Merry Christmas!

May you all have a fine holiday season, no matter what faith you might

follow. I hope you had a good 2006 and enjoy better in the year to come.

Enjoy precious time with those you love and think of those others whom

have nobody of their own. I encourage you to give at least one gift to

someone unfortunate who needs help. It'll make you feel more holiday

spirit. I guarantee it.

Note how good the Seahawks must feel. They gave

my Chargers a shot at home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

They backed in themselves anyway, so I bet they feel great! Donkeys

won on a lucky missed extra point. Damn Bengals!

Chargers slice & dice Broncos!

My boys clinched the AFC West and are in first place in the AFC. The Broncos were no match for them- especially with a rookie at QB. I think Shannahan has made the wrong move there, but Plummer is no prize either. Tomlinson, Rivers and Gates played well and the defense was competent, if not overwhelming. I guess you don't need a Bears style defense if the offense is going to put up 48. With the Colts getting stoned by Jacksonville, my guys have top billing in the playoffs. All they need to do is win at Seattle and cover at home for a couple they should (!) win.

In any case, to you Bronco fans...

Better luck next year... Not!

Chargers climb to 10-2.

My boys won a tight game against a good Bills team who have won their last few coming in. Tomlinson has been a stud all year. He only ran for over 170 yards and two scores. I'm so glad I have him on most fantasy teams- yes, many in first place, thankyou.
I've been taking a lot of crap from Denver fans for years. It would be nice to bury them next week and end all the chat! The Colts loss to the Titans makes it an even bigger game with home field playoff considerations in effect. With three of their last four at home, I expect a strong finish. You Donkey lovers can hope, but you won't catch us this year.

Sudan/Darfur needs world attention

Please go read about the problems between Chad and Sudan & the poor people being killed. We must not allow this barbarism to continue. This area could become a bigger problem than Iraq. Those whom believe we should bring all our troops home and hide our head in the ground need to think more about whether they are willing to stand aside and let poor innocents be murdered in ethnic cleansing. Like it or not, this kind of thing happens every day in our world. Death and destruction are not limited to Iraq. Other than my new favorite- Glenn Beck- I have seen very little in the press about this. Shame on them. We need to push world leaders to do something right now! Join me in demanding action.

New Montana blog

Our friend Shane Mason has started a new blog and welcomed me as a contributing author. The latter aside, stop in and give it a look. Most of the authors lean to the left, but this site is working to be a place of sane discussion of issues without the backbiting and name calling. It's about time we all come together somewhere without "sides" being taken, don't you think?

Vote on November 7th!

I also urge you to vote for conservative candidates. We must win the war on terrorism. The American public should not allow itself to be deterred from backing the effort against extremists who wish us dead. Democrats cry that we have no plan while they have no plan themselves. Sure, some things have been tough, but quickly exiting would be seen as a sign of weakness by the extremists. Not everything has been bad either. The Kurds are very thankful of us coming to free them. You won't see pictures of that in the liberal media, but I challenge anyone to prove it's not true. Some would have you only know the more sensational bad news. We need to support our troops AND their mission. Some people don't support their mission. What do these people think that mission is? I see us tring to help these people. What do liberals see? Rampant murder, rape and pillage by our guys? You know they are better than that. John Kerry seems to think only poor dumb souls would join to enter the fight. I have family in the service and I find that comment offensive. Our military personnel are the best. But even if they were less intelligent than John Kerry (I severely doubt it), why would anyone impugn the brave souls who volunteer to defend us? Kerry says he just botched a joke intended toward Bush. Last I checked, Bush got better grades than Kerry at the same school. Skull and bones anyone?

I also don't want my taxes raised. The economy is doing just fine. Leave it alone liberals!

I see Conrad Burns as an imperfect candidate. He talks without thinking sometimes, but he'll vote the way I want most of the time. John Tester might very well be the "nice guy" that David Crisp describes him as, but I doubt he'd vote with me. I have to go with Burns because of terrorists and taxes. Go ahead now libs- call me names.

Monica Lindeen went to the same school as I did. I'm sure she's still a standup person, but again, she won't vote my way. Denny has done a good job for us and deserves not to be replaced anyway.

I can't support raising the minimum wage. It will only be inflationary and is simply feel good politics. The free market pays more than that in a lot of places now anyway. Automatic adjustments tied to the CPI seems poorly considered as well.

Billings needs to support building a new ball park. Cobb field is a disaster waiting to happen. Which will hit first? Collapse or fire? Surely we have enough civic pride to build a better city. What if our forefathers had been too stingy to fund pools or parks and the like? Local businessmen are stepping up to donate to the cause. Surely the rest of us can chip in.

Athletic pool could be a casualty of any new Cobb. I understand that some people don't want to lose it, but it leaks anyway. I'd support building a new pool. Maybe we could build it away from 27th street too. I'd think that would be safer.

I have to begrudgingly support the safety levy. I don't like the way "cumulative and permanent" was conveniently overlooked, but I do like having sufficient police and fire protection.

In any case- VOTE! As they say, if you don't vote, don't bitch.

Rosie has a strange "View"

Tueday on "The View", Rosie O'Donnell stated that Radical Christians are as large a threat to the United States as radical Muslims are! Come on Rosie! Show me where some radical Christians blew up thousands of innocent people. You simply can't. Some of them might even be dangerous, but there is no comparison. As far as being dangerous goes, radical Muslims are even more of a threat to Muslims around the world. They senselessly murder people every day. This woman has a right to her views, but this is totally wrong. I'm thinking that an apology to Christians isn't going to cover it. I don't watch the view- wonder why?

On this historic date...

Always remember the innocent lives lost. Remember the hurt and pain. Also remember how we all came together to stand strong. Recall the selflessness of so many policemen and firemen. Respect the courage of those who forced the last plane down in Shanksville Pa. It's so sad what happened, and sadder still that the togetherness lasted such a short time. Never forget 9/11!

Vacation in Mexico

I recently took my family to Mexico on vacation. Other than the security hoops to jump through at airports, the entire trip was wonderful! We stayed at the Iberostar Quetzal hotel (4 1/2 star) in Playa del Carmen. That's about 25 miles south of Cancun on the Yucatan peninsula. The room was nice, the food great, the beach clean and well maintained and the staff was friendly and helpful. I heartily recommend this resort. They took us out to Cozumel to do some snorkeling on the reef. It was beautiful with astonishingly clear water. There were many varieties of fish to see. I saw several sea turtles and got within about ten feet of a barracuda! Later, a shark swam by underneath us. The guide said not to worry; that it wouldn't bother us. We're all still here, so I guess he was right.

I do have one recommendation for you though. This is an "all inclusive resort" so the drinks are free. If you are going to partake of adult beverages, have the lady of the house go to the bar to get them. This isn't because I'm a lazy pig. It's because the mostly male bartenders make much stronger drinks for the ladies. If they are blonde, it seems that's even better.

Oh, and you might want to leave young children home if you are puritanical in nature. Many Europeans seem to vacation here. There were about 15-20 topless women on the beach every day. Not a problem for me, but some might balk. I did see one guy dress right on the beach too. Different cultures, I guess.

Be sure to get a passport for international travel. It's REQUIRED after the first of the year. It'll probably take one or two months to get also.

Thank God the boy won't laze away the summer

My thirteen year old son is joining the workforce today. It is a volunteer position at St. Vincent hospital. He won't earn a cent, but will earn valuable experience. He'll also get something to put on his resume for when he applies for an actual paying job. He gets to feel good about contributing to society too. He has done some volunteering before, but nothing on a weekly scheduled basis. Maybe he'll find out that his dad isn't the only demanding job boss in the world.
He gets to become very familiar with the city bus system also. It won't hurt him a bit. He did this on his own. His parents didn't push at all. Yep, I'm happy with him!

My favorite time of the year is here!

Spring just has to be the finest time of the year here in Montana. Oh sure, you can get some cold and blustry days, but days like today are rare. The temp up in the high 60's and little to no wind afforded us with pure comfort. I missed my chance to have a nice walk ruined by a little white ball. Maybe later in the week. NFL draft on ESPN all day long- snore! After the first round, who really cares enough to watch? Not me! Chargers got a DB in first round. Drafting for need on that one kids. My momma could pass on em!

Daytime TV is a wasteland!

Having been home all week for a little time off from work, I have been treated to a bit of free time during the day. I started off on Monday by surfing through all 57 damn channels and - lo and behold, nothing on! That started the lame tune of the same name running through my head. I made a trip to the video store, but that too was a wasteland. I guess my expensive wide screen is a waste when there isn't a good game on or Sci-fi Friday. Thank God for that or I could just sell the damn TVs. I did learn on Tuesday that there are more judge shows than I knew of. My wife was off that day, and she really likes them. I'd prefer a root canal- but that's just me. Some of the people that show up on those programs are painfully stupid. I guess I did enjoy watching one guy get the tongue lashing of his life from judge Judy. He deserved it though. He was stupid enough to provoke her early on. Idiot.

Happy Presidents day

I'm guessing few of you got the day off. Lucky me has the entire week off. Don't turn too green! I'm sure my spouse will have a few things to keep me busy. Have a good week everyone.

Spouse Shopping

A store that sells new husbands has just opened in New York City , where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates. You may visit the store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the attributes of the men increase as the shopper ascends the flights.There is, however, a catch: you may choose any man from a particular floor, or you may choose to go up a floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building! So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband. On the first floor the sign on the door reads: Floor 1 - These men have jobs. The second floor sign reads: Floor 2 - These men have jobs and love kids. The third floor sign reads: Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love kids, and are extremely good looking."Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going. She goes to the fourth floor and sign reads: Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love kids, are drop-dead good looking and help with the housework."Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!"Still, she goes to the fifth floor and sign reads: Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love kids, are drop-dead gorgeous, help with the housework, and have a strong romantic streak. She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor and the sign reads: Floor 6 - You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store. A new wives store opened across the street. The first floor has wives that love sex. The second floor has wives that love sex and have money. The third through sixth floors have never been visited.

Fantasy Baseball starting soon.

This is the time of year when I find myself in a sort of limbo. I really enjoy playing fantasy sports on the net. It just so happens that this is the dead time of year for that activity. Fantasy football has recently expired. I fared reasonably well on my teams there. Two first places, a second and a fourth. Fantasy baseball is nearing ready for sign ups- but that is not going to really start for more than a month. Fantasy NASCAR and fantasy golf have gotten into gear this weekend and a couple of weeks ago. Neither of those really hold my interest though. Fantasy basketball is half way over with the All star game this weekend. That means no scores to worry about there for a few days either. I'm not faring too well in those leagues this season as I had a bad draft in the two leagues I'm in. I didn't seem to get any good big men out of the ones I ranked high. Oh well. Next year, as they say!

Super Bowl Prediction

This year I'm going to have to go with the majority and pick the Steelers to take the big game. They have been on a roll in the playoffs and have beaten some very good teams. I really believe that the AFC has been the stronger division for quite a while now. The Seahawks aren't without hope. Shaun Alexander is definitely a stud that can hurt you. Seattle has won quite a few games, but against inferior competition. I'll say- 34-24 Steelers.

Our friend Tony is at it again

"Rocky? I have your address, given to me by someone who knows and also doesnt like you. Watch your back and your mouth lest be held accountable for your stupidity." Says Tony.

Here we go again folks. What was my transgression against the all powerful Tony this time? I stated over at David Crisp's place that I am a conservative and Tony isn't. I didn't peg him as a liberal or a radical or anything else- just that he isn't a conservative. I figured that was a safe statement to make that even Tony would have to agree with. No such luck, I guess. For that he decides I need to be physically threatened AGAIN. I tire of this guy and his thought that he can win an arguement by threatening people.

Here's a response just for you, Tony, since you don't have the balls to allow comments on your own site(s):

First of all, I don't scare that easily. I have as much right to voice my opinion as you do sir. Go ahead and threaten me and send me pictures of yourself with no shirt on (unimpressive) and flying (rather poor form) the bird at me. I laugh that crap off with ease. Where did you learn that tactic from anyway? Stalin?

Secondly- Don't even think about messing with my family. If you do anything to make them even feel threatened, I'll have the law on your ass quickly! I won't tolerate you even letting them know you breathe Montana air. I would never do anything to cause any harm nor even slightly scare your beautiful wife and charming daughter. If you feel you must have it out with me, be man enough to leave our wives and children out of it.

Third- Be sure you have the right Rocky Smith. There are two of us living in this town. I get mail and phone calls for him all the time. I'd hate to see you go to jail for assaulting the wrong man. You might well deserve some jail time if you did this, but he wouldn't even know why you're angry with him. If you're going to Cynrock (his marketing firm) to find me, you're in the wrong place. You wouldn't need a private investigator to find me anyway. My name, adress and other information are not a state secret. I'm not going to publish them for you here. You might have to look for yourself. It'll probably take less than five minutes to find.

In closing- I'm not really sure what got you so ticked off this time anyway. Are you claiming I'm wrong to say you are not a conservative? I think even many of our local bloggers would readily agree with my statement. I didn't make the mistake (as I did once before) of trying to say you were a liberal or any other description- only that you're not a conservative. I'll stand by that statement. I must say I was a little suprised at your flaming reaction. I wasn't even attempting to get your ire up on that one. If I wanted to do that, I would have said much more than you aren't a conservative. Note that I have not threatened you ( aside from protection of my family) and I'm not even angry. I'm partly puzzled and mostly laughing about this whole affair. I won't be bullied into shutting up though. Don't bother with the threats any more, Tony. I doubt you are really crazy enough to assault me based on differing political views. We probably will never see eye to eye on much (aside from Walmart), but let's keep this a debate- not a fistfight. MAYBE you could win a fight of fists, but can you win a debate of words?

Is Iran next?

I think that Israel would have already blown up Iran's return to nuclear research if Sharron wasn't half dead in a hospital. I have little doubt that the US is being pressured to do something. Hearing Iran's President deny that the holocaust occured in WWII shows what a loose cannon with no brain this guy is. I predict that if we don't hit Iran soon, Israel will. I wouldn't blame them if they did. It's called self defense.