Good Morning Dear Family & Friends!
Let me be one of the first to wish my beloved sister-in-law, Nancy, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Her special day of celebration is tomorrow, April 28th. She is a true lover of souls and has a heart many, many sizes bigger than her body. She’s truly “one in a billion” and we celebrate her life and all that she means to those who know her and love her. Here’s to you Nancy!
Speaking of birthdays, here’s to musician Kate Pierson of “The B-52s” music fame, who is 73 today; and to singer Sheen Easton of ’80s music fame, who turns 62 today! Happy Birthday to you!
Well, will wonders never cease! I read in this morning’s newspaper that Kanye West’s sneakers sold for $1.8 million at auction yesterday! Wow, just Wow! How could ANY used pair of sneakers sell for that much money??? What is the purchaser going to do with it??? It’s amazing to me that there is a market for this type of stuff, but the behavior of we humans is truly baffling sometimes, don’t you agree?
Speaking of odd occurrences, I came across a card from my 1964 “Outer Limits” collectible cards the other day entitled “Human Insects” and it has this weird picture of what look to be hornets with human heads. Wow…talk about scary! Thinking back on it, I remember this episode of the “Outer Limits.” It gave me the creeps as a nine year old boy and still gives me the creeps! On the back of the card it describes these “human insects”: “A scientist submits an ant colony to large doses of radiation for 30 days. At the end of the experiment, the scientist discovers that the ants’ I.Q. is twice as high as a human’s. In addition, the ants now communicate distinguishably with each other. Taping insects’ conversations over night, the scientist learns that this group of ants will organize an Army to attack the food supplies all over the world. Acting quickly, the scientist destroys the entire colony of ants by fire.” I’d like to meet whoever cooked up all this stuff about “human insects.” They’re probably “normal” human beings, just like us…do you think? You could always count on the “Outer Limits” as telling some pretty unbelievable sci-fi tales!
Speaking of unbelievable things, don’t you find that our world of politics is getting wackier and wackier as time goes along? Common sense seems to be a scarce talent right now among politicians in the major political parties and we, the people, are suffering for it. Take for example the story that ran in Montana’s “Hungry Horse News” the other day reporting that the Montana State Legislature recently passed a bill that would allow hound hunting of black bears in the spring with no assurances that grizzly bears and cubs will somehow be protected or that hound hunters won’t get mauled by grizzly bears, which will fight hounds. Politicians don’t seem to be thinking through how their legislation will affect things long-term. While concern about bears attacking & killing livestock is real, why create a whole new problem by allowing hound hunting? Couldn’t hunters just be allowed to hunt bears in areas where they might be a threat to livestock and/or have the nuisance bears be relocated? Chris Peterson, the talented and thoughtful editor of the “Hungry Horse News” wrote an editorial about this issue entitled “Public enemy No. 1, the black bear cub?” and I think it’s worthy of sharing some excerpts of it:
“For those of you that think I’m an anti-trapper you would be mistaken. I spent the better part of my youth trapping. But some of these new laws don’t make sense.
The thing that really strikes me about this session (of the legislature) is the war not on wolves, but on black bears, namely black bear cubs.
That’s right, the menace of all menaces, the black bear cub.
The state legislature, in all its wisdom last week, passed a bill that will allow the spring hunting of black bears with hounds.
Because we all know that hounds can be trained to hunt only male black bears and not female black bears with cubs, or grizzly bears.
I speak this from experience. I grew up with a hound hunter. We hunted raccoons. The good ones, on a good night, ran raccoons. On a bad night they tangle up with a skunk, or run deer into the next county.
So of course I jest when I say that hounds can be trained to hunt male black bears. Of course they can’t
But now we may soon be able to run hounds at will until June 15 for bears, pending the governor’s signature.
In grizzly country, the tide could easily turn on the hunter.
Just ask Bob Brown, the former state legislator and Secretary of State. He was out walking his dog west of Whitefish when the pooch found a griz. The grizzly chased the dog back to Bob, and then chased Bob right up a tree
Of course, hunters will be well armed, one would think.
So when they presumably shoot the griz in “self-defense” there will be a strong likelihood of one less grizzly in the woods, too. Perhaps some orphan cubs to boot.
Of course, grizzlies often get a few licks in before death.
I hear the puncture and scratch wounds they leave behind are some of the most painful on Earth.
Something tells me a few hunters are about to find out.”
—Chris Peterson, “Hungry Horse News,” Wednesday, April 21, 2021, page A4.
Here’s the word definition for the day:
“Amuse-gueule”: A French word meaning “a small savory item of food served as an appetizer before a meal.” Something like the appetizers they serve at “Jake & Clay’s” in the Spokane Valley. Check it out…you’ll be glad you did!
Here’s the funny put-down/insult for the day”
“I refuse to enter a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.”
And, last but not least, here is the thought for the day, brought to you by a sign that hung in my Dad’s office at Olympia Insurance Brokers for many years. My Mom gave it to me the other day after she found it in some of Dad’s mementos that she had stored away:
“When in charge, ponder
When in trouble, delegate
When in doubt, mumble .”
Here’s to a great Tuesday and lots of love & good wishes always!
Press on,
Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, Mark, etc.)