Forty-five years ago, a friend of mine named George sponsored my ski film and personal appearance in Albany, N.Y. He and his ski club always filled the local high school auditorium. Last week, I was doing a book signing at a nearby ski resort and he put his money on the counter, bought another copy […]

Last week, I talked about how the iPad ( and devices like it ) can become a strategic advantage for your business. I believe that every organization (not just “business”) needs to put some strategic thought into how (or if) a location-enabled, touch device like this can help them, but restaurants & real estate are […]

Congressman Denny Rehberg rakes in the campaign cash. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate in the Flathead breaks another record. HIGH MISSOULA CITY COUNCIL – Adopting the first ordinance in the state that prevents discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, over the opposition of conservative protestors, this decision made headlines all over Montana. DENNY REHBERG […]

The U.S. was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941 and Sept.11, 2001. Tom Hanks is the co-producer of the HBO series, “The Pacific,” about WWII. In recent interviews, he has compared our war against Japan in WWII with our war against radical Islam now, as both racially motivated. I suggest Hanks read “The Rape of Nanking” […]

There is stigma attached to being employed in the public sector. You are accused of inefficiency, ineptitude and, if you serve on a council or board that wields any sort of power, bias. But if working for the “man” was derided before the recession, it has only worsened since. And the Flathead is a prime […]

Regarding the feasibility study being undertaking by the Montana Department of Transportation, it should be noted that the state was notified back in February 2009 that it had yet to comply with the mandated Federal US-EPA guidelines for implementing and maintaining a Haze and Visibility Program set into policy back in 1977. If one reads […]

According to the April issue of Rural Montana, the leadership of our national and state electric cooperatives is using its political clout to limit the role of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in regulating carbon dioxide emissions. For this purpose they will be including stamped post cards in the May issue of Rural Montana and […]

I know what you’re thinking. It goes something like this: Why do I need this thing? It’s just like a dinky little laptop with no keyboard. I can’t even plug my USB thumb drive into it. Even if I do buy one, why would I drop the extra coin for the 3G version? It won’t […]

By now, you’ve probably heard of the flap over Governor Schweitzer’s release of infrastructure grant monies … about $5 million authorized by the Legislature and scattered around the state, including the Mennonite Road improvement in the Flathead. The funds first became available because federal “stimulus” funds (opposed by conservatives) could be dumped into the general […]

Three states join Montana in suing the feds over gun laws. Meanwhile, Montana Sen. Jon Tester faces a combative crowd in Missoula. HIGH JOHN PAUL STEVENS – This U.S. Supreme Court Justice, one of its liberal members, announced his retirement just shy of his 90th birthday and is receiving accolades for his service. Let his […]

On my recent annual spring outing I encountered some very large paw prints of a canine creature. They could have been tracks of a mighty big dog, but in the remote location where I found them, I think they were the tracks of a wolf. To begin my hike, I had driven as far as […]

In a move that can be described by a number of adjectives (bizarre? vengeful? shrewd?) Gov. Brian Schweitzer asked western Montana officials to show support for the state Land Board’s decision to lease Otter Creek coal tracts before receiving state grants funded by stimulus money. The ultimatum infuriated liberals and came just weeks after the […]

Since Spencer Mountain near Whitefish represents both a high-value recreation area and a potential revenue generator, I’m hoping that Department of Natural Resources foresters will be unusually creative when developing any final timber harvesting plans. Although the agency often employs traditional thinning grids such as uniform 20-by-20 foot leave-tree spacing, such basic tree farming is […]

The recent news that state lands will generate an unexpected $127 million ($86 million in one-time-only bonus payments from the lease of state lands in the Otter Creek area in eastern Montana, coupled with the Montana Supreme Court’s recent ruling that Pennsylvania Power and Light (PPL) owes the state of Montana $41 million for rent […]

Like people, businesses have many different stages of life. Some are newborn babies. Some are venerable old cowboys that at 86 can still take a strong 22 year old and pound the tar out of them. Lots of people are rolling down the runway of a new business right now, almost ready to take off. […]