I am CuTRis

I can't get into any details of my work, since businesses are touchy about blogs and such. Suffice to say, the remodel is unfinished and I cannot work today. So, I am getting things done like stocking up on supplies and hopefully a bike ride. Yesterday I had an early training and was released for the afternoon. I went hiking in the Wilkie unit of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. I was dressed in denim and headed into the unchecked, late summer growth. At first I was noticing all the smells, flowers, birds, butterflies and such -thinking about how much I love getting out into the woods. Soon, I was fighting my way through a tangle of stinging nettles, branches and brush, thinking that I was an idiot to be doing this! As always, I ended up with a lot of burrs in my clothes, some great photographs and a sense of satisfaction. I filled out my ranger report and went home to have dinner with my wife before band practice. Life is going to get busier for awhile, and that mean...

How ironic that since I never liked going to school, I now work at one. That means (like the kids) I am about to go back. I regret the summer ending, though I am optimistic for a good year.

While many of us have been glued to the television, watching the Olympic Games, many lesser known events are never televised. One of these is the Gorock Stick Challenge. This event receives little attention, and is actually seldom used in modern society. Cutris happens to be a Gorock Stick Master, and has beaten the Chinese challenger, Iwin Now , to capture the Gold for the U.S. in yesterday’s obscure events series .

Last night at band practice, we were wondering what to record next. By the time we were done, a new song was finished, and only about two hours old. It all started when I began playing a two-chord progression, walking up and down the individual notes. I threw in a “tribal” sort of vocal thing. My band is exceptional at improvisation, and we were already setup to record. We did everything in one take, and it sounds good. I think the inspiration was from the simplicity of the music that I heard at the Hmong market on Sunday. Not being a Hmong speaker, it sounded like a simple chant. That same type of simplicity is the basis of the song “Tribal,” except that we used a combination of instruments, techniques, and vocals and piled them with digital multi tracking. The final product sounds much more American Indian, and in fact, (in my head) I could see painted warriors and painted ponies running (slow motion) into battle while we recorded. The multi tracking allowed the three of us to build ...

My latest email, This is the SECOND time this rebate has been approved, then declined. I am VERY upset with Sprint. I was promised this rebate when I purchased a new phone for my wife and my plan DOUBLED in cost. Send this rebate immediately, or I will pursue a complaint through my state's attorney general. Furthermore, I will cancel my contract. SEND THE REBATE YOU PROMISED ME AND QUIT PLAYING GAMES!

An interesting video on the news yesterday shows Paris Hilton talking about the two (U.S.) 2008 presidential candidates. Paris lays out a rather sensible energy plan, which seems to put both McCain and Obama to shame. Of course, being Paris Hilton, she ruins it by continuing to talk and say that she is ready to be the next president and that she will paint the White House pink. There is actually a presidential site for her at paris4prez.com . I recall a time when Minnesotans were fed up with politics and politicians. We voted Jesse Ventura into the governor’s mansion, where his son held wild parties while his parents were elsewhere. Ventura was interesting, and made sense in the debates. It soon became clear, however, that he was a giant wuss who blamed the media for all of his self induced problems. Like Paris Hilton, Jesse Ventura was created by the media. Paris was born into a rich family and that is her claim to fame. Ventura was a “pro wrestler” which gained him notoriety. Neithe...

Are you scared by the huge national debt? Do you distrust the politicians who made the decisions that created this astronomical deficit? Then why vote for their candidates? Cutris is financially responsible. In this picture, Cutris can be seen putting a quarter into his piggy bank. He was saving it for a rainy day. It just so happens that it rained the very next day and Cutris broke open the piggy bank and spent the quarter, but I think this misses the point. Cutris saved the quarter in the first place! When he needed it, he took it out of the bank. He didn’t need to finance the twenty-five cents, he already had it! Vote Cutris for President in November, he’s financially responsible! Paid for by the Cutris for President Campaign.

Have you ever looked at the natural environment? I mean have you ever really looked at it? It’s pretty incredible, if you think about it. Next time you’re in the environment, take a close look at something. It could be a tree, an ant, anything! Presidential Candidate Cutris is a staunch supporter of the environment. In fact, this picture taken only yesterday shows him doing his part supporting it! Remember to (write-in) vote for Cutris for President in November! The environment will thank you, and so will your kids. Paid for by the Cutris for President Campaign.

Cutris Asked to be Vice-President July 30, 2008 UnAssociated Press Cutris has reportedly been approached by both the McCain and Obama campaigns, in an attempt to get him to run as vice-president with each respective presidential candidate. When asked about this, Cutris had this to say. "It's less about them wanting me to run, and more about them not wanting to run against me. With no clear candidate to represent "middle America," they are obviously a little scared of the wide appeal my independent candidacy brings to the race." Though he continues to rise in the polls, Cutris would be the first candidate to win by write-in vote on a national level, if he succeeds in gaining the White House in November.

Special Agent Cutris Spotted July 24, 2008 UnAssociated Press Special Agent Cutris was spotted inside the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul, providing a watchful eye on the preparations for the National Republican Convention. Cutris was also seen talking to a Secret Asian , who's identity remains a secret. Cutris refused to comment about his activities, the Secret Asian or his Bugs Bunny tie.

Yesterday I went fishing with my wife and brother-in-law. We were at the Coon Rapids Dam. This is part of the Mississippi River. While we were there, it was impossible not to notice the garbage strewn about both in the water and along the shoreline. I witnessed a grown man throwing rocks at a duck, and a boy who tossed his pop can on the "beach" when he finished with it. These people have no respect for our world and should have rocks thrown at them and be forced to live in garbage. Both represent a group of people who (more) recently immigrated to this country. My impression of them was very bad, though I know (first-hand) not all of them are like this. Bottom-line, if you want my respect, learn to respect our environment. If you don't care, may you be the first to choke to death on waste.

The Cutris Condo is currently for sale. It is in the Heart of the City, in Burnsville, Minnesota. It is a one bedroom on the second floor. It was remodeled by Cutris and has been painted from top to bottom. Move in condition, $69,900.00. Within walking distance of numerous stores, &restaurants, parks and activities, and a great view off of the new deck. For more information, contact my realtor at, www.JeffBudzisz.com .

We decided that the old range hood in our kitchen had to go. It was pretty dirty and had a "limp." My wife wanted me to snap a photo of it as we pulled it down so we had it when we went to find a replacement. Of course, the replacements were designed differently now, and the fan was no longer mounted above the hood. We did run into several problems. One was fitting the new unit in. When we found one small enough (that required only minimal carpentry), there were different fan sizes and we opted for the larger fan. Then for the 7" round duct(like we were replacing), there was no damper included. What's more, no one sold this damper that was a "needed accessory." Ultimately, we cleaned the old damper up using turpentine and installed it above the new range hood. The final result was a new, vented range hood. When we looked upward when it was on, we could see the dampers on the new unit and the roof cap open. We installed the filter and felt good about a job w...

We went fishing yesterday and encountered many turtles. All three of us caught one. Below is one of the large Snapping turtles. Also shown, is what the turtle(s) did to our stringer while we were occupied fishing...

I’ve been out and about, enjoying the summer. There are a lot of people that I’ve come in across, and thankfully most of them are pleasant. Still, there are a couple of others who stick out recently because they were so rude and ornery. If for some reason you find the need to say nasty things to strangers for no good reason (though you may think you have one), I have two things to say to you. First, what is so wrong with your pathetic life that you need to be rude and nasty to make yourself feel better? How unhappy you must be to hate everyone so badly! Second, I used to work with a lot of unpleasant people as part of my job. Many were on a regular cycle of periodic incarceration, due (in large part) to their poor attitudes. Eventually two of these people will meet, or one will run across a similar hothead who will react violently to the insult so easily wielded by the first. The result can be that someone gets hurt or even killed. If your life is so worthless that you don’t care about...

Here is a picture of last night's dinner. It is a specialty of mine, that I hadn't made in awhile. These are barbecued game hens (i.e. "small chickens"). The sauce was Ken Davis (Original). The only thing wrong with this picture, is that you can't smell or taste them...

While you’re sitting on your butt, eating candy and watching TV, there are children starving in a turd ditch in a third world country. Like little Rosalinda, who lives in the turd ditch, because her family has no money for a hut. But for only 13 cents a day, you can put little Rosalinda up in the Radisson on the other side of town. If you send your pledge now, you can get a picture of Rosalinda, the turd ditch, and vital statistics about both. Are you going to let little Rosalinda continue to live in the turd ditch??? You heartless bastard! Send your pledge in now! And you don’t have to worry with Religious Children’s Fund , because 97 cents of each dollar goes straight to the turd ditch! Call now! 1-800-trd-dich

As John McCain and Barack Obama spar over who is more patriotic, independent presidential candidate Cutris proves who is the most patriotic of all...

Thursday, July 03, 2008 Friends, Potential Publishers and Agents, RE: HISTORICAL FICTION "COTTONWOOD" As we humans begin to reassess our place in the world, and how our decisions have affected it, my novel "Cottonwood" takes the reader on a journey through time. Set in a small piece of wilderness in southeastern Minnesota, the landscape is altered, as humans from overseas move into the area. If we could stand in one place and witness the changes that occur over the decades, or even centuries, we might learn something important about ourselves and the world we live in. The enormous cottonwood trees of the Minnesota River Valley appear like giants within the bottomland forest in the floodplain of the recently rated fifth most endangered river in the United States. These giant trees are the witnesses of our influence, and the anchors to a story that peeks into the lives of the humans and animals that came before us. The American Indians were the first humans to inhabi...

Presidential Candidate Cutris Solves Gas Crisis UnAssociated Press July 1, 2008 Presidential candidate Cutris has solved the problem of soaring gas prices! When asked by an UnAssociated Press reporter about how he would solve the problem, Cutris had this to say... "The way I see it," said Cutris , "we have two serious problems that can be solved by one solution. First, we have the rising cost of gasoline and diesel fuel, and any petroleum based products. This has caused the price of everything to rise as shipping costs have skyrocketed. Second, we have global warming, which is caused by greenhouse gasses ." "Hear me out, and see if you can follow my logic. If we learn how to use greenhouse gasses for fuel, we could solve both problems!" Speechless, the reporter could only respond, "I guess so..."