CNN's Biased Reporting Makes NBC Seem Rational

I recently read an opinion piece penned by Lou Dobbs, host of CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight." Dobbs thanked viewers for their loyalty and innate intelligence in understanding that his program adheres to nonpartisan debates on issues of concern to citizens in this country. Too bad his network cannot say the same. Perhaps only the social secularists running the news department at NBC can challenge CNN for editorial slant and biased reporting. I am equally surprised the hats at CNN have yet to lure NBC's David Gregory into the fold to co-host a nightly news broadcast with Wolf Blitzer that empathizes the plight of fundamentalist Muslims that only want peace and understanding. Yeah, the Iranian President is simply misunderstood. It is the Bush Administration's fault the British sailors humiliate themselves on state run television and the tongue of a worker fighting for better wages was removed in layers by government henchmen with ties to the Revolutionary Guard. I guess I'll wait a while before discussing freedom of speech or religious issues within the context of the modern Stone Age Middle East.

As for Dobbs himself, I agree with some of his points. I think he is dead on in regards to securing our southern border and fighting amnesty tooth and nail. Dobbs even brings in ardent opponents that support amnesty or as it is called on Capitol Hill "comprehensive immigration reform." But Lou, you have to bring in folks from both sides on EVERY issue discussed, not just those of your choosing. I know many of your segments are opinion segments but they are sold as news stories with journalistic elements. Rarely if ever do you see two sides to the stories regarding the "outsourcing" of Unites States jobs in the context of the "war on the middle class." I am not sure if Lou has a son, daughter, or brother that holds a position of esteem within one of America's corrupt and mismanaged labor unions but he might as well have. Lou, if you want to be a lap dog for big labor and state run healthcare just say so but have the integrity to bring supporters of free trade to the program. As least discuss the talking points of the opposing viewpoint. Big business cannot be taxed into oblivion or be forced to pay excessive wages and benefits for marginal worker output and continue to function as a going economic concern. Continue to preach the mantra of increased wages, benefits, and taxation to the large corporations that feed our economy and create jobs in the first place and see what happens. Outsourcing a few jobs will seem like the tiniest participle within the larger equation of economic collapse.

Dobbs recently bemoaned the Attorney General's dastardly involvement in the firings of several United States attorneys. AG Gonzales finds himself in an unceremonious retreat and his career is all but doomed. The Democrats and mainstream media have succeeded in dooping an apathetic and disinterested public into believing the situation is a scandal of national importance. There was no crime committed. It is incredulous that the story is news at all. It is simply concrete proof that the media will use any crumb at its disposal to damage the Bush White House (yes, a marred and dumb White House) to the benefit of left-wing politics. It isn't even a news story significant enough for PBS, NPR, or the failed Air America radio network. The media and partisans in Washington have succeeded with what amounts to criminalizing noncriminal acts. The President can fire attorneys because they serve at his pleasure, case closed. Gonzales made the mistake of telling a white lie (you know, like I swear she only smoked the cigar) on an unimportant subject of no significance and in so doing failed to understand the bloodlust of the Bush opponents. Not once have any of the media reports spewing venom on Gonzales and the White House mentioned the corruption committed in the same context and on a larger scale within the Clinton Administration. Clinton wiped out all 93 U.S. Attorneys and of specific note the attorney involved with the corruption investigation of Democrat Dan Rostenkowski of Illinois. Not even a blurb is reported. The state of the modern media is absurd. Sandy Berger gets a slap on the wrist and a journalistic pass for the attempted cover-up of Clinton's lax foreign policy stand on world terror and Gonzales faces the fire for noncriminal behavior in a situation as unimportant as the legal excercise of executive authority? I officially classify most outlets within the media as an arm of the left leaning zealots of the Democratic Party.

If you'll excuse me I have to run. I've invited the Iranian President over for a ham and pork chop dinner. We always watch Pat Robertson together on Saturday nights after catching up with the news on CNN.

www.cnn.com

Harry Belafonte, Musical Icon and Cultural Traitor

As if America needed another loud-mouthed and misinformed sociocommunist ranting about how bad the United States is even though our rooted capitalism and associated freedoms gave him every opportunity to succeed and acquire great wealth. "Daylight Come, Harry Please Go Home."

Belafonte proved in spades he is no civil rights champion nor a defender of Martin Luther King Jr.'s ideals and harmonic vision. Belafonte blurted stridently in no uncertain terms that Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is "revered nowhere." Harry referred to former Secretary of State Colin Powell as George Bush's "house boy." So much for empowering your brethren and defending leaders within your ethnicity. The liberal leaders and victimologists of the NAACP and so called religious leaders within the African-American community like Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton will contend they missed Belafonte's tirade when confronted with remarks spewed from one of their brothers in arms.

Even though Belafonte is showing his age and apparent slide into senility, he still thumbs his nose at our country and calypsos with great joy all the while being puppeteered by his new best friend Hugo Chavez. Chavez calls Bush the devil and Harry agrees. Harry stands proudly at the microphone and contends Bush is the great terrorist. I wonder what happens if he stands in Venezuela and calls Chavez a great Satan. Oh yeah, the state controls the media there and he finds himself in prison or worse for the rest of his life. Never mind that Chavez directly controls the monies from Venezuela's vast oil resources and that money empowers the poor in his country only after his wealth is assured. That little banty rooster Chavez is playing poor aged Harry like a fine-tuned piccolo. Belafonte is dumb enough to criticize the country that provided him with the basic gifts to say what he wants and live as he wishes while exalting a brutal dictator that only wishes to see capitalism and the American way fail.

I really don't care if you hate the United States and her democracy and host of freedoms. That is your choice. But do not use those freedoms for misguided hate speech without understanding and giving thanks to those that fought to give those rights to you, men a thousand times poorer and a thousand times more noble than you Harry. A lot of these men died before their 20th birthdays and never questioned or faltered in serving an ideal greater than themselves. Belafonte obviously never served a greater interest than his own. The ideal and beauty of America. Use up her resources to benefit your selfish objectives if you must but please get out if you hate her that bad. She and we don't want you around. Perhaps mill about at the level of Chavez' populace and blame Amercia for the tyranny inflicted by brutal dictators like Hugo. You're old enough and close enough to the grave now you may not have time to understand it. I just hope your idiotic example never really catches on. I'm going to buy some bananas. One fruit deserves another.

Can Washington Get Anymore Stupid or Chaotic?

I find solace at the keyboard. Making the mistake of watching the Sunday morning network news circuit simply makes my blood boil and blood pressure rocket to near lethal levels. We'll cover several topics being hotly contested on Capitol Hill and within the confines of news studios in Washington and New York City. The sad fact remains; not one of the top selling news stories has one iota of signifigance in the propagation of peace and prosperity within the borders of America.

The newly elected Democratic Congress responds to the needs of the nation as expected. The House Democrats beat the drum of troop withdrawl and passed a bill (with 17,000 pork earmarks, makes you feel good about your tax dollars) for supplemental funding of military activities in Afghanistan and Iraq. The bill also contained a firm date for the redeployment of U.S. military forces in September 2008. Basically the Democrats drew a line in the sand and conceded defeat to insurgents and radical Muslims. The Democrats never understood or believed in a strong national defense to begin with so I certainly understand their disdain for utilizing American troops for the liberation of an entire culture and the stabilization of a violent and fundamentalist Middle East. All the time spent debating, spinning, and arguing over a bill that George W. Bush would veto even under the influence of cocaine and strong scotch. I think the idea of a hearty, proud, and potent national security policy literally scares the speaker and majority leader. The only national defense system that makes their progressive ideas sustainable revolves around a reactionary philosophy as opposed to one of proaction. Basically let's contract national security out to carnies not working during breaks in the carnival season and contract airpower responsibilities to France's three plane air force or Lithuania's advanced fleet of helium balloon craft. The left wing liberals in this country simply have no idea of what the military means to a country; it is not about reactionary protections but rather world leverage in maintaining peace through strength. The fall of the Roman Empire begins anew. Oh, as an aside our borders are wide open and Iran continues to defy weapons inspectors and the U.N. while Pelosi wastes your time debating non-binding resolutions. Aren't elections supposed to be about furthering the agenda of the taxpaying populace?

Al Gore testifed on Capitol Hill on the subject of global warming. Okay, let's say for the sake of argument that each and every American including the scientific community agrees with the premises of Gore's arguments. Therein lies the problem. There is mass confusion on the difference between scientific consensus and scientific fact. Scientific consensus simply means a vote has occurred on some proposed theory. It is no different than the American public voting for the next American Idol winner. It doesn't mean that the winning contestant is more viable than any other or maintains more factual merit. All of the empirical data used to build the foundations for a global warming thesis can be challenged. It has been warmer since 1990 and man is believed to be responsible for this through increased emissions of carbon dioxide but what about the even warmer temperatures obtained through geologic comparisons in what is known as the medieval period? Did lords and noblemen in the English countryside have hidden textile plants beneath the sod secretly emitting CO2 as serfs slaved about in the burgeoning candlepowered economy of 1500 A.D.?

The most alarming facet of Gore's movie and public display is the grossly overblown alarmism he spreads to justify and rationalize his position. Gore touts scientific consensus in regards to the tenets of his theory but disavows the same consensus when it comes to the actual and probable effects of global warming. Al believes we will be cooked like chickens in ten years only to be swept away by flooding waters from the seas rising 20 feet. The international scientific community on the other hand (Yes, Gore's own clique of scientific supporters) believes the effects to be far more minimal. Seas may rise several inches rather than feet and no one in Gore's camp even talks about the benefits of increased warmth over increased cold in regards to other Democratic talking points like energy conservation. If we bought Gore lock, stock, and barrel the widespread and catastrophic damage to our economy, standard of living, and place in the world far outweighs the supposed and surmised climate changes pushed by Gore's camp. It is scary to watch the mainstream media spoon feed the American public one side of a debate spearheaded by a secular dirt worshipper determined to justify his place and power base in modern America. I guess I'll invest in an umbrella.

The scandal driven media continues its full frontal assault on the Bush Administration. I am not saying Bush doesn't have plenty of skeletons rattling in his closet but nonetheless the attacks on every move made within the administration seem unparalleled in comparison to previous administrations. Clinton got a pass on refusing to take the handover of Bin Laden from Sudan among other cigar-stained relapses of morality. So now the race is on to convict Bush and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in regards to the firings of several United States attorneys. Apparently opponents of the administration cite political motivations in the firings especially in the case of New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM). Here is a news flash.

It simply doesn't matter and the firings are perhaps the most insignificant news story in the history of the mainstream press. Bush and his appointees can fire an attorney whenever and however as provided for in the Constitution under executive privilege. Bush can call Alberto into his office and inform him that he simply doesn't like the brands of soft drinks consumed by the attorneys and fire them for that reason. He may not like that several of the attorneys chose boxers over briefs and fire them for that reason. He may not like that one attorney's wife's mole on her nose and especially the wiry hair protruding from it and fire him for that reason. It simply isn't a story. It certainly isn't a story being reported fairly because Clinton's half-man attorney Janet Reno swept all 93 attorneys onto the sidewalk. What about the sudden dismissal of the U.S. attorney investigating Illinois Democrat Dan Rostenkowski's ordeal? No politics played there. It is the same biased media double standard pretending that inside deals and politically motivated firings are unique to this administration or any other. Maybe their reporting would hold more credibility if both sides were examined instead of the viewpoint they choose to editorialize. Remember the media is smarter than you are and you will be told only what is in your best interest according to an editor that donates to liberal causes. Sounds like sheep doo-doo to me.

Vast Right Wing or Maybe Left Wing Pet Food Recall

I am pleased to announce that upon my triumphant return home from harrowing domestic travels, my pets greeted me with the utmost in health and fervor. Apparently they had yet to succumb to another vast and sinister conspiracy spearheaded by evil pet food manufacturers. What is the latest? Rat poison detected in pet food may be the cause of the untimely demise of several cats and one dog. I have tried in vain to contact representatives of both the cat and dog unions but their representatives seem tied up in yarn balling and the burying of rancid bones. I also tried contacting a PETA representative but all available members are apparently spending time on a wicked and violent campaign that urges citizens to murder and consume the living flesh of lettuce and a few other pulpy vegetables.

I left home three weeks ago and delivered 50,000 pounds of green peas to a pet food manufacturer in Columbia, South Carolina. I arrived at the plant early Monday morning in the hopes of facilitating an efficient delivery. I am usually wrong in hoping for such nonsense. At the unloading facility I checked for the appropriate personnel for an hour and one half before contacting security and alerting them that no employees manifested themselves in the area. After much stewing and brewing two workers from the warehouse arrived to take charge of my unloading process. Apparently the man responsible to be on shift at my arrival time had done a "Peter Pan" off of a bridge deck on his Harley the night before and no one knew he lay in critical condition at a local hospital with what I would guess to be "moderate to severe" scratches. Modern product movement systems are usually controlled by a central computer system. The operator simply clicks on the product, selects which floor pit will be utilized for the unloading process, and finally chooses which bin to store the product in. After that analytical maze, giant augers and cups beneath the ground in the unloading pit transfer the product or "leg" it up and over to the appropriate storage facility. Those poor fellows poked and plugged and beeped through computer keys until the pit augers burped, spit dust, and finally whirred to life. They sampled the load via two dixie cups which I found relief in knowing were not intended as a random drug test for me. I had just used the restroom minutes earlier.

By midweek I found myself in beautiful Russellville, Arkansas which lies south of the Ozarks and just a spit north of,.............. well I guess just a spit north of southern Arkansas. I always wanted to say "just a spit north of." I loaded what is coined "chicken meal" for transport to yet another pet food manufacturing plant in Victorville, California. Basically the earthly remains of poultry are incinerated and then ground into a fine powder that stinks to kingdom come. It sure is worth paying for the overpriced stuff once it is in a dog food sack. You're only paying about a 200% markup for this gruel. No wonder my dog prefers table scraps and only eats dog food when his ribs begin to show. You always can tell which trucks have meat and bone meal on board because the trip is almost always carried out with an entourage of flies and stray dogs. Truck stop attendants are always eager to wait on a driver that has struggled to shovel off a load of this hellish and foul substance. As I stand covered in this ghoulish beige powder I have to waft the flys away just to communicate intelligibly. At any rate, the plant rejected my load because its moisture content exceeded acceptable levels. I just transported rotting chicken entrails 1500 miles in temperatures reaching 95 degrees in Needles, California and they're worried about moisture content? I can accept a rejection based on stinky content or gross content but moisture content seemed a bit silly. At any rate I hauled the rotting flesh to back from whence it came.

To make a tediously long story short, most pet food manufacturing plants have far more stringent product standards than do companies that accept food for human consumption. It just goes to show how out of whack everything is. My company usually makes more money from the transportation of pet food than human food. While we all struggle to make a living the focus of the industry seems to center around the accidental deaths of a few pets. It's a pet food conspiracy I tell you. Pet food manufacturers intentionally poisoned those animals so that they could lose business and profits based on gargantuan price markups. I think not.

Tax Time

Guess this is my last chance to blog before the hubby comes home!

I am supposed to be getting all the tax information together so we can go to the accountant's office on Monday morning. Won't that be fun..... Every year I pride myself in being able to use an accounting program to help with recording that important imformation that the IRS requires. So once again I have all the numbers plugged in there and hopefully when they are put onto their correct lines on the IRS forms it will show some positive results for us. That is why I go to all this trouble in the first place. I believe in taking advanctage of every tax break there is out there. If there is a legal way to provide them with a number and I have the paperwork to back it up..... it makes me happy!

I know all of you out there must think that I am a nut but those accounting programs are a challenge and one that I like to see if I can make my way through each year. They aren't any worse than some of those video games that the kids play now. I can't get my way through them hardly at all so this can't be that bad!

So I will get the rest of my reports ready to print and hopefully the visit to the accountant on Monday won't be as bad as my husband thinks.

I am sure that you faithful readers will be happy that my hubby will be back. I am sure that he will have some stories to tell after being out on the highways of the USA for the last three weeks.

So until the next time......

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

Another Wonderful Liver Transplant Story

I just read this story of one liver saving two people. Such a wonderful story. Hope you read and enjoy it too.

http://health.yahoo.com/news/173162

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

Getting Through Security

I just can't get the thought of flying out of mind so I have to talk about it again....

I always have been excited about a new adventure and some of the best adventures I have had included flying somewhere. But after I think about it some of the adventure has included just getting through security....

Years ago my husband I flew to Arizona for a visit with family. Those were the days before 9/11 and the security was minimal. I had just about everything imaginable in my purse. Of course... what woman didn't! Well this particular time I couldn't get through the security check. I don't get alarmed or upset over these things... I just go with the flow. Well come to find out after they x-rayed my purse they said I was carrying a weapon!

Me? A weapon? Ok ... I couldn't figure that one out so I asked what kind of weapon. They said I had a "throwing star". Ok ... now those of you that know me know that I am full Norwegian and know nothing of throwing stars let alone how to use them. So I thought for a moment and then realized what I had in my purse that was close to a throwing star. But security wouldn't let me touch my purse for fear that I would use the weapon. So they dug through my entire purse and they came up with nothing. I knew what it was that they were looking for but they wouldn't allow me to help. I even told them what pocket to look in! They still couldn't find it.... So finally they realized that I wasn't a big threat and they let me find the "throwing star" that I had as a weapon. I pulled out my "Phillips County Sheriff's Department Key Chain" that was a five star badge made into a key chain. There was a sigh of relief from everyone and I was on my way.

Another time I was traveling alone and returning from a trip from Mexico. I went through security before boarding the plane in Mexico City. My purse made it through but I beeped. Well I couldn't figure that one out. All I was wearing were shorts and sandals. I didn't have any bulky clothing on or a large amount of jewelry or any sort. Security went over me with the "wand" and sent me on my way. Then I had to go through another security check just before boarding the plane that I was to fly to LAX. Same thing happened and they couldn't figure it out but sent me on my way.

So with my little amount of experience in flying I assumed that the wand was just overly sensitive and I thought no more about it.......... until I got to LAX!! There I had to retrieve my bags and take them through security and recheck them. Then I was on my way to the gates and before that I had to physically get myself through security again. I of course beeped again and they didn't even ask me a thing. They just said, "We have been waiting for you." I was really thrown off guard there. I had never had anything happen like that before. They told me they were going to do a cavity search! Over my dead body!

And as I threw up my hands and held them next to my head..... I suddenly realized what the problem was.... I had a pair of coral colored, fan shaped earrings on. They looked as though they were plastic but they were metal. I told them that I knew what the problem was and to let me just take those earrings off. They agreed and yep... that was it! Thank God!!! That was three security checks that I didn't make it through all because of a dumb pair of earrings!

I was also a CSA for an airline and worked at the gates every day that I worked. I loved the traffic of the people hurrying from gate to gate and my favorite thing to do was to drive the Jetway up to the plane when it pulled up to the gate. Those were fun memories of being a CSA. But everyday that I worked I had to get to the gates and to do that I had to go through security. I was in uniform and carried my purse and my gate information. Everyday security pulled me aside to check my purse. I never had anything in it and I never made anything beep! I saw the same people at security everyday but still they insisted on checking my purse. I knew it was just a random check and they were required to do it every so often but why me? I just smiled and asked, "Did you find yesterday's sandwich in there?" They didn't think it was very funny....

So now after the 9/11 attacks and all the heightened security I am more careful. I have removed everything from my purse that looks like a weapon and I even try to dress properly so that I don't cause a problem. So now I am down to my stocking feet and they are still having a problem getting me through security. I have no steel plates in my head or any holding any body parts together so what is the big deal now? Oh dear..... it has to be the under wire bra this time.... I can't win.

Love the adventure though!

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

Flying Can Be Relaxing Too.....

My husband posted a while back about "Flying the Friendly Skies...."

Yes it can be quite stressful flying. But if you think about it the actual flight takes less time than the time that one has to spend just making preparations for the flight, getting to the flight, waiting to take the flight and before you know it, the trips over and you have to do it all over again to get back to where you started from!

If you don't fly on a regular basis then it can be an adventure but the more you fly the more you wish that you didn't have to unless you are the one piloting the plane. Since my husband is a pilot, I have had the good fortune to be able to enjoy several flights with him in command. These were under the supervision of a flight instructor so I had no reason to be nervous about anything. I trust my husband completely and then with the added protection of a flight instructor it made the several flights I was invited to go along on much more relaxing.

One of the flights I took with him was from the Chandler Airport in Arizona to Palomar, a small airport north of San Diego. We left in the morning, landed at Palomar, had breakfast, put some fuel on and returned the same day. It was a wonderful flight and so amazing to be able to see the countryside from the air. There were little or no clouds and it truly was a wonderful flight. On the return we circled out into the Pacific Ocean and then turned and headed back to Chandler Airport.

Another was a night flight that took us once again from Chandler Airport to Tuscon International. Flying at night when the sky is clear is another truly amazing experience. You can see forever and all the cities and towns look so much closer together than they really are when traveling by automobile on the ground. We landed and my husband was so embarrassed by his landing. He apologized because he thought it was a horrible drop onto the landing strip. Well I hardly noticed. We landed safely and nothing fell off the airplane so what would I know about it all. He still to this day talks about the horrible landing and still to this day I can't remember anything horrible about it! I just remember getting to go along and getting to see the sky at night from the view of an airplane window!

Another flight I was invited to share was again from Chandler Airport to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas NV. We left in the morning and once again saw some beautiful countryside. You have a strange feeling when there is a 737 flying next to you and passing you by. You almost can wave at the people on the plane you are so close. But still I was not nervous. We landed the little plane and then parked it as if you would a car in a parking space and got out and walked a short 5 minute walk. We ended up at the New York, New York Casino across from the MGM Grand and The Luxor. Imagine that! Flying in on a plane and parking it like a car and walking a short distance and ending up having lunch at a Las Vegas casino. Who'd a thought! Then we went back to the plane and took off the same afternoon for Chandler Airport.

Those three flights I will always remember. They were calm and relaxing flights. I had no worries and felt as carefree as a bird. I am sure that my husband was a little more nervous than I since he was trying to impress the flight instructor and he had all the headaches of learning all the in's and out's of flying the plane but not I. It was wonderful.

Maybe again someday I will have the privilage of being a passenger in a plane flown by my husband and I am sure they will be just as relaxing as those taken many years ago.

Thanks sweetie for sharing your world with me......

Signed...... Mrs. Montana Conservative

I guess the Unicorn wasn't driving......

Seems things got a bit mixed up with those reporting the story about the unicorn driving the car instead of the man who was drunk. I liked the story from yesterday better because at least the accident caused by the drunken driver could be blamed on something else instead of him having to admit again that he was in the wrong.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/03/15/news/local/30-unicorn.txt

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/03/18/news/local/35-lights.txt


Oh well..... guess we can blame all those unexplained things on the unicorn and the little green men that are out there!

Signed...... Mrs. Montana Conservative

Unicorns.....

I was reading in the local newspaper and got to laughing.... There really are unicorns out there! Ya right..... Maybe in a child's eyes.

Seems this 42 year old man believes they are real. I think it is time that this fellow get a life. The news article reads that he has been in trouble numerous times which seems to me has been most of his life.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/03/14/news/local/55-unicorn.txt

How come some people can continue in this manner and never die and those that are out there really trying to contribute to the world and live their lives in a respectful and productive manner are the ones that are taken away from us too soon in life?

Goes to show that no matter what you do you never know when your time is up!

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

I Wonder.....

Have you ever wondered what the world looks like from the surface down? I know that is a weird thing to think about but those that know me know that I am different and that I have some strange quirks. So bear with me.....

People to go the warm waters and snorkel so they can see below the water. There is another world down there that you can't see from just looking out over the water unless you happen to be in very clear, shallow water and you can see the bottom. So what if you were able to do the same on land?

Wouldn't it be interesting to be able to see a map of the entire earth underneath the surface? Not just the different levels in the ground that show all the layers of the earth to core but what it looks like underground beneath a city. I know in the cities where there are subway systems, tunnels, etc. they are mapped out but what about all the basements, cemeteries, all the tree roots and plants. What about all the catacombs underneath those old European cities that have been there for years? What about all those treasures that people have buried underground to hide and all those wonderful dog bones?

The US government has an underground safety area for the President in case of emergency. There is a whole complete city underground where he and other important staff members could function in a time of need. I am sure the average person would be overwhelmed by what normally isn't underground is there hiding safely and waiting to be used in a time of need.

What if everything were reversed and all you saw was what was underground and all that is atop the ground would be below? It would truely be amazing! I know.... life wouldn't be the same.

Ok so now you all know that I have lost my mind and I will be waiting for the guys in the white coats to come and haul me away but isn't the mind a wonderful thing? Your imagination is all yours and you can do with it what you want. You can think about all those things that interest you and you don't have to share it with anyone if you choose not to. I just happen to share with you something that I always wondered about. Everyone is different and that is good. We would be awfully boring if we were all the same......

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

Cemeteries

Cemetery near Painted Church

Big Island, Hawaii

I went for a walk today and the weather was beautiful. Can't believe how nice and warm it is for March.

My favorite place to walk is through the cemetery. We are fortunate that where we live there are two cemeteries that are just a few blocks away. Usually you are never bothered by anyone and only on the occasion that there is a funeral do you see anyone other than the groundskeepers. There must not be very many people that enjoy walking through the cemetery because whenever I walk on the regular streets I always meet quite a few people.

Cemeteries are fascinating places. You can lose yourself in all kinds of thoughts while walking. You wonder what happened to that person or what their life may have been like. You wonder about why someone may have died as a baby or why that person was so fortunate to have lived the long life they did. Some of the headstones show wealth and others show those of little means. Some people you know and some you don't.

I spent a lot of time in the cemetery as a child. There was one about a block away from where I lived. I played there all the time and as long as nothing was destroyed the kids in the neighborhood were allowed to spend time there. I remember there was one particular plot that was very intriguing. The people must have been very rich because they had a cement border all the way around and it was raised up about a foot in height. There was a cement pillar that was in the center with the family name on it. There were two steps at the opening and you could walk up them and walk around the graves of the people that were buried there. We used to call it our house and we spent many hours there playing.

Not too long ago I went back to the cemetery and tried to find that same grave that I played at for so many hours as a child. It took me awhile because the picture that I had in my mind wasn't the same as what I was finding. Finally after retracing my steps I found the place. It had changed over the years. The cement border around it was pretty much level with the ground now and the two steps were almost buried. There was also a big evergreen tree growing right in front of the steps. It is funny how big something was as a child and then when you go back it seems to have shrunk in size. It wasn't as big as I thought it was in my memory.

I went for a walk with my Mother through the cemetery in my home town a few years ago and we spent the whole afternoon there before the mosquitoes came out and chased us away. It was amazing how many people she knew and really how many I knew also. My mother is 90 now so I can understand her knowing many of the people but I too knew more than I realized.

Mom pointed out different headstones and told of her memories of different people. One I remember was of the Ochitani's. (You can bet that I really messed up the spelling on that one.) They were oriental people that ran a cafe in the little town that we lived in. I can remember the ginger cookies with the hard frosting on them that you picked out of the huge glass cookie jar on the restaurant counter. My Dad used to carry me to the little cafe and I got to pick my own cookie!

Another was of a man that used to live way out in the country with his wife and children. Mom said she heard the story of why he died. He had committed suicide after murdering his wife and young daughter. The boys escaped and went to a nearby farm for help. When they finally got back to the homestead they found the man and his wife dead but the little girl was still alive. Mom said when she was little she remembered the little girl and she had a bad scar on her forehead from where her father had hit her. The man had served in WWI and was never the same when he returned from the service. He felt bad because he couldn't provide for his family. He lost his mind and chose to end it all for all of them. At least this is the story that my mother heard many years ago.

I have been to many different places and have always been drawn to the cemeteries. I really find them interesting and always full of the unknown. I guess I have always had a peaceful feeling when I have been to any cemetery even if it was for the burial of someone that I knew.

Warm, peaceful thoughts......

Signed...... Mrs. Montana Conservative

The Aroma of Coffee

You know I never used to like coffee..... I have loved the aroma of coffee years and always thought it was the best smell in the morning but never learned to like it.

I am full Norwegian and I never liked coffee until a few years ago when my husband introduced me to a cappuccino. Now I am addicted. I have to have my coffee every morning with my creamer in it. My husband bought me an espresso machine but it only makes one cup at a time and it is a lot of messing around for just one cup and then if you want another .... forget it. So after fine tuning the art of making coffee, I boil the water and then pour it over the grounds into a glass carafe. It is so good and tastes so fresh. Well at least I think so. But if I ever bought some real coffee beans and ground my own coffee I am sure that I would never go back to my way of making coffee.

Experts say the coffee that most people drink now a days is stale. Well what about those old timers that never washed the pot and just kept adding new grounds that were probably stale to start with? No wonder that stuff tasted like kerosene and I never liked it! Some of my favorite coffee is Kona Coffee from the Big Island of Hawaii. Love that coffee!!!

That reminds me of a story about my Mother. She taught school for 37 1/2 years in old country schools, public grade schools and the local high school. She taught 5Th Grade for many years. She taught most of the kids in the small eastern town we lived in. Anyway the coffee in the Teacher's Lounge left little to be desired. She and a fellow teacher after a long day of teaching and then meeting with parents after school for Parent/Teacher Conferences went in to the Teacher's Lounge to have a cup of coffee before going home for the day. The coffee I am sure had been there most of the day and had really had a chance to get a good scald on it. They both poured a cup of that black, thick, kerosene looking liquid and had a gulp. Mom knowing that only she and her fellow teacher were in the room exclaimed, "This coffee is so strong it tastes like mule pee with the foam farted off!" They laughed and laughed and then the principal came into the lounge and saw these two teachers laughing uncontrollably and asked what was so funny! Mom told him and he laughed 'til the tears ran down his face. For years after that all the principal had to do when he walked into the teacher's lounge was ask, "How's the coffee?" and if Mom or the other teacher were in there they would have a good laugh. Even after both Mom and the principal had retired they would still greet each other on the street with..... "How's the coffee?"

While watching the news the other day I heard of a rare coffee bean that has been developed in the Asian countries. A pound of coffee for $420 or $10 a cup. No way.... Guess there is a business in Minneapolis http://wcbstv.com/watercooler/local_story_008062023.html that sells this special bean that is partially digested by Civet Cats. Well I don't think I like coffee that well in order to pay that amount for it especially after I read about how it is digested and how it comes out! http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2004-01-20-civet-coffee_x.htm I just can't imagine what that smells like. Kind of ruins the thought of the delicious aroma of coffee.

Well I need another cup of coffee so I will have to end this for now.......

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

Oranges

I was eating an orange this morning and it made me think back to when I was a child.

I remember playing outside underneath the steps that led up to the back door of the house. The steps were wooden and open on the step and the sides. The days were warm and quiet. You very seldom heard anything but the sound of a bird or a dog barking or maybe a passing car.

One of the most fun things to do under the step was play "tastee freeze". My neighborhood friends and I had quite full imaginations back then. One child would be the one that would make the delicious treats and the other would do the ordering. We had sticks, leaves, grass, fresh dirt and yes of course half orange peelings that we would save after eating the inside of the orange. We filled the orange halves with those special ingredients and made some really neat treats!

My half sister once told me that she thought I was lacking in my diet because of the amount of dirt that I consumed. But how could one refuse a visual delight such as these?

Kids nowadays have no idea how to entertain themselves anymore. They have all these expensive toys, computer games, and TV to entertain them now. It is scary to think about what a child of today would do if all of that was taken away from them and they had to actually think about what to do to entertain themselves with only good ol' Mother Earth to fall back on!

Fond memories of my childhood......

Signed...... Mrs. Montana Conservative

Sleigh Ride

I recently received this photo from my Mother in the mail. She was invited to go for a Sleigh Ride west of Great Falls MT.

I am sure that it brought back many memories of her younger years. I remember stories that she used to tell about how she and her family got around in the winter time with the sleigh and team horses. To keep warm they would warm rocks in the old wood stove and put them on the floor of the sleigh.

This photo looks like a crisp February day and doesn't look like it was taken in Montana. It has the look of more of a southwestern scene in a higher elevation where they are more apt to get snow. But I assure you that it is in Montana. It is funny how a little different style of building can change your whole prospective of where you think something is.

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

My Own Blog?

I was rereading some of my husband's posts and came across the one where he said I should get my own d___ blog! Hmmm...... Now why would I want to do something like that? We have an entirely different idea of what to write about so I don't see how we could get into each other's way. He talks about subjects that are way too deep for me to even begin to compete with him in commenting about so since he is gone what the hell.... I am going to keep doing it this way until he changes his password! Ha!

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

Today's Technology

Ok..... if you hadn't noticed the Mrs. is back..... My husband is out on the road again so this is my chance. I wonder how long I can get away with this before the hubby finds out?! He didn't change his password so I guess I didn't get into too much trouble the last time! Ha!

I was thinking about all this blogging and how new it is to me. I can remember when I was in high school in typing class, you could hear the pounding of the keys, the little bell and then the swing of the carriage as we learned to type on those old manual typewriters. Maybe that is where I got those strong fingers. Ha! I used to pride myself in the fact that I could get over 90 words a minute when we took those timed typing tests. It was a big deal when we got the first electric typewriters and only those that did the best in the timed tests got to use them!

I don't even really remember any use of computers in school. I think the school office may have had some and I am sure they were the old DOS systems. But I was never around them at all.

It was in school that my two children were first introduced to computers. I think the first one that I ever had was purchased in 1995. Wow what an experience! And to be able to surf the web and get email. It is so amazing that you buy a computer and it is outdated before you even get it hooked up.

So I try really hard to stay knowledgeable enough to at least keep the system I have running in a smooth fashion. When my husband starts yelling because, the dumb thing isn't doing what he wants it to do and if I don't do something with this .... he is going to throw it out the window!!!!... then I am supposed to fix it! I feel so proud that I can figure a few things out. Believe me I know nothing about it at all. Now with the IPods, Blackberries and all the things that a cell phone can do now, I have this sinking feeling that the world is passing me by again.

So this blogging, that I am sure has been going on for a lot longer than I realize, is quite interesting. There is so much information out here on the Internet and there are so many ways to get information whether it be from surfing the web or reading someone's blog!

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

Divorce Can Make You Crazy

I don't mean to make light of the fact that a little girl lost her life because of her father's bitterness towards her mother and mother-in-law after a nasty divorce but this one takes the cake. I wonder if we will find out the real reason that this man rented a plane and took his 8 year old daughter for the ride of her life or death. Seems a man in Bedford IN crashed his plane into his mother in law's house and he and his daughter both lost their lives in the crash. How ironic is it that it was his ex mother-in-law's house? I know the first reports lead you to believe the worst, that he did it intentionally, but what are the odds? The ex-wife and the mother in law probably had more to do with it than is being let out right now. There are always two sides to a story. They must have really made this guy mad! The world gets crazier every day........

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0633158920070306

Signed...... Mrs. Montana Conservative

Flying the Unfriendly Skies

Not long ago my wife and I completed a marathon day of flying on a major U.S. carrier. I think three words sum up the experience and they are as follows: misery, frustration, and contempt. Perhaps my time on the flight deck as a pilot spoiled me but I sure do miss it. TSA officials at our departure location feigned polite demeanors but had contempt for our baggage and developed a particular interest in my wristwatch. I bet they saw me talking to it and thought I communicated instructions to a terror cell hidden discreetly in the vast expanse of asphalt tarmac. I probably did speak to the watch wondering if the blasted thing was ticking or not. I tried to use the automated check-in at the ticket counter but needed tutoring assistance from an agent because every time I entered new information the screen returned to its home page. I think the exasperated agent hit it twice with an open palm until the lines on the screen jiggled and after that no further problems manifested themselves during the process.

My wife's underwire bra has caused us numerous travel delays over the years and nearly 12 arrests. No, I do not think they thought she had a bazooka under there but her finger pointing and elevated vocal tones surely pushed us to the top of a watch list. That leaves me flushed and put in the awkward position of neutralizing the situation before she falls into a pair of handcuffs and a federal prison. The one solution that works the best for me is telling them the truth. She is full-blooded Norwegian and if you think she's a handful at a security checkpoint you should try living with her. After hearing this timely information they always let us pass and I receive glances of sorrow and condolence.

The airplane rides (I still call them airplane rides) for the most part were uneventful. The weather was good, the ride okay, and schedules maintained with no undue delays caused by the airline. The people that fly are a different story. I think it will be easiest to list my peeves in numerical fashion and they of course are in no particular order.

1. Please avoid traveling with infant children delivered from their mother's womb within the last 7 minutes. They are out of their element, extremely stressed, and desire nothing more than quiet surroundings and their mother's affection. The birth was bad enough. Don't make their little ear canals suffer plugging and implosion upon a descent. Believe me, several newborns traveled with us and they made no bones about displaying their displeasure at the situation. Remember that air circulation on an aircraft at altitude is to a great extent recirculated. Do I need to bring up dirty diapers?

2. Please try checking some of the baggage you are taking on your trip. Yes, I know airlines lose luggage and jockeying for a position at baggage claim is like finding yourself in the L.A. riots. When everybody "carries on" their usually oversized luggage there is a hellish delay getting seated and getting the flight out on time. One guy tried carrying on his golf clubs. Another guy had what I believed to be a riding lawn mower and folding chairs. The result is disastrous. Oftentimes people are so rude they stack their junk in the overhead bin directly over the seat you paid for. Through trial and error I have remedied this annoying predicament. If someone else's junk is directly above my seat, I remove it and place it neatly in the aisle replacing it with my one TINY carry-on and take my seat with resolve.

3. Please be on time. We left the gate for departure twenty minutes late waiting for stragglers to board the aircraft. They made no attempt to hurry towards the aircraft either. That is really nice for those of us already in our seats needing an on-time arrival to make a connection. I believe these perpetually pompous idiots (we make exceptions for those detained by a late arrival) should be given the chance to board the airplane since they did purchase their seats. Simply allow them to chase the aircraft down the taxi ramp and if they are fast enough to jump in front of the plane before it makes the runway, the captain authorizes a baggage handler to load them in the forward baggage hold. The second option is for the adventurous straggler only. Stand in a crouched position approximately 1500 feet from the departure end of the runway. If you can catch the wheel well as we thunder past, you made the flight and can keep the whole can of complimentary beverage.

4. For those of you traveling with toddlers and tots ages 2 to 5, I guarantee you that a majority of passengers in your proximity have no problem with disciplinary procedures. I further guarantee that you are the ONLY ones that think your kids are cute. Remember it's not that big of a deal because chimpanzees throw cute pups too. If you want to give them a "time out" I would prefer you do it at home where their squealing impresses only you because of the great strides you've seen in junior's behavior therapy. Don't do it at 40,000 feet in a pressurized tube from which I cannot escape you and there is no bar. If you are a little nervous about the general public seeing you discipline your children in a time honored and physical fashion, take these tips I learned from being the object of my grandmother's ire. Gently but firmly grab girating junior's forearm and press the thumb downward. He'll be so stunned you are serious he may fall asleep from shock. My grandmother's favorite maneuver was grabbing the short hair on the back of the neck. Although far from lethal or lasting, the momentary pain was so intense I couldn't mutter a squeak if I tried. Just a thought to help you (and us) out.

5. Once the plane is docked and you are ready to leave your seat and exit the aircraft, don't jump ahead of people sitting in front of you that should exit before you. Unless you have a pending diarrhea calamity so imminent as to affect the health and safety of other passengers, just wait your turn. Even then you should only be able to jump ahead of those in front of you when the orange DIARRHEA EMERGENCY sticker is affixed prominently and securely to your forehead. If you refuse to ingest this advice and you try this on me again, you will be seeing an orthopaedic surgeon for repair of your ACL after I chop block you. My time in jail will be worth it to watch you suffer.

6. Don't annoy people with your aviation knowledge. I get so tired of arm chair pilots sitting behind me trying to impress their companions with knowledge of flight and aircraft mechanics. "He's putting the flaps down now." "That's the landing gear." "The captain is putting his left turn signal on now." "Hold on honey, he just put it in drive." Those of us that are pilots love to respond to diatribes like this one with questions devised specifically to confound the rambling air philosophers. I usually ask them why the engine vibrates right where it attaches to the wing or if the flaps are supposed to shudder like that just prior to touching down. Are those rivets loose just above the leading edge of the wing? What's that funny vibration during the turns? These comments usually steer the conversation in a different direction.

At any rate sit back, relax, enjoy the flight and remember to keep that seat and tray table in the upright and locked position.