Living Wills

I hope everyone has learned something from the Terri Schiavo case. It is important that you get a living will to cover your wishes should something like that happen to you. Regardless of where you stand on Terri's case, you should do your loved ones the favor of not putting them in the place of the Schiavos and Schindlers. Let everyone know just what you think on the subject so these costly and apparently pointless legal battles can be avoided. Get it down on paper!

In my own case, I would like to be kept alive as long as there is reasonable hope. If my brain is as far gone as Terri's is, give up. Let me go peacefully. If there is hope of continued life, even if somewhat diminished, give me a chance please. I hope it never comes to that though. I'd rather die of a massive heart attack while making love or just plain slip away in my sleep. I'd much prefer the former though! Struck by lightning on the golf course wouldn't be bad either (after a hole in one!). Expiring while at work would be about the worst!

Michael Jackson- the faker

Did anyone see the video of that little creep heading into court ( late) yesterday? He had a bodyguard holding onto each arm to support him and looked like it was tough to even walk. A little way into the scene there were several (stupid?) fans screaming support for Michael. He quickly turned on his heels and raised his hands to wave at them. I've had back problems myself. You wouldn't do that move if your back really was bad! I suspect it hurt when he thought about the boy testifying more than when fans cheered.

Goodbye Dan Rather

I'm not one who will miss you. Hell, I probably won't even catch your last broadcast as anchor tonight. You were a passable rerporter, but weak as the anchor. CBS should have dumped you years ago. You've been losing in the ratings for a loooong time! Did you verify those "documents" yet? No?

Discussion- Who should replace blathering Dan?

Why is it?

I get into big trouble with my wife if I am insensitive enough not to want to watch what she has chosen on TV. If I come home and she has Judge Judy on the tube, I'm not very interested. She seems to revel in seeing other peoples misery and bad behavior. I usually want to pass on that and go in to the bedroom to watch sports or Stargate SG1 or something of a more manly nature. If I do that, I'm being bad. I'm not giving her enough attention- according to her. But just come over to our house on a Thursday night and try to tune the telly to anything other than Survivor, and you'll lose a limb. Why is it that I'm bad for wanting to watch an NBA game, but she's perfectly entitled to catch every moment of Survivor without even acnowledging that I'm still breathing? Is this something that is unique to my home or do some of you other men get the same problem? Am I a bad person for not being a fan of all the judge shows, Survivor, The Apprentice and all these other "people shows"? I don't force her to watch Baseball- why should I watch The People's Court? Is it really so bad if I watch something I like in the other room? Hey, I come home after work- I'm not at the bar. I'm not out drinking, gambling or chasing other women. Ladies- Is it so bad to be in the other room? She's really mad at me! I think it's a double standard.

Sorry I haven't posted lately- I have the flu

I 've been sick as a dog for three days now. This seems to be a bad case of this crap! I haven't even been able to eat anything since Sunday. I'll try to catch up with all of you later in the week when I feel more like myself.

No- That's not me in the Gazette!

There are two Rocky Smiths living in Billings. The one who is mentioned in today's Gazette is not me. I do get phone calls intended for him occasionally. His girlfriend has sent presents and flowers to my house once or twice. This makes my wife wonder a bit. I can't understand how his girlfriend could be clueless as to his real address. I hope the guy is doing reputable business. I'd hate to have him sully my name. It could be worse I guess. At least my name isn't Ted Bundy or something!

Worldwide Freedom?

After Bush's Inaugural address yesterday, I heard many liberals whining about the President's statements regarding freedom and democracy. Bush suggested that our freedom and national defense against terrorism depended greatly on expanding freedom and democracy throughout the world. Chris Matthews, for one, scoffed at the idea that we export freedom. He acted like Bush was planning to invade all non-democratic nations before spring hit. I have a clue for you, Chris. Bush wasn't saying we are going to impose our values on the rest of the world within weeks or months. It was a LONG TERM VISION of what we need to work toward. He might think it is foolish and something we cannot accomplish, but nobody ever acheived great things by aiming low. When did liberals give up on the rest of humanity anyway? We are the beacon of freedom in this world. Don't let anyone try to snuff out that light just because it might be difficult. Would Chris be more supportive if a Democrat President had suggested it? Am I to believe that liberals are only willing to support freedom for those who are already free and aren't willing to make any effort for the rest of the poor souls of the world living under tyrants? Say it ain't so!

Whacking the smoker

How I pine for 2004! Back when you didn't have to give up your left testicle to buy some smokes. I know all of you non-smokers hate we who pollute your air and think we should be made to pay. Well, we are paying dearly. As if we didn't already pay enough in taxes, the voters of this state decided we should pay $1.20 more per pack. It sure is nice when you get the opportunity to raise taxes on someone else, isn't it? Well, you'd better hope I don't ever get the chance to reciprocate! How about a tax on the obese, or on SUV drivers, or raising the cost of that adult beverage by a couple of bucks per glass?

I doubt any non-smoker reading this will hold any sympathy for smokers. I don't expect any. I just want to point out that taxes which aren't paid by EVERYONE are patently unfair. You can laugh at my plight if you like, but it might be your habbit that gets the big tax hike next. Did you ever think about that? When it happens, don't come to me for support.

I try to be a courteous smoker. I don't smoke around those who don't like it, even in my own home. I don't hang right next to the front door where you need to walk by. I understand your dislike for the smoke and try not to expose you to it. I severely doubt claims that a small amount of exposure to it will make you get cancer, but I respect your wishes to limit exposure.
Sure, I should quit. It sounds really easy, doesn't it? Trust me when I say it isn't.

In any case, the fine State of Montana will not be getting more tax money from my cigarette purchases. On the contrary, they will be getting ZERO, ZIP, NADA, Nothing in taxes because I will either purchase them from a local reservation or buy them on line. The only person you hurt was the owner of the store where I USED to buy them. By no fault of his own, he has lost my business. I feel sorry for him most of all.

Tough end to '04.

Tsunami dead numbering over 50K as of today. That's really sad. The U. S. rushes to send aid and all the UN can say is that we're selfish. From what I've seen, we are one of the most generous countries in the world. The $ 35 million the government has sent so far is only a start. That doesn't count all the support from private relief organizations or individuals.

Where was all the world aid when Florida got hammered with one hurricane after another? I didn't see any reports of Germany, France, Saudi Arabia or others rushing to help us. And now we are the stingy bastards? Sometimes I wonder why we do help. Of course it's because we are NOT stingy that we always do help. I'm proud of America and all it's generous people!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

And no, I don't mean happy holidays or season's greetings! I mean Merry Christmas. It isn't meant as an affront to those of you who might be non-Christians. It's a traditional greeting you might still hear from time to time in December. Don't assume that it means I hate Muslims, Jews, atheists or others. Just assume I'd like you to have a happy day. OKAY?!

Go Griz!!!!!!!!!

The beloved UM Grizzlies take Chattanooga by storm on Friday night. Be sure to watch them kick tail.

Culture War

Since the election I have heard much in the media about the "culture war" going on in this country. Some reporters act as though this is a new phenomenon that has become apparent only since the election. If they were really paying attention, they would know that it has been going on for decades. They say that Bush won only due to fundamentalist Christians coming out in droves to vote for him. Who do they think these people voted for in 2000? I'll give you a hint. It wasn't Gore.

Why do these Christians vote Republican so steadfastly? Could it be the propensity of Democrats and liberals to strive so hard to eliminate God from the public arena and have an entirely secular society? Of course! Does separation of church and state mean that religion must be kept behind closed doors in a church, Synogogue or other religious edifice? I don't see it that way.

The whole point to the separation is to prevent the establishment of a State religion. The government should not promote one religion over another. This should not be construed to mean the State is required to stifle religious speech in the public forum. Such actions by government steps on everyone's right to freedom of religion and free speech also! While they cannot promote one religion over another, they have no right to actively work against religion as a facet of our society. I understand that there are some who would be offended by it since they are of a different religion or are atheist. Tough! Their right to not be offended is written where????? Their choice of religion or non-religion does not trump my rights! Many Christian faiths teach that it is every church member's duty to spread the word of God and work to convert non-believers. If they are told by the government to go sit down and shut up, are their rights to free speech and religion not infringed upon?

What about what is taught in our schools? I suggest that rather than making God a dirty word that cannot be uttered, that ALL religions should be studied equally. Make a point of explaining every one of them to our children- including telling them of how some people are Atheist or agnostic. This is teaching them about the different cultures of our world. Knowledge is good- Ignorance is NOT bliss. Exposure to other cultures might aid in better understanding throughout the world. Many liberals would be all for teaching about other religions but would balk at Christianity being among those that our children are exposed to. I know a couple of atheists. They aren't the slightest bit threatened by Islam, but talk of Christianity to them and they get defensive immediately. What are they afraid of? If they don't belive in a God, then they shouldn't feel threatened.

I am not an overly religious person. I don't attend a church regularly, but do consider myself a Christian. Some more zealous people have accosted me and told me that I can't be Christian if I don't attend regularly. Of course, they also say ONLY their church is the right one! They have every right to their beliefs and I have no right to shut them up. It is ultimately MY CHOICE as to what I will do. Isn't that what FREEDOM is?

OH YEA!

How about that! My Chargers came through and protected home field vs. the Broncos. They did make me sweat it though. They played a fairly good first half and then sat on it in the second half. Fortunately, I could count on Jake Plummer to throw up a few( 4 total) gopher balls. Way to go Snake!

On Saturday, the Griz dismantled their poor opponent by a wide margin. Good job guys! I don't know who their next round opponent will be, but I'm sure they will give the Griz a better game than New Hampshire did. Here's hoping they can go all the way again. While I don't follow college ball very much, it's easy to root for our UM boys.

Thanks Craig!

I guess Craig at mtpolitics.net found my site and was nice enough to give me a mention and link on his site. With all the readers he has, I might actually see a little traffic here now. Thanks again Craig! I'm going to have to put in a little time to write a few posts worth others time to read. I hope some of you find my site worth a visit from time to time. I intend to add links to other Montana bloggers now that I have figured out (I think!) how to do it. Words of encouragement and sage advice from those of you who actually know what they are doing are WELCOME at any time.

I truly enjoy visiting all the other Montana blog sites and am proud of the fine group of writers that share this great state with me. Most of you are far better and more experienced writers than I am. While I am not the most educated or articulate, I'll try not to drag down the overall quality level of Montana bloggers. More to come as time allows...

Big game Sunday-

For a long suffering Charger fan such as myself, the game against the Denver Donkeys this week means much. I am amazed to find my beloved Bolts in first place as of this date. They shared the top spot for quite some time with the detested Donkeys. Last Sunday night the lowly Raiders dumped the Donkeys on their home field during a cold and snowy night. Mark me down as one who was very suprised by that. Unfortunately, I fear this will only motivate the Denver Nags to perform better this weekend. I hope that is not prophetic and that my Chargers hold down home field well. A victory would mean a two game lead in the division. Of course if they should make the playoffs, I fear they will only be a first round victim of one of the stronger AFC teams. While I love my Bolts, I wouldn't want to meet the Colts in a playoff. They have been making mincemeat of all competition lately. Manning is so hot he can fry bacon on his right arm!

Veteran's day

Today is a very important day. If you know a veteran or active duty service person, thank them today (and any other day) for their service. Remember, your freedom was won and defended with the blood of these fine people. We owe them EVERYTHING we have. This is especially true of our freedom and the rights we enjoy. They protect our loved ones from those who would do them harm. There is no more honorable vocation on earth. Freedom is not free. We must often pay for it with the lives of our service people. They have my heartfelt thanks- be sure to give them yours.

Liberals whine while conservatives try not to gloat too much

The amount of whining and hand wringing by all the liberals I know is comical as hell. Some decry the moralists on the right as ruining the country while others assure me that there was voting fraud with all the new electronic touch screen voting equipment. They just can't accept that they lost fair and square. What they really need to do is stop crying long enough to fully examine the real reasons they lost. I'm fairly confident that won't happen soon.
In the mean time, it is very difficult for conservatives like myself to resist the urge to gloat at least a little. I try to keep it to a minimum because I don't think it would show our side as very nice. If we wish to retard the divisiveness in this country, we Republicans must be the ones to show a little class. It is apparent that it won't come from the left.
By the way- are there really Democrats that are so pissed off that they are looking into moving to Canada or Australia? Can anyone really get that torqued off by an election? If there are, can we help them move?

Just getting started.

I'm new at this blogging stuff, but I want to give it a try. Have some patience since I'm a rookie. More posts to come as time allows.