Good Morning Billings!
It is another beautiful December day - and I point out that both Bob McGuire and Ed McIntosh predicted it yesterday -
My daughter Maggie asked me yesterday if we'd have snow for Christmas, and I told her there was a 50/50 chance in Billings, since we had 5 brown Christmases in the 1980's, and I think 4 in the 1990's.
Other than the 2 feet of snow we got a month ago, winter here has been open.
Listening to Mark & Paul this morning, they were saying that the skiing could be better on Red Lodge Mountain though. I guess they need some snow.
Let's make a compromise - it can snow all it wants in the mountains, and stay nice here, then in March it can rain an inch of rain a week to make things grow.
When was the last really tough winter for snow - 1979 maybe?
Monday, December 1, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Recounts are a ton of work.
Today I spent several hours observing the recount between 'Doc Kerns' and 'Doc Woerner' for Laurel's House District.
It was very labor intensive for our County Commissioners, and the next time you see Jim Reno, John Ostlund, or Bill Kennedy, I hope you thank them.
They examine each and every ballot, pull out the 'no votes' and on messed up, or incorrectly completed ballots they decide what the intent of the voter was, according to the rules.
I made a few conclusions:
(1) The machines are very accurate. The manual counts matched, or were very close to the machine count.
(2) Some people in Montana are too stupid to darken an oval.
(3) The 'no votes', which is where people show up, vote on one issue, and leave the rest of the ballot blank could have easily decided the race they were recounting today.
In the end, today's recount won't change anything though. Mr. Kerns showed up with a 22 vote advantage, and with just over half the vote counted he had a 26 vote advantage, at which point I did the math that it was over, and abandoned the other observers for the GOP to finish the job.
It was very labor intensive for our County Commissioners, and the next time you see Jim Reno, John Ostlund, or Bill Kennedy, I hope you thank them.
They examine each and every ballot, pull out the 'no votes' and on messed up, or incorrectly completed ballots they decide what the intent of the voter was, according to the rules.
I made a few conclusions:
(1) The machines are very accurate. The manual counts matched, or were very close to the machine count.
(2) Some people in Montana are too stupid to darken an oval.
(3) The 'no votes', which is where people show up, vote on one issue, and leave the rest of the ballot blank could have easily decided the race they were recounting today.
In the end, today's recount won't change anything though. Mr. Kerns showed up with a 22 vote advantage, and with just over half the vote counted he had a 26 vote advantage, at which point I did the math that it was over, and abandoned the other observers for the GOP to finish the job.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Another payout... what else is new?
In today's Billings Gazette isn the story about our City is going to pay out $135k to settle discrimination complaints - here's the link -
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/11/22/news/local/18-deal.txt
I don't know about the rest of you, but I for one think it's time to make some drastic, and sweeping changes in our city government.
(1) Have the City Administrator overhaul the City Attorneys office. We need to get rid of the 'Just sue us' mentality that fueled the firefighters lawsuit, and the overall incompetence that seems to come from that office. If the City Administrator resists, she can be removed and replaced at any time by a simple majority vote of the council. The City Attorney should work for the City Council, not the City Administrator, and if it means changing the Charter, put it in front of the voters.
(2) Clean out all the Tooley/Tussing/Bauer holdovers, in our City Government. What they're doing isn't working.
We've got an election coming up 11 months. Let's get a Charter Review on that ballot, elect a new mayor, and 5 new council members with a little backbone.
Any other ideas?
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/11/22/news/local/18-deal.txt
I don't know about the rest of you, but I for one think it's time to make some drastic, and sweeping changes in our city government.
(1) Have the City Administrator overhaul the City Attorneys office. We need to get rid of the 'Just sue us' mentality that fueled the firefighters lawsuit, and the overall incompetence that seems to come from that office. If the City Administrator resists, she can be removed and replaced at any time by a simple majority vote of the council. The City Attorney should work for the City Council, not the City Administrator, and if it means changing the Charter, put it in front of the voters.
(2) Clean out all the Tooley/Tussing/Bauer holdovers, in our City Government. What they're doing isn't working.
We've got an election coming up 11 months. Let's get a Charter Review on that ballot, elect a new mayor, and 5 new council members with a little backbone.
Any other ideas?
Beautiful weather in the Magic City
November 22nd, and at 4:30 in the afternoon it's still 49 degrees outside.
Not a flake of snow from here to the Beartooths either.
It doesn't get any better than this, does it?
It can snow 15' deep in those mountains for all I care, but I could do with this nice weather from now until March, when it can start raining an inch a week!
Anybody else like the weather?
Not a flake of snow from here to the Beartooths either.
It doesn't get any better than this, does it?
It can snow 15' deep in those mountains for all I care, but I could do with this nice weather from now until March, when it can start raining an inch a week!
Anybody else like the weather?
Friday, November 14, 2008
Tussing has few friends in our City Government
Last night, at a special meeting in Billings, the Billings City Council once again voted against Mayor Tussings choice for a replacement council member for the vacant seat in Ward 2, leaving him little choice but to appoint the councils choice, Larry Brewster.
In the 'old' days when Mayor Tooley ran the city, this never would have happened. Mayor Tooley always had six votes in his pocket, and used the appointment process to strengthen his hold by putting 'his' people in place.
The council isn't about to give Mayor Tussing any supporters on the council.
Payback is a bitch, isn't it?
Pardon my french, but what else did Mayor Tussing expect?
He was given the choice, quit or get fired, he quit , accepted the cash payoff, and then he decided to stick around as mayor.
Did he actually think the council would welcome him with open arms?
Maybe he did, but I thought him to be smarter than that.
But then again, maybe he isn't, because considering his record here, he still has the idea to run for a PSC seat, and was soundly beaten by Brad Molnar.
Tussing will be gone through the election process in a year, but I wish he would take responsibility for his own actions, resign from the Council, and let us get past this chapter in Billings history.
In the 'old' days when Mayor Tooley ran the city, this never would have happened. Mayor Tooley always had six votes in his pocket, and used the appointment process to strengthen his hold by putting 'his' people in place.
The council isn't about to give Mayor Tussing any supporters on the council.
Payback is a bitch, isn't it?
Pardon my french, but what else did Mayor Tussing expect?
He was given the choice, quit or get fired, he quit , accepted the cash payoff, and then he decided to stick around as mayor.
Did he actually think the council would welcome him with open arms?
Maybe he did, but I thought him to be smarter than that.
But then again, maybe he isn't, because considering his record here, he still has the idea to run for a PSC seat, and was soundly beaten by Brad Molnar.
Tussing will be gone through the election process in a year, but I wish he would take responsibility for his own actions, resign from the Council, and let us get past this chapter in Billings history.
Monday, November 10, 2008
All white people report to the cotton fields at 7:00 am for orientation.
I'd be surprised if there is anybody with a cell phone that hasn't received, or seen one of these ridiculous text messages this last week.
or -
"White House announcement says they are tearing up the Rose Garden and planting a watermelon patch."
or - one of my favorites - announcing a new National Anthem, the catchy theme 'Moving on Up' song from the TV sitcom "The Jeffersons" that was sung by Ja'net Du Bois.
I know that President Obama will provide a lot of jokes, for probably the next 4 years, but in my opinion, these jokes are not appropriate.
and I'll give you my reasons for that -
(1) Barack Hussein Obama is going to be President, and thus deserves respect. Hopefully more than the Democrats gave our last President.
(2) The election is over. Yes, it was about race, but that is now part of history. Get over it.
(3) There are a lot of people who have very high expectations for this administration, such as getting the free Health Care that they think they were promised, and big tax cuts, surrendering to the terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq so our troops can all come home in February, etc. Well, none of them will probably happen, so lets judge a President Obama on what he does, and forget his inherent 'victim status' he gets for being black, OK?
Let it go - and lets go forward.
or -
"White House announcement says they are tearing up the Rose Garden and planting a watermelon patch."
or - one of my favorites - announcing a new National Anthem, the catchy theme 'Moving on Up' song from the TV sitcom "The Jeffersons" that was sung by Ja'net Du Bois.
I know that President Obama will provide a lot of jokes, for probably the next 4 years, but in my opinion, these jokes are not appropriate.
and I'll give you my reasons for that -
(1) Barack Hussein Obama is going to be President, and thus deserves respect. Hopefully more than the Democrats gave our last President.
(2) The election is over. Yes, it was about race, but that is now part of history. Get over it.
(3) There are a lot of people who have very high expectations for this administration, such as getting the free Health Care that they think they were promised, and big tax cuts, surrendering to the terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq so our troops can all come home in February, etc. Well, none of them will probably happen, so lets judge a President Obama on what he does, and forget his inherent 'victim status' he gets for being black, OK?
Let it go - and lets go forward.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Another funeral - Larry Ohl
I've got another funeral tomorrow - my friend Larry Ohl, from Roundup.
He got the nickname 'The Cable Guy' because he reminded us of the original Larry the Cable Guy sometimes.
He died last Saturday, of a heart attack, at the age of 56.
He leaves behind a wife, Lynn, two little girls who are still in school, and a couple of ex-wives with children somewhere also.
I met him in August of 2005, when he came into United Rentals looking for a job - he was tired of working for Brewer on a drilling rig. He could drive truck, and turn wrenches, so we picked him up, and I'm glad we did.
Larry was resourceful like you've never seen. No matter where I sent him, or what happened along the way he always made it back. There might have been duct tape holding hydraulic lines up, or tie wire holding on a fender, but he always found a way to make something work.
When his mother died, and he was working things out, we spent many an hour talking about the meaning of life as we perceived it.
I'm still driving his mothers old truck to work everyday - a 1987 Chevy S10 Blazer that leaks a quart of oil a week. I bought it from him about a year ago.
The tires are hard as bowling balls, with snow tread - and when I looked at them close I saw they were LT tires with about seven ply's - no wonder they were so hard. I asked him about it, and he said he didn't want his Mom to have any problems, so he had put tough tires on it.
That's how he was. He looked out for the unforseen.
When the day came that he left us, I felt like bawling when I helped him load his toolbox.
I was with him at the Superbowl Party in January, but since then I've only talked to him on the phone.
The last thing I said to him was "See you later."
I have an admission - I don't like going to funerals or memorial services here in Montana.
(1) They remind me that it'll happen to me one day, and I don't like to admit that - not to you, me, or anybody.
(2) They are so damned solemn here. The person is laid out in a funeral home, and they have it quiet, and usher a few people in at a time for viewing, etc. When I was a kid in N.E. Iowa, my mothers family, the Rodenbergs had social gatherings at funerals. There was food, talking, and yes, even laughter sometimes.
I hope I've got many years to plan it, but when I go, I want a three-day wake, and a party, and then a funeral. I don't want a quiet, solemn affair, I want a Rodenberg-type funeral. I want there to be food, beers, and hopefully a little laughter at my wake.
Is that too much to ask?
This death, doesn't do much to inspire me as far as Christian faith - God and I haven't been speaking to each other for over a year, and him pulling shit like this isn't helping. Pardon my language readers, but taking a father away from two little girls is senseless.
So I won't be praying for Larry, but I truly feel sorry for his family.
And I'm going to a funeral.
Goodbye Larry.
Vaya con dios amiga
He got the nickname 'The Cable Guy' because he reminded us of the original Larry the Cable Guy sometimes.
He died last Saturday, of a heart attack, at the age of 56.
He leaves behind a wife, Lynn, two little girls who are still in school, and a couple of ex-wives with children somewhere also.
I met him in August of 2005, when he came into United Rentals looking for a job - he was tired of working for Brewer on a drilling rig. He could drive truck, and turn wrenches, so we picked him up, and I'm glad we did.
Larry was resourceful like you've never seen. No matter where I sent him, or what happened along the way he always made it back. There might have been duct tape holding hydraulic lines up, or tie wire holding on a fender, but he always found a way to make something work.
When his mother died, and he was working things out, we spent many an hour talking about the meaning of life as we perceived it.
I'm still driving his mothers old truck to work everyday - a 1987 Chevy S10 Blazer that leaks a quart of oil a week. I bought it from him about a year ago.
The tires are hard as bowling balls, with snow tread - and when I looked at them close I saw they were LT tires with about seven ply's - no wonder they were so hard. I asked him about it, and he said he didn't want his Mom to have any problems, so he had put tough tires on it.
That's how he was. He looked out for the unforseen.
When the day came that he left us, I felt like bawling when I helped him load his toolbox.
I was with him at the Superbowl Party in January, but since then I've only talked to him on the phone.
The last thing I said to him was "See you later."
I have an admission - I don't like going to funerals or memorial services here in Montana.
(1) They remind me that it'll happen to me one day, and I don't like to admit that - not to you, me, or anybody.
(2) They are so damned solemn here. The person is laid out in a funeral home, and they have it quiet, and usher a few people in at a time for viewing, etc. When I was a kid in N.E. Iowa, my mothers family, the Rodenbergs had social gatherings at funerals. There was food, talking, and yes, even laughter sometimes.
I hope I've got many years to plan it, but when I go, I want a three-day wake, and a party, and then a funeral. I don't want a quiet, solemn affair, I want a Rodenberg-type funeral. I want there to be food, beers, and hopefully a little laughter at my wake.
Is that too much to ask?
This death, doesn't do much to inspire me as far as Christian faith - God and I haven't been speaking to each other for over a year, and him pulling shit like this isn't helping. Pardon my language readers, but taking a father away from two little girls is senseless.
So I won't be praying for Larry, but I truly feel sorry for his family.
And I'm going to a funeral.
Goodbye Larry.
Vaya con dios amiga
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