Thoughts From The Middle of Nowhere

Category: government

  • Learning Something New

    One of the things I really like about the Internet and blogs is the new things you can learn, if you have an open enough mind to read and learn things that is. I have been learning a lot about the dairy industry over at <a href="http://northviewdiary.blogspot.com/">Northview Diary</a> and the education has been interesting at…

  • Over Reaching

    <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2006/01/20/build/nation/30-google-search.inc">Google, Bush administration clash over search requests</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>Google Inc. is rebuffing the Bush administration's demand for a peek at what millions of people have been looking up on the Internet's leading search engine – a request that underscores the potential for online databases to become tools for government surveillance.<br />n<br />nMountain View-based Google…

  • Get a Clue, Burns

    <a href="http://www.cattlenetwork.com/content.asp?contentid=17018">Sen. Burns: <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym> Must Better Regulate Packers</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>U.S. Senator Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) expressed his concern today over a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (<acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat…

  • The USDA is Out of Control

    <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2006/01/19/build/nation/75-usda-audit.inc"><acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym> faked anti-competition investigations, audit says</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>The Agriculture Department has pretended to investigate anti-competitive behavior among stockyards and meat companies since 1999, but in hundreds of cases it hasn't actually filed complaints, says an audit released Wednesday.<br />n<br />nSenior…

  • Where Will This Lead

    <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2006/01/14/build/nation/25-usda-farmers.inc">Using images from above, <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym> prosecutes farmers</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>Satellites have monitored crop conditions around the world for decades, helping traders predict futures prices in commodities markets and governments anticipate crop shortages.<br />n<br />nBut those satellite images are now increasingly turning…

  • Herd Identification

    I normally don't link to opinion pieces but this one gets an exception.<br />n<br />n<a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48237">The mark of the beast</a><br />n<br />nThe piece is about the National Animal Identification System (<acronym title="National Animal Identification System">NAIS</acronym>) and the problems with it.<br />n<br />n<blockquote>Everyone wants a safe, abundant and affordable food supply, which America has enjoyed for…

  • Tears

    I am just shedding Crocodile tears over the information coming out of the park about <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2006/01/06/build/wyoming/30-wolf-disease.inc">the wolves</a>. I know the wolves are here to stay whether I like it or not but I will not get upset over a disease problem in them. The wolves will either develop an immunity to Parvo or the…

  • Animal ID

    Someone dropped a comment in an older post about a blog I found of interest called <a href="http://www.stopanimalid.org/blog/">Stop Animal ID</a>. If I read it right its an effort to promote understanding to all people about what the whole National Animal Identification System (<acronym title="National Animal Identification System">NAIS</acronym>) is proposing and doing. It bears for more…

  • Beef is Safe

    I saw a story this morning that claims the Government isn't doing enough to <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2006/01/05/build/nation/50-madcow.inc">protect people and animals from <acronym title="Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy">BSE</acronym></a>. The article is short on facts and long on hyperbole but as a rancher I felt it important to respond.<br />n<br />nTo start with I will say that overall beef production…

  • Water Rights Fee

    I got my bill in the mail for <a href="http://www.montanaforum.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=4378">water rights</a>. I find the statement that a persons bill could be up to $400 dollars a laugh.<br />n<br />n<blockquote>Individuals can expect to pay $20 per water right every two years for the next decade. People with multiple water rights will pay up to $400.</blockquote><br />n<br…