicated little girl, diving into the snow.




She will be nineteen months old next week.

New Logo for UND?

Go here to get yours!

(No, I "have no dog in this hunt" (or in this controversy) but ya gotta wonder)

-

-

Twas the night before Thanksgiving . . .

And all through the house, the smell of baking and . . . . .

waiting for something to fall . . . .
some creatures weren't stirring . . . .

or . . . .


or . . . .

but some were still waiting for the morsel to fall . . . .


and the reason for waiting is seen right here:


She sure does spoil those dogs!! Even though I told her!


One of our Mini-Dachshunds was diagnosed with mammary cancer last week and due to her age she had to be put down. We are thankful for the 16 years she was a part of our life. The above picture was taken sometime in the late '90s.

Everyone please have a

Happy Thanksgiving!

EasyButton, The View

Rosie leaves The View

Let them do the nickname

This whole UND nickname thing is strange. A few years ago I was all for keeping it because I have yet to see anything other than a couple of anecdotes for removing it. Sure have heard a lot of claims on both sides showing support for keeping and removing the "Fighting Sioux" nickname.

Haven't seen any attempts at voting about the nickname on any reservation either. Are the tribal governments afraid of something?

The remove the nickname folks are really good with the "anti" stuff so my suggestion is come up with something positive, come up with a nickname that will make Indians, North Dakota, and UND proud. Show something positive instead of negative.

I don't mean something stupid like "Fighting Whitey" either, just a positive step to eliminating the issue completely.

Sure haven't heard if UND has asked the tribes for their input into a new nickname either.

Bet they can't do it. It's too easy to be negative about things and so much for being part of the solution instead of the problem.

Our parents drugged us!

(This is not an original story - it came in an email & I think it's worth repeating)


The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a Methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question.

"Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?"

I replied I had a drug problem when I was young:

I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.

I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn't put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.

I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity.

I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flowerbeds and cockleburs out of dad's fields.

I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood; and, if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.

Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and, if today's children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place.

God bless the parents who drugged us.

Misc.

Saturday morning we took Joker and Mattie to the Paws Against Pet Cancer walk at Lincoln Park. It was a little on the damp side but it was for a worthy cause, the Animal Cancer Foundation. The turnout was low but everything has to start somewhere and hopefully this will catch on and grow in the future.

Some pictures are here.
_____________________________________

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. There will be a few events in Grand Forks this month to include these:

Annual Display of the NDClothesline Project
October 8-12, 2007
UND Memorial Ballroom
Monday thru Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Take Back the Night March and Rally

Thursday, October 11, 2007 at 7 p.m.
UND Memorial Ballroom
Speakers will include local survivors of domestic violence - march to follow.

Domestic Violence Awareness Flag Display
A visual display of flags respresenting the number of domestic violence and sexual assault victims served by CVIC in 2006 can be viewed at the Grand Forks Police Department front lawn the month of October.

If you can't make it to any of the events, at least drive by the Police Department and take a look at all of the flags. Remember, this is Domestic Violence Awareness Month which is intended to make us aware that it isn't just something you read about in the paper or hear about on the news, it's right here in our own neighborhood.

Doesn't need introduction

Ask the American Indian what happens when you don't control immigration.

Funny (at least I thought so)

I received this in an email a couple of days ago & thought it funny.

This is why women should not take men shopping against their will.

After Mr. and Mrs. Fenton retired, Mrs. Fenton insisted her husband accompany her on her trips to Wal-Mart.

Unfortunately, Mr. Fenton was like most men -- he found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out.

Equally unfortunately, Mrs. Fenton was like most women -- she loved to browse.

One day Mrs. Fenton received the following letter from her local Wal-Mart.

Dear Mrs. Fenton,

Over the past six months, your husband has been causing quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and may be forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against Mr. Fenton are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras.

1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.

2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5 minute intervals.

3. July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.

4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, "Code 3 in Housewares - get on it right away."

5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.

6. September 14: Moved a "CAUTION - WET FLOOR" sign to a carpeted area.

7. September 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department.

8. September 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, "Why can't you people just leave me alone?"

9. October 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.

10. November 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.

11. December 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the "Mission Impossible" theme.

12. December 6: In the auto department, he practiced his "Madonna look" by using different sizes of funnels.

13. December 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled "PICK ME! PICK ME!"

14. December 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed "OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!"

And last, but not least,

15. December 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, "Hey! There's no toilet paper in here!"

Regards,

Wal-Mart

Someone told me they wish I had never received this as they believe it is something I would do. Maybe that's why I thought it was so funny.

Oh yeah, for the WalMart impaired please substitute the "box-store" of your choice.

ND farming of Deer, Elk and other species to end?

It seems s few arrogant "We know what's good for ND!" folks have decided to define what they call "fair chase" for you and have instituted an initiated measure.

Before making a decision read this first.

Hunting season is near

and it's time to get the reloading done.


left to right, my favorite cartridges

7 Rem Mag - 140 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip
243 Win - 87 gr Hornady V-Max
22-250 - 50 gr Hornady V-Max
.223 - 55 gr Hornady V-Max
17 Mach IV wildcat - 20 gr Berger
10mm - 170 gr Nosler HP

7 year old sings National Anthem

2007 Knoxville Nationals

08-11-07
Saturday evening live coverage:

9:00P-12:00m SPEED Channel

Knoxville Nationals: Top drivers from the National Sprint Tour and World of Outlaws compete against the stars of local and regional series to become The Knoxville Nationals Champion, Knoxville, IA, L

and rerun on Sunday 08-12-07

3:00P-6:00 SPEED Channel

Knoxville Nationals: Top drivers from the National Sprint Tour and World of Outlaws, Knoxville, IA, Aug 11/07, R

next best thing to being there :-)

Does she know??

GF Herald classifieds, Friday August 3,2007

ATVs

2003 POLARIS Sportsman 700, 1100 mi. Wench, rear rack, snowplow, windshield, $4500. 218-684-XXXX

Someone call the number and ask her if she knows she's going. . . .

Patton speaks out on today's War on Terror

Largest crowd ever at GF Fairgrounds??

June 29th World of Outlaws sprint car race. About 6,ooo ± in attendance. The stands have never been so full. Not only were the stands nearly full but the areas near the food vendors and bathrooms were pretty crowded. I think they reached the maximum number of people that the facility can handle.
---------------------------------------------------------

Here's the bleacher just east of the main grandstand. (sorry about the quality as they were taken with a cell phone)
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Looking south at the west end of the main grandstand.
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Looking west from the main grandstand.

For better pictures and a review of the evening check out Goon's ND Redneck.

Only two local drivers made the A-main, Dobmeier & Shirek and the racing was as good or better than I've ever seen at the Fargo World of Outlaws events.

Red Dots

6" Ruger SA .17HMR


The Bushnell was just too bulky, it was replaced with an ATN Compact Digital sight. It has a choice of three reticles and has an on/off switch unlike the FirePoint on my 10mm Glock.


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Here's the ATN


These are 10 yard sight-in groups. The red dot sight sits high above the barrel so I like to have it sighted in to hit a little low at this distance and then be just about right on at 50 yards or so.
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These were shot at about 45 yards in fading light this evening. The ATN's red dot is a little too big as it seemed to cover most of the 5.5" target. It worked well on 20oz water bottles at about 25 yards so it should shoot minute-of-gopher. Maybe find out this coming weekend. The two large cartridges are 17 HMR with a 22 long rifle for comparison.

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Musings

It's too wet !

I think some parts of the lawn are going to be subject to "drown out." Makes me think I'm back farming but at least our life savings aren't planted in the lawn like a farmers field is.

Spoiled, whining fans !

Show me another race track with two main features every week. Stop whining about the River Cities Speedway and show me where, anywhere, they have Late Models AND Sprints racing every week throughout the summer. There are a lot of tracks that don't race any higher than Modifieds every week. If the same number of folks that come to each Friday night race, showed up at special events like the Late Model Special, maybe the tickets would be cheaper. Just guessing here as I don't know for sure.

Ex-Wives Club

While working on Joker's training trail log and waiting for my turn on the treadmill (is working & waiting multi-tasking?) I happened to channel surf onto the Ex-Wives Club. Sorta interesting, especially when they blew up Ex-Hubby's pride and joy ski-boat. Wonder what the environmental expense for the clean-up was. Dumping gasoline in the water and throwing a lit flare in the water/gasoline. I wonder how they got the boat to stop where it was when they sent if off from the dock with nobody in it. It was pretty neat watching it explode.

Weather & Dog hair

ND weather! Where it's 90* and humid one day and nearly jacket weather less than 48 hours later. The heat really makes the big dogs shed. My wife claims we get enough hair to make another dog every spring. I hope not. We buy enough dog food and scoop enough poop as it is without adding any more. If someone could come up with a marketable use for doggy doo, count us in.

"Invitation only" blog. Why bother?

What's the deal with Voice of Dakota Blog? Were some of us too hard on her? Too controversial for her "day job"? It seems to work pretty good for 2E at the City Beat but since he does a lot of research for his "day job" it may not work as well for others. I guess there's a difference between having time to write it and wait for it to be seen/read and having to think fast at a microphone. (honestly - I couldn't do justice to either, but don't tell anyone)

Later . . . . .

NPBA Seminar pictures

National Police Bloodhound Assoc. Seminar pictures.

Vilas County, Eagle River Wisconsin

2 months short of her 9th birthday

"Trail" was one of our first bloodhounds and she died one year ago today.
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I always thought she was "flipping me off" in this picture.
------------------------------------------------------------


Here she is with one of our granddaughters.
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Alyssa is going to read to Trail.

------------------------------------------------------------



here's my email message sent to friends a year ago:

Trail died today.

She had been throwing up and we thought she had eaten something she shouldn't have, but it didn't get better as the day went on.

She refused to eat anything all day and this morning she was way too lethargic. We took her to the vet and he found a lump in her abdomen and it appeared that she was bleeding internally. She died on the table with Helen & I with her.

She was a champion counter surfer and we had to keep everything back from the edge. Her hips were getting arthritic and she would have good & bad days. Every time we went out to scoop poop she would come along because she knew she would be let out of the fence for awhile. She would prance around in front of the other dogs that were still inside the fence.

She taught me which end of the rope the dope was on and it wasn't the one with the raised tail.

It's been a terrible day around here and Trooper appears to know something is wrong.

Trooper is one of her pups that we still have.


"Trail" and "Trooper" (about 2002)

Latest project

About 90% finished. Needs a coat of paint, a rear tie-down, and a padded floor.

It should get us and our gear most anywhere we need to go.


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Mattie isn't too impressed.



-----------------------------------------------------------------

Joker says "Add some carpet down here and not so bad!"



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Joker & I are leaving in about 8 hours for a National Police Bloodhound Assoc. training seminar in Wisconsin. He's laying by my chair wondering about all the preparation going on over the past few days. Mattie won't be happy being left behind but she had her training weekend away from home a couple of weekends ago. Now it's Joker's turn.

Gun violence solved ! ! ! ! ! !

It's all here, (somewhere)

What Are You Going to Do about Gun Violence?
Keep Up the Pressure: Our Leaders Need to Do More than Offer Condolences

We Can Do Something about Gun Violence.
See Brady in the News.




Dear C. Y.,

I'm charged up after my appearance with Jim on CBS's Face the Nation Sunday morning. And I'm even more excited that so many of you have taken action in the wake of last week's tragic shootings at Virginia Tech.

More than 50,000 calls and emails have been made to our elected leaders to ask them "What are YOU going to do about gun violence," including thousands to President Bush, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Reid.

This pressure is absolutely critical if we don't want our leaders to retreat and do nothing after offering condolences.

So thank you! But we need to keep that momentum going. Please support our efforts today.

Why do we have to keep the pressure on? Because every day in America, 32 people are murdered by guns. The same number that was killed last Monday.

A supporter last week had the great idea of asking her friends to donate $32 to the Brady Campaign. So we are asking you to do the same now. Please give $32 today.

Despite the daily toll of gun deaths, Congress has done nothing. And to help your Brady Campaign keep the heat on Congress, we are asking you for your financial support right now.

As a nation, we can do better. And to keep the dialogue going and the momentum building to find a solution, please keep asking the question "What are YOU going to do about gun violence in America?"

Sincerely,

Sarah Brady, Chair
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

Someone tell the ignorant twit, should that be capitalized "Ignorant Twit"?

But anyway, someone needs to tell the Ignorant Twit she should be pushing to make murder illegal. That way I can enjoy my guns and she can continue to beg for money every time some gets murdered.

Hot off the wires . . . .

This just in: Disney to hold press conference at 10:00 a.m. today. Word on the street is that Disney will apologize for the Seven Dwarfs singing "Hi Ho, Hi Ho" in the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Disney plans to remove all items, currently for sale, associated with this movie. This includes books, dolls, and movies.

Later in the week the Seven Dwarfs will appear on the Al Sharpton radio show to apologize and undergo a 7 hour grilling.

Je$$ee Jack$son has not been contacted for comment on this. His office stated that he and his personal secretary were attending a meeting in the Bahamas. However, people at PUSH hinted that a large protest is being scheduled at Disney World.

Snow White could not be reached for comment.

What's Sarah Brady's answer to evil??

Send money!! It's an opportunity to ask for more donations.

"This is a college Columbine."
-Virginia Tech Student, Fox Television News, April 16, 2007

Dear C. Y. ,

Yesterday, we witnessed America's worst mass shooting on the campus of Virginia Tech. Thirty-three students and faculty were killed, including the gunman. At least fifteen more were wounded.

How many deaths and injuries must we endure before our nation's elected officials act to end gun violence? We must ask our leaders: "What are you going to do about it?" What are you going to do to make our schools, workplaces, and communities safe from gun violence?

President George W. Bush said yesterday that schools should be a place of "safety and sanctuary for every student," but he and other national leaders do nothing to ensure that safety. They provide condolences, and then do nothing to stop future tragedies.

Eight years ago this week, we watched in horror as students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado fled a mass shooting. Twelve students and one teacher were killed. Just seven months ago, five girls were gunned down in a school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

These aren’t isolated incidents. February 12, 2007, Salt Lake City: A teen opens fire in a mall killing five and wounding four. On the same day in Philadelphia: Three men fatally shot and a fourth wounded at a board meeting. January 11, 2007, Indianapolis: A man shoots four fellow employees. The list goes on and on.

There are common threads in all of these tragedies — it is much too easy for the wrong people to get high-powered, deadly weapons and our leaders fail to do anything about the problem.

It is urgent that you email or call your elected officials today.
They must hear that you want action to keep guns out of the wrong hands.

Please make as many of these phone calls as you can:

President George W. Bush 202-456-1414 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 202-225-0100 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid 202-224-5556

The message for all three calls is simple:

It is much too easy for the wrong people to get deadly weapons in this country. It is time for you to take steps to end gun violence to prevent tragedies like the one at Virginia Tech.

If you can't make the calls, you can click here to send an email, which will go to the President, the Speaker, the Majority Leader, as well as your U.S. Senators and Representative. One click will email all six of them.

The Brady Campaign is working nonstop to get the message out that there are solutions to gun violence. We can ban military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips that make it so easy to kill quickly . . . we can require Brady background checks for all gun sales, including at gun shows . . . we can stop large-volume gun sales that supply illegal gun traffickers. These are just some of the steps we can take to make it harder for the wrong people to get guns.

We are building a crescendo of public outcry to ensure that action is taken. We are aggressively rallying support among allies for our solutions. And we need your continued support to make it happen. Please make a contribution now to keep the momentum going. When you do, a generous donor will match your gift.

Gun violence is a solvable problem. We know it won’t be easy. But we can make it harder for the wrong people to get their hands on guns through strong gun laws.

It is time for our nation’s leaders have courage to say "no" to the gun lobby's mantra of any gun, anywhere, at anytime for anyone, while wrapping it in distortions about "freedom" and "liberty."

Americans have the right to live free from the constant fear of gun violence. Please take a moment to forward this email to friends and families.

Thank you for your support.


Sincerely,
Your Friends at StopTheNRA

What an ignorant twit.

When are people going to realize there is "evil" out there and until there is a reliable test for "evil" we are basically stuck with it.

What can we do about it? Don't sit on your a$$ and wait, for one thing. Prepare yourself to deal with it. If you want to call 911 and wait for help it's your choice but instead of passing one more stupid law "for the children" get off your a$$ and take on "evil" with something besides a phone.

Jihad movie

Watch this and then comment.

As long as you are at it, view this.

Bloodhound

Definition of a Bloodhound:
Life support for a nose.

I wish I could say that glow from behind his head is a halo but Joker is no angel.

I wanna go outside!

2 bloodhounds
1 basset
1 lab
all waiting to go outside.

Ever wonder where the "2 much dog hair" came from ????

(There's two mini-dauchsunds in the other room.)

Urine test email

I'm sure you've seen this email making the rounds. It arrived a couple of days ago in our email:

Urine test

"Like a lot of folks in this state I have a job. I work, they pay me.

I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit.

In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test, with which I have no problem. What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test.

Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them??

Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do on the other hand have a problem with helping someone sitting on their ass.

Could you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?????

Where I work we aren't yet required to do random urine tests. We may be required to take one if we are involved in an accident with a company car or in another incident involving the company and we're thinking it won't be long until they become random.

Personally I couldn't care less except I haven't seen a policy on how would handle a positive result, especially since I'm sure they won't be spending the money for the best test available.

So, going back to the email, who would pay for the tests? How would they handle positives results, especially false positives? Retests?

I also agree with the general gist of the email, it would just take some planning.

My new litterbox ! ! ! ! !

We almosts match . . . .

Easter may be late

Sorry.....

My cent & a half ->

Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented immigrant"

is like calling a drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist."

I profit from my spouse's misfortune!

Gotta know the opposition you know.

-------------------------------------------

Dear -------- ,

Last week, a Federal Appeals Court overturned Washington D.C.’s long-standing restrictions on handguns — a decision that endangers all of America’s gun laws.

This case is most likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court and we have a tidal wave of work to do before it gets there.

This battle — to its very core — is the most important battle we have ever waged. We need your help today to build a strong Brady Gun Law Defense Fund to save America’s gun laws.

This fight is so critical to the safety and sanity of our nation that an anonymous donor has extended his challenge and will match dollar for dollar all gifts to this Brady Gun Law Defense Fund. Your gift will be fully tax deductible.

The threat to all our gun laws is truly unprecedented. The hypocrisy of the ruling is astounding.

What is at stake for you and your community? An emboldened gun lobby will use the ruling to challenge strong local, state and federal gun laws.

We must prepare for an onslaught of lawsuits in which gun laws will be challenged under this new reading of the Second Amendment — a strategy the gun lobby rarely used because of past legal decisions … until now. And, if the U.S. Supreme Court reverses itself and adopts the “individual right to bear arms” view approved by the Federal Appeals Court, all good gun laws everywhere could be at risk …

... from the long-standing machine gun ban … to the 1968 Gun Control Act … to the Brady Background Check Law.

… to your local and state laws … like the ones in California and New Jersey banning Assault Weapons … and many more.

These and many other life-saving laws promoting public safety are at risk. And we need to be ready for an immediate onslaught of challenges and fight them tooth and nail. We need your help today with a tax-deductible gift!

Why is this ruling so radical? Because the decision defies almost 70 years of legal precedent. All courts before this — save one — have ruled that the Second Amendment is not an individual right to bear arms, and this is the first Federal Appeals Court ever to declare a gun law unconstitutional based on the Second Amendment.

In her dissent, Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson wrote that Second Amendment rights relate to “Those militia whose continued vitality is required to safeguard the individual state.” Unlike Judge Henderson, the two judge majority ruled against decades of legal precedent…

… And completely disregarded the democratically-expressed will of the people of the District of Columbia, depriving D.C. citizens of a strict handgun law enacted thirty years ago.

Talk about judicial activism! We can’t help but note the unbelievable hypocrisy here too. Conservatives cry and gnash their teeth about activism from the bench. This decision is judicial activism at its worst.

Judge Silberman, who wrote the majority opinion, is well-known for his close ties to the right-wing. Now — with quintessential judicial activism from the bench — the gun lobby threatens to achieve through the courts what it has been unable to do in Congress.

This is going to be a long, hard fight, but with your help we will save our nation’s gun laws. We will keep you up-to-date as we confront this extraordinary threat to our efforts to reduce gun violence. But right now, we need your support to build our Brady Gun Law Defense Fund. Remember that right now your gift to this fund will be doubled! Please act now.

Sincerely,

Sarah Brady, Chair

P.S. Your gift will be worth double when you give to our Brady Gun Law Defense Fund. Please give a tax-deductible gift today.



You can also mail a check to:
Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence
1xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxyz
Washington, DC 20005

-------------------------------------------------------

I'm no rocket scientist nor played one on TV but most intelligent people
don't blame inanimate objects for things people do.
-
-
-
-

Spring appears to just around the corner

I guess an indication that spring is almost here, the dUMB aSS was driving through the parking lot announcing to the world he/she has a 4-wheeled stereo system.

Couldn't miss it.

In fact it could be heard a few rows away and then as got closer, it's windows rattled.

I'd love to put a Louisville slugger right through the side window just to advise the driver that a stereo is no big deal. Most every car has one now days. Even my 8 year old suburban has a pretty dang good system. No problems at all hearing the words while listening to MacTalk or Rant of Dakota, I just don't share with everyone in a 50 foot radius.

Makes me cringe knowing it's almost time for the the 2 wheeled mufflerless leg removers to start cruising.

I used to live on a street corner with a stop sign. Never failed whenever the 2 wheelers stopped at the sign during the night they couldn't leave quietly.

The person that invents a muffler that cannot be removed will be a millionaire.

I wonder what happens when the dUMB aSS meets the loud 2 wheeler?
(can't hear the other one since they are already deaf ? )

-

-

This is not new, but it's still a very good explanation of our tax system and very relevant after the last election.

This is a really good explanation of how “tax cuts” really work! Lets put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand. Suppose that every day, ten men go out for dinner. The bill for all ten men comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.

The fifth would pay $1.

The sixth would pay $3.

The seventh $7.

The eighth $12.

The ninth $18.

The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that’s what they decided to do.

The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve.

“Since you are all such good customers, “ he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily meal by $20.

So, now the dinner for the ten only cost $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So, the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free.

But what about the other six, the paying customers? How could they divvy up the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his “fair share”? The six men realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being PAID to eat their meal.

Finally, the restaurant owner suggested it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).

The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings).

The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings).

The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).

The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).

The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the sixth was better off than before. And the first four continued to eat for free. But, once outside of the restaurant, they began to compare their savings.

“I only got a dollar out of the $20,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man “but he got $10.

“Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more than me!”

“That’s true!!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back when I only got $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!”

“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison. “We didn’t get anything at all! The system exploits the poor!” The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and ate without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money to between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up at the table anymore. There are lots of good restaurants in Europe and the Caribbean if you don’t like the food in the United States.

SB 2254 Rejected in committee 7 to 0

So what are the supporters of this bill saying about the rejection?

. . . .the legislature doesn’t represent the majority of North Dakotans.

The legislature is nothing but grain farmers and retired people.

This puts the fox in charge of the hen house.

We'll just take this to a referendum . . . you will hear from the true majority.

People just don't pay attention. . . .

The legislature is full of big business buddies . . . .

Money is the only thing the legislators care about.

I wonder what they would say if it went their way?


This legislation was mainly "mandated ethics" but the problem being "ethics" are not a measurable item and means different things to different people.

Example:

Hunting some game with dogs in unacceptable in some areas and is accepted in other areas.
Using some bait scent is okay with some and not with others.
Using bait itself is okay with some and not with others.


We can go on and on.

Stuck in the middle of the ethics argument are the "property rights" of those farmers/ranchers that were advised, encouraged, and financed by government agencies to start up their non-typical livestock farms/ranches could have been told to stop.

Some will say this bill only limited the hunting/shooting on the non-typical livestock farms/ranches but it was seen by the legislative committee for what it was, just the beginning of the actual ban.

Thanks to those legislative committee members that were able to see through all the BS smokescreen of "mandated ethics."

Fresh air on SB 2254

Sometimes it's hard to find articles even when linked. For educational purposes I have pasted the entire article here. It came from the Viewpoint Section of the Grand Forks Herald on 01-31-07. I know it's long but something this important requires a little time to counteract the emotional rants that have been seen everywhere else.

VIEWPOINT : High-fence hunting: Honest, ethical, fair By Oren Krapp, Published Wednesday, January 31, 2007 PINGREE, N.D. - At 9 a.m. Thursday in the Brynhild Haugland Room of the Capitol, the Senate Natural Resources Committee will be holding a hearing on Senate Bill 2254, the high-fence hunting (elk farming) bill. I urge Herald readers to attend or to contact their senators and ask them to vote “No” on SB2254. SB2254 was introduced by a Fargo senator and is being backed by those who, in the past, supported various measures that would bar nonresident hunters from visiting the state. Make no mistake: On the surface, this bill may seem to seek only to bar “high-fence” hunting by putting elk and deer ranches out of business. But the gist of it is still another attempt at keeping nonresident hunters out of North Dakota. The bill prohibits owners of nontraditional livestock operations from allowing fee shooting. Proponents say their reasoning is threefold: disease, genetics and ethics. But the first two of these arguments are easily rebutted by a few facts. -- The domestic herds of elk and deer in North Dakota are free of the main disease in question - chronic wasting disease. The present system of regulation by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is working very well, and the North Dakota state veterinarian agrees. The threat of CWD is not irrelevant. However, CWD is just as likely to be brought into the state through the wild herds. Tight regulation and monitoring - not banning an entire industry - is the answer. -- Genetics inside the fences of game preserves are the same, if not better, than outside the fence. States may regulate and monitor the genetic purity of any nontraditional livestock. Again, tight regulation and monitoring is the answer. As for ethics (the third reason mentioned above), it's based on emotion. And proponents of this bill are no strangers to pushing their legislative agendas purely on emotion! But this time, they have taken the low road and are making a pact with a curious partner: animal rights activists. It is almost hard to tell the proponents of this bill from members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. They talk about “Bambi in a barrel,” bringing up issues of animal cruelty. Is this the pot calling the kettle black? What about all the animals that are wounded by hunters in the wild (as the result of “fair chase”) and never see a clean and humane death? Have you ever encountered a wounded and limping Bambi? If you live in North Dakota, you probably have, and chances are it was the victim of a hunter's errant shot. Ban hunting? So, should we just ban hunting in North Dakota, period? After all, what is ethical? Isn't a harvested animal, whether on a preserve or in the wild, just as dead? What about all the man-made gadgets that give hunters an advantage over animals? Does an animal in the “wild” on North Dakota's flat, treeless plains (where you can see for miles) even stand a chance against the over-equipped hunters that Cabela's turns out these days? Whose ethics should we choose, yours or mine? If a hunter - whether he is a client of a hunting preserve or hunting in the wild -breaks the law, he needs to be reined in. Again, regulation and monitoring is the answer, and our Game and Fish Department is doing a very good job of this. As an owner of a bison-hunting operation, I have guided dozens and dozens of clients over the past years. The people I have met are some of the best I have met anywhere, and they certainly don't fit the profile cast on them by some proponents of this bill. They are honest, decent, hard-working and law-abiding people who are here mainly to bond with their fellow hunters, and I think that's what most people in this debate forget. The hunters who have visited my ranch typically have never visited North Dakota before, and they go away with a piece of its history, culture and flavor when they leave. And they have a great bundle of meat with them, to boot! Try telling one of my hunters, after he has stalked a bison with a long bow in minus-60 degree wind chill all day in my 1,200-acre pasture, if he feels like an unscrupulous murderer. If my guests want to come and pay to experience something besides asphalt and concrete and traffic, who should tell me I can't let them harvest the animals I have raised myself? As for the ethical issue, I cannot fathom a more humane way to harvest my bison. Make no mistake: They are produced for their meat, just like the thousands of cattle in this state. But their harvest is performed in their natural setting, and we've never wounded an animal and then left him to go off and die an agonizing death. We don't have to rile them up to get them into a chute, and we don't have to prolong their agony by hauling them in a trailer. They are treated just as humanely as I can treat them as a producer, or I wouldn't be in this business. One hundred percent of my guests are nonresident hunters. I think that is what the “beef” is about in this debate. This legislation is just another way to keep nonresidents from coming to North Dakota. The nonresident issue Let's be direct: Some people are worried that while they're here, these hunters may shoot a duck or two. It's true, they buy the appropriate licenses and, during the season, they do hunt other species. Thus, this legislation. For years, North Dakota encouraged the development of hunting lodges and bed and breakfasts as “value-added” economic development in the state. The state Extension Service held seminars on how to open businesses such as hunting lodges, and MarketPlace even held a seminar titled, “Market Buffalo Hunts on E-Bay.” They did all this and more with state funds. But now, the state is being asked to actually sponsor the destruction of businesses it advocated? Mind you, bison hunting would not be banned in this particular legislation because bison are classified as a domestic animal. But we've been through a lot of legislative issues in this state, and I have a hard time believing that the proponents of SB2254 will not find a way to work it so that any type of high-fence hunting is banned. Please contact your legislators at (888) 635-3447 and ask them to vote no on SB2254. You will be asked by the operator to state your name, address, phone number and one reason why you think it should be voted down. I've given you several. Krapp owns a bison ranch near Pingree.

Some pros & cons of SB 2254

The biggest objection seems to be what they call 'canned hunts' or 'high fence hunting'. When asked, nobody that supports this bill has been to a deer/elk ranch or participated in one of these hunts. Their response is usually, "Meth is against the law and I don't participate in that." Nothing like sending a subliminal message that deer/elk ranchers are involved in meth. Some of the deer/elk ranches have many hundreds of acres of land to have their animals roam on. My question is instead of banning a completely legal activity, why aren't rules established where it can't be called "hunting."

The next objection seems to be there is a disease problem with confined deer/elk and there will be a big problem with the spread of CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease). Well deer/elk ranchers are very concerned with protecting their investment and most states have very strict rules about the health of imported deer/elk. It seems that CWD is the disease of the moment and has not been found to affect humans. In fact the deer/elk ranchers are more concerned with TB and other diseases affecting their herds than with CWD, not that they are haphazard about it. There are always going to be the jerk that isn't as careful as we would like, just like there is the slob hunter that we wish didn't exist.

Another objection is the property rights issue. Deer/elk ranches have been encouraged in North Dakota and our politicians talk about contributions they make to our state's economy. When this is mentioned to the supporters of SB 2254, they call the deer/elk ranchers whores who will do anything for money and it's just too bad if they get closed down. Remember, SB 2254 doesn't ban the deer/elk ranches, it establishes and changes some rules for notification of escaping animals, catching escaping animals and fence heighths.

What SB 2254 does ban, is any shooting of any animals/birds raised on the property of the non-typical livestock or elk licensed property. It does not prevent the licensed property from raising the non-typical livestock or elk and selling it to someone else in North Dakota for shooting. And remember if this passes, there will no longer be any bird preserves left that raise pheasants on the same property they hunt them for money.

Another objection I've heard at least on a local radio-station-rant is the tax dollars that the elk/deer ranches are paid and a lot of people wouldn't like their tax dollars to support these types of activities and all the money it will take to administrate any rules. I guess I can't blame the radio-station-ranter for this one since the supporters of SB2254 claim a bunch of Game & Fish money goes to the ND Board of Animal Health just to administrate the non-typical livestock. The non-typical livestock used to be under the Gamd & Fish Department with allocated money to administer. A few years ago the non-typical livestock were moved to be administered by the ND Board of Animal Health and the allocated money went with the move. As per tax dollars being used to administer the rules for the non-typical livestock radio-statio-rant, take a look at the FCC Budget allocation to administer the rules for radio-station-rants, $304,057,000 (that's 304+ BILLION of yours and mine tax dollars)

Don't take my word for it, check it out:

FCC Budget

North American Deer Farmers Assoc.

Deer & Elk Farmers Discussion Board spend a little time here clicking through some posts and learn a little about some junk science and other things

A ND Legislative Bill Forum

Another forum

Another Legislative Bill Forum

CWD-Info.org

aphis/usda/CWD site

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Is it ever as it appears to be? ? ? ?

Senate Bill 2254 2007 ND Legislative Session

A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 36-01 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to hunting on nontraditional livestock and farmed elk facilities; facilities; to amend and reenact sections 36-25-05 and 36-25-08 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to escape and identification of farmed elk; and to provide a penalty.

The second part of the bill doesn't seem to bother those people affected the most unless I've just not heard about it. (to amend and reenact sections 36-25-05 and 36-25-08 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to escape and identification of farmed elk; and to provide a penalty.)

The main part of the bill is the most controversial:

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
SECTION 1.
A new section to chapter 36-01 of the North Dakota Century Code is
created and enacted as follows:
Nontraditional livestock and farmed elk facilities - Fee shooting prohibited -
Penalty. After the effective date of this Act, the shooting of nontraditional livestock or farmed elk for a fee or other remuneration on a licensed nontraditional livestock or farmed elk facility is prohibited. A person who willfully violates this section is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.

The bill is known as the "ban canned hunting" bill or the "high fence shooting" because those supporting it are insinuating to people that all animals shot at the deer/elk ranches are tied to a post and someone walks up, shoots them and then claims they spent many days in the woods hunting. The high fence part is mostly from the requirement that deer/elk ranchers must have a minimum heighth to their fences

Lets take a look at this bill,

First thing is what is "nontraditional livestock" in North Dakota Century Code?

It is defined in Title 36 Chapter 36-01: State Board of Animal Health

TITLE 36
LIVESTOCK
CHAPTER 36-01
STATE BOARD OF ANIMAL HEALTH
36-01-00.1. Definitions. In this chapter unless the context or subject matter otherwise
requires:
1. "Board" means the state board of animal health.
2. "Commissioner" means the agriculture commissioner.
3. "Domestic animal" means dog, cat, horse, bovine animal, sheep, goat, bison,
farmed elk, llama, alpaca, or swine.
4. "Nontraditional livestock" means any wildlife held in a cage, fence, enclosure, or other manmade means of confinement that limits its movement within definite boundaries or an animal that is physically altered to limit movement and facilitate capture.

My interpretation of this says all pheasants, chukars, pigeons, ducks, deer, but not including elk are "non-typical livestock."

I was able to find the license requirements for non-traditional livestock:

36-01-08.1. Nontraditional livestock license - Fee. The board of animal health may
require a license for nontraditional livestock maintained within this state. The annual fee for a license for a bird species required to be licensed is seven dollars. The maximum amount of annual fees for bird species licenses to be paid by a person holding more than one bird species license is forty dollars. The annual fee for a license for any other species required to be licensed is fifteen dollars. The maximum amount of annual fees for nonbird species licenses to be paid by a person holding more than one nonbird species license is one hundred dollars.

As you can see by the second and third sentence:

The annual fee for a license for a bird species required to be licensed is seven dollars.

The maximum amount of annual fees for bird species licenses to be paid by a person holding more than one bird species license is forty dollars.

Now lets go back to the wording of the bill:

After the effective date of this Act, the shooting of nontraditional livestock or farmed elk for a fee or other remuneration on a licensed nontraditional livestock or farmed elk facility is prohibited.

So basically all bird preserves will be banned if there is any birds released to be shot. Of course if they wish to do it for free, that is okay.

....for a fee or other remuneration.....

The part of the bill relating to bird preserves has not been publicized and most suporters have neglected to mention it. Why? They know there are a lot more people that participate in bird preserve shooting than participate in big game shooting. It's the old "divide & conquer."

I hear people say on various web boards that they don't care because only the rich folks participate in the big game shooting. When told this affects the bird preserves some will say they don't care because they don't do that either.

I'll bet PETA is laughing.

First they came for the Socialists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak up for me.

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And we haven't even started in on the pro's & con's of this bill other than what the proponenets have not told everyone.
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Citizen's arrest

From GF Herald 01-25-07

By Susanne Nadeau, Herald Staff Writer

Published Thursday, January 25, 2007

A Grand Forks man tracked down and detained another man he believed stole his snowmobile early Wednesday in a south-end neighborhood.

Police don't encourage citizens to make their own arrests, but in this case it worked. Matthew Howard Walsh, 23, was carted off about 1:30 a.m. when police arrived on the scene. He was charged with possession of stolen property.

Apparently, police say, the snowmobile owner was awakened by a family member who heard something and suspected the sled was being taken. The snowmobile owner, who police declined to name, called police and then took a separate vehicle on a search for the snowmobile. He was able to follow the tracks left in a sprinkling of snow that fell over Grand Forks on Tuesday night.

He found Walsh, the suspected thief, and the snowmobile “disabled” in the street around the 5300 block of Chestnut, according to Grand Forks Police Lt. Jim Remer. The owner then held Walsh until police arrived, Remer said. He wouldn't say how the man detained Walsh.

“Obviously, a citizen should be very careful in a situation like this,” Remer said.

Gathering information for law enforcement is fine, but people should never put themselves in danger to retrieve stolen property. People have a “natural inclination to respond that way,” Remer said, but he's “definitely not recommending that they do.”

“We have had instances where a subject lashed out at the person confronting them,” Remer said.

Nadeau reports on public safety, crime and courts. Reach her at (701) 780-1118, (800) 477-6572, ext. 118; or snadeau@gfherald.com.

"He wouldn't say how the man detained Walsh."

If someone is out stealing another person's property, they should not complain about a little soreness when the police arrive.

Not that I would ever encourage any type of physical altercation but I do hope he was complaining about something.

More of this type of thing would help curb the crime rate.

Sure is better than crying to the police after watching your property disappear.

Reformed Chicks Blabbing

Reformed Chicks Blabbing

North Dakota 60th Legislative Session -2007

Are you curious to see what the legislature is doing
this year?

Go to the 2007 Major Topics Index and click on a topic
you are interested in.

For example Counties. Then pick a bill like Eminant Domain
and click on the bill number. In this case it's SB 2039.

There will be some numbers on the left side of the page like
these:

70124	.	0100		INTRODUCED

Click on the 0100 to read the bill.

(To read the actual bill you'll need Acrobat Reader which I
think everyone has by default.)

IF you want to know any actions taken, click on the link to
the right and a little above the other link.
In this case it looks like this: » SB 2039 Actions

Take some time and look around.
After all, the legislature only does things that affect us all.