Scenic Drives Today

(Big Sky, MT)- We'll be leaving Big Sky today for a roundabout trip to Sheridan WY. 

The trip will pass through the width of Yellowstone Park, beginning at the western entrance, going through to the Beartooth Scenic Byway to Cooke City MT. From Billings to Sheridan, it's interstate highway travel, but as interstates go, it should be pretty great.

Mapquest- leg 1

Mapquest- leg 2

Barr on Glenn Beck, Repeated. Twice

(Big Sky, MT)- Let's hear it for hotel room dial hopping. I was pleased to find Bob Barr's full hour with Glenn Beck being repeated on CNN tonight. Here's the first quarter-hour:

Beck wasn't throwing Barr softballs. I'd love to see McBama get questioned the way Barr does. Let's hear it for Barr, though. He comports himself well. The more I see of Barr, the happier I am with him as the Libertarian nominee.

Irrigation Update

(Big Sky, MT)- Upon seeing irrigation occurring in places in Wyoming where it seemed so unnatural, I posed this question in a blog post:

It is said to be more environmentally friendly to grow crops near to populations. While Wyoming is the least populated state in the Union, they do have to eat. Which would be better environmental policy? Irrigating locally in Wyoming to feed the state's population? Or, ending the irrigation and shipping the food?

A reply came in the form of a post on the Aguanomics blog:

If there are no subsidies, accurate prices will lead people to make efficient decisions. If there are not, all bets are off.

I don't know whether the irrigation I saw is subsidized or not. My bet would be that it is. What I've learned about the west is that the population wouldn't be what it is, in Wyoming or any other Western state, if it weren't irrigated- and irrigation wouldn't have been undertaken privately, because the scale is too great, and the payoff too small.

Now, we all know that the crops are subsidized, especially corn.

Random Wildlife From Yellowstone

(Big Sky, MT)- We've seen more moose than anything so far, although Ame did encounter a small black bear here in Big Sky while on a jog. No pictures of the bear- just a change in course.

A bald eagle perches atop a dead pine, near West Yellowstone MT.

Two female moose just off the West Entrance Rd. You can always find wildlife along the roadways when you spot cars parked in crazy ways at the roadside, for no apparent reason.

Male moose, not far from the females.

Didn't see the grizzlies, but the signs made clear they roam the area- Pahaska Tepee, WY. In fact, we were fairly happy not to encounter the grizzlies.

Great Barr Poll Numbers

(Big Sky, MT)- Libertarian Bob Barr is now consistently polling 6-7% when included in presidential polls among likely voters. I can't for the life of me recall Libertarian candidates being regularly included, let alone polling as highly as this, with this being the fourth presidential election cycle I've been supporting watching for such things. From the Barr Campaign:

In the first comprehensive general election poll (a sample of over 46,000 likely voters), Bob Barr is now at six percent nationally!

David (Beiler) was there in 1992 when Ross Perot, then polling at seven percent nationally, was included in the debates with Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush.

Four percentage points are all that we need to get into the Google/YouTube presidential debate that is scheduled for September 18th.

According to the debate rules we need ten percent in at least three polls before the debate starts in New Orleans.

These polling numbers are being achieved without benefit of huge TV ad spending, or constant media coverage. I have great hope that the media will increase with these numbers. From there, the campaign needs to ramp up the fundraising and get some ads on TV to boost Barr's name recognition. 

Inclusion in the debates would be phenomenal. I recall how Perot's numbers soared after inclusion in the debates. 

Old Faithful

(Big Sky, MT)- We thought there would be two things that Isabel would be most excited to see in Yellowstone- wildlife, and Old Faithful.

I don't even wear a watch.

Ame and I were impressed, but alas, Isabel was not. Thank goodness we had seen the bison early in the day, and some moose and mule deer a little later.

The area is very interesting, as Old Faithful is hardly the only geyser or geothermal formation. The things are everywhere in the area, and makes for an interesting landscape while driving. In addition to the forest and mountains, streaks of white minerals mark the location of geysers, along with steam.

Mountain Scenes, West of Cody

(Big Sky, MT)- While I drove, Ame took some great pics of the mountain scenery on US 14/16/20, running parallel to the Shoshone River, on the way to Yellowstone Lake and Old Faithful. Quite the anti-Indiana, anti-Midwest. A real feast for the eyes.

The Absaroka Mountains. The white-capped mountain is either Trout Peak or Dead Indian Peak.

Awesome formations on this stretch of road.

Absurd Irrigation

(Big Sky, MT)- Along US 20 in northwestern Wyoming, we saw several examples of farms that wouldn't exist if it weren't for irrigation. If it weren't for dams and ditches, there wouldn't be irrigation. Every farm in the area near the Bighorn River had either an irrigation ditch surrounding it, or a 6" water pipe lying on the ground near the crops.

Big deal? Read a great book called "Cadillac Desert". It details the large-scale big government water programs that have artificially populated the west, creating farms where they aren't sustainable, depriving people downstream of water, and otherwise damage the environment. It become evident how absurd the irrigation is when you see them in the context of the powdery desert soils that surround the farms.

The hose spurts far off in this shot. This image shows what most of this part of Wyoming looks like.

Sage brush in the foreground. That's what naturally occurs here. A lush farm behind it- only where the land is irrigated.

The big sprinkler is visible here.

So, now I want to pose a question: It is said to be more environmentally friendly to grow food crops near to populations. While Wyoming is the least populated state in the Union, they do have to eat. Which would be better environmental policy? Irrigating locally in Wyoming to feed the state's population? Or, ending the irrigation and shipping the food?

The Bison Own The Road

(Big Sky, MT)- Before leaving Thermopolis WY, we decided to take a ride through the ranch lands in the park. Good call! A small herd of bison were out for a stroll.

Wyoming's Bridger Mountains loom in the background as a herd of about 25 bison make their way across the road.

This bull was a sort of sentry, and got between the car and the rest of the herd.

From Thermopolis, we would drive US 20 north to Graybill, then west to Cody.

Rex Bell In a Two-Way Race

(Thermopolis WY)- Great news hit my inbox last night: Rex Bell's race in Indiana House District 54 is a two-way race this year. It was a three-way race in 2006, and Rex had the highest totals ever for a Libertarian candidate in such a race. Rex got 14.3% of the vote. Republican Thomas Saunders won the race with 46%. Results link.

This year, there is no Democrat. With Democratic antipathy towards the Republican party running deep, could this be the year that a Libertarian is at last elected to the State House of Representatives? All it takes is for more disaffected Republicans to vote for Rex, and the Democratic voters to do the same.

Rex carries many precincts very handily. I know I rode his coattails in many parts of Wayne County, scoring as high as 30% in some of these precincts in my race for Secretary of State. Numbers that high are very unusual for a statewide office, but Rex is very popular at home.

Where Are The Trees?

(Thermopolis, WY)- Back in the mid-80s, a co-worker sometimes wore a t-shirt that read, "Wyoming's State Tree" and showed a power pole. I always thought that was hilarious, but probably way off the mark. Now I know that it isn't. The high plains are mainly ranch lands. I don't know if they were once forested, as the east was prior to farming.

At any rate, this isn't a complaint. The absence of trees made for clear views of the antelope roaming at roadside, and the mountains in the distance.

Northern Colorado- The ethanol-on-steroids subsidy program was evident in both Colorado and Wyoming, where puny corn is struggling to grow in the high plains. Ranch land is being converted despite the lack of water. Good luck with that.

South of Cheyenne- The cowboy reminded me of the Osborne Bulls found in Andalucia, Spain.

North of Shoshoni WY- The drive on US20/WY789 was spectacular once it reached the Wind River and ran parallel to it, winding northerly to Thermopolis, with the River to the west, and mountain cliffs on either side.

We made a mental note that the Sierra Trading Post has two outlets in Wyoming. They deal in discounted camping and outdoor gear.

Thermopolis is named for the numerous natural hot springs. Our motel has one on site, next to the swimming pool. At 117 degrees, it gives a new meaning to 'hot tub'! The aroma of sulfur is generally in the air throughout the town.

Today's drive takes us to Big Sky, MT by way of Cody WY, and Yellowstone Park. Should be some awesome views!

Koles in Colorado

(Superior, CO)- First stop, the home of Tom & Juli Kole. Tom is my cousin, and is an entrepreneur in the tech world. Micro-devices, blue tooth, all that stuff. He already had his parents visiting, along with his sister Jennifer and her family, so what was adding Ame, Isabel, and I?

We drove into Boulder for a look at the college town, and a walk in the creek.

From left, Isabel, my cousin Tom, cousin Jennifer, aunt Judy, niece Kaylee, Ame, Jen's husband Brian Markovitz. 

Tom carries Kaylee in the icy creek. This is mountain run-off.

It's fantastic seeing mountain backdrops in any direction, what with the lack of terrain in Indiana. We were still a drive away from the mountains, and with a mini-reunion happening, a hike wasn't happening yet.

We had big laughs watching Tom's video collection. He's restored old Super-8 film from the 70s- with all of us wearing the finest plaid of the day. Great laughs.

Today, it's a drive into Wyoming.

Tomorrow's Travels

We have some interesting travels ahead of us over the next few days:

Boulder, CO- My cousin Tom and his wife Juli live there these days, and as luck would have it, my Aunt & Uncle will already be there, along with my cousin Jennifer and her family.

Wyoming- Hard to say where all we will visit, but we're definitely driving through, and it looks like Thermopolis (think, 'city of hot springs') and Cody (Buffalo Bill) are on the short list.

Big Sky, MT- Site of Ame's conference. Let's hear it once again for the medical profession, for they know where to place their conferences. This stands in stark constrast to engineering, which lands us in Madison WI in January, and Pittsburgh any time. This is right near Yellowstone Park, and is said to be stunningly gorgeous. I'm up for that!

Yellowstone Park- Animals, forest, and Old Faithful. Isabel will love it.

On the Maybe List- Grand Teton Park, Idaho, Jackson WY. Hard to say. These are a bit out of the way, and we aren't doing the hi-miler hellride.

There will be postcards for Greg. My buddy and I send 'em to each other when we visit a state we'd never been to before. He sent me one reading "49" last year when he hit Arkansas. He'll get one marked "39" for Wyoming, "40" for Montana, and "41" for Idaho, if we get there.

Left on the list: Vermont, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alaska, Hawaii. The four grouped in the South are bound to be last. I have almost no desire to go to any of those states.

How's your list shaping up?

Angry Publican: David Hockney

Following up on the recent post on the effect of the smoking ban (among other things) on Britain's pubs, I happened across an article that was sent to me about a month ago by Steve Wainstead. Steve was a photo major, and turned me on to Hockney's photo collages, which was eye-opening for me. In turn, I began to shoot photo collages for myself.

Hockney is quite outspoken about the smoking ban, and all things "bossy". From an article in The Independent:

Some of the world's finest artists were lifelong smokers, he will happily point out, including Picasso, Matisse, Monet and Turner. Hockney does not smoke while he is painting because he needs his hands free, but when he steps back to take stock of his work, he lights up. And when the Government announced its proposed smoking ban in pubs and clubs, Hockney turned up at Labour's annual conference to lead a protest funded by the tobacco companies. "Death awaits you whether you smoke or not," he proclaimed. "Pubs are not health clubs. People go to drown their sorrows. We could save a lot more lives if we refuse to serve alcohol, you could argue. This is ridiculous. It's bossy."

Bossiness is one of Hockney's pet dislikes. He has a slogan: End Bossiness Soon – "soon" because he thinks "now" would sound bossy. "People should start standing up for themselves," he says. "Where has the awkward squad gone?"

I was pleasantly surprised to learn of the range of Hockney's libertarian beliefs. It's not what I expect from an artiste. But, it appears that Hockney finds the "for your own good" laws to be conformity, something many artistes once rebelled against.

let's hear it for Hockney!

Britain's Pubs Dying

Big surprise: two top causes are the smoking ban, and taxes on alcohol.

Link to CNN video

This may well be hailed as a good thing. Obviously, smoking and alcohol are bad for you. But, what about tradition? I once planned a trip to Britain with friends that included at least one London pub crawl, because to me, it just screamed, ENGLAND! (Sadly, the trip was scrapped due to work.)

Says British beer blogger Pete Brown, "If you took a guy from the 10th Century, and brought him forward in time, the only things he would recognize today are the churches and pubs."

So, another corner of the planet becomes more homogenized. Great.

IndyGo Chief Quits

Is it a glutton for punishment to go from head of the BMV, to IndyGo president? After six years in the latter post, Gil Holmes is leaving the Marion County socialized bus company. From the Indy Star report:

Gilbert Holmes took over leadership of the IndyGo transit system in 2002, inheriting an agency mired in turmoil after federal and local auditors discovered financial mismanagement and other problems.

He confronted a fiscal crisis in 2004 that nearly led to deep service cuts, but he landed a loan from then-Mayor Bart Peterson to cover much of the shortfall. Still, during his tenure, Holmes had to raise fares because of rising fuel and other costs.

At the same time, Holmes pushed a bigger vision for IndyGo, developing a 15-year expansion plan and adding express buses, Downtown shuttles and other features.

Yes, if it doesn't work, expand it. Whether it's a big corporation or a bus system, this seems to be the prevailing, destructive attitude.

I had the opportunity to debate Holmes on WXNT's "Abdul in the Morning" program last year, and Holmes' attitude was most interesting, indeed. He acknowledged IndyGo's greatly unbalanced balance sheet, and was unapologetic for it. He repremanded me for being philosophical and political in my opposition to taxpayer funding of public transportation, but at the same time used philosophical and political justifications in favor of the public transportation.

My blog post from the debate.
My NYC transit experience post, and a Holmes reference.
A Wayne County transit numbers post, and a Holmes reference

It's no secret that I think that at best, public transportation should be left not to government but to private operators, and at worst, it can stay in government hands but the riders should pay the full fare. I can understand a man such as Holmes, with an apparent deep conviction to the redistribution of wealth, taking the positions on transport that he does. I was mystified at the Republicans who are on the bandwagon. The only conclusion I can draw is that they have friends who stand to make a lot of money improving and building trackage, or building and supplying locomotives and cars.

Public transportation is just a bad sign to me. I understand it as a placebo for high gas prices. But like war, these days, public transportation is the health of the state.

Mass transit post on regionalism and "conservatives"
Master link to Kole's posts on "mass transit"

One Doctor's Insights

In my summer hockey session, there are fewer players, so the teams are all jumbled. All four of my linemates are guys I've never played with before. So, I try to get to know them a bit. After the game (a 6-1 win, and a goal by Yours Truly), I spoke with Dan, who is a family practice physician. It was eye-opening, to say the least.

As we were talking generally, he asked me my opinion of the state of health care. My response was simple: Insurance is the problem. It is a middleman taking a share of the cost without adding value, and it makes decisions where doctors should make them instead. I didn't say that I believe in the free market, that socialized health care is unjust, or anything political.

He thought this critique on the role of insurance was right on the mark. Among the loads of tidbits he threw at me, I hung on to these:

Medicare will be insolvent in three years.

Congress knows this, or should, and is passing this political football to the poor sap who is elected President.

The system will collapse because of insurance. It will be overhauled with Medical Savings Accounts, making people notice price for the first time in two generations.

The US devotes 19% of GDP to health care. Economists believe that any economy that devotes 23% of GDP to health care is unsustainable.

These are just one doctor's opinions, and I can't vouch for the precision of the numbers. But, being that these are largely things I had never heard before, or certainly don't hear very often, I found them exceptionally jarring and enlightening.

I found it most insightful that he told me he is glad the race is Obama & McCain, since both of them appear to him to be the kind of people who will shake things up- because the thing that needs to be said is this: "You know how we've been telling you that health care is a right? Yeah, we've been leading you by the nose on that one. It's a load of crap."

I agree with his assessment of the need to come clean, but I really don't think those Obama or McCain are the ones that would do it at all. Both of those appear to be the kind of captains that would be damn glad to go down with their ships- McCain, Iraq; Obama, who talks of expanding socialized health care. I let it go for now about Bob Barr, as there will be opportunity a-plenty.

He then went on about the lousy choices Americans make with regards to food, drink, exercise, and to a lesser degree, smoking; and the resulting Type 2 diabetes he sees regularly in people under 30. His conclusion- you can't have people be completely free of the responsibility to pay for their own choices and have people take on the burden of other people's choices. Economic collapse is the only possible result.

I think I'll have little trouble turning him on to Barr. I sincerely doubt the American people are ready for this news, in the face of all the other bad news raining on us these days.

More Barr on Heller

Bob Barr, on Heller

Barr issued a statement on this Supreme Court case, and again, it sets him apart from both Obama and McCain. Here's the text, emphasis supplied in bold:

Bob Barr Calls Heller Decision on Gun Rights “One of Court’s Most Important Rulings on behalf of Liberty”

Washington, DC - Today the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the individual right of Americans to own guns in District of Columbia v. Heller. The ruling “will go down as one of the Supreme Court’s most important rulings on behalf of liberty,” says Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr.

Until today, the Court had never held that the Second Amendment directly applied to individuals. “Today’s decision marks a new era for gun rights in America,” explains Barr, who is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association.

Barr also drafted the Libertarian Party’s amicus curiae brief in Heller. “By protecting an individual’s right to keep and bear arms, the Second Amendment ensures that all Americans are able to participate in sporting activities, hunt, and protect themselves and their families,” he explains.

The right to self-defense is particularly important for women and minorities in a city like Washington, D.C. “Where crime rates are high, a gun may be the only means for law-abiding citizens to safeguard themselves and their families,” Barr notes. “Lawful gun ownership deters an untold number of crimes every year.”But the Court’s ruling, though welcome, is not enough.

“It is important to have a president who also supports the right of Americans to own firearms,” says Barr. “Sen. Barack Obama says that he believes in such a constitutional right, but he supports the District of Columbia’s ban, which gives criminals an advantage over law-abiding citizens,” notes Barr.

Sen. McCain has not advocated an absolute prohibition, “but he cosponsored legislation which could require registration of attendees at gun shows and even ban such shows,” Barr warns. And Sen. McCain’s campaign legislation “curtailed the First Amendment right of gun owners to protect their rights by participating in election campaigns.”

As part of the Bill of Rights, the Second Amendment undergirds American liberty. “The individual’s right to keep and bear arms helps ensure all of our freedoms,” says Barr. “The Supreme Court’s recognition of the constitutional right to gun ownership is a recognition of the right to life, liberty, and property for all Americans.”

Good on Barr, yet again.

Heller Decision In - Pretty Good!

Neither the 2nd Amendment, nor the Bill of Rights, were particularly trashed by the Supreme Court today. That's about as uplifting as 'good news' gets these days. The Washington Post report's first paragraph says a lot:

The Supreme Court, splitting along ideological lines, today declared that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to own guns for self-defense, striking down the District of Columbia's ban on handgun ownership as unconstitutional.

Well, thank goodness for the affirmation of the 2nd Amendment! As I stated earlier today, my understanding of the Constitution is that it is a document that limits government and affirms individual rights. So, gun laws such as DC's should be smacked down.

I'm tired of splits along ideological lines. Interpreting the Constitution shouldn't come down to ideology. Either the document conveys a right or it does not. Either it limits government or it does not. Don't get me wrong- I'm glad the 2nd Amendment was affirmed. This kind of affirmation, and this kind of Supreme Court, simply is going to return results based on the whim of nine robed individuals, which means, the process of nominating new Justices will be just as political and stupid as it has been for the past 25 years or so.

Now, this is only pretty good news, though, because within the majority decision, this concession could be found:

Scalia wrote that the Constitution leaves the District a number of options for combating the problem of handgun violence, "including some measures regulating handguns."

So, DC only 'went too far'. You can bet that DC will write a new law banning handguns, with language that 'goes far enough'.

I can see that in certain states, where language isn't strongly in affirmation of the right to keep and bear arms, that bans that only 'go far enough', will be deemed Constitutional. Indiana could easily enough be one such state. Here's the language on firearms, as such- Article 12:

Section 1. A militia shall be provided and shall consist of all persons over the age of seventeen (17) years, except those persons who may be exempted by the laws of the United States or of this state. The militia may be divided into active and inactive classes and consist of such military organizations as may be provided by law.(History: As Amended November 3, 1936; November 5, 1974).
Section 2. The Governor is Commander-in-Chief of the militia and other military forces of this state.(History: As Amended November 5, 1974).
Section 3. There shall be an Adjutant General, who shall be appointed by the Governor.(History: As Amended November 5, 1974).
Section 4. No person, conscientiously opposed to bearing arms, shall be compelled to do so in the militia.(History: As Amended November 5, 1974).

That's it. Nothing clear at all. Militia? What militia?

Ohio's language is exceptionally crisp, and therefore, better. Article 1, Section 4:

The people have the right to bear arms for their defense and security; but standing armies, in time of peace, are dangerous to liberty, and shall not be kept up; and the military shall be in strict subordination to the civil power.

On the practical side, there were people in DC, including Mayor Adrien Fenty, gathered in protest of the decision, some holding signs suggesting that firearm bans make for safer streets. Talk about being guided by blind dogmatism. The DC law was passed in 1976. Has DC been anyone's idea of a safe place, where gun violence is unheard of, in the last 32 years? Bwaahahaha.

Update: How come I couldn't find Article 1, Section 32 when looking up the Indiana Constitution on the Indiana Gov't website? Seems curious, no? When you search the Indiana gov't website and type "Indiana Constitution" into the search window, you get a link to Article 1, Sections 1-16 only.

Thanks, Roberta X, for the link to IU's site with the full text!