I am CuTRis

My current novel in progress, “Cottonwood,” is perhaps, half done at this point. That is my plan, but these things often have a “life” of their own, which goes in directions that I never expected. My research has been exhausting lately, and as in my first book, I find it quite a job to extrapolate “reality” from historical accounts that either contradict each other, or deal with illiterate cultures from the long ago. I have been working on the subject of American Indian burial mounds. My novel takes place over approximately two centuries of pivotal history in the Minnesota River Valley. It staggers the mind to think about the changes that have taken place and the cultures that existed in the areas where we now live. In some unfortunate cases, the remains of these past peoples have been destroyed in the name of progress and development. I have had some difficulty finding details of ceremonies, due to the sacred subject matter. There is also some politics involved, as well as a desire in...

While stereotypes are never 100% accurate, they exist because of a certain, underlying element of truth. Often, they are like a caricature of reality. In this spirit, I have playfully looked at some racial stereotypes, and also used some firsthand things that I have witnessed. It seems that when a Caucasian and an African-American are engaged in a debate (argument), if the Caucasian uses logic to his advantage, it will likely be trumped by an even more powerful tool, the allegation that the white person is a racist. Once this allegation is levied, the white person is presumed guilty until proven innocent. It is as if a black hole in space has grabbed hold of the Caucasian, and it sucks him into the depths of doom. At the school where I work, I noticed that the Latino students are now actively using this technique as well. My observations seem to indicate that whatever the black kids are doing today, the Hispanic kids will be doing next week. I think we have seen this demonstrated with ...

School is out in two more days. I'm (staff) done in three. I'm ready for a break.

Presidential Candidate Cutris, "weighs in" on Terrorists... "Terrorists piss me off!" Vote for Cutris (aka Kevin J. Curtis) in 2008. Terrorists piss him off!

There are few things that I could possibly care less about than who the next American Idol is; even though I did meet Ryan Seahorse... http://cutris.blogspot.com/2006/04/cutris-meets-ryan-seacrest.html

Yesterday there was a story on KARE 11, http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=254861 about the fluctuating gas prices in the Twin Cities. They found that other areas where Superamerica wasn't the dominant provider, there was much less price changing. My blog addressed this issue in March of 2006. http://cutris.blogspot.com/2006/03/variable-gas-prices.html Superamerica never got back to me when I asked about their prices going up and down so frequently. I was promised an answer when I asked the question on their website. I guess maybe after 14 months, I shouldn't expect much. Here's their website in case you want to ask. http://www.speedway.com/ This is why I choose to avoid Superamerica whenever possible. We don't need companies playing games with us.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_5911166

While working at the school, I’ve noticed an ironic and disturbing trend. The minority students that get in trouble (and put into detention where I work), frequently blame racism as the reason they get into trouble. This removes the responsibility from themselves for their own bad behavior, and puts that responsibility on society (or more accurately, Caucasians). I find it ironic that most of these same students have absolutely no desire to learn or do well in school. In fact, their primary goal seems to be to disturb class to make sure that no one can learn. The irony here, is that all of the great civil rights leaders (like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), preached education as the means to rise above oppression. A separate bit of irony is that in the suburbs where this school is located, the kids do not have to have any gang affiliations in order to survive. Yet, that is what they want and pursue above all else.

I killed a centipede this morning. I killed it with extreme prejudice. Out of all the cool bugs and things, for some reason I can't stand centipedes. Maybe it's how fast they are, or how if you only smack half of it, the other half might run away. Or, maybe it's because they are so gross -especially when the legs move after you kill it. How come you never see them outside? I wouldn't mind them then. I only see them inside for some reason.

Just a day before Kentucky Derby 133, I am once again, reminded of the emphasis put on sports, and how academics has somehow slipped to a lower status. We can see this in the way that professional athletes are treated, the huge paychecks they receive, and how they are called “heroes,” though they are not actually doing anything more than playing a game –even though they may do it very well. Those who achieve academic excellence may get some recognition and good paying jobs, but few are those who will reach the status or wealth of a good pro athlete. This trend has extended into the animal kingdom. The prize money and status of horseracing’s winners, is huge. A Triple-Crown winner becomes a historical icon. These Thoroughbreds receive the best food, training, and a lot of drugs. In this way, it is much the same as it is with human beings in professional sports. But what about the academic standouts in the equine world? I once saw a horse that could answer math problems by stamping the ...

Cutris Solves (all but seven of) the Entire List of Problems Dealing with the Mysteries of Life May 3, 2007 UnAssociated Press Inside sources have reported that Cutris took time out from his busy schedule, to work on the entire list of problems dealing with the mysteries of life. He allegedly found the list on the Internet and printed it out before beginning the project. After working on it for several hours, Cutris was able to make sense of the entire list, except for seven items. “Those last seven are pretty hard,” Cutris was quoted as saying. “I can try again in a few weeks. Maybe some of those ‘brainy’ types should have a go at it. Right now, they just don’t seem to make a lot of sense.” Scientists are now trying to verify Cutris’ findings, and they say that he has contributed greatly to the overall database of scientific knowledge by figuring out all but those odd seven mysteries on the list. Whether or not Cutris will be able to solve the last seven mysteries is, in itself, a mys...

My school (where I work) just went into lockdown. We're safe, but things are really wild... This was put out... Public Info On 4-20-07 a staff member from XXXXXX Junior High School found an unspent cartridge in a hallway within the school. We immediately “locked-down” the school and notified the XXXXX Police Department. Police officials are assisting staff members with a search of the premises. At this time, no one is allowed to come or leave the school to ensure the safety of students and staff members. Please leave your phone # and we can update you when more information is available.. Thanks for your call

April 20, 2007 Cycle 1, Blue Planet Interstellar Traveler, Unglip Reporting This is my fourth visit to the Blue Planet. I have not, in my three previous visits seen any remoflactions of intelligent life. It has been an entire solar cycle since I have been here. My initial reaction was one of disbelief. The bipedal beings are still using bio-toxins to power everything from their quad-rolling transports, to the increasing or decreasing of the temperature in their dwellings. They also continue to be preoccupied with holding radio transmitters to their auditory canals and communicating endlessly about Patussi-knows-what, in a loud manner. I have chosen to explore the warmer half of the planet. There were plenty of brain cell damaging beverages when I arrived at an outdoor gathering. The event I materialized into, featured several beings using amplified noise making devices and screaming into vocal amplifiers. They did this in a rhythmical pattern and it seemed to be appreciated by those wh...

Below is the first "Unglip" story, which predates this blog. ---------------------------------------------------------- August 26, 2004 Cycle 3, Blue Planet Interstellar Traveler, Unglip Reporting. I have been trying to blend in since arriving here. I do not have a rolling, transportation device or a portable, electronic unit to vocalize into while I walk or drive. I'm afraid it has caused me to stand out. During the previous cycle of the sun, I attempted to ride the long transport that picks these beings up on the corners of the rolling-surface. I got onboard, and I was looked at harshly and the operator vocalized and motioned toward a machine. I had seen someone put small metal disks into it, and I attempted to insert three domblecks into the slot. The machine would not accept them and I was (I'm assuming) told to leave the transport. I did not understand the vocalizations, but it sounded like, "dam-for-ener!" I proceeded to a sustenance depot, where I beg...

What does a coward look like? Just like what you see in the picture. Shooting unarmed people is not heroic by any stretch of the imagination. It takes an extreme coward. How sad that anyone could be so screwed-up. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/17/vtech.shooting/index.html

I never cared much for Imus. Ironically, one of the biggest, self-proclaimed, political correctness gurus that I’ve ever known loves Imus, but that’s another story... I always saw Imus as a mumbling, grouchy old man. Still, even here in the “land of the easily offended,” I thought there was supposed to be “freedom of speech.” If Don Imus offends you, don’t watch or listen to him. This is your right, and it will soon affect his ratings when others join you. Once his ratings go low enough, his sponsors will pull his funding and he will go off the air. That said, he does have the right to say what he wants to, even if it is completely stupid, as were his comments about the Rutgers University, women’s basketball team, when he referred to them as “nappy-headed ho’s.” The TV news is filled with this moronic story today. Al Sharpton, get a life. Please everybody... just put this into perspective. No one died. It was completely stupid, what he said and also undeserving of anymore of our time. ...

Spring Break is nearly over! Where did the time go? I got a cold and so, had to cancel some visits. The weather was rainy, snowy at times, and windy. That made hiking difficult considering my usual places are flooding. A phone call yesterday informed me that a coworker died in a car accident out of state. Perhaps I need to put on my tall boots and go hiking anyway...

Once upon a time, there was a Beta fish on a shelf in a pet store. In the store in his tiny bowl, he ferociously swam at the other male Betas nearby. He swam so vigorously, that his new owner called him “Spaz,” and took him home. Spaz was the king of his new two-gallon bowl, and he was ready to protect it against any other male Betas who might try to invade his territory. Spaz grew up into a large, purple fish, who sometimes showed more blue or more red; and even a hint of green depending on the light. His fins grew long, and he was a large and most impressive looking fish. When he flared his gill covers to warn others to stay away, he looked quite fearsome. Then one day, Spaz saw another male Beta looking at him. Spaz approached cautiously, ready to defend his territory. When he got a good look at the other fish, he noticed that it was very large and had striking colors and long fins that looked like gauze skirts. For the first time ever, Spaz was unsure about rushing into a fight wit...

Yesterday I went hiking in the 8o degree Fahrenheit (26.67 degrees Celsius) heat. We got two feet of snow earlier in the month, and there was still a large patch of compressed snow at the edge of the woods near the swamp. I was hot, and walked out onto the snow to cool off. I was still hot. The sun was strong, and though I was surrounded by snow, it was still hot. How weird is that?

At the school district where I work, they are eliminating art from most of the elementary schools. How can you not have art for kids? This is the result of budget cuts. At a time when the USA should strive to become the economic superpower that it could/should be, employers are all cutting back and consumers are paying more than ever before for goods and services. Instead of being the world’s police force, America should fix the economy. Foreign wars are draining our wealth; unless of course, your income is tied to oil profits… The current administration is both funding a war and cutting taxes for the wealthy. That puts an extra burden on the local governments to tax more to make up for the shortage from the federal. Meanwhile, “bright boy” in the White House talks about, the “No-Child-Left-Behind” program like it is a lofty accomplishment. While Special Education continues to require more money from school districts, the rest of the students are now losing out on such programs as art,...

Cutris Makes Deal with Mexico March 22, 2007 UnAssociated Press It was reported today by inside sources who were found standing outside, that Cutris has just closed an important deal with Mexico. This deal would give Canada the right to buy oil from China, after it was pumped from wells in Brazil. Not much more is known about the deal, or if Cutris himself will profit from the revenues gained by Portugal. Australian sources seemed to indicate that Cutris would not make any monetary gains by the deal, but rather, he was simply settling a bet between Russia and Iran, as a favor to Pakistan.

After seeing an osprey while hiking last week, Cutris has taught himself to fly! Over the weekend, Cutris was seen flying around the 7-county metro area. When asked how he did it, Cutris denied that he had been flying, and said that he was just practicing his "Kung Fu" training.

In the olden days, before there were nights, there lived a prince named King. King the prince was in love with a beautiful girl named Slumina, who worked in the local sewage treatment facility just outside of town. King’s father, the Duke of Buttington did not approve of Slumina, and did all he could to discourage his son from romancing the girl. Unfortunately for the Duke, his son was smitten by Slumina and would not listen to reason. Then that guy named Stu came to town and started up a strip club. Slumina got a job at the club, and soon made enough money to start her own dog-walking business. Prince King married Slumina and they had two children, their son Hector, and daughter, Fall-Guy. The Duke of Buttington became a regular at Stu’s club, and spent his entire fortune there. Eventually, Stu became very rich and died of a drug overdose. The Duke of Buttington became a sorter at the sewage treatment facility outside of town. Slumina expanded her dog-walking business and became one o...

I see a reoccurring and disturbing trend with the students at the school where I work. It is something that I dealt with when I worked for the county government as well. Minority students are more and more, blaming their poor behavior on the racism of others. In this case, it is their teachers who are being called racists. The “race card,” as it has become known as, provides a certain amount of undeniable leverage in a dispute. Some minorities have learned this, and worse yet, they are now teaching it to their children. The seventh graders I work with would not know about such things if they hadn’t been taught about it. Bad behavior is bad behavior. Race is not the issue. In fact, the question should not be, “why are we disciplining minority students so frequently,” but rather, “why are certain groups more prone to behavior problems?” It should be noted that not all of the minority groups are overly represented in detention, and yes, there are more than one or two minority groups. So w...

After a "brown" Christmas, and a lack of snow and cold, we got the cold early in February and the snow late the same month. We all remember what winter is supposed to be like now.

Brittney Spears tries to be like CUTRIS February 21, 2007 UnAssociated Press While numerous “talking heads” are trying to figure out what happened to Brittney Spears, inside sources report that her bizarre behavior stems from her jealous desire to be like Cutris. Several years ago, Brittney came into possession of a cassette tape of EFS (Electric Frog Syrup Band) music, which came from Cutris’ (AKA Kevin J. Curtis) band. The tape came from drummer Pete, who gave it to some guy named Jeff, who gave it to several more people until it ended up with Brittney Spears. Brittney heard the tape, which was described as being a “crappy boom-box recording,” and she found herself longing to play/sing real music. When she found out who Cutris was, she soon began imitating him. This jealous rivalry peaked lately, when she decided to cut her hair off so that she could look more like Cutris. “The kids in detention at the school where he works call him ‘The Bald Eagle.’ That’s so cool!!!” said Brittn...

Anna Nicole Smith, we are so sick of hearing about you. She was famous for using sex, (i.e. Playboy, marrying a really old tycoon, etc.) to become rich and famous. It is likely that she overdosed on Methadone (like her son did), which is a powerful drug used to counteract the effects of heroin addiction. I learned about Methadone while working for the Hennepin County Chemical Health Division. Heroin is a short acting drug that mimics brain chemicals. Addicts use it and they get high. Then when they come down, they get sick. Methadone is actually quite powerful and more addictive than heroin. It is used to stabilize heroin addicts. Because it is long acting, a person only needs to dose once per day. A physician monitors the dose so the patient is stabilizing, rather than getting high. In the wrong hands, this drug can be lethal. Even now, there are at least half-a-dozen men claiming to be the father of Smith’s baby. What an embarrassing crowd to be part of! There is also a fight over he...

During the halftime show of Superbowl XLI, Prince played his guitar behind a curtain, producing a silhouette that appeared to look like a two-headed penis. CBS and the NFL were both adamant that this was purely accidental, and Prince does not have a penis, let alone a two-headed one.

People often ask me about animals and nature. Recently I was presented with the question of whether or not a groundhog (or woodchuck, or marmot) can actually predict if there is going to be an early spring or not. My answer is, "probably." That said, why would the groundhog care about telling us? I think they might be inclined to give us "misinformation."

A small balm, possibly a Chapstick, was found on a local street today. Police were called to investigate the balm, and citizens in the area were evacuated for their own protection in case the balm might explode. The bomb squad was dispatched, but upon arrival refused to defuse the balm, because it wasn’t a bomb. Several seconds passed, before local citizen, Cutris arrived on the scene. After pulling a tissue from his pocket, he picked up the balm and deposited it into a nearby trash receptacle, thus saving the day. Cutris was unavailable for comment, as he was heading home to do some baking.

January 24, 2007 President George W. Bush, I listened to your State of the Union Speech last evening. Some of it was what we were waiting for, like alternative energy. Some of it was misinformation, like Iraq. In the end, I regret to tell you that I don’t believe you. Sincerely, Kevin J. Curtis

Today the CEO’s of several major U.S. corporations asked President Bush to implement tougher standards to limit the production of greenhouse gases that may be causing global warming. The President has refused saying voluntary limits are the way to go. What is wrong when the president refuses to help when corporations want to stop pollution???

Presidential Exploratory Committee January 19, 2007 UnAssociated Press Cutris announced today, that he is forming a presidential campaign exploratory committee. It will be called the, Cutris should be President because regular politicians are making stupid decisions that really suck and are making it hard for the average person to get by in our society and it’s time for a major change like putting Cutris in the White House, committee.

Last evening, as did a huge number of other people, I watched as George W. Bush made the case to add approximately 22,000 more American soldiers in Iraq. The speech came sometime after the evening news, where the top story (in the Twin Cities) had been about yet another Minnesota soldier who had just died in Iraq. When the President came on and laid out “his plan,” I began to wonder why he thought he could go against what seems to be a huge majority of U.S. citizens, who want to bring American troops home and get our military out of Iraq? In a “democratic” country, shouldn’t the people have the last word? Does this make our President a president, or a dictator? Does this mean that our leader is no better than the one who was overthrown in Iraq? These are all questions that flew through my mind, as I also wondered if the President had heard of another military conflict called, The Vietnam War. Have you ever known someone who tried to fix something, and the more they tried, the more it ...

I have put a link to Will Steger’s Global Warming 101 on my links list to the right. http://www.globalwarming101.com/ Global Warming is some pretty scary stuff. Personally, I like to think of environmental issues, such as recycling and conservation, as self-serving things. Perhaps we should all think of it that way. It is, after all, the only planet that I am aware of, that we can live on. We ought to take care of it.

For my friend who I tease about this... White Guy Brand White Rice (commercial) Camera follows Cutris walking and talking… “When I was a kid, my mom made rice every day for breakfast. There’s nothing more satisfying than a ball of sticky-rice in the morning.” Cutris stops, camera zooms slowly in, to medium close-up… “When I went to school, the other kids would be eating their peanut butter & jelly sandwiches at lunchtime, but I would have my white rice, that I carried in a bamboo tube around my neck.” Graphic of logo comes into view as Cutris continues… “I learned to make good rice over all those years, and now I want you to be able to enjoy it as much as I do. That’s why you should look for White Guy Brand White Rice at your grocery store.” Camera widens slowly… “Because nobody knows rice like a white guy.” Commercial fades out…

I saw a Gummie Bear™ on the floor at the school today. It was filthy. It lay there, full of dust and dirt and looking like it had been in a fight. Maybe it had! Gummie Bears have sometimes been known to attack! Sure they look innocent… but if you saw the one that I saw today, it would send a chill down your spine. I left it alone, and hurried down the hall away from it… to safety. I wasn’t going to take any chances.

Saddam Hussein died at the end of a rope. He was once proud and cared little for the common people. This may be true of some of our leaders as well. Of course Saddam was deserving of his fate. Yet, I have some difficulty with binding a man and killing him. It touches something deep inside that sees no honor in such a death. Perhaps that was the point. Still, now that he has claimed his martyrdom, it is honor backfired. Dynasties rise and then they fall. Have we accomplished anything wonderful amidst all of the bloodshed and torture? I hope so. It is time for the Iraqis to play their own hand and time for us to stop stacking the deck. May 2007 bring peace.

On December 23rd, me and Dave made a Lager. It will now sit in the "Chumperator" for a couple of months until we bottle it. Most homebrewers don't make lagers, because you need temperatures between 38 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit during fermentation. After the initial, active fermentation, the brew will be moved into a glass carboy for a couple of months before bottling. The "Chumperator," is Dave's invention to keep the cool temperatures needed for a lager. It is a wooden box in his basement with a plastic pipe going outside to provide cool winter air. When the temperature outside gets too cold, Dave uses a sophisticated device to prevent the temperature from becoming too cold. He stuffs a rag into the pipe.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! If you happen to be offended by my wishing you a Merry Christmas , I would like to point out that my constitutional rights offer me the freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of religion. It kind of makes you wonder what the controversy is about doesn't it? If someone wished me a happy Ramadan, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa , I would not be offended. Furthermore if I was, I would not expect that I had the right to make that person change. So, have a very Merry Christmas EVERYBODY! KJC

I was reading in the newspaper about some of the awful things that people do to each other around the world. One story was about a group of Hmong in Laos who had finally decided to surrender to the Communists, after hiding in the jungle for many years. They had been abandoned by the U.S. after the Vietnam War. Their fate was questionable when they were rounded up by soldiers and driven away in trucks. Most of them were reported to be women and children. Another story led off with a picture of a young Palestinian girl in tears. I found it heart-wrenching. It leaves me with the question, how can people hate so much that the tears of a child no longer affect them?

Bipartisan Commission on Iraq vs. President Bush December 12, 2006 UnAssociated Press On December 6, a bipartisan commission produced a report that said the situation in Iraq, is “grave and deteriorating,” and the United States’ ability “to influence events within Iraq is diminishing.” This came as the death toll for U.S. troops is nearing the 3,000 mark, troops from other countries, private contractors, journalists and thousands of Iraqis have died. Bush thanked the commission for its work and said that their input would be valuable as he reassessed the “sit-chee-ation.” Then the President announced that he would push for an additional 80-million-trillion-zillion troops to be deployed by the first of the year. After that, the President started laughing, and said that “the only way to peace, is through war.” He also said that “victory is the only option,” and it is his “solemn duty as President, to protect the citizens of the United States, by sending them to war.” The President did sa...

I have worked scoring exams for Special Education, and now as a detention supervisor at a Jr. High, I frequently have Special Education kids in detention. Among the problems I have noticed with the system, is that once a kid is labeled by a psychologist as a “behavior problem,” that child is suddenly allowed to stop trying, and stop behaving. The bad behavior is expected. Where does this leave the child when they grow up? Can they expect to say nasty, obscene and hurtful things to their boss and coworkers and then storm out to the parking lot for an hour to cool off? Aren’t kids supposed to learn coping skills in school to prepare for later life? Though I am not a licensed professional, I find it disturbing to expect less from a student and enable them to behave poorly because that student gets angry when asked to do schoolwork or behave in an acceptable manner.

The novel that I am currently writing is called, " Cottonwood ." It deals with the history in the bottomland forest of the Minnesota River Valley. As a volunteer park ranger in the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, I have become interested in the history, animals and giant trees in the areas where I frequently hike. This story covers a lot of individual characters, events and natural history. It covers a considerable span of time -during the lifespan of a giant cottonwood tree. The story begins around the time when European immigrants began to move into the area. It deals with how the indigenous people and animals were displaced by the new arrivals. This story comes from history and from what I have observed on my many hikes into the river valley and the bottomland forest. I am perhaps a quarter of the way done with it. I am hoping for a new publisher. More information will come later about this. KJC

Yesterday a group of religious leaders decided to call for a boycott of US Airways, due to the removal of six suspicious Muslims on November 22. Now that radical religious people will no longer be flying on their airplanes, US Airways is now the safest airlines in the world. Therefore, if you want to have a safe flight and not be blown up or have your plane crash into buildings, etc., choose US Airways for your flight transportation needs. http://cutris.blogspot.com/2006/11/flying-while-muslim.html

Grandma passed away on Saturday. She was 96. When I was really young, I had three grandmas. That's because the mother of my grandma who just passed was still alive. She died at 99. Most of my grandparents died a long time ago. For most of my life I had one grandma. Now she is gone too.

“Flying While Muslim” was the title of today’s cover story in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The initial title made me think it was going to implicate the airlines and ask us all to pity the poor Muslims who were behaving suspiciously. Fortunately, that isn’t how the article read, though these stories usually pull the liberals out of the woodwork. In my own opinion, I think the six Muslims Imams were intending to cause trouble. In post 9-1-1, how could they be so naïve as to think that loud praying and cursing America wouldn’t raise suspicions on a commercial airplane? I saw this type of tactic used when I worked for the county. Certain protected groups caused trouble, and when they were confronted by administration they levied accusations of prejudice/racism and filed a lawsuit. It effectively held administration at bay, because we live in a society that is hypersensitive to minority rights. In the case of the county, one of the biggest instigators was found to be dealing crack while wor...

Man Offended by Sun UnAssociated Press Land of the Easily Offended, USA November 21, 2006 A man was offended by the sun today, and said that he was humiliated by the fact that the sun was shining on him in a threatening way, without the man's permission. 14,563 lawyers are trying to persuade the man to choose them for his attorney, since this could become a major discrimination/harassment suit with long-term implications and possible multiple book deals. Several liberal groups turned out at a press conference this afternoon, to help shout, “Down with the sun!” When it was announced that the sun would set at 4:39PM, people cheered and then began to shoot guns into the air. Later, two people died from wounds they received from bullets falling from the sky. Some other people said that the sky had discriminated against the two because the sky is an infidel. The mob blamed this on the United States and began to chant “Death to America!” Then they began to burn American flags and throw ...

Remember, my book makes a great holiday gift! http://www.publishamerica.com/books/6406 I am currently writing a new novel. More about that later.

Yesterday a moose was gunned down because it wandered too close to the city. This is an all-too-often reoccurring theme here in Minnesota. For being a state with significant wilderness, Minnesota DNR/police seem to have only one way to handle animals that accidentally wander into the city limits. They gun them down in cold blood, in the name of public safety. If one sees a moose even in northern Minnesota, that person is lucky. I am ashamed and horrified by this continued trend in our state. There has to be a better way to handle animal encounters. If there isn’t, then we need new people in charge of such things. http://www.startribune.com/462/story/800216.html

"Homey don't play that game!" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homey_the_Clown http://www.tvacres.com/clowns_homey.htm

President George W. Bush finally accepted Donald Rumsfeld's resignation yesterday. It seems that though Bush still claims Rumsfeld did a good job, it was time for him to go. I guess the president finally decided "staying the course," (i.e. continuous fighting, death and no progress) in Iraq wasn't working after all. Too bad as Bush showed Rumsfeld the door, he and Vice President Dick (and Condoleeza Rice) didn't join him.

One thing I learned from "He Who Goes First," http://www.publishamerica.com/books/6406 is that we can only take our honor and spirit with us when we die. I prefer not to be remembered for being rude and dishonest. We can try to be good people, even if the trend seems to be for street culture, rudeness, cheating and vulgarity to take over.

Tomorrow is Election Day. Thank God for that too! I am so tired of the negative campaign commercials, the propaganda in my mailbox and the signs all along the road. It will be so nice when it's over and we can go back to having the drug companies bombard us with commercials about how we need chemicals to make our lives better.

Last evening and this morning, the news was all about some remarks that Senator John Kerry made about “study hard or get stuck in Iraq.” The Republicans, more specifically President George W. Bush and Senator John McCain were shown, blasting Kerry for “his insult to the American Troops.” Anyone who hasn’t spent the last eight years in a vacuum can tell that decorated, Vietnam War Veteran, John Kerry was not commenting about the troops. He was commenting about our current President, George W. Bush. This is irrelevant both in politics, and in Jr. High. I work in a Jr. High School and I know how mean the kids can get and how twisted the truth can become. Let me tell you, these kids got nothing on the leaders of this country. Take my own presidential run. I was quoted as saying that, “wolves should be allowed to run free in the north woods of Minnesota.” This was twisted by the (Republican and Democratic) parties who are against me, to “sexual predators should be allowed to live free and u...

Yesterday I went hiking in the woods and I actually got pretty warm since I was off trail and it was 67 degrees (F). Before I finished my two-hour hike, however, the temperature dropped about ten degrees and the wind got stronger. By this morning it was 26 degrees (F) when I was driving to work. You've got to love it here!

I have yet to share any recipes on my blog, though I am thought to be a pretty good cook. This is perhaps best explained by the fact that I really don’t use recipes, I just cook. Recipes usually have some ingredient that I don’t have. My mom learned to cook on a farm with whatever was in the pantry. This is how I cook too. I find it to be an enjoyable experience when I make up my own rules. Anyway, here is an outline for a fabulous dinner I made last Friday. I took two thawed game hens, and spiced them with chopped onion, green pepper and a clove of crushed garlic. I also used a little thyme, cilantro, ground ginger, Lawrey’s Season Salt, salt and pepper, crushed red pepper and maybe some other stuff, I don’t remember. Then I placed them in a large roaster with about an inch of water in it. Then I poured wild rice in the bottom (spread out). Then I cooked this, covered, at 350 degrees (F) for one hour. Next I removed the roaster, turned the hens over, added a little more water and then...

He woke in the darkness and reached for her… his Angel. She wasn't there. He remembered how he had mentioned to his Creator that he couldn’t stand to be hurt anymore. That was when he noticed her. His Angel had been there and he hadn’t realized it. She was quiet and hard to read, but he was drawn to her. He started to visit her and at first he didn’t know if he was intruding or not. But his Angel began to visit him. This went on for some time before he realized that he loved her. Now as he lay alone in the darkness he needed her to know how he felt. He had told her many times by now, but words could never convey his true feelings. There had been others, but there had never been an Angel... until now. He reached into the darkness one more time for her. She still wasn’t there. “Tomorrow,” he thought. “I’ll see her again tomorrow.”

Nothing makes me feel more secure than knowing that I am on a giant rock that is hurling around a big ball of burning gas in a super cold universe.

By now, many of you have probably seen or heard the negative campaign ads produced by both the Republican and Democratic parties, which make many ridiculous claims against me. I would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight, and remove any doubts as to my integrity in regard to my run for the Presidency of the United States of America. First, I did not, have not, nor will I in the future, ever eat live kittens with my morning breakfast cereal. This claim is false. I am actually quite partial to breakfast burritos which I make myself. These contain no feline matter. Second, I did not go to any of Osama bin Laden’s bachelor parties for his third and fifth (wives) marriages. I do not know Osama, and I have already gone on record as saying he is a fartknocker. Third, while I think George W. Bush is also a fartknocker, I did not say he was gay. In addition, if he is gay, that is his business, not mine. Fourth, I did not vote against a ban on banning bans. I have no idea wha...

On Wednesday, October 18, we left for Ely at 9:30AM. We walked down a muddy hill and visited Lake Superior. We had lunch at the Nokomis Bar and Restaurant. We finally arrived in Ely after 4:00PM and got a room at the Paddle Inn. The weather was near freezing and there was a rain/snow combination. After visiting several shops in town we ate at the Grand Ely Lodge. On Thursday we went to the Dorthy Molter (AKA "Rootbeer Lady") museum. It was closed but we walked around Dorothy's cabins. We went to the International Wolf Center when it opened at 10:00AM. The wolves were visible and we stayed for about 2 1/2 hours. We ate at a cafe in Virginia and visited a Finnish store. We ended up in Garrison, MN, near Lake Mille Lacs and stayed at the Garrison Inn. On Friday after a moring walk (in the light snow) along Lake Mille Lacs, we left and visited the Unclaimed Freight Store in Milaca. We stopped in Princeton for gas and lunch and arrived home in the afternoon. 572 miles

I've been seeing a lot of these "no peeing allowed" signs. Do people pee along the road a lot???

This is my response to an email conversation that I had with a friend. After I sent it, I decided it could go on my blog so people know my feelings about the subject of our current government leadership and that of North Korea. Remember to vote for me for President in 2008. "I think Kim is a nut-job. He is about 40 years too late. Bush is as dumb as he is rich, and worried about his assets. In the balance, there are millions of brainwashed masses on both sides. Not a good scenario. Still, I don't know if the USA can (or should) keep nuclear power from other countries. We've had it for a very long time and it was always predicted by the scientific community that it would be commonly possessed in the future. The future is now. Two stubborn relics and their cronies are leading the way with a bunch of wussy other countries with lots to say and not much in the way of real resolutions. The world is as it has always been, except that we have bigger weapons now and those who fire ...

North Korean President Kim Jong Il is now claiming that he has a nuclear powered penis. The North Korean leader and madman made the announcement in a speech today, in which he asked of George W. Bush, "Who 'da man now? You can't even say nuclear right!" To date, no one has seen the North Korean nuclear unit, though it is reported that Kim Jong Il has a "certain glow about him these days."

The whole e-coli in the bagged spinach thing is really very sad, and shows a disturbing danger in our food production system. Now, it has taken the life of a very recognizable American...

The news recently is filled with the “daily school shooting.” What is it that makes someone shoot unarmed kids and adults in a school? Is our society so incredibly sick??? Do these people realize what cowards they are? Do they think that they appear tough? Since I work at a school, and I am recently required to sit at the front entrance for part of the day, I have taken notice of this disturbing trend. It isn’t necessarily in the inner-city schools either. It is more often a rural thing. Where I work, I have suggested a security entrance. http://cutris.blogspot.com/2006/04/intruder-drill.html This request was ignored. Instead, an untrained “guard” is stationed near the entrance, “armed” with a walkie-talkie. This is done largely because of how funding is allocated. Instead of using money to install a security entrance, much more money is ultimately spent to employ a person to sit at the door and potentially be shot to death if an intruder ever does come along. http://cutris.blogspot.co...

My neighbor in the condo directly above me, who has been partying and making noise all night... most nights, has moved! Actually, I think she lost her lease because the condo owner was under pressure from the homeowners association. Regardless, she is gone! http://cutris.blogspot.com/2006/07/shattering-glass.html http://cutris.blogspot.com/2006/08/fallout.html

Despite what the current United States Administration says, the country’s spy organizations have concluded that the war in Iraq is increasing terrorism, resentment and terrorist recruits. This means that the Presidential propaganda is actually completely untrue and we are not safer because of the US presence in Iraq. This combined with such atrocities as those committed in Abu Ghraib, is tarnishing the image of the USA. The United States is only increasing the resentment of the people living in the Middle East. Since Saddam Hussein is no longer in power and there were no Weapons of Mass Destruction, it is time for the USA to develop an exit plan. Rebuilding the country against the will of the people is not a worthy goal. I’m tired of being lied to. I’m tired of wars for oil. I’m tired of my tax money being spent overseas. I hate seeing the nightly stories about someone’s family member dying or being maimed. I’m scared of the legacy our leaders have left for the next generations. Greedy...

When I look back at my time in school, being an English Major was very scary. I was always afraid of the de- monster -ative…

When I was a child, fairness was very important. As an adult, I like things to be fair, but I have come to realize that equality is not always very equitable. We are told by the media and by the “political correctness police,” that we must be ever tolerant of others. It is racist and hateful to single out any group based on color, sex or religion. Yet, amidst this, Islam has blatantly refused to play by these same rules. Of course I’m not talking about every single Muslim, but it seems that there is a growing group that is racist, sexist, and critical of other religions and basically wants all non-Muslims dead. Why is this fair? Why do I need to be concerned with their rights, when they openly call for my death, simply because I am not a Muslim myself? When can we begin to see reality, and stop accepting violence, bigotry and hatred because it comes from Muslims? Why are Muslims allowed the luxury of hating, and they are not held accountable, yet by writing these words, there are thos...

Yesterday my friend took me to an Asian flea market/farmers market in St. Paul. Everyone there was Asian. My friend is of Hmong ancestry, and she speaks Hmong as well. It was interesting, though very crowded. I also noticed that I appeared to be the only white person there. When we were leaving, I noticed a white guy in the parking lot and joked to my friend that he was lost. She laughed. Sure enough when we got near to him, he was on his cell phone asking someone, “Where are you?” It seems that the only other white guy I saw there was indeed lost!

Once again, Cutris did not make the list of the 400 richest Americans. In fact, Cutris has never made the list and likely will not be on it next year either. http://www.forbes.com/400richest/

Normally the hot water in my condo is very hot. Last night, it was warm, and then it got cool. I called the condominium office and I was told I’d get a call back. The call came and as per the people in charge of such things, “they” would come to my unit and take care of it first thing in the morning. “They” also needed permission to enter my condo. My response was one of disbelief. Those in charge must surely know that there is a boiler and coming into my unit to turn my water on would accomplish nothing. I explained this to the secretary, who was only following orders – however dumb they might be. My friend Mike sits on the board of directors and is also the chair of the maintenance committee. I called his cell phone and caught him before a meeting started in which the gentlemen who made the decision to fix the hot water problem from inside my condo were also attending. Mike started laughing when I explained things, and said he’d call me back. Mike started by sending one of the meetin...

Columbia University has now joined the ranks of the prestigious libraries that own a copy (or copies) of my book. http://www.columbia.edu/

As an "unknown" author, I have realized that it isn't good enough to have a good story and get it published. This is also true of running for office. Many of my readers have indicated that they will vote for me in 2008. We need to get the word out. Send the link to my blog http://cutris.blogspot.com > to a couple of your friends today. If everyone sends it on to a couple of more friends, I may be able to compete with the millionaires who normally get elected. This is important, so have at it!!! CUTRIS FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008! This message is approved by Kevin J. Curtis.

Pope Benedict XVI has angered Muslims around the world after a speech he gave last week in which he cited the words of a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of Islam's Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman" and referred to spreading Islam "by the sword." To prove this wrong, Muslims increased violence in retaliation for these words, by among other things, burning a number of Christian churches in Palestine, and by murdering an Italian nun and her bodyguard in Somalia. At this time it is uncertain how much more violence will be perpetrated in order to prove that Islam is, in reality, a peaceful religion. http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/09/18/pope.islam.ap/index.html

Much has been made recently of NASA’s return to space in the now antiquated space shuttle program. Plans are being made for a new generation of space vehicles. President George W. Bush has stated that he wants the USA to return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and the Sun before the end of his term in office. So, the question remains what to do with the old space shuttles? It seems when the chips are down, once again, the responsibility falls to Cutris. The space shuttles are now up for sale. Contact Cutris if you are interested in purchasing one of these vintage space vehicles. Also remember to vote CUTRIS for President in 2008.

Today was "dress alike" day at the school where I work. Myself, two teachers and an administrator (all normally "smooth heads,") spent the day looking like this. I'm second from the right in the first picture. I sent the following message by e-mail to my colleagues (pictured) at the end of the day. Spending the day with rainbow hair (and a School Jersey) has really changed my life. Normally, people don't comment about my hair, unless it is to tell me that I am bald. This isn't really news, so it was nice to receive compliments about how stunning I looked! While supervising lunch, I let three seventh grade boys know that I "don't stand for any clowning," which promptly caused them to burst out laughing. In this way, I was able to restore order. When I was watching the main entrance, many of the visitors took notice of my new look and treated me with the utmost respect. Yes, School's Name was no doubt in good hands was what they must h...

My new coworker was asking what she should do during the "violent intruder drill" that we will have today at the Jr. High where I work. I asked her where she would be at that time, and she said she was scheduled to watch the main entrance. I told her it was easy then. She should lie on the floor and pretend that she got shot.

I remember where I was that morning of 9/11/2001. I was in my office at the County Chemical Health center. I received a phone call that let me know that an airplane had hit the World Trade Center in New York City. Then another hit the other tower. Then the towers collapsed. The staff at the County Chemical Health Division was often hard to distinguish from the clients. There was a group that liked to eat in front of the (hungry) clients, and they also liked to engage in levying allegations and lawsuits of racism. All these allegations that I saw were bogus and most of the racism was perpetrated by these same people. What really impacted me in regard to these coworkers was when the county administration announced that anyone who felt the need, could leave work without losing pay. At that moment, these aforementioned staff, let out a cheer and filed out of the building, laughing and shouting. How sad to feel so disenfranchised from your own country. I stayed at work. I didn’t know what e...

When you start getting old, you have to work at staying in shape. I prefer resistance, or weight training. I’m not talking about pumping iron for 6 or 8 hours at a time. Who has time for that? I like to spend about 15 or 20 minutes, going from one exercise to the next without breaks. I do 10 repetitions and between 15 and 20 different exercises. I found this method when I worked at the County Chemical Health Division. We had a weight room in the basement and I used it almost daily on my morning break. I don’t get regular breaks at the school, and even if I did a class might be in the weight room. So, I started coming in a half hour early and doing my routine. We have a pretty nice exercise room where I live, but it was busy mornings this summer, and I need to do my routine early, or I don’t seem to get at it. I also don’t like a lot of people around when I workout. That is, unless I am doing a maximum lift, and need a spotter. At any rate, I didn’t get to the weight room more than a co...

I had a prep day for school today. The Eagle has returned to his winter territory to work with the kids in the detention room...

This morning I have two interviews, one for a full-time job, and one for a part-time job teaching enrichment classes after school. The second interview takes me way out near the west end of the wildlife refuge where I volunteer as a park ranger. My plan is to change clothes and go for a hike before coming back home. Tomorrow I have a preparation day for my regular job as Jr. High School detention supervisor. Summer is all but over. I’m hoping to go to the state fair on Friday.

Out with the old and in with the new! My close friend has replaced her car (that caught on fire) with a beautiful, 2007, Toyota Corolla. We looked for two days, and the used cars with low mileage were very close in price to the new ones. We kept hearing that “Toyotas hold their value.” In the end, it seemed logical to pay an extra thousand or so and get a brand new car. That’s what she did, and she loves it! My refrigerator is working. I still may need to replace the timer that regulates the defrost cycle (as per Mike). My brother is going to do my front brakes. It has been a long time since I had him do any work on my vehicles, but being that money is short, this is a good alternative. Maybe I can find something interesting to write about soon!

I haven’t written lately because things haven’t been working out really well. Of course it could always be worse, but I was hoping not to go on a rant. It seems, however, that I have some regular readers, who have asked me “how it’s going?” In reality, I have had a wonderful (although too short) summer. But in the last week or so, one of the people who is closest to me had a family member die, and then her car started on fire the day she returned from the (out-of-town) funeral. In my own little part of the world, my car needs brakes, my refrigerator decided to stop being cold and I find that money is short and my summer is all but over. Why do things break? Planned obsolescence keeps consumers buying. I can’t afford to buy right now, so I am attempting to fix some things. My friend Mike looked at my refrigerator… had it pulled apart and opened it up actually… and nothing seems wrong with it. In fact, this morning it started working again. Will it keep working? I don’t know, but my foo...

Here is a picture of me and Neng at a barbecue at neighbor Mike's garage.

This morning I woke up to someone's car alarm in the parking lot. I looked at my clock and decided it was time to get up anyway. When is the last time you heard a car alarm, and thought, "Oh my God, someone's car is being stolen!"

I live under fallout. The party-girl upstairs who has loud parties, throws trash off her deck and makes noise all night has now begun a new plague. I recently bought my condo, and renovated it. Now, my new paint is ruined in the bathroom because she let something overflow and it has run between the wall and my new paint. My neighbors are all upset with this person, and they don’t even live under her. However, we live in a society that protects offenders. Those who are victims can do little to rid themselves of these horrible complications to their lives. The homeowners association is trying to fix this problem, and lawyers are stopping it.

Melnarik was from the planet, Melnarik Prime. Her family used to vacation on Melnarik-3 when she was still in the larval stage. Now, after several revolutions, she had left her home world with its various cheeses, and traveled into the Purple Zone. She found that fermented fruit juice was to her liking, and it came in glass cylinders, though she preferred it from a box. There was no accounting for taste. Yes, Melnarik had embarked on a new adventure, cleaning debris from the grinders of those who dwell in the Purple Zone.

Satisfaction is having bought gasoline for $2.88 per gallon last night, and seeing it went up to $3.19 this morning. Pretty sad in so many ways isn’t it?

Last night was National Night Out. I went to the gathering at my condominium complex and met some more of my neighbors. The food was good and it was fun, in spite of the rain. In the Twin Cities, the local media likes to talk about the crime and shootings (especially) in North Minneapolis. I understand that this needs to be addressed. I do, however, think that it is unfortunate that the good things that good people are doing don’t get noticed nearly enough. Perhaps if they were noticed, it would be as “cool” to do good things as it would to be a pimp and thug. Things are not the same anymore in Minneapolis. I believe it is a heavy Chicago influence that has changed it. Plain and simple, the glorification of street life and thugs has destroyed the quality of life for both those that embrace the lifestyle, and those who live in the vicinity. It is not “sticking it to the man,” so much as it is “sticking your head up your ass” and pretending it smells good.

Thankfully, the heat broke today. It has been really hot lately. Yesterday, it hit 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.33C) in Minneapolis. It was eleven years since the temperature went triple digits here. I have managed to travel into triple digits a few times over the last few years. People might wonder why someone would live in Minnesota, “because it is so cold.” I can’t imagine living where you have to be indoors all summer because of the heat. I can wear a coat if it gets cold.