OUT, MOVIES ABOUT 9 FOOT BLUE GOOFY DUDES FROM WHO KNOWS WHERE, AVATAR? . . . IN, MOVIES ABOUT REAL PEOPLE, REAL STORIES, BIGGER THAN LIFE PEOPLE, WITH TALE TAILS, THAT IF THEY WERE NOT TRUE, THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES, WOULD NOT BELIEVE THEIR OWN STORIES . . . WHY HASN'T EITHER A MOVIE PRODUCER, A DOCUMENTARY FILM CREW, TED TURNER'S PRODUCTION COMPANY, OR SOMEONE DONE A FILM ON THE SHELBY, DEMPSEY/GIBBONS WORLD HEAVY WEIGHT TITLE FIGHT, BEEN MADE INTO A MOVIE, OR A STORY OF THE PROVO DEATH CAVE, THE BLAKE DONNER DEATH, LEAD SINGER FOR (OLD SCHOOL) PARALLAX, OR GOD'S REVOLVER, HARD ROCK BAND OF 2008, THAT GOT THEIR MUSIC STOLEN, MERGING INTO MARALOKA, WITH BASS GUITARIST, ELLIOT TAYLOR SECRIST, YEAH, MY SON, WITH A HEAD OF FIRE, AND TOLD THEIR STORIES, TO INSPIRE, GIVE HOPE, AND DRIVE US ONTO BETTER LIVES, BELIEVING IN THE MAJESTIC STORIES OF OUR NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS, BANKERS, ATTORNEYS, THE RANCHER, THE FARMER . . . THE STUFF OF GREAT MOVIE MATERIAL. A PLUG & ARGUMENT TO VOTE IN FEMALE CANDIDATES, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE FEMALE, BUT, BECAUSE WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FORM OF GOVERNMENT, DOES OUR CURRENT CONGRESS REFLECT A FAIR AND BALANCED CROSS SECTION, A REAL REPRESENTATION OF SOCIETY AT LARGE? WOMEN MAKE UP 51% OF THE POPULATION, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF CONGRESS, HOUSE & SENATE ARE FEMALE, AND HOW HAS THAT HURT WOMEN? AMANDA CURTIS (D. MONTANA), THE CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATE, TAKING OVER FOR APPOINTEE, JOHN WELCH, WHO STEPPED OUT OF THE RACE, LEAVING CURTIS WITH ONLY 80 DAYS TO PULL OFF A CAMPAIGN, WITH HAND PAINTED YARD SIGNS, NO MONEY, BUT HELLA COOL YOUTUBE VIDEOS ON HER POSITIONS . . . MY QUESTION IS, DOES CONGRESSMAN, STEVE DAINES, A MILLIONAIRE, RELATE MORE TO YOU, OR A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER, A SCIENCE TEACHER? I LOVED HER STATEMENT, I DON'T WANT THOSE OLD MEN IN CONGRESS, MAKING DECISIONS FOR ME, OR ON WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, VAGINAL PROBES, LEGITIMATE RAPES, ETC.! I CAN'T AGREE MORE, BAREFOOT AND PREGNANT IS NOT MY IDEA OF THE ONLY OPTION A WOMAN HAS. IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE, ON THE ISSUE OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN THE MILITARY, A FEMALE MEMBER OF CONGRESS, CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS THE SENATE OR THE HOUSE, GOT A PATRONIZING VOTE, CLOSE, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO TAKE PROSECUTIONS FOR SEXUAL ASSAULTS, OUT OF THE MILITARY COURTS, ALWAYS SUPPORTING THE "GOOD SOLDIER" EXCUSE FOR A RAPIST, SEXUAL HARASSMENT, ETC., WITH CURRENT STATISTICS AT 26,000 SEXUAL ASSAULTS, AND THAT WAS AFTER THE MILITARY BECAME AWARE OF THE HUGE NUMBERS OF ASSAULTS! I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WERE THAN MANY WOMEN IN THE MILITARY, AND BOTH OF MY DAUGHTERS SERVED, NAVY & AIR FORCE! SO, HELL YEAH, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE, 20 OR SO WOMEN IN THE SENATE CAN'T CARRY ANYTHING, AND WHO KNOWS ABOUT THE HOUSE? THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES, IS NOT OVER, WHEN WOMEN CAN'T PASS LAWS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES!

Great New Trend in Movies

I read an article, in some newspaper, lately, that was doing an article on all the new movies, that were about real life stories, real people, rather than the big block buster, kids movies, of the last few years, with characters from comic books, or kids books, and thank God, I am so sick of going to the movies, or the theater and only having a choice, that I don't know if I would even take my kids to, if they weren't 31, 34, 36, and 39 years old!  I always tried to raise my kids to be adults, denying privileges, special treatment, so they would actually want to grow up, rather than totally focusing on making their childhoods, comfy, perfect, and so nice, that they would want to hang out with me forever!  Scream, I dig the hell out of my kids, but, I have a life, and so do they, separate and aside from their immediate family.  Even though they years that children stay in the home, has gone from 18 to 26 or something like that, as evidenced by coverage of a child on a parents insurance policy.  No, my kids had 18 years to be kids, and they might be adults for 80 years after that, if they are genetically gifted enough to last on this earth as long as their great-grandparents, with three of them living to the age of their mid-nineties.

I remember one of my English professors, and crusty old Marine, Dr. Grove, who stated in a class, that none of us, would be famous, because, none of us have had a tragic or hard enough life.  I took offense to that, seeing myself as famous material, and the possibility, and I also, with four kids, wanted famous kids.  So things would have to change, I would have to create a bit of a challenge for my kids, so I got divorced, and went to law school, not your cuddly little, cozy mom, I am sure they would like, but nonetheless, I wanted to be a role model, of a great person, honest, driven, contributing to the world, striving for excellence, and leaving a huge footprint on this earth for good, hopefully.  I am sure, as I am sitting up here in Shelby, Montana, hoping that this blog reaches someone, who can take this town, put it on the map, and tell their story, that my kids, might rather have a mother who is cooking a great Sunday dinner, and gathering the family around . . . the government killed that, twice, with me trying to create that type of family atmosphere, but that didn't seem to be in the plan, with two great family homes, the second one, in Parowan, being designed and decorated, just for family, with special game rooms, or actually three rooms, for entertainment, play and imagination, and exercise for various ages of family members.

Life Happens, When You Are Making Other Plans

So, I am excited, that due to the economic down turn, or the large cost of these larger than life, kid block busters, that movie producers, are turning to the more simple venues, small town U.S.A., to show how the average man or woman, family, make it through life, dealing with trials, struggles, love, loss, challenge, and come through it well, or with dignity, with their honor in tact, meeting obligations with style that can inspire the most cynical member of the public, demonstrating that life, its self, well lived, is a badge of honor, or something to hang your hat on, just putting food on the table, raising great kids, being true to an oath, standing up to the powers that be, creative genius, that drives human kids to greatness, making life great for everyone.  I remember reading, one of my favorite books, Ayn Rand's, Fountainhead, a book about the philosophy of objectivism, one thing that me and Paul Ryan, agree on, as one of his favorite books also, but probably for the totally opposite reasons, but I know that reasonable people agree to disagree.  But, Roark, the main character, makes a statement that I used and followed, I will find my bliss, so you can find yours . . . giving my children the freedom to find their own path in life, and they have done well with that freedom.  Let children go, so they can grow!

Movies, can be a powerful medium for thought, example, inspiration, knowledge, if not wisdom, my mother used to say, experience is a great teacher, but it is a fool, who learns by none other!  The country western band, Far West, had a song, that said the singer learned about life, marriage, love, prison, work, manhood, about women, without making the same mistakes of the men and women, who sang about all these themes in their songs, movies do the same thing.  I remember on of the movies, that had a startling impact on me, not a block busters at all, but kind of a sleeper, A Simple Plan, with Billy Bob Thorton, just a couple of happy country, small town guys, who happen to find a plane crash with either drug money or a bank robbery, can't remember, but how this money destroyed their marriages, their friendship, led to murder, and all kinds of horrifying things.  Shit!  Or, Fargo, Conviction, Lawless . . . and on and on!  Thanks Hollywood!  You probably prevented me to stop in my tracks, learn, think, and avoid some of the same mistakes, that many characters in True Stories, did without preaching to me, judging me, but giving me an insight into the complexities from life, making very grateful for just my struggles, or my kids, and being happy with just my little life, and all that entails, that fame, money, power, may not be all that it is cracked up to be, as seen in the movie, Paranoid . . . good lessons for young ambitions people, who are offered deals that are too good to be true, and usually they are, involving selling our own soul, to partake of the perks.

Nothing But Respect For Shelby Businessmen

What a story of bigger than life dreams for a few businessmen, father and son, friends, in Shelby, who had dreams for the town, with a man becoming what he dreams about.  They wanted to hold the boxing match of the century, in their little, Montana town of 500, and they did.  It may not have turned out the way they wanted it to, as most things in life, there are things we would have done differently, better, more informed, or protected ourselves better, from the shark tank nation, but, the experience, none the less, made us who were are, and the better for it.  We can't control what happens to us in life, but we can control they way we react to what happens to us, in life!  You can tell the nature and character of a man, woman, child, by the way they handle, life in general, what they chose to do, with the cards they are dealt . . . often with fate, an act of God, calling the average man and woman in your community to rise to some greater calling, and when preparation and opportunity meet, is when success happens, a statement I have lived by, ever since I remember reading it on the walls of Messer Elementary School, in Provo, Utah, if I remember right, or some school my kids attended, but it inspired me, maybe in Orem?  

There have been many stories, great by virtue of the fact that they happened, some by accident, others by design, and then again, others, that seem to be a gift from an almighty God, who knows this story, message, this set of facts, this lesson, needs to be told.  Good vs. Evil, is a theme, that permeates, not only the first story in the Bible, but down to what happened, July 4, 1923, in the Dempsey/Gibbons fight, with the good guys, in the dark, most of the time, being hit time and time again, by more shrewd, cunning, calculating, and devious, even corrupt businessmen, with the almighty dollar their God, taking the less experience, more honest, to a fault, never thinking for a second a man was good for his word . . . being taken advantage of, ripped off, robbed, and defamed, in ways, the innocent, would never think was actually part of this deal.  So, there is no reason, to have any shame, in what happened, these men did all they needed to pull off a successful fight, that even losing their shirts, gave the world a thrill, in a great fight!  I fucking love the fact, that this small town, big thinkers, actually even pulled this thing off at all!  Make it great!

We Need To Feminize Congress

Two years ago, I attended several sessions, plus testified, at the 2013, Montana Legislative Session, and noticed to my surprise, after dealing with the Utah Legislature, that there was almost an even number of women, at least in the House of Representatives, here in Montana, very impressive, and believe me, it made a difference, with many of these women coming from legal backgrounds, the teaching profession, from the Tribes, and other backgrounds, so representative, and these women, were every bit as respected, listened to, aggressive and assertive, in their positions.  I love the ancient Chinese symbol of the Ying & Yang, or the black and white, circle, with half of it representing the female elements, as half of the whole, and the other half, upside down, and filling in where the female element is smaller, and the opposite, the female element filling in for the smaller side of the male . . . kind of like the numbers, 69, part of a whole scheme of things, compensating for each other, or being a strength in a different area, or the opposite of the other sex.

In the book, The Science of Power, with the conclusion, that it is women, who will actually, save civilization, having passed the days of the fighting male, focusing more on relationships, rather than war.  I think we are seeing different, more sophisticated approaches to war, ISIS, trying to understand the relationships of countries, religions, the make up society, the fact that the more educated the women are, the less likely they will let their children join extremist groups, terrorists, like someone stated, the Taliban's biggest enemy is a girl with a book . . . they want war, and that is what they have been going for, blood, terror, death, etc., pretty male stuff, on the dark side!  There was a great cartoon, in the Great Falls Tribune, yesterday, with a scrawny ISIS guy, holding a sword, over the head of a kind of puzzled journalist, waiting to be, beheaded, then a group of journalists, TV, media, turned with their entire focus being on the Ebola flu pandemic, that might happen if we don't get a grip and stop it.  Now, I would say, that is a kind of female approach, taking the attention, from an attention seeking jihads group of terrorists, who are media seeking, medias savvy, and wanting world wide attention for their plight or fight, a very male, male thing.  I remember my boys, and was reminded, yesterday at the Shelby Library, as two young boys, ran, competed, yelled, challenged, and kept yelling to their mothers, watch me . . . my boys were constantly wanting me to watch them, to see what they were up to, the girls, really didn't do it, as I recall.

So, if we realize, the psychological make up, of, just what, whom and what is their payment, really, showboating, fanfare, drawing kids and recruits from other countries, like Brussels, England, Germany, with the need to do something of merit, a cause to be associated with, a clan, a reason and a fight, ISIS, does that for many young men, and maybe woman, thrill seekers, trouble makers, etc.  Watch me, world, bragging up the terrorists is the worst thing that we can do, the best is to take away, what is their life blood, WATCH ME, BE TERRORIZED BY ME, I AM BAD ASS!  Well, stop feeding the beast, stop the media coverage, let them carry out their terror without any attention, and they most likely will stop, they are not being rewarded, nor watched, we are getting them  out of the spotlight. and that works, with the male psychology.  Woman are better figuring out relationships, even the male dominated CIA, has realized after all it took to find Osama Bin Laden, it took the tenacity, the patience to put together all the relationships, that made up the Bin Laden network.  There was even the question asked, interviewing the real women who discovered the terrorist cells and put them together for the guys, who do what they did best, torture, threaten, rescue, and the physical type stuff, of a SEAL surprise attack, so to say . . . but, each sex, has their particular strengths, and traits, and the most progressive and up and coming companies, realize that, and have an even number of women at the boardroom tables as they do men, bringing something new, unique to the table.

Don't You Think Congress Should Be Better?

The more the sides square off, the Republicans vs. the Democrats, the more women are needed, who will focus on relationships, the need to work together, to get things done, many might have kids, husbands, homes, and have better things than to shut the government down for 16 days, and just get it done, so they can get to business at home.  They don't have a husband, who is holding down the fort at home, generally, when a woman works, she doesn't get half the work load at home, she gets two full time jobs, and she learns how to multi-task, women do this better than men, sorry.   And men do things better than women.  Once, I wrote an essay for an English class at Weber State College/University, in Odgen, Utah, were I got my undergrad . . . I had four children under the ages of 8, and I was taking a full load of courses and credits at college, plus I had a husband that had big time commitments at work, with many night meetings, city council, county commissions, and planning board, plus demanding church jobs; therefore, I was pretty much on my own, for school, home and church jobs I had to do.

So, I wrote a paper, called, I Need a Wife, thinking how nice it would be, to come home each night to a clean house, dinner, hot on the table, the yard done for me, kids, taken care of all day, etc.  This got the dander of a male student in the class, who, after my professor, read my paper to the class, wrote a male response, How Nice it Would Be to Have a Husband!  We were competitive all the way through college, both being honored humanities students, outstanding English majors, and now both, attorneys, so that was not the end of that debate, but it was insightful . . . I am sure he was forced to recognize, although single at the time, that women do make so many things work, from behind the scenes, without a whole lot of thanks, but men, do so in the reverse . . . they make up the whole of the family, of society, and they should in Congress, and I am not particularly concerned about the political affiliation, just that there is a better representation, a general federation of women back there in Washington, D.C., I think women, and children who women are more focused on, see things a bit different than a bunch of old and young, men!  They will vote different, and rightly so, with domestic violence, sexual assault, rape, working mothers, child care, family leave, and whatever else, ails the family, women, not men are going to, generally be a bit more qualified.

Like Ferguson, Missouri Police Force . . . Things Go Better When People Feel Represented, Their Voices Heard, and That Goes for CONGRESS!

P.S., Just want to plug, the Glacier Motel & RV Park, great night sleep, didn't wake up until 8 a.m., generally up and out the door, by around 6, so nice mattresses, clean, cozy, nice heating system, love having a microwave and fridge, ordered a package deal dinner, the other night that was enough for several meals, including breakfast, and glad to have hot pizza, bread sticks, and cinnamon sticks!  Just really has all I need, right here at my finger tips.  Love the touches of Americana, the wishing well, just outside the office, love having a Diet Coke machine at my finger tips, or just a walk down the motel, comfy pillows, I drift off to sleep, when usually, I am on all points alert during the news.  Great stay and can't beat the prices, especially for an extended stay, of a week or more.