I am CuTRis

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.

I watched “The Grizzly Man” last night. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427312/ It is about Timothy Treadwell (and Amie Huguenard), who were mauled to death by Grizzly Bears in Alaska in October of 2003. Having spent a week camping on Admiralty Island (back in 1987) with my friend John, and some estimated 1,500 coastal brown bears, I was in awe of both the footage this man got of these animals, and also the reckless arrogance that eventually led to he and his girlfriend being dismantled by the claws and teeth of one of the world’s most powerful animals. http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/districts/admiralty/ Treadwell filled his videos with his disdain for the government, the National Park Service, and humanity in general. I fully understand his feelings, since I am also of the opinion that more must be done to protect our natural environment and the animals therein. It is also true that Treadwell obviously wasn’t as wonderfully wise as he gave himself credit for being. The federal rules he...

My upstairs neighbor has a "party house," which is truly annoying. Saturday night I called the police after I heard glass shattering in the parking lot. The cops had a hard time getting in. I bet there were 40 people in that 1-bedroom condo. By morning, it was also apparent that they were playing a game of, "try to hit the concrete pool apron (from the deck) with a glass beer bottle." My friend who is on the homeowner's association board, assured me that the owner of this condo will be billed for cleanup. The party-girl (tenant) is also likely to be forced out, since she has done this repeatedly now.

When I look back at the last three years of my life, it sometimes amazes me to think of all that has happened to me. I left all of my security and tried to follow a dream. I must admit, I hurt so badly in my heart, that I felt real physical pain -both from leaving my friends and family, and then later when I left the broken dream on the banks of the Atlantic Ocean. So many things have happened since then, that may never have happened if I hadn't taken that chance. I've experienced a lot of things because of it. My choices, right or wrong, have led me to this “place” in life. Very recently, something wonderful happened to me that would never have occurred if I was still living in Minneapolis and working for the county. I don't think I'm "done" yet. As my American Indian Spirit Brother would point out, it is all about "the journey." I have become a very strong person, both mentally and physically. A couple of years ago I was severely emotionally injure...

My friend Jen says I never put her picture on my blog, so here she is at her birthday party!

My friend Jen says I never put her picture on my blog, so here are some pictures from her birthday party... No produce was injured in the process, and Dean's "smoke" was only a prop. Jackie was just there to make things look good, and Mark's pictures were too scandalous to make the blog... Thanks to Dave for his produce farming skills.

I've had some exploding beer lately. Me and Dave make our own, and some of his Red-Tail Ale got a bit too carbonated, and exploded. It ruined the labels on some of my Gorock Lager, so I had to make some more. Today I put a couple of canned beers in my music equipment bag when I went ot Dave's to do some recording. One of them punctured, and I had another 'sploding beer mess! I guess I shouldn't transport them that way anymore. It was a convenient way to do it, until the puncture incident...

The band recorded another song yesterday, and I am very happy with the result! We did my song, “All I Need.” The recording process is still a lot of work, but we seem to be getting better at it. We have found that we need to put the basic song down in the first track, which meant lead vocals, guitar and drums. I think completing one song in each (afternoon) session is doing pretty well.

I met an angel, and she showed me how to eat leaves and vines. She was kind of silly, and she tossed aside the fruit and preferred to eat the twigs and flowers instead. She was very beautiful, and very sweet, and I couldn’t resist her. Soon I found that eating leaves and sticks wasn’t so bad, even though I still preferred the pods and the fruits. At first she only showed herself briefly, and then she would fly off again to her own land. I missed her when she was gone. Gradually, she began to stay longer each time she would visit. We shared secrets, and I showed her the places I traveled and we ate the fruits we found along the way. She liked my music, and watching me cook. The angel isn’t here right now, but I know she’ll come back. I miss her when she’s gone, but I think I’ll be seeing more of her…

Yesterday was another work session for the band. We recorded Dave's song, "Swamp Gas." It is kind of a Bayou sounding song, and it was fun to put in all the little enhancement parts! It was still a lot of work to get the levels and sound just right. Perhaps in a couple of years we'll finish a CD. I have suggested that we call it, "The Great Album." Dave wants to spell it "Grayt," for some reason and Pete just said, "FINE!"

Happy 4th of July! Isn't it ironic that after achieving independence from Britain, that Britain is now one of the USA's strongest allies just a couple hundred years later? Isn't it also ironic, that our current government leadership is comprised of an elitist, wealthy group of people that no longer represents the bulk of the American population? That's why I'd like to take this opportunity, to ask you to invite a couple hundred of your closest friends to join in supporting my run for the office of United States President, in 2008. Why not have some guy with no money in the White House for a change? Is anybody really happy that we have two wars going on (that we know of for sure), a crippled economy and a continually widening gap between the rich and the poor? Soon, there will be no "middle-class," and then who will pay for the astronomical National Debt??? When will we worry about the environment? How much cancer-causing toxin can we afford to live in? If ...

The other day as I was mixing up my frozen, concentrated apple juice from Cub Foods, I noticed that the can said, “China” on it. Upon further investigation, the (Cub Brand) can said that the contents came from apples that were from Germany and/or Argentina and/or China. I stared at it, wondering why when a butt-load of apples are grown in the USA, that these apples came from “one or more” of these other countries? Yesterday, I decided to make a raspberry wine, using wild, Minnesota-grown raspberries. I will tell you, up front, that this is not a cost-effective way to get wine. The benefit is in the artistic creation, the satisfaction of making a fine wine, and using local fruit! My first step was to drive to Rapids Lake (about a 48 mile round-trip), where I know there are a lot of plants and a lot of berries. I was fortunate to find mulberries too! I was dressed in denim pants and a denim jacket to protect against the many thorns. I also wore a hat and a mosquito net over my head. I wa...

Our recording session yesterday, may have gotten us one song (i.e. "Roadmap"). We also recorded a live version of a song I wrote called, "Freeman." I wrote the song years ago, and when I first played it for the guys they said they would never be able to do it. I change time in a couple of places. I've been told that I "can't do that!" My response is "of course I can!" and "Don't you oppress me!" The guys can play it well now, though they claim it took "three years." I doubt it took over one... My point to them was, that time changes, when everyone knows where they are, actually sound great... and of course... I'm right -they do! Freeman probably needs more work in the recording "studio." I must admit that after several hours, I was running out of steam. Recording is hard work!

Even though things went well with my initial tracks, Dave and Pete had trouble following it. We tried again with me on acoustic guitar and Pete on drums. Then it was a little tricky at the end with my vocal track. In short, we're use to playing off each other live. We may have to try recording a live version with the whole band together. Today is all about seeing what works. No doubt about it, recording is a work session. Some of the joy of a spontaneous jam session is gone. Still, it's time we put some of our 160+ original songs down on CD...

After a beautiful morning, we're getting some much needed rain. The band is at Dave's house and I can hear Pete recording his drum part right now. I used my acoustic guitar and put down the rhythm part of my song, "Road Map." The first take was all that was needed, and then I put down my vocal track in one take. So far it sounds good...

On Friday, June 9th I flew to Charlotte, North Carolina. My friend Alison picked me up at the airport, and after beer and BBQ at Mac's Bar, we went to her beautiful home in Waxhaw, NC where I had my own room (with Internet access) and bathroom! Such opulence... sigh... On Saturday we went to Linville Falls, and hiked up in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The first photo shows the view from the top, which was more than worth the hike -even in 9o degree (F) heat! That evening we grilled out, and I enjoyed a local beer, Carolina Blonde. On Sunday, Alison had work to do (she is a freelance journalist and marketing maven), so I ventured off into the woods in Waxhaw. Later, we toured Waxhaw and Charlotte. We also visited Lake Norman. In the evening, we attended a Tony Awards party given by the North Carolina, Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, in the Booth Playhouse. We watched the Tony Awards, and instead of commercials, two actors cracked jokes and gave away prizes -including theater tickets...

Thanks to Alison for this picture of me discussing the philosophy of life with a stone eagle in a garden in Charleston, SC. This photo pretty well captures the humor that permeated the trip, amidst some pretty enlightening conversation.

I just got back from my trip to the Carolinas. More about that will come later. It was a very nice trip, and Carolinians are very nice. Last night was my first night back, and I needed sleep! So, the large, tattooed woman who lives above me had a loud party that started at 10:00PM, and continued until after 5:00AM. This puts me in a bad position, as I don't want to fight with my neighbors, yet I bought into a community where loud, late, midweek parties are not allowed. If it becomes a trend, I will need to do something about it.

I made it through the last day of school (for the kids)! There were fights and rowdiness. My job for the last two days was to patrol the school with a two-way radio. Today is my last day. We have to go through the lockers and empty any leftovers. Then summer vacation begins!

Last night I played my guitar Jade. She had been stolen, pawned, and then found and returned by police. She was in good condition, though my tools and a few other things were missing. The guitar, strap, cord, case and whammy bar were there. That was what was important if you were pawning it. We jammed with the band, and came up with a spontaneous song called, “Sudden Urge to Strangle,” which was inspired by the whole ordeal. It’s nice to have my guitar back.

I send my kudos to Rhode Island, for once again, winning the title of worst drivers in the United States. After having lived there for a short time, and having driven there, I know personally that they are most deserving of this "honor." From their own paper, The Providence Journal, http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20060527_driver27.3199ad0.html

Sometime last week, my guitar Jade had been located by the police at a local pawn shop under the name of the guy who we think stole her. By the end of the week, the guy that stole my guitar was arrested and sitting in jail. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Apparently he stole a bunch of other things from my friends too, but they hadn’t noticed right away. Hopefully they can get it back. My guitar sent that fartknocker to jail! When I get my Stratocaster back, I’m going to get her a badge and put it on the guitar strap. http://cutris.blogspot.com/2006/05/violation.html

All roads eventually lead to the bathroom.

Why Me? May 26, 2006 It wasn’t fair! Now he was going to be late because one of the kids wouldn’t cooperate. Josh cautiously sped up his car so he was going 5 miles-per-hour faster than the speed limit. He kept looking for police cars, but was determined to make up for lost time. He wasn’t late very often. Surely his boss Mr. Cavanaugh would understand. Still, he was frustrated. He should have left 10 minutes ago, but his son Brian insisted on making the morning as miserable as possible. Finally, with the children safely dropped off at school, Josh had only to drive the 13 miles to work. He was making good time, and 15 minutes later he swung his car around the corner just as a tractor-trailer came speeding through the intersection. The two vehicles just missed each other, and though he knew he had narrowly missed catastrophe, Josh hurried on into the parking lot of the building where he worked. He was only two minutes late. Not too bad, he thought. Still it was not something he let hap...

Two Minnesotans, Newt and Svenor, were discussing fishing don’tchya know, when Newt, he says to Svenor, “I want to take my boat out, but I know if I do it will rain. But if I don’t go fishing, it’ll probably be a nice day.” “Ahhh…” said Svenor, “catch-22 huh?” “I don’t know how many I’ll catch," replied Newt, "but I doubt I’ll get that many!”

- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Cutris Fires Trump May 24, 2006 Ironically, the man who coined the phrase, “you’re fired,” got fired earlier today. Cutris fired billionaire Donald Trump today with little explanation. When asked if he had the authority to fire the Donald, Cutris merely smirked and said, “Yes I do, and you are also fired for asking that question.” Cutris went on to say that it was “about time someone fired Trump,” and that he should “try shaving his head.”

Few possessions can invoke the kind of emotions that one can develop for a musical instrument. I am a guitarist. I have more than one guitar. They are all named. I can make them all sing. Last night, after going to hangout and jam with my band, I found that the Stratocaster that I keep where we practice had been stolen. We know who did it, but we have no solid proof. If he is smart (which he isn’t), he will try to return it. He should also avoid being in my presence. No real man would steal another man’s guitar! I remained calm. We did file a police report. My guitar is gone, and our equipment is not safe. This all happened because a troubled little girl, decided to choose a piece of human-garbage for a boyfriend, and he gained access to the house where we have jammed for the last 15 or so years. The one time I met him, he wouldn’t look me in the eye. That can say a lot. Whoever has my guitar now, she will never sing for you the way she did for me. She knows all my songs, but she will...

Cutris Appointed to Supreme Fort May 19, 2006 UnAssociated Press Report Cutris was named Supreme Fort Cutris yesterday by some government bureaucracy that has little to do with much of anything. The duties of a Supreme Fort Cutris are as of yet, still unknown. Also unknown, is the whereabouts of the Supreme Fort. No one in the government seemed to know what a Supreme Fort was used for, though nearly all of them agreed that it was better than a regular fort.

The school-year is almost over. The kids are getting in trouble at a rather remarkable rate lately. All of us are ready for it to be over. I am going to North Carolina for a few days. I just have to get through these last couple of weeks...

My closet hanger pole fell down last night. I hung all my clothes on it yesterday. Whoever put it up didn't screw the middle support into a stud, and it pulled out of the wall. Now I have to fix it and the wall! Ughh!

I'm moving. It's not fun. After three years in limbo, it is interesting to see what is in those boxes of mine. Some of it is nice stuff. Some of it goes in the dumper. I'm not feeling all that great today which makes it worse to move stuff.

Detention has been full lately. Yesterday, I nearly ran out of chairs 5th hour. There were four "scholars" already serving all-day "sentences," and a couple of the classrooms just erupted and I got several at a time.

My furniture arrived between 2:00PM and 4:00PM as originally promised. The first guy came in and placed his paperwork against my freshly painted hallway wall, and as he was bringing his pen down to write, I stopped him. The second guy was about to lean the headboard of my new bed against my freshly painted bedroom wall, when I stopped him. After I told them how I had spent the last month and a half stripping wallpaper, prepping, painting, cleaning... they were much more careful and even complimented my work. I have new furniture!!!

My new furniture is supposed to be delivered today between 2:00PM and 4:00PM. I don't answer my (cell) phone while I'm working at the school, but when it vibrated that I had a message I decided to check. It was the driver saying he was on the way. It was 11:30AM! I called him and he said he was told between 1:00PM and 3:00PM. It was 11:30AM! I told him I couldn't be there until 2:00PM, and he said he didn't know if that would work because... I told him that I couldn't be there until 2:00PM. At least it isn't raining, like the weather report said it could be...

Did you see the warrior? I did. He was standing at the tree line like he did a thousand years ago, as I walked toward Rapids Lake. Then he was gone –a ghost from a time long ago. I scared a pheasant as I started my climb down the ravine. The hen ran into the woods and was gone. This day in May was filled with wonders including blooming -Prairie Smoke, Phlox, Columbine, Pasque Flower and more. When I got to the lake below, I could see that it was flooded and reaching into the woods. The trees were submerged where the waters had extended into the bottomland forest. Above, a Great Horned Owl left its perch and swung a circle through the trees and over my head before flying off. I sat down on a log, and began to pull wood ticks off of my jeans… 3…4…7… The mosquitoes were already out in force, but they were still not ravenous like they would be next month when I would come back here for raspberries. On the ground I saw a feather. The owl had left it for me. Where the water had receded, ther...

The magic occurs in everyday life, and my main point is to try to recognize it. It is magic when an eagle flies over my head and I hear the wind in its wings. It is magic when I realize that some kid I tangled with all year at the school really doesn't hate me, and maybe something I said or did, actually sank into his hormone-ridden confusion. Magic is the Red-Tailed Hawk that flew circles around me after I returned to the woods after a month and a half. Magic is when a friend tells me that I said something that first made her cry and then made her feel wonderful. Magic is the smell of the morning as I walk from my car to the door of the school. Magic might be the day I met you.

I just asked Kid’s Name how he’s going to like being 26 years old, and hanging out with the other ninth graders at the mall… He’s well on his way to accomplishing this marvelous feat.

Good Morning I squint into the light of the rising sun. The coolness of the morning refreshes the world. I can smell the moist earth and freshly mown grass. The birds are busy and their songs fill my ears. The breeze blows the morning around my head. I step into the building and suddenly my good morning is gone. Kevin J. Curtis

I just ordered new furniture for my newly cleaned and painted condo. I've never had new furniture before...

Eagle Nest Cam... http://www.infotecbsi.com/wildlife/

I was planning to rent a machine and clean my own carpets, when I noticed a coupon in the local newspaper for "$7.95 per room, 2 room minimum." How interesting... I had just two rooms to do. It did say, "other charges may apply." O.K. I bet they do... I could do it for around $30 or so myself with "The Rug Doctor" from Cub Foods. I decided to call and they could send someone out the next day (today). There was a pre-treater for the path walked around the bedroom, there was a Teflon (isn't that poisonous?) treatment to prevent stains, and he measured 423 sq. ft of carpet. Grand total, $294! Umm... does that sound like $7.95 x 2? He had his stuff lugged up there, and had already done a sample, and I said no chance I would pay that much. He called his boss, and got it down to $168. I said I could do it for $30 myself, and he told me how he had better chemicals, better equipment, etc. This was true, but I told him the coupon was deceiving. After hanging up...

You can take Cutris out of the woods, but you can’t take the woods out of Cutris… I have been stripping wallpaper, cleaning and painting for about a month and a half. During that time, I hadn’t been hiking in the woods like I normally do. Finally, yesterday, I decided that I needed to take a break from my condo work, and get back into the natural world. I bought that pair of boots I had been thinking about buying, on my way home from work. It was going to be another beautiful, sunny, 70 degree (Fahrenheit) day. This time I wouldn’t miss it. I also meant to test those boots to see if they were really waterproof. When I left the trail and headed into the woods, I soon found my way blocked by flood waters. I could see that the water had been much higher before, as I was climbing over the branches, trees and debris left behind as the water receded. I managed to pick my way through and started my journey around Fisher Lake. I had to redirect my path several times due to water, and I knew th...

This picture was too great not to share...

Kid’s Name (dad in prison for murder) is in detention. His English class is working on poetry, and he flipped out. I have him in the detention room now. We've had our battles in the past... I cautioned him to gain control of his temper, and let him know I've had to work on that myself over the years. I also offered to help him with his poetry assignment. He's trying to be ultra-cool, but I don't think he is quite sure what to think of the “Eagle.” He is completely calm right now.

Cutris Meets Ryan Seacrest! April 23, 2006 UnAssociated Press Presidential candidate Kevin J. Curtis (aka Cutris) was spotted in a trendy Burnsville nightclub shaking hands with American Idol celebrity, Ryan Seacrest. When asked about the meeting, Ryan said, “It was great to meet Cutris. I think he’ll make a fine president!” When Cutris was asked about the meeting, he said, “Meeting Ryan Seahorse, was probably the most exciting thing that happened to me in the last three minutes!” Photo by, Jenn4 Productions

The detention room is rather full today! The kids are into fighting, hitting, etc.

Thanks to Mark for sending this... http://decider.cf.huffingtonpost.com/

Starting next month, this blog will be available in either fresh cougar or desert camel scent.

Flipping-Bird-Ray April 18, 2006 UnAssociated Press It was reported today, that Cutris has created the very first, Universal Flipping-Bird-Ray. This invention may be the most insidious device known to humankind. It allows Cutris to “flip the bird” to everyone in the world simultaneously! It was only days ago that the world was in shock by Iran’s announcement of enriching uranium. Not long ago it was the North Koreans who had developed nuclear weapons. Now this! When asked to comment about his new device, Cutris simply said that he will not use it , until everyone really pisses him off. The U.S. State Department has apparently contacted Cutris to try to either buy or steal the device from him. Cutris was unalarmed by the report, saying that he had it “well hidden.”

13 gallons of paint. That's how much paint I will have used when I finish painting my condo from top to bottom. That breaks down to, 4 gallons of primer 3 gallons of ceiling paint 1 gallon of shiny white for doors, vanity, etc. 1 gallon of yellow for bathroom 1 gallon of green for kitchen 1 gallon of light beige for living room and hallway 2 gallons of light blue for bedroom.

Wow, what an inflammatory issue! If you are against allowing illegal aliens into the country, you are automatically seen as a racist in the minds of some people. As a candidate and a citizen, here is my view. It is true that aliens are doing jobs that no one else wants to do. It is also true, that someone (already a citizen) would do these jobs, if they were paid enough. (Note* - At one time, I cleaned out the insides of asphalt tankers because the pay was good.) It is true that aliens contribute to society as workers and consumers. It is also true that they are not paying taxes, and they are using services such as medical and education, that are funded by (mostly property) tax money. With the current threat to National Security, no foreign person should be allowed to bypass immigration laws. There is also a limit to how many people can immigrate at one time without bogging down services and competing for jobs and housing. There are poor people already in the USA that need help to...

April 11, 2006 Cycle 1, Blue Planet Interstellar Traveler, Unglip Reporting Once again, I have returned to the Blue Planet in search of any remoflactions of Intelligent Life. My last two visits were inconclusive, though most of my observations lead me to believe that there are no higher forms of intelligence here. I disguised myself in the synthetic/plant material coverings that the dominant species use to cover themselves with. My plan was to once again, move about the communal living spaces where the bipedal beings tend to congregate. They were, of course, still utilizing the two-way radio devices that are frequently seen being held close to their auditory canals. They were also still traveling in quad-rolling transports. I’ve noticed that procreation seems to be handled by two very different members of the same species –much like the Pilmorai of Vindis 8. Unlike the Pilmorai though, the close connection between the sexes is not always harmonious. The two divisions seem bent on disag...

What spills out of the writer at 4:30AM? If I Could If I could make it better, I would. If I could make you love me, I would. If I could walk away, I would. But I can't. The only reason it matters, is because I care.

Yesterday (and again this morning), I heard on the news that the Bush Administration is considering air-strikes against Iran, to stop that country from potentially creating nuclear weapons. This, in my opinion, would be, starting a war, to try to prevent a potential threat. The story continued, saying that the US (I disagree, so isn’t it ironic that US doesn’t mean us?) may use tactical nuclear weapons in these air-strikes, to bust through the bunkers that the nuclear buildup is taking place in. This, in my opinion, would be starting a nuclear war, to try to prevent a potential nuclear threat. Does anyone see the irony in this??? In the past, I have talked about running for president. http://cutris.blogspot.com/2005/06/story-of-kevins-shack.html http://cutris.blogspot.com/2005/11/cutris-announces-candidacy.html I have also disapproved of the policies of our current administration. http://cutris.blogspot.com/2006/02/state-of-union.html http://cutris.blogspot.com/2005/11/disassociati...