I am CuTRis

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...

Who's Bladge??? If you've watched the Clint Eastwood movie, "The Outlaw Josey Wales," there is a scene where Josey is held at gunpoint by two would-be bounty hunters. Throughout the scene, one of these men continuously tells the other to shut-up. It is hard to determine what the name is he is saying after repeating "shut-up," but it sounds like he's saying "Bladge." I finally looked the scene up at, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TbtTaHrIHI In the film, Abe pulls his gun on Josey: "I've got him, Lije." "It's him, Abe. It's him! We've got the Josey Wales, Abe! I've seen him ride side by side with Bloody Bill, Abe. We've got reward money coming. Watch it, Abe. He's mean as a rattler and twice as fast with them pistols." Abe tells Josey to "Move on back; move on back!" Lije comes up with more warnings: "Watch him, Abe! I've seen him do some things? "Shut up, Lije" A...

We have intruder drills at the school. We've had two so far over the year. Both have been first hour, because as everyone knows, intruders only come to schools during first hour… My experience was as follows. The Office Grand Pooba told me to lock the mailroom door because there was going to be an intruder drill. I was working in the copy room at the time. If a real intruder shows up, I wonder if I will have advanced notice to lock the door? When the announcement came to start the drill, I was unable to hear it so I kept working until someone turned the lights out on me! I found “safe refuge,” in a conference room and made myself comfortable. That was when it happened! The all clear was given –which I couldn’t hear in the safety of the conference room. I did notice the lights were turned on though. Realizing that an intruder would be unable to locate the light switch, I decided it was safe. I have also decided that when I am told that I have to spend part of my shift at the entran...

I've heard rumors of some changes at the school. The possibility exists that I might spend part of the day at the door to check in visitors. Apparently it is something that used to be done, was stopped due to budget cuts, and is needed again because of recent intruders/threats. Anyway, it doesn't sound very enjoyable to sit at the door with nothing to do. Besides, if someone walks in with an AK47, what am I supposed to do about it if I'm not armed? It's probably time for a new job...

Sometimes when you find something that seems truly wonderful, you pursue it. If you really want it, you will go through many difficulties to finally get it. Eventually, it can become too much trouble with too little to show for it. Maybe you realize that it was a one-sided venture, or maybe you decide it isn't worth the time, heartache and effort anymore. That’s when you lose interest.

The Rutles http://www.rutles.org/rstory.html Especially funny after seeing the Beatles documentary. 84 Charlie Mopic http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie.aspx?m=69914 The Vietnam War through the lens of an 8mm movie camera. It feels like you are there.

Painting... Pain ting... P aint ing Painting P a inting Pain ting

Spring Break is over, and I'm back at the school in the detention room. How quickly we fall out of the routine. I could use another breakfast and a cup of coffee right now. Then I would be ready to paint! Speaking of painting, I think my bathroom is done. I will check how it dried today. Then I move to the kitchen. There was much work to do, and much of my time off was spent washing glue off walls, spackling and sanding. When I'm done, the whole place will be freshly painted! I'm so glad I could do this before I moved in! At work, there was a new copier this morning. It is a Xerox 4110. It is about the size of a compact car. I was already using it when the Office Grand Pooba ran in to see if I was doing it right. It's funny how machines like that seem to be built so that you can figure them out without the help of a bossy person. I'm sure it cost a buttload of money, but with the electricity and paper that will be saved, it is worth it. The old copier jammed about ...

Cutris Finds Meaning of Life UnAssociated Press March 28, 2006 It was reported today, that Cutris has found the true meaning of life. He found it under a piece of bark lying against some moss near a cottonwood tree by the river. He is fiercely guarding the secret, while preparing his next move. Some say he will give it to the world as his legacy. Others claim he is planning to sell the secret on eBay. Whatever he intends to do with the secret, remains a secret.

I am into the beginning of Spring Break. I have seven days away from the detention kids. I've been working on my condo. Yesterday I installed a new light in the bathroom, and I finished removing the last of the wallpaper. Today I will be scrubbing glue off of the walls and prepping them for painting. As I go along, it becomes a bigger job because I see more things that I want to do. The bedroom had a (fairly) fresh coat of white paint in it, and I thought I might be able to live with that room the way it is. Then, yesterday, I decided that I might as well paint that one (blue) too. If I have to go through all the work of removing wallpaper, scrubbing, spackling and sanding in three other rooms and a hallway, how much trouble would it be to paint over the bedroom? I guess I better get to work. Isn't Spring Break great?

I had a nice evening out last night, and I woke up happy. Not even the evil-one, the office Grand Pooba 1 could ruin my morning. Spring Break starts tomorrow! 1 the office Grand Pooba: A (late) middle-aged woman who has an over-zealous need to be bossy and get in everyone’s business.

I hate wallpaper. I have been removing it for a couple of hours each day. Currently I'm using a steamer to get the crap off of the walls. Then, I have to scrub the glue off. Then, it is time to spackle and sand. Eventually, I hope to mask and paint. Fortunately I have a week off for spring break (next week). Wallpaper sucks. Especially old wallpaper from the 1970's. When I'm done though, my condo will look wonderful!

Any questions?

Vikings are UnDaunted By Cutris March 15, 2006 The Minnesota Vikings traded Daunte Culpepper yesterday, for two boxes of Gatorade cups. Clodhopper had been injured last season, and soon after, the Vikings began to win. Despite his injury, losing season and legal troubles off the field, Daunte Clodhopper decided to ask for a raise in his already rather large salary, and he also indicated that he wanted to be traded. He got his wish, and if he passes his physical, he will be playing for the Miami Dolphins. Culpepper was part of a two-part strategy designed under former coach Dennis Green and former owner Red McCombs. They thought that a team, could be made up of just two players; Daunte Culpepper and Randy “I play when I want to” Moss. Randy Moss was also traded due to his idiotic and completely disrespectful nature. Once he was gone though, Clodhopper seemed lost. He kept looking for Moss down the field, and didn’t seem to understand that Randy had been traded. When asked about the tr...

I didn’t have any problem with invading Iraq, simply because Iraqi president/dictator Saddam Hussein ignored/disregarded the peace accords that stopped the first Gulf War. Since the second conflict, the USA has ignored/disregarded the two primary objectives, which were, to remove Saddam Hussein from power, and find Weapons of Mass Destruction. These objectives were met rather quickly (especially since WMD weren’t found). The USA is remarkably good at invading and disabling another country. What no country is good at is occupation. We should have learned that during the Vietnam Conflict. Obviously the lesson was lost. Iraq is on the verge of a civil war. Indeed, they might need to have one in order to stabilize the country and establish a dominant order. Foreign influence is prolonging this from happening. Eventually, the USA will have to leave Iraq. Likely, not much will have been settled at that point, that wasn’t settled long before. In short, we will have accomplished very little o...

I got a call just before I left for work this morning. It seems the rather significant snowstorm caused school to be cancelled. I've already gone to the county offices to homestead my condo. I can get some work done on it today too! It is quite beautiful outside!

Since I just bought a condominium, I’ve been removing wallpaper and working on the place. The other day I decided to sweep my deck. I live on the second floor. As I swept the dirt into a pile, I heard swearing below me and someone shouted, “great now I’ll have more shit down here!” Then they slammed their sliding door shut. I was somewhat stunned, but I finished sweeping the dirt into a dust pan and threw it in my garbage. The people below me, have an “illegal” dog. There aren’t suppose to be dogs in my building, but “someone” barks down there. This same person put up an “annonymous” note about not sweeping your deck down for first level to pickup. I don’t know what occurred before I moved in, but I finally got sick of seeing this note over the mailboxes, so I put a post-it note on it that says, "This is legitimate. Thank you. But be careful you aren't barking up the wrong tree. I for one, use a dust pan."

Today I am buying a condo.

Back on December 2, 1942, in Chicago, man first initiated a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction, and controlled it. July 16, 1945, the first (manmade) nuclear explosion in history took place in New Mexico, at the Alamogordo Test Range, on the Jornada del Muerto (Journey of Death) desert -in the test named “Trinity.” On August 6 and 9, 1945, the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by the United States, with the first atomic bombs ever used in warfare. Since then, many countries have developed nuclear power for both weapons and for more positive purposes, such as to produce electricity. Thankfully, nuclear weapons are not being used –due to their devastating powers. Such weapons do exist in great numbers, however. The fear that someone may once again use nuclear weapons is as great now as it has ever been. With countries such as North Korea and more recently, Iran, now having achieved the technology, the more developed countries who already possess this power, are...

Why do gas prices change so often? One employee of a SuperAmerica told me that corporate tells them to raise the price, and then lower it when the other stations follow. Since then, I have observed that all the SuperAmerica stores raise their prices at the same time, and by the following day, they usually lower them again. I hate companies that play games like that.

When I go into the woods, I watch the wildlife and frequently, the animals/birds are doing things that contradict the books that were written by "experts." I always attribute that to the animals not having read the books.

Just kidding!

You can find the latest review of my book, "He-Who-Goes-First," at Alison Woo's website, http://bestbookblog.blogspot.com/2006/02/fascinating-new-book.html http://bestbookblog.blogspot.com/

UnAssociated Press Cutris was recognized today, for his stellar achievement in inventing the most innovative and important invention to date, known to mankind. This invention is thought to have far reaching implications and rivals such other super-inventions, such as, the light bulb, the wheel, the computer chip and beer. No doubt, you will be hearing more about this marvelous invention in the days to come. Cutris could not be reached for comment at the time this story was printed. It is thought that he was busy working in his “inventing shed.”

Yesterday I was watching the news when a story came on that blew me away! Apparently not only is the security of some of the United States’ seaports managed by people from foreign countries, but there is a pending sale for a United Arab Emirates-based company to run six of our ports. There was (of course) a call of racism, and that anyone should be allowed to have the security contract. Perhaps while we’re at it, we should bring in some Al-Qaeda personnel to work as Secret Service agents, to guard the President. Personally, I don’t want anyone who isn’t an American, running the security of anything as important as a seaport. I don’t care if the company is Canadian, we should set a precedent that no foreign entities can run our ports. This is simply a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned. Do we want real security, or should we just hand over the keys to the White House to the highest bidder? Finally, I have this to say… don’t make me run for President, because I will! And when I win, th...

For perhaps the first time ever, my left eye may have better vision than my right eye. This is due to the LASIK enhancement that I underwent on Friday. It got me wondering if this will cause my body/personality to adjust to this new situation. My left eye droops a bit more than the right, and my right eye always had better vision –though both eyes were visually impaired and I needed glasses or contact lenses until my original LASIK treatment a year ago. When I think of my left side/half/hemisphere, I feel that it is more sensitive, neurotic and creative, while my right side has always been clearly superior in strength and agility. While I am left-eyed, my eye surgeon did some basic tests to determine “eyed-ness” on me, and I am truly ambidextrous. I shoot right handed, so I generally aim with the right eye. Now, after having my eyes corrected, it seems that my left eye may actually end up with better vision. This is of course, once the eye fully recovers from the laser surgery. I beg...

Yesterday I had my LASIK enhancement in my left eye. They told me I wouldn’t go completely blind this time, which was true. I was able to watch through the eye they were working on. The corneal flap never heals all the way, though apparently it sticks down pretty tight -as I watched the doctor pull it back up with a tiny forceps. The actual laser treatment took seconds this time. My evening after the procedure was much like before. It felt like I had something in my eye and the tears flowed for several hours. This morning my eyelid is swollen, but my vision is great and my post-op exam went well. Would I do it again? Yes. I would do the initial and the enhancement again if I could have my vision the way it is now. As I said before though, when you are lying on the table with your cornea opened up, it’s good to know you have the best doctor and team. I would still recommend going to the best, not the cheapest.

Tomorrow I go for a LASIK enhancement. I had my original eye surgery a year ago, and it was a bit uncomfortable, but well worth it. I just need the left eye fixed a little bit more. I was apprehensive about the process, and thought about it for a couple of years. I finally decided to do it and a friend told me about his doctor. I went to the same place. It wasn’t cheap, but I would recommend finding the best not the cheapest for something like this. The process is quite interesting; as they open the cornea and then burn (with a laser) the inside layers to the desired shape. Then they put the flap of cornea back down and it eventually heals on its own. It is a bit unnerving when the cornea is opened and you essentially go blind. Eventually you smell burning flesh. This wasn’t something I wanted to do again, but when it’s over I should see quite well out of both eyes. http://www.mneye.com/ps_lasik.aspx

I got to hangout with a bunch of seventh graders for three days of fieldtrips. On Wednesday, we went to Richardson Nature Center. http://www.threeriversparkdistrict.org/outdoor_ed/center_richardson.cfm Among the activities there, we were introduced to the three resident raptors. There was an American Kestrel, a Red-Tailed Hawk and a Barred Owl. All were injured or otherwise unable to return to the wild. The kids were also instructed on how to set up a tarp and start a fire to survive in the Minnesota winter. In this, they had varied success. The three groups with me ranged from the “hill people,” who tried to accomplish this on an incline and used all their matches trying to light sticks, to the meticulous group who thought they were doing poorly who lit a nice fire with one match. Note* the hill people would have frozen to death. On Thursday we went to the Wildlife Science Center. http://www.wildlifesciencecenter.org/ Bob the guy who did the program was excellent. Among the interestin...

I am going on three fieldtrips with the seventh graders for the next three days. It's all about natural history, wildlife and survival. It should be good. At least I'll be out of detention!

George W. Bush gave his State of the Union speech last evening. It brings up one question. If you talk out of your ass a lot, do you end up with hemorrhoids?

Sometimes things don’t work out the way we thought they would. Actually, I’ve found that happens a lot. It can be really sad or frustrating for awhile, but with each one of these events, there are new experiences. Perhaps the timing was an issue, or maybe it was a clash of priorities. If I gave my best, I can take comfort in the realization that it was beyond my control. Maybe it will come around again or maybe not. That can’t be my primary focus. There are nearly always positives that come along with the negatives. Things that were locked out of reach in one scenario may suddenly become possible again. Two things are important in life. One is love, and the other is trying to do the right thing. We can’t always be successful at this all the time, but it is important to try. Other people and other forces can sometimes get in the way. Then we have to look for that positive side and move ahead into the next grand experience. Today I am a little sad, greatly relieved and hopefully-optimist...

Funny... since I embraced the nickname of "Bald Eagle," that a couple of the detention kids gave me, I haven't heard them use it much! I wonder why??? Here is a picture of me with my eagle statue, thanks to my coworker Kim for being thoughtful enough to bring it in.

I still think I need to teach a comedy class at the school. The kids think they're funny, but they aren't. Their timing is all wrong. I had to tell one that he couldn't talk in detention. Then I had to tell him he couldn't sing. Finally I had to tell him he couldn't drum. He was wearing a suit for some reason, and he asked me if it was against the rules to look good, because he might have to leave. I told him he wouldn't have to worry about that! insert cymbal crash! ( That’s good timing!) Then he sneered at me. Eventually, I kicked him out of detention to the office because he didn't know how to shut-up.

Some of the regular trouble-makers at the Jr. High where I work, have come up with the (super creative) name for me, "Bald Eagle." It is actually rather appropriate (though I'm sure they meant to be disrespectful) because as a volunteer park ranger in the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, much of my reporting to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is about birds of prey, and Bald Eagles in particular. I am considering hanging a poster of a Bald Eagle in the detention room where I work. For now, I have printed the eagle picture from my November archives, and put it on the bulletin board behind me.

Yesterday I had the day off from work. When my original plans crashed, I got to do one of my favorite things. I went into the woods to do my park ranger job. I hiked the west end of Wilkie, which is open in the winter. This section of the wildlife refuge is closed March through August, as it is home to a large colony of Great Blue Herons and egrets. Now, as the leaves are gone from the trees, it is quite impressive to see the hundreds of nests. I think since this area is closed for so much of the year, it is wilder than some other places. I saw four Red-Tailed Hawks (who were very vocal) before I walked up on an opossum. Shortly after that, I heard the metallic sound of Bald Eagles, and I saw two of them in the trees close by. I headed through the woods, avoiding the trail as much as possible. I found a bird-kill site. The black feathers with white spots made me think that perhaps it was a woodpecker that met its demise. A short time later, I found a deer carcass. It was interesting si...

I saw a big full moon when I was driving in to work this morning! This confirms my suspicions about (Moron Week) yesterday's post.

The (Jr. High) detention room where I work has been extremely busy lately. I haven’t encountered such quantities before. Mostly, it is kids who are completely without respect for anyone. An adult (who’s supposed to be in charge) like myself, can give a directive and the answer is openly defiant. They prefer to refuse and escalate the situation rather than comply. I don’t accept that behavior and will move to the next appropriate level. Having some experience working with those who have served time behind bars, I can’t really see any good things for these kids unless they wakeup at some point. This week’s list of offenses is astounding, and even the school police liaison officer has been involved. When I went to public school, teachers and administration regularly hit students. While I’m not in favor of such things in general, I wonder if the tide has turned too much. These kids know that no one is allowed to lay a hand on them. As a result, they have no healthy respect for either autho...

Even though there is ice on most of the lakes in Minnesota right now, I have been daydreaming about fishing for Pike in warmer weather. That's me with a nice Pike from The summer before last. Usually, out of the guys in the band, Dave catches more fish and since he fishes more, it's probably the way it should be. But last summer, on one particular excursion, Pete caught the 36 inch, 11 pound Pike. I got nothing that day, and Dave is over on the right holding up... a minnow? No, I guess it's a small Pike that is being dwarfed by "Pete's giant wanker fish." http://www.petesgiantwankerfish.net My appologies to all the "Walleye or nothing" snobs out there, but Pike fight hard and they taste good.

Kid's Name is in Detention all day today and Wednesday. As near as I can tell, he finished all of his outstanding detentions and must have started missing me, so he tackled some other kid in the hallway to get an in-school-suspension just to hang out with me! Last Friday he got kicked out of detention for fighting over "his seat." Kid's Name is a regular, and very attached to a particular seat in the room. He is in a different seat right now, expanding his horizons... I have also trained Kid's Name to enter and leave my room without swinging on the door frame. I did this by telling him I would give him an (unprecedented) five (5) detentions if he ever swung on the door frame again. I asked him if he could do it and he said he didn't think so. I reached back and got a detention form and asked him if I should put his name on it now. When the bell rang, he ended up leaving like a normal person! It's these little victories...

I am continually amazed at how everything seems to run counterproductive to everything else. I work at a school, and I also have a close friend who is constantly driving her children to and from sporting activities and school functions. When I was a kid, we hopped on a school bus and were transported to the next school for sporting events. Our parents did not need to drive us or attend each outing. This undoubtedly saved time and fuel. Now, due to budget cuts, schools have shifted the burden onto parents who must drive to faraway places with great frequency. Though the global idea is supposed to be to save fuel, all of these mini-vans must be using considerably more gas than the single bus was. Still, the school saves and taxes don’t go up –though we use more gas and parents spend more money. At the school I work at, I noticed that everything at lunch is throwaway. Nothing is recycled. The trays are Styrofoam and the “sporks” are plastic. All are thrown away. Each of the three lunches...

One of my coworkers was gruesomely murdered last Friday. Since I work at a school, the students are also upset. The news media has been relentless in describing the details of the horrible death in an attempt to outdo all the other media outlets with gory details. This isn't how we wanted to remember our coworker. It is a very sad story, and all of us are upset by this and the news coverage.

On December 26, Dave went hiking with me at Rapids Lake in the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Dave brought his digital camera, and I showed him one of my favorite places to climb ravines. Dave calls the picture of me wearing the orange hat, "the orange-headed dork-bird." I must admit it isn't my favorite hat, but they are still bow-hunting for deer in this area, and my hat shows up pretty well doesn't it? It was a fabulous day for hiking. Thanks to Dave for the photos.

The Band Christmas Party took place on December 23rd. There weren't a lot of pictures, but here is one of me with my friend and drummer Pete.

It’s the season, here in America, the land of the easily offended, to wish everyone a Happy Holiday. Political Correctness dictates that we stay away from using any particular holiday, for fear of offending someone. Personally, whatever holiday you wish to celebrate is fine with me, and furthermore, you are welcome to wish me a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Ramadan, Kwanza, or whatever you can come up with. I promise that I won’t take offense unless you decide for some reason to toss in a blatant insult. So have a wonderful (insert holiday of choice), and a very Happy New Year! May 2006 bring less war, unemployment, crime and meanness. May the New Year find us all with a new spirit of cooperation and understanding. KJC

Friday night, two of my favorite women were trashing one of my favorite T-Shirts!!! I got it when I went to Dodge City, and it is called, "The Sheriff," and it is an action picture of the sheriff jumping off of his horse (that's rearing up) and pointing his gun. Yes, it is totally cool if you are a guy! Let's face it, women aren't always sure what cool is, though they will attempt to convince us guys that we have stupid "cowboy" shirts.

Did you know that those are the key words to the most popular searches right now??? He Who Goes First By Kevin J. Curtis This is the story of a Mongol warrior who lived during Jenghiz Khan’s empire. It is a new look at a frequently misunderstood culture and history. The participants are not bound by ideals of what is good or bad. Like their ancestor the wolf, they do not act out of cruelty or mercy. They live by a natural law, which has been lost on modern society. To judge them in the midst of our politically correct, industrialized world is like trying to convince a caveman of the merits of having a personal computer. Jenghiz Khan was perhaps the most brilliant uneducated man in history. He was a master of human nature. The men who helped him create his empire, like He-Who-Goes-First, were making their lives from the “raw materials” of the times they lived in. The warrior in this story struggles with his spirituality and his role as a soldier. ISBN: 1-4137-4190-8 165 pages, 5.5 x 8....

In the school where I work as a detention monitor, I have noticed that the chess club seems to be a bit too competitive. Several students have been given detentions for chess club altercations. I had no idea that chess club was such a violent place. Could they be playing full contact chess??? Perhaps they forgot that, “the first rule of chess club, is you do not talk about chess club...”

(In plain English...) So yesterdai I got togetha with me band for our weekly jam session. I wrote this song the otha dai, and I played it for the blokes and before you know it we were bouncin’ ideas back ‘n fouth and we played it a cuppla times and it sounds great it does! Me band is supa!

For my friend Mark’s birthday, I got him an authentic Gorock Stick. http://cutris.blogspot.com/2005/10/gorock-stick.html He was always interested in the ways and deeds of Gorock. Many times we had discussed Gorock together and it seemed like a fitting gift. Last Friday while I was with friends, John found out about Mark’s Gorock Stick. I told him that Gorock Sticks must not be decorated, and that they should be found and discarded as needed. The proper use of a Gorock Stick is to test the ground, mud or ice to see if it is safe for passage. It can also be used to support your weight on dangerous slopes and can be used as a weapon. John promised to use the stick only for Gorock sanctioned activities. Saturday when I was hiking the wilds of West Wilkie, I found John his Gorock Stick. I will present it to him in January for his birthday. It will be a fine day for him and we will all be proud that he has joined the ranks of Gorock enthusiasts. It seems that there is a developing Gorock Man...

For the second time in my life, I am dealing with severe underemployment. As a matter-of-fact, I have probably never really been adequately employed. I do have a Liberal Arts degree (gasp) and my major was in English (Ha! Ha! Ha!), but I have had trouble finding a good job with halfway decent pay. My first stint with this was when I finally graduated college with my BA. It had taken a long time to work my way through school. Today it would be nearly impossible, because the University of Minnesota (where I went) has made it hard to go to college part-time. Back when I went, registration order was based on credits earned. Today, part-time students are always last to register for classes. During my first bout of underemployment, I left my job in the nursery/landscape industry when I got my college degree. About that time, a certain George Bush was President and the USA attacked a country called Iraq with a nasty guy named Saddam Hussein in charge. Now years later, the names and places are...

I ended up getting a cold. First it wasn’t bad, and then suddenly, I lost my voice. I actually feel a lot better, but my voice is just starting to make a comeback after almost a week! I hope it’s almost over and I hope I don’t get another one. The problem is that I work at a school around kids. Hopefully my immunity will build up after I am exposed to the little buggers and their germs for awhile.

Once there was a man who had thought he understood what love was. He eventually was hurt so many times that he kept his feelings stowed safely behind a wall in his mind. He was good at such things. He had learned to shield himself from the white noise and all the pain that found him. Then all at once, he found himself in love in a way that he had never felt before. He was uncharacteristically willing to take huge risks and change his life to obtain this wonderful thing. Eventually, it fell apart and he found himself alone, and knowing the true meaning of heartache . His heart hurt so badly that he was wondering if he might die. Finally, with only himself to rely on, he found his way back home to his own land and his own people. He struggled to rebuild his life. He wondered if he could ever again, feel that feeling, that love that he once had. It seemed like it was so far away. How could that ever happen again? Years had passed, and now he remembered how last night he sat near her in th...

I would like to invite George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleeza Rice to resign. The American people aren’t buying it anymore.

I did a lot of hiking in the wildlife refuge over the Thanksgiving holiday. I saw some pretty cool things too. One that comes to mind happened yesterday. I was on the undeveloped trail between Long Meadow Lake and the Minnesota River. I noticed a Bald Eagle across the river from me perched in a tree. The snow had been falling steadily and I was developing a nice layer of white over my coat and cap. Suddenly the bird launched itself into the wind. It sailed back around and then pumped its wings and soared off through the falling snow. I’ve seen eagles up close many times before, but it is always a treat to watch them fly. The snow only added to the grandeur. Before I finished my hike, I had also seen an owl, a cormorant, 14 Hooded Mergansers, four deer, a Red-Tailed Hawk, and more. Winter is such a great time to go hiking!

For Thanksgiving this year, I would like to pay tribute to the most American of birds, the Wild Turkey. Benjamin Franklin had wanted the turkey, not the Bald Eagle to be the country’s emblem. This is because the Bald Eagle is a scavenger and a thief, and he thought the turkey to be more “honest.” I see wild turkeys in the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, where I volunteer as a park ranger. There are quite a few there, even though they are hunted. I enjoy finding their feathers, as they are a unique bird with beautiful plumage. The wild version of the turkey seems much more intelligent than the domestic turkey. More than likely, however, the domestic bird is better tasting. If I am lucky I will be able to see some wild turkeys on my sunrise hike on Thanksgiving morning. Then, later, I will enjoy dining on a roasted bird. So, I salute the turkey. Happy Thanksgiving! http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~insrisg/nature/nw98/franklinturkey.html

It hurt so badly but I held it in. When I was finally alone, the pain slowly oozed out, and I screamed to the heavens… why? I knew why. It was the way it had always been. I wondered how I could grieve so… for an animal? I knew why… because my friend had touched my soul. I collapsed in a heap, suddenly weak. Then, later… I found my strength. The hurt slowly ebbed, but the memories remained.

I hadn’t hiked the day before, because it was raining. It was raining again today, only now it was 15 degrees colder and much windier. I was sick of being inside and wanted to go into the woods. I started thinking about Gorock. http://cutris.blogspot.com/2005/10/gorock-stick.html Would Gorock, the prehistoric man who was so skilled with the “Gorock Stick,” have sat inside his dwelling because of rain? No, he would have been out hunting for food. Perhaps, I thought, we should not think about those such as Elliptical Jones, who preferred to sleep on his couch, rather than go out and do something. Sure that one day he did get up and he took his virtually unsinkable ship out. The fact that the ship sank later that day near the Cape of Good Mushrooms is irrelevant. The day may have ended in disaster, but Elliptical Jones had both the skill and motivation to cause that disaster. Would it be so difficult for me to hike for a couple of hours in gale-force winds, rain and 40 degree Fahrenheit t...

Isn't it sad that there are blog-spammers now? I have to delete advertising from the comments section because there are so many pathetic people that want to sell their garbage on my blog!

I would like to take this moment to disassociate myself from the comments of President George W. Bush. Personally, I do not and cannot condone the use of torture to “gain information” about terrorists/terrorism. I am proud to be an American, and I believe in certain fundamentals of human rights. I was raised, believing that my country was above such things as using torture. I believe that these comments by the President are dangerous, embarrassing, and ignorant. KJC

I have had the opportunity over the years, to work with many diverse groups of people. I have learned a lot in these situations. There is one particular thing that I find really bothersome, so I would like to bestow some wisdom (totally free of charge) to some people out there –who apparently don’t know this. If two (or more) people get into a disagreement; that is what it is. It is a disagreement . This occurs throughout life, and indeed, it is a necessary part of living in communities. Here comes the important thing… When such a disagreement occurs, it is not necessarily the case that the individual with the lighter color skin is a racist. In fact, using this skin differentiation to try to win a disagreement could be showing racism by the accuser. Stick to the disagreement. Use logic and facts to calmly support your case. Forget the cop-out strategy, it has been way overused.

We had a band naming party on Saturday night. After the ballots were counted, it was found that more ballots existed than people at the party… Mark... The winning name was Permanent Record. Dave (front) Tony (back) Pete Kevin Mark ("with the band") & Dean (of Shack & Pasture fame) Don't ask... Thanks to Jen for the pictures!

Cutris Announces Candidacy November 5, 2005 unAssociated Press Today, Cutris announced his candidacy in the election for United States President in November of 2008. When asked what he thought he could bring to the country that was currently lacking, he said, “I will try to tell the truth at least 95% of the time.” This would be an increase of 77.31% over the Bush Administration. Cutris was asked about his platform, for which he promptly replied, “I am currently working on the Shack Platform. I hope to have both the platform and my shack built before the election.” A right-wing liberal asked the question about the abortion issue. Cutris responded, “The abortion issue is not a political issue. It should be decided by individuals, their doctors and families.” When asked about the war in Iraq, Cutris fired back. “Why are we still there? They don’t want us there and we didn’t find weapons of mass destruction. We also removed Saddam Hussein from power. It seems the objectives were achieved...

Northwest Airlines, which has filed for bankruptcy, is both cutting its workforce and forcing employees to accept significantly less compensation. NWA owes money to the employee pension fund, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Mesaba Airlines and others. So how come NWA has just added brand new Airbus A330’s to it’s collection of aircraft?

Shack & Pasture Magazine Issue #1, Volume 1 ..................A publication of November 2, 2005 .................Cutris Hill Farms Northern Shack By Kevin J. Curtis I met up with my friend Dean in Grand Marais, Minnesota in Mid-October, for a tour of his shack in the deep woods of northeastern Minnesota. It has long been a dream of mine to live in a shack in my brother’s pasture, thus carrying on a family tradition. http://cutris.blogspot.com/2005/06/story-of-kevins-shack.html Dean’s shack was a good hour past Grand Marais in the arrowhead region. It isn’t finished yet, which only added to the charm in my opinion. When I arrived on Tuesday, it was raining in the northeast of Minnesota. Later that evening it began to snow. By Wednesday morning we had a beautiful white world outside of the shack. The shack was located way off the electrical grid, so power was available only by using a generator. Wood was used for heating in the wood stove. There were numerous innovations at the shac...

Award October 30, 2005 For the second time today, Cutris has won the prestigious, annual Dude of the Week award. This award sponsored by the Women of Today, is given out once each month.

In our world, we are often given one side to the story… whatever the story happens to be. The United States does not use weapons of mass destruction, though we do have them. Furthermore, the 15,000 lb. Daisy Cutter bomb, which destroys everything within a 600-yard radius, is not a weapon of mass destruction. I have recently begun a dialogue with a man from Syria who found me on my blog. He is afraid that the USA will invade his country, because of the allegations that Syria is arming Lebanese terrorists. He had those awful pictures of the abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison. This led me to wonder if the USA is also spreading terror? http://www.nd.edu/~techrev/Archive/Spring2002/a8.html http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/iraqis_tortured/

Yesterday, as I was hiking up a muddy creek in the Wilkie Unit of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, I found that I needed to use a “Gorock Stick” to improve my safety. For those of you who may not know what a Gorock Stick is, it was named after a man whom I first wrote about sometime ago, who lived around 5000BC. Mr. Gorock may not have invented the concept of using a stick to poke unstable ground in order to find safe passage, but he did in fact, perfect the art form. In a time when it was important to have the basic skills of hunting, using weapons and poking a stick in the ground to find safe passage, Mr. Gorock was the undisputed expert in the use of what would later be referred to, as the “Gorock Stick.” Some of you may have seen the movie “Nanook of the North,” in which the lead character, Nanook, used his spear to find safe passage across dangerous ice flows. It is likely that Gorock’s stick too, may have doubled as a weapon such as a spear. The stick that I used wa...

A flock of pigs was seen flying over a frozen hell on Sunday... Yes, the Vikings had actually won a game.

One of the e-mails I had yesterday informed me that I didn’t get the job I had wanted. I was down to the last two applicants, and I interviewed twice for it. I could get upset, but it apparently wasn’t the right job, and I’m not going to let it ruin my day.

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The city of Providence (you may remember this battle from previous posts) finally sent my refund for the excess they charged me for the (rip-off) excise tax for my car that I don’t own anymore in a city (Providence) that I don’t live in anymore. Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t give up easily. I outlasted the Providence Tax Assessors office!

I went to my car dealer after my summer trip in July, and the service guy tried to talk me into all kinds of unnecessary repairs. I did decide to go with a transmission flush, since I know the transmissions on most cars are crap. The guy wanted to do a brake inspection, and I negotiated a tire rotation while they had the wheels off. The rotation wasn’t on the invoice, but when I asked, I was told it had been done. I was also told that my brakes would need to be done this fall, because they were down to 20% of original. I called the service guy when I noticed my tires hadn’t been rotated. He said he’d “take care of me” next time I came in. I went in the next morning. He said he couldn’t help me because the mechanic who was supposed to work on my car wasn’t there. I was mad. He told me he couldn’t help me, so I backed out and backed all the way to the front where I went in and asked to speak to a manager. I was explaining to the manager what had happened, when “Andy,” the service guy ran...

This is YELLOW ??? No, it's ORANGE .

"You wouldn't think you were so smart if you had a wasp up your butt!"

Most of the kids in detention think they are really cool and really tough. Some of them know everything. A lot of them are in detention almost daily. One decided that it would be a good idea to threaten me yesterday. He is currently serving a 5-day suspension. No doubt, some of these kids are destined for prison someday. Even if they’ve been in juvenile detention, they have no idea what’s in store for them after age 18. I haven’t seen one of them yet that would last more than half a day in an adult lockup. I really wish that I could help them, but most of them are too stubborn and too proud.

One day an ant was walking down the street when it heard its name, “Philbrashen.” Who could have been looking for a tiny ant? It thought. It looked around with its compound eyes, listened with its auditory senses and felt with its antennas, but there was no one around! Suddenly it heard the sound again, “Philbrashen! Philbrashen! Philbrashen! But again, there was nobody there! Then the tiny ant heard someone say, “Damn these allergies! Philbrashen! Philbrashen!” Suddenly feeling spooked, the little ant ran home.

This is a "sanitized" copy of the letter that I e-mailed to an employer who is insisting that I interview in the morning... Person, Title Person, Title Address RE: SECOND INTERVIEW FOR, ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM I received two phone calls regarding a second interview for the position that I talked with you about last Thursday (10/6/05). Each time I was asked to interview in the morning, and each time I explained that I have a job and I can only interview in the afternoon. The last call did not sound very promising, since I was not given any alternative besides this Thursday morning. I am currently working for ISD ###, and my hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00AM until 1:30PM. I cannot in good conscience take off work to interview for any job. I respect my employer, my coworkers, and the children who I work with. While I am still interested in the job, and I am available most any afternoon (except this Wednesday when I have another second interview), I cannot i...

Within our society that pretends to be politically correct at all cost, it is difficult to address any real problems. I have personally worked with drug addicts, convicts and now I work as a detention monitor with Jr. High School students. The interesting and perhaps sad thing about it is that certain demographic groups are disproportionately represented in all of these areas. In my experience, it has nothing to do with prejudice, and everything to do with the attitude of the individuals. These attitudes seem to be passed from parents to their children. Wanton disregard for rules and almost complete defiance of authority is often ignored by the parents and embraced by the children. More likely, the children learn from the example of their parents. If the school continually sends discipline notices home and the parents ignore them, how will the child know to change? If the child refuses to serve detention and the parent will not intervene, what can the school do? Street Culture seems to...

On my birthday I went hiking at Rapids Lake. I was climbing down a ravine, when I found some clothing and a bone. I looked around a bit, but wasn’t interested in digging. I don’t know what it was all about, but I put it in my ranger report. Otherwise, I seem to be generating a lot of interviews all of a sudden. I have two so far this week and maybe another. There is one job I really would like to get, and I just found out that I have made it to the final two!