Guard Dog

Enoch is right. The job would be for WiMax network implementation. I've decided then changed my mind several times. The problem that is holding me up is I'd have to sell my house. I could not afford to keep two mortgages. I love this place. I built a good deal of it and have added on a lot in the years since. It is very... me. Plus I'd have to walk away from the consulting contract I'm working now and that would mean losing the bonus for completing it. And my fiancée was lukewarm to the idea. On the positive it is a great career opportunity and I'd be working with two of my former partners in a successful and stable company (I've forgotten what that even feels like).

Dull and time consuming would have been simply placing a lien on the ranch for the cost of the grazing fees. Instead this government chose armed agents, helicopters, armored vehicles, beatings, taserings, threats, arrests, and other fun dictatorship type stuff. They went in there like this to send a message and instead received one.

The Grizz get the 8th seed! I'll take it!

I was, informally, offered a permanent job in North Dakota today. For what was hinted to be really good money. Obviously that creates some serious internal strife because it would mean some pretty big lifestyle changes. And not just for me. I asked them to give me to the end of the week to think about it.

Which is as good a reason as I have ever heard to keep their power and influence restricted to the barest minimum they need to have to do the jobs they are required to do.

I've been doing some reading on the details of this case. My biggest question is what standing does the BLM have to force cattle off state land? It turns out that the land Nevada sits on was ceded to the US government following the Mexican war and when Nevada became a state federal jurisdiction over state land was codified into the state constitution. So, in other words his cows are trespassing on federally controlled land after all and he should just move them or pay the damned range fees. However, if the US government needs to collect a debt it actually has standing to collect all it has to do is put a lien on the property and assets. The IRS does it every day. They don't need to send 200+ armed agents along with helicopters and armored vehicles and they certainly don't need to taser then beat the hell out of folks video recording the operation (which is legal). That little extra bit was some bonus big-government cruelty and oppression thrown in for no extra charge.

Arg! I have been a loyal Tampa Bay Rays fan since 1998. And friends let me tell you that has not been easy all that time. But this year I was so ignorant of their schedule that ended up working in the same city they were playing in and did not make arrangements to go to a game. DAMMIT! We've lost Mat Moore for the year, Hellikson is out until June, Cobb is on the 15 day DL, and the first of the Durham call ups laid a HUGE egg in Cincinnati today. All the sudden there is cause to be concerned about our pitching staff.

If you cook goat right it tastes just like venison. And I loooveee venison. I should get some goats. The are kinda cool critters.

Gotta agree here only substitute weight lifting with splitting firewood. As for the second part that is especially so if 100% of that meal was produced on your own land.

By your own account it very nearly turned a legal conflict into one where people got shot. Cow grazing is not worth killing anybody over. There were beatings, taserings, intimidation, questionable arrests, snipers and armed agents around the Bundy Ranch. Then the armed citizens arrive and everyone becomes a little more respectful of each other. And they did it without brandishing those weapons, just making it known they had them. I am surprised by the government reaction to tell the truth. Usually when they are hell bent of seizing your property and freedom no matter the pretext their policy is to shoot everyone in sight indiscriminately. Ruby Ridge comes to mind where the penalty of missing a court date is summary executions of the entire family. Cows are not worth killing for. But defending freedom and property is. And it would be worth dying for if it came to that. Today those folks in Nevada drew a line in the sand and dared the BLM to step over it and God Bless them for doing it. The BLM declined and God bless them for that. But the confrontation is coming at some point. It's been building for years. To quote Thomas Jefferson "The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground". But not without a fight.

Back from KC. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. It also cools off arguments it seems. I wonder if she would ever guess the real reason I took my dog with me on this road trip?

Looks like the federal Government and the BLM blinked: http://abcnews.go.com/US/nevada-cattle-rancher-wins-range-war-federal-government/story?id=23302610 As Val pointed out this is not a simple issue. The land in question is not federal but state land. The state never ceded it to the Federal Government so where is BLM's standing to impose fees? It is legal to graze cattle in public land in Nevada and the family had been doing so long before the BLM came into existence. If anything then the state had standing to remove the cattle and/or impose fees but they never have done so. Bundy has said he'd pay range fees to Carson city but not Washington. I don't blame him. Then the story breaks that the Senate Majority Leader wants that land to sell to a Chinese power company in a deal his own son would broker. That scent you are smelling is not cow manure. Why was that story not page one news? Oh, yeah, he's a Democrat. It's not corruption when a democrat is doing it apparently. I find it telling the difference in behavior of the BLM agents when they knew no one was armed. Bundy's son was tasered, beaten, then arrested on a VERY questionable charge for video recoding the round up (which is perfectly legal). Now armed supporters and self titled "Militia Members" are pouring in from all over the west to support the Bundy family and the BLM becomes a little more circumspect. I am happy that cooler heads at the BLM have prevailed and they have backed down from what was quickly becoming a situation where an armed confrontation was likely, however had they been a little less bellicose and heavy handed it would not have gotten out of control this way. Unfortunately, government is force. it does not know any other way. On a side note, do any of you still doubt that privately owned firearms can be an effective deterrent against government abuse?

So the Royals really play in Missouri? Yes. Please tell me the teacher knew that!

Well, part of it is in Kansas. A small part though.

Be wary of tornadoes and remember that there is no place like home....also red shoes wouldn't hurt. Umm Kansas City is in Missouri, not Kansas.... mostly anyway

I was just reading about those. I'd like to try one before taking the plunge though.

Having some troubles reacclimating to a person living with you again? Let's just say we're having some of the same problems we had when we dated a few years ago. There are some personality types that just clash more than others. It's hard for two Alphas to get along sometimes.

I'm going to Kansas City for a few days for work next week. I'm brining my dog with so that will be good. Plus I think we could all use a break from each other on the home front.

Rays split the four games with the Jays 2-2. Not bad over all. Pitching has been solid with the exception of Alex Cobbs shaky start in game 2. Offense has been sporadic but, it is the Rays after all.

Hooray... we're finally going to die! All this waiting around was getting dull. Oh, wait. This is an Oby thread. Whew, I almost took this seriously. If it does happen it will be all George Bush's fault!

The only ones who will survive the great ebola outbreak and mass extinction will be the folks who live in the woods, have little contact with other people, can grow their own food and are armed to the teeth. Know anyone who meets that description Wals?

I think my brain turned to jelly. I spent the entire day, from 12 until 1 am in front of the TV yesterday. I watched that outstanding Cubs - Pirates game, then the Rays - Blue Jays game (yea!) then the Marlins - Rockies & finally the last half of the Indians & A's. What a great day.

Allrightythen! Let's get your division, wildcard and WS picks here people. NL EAST: Nationals (Originally I'd have said Braves but they have too many pitching injuries) NL Central: Cardinals (Top to bottom they are the most complete team) NL West: Dodgers (Hey, they already have a 2 game lead!) AL East: Rays (No I'm not being a fan here. This will be the best team they have ever fielded) AL Central: Tigers (I reserve the right to change this pick to KC by the All Star Break) AL West: Rangers (I'm not loving any of these teams to tell the truth but the Rangers will have the best starting lineup) NL Wild Card: Braves & Pirates AL Wild Card: Red Sox & Royals World Series: Rays defeat Dodgers in 7 (Ok I AM being a fan here!)

It's midnight Cinderella. Too bad. Dayton did one thing wrong IMO. They forgot that one 2 point shot made is better than a hundred 3 point shots missed. Oh well, with no team to really get behind now I'm just a impartial spectator again.

NY strip cooked over charcoal. Isn't that really the only way though?