The Heat is On: Desert Tortoises and Survival

Though the Mojave Desert tortoise has thrived in the southwestern United States for thousands of years, its population has severely declined over the last four decades. A new USGS documentary, titled The Heat is On: Desert Tortoises and Survival, explains why this important indicator of desert ecosystem health is declining and what scientists are doing to save them. Mojave tortoises were first listed as a threatened species in 1990. Widespread and rapid declines in tortoise numbers have made them a top priority for federal research and are driving efforts to recover the species. The desert tortoise will not be removed from the endangered species list until its population stabilizes or increases over 25 years. “Scientific research about the tortoise population across the entire Mojave Desert allows us to put together a more complete picture of the tortoise’s habitat needs and reasons for its decline,” said Todd Esque, USGS research ecologist, who is featured in the documentary. “Researching the decline of this reptile can tell us a lot about the overall health of the desert.” Declines are due to habitat loss associated with urban development, utility corridors, highway mortality, off-road vehicle use and recreational activities. Also, populations of predators like coyotes and ravens have grown exponentially, subsidized by human food sources. Power lines provide artificial nesting perches for ravens, and invasive plant species compete for scarce resources and fuel fires that destroy the habitat. Diseases, such as upper respiratory tract disease, have also played a major role in tortoise declines...read more

Trial dates set in southern Utah Indian artifacts cases

Trial dates were set Monday for a number of defendants facing charges of stealing and selling artifacts from federal and protected lands, with the government resolving to move its case forward in spite of the death of its confidential source. The future of the case and the 20-plus defendants who are looking for resolutions was questioned after the suicide death of the government's confidential source, Ted Gardiner, whose recordings are believed to have made up the bulk of the prosecution's case. Prosecutors would not identify Gardiner as their source during Monday's hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Samuel Alba, but prosecutor Richard McKelvie said the man known as "the source" was "deceased as of last week" and that the death was not "fatal to any of our cases." "We plan to go forward with the case," McKelvie said. "The only difference is the manner in which we proffer the evidence."...read more

Tribe seeks 37 acres of Olympic National Park

Just ask members of the Hoh Tribe: The river that carries their name is shoving them right out of their reservation. The Hoh are a tiny tribe of fewer than 300 members, with an even smaller reservation — only a mile square when it was created in 1893. And the reservation is besieged by water from three directions: Storm surges barrel in from the Pacific. The river floods nearly every winter. And then there's the torrential rain: The Hoh live in one of the rainiest places in the lower forty-eight. The tribe's community center and many members' homes on the reservation are encircled by sandbags to hold back the water that is too often at their doors. Some homes have even been abandoned. As chunks of their reservation wash away, the Hoh have turned to Congress for help, seeking legislation to deed a chunk of Olympic National Park to the tribe to move the remote, isolated reservation to higher ground. The tribe has worked for several years to acquire a safe homeland for its people and a viable land base for economic development. The tribe has purchased about 260 acres to move some of its reservation out of the flood zone, and has taken title to 160 acres transferred to the tribe from the state Department of Natural Resources. The tribe now is seeking 37 acres of national-park land, to be deeded into trust as part of its reservation, through an act of Congress...read more

The Stimulus Bill’s Hidden Attack on What We Eat, Drink, and Smoke

One of the more extreme proposals floated early in the national health care debate was the idea of taxing soda and other sugary beverages. That trial balloon was almost immediately shot down by the American public, but the Obama administration is attempting to achieve, by subterfuge, soda taxes and a lot of other ways to micromanage our lives in the name of public health—whether or not ObamaCare passes. The mechanism is buried in last year’s $862-billion-and-counting stimulus bill, and works by diverting hundreds of millions of dollars that should be promoting economic growth to instead pay lobbyists to push for higher taxes and nanny-state controls over our lives. It’s on pages 66 and 67 on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which created a $1 billion “Prevention and Wellness Fund.” In a 14-page guidance for grant applicants, the CDC details tactics that grant applicants should include in their plans. It includes “counter-advertising” against targeted products, complete tobacco usage bans, limiting “unhealthy food availability” (the really bad stuff like “whole milk, sugar sweetened beverages, high-fat snacks”), and of course taxes (or in CDC lingo: “changing relative prices of healthy vs. unhealthy items”). A supplemental document explains in more detail what the targets are, including restricting availability of soft drinks “in homes, schools, work sites, and communities.” It also recommends local zoning changes to put fast food restaurants out of business, trans-fat bans, salt regulation, and food taxes. They even suggest a TV ban of sorts, recommending: “specific regulations/policies that limit television and other screen media.”...read more

Amid tough times, poaching is on rise in Arizona

The nation's crummy economy may be claiming a new class of victims: Arizona's wildlife. State Game and Fish agents are not certain of the reason, but they've seen a dramatic spike in complaints about wildlife violations and poaching in the past year, and they think an unfavorable economy may have something to do with it. Their theory: At a time when many Arizonans find themselves in a financial squeeze, some have resorted to the illegal taking of edible game for food, while others are killing for profit. A third group actually may be reporting violators in hopes of getting financial rewards, which also could help explain the notable increase in reports of violations. Whatever the culprit, this much is clear: There were 768 reports of Game and Fish violations in 2009, up 70 percent from 2008 and more than double the year before that. In 2009, the state also paid a record amount in rewards to people who tipped investigators to violations...read more

Mountain lion invades home, mother and two children rescued

An apparently malnourished young mountain lion invaded a Chaffee County residence Thursday afternoon, killing one dog and briefly trapping a mother and her two children inside the house until sheriffs deputies could evacuate them. The incident began just after 4 p.m. The lion chased a small dog through a pet door into the home, which is located about 9 miles northwest of Salida. Homeowner Michelle Bese and two children, ages 2 and 5, were in the house when the lion entered. Bese said at first she did not know if it was a coyote or lion until another dog confronted the lion and she could tell what it was. She grabbed her 5-year-old and ran to the back bedroom where the 2-year-old was sleeping, and called 911. Chaffee County Sheriff's deputies helped Bese and her children escape through a bedroom window. They also opened the home's front and rear doors to provide the lion with an opportunity to leave...read more

HT: Outdoor Press Room

Coyote sneaks up on girls playing in backyard

Two 10-year-old girls were startled by a coyote that apparently sneaked up on them while they were playing in a backyard. One girl ran and the other climbed a tree. They were even more startled when the coyote briefly chased one girl, then sniffed around the base of the tree before ambling off into the nearby woods. No one was hurt, but the girls were shaken up. "It was pretty scary for them," said Janet Sahni, one girl's mother. "I get it that we live with them, that we coexist and share space. But it seems like an incident that could have turned out worse." Sahni's daughter, Juliana, was playing in the backyard of their home in the Westlake neighborhood, with her friend, Sarah May-Varas, around 5 p.m. Friday. They were "giving a pine tree a haircut" with a pair of scissors when they heard rustling in the greenspace adjacent to their yard. "When Juliana turned around, a coyote was standing only about two feet away," Sahni said. "So she ran toward the house -- and he chased her for about five feet."...read more

Camels thrived in South Texas

When Jefferson Davis was Secretary of War in the 1850s, before he became president of the Confederacy, he had a novel idea to use camels to carry supplies to frontier forts in the Southwest, between Texas and California. Davis convinced Congress in 1855 to spend $30,000 to study using Arabian camels. Maj. Henry Wayne was sent to the Middle East to buy the camels. They would be brought to Texas on the ship “Supply” commanded by Navy Lt. David Dixon Porter. Wayne and Dixon made their way around the Middle East buying camels. They bought 34 one-humped and two-humped camels and hired five handlers to make the trip. After the animals were loaded, Lt. Porter wrote Washington that the camel deck was scrubbed daily and the whitewash brush kept going. The camels liked the salty taste of the whitewash. They arrived at Indianola on Matagorda Bay on May 14, 1856. There were Arabic handlers in flowing robes and 34 two-hump Bactrians, one-hump Arabians, and the crossbred mule camels called “booghdee.” Maj. Wayne demonstrated the camel’s strength. A camel was made to kneel and two bales of hay were placed on his back. They weighed 600 pounds. People expected the camel to fall over, but then two more bales were strapped on the camel’s back for a load of 1,200 pounds. To the crowd’s amazement, the camel rose and trotted off. “Lord almighty,” said a man. “That would take two mules and a wagon, easy.” “Hell, four,” said another...read more

Tragic story inspires record price for goat

A boy from the heart of Texas with a fifth-place show goat and a tragic story inspired one of the most emotional and lucrative outcomes ever witnessed at a San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo auction, participants said. Dustin Mangus, 10, of Mills County was injured in a December wreck that killed his father, who helped care for the goat. As word of the boy's hardship spread in the Saturday auction crowd, dozens of bidders rallied the sale price to a record $150,000. The outcome wowed the clean-cut youth and his family from Mullin, along with stock show officials. The sale price surpassed the $80,000 fetched by this year's grand champion steer, and it topped the amount paid for any other animal ever sold at the Junior Livestock Auction, livestock director Jeff Thayne said. A fifth-place goat typically would fetch about $3,000, said Ronnie Urbanczyk, chairman of the auction. Instead, 70 or so bidders heard the boy's story and pitched in during the emotionally charged auction, which reminded some of what it means to be a part of the agricultural community. In early December, Dustin lost his father, David Mangus, 33, in a vehicle wreck, said John Carl Smith, the boy's grandfather. David Mangus was driving Dustin and two younger children to school on a foggy morning when he lost control of his pickup and crashed into a tree, Smith said. Dustin still is healing from three facial-reconstruction surgeries. He also broke his left arm and a finger, Smith said...read more

COMMENT: You might want to take the time to read this one.

Song Of The Day #257

Ranch Radio usually tries to bring you rare or hard to find recordings from a bygone era. However, it seems some of you want the big hits too. So, staying in 1960, here are the #1 and #2 songs of the year. Coming in at #1 is Please Help Me I'm Falling by Hank Locklin and at #2 He'll Have To Go by Jim Reeves.

Both tunes are widely available on the respective artist's collections, seen here and here.

Defenders of Wildlife General Counsel Appointed to US Justice Dept.

Bob Dreher, the General Counsel of the Defenders of Wildlife, a litigious lobbying group that has sued the US Government hundreds of times, has been appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General to oversee the Natural Resources and Wildlife and Marine Resources sections of the US Dept. of Justice. Dreher has also previously served as co-managing director of the Washington, D.C. office of the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund (now Earthjustice). Defenders and Earthjustice are among the groups that have bled the American taxpayer for $4.7 billion in legal fees through the Equal Opportunity to Justice Act [here]. Defenders has ongoing lawsuits currently in Federal courts regarding wolves, plovers, turtles, caribou, wolverines, right whales, jaguars, sage-grouse, and who knows what else. Now the Obama Administration has hired the Defenders General Counsel to oppose the very lawsuits he brought against the government...read more

COMMENT: Make no mistake, this puts Dreher in a key position to do much damage to the West. There is not the traditional lawyer-client relationship between the DOJ and the federal agencies. DOJ can ignore the position of their clients (the federal agencies) and take whatever position they want in a court case. Expect a return to the Clinton years: Enviros sue, DOJ settles, enviros take their legal fees and go sue somewhere else.

Mike D., the blogger of this story, likens it to putting Bernie Madoff over the Federal Reserve System!

Forest Service officer, mistaken for coyote, shot and killed

A U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer was shot and killed in middle Georgia by a hunter who apparently mistook the ranger for a coyote. Officer Christoper Arby Upton, 37, was on routine patrol in the Ocmulgee Bluff Equestrian Recreation Area in Jasper County on Friday when he was shot by Norman Clinton Hale, 40, of McDonough. The incident happened about 11 p.m. in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest near Monticello, according to a statement from the USDA Forest Service. Hale and another man were hunting coyote in the area. Hale and his hunting partner called 911 and reported the incident, but Upton died at the scene. The Forest Service and the state Department of Natural Resources are investigating the incident. No charges have been filed...read more

The meltdown of the climate campaign

It is increasingly clear that the leak of the internal emails and documents of the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in November has done for the climate change debate what the Pentagon Papers did for the Vietnam war debate 40 years ago—changed the narrative decisively. Additional revelations of unethical behavior, errors, and serial exaggeration in climate science are rolling out on an almost daily basis, and there is good reason to expect more. The U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), hitherto the gold standard in climate science, is under fire for shoddy work and facing calls for a serious shakeup. The U.S. Climate Action Partnership, the self-serving coalition of environmentalists and big business hoping to create a carbon cartel, is falling apart in the wake of the collapse of any prospect of enacting cap and trade in Congress. Meanwhile, the climate campaign’s fallback plan to have the EPA regulate greenhouse gas emissions through the cumbersome Clean Air Act is generating bipartisan opposition. The British media—even the left-leaning, climate alarmists of the Guardian and BBC—are turning on the climate campaign with a vengeance. The somnolent American media, which have done as poor a job reporting about climate change as they did on John Edwards, have largely averted their gaze from the inconvenient meltdown of the climate campaign, but the rock solid edifice in the newsrooms is cracking...read more

Climategate: This Time It's NASA

The "Climategate" scandal, which broke in November 2009, revealed what many skeptics had privately suspected. Prominent climate scientists at the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit (CRU) had collaborated to keep data out of skeptics' hands, subverted the peer review process, and used questionable methods to construct the temperature record on which the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel Climate Change (IPCC) based its recommendations. Now a new "Climategate" scandal is emerging, this time based on documents released by NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in response to several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) suits filed by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI). The newly released emails further demonstrate the politicized nature of climate science, revealing a number of questionable practices that cast doubt on the credibility of scientific data provided by NASA...read more

Forest Service slowly embraces Tester plan to log 10,000 acres a year for 10 years

One of the most contested parts of Sen. Jon Tester's Forest Jobs and Recreation Act is the plan to log 10,000 acres a year for 10 years. When he testified on Tester's bill on Dec. 17, Agriculture Undersecretary Harris Sherman told a congressional subcommittee "the bill would create unrealistic expectations on the part of communities and forest products stakeholders that the agency would accomplish the quantity of mechanical treatments required." He also said the bill "in particular includes levels of mechanical treatment that are likely unachievable and perhaps unsustainable. The levels of mechanical treatment called for in the bill far exceed historic treatment levels on these forests." In a visit to Missoula Feb. 5, Tester acknowledged that demand was causing some "heartburn" in the U.S. Forest Service. But he insisted the agency needs to change how it manages timber. Now, the agency appears to be listening. On Feb. 24, Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell told Congress he wanted "approximately 20 10-year stewardship contracts offered in targeted areas around the country that could provide a steady supply of forest products." He advocated "landscape-scale" projects developed "though multi-stakeholder collaborative planning" that sounded a lot like Tester's draft legislation. And on Saturday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack endorsed Tester's approach as a "pilot project."...read more

EPA Set to Give Ethanol a Big Boost?

In the midst of a drive by Washington’s powerful ethanol lobby to expand what critics often deride as an artificially created, and government aided and promoted market for “fuel made from food,” the top administrator from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Wednesday testified before the Senate Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, telling lawmakers the agency will make a final determination late summer on allowing higher levels of ethanol to be blended into gasoline. The ethanol industry is currently petitioning the EPA for a waiver to increase ethanol blends in gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent, in order to create a larger market–and artificial demand–for the fuel source. Administrator Lisa Jackson said the agency’s decision awaits completion of Department of Energy (DOE) tests on ethanol—namely, how higher ethanol blends might adversely affect vehicle engines, a long-running concern of automakers and the marine leisure industry, among others—which she expects to receive by May...read more

BLM cites Western Watersheds Project chief

The founder of Western Watersheds Project, a Hailey-based organization that seeks to end grazing on public lands in the West, has been cited by the Bureau of Land Management for allegedly providing a false statement on a grazing permit application. As a result of the alleged violation, the BLM has proposed canceling the permit, which covers three grazing allotments tied to property near Clayton. The nonprofit conservation group was originally founded by Jon Marvel in 1993 to bid for expiring grazing leases on Idaho state school endowment lands. Groups that represent ranchers say the development marks the unraveling of Western Watersheds. The organization has been so successful in its efforts to curtail public lands grazing that many ranchers refer to Marvel as “the most hated man in the West.” “This could unravel everything they’ve done over the past 15 years,” said Jake Putnam, broadcast services manager for Idaho Farm Bureau Federation. Western Watersheds attorney Laird Lucas said the claims by the BLM and ranching groups are false and defamatory. “We are vigorously contending it,” Lucas said of the violation notice and proposed cancellation of the grazing allotments...read more

White House Easter Egg Roll to Be Environmentally Friendly

This year’s White House Easter Egg roll will be eggs-actly what the bunny ordered. The environmentally concerned bunny, that is. A White House announcement Monday said the eggs at this year’s April 5 roll will be made from paperboard that contains no wood fibers from endangered forests, is recyclable and features vegetable-oil based inks and a water-based coating. What’s more, they’ll come in purple, pink, green and yellow and feature the stamped signatures of both President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama...read more

COMMENT: And Peter Cottontail better be a "free range" bunny.

But those poor chickens, having to lay those cardboard eggs. Where is HSUS when you need them?

Forest Service Proposes to Close 83% of Roads in Manzano & Gallinas Mountains

The Mountainair Ranger District revealed its Travel Management proposal today, which would ban the use of all motor vehicles on over 80% of the roads in the Manzano and Gallinas Mountains. This will affect all vehicles includes motorcycles, ATVs, and 4WDs. It also affects all members of the public, including hunters. According to the proposal, there are currently 471 miles of unpaved roads legally open to vehicles, 411 miles of which are ‘Jeep’ roads. The proposal would ban motor vehicles from all but 179 miles. The proposal also virtually eliminates using a motor vehicle for camping alongside roads. Known as ‘dispersed camping’, motor vehicle camping would be allowed on less than 15 miles of road. This is a reduction of 97% of the currently allowed vehicle camping. The public has 30 days to comment on these issues by submitting letters or emails. These proposals are in the Draft Environmental Assessment for Travel Management on the Mountainair Ranger District. The 30 day comment period will end on April 3, 2010. Those who provide comments during this comment period will be eligible to appeal the final decision...read more

Gov. Richardson signs bill to allow conservation easements

A new law will allow the state to acquire conservation easements from farmers, ranchers and other landowners to ensure that the property is not developed. Gov. Bill Richardson on Monday signed legislation into law that supporters say can help protect land in New Mexico, improve wildlife habitat and provide for open space for communities or recreation. "New Mexicans want their land preserved. They are committed to conservation, to wildlife," Richardson said at a news conference at ranch south of Santa Fe, which is protected by a conservation easement with a nonprofit group. The agreement prevents the ranch from being broken up into smaller parcels for real estate development. The new law, which takes effect May 19, also establishes a fund for the state to make grants for conservation and land restoration projects. The legislation was approved by lawmakers during a 30-day session, which ended in February. Lawmakers allocated $5 million for conservation easements during a special session of the Legislature, which ended last week...read more

COMMENT: Only one out of every three acres in NM is privately owned, and they can't keep their grubby paws off it.

Nevada Reno To Close College of Agriculture

The University of Nevada, Reno announced plans Monday to close its College of Agriculture and eliminate some departments and degree programs to reduce its budget by $11 million to meet about a 7 percent cut higher education must shoulder under the agreement reached during the Legislature’s special session. UNR President Milt Glick said the proposals will cut $11 million from the university’s base spending budget for the next fiscal year, but an additional $3 million to $4 million still must be trimmed. The university budget has already been cut by 15.5 percent, or $33 million, bringing the total annual reduction to $44 million. The proposals, if approved at a June meeting by the Nevada Board of Regents, would result in the layoffs of more than 75 faculty and staff members, Glick said. Among the major changes proposed are closing the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources and reorganizing remaining programs under the College of Science. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences would merge into College of Science’s Department of Biology in College of Science, and the Department of Nutrition would merge into the college’s Department of Biology and Molecular Biology, retaining Agricultural Experiment Station and extension programs...read more

Rabid Otter Attacks Two Florida Men

A three-foot rabid otter attacked and bit a 96-year-old man and one of his rescuers Friday reports The Sarasota (Fla.) Herald Tribune. Morrell Denton, a Venice, Fla. resident, was taking his morning walk when an otter emerged from the woods and attacked him unprovoked. The otter bit Denton’s leg and brought him to the ground. He tried to fend off the otter by pulling on the otter’s ears and head, but the animal would not stop. Denton said, “I kept trying to get him off me. It's like nothing I've heard of." Raymond Duval was driving by when he spotted Denton on the ground and called 911. Then Christopher Janssen came to Denton’s aid while Duval stayed on the phone with 911. The otter then bit Janssen too. Duval told the operator, “This otter is nonstop. Please hurry.”...read more

Saddle up for high art

A saddle is the connection between horse and rider, but it can be much more. Sixteen saddles on display at the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum also are exquisite works of art. "These are historic saddles - they're all unique and valuable," said museum Director Ross Middleton. "The craftsmanship that went into making them is really unmatched." The exhibit, titled "The Art of the Western Saddle," opened on Jan. 22. It shows through July 31. The 16 pieces were assembled by the museum from private and public collections across the U.S. The museum collaborated with western historian and author William C. Reynolds, who serves as guest curator of the exhibit. Reynolds' 2004 book, "The Art of the Western Saddle: A Celebration of Style and Embellishment," inspired the collection. The selections include an assortment of saddle styles from various eras. Most have been ridden at some point in their history. Most of the saddles feature elaborate leather and silversmith detailing. The Mission Saddle by Edward H. Hohlin, for example, includes etchings on 21 silver medallions of scenes depicting Spanish missions in California. The saddle, which dates to the 1930s, is on loan from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyo. "There's no question these saddles exemplify leather work at its finest," Reynolds said. "Then merge that with the silver work and it's something really excellent." The oldest saddle in the exhibit is a Sherman Loomis saddle, dating to the 1890s. The saddle, on loan from the Carriage and Western Art Museum in Santa Barbara, Ca., features ornate hand leatherwork. It is one of only a few of its model in existence. The saddle is considered a "using" saddle because of its popularity among 19th century riders, Middleton said. "The cowboys loved this saddle. It's the one everyone wanted," he said...read more

The Cowboy & The FEMA Genie

A modern day cowboy has spent many days crossing the Texas plains without water.

His horse has already died of thirst.

He's crawling through the sand, certain that he is breathing his last breath, when all of a sudden he sees an object sticking out of the sand several yards ahead of him.

He crawls to the object, pulls it out of the sand and discovers what looks to be an old briefcase.

He opens it and out pops a genie. But this is no ordinary genie.

She is wearing a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) ID badge and a dull gray dress.

There's a calculator in her pocketbook. She has a pencil tucked behind one ear. 'Well, cowboy,' says the genie..You know how I work....you have three wishes.'

'I'm not falling for this.' said the cowboy... 'I'm not going to trust a FEMA genie.'

'What do you have to lose? You've got no transportation and it looks like you're a goner anyway!'

The cowboy thinks about this for a minute and decides that the genie is right.

'OK!, I wish I were in a lush oasis with plenty of food and drink.'

***POOF***

The cowboy finds himself in the most beautiful oasis he has ever seen and he is surrounded with jugs of wine and platters of delicacies.

'OK, cowpoke, what's your second wish?'

'My second wish is that I was rich beyond my wildest dreams.'

** *POOF***

The cowboy finds himself surrounded by treasure chests filled with rare gold coins and precious gems.

'OK, cowpuncher, you have just one more wish. Better make it a good one!'

After thinking for a few minutes, the cowboy says... 'I wish that no matter where I go, beautiful women will want and need me.'

***POOF***

He was turned into a tampon.

Moral of the story: IF THE GOVERNMENT OFFERS TO HELP YOU , THERE'S GOING TO BE A STRING ATTACHED.

Song Of The Day #256

Ranch Radio will stick with 1960, offering Cowboy Copas - Alabam which was the #3 song for the year, and Roy Drusky - Another which clocked in at #7.

The Cowboy Copas collections are here and the Roy Drusky collections are here.

Farmers & Ranchers & Astrophysics

In 2008, the world's largest array for detecting ultra-high energy cosmic rays -- the most energetic particles in the universe -- was completed in Argentina by the Pierre Auger Observatory. Now the Observatory is hoping to build a new array in the northern hemisphere: a tremendous undertaking. To be based in Colorado, the array would consist of a network of 4400 tanks, each 12 feet in diameter, placed 1.4 miles apart to cover 8,000 square miles (20,000 square kilometers). “As far as size goes, it’s really amazing,” says Angela Olinto, an astrophysicist who is part of that consortium, as well as a member of the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics. “You have to drive for hours to cross from one side to the other.” Size, however, is only one key to its success; the network of tanks will also crisscross farms and ranches. This means scientists need more than ingenuity; also important is recruiting communities -- including farmers and ranchers more interested in agriculture than astrophysics -- to become partners in exploring the sky. In Colorado, along with organizing and participating in a range of community meetings, scientists have set up tanks at community centers around southeastern Colorado so farmers and ranchers could actually see what the scientists plan to build. This way “they can kick it and they can see that it is smooth and it won’t hurt their livestock,” says John Harton, an Auger Observatory scientist at Colorado State University who serves as a liaison with the local community...read more

This Land Ain’t your Land; this Land Is my Land

Since the Kelo decision, the debate over eminent domain has only grown more heated. Proponents of eminent domain claim that its use for economic redevelopment is a valuable tool for local policy makers and that a blanket ban on using eminent domain to foster economic growth would tie the hands of government officials in their ongoing battle against blight. Opponents argue that economic redevelopment does not constitute “public use,” which the Constitution requires governments to show in order to justify takings. They argue that increased takings weaken private property rights due in part to the lack of a bright-line standard on what specifically constitutes “public use.” They also note that eminent domain takings are inherently politicized, so local governments may be biased in favor of larger, politically connected property owners and interests, at the expense of small business owners, entrepreneurs, and homeowners—particularly those at the lower end of the income scale. Moreover, use of eminent domain circumvents market processes that could better promote economic development...read more

Montana eases wolf-killing regulations

Montana’s top wildlife official acknowledged Friday that the state has too many wolves on the landscape, so he’s implementing a new strategy that will allow problem wolves to be killed more quickly by federal agents. In a hearing before the Environmental Quality Council, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Director Joe Maurier said federal Wildlife Services agents no longer need FWP authorization to kill wolves at or near confirmed livestock depredation sites. The agents also will be able to immediately kill any wolves that are trapped when they return to those sites to feed on dead livestock. “For the amount of conflict we have in all sectors today, we probably have too many wolves on the landscape,” Maurier told the council. “We had tolerable conflict on the landscape; now it’s intolerable. Now we have to go back to the point where it’s tolerable at all levels but we still have a viable population.” He noted that Montana’s wolf management plan allows them to make revisions when needed, as long as the state meets certain population levels. Maurier added that he expects the wolf hunting quota to be increased next season from the initial statewide quota of 75 as another way to lower the wolf population. Initial estimates put Montana’s wolf population at 500 animals this year, which is about the same as last year...read more

Rumors of wolves have some in Colorado howling

The news had scarcely gotten out that a western Colorado rancher suspected he had wolves on his land when the phone started ringing at state wildlife offices. "Get rid of them, and do it quietly," one caller said. "You need to make sure no one is trying to shoot these wolves," another offered. No one has confirmed yet whether a pack of wolves has taken up residence at the High Lonesome Ranch in De Beque, nearly 200 miles west of Denver, but even the prospect has created a stir in a state that hasn't seen a regular wolf population in 70 years. Wildlife officials say both sides are reacting prematurely to a claim that could prove groundless. Wolves were exterminated from Colorado by the 1940s, although in recent years, lone wolves occasionally have forayed into the state from the Northern Rockies. Two years ago, High Lonesome Ranch owner Paul R. Vahldiek Jr. hired biologists to survey his land for, among other things, evidence of decline in aspen stands. What they found was evidence of what he believes to be more than one wolf: droppings, sightings and howls...read more

Wild-horse controversy headed to federal court on April 30

Americans were outraged two years ago when federal officials threatened to kill more than 10,000 wild mustangs running free throughout the West. So when Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced last fall that the Obama administration had no intention of carrying out the Bush administration's proposal to slaughter the "living legends," horse lovers throughout the nation cheered. Since then, the applause has died down as Salazar has continued the controversial practice of rounding up mustangs and putting them in corrals and pastures hundreds of miles from their rangelands. The ongoing debate underscores the challenges of managing rapidly growing herds and finding a lasting solution to a problem that is costing American taxpayers millions more each year. The conflict is set to come to a head April 30, when a federal court will hear arguments from wild-horse advocates that the Interior Department and Bureau of Land Management are violating the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act by rounding up horses and putting them in expensive holding facilities. A final decision in the case, brought against the government by a California-based nonprofit group called In Defense of Animals, is expected May 26...read more

Rio Grande Foundation Demands Majority of Environmental Improvement Board Recuse Itself

Paul Gessing, President of the Rio Grande Foundation, has demanded that the majority of the Environmental Improvement Board recuse itself because of conflicts of interest and substantial questions about their fairness and impartiality. The demand was made at the March1, 2010, hearing to receive public comment on the petition by New Energy Economy asking the EIB to issue a rule capping CO2 emissions at 25% of 1990 levels. Gessing told the EIB he that the very integrity of the process, aside from the merits of the issue, was undermined because “there was more than a reasonable basis to question the impartiality and fairness” of these members of the EIB in considering this petition. Those questions arise from financial and employment ties between Green and the petitioner New Energy Economy and his representation as a lobbyist on energy and environmental issues for four parties to the NEE peitition who have hired him through the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy. Gollin and Dillingham are, respectively, an officer and director of organizations that are allied with NEE in promoting the very same emissions cap they are being asked to impose upon New Mexico as members of the EIB...read more

Northern aplomado falcon ruffles feathers at Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park

A rare winged visitor is causing a stir at the Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park. The endangered bird, a Northern Aplomado Falcon, was first sighted last week by a park employee and has been drawing attention ever since, said Mesilla Valley Audubon Society President David Griffin. "There are some guys coming down from Santa Fe to see it if it's still here; people are coming up from El Paso," he said. "There's a guy from Tucson. Even someone from California was supposedly flying in to look for it." The falcon is noteworthy because it lacks a leg band, meaning it likely didn't come from any of several breeding programs aimed at restoring the species. It would be the first such sighting locally since 1999, Griffin said. The falcon has been moving between the east and west sides of the Rio Grande, from the Mesilla Bridge, south to the park's visitors center...read more

Sioux Tribe settles tax debt with IRS, buys back land

The Crow Creek Sioux Tribe has settled its tax debt with the IRS and lined up a loan that will enable it to buy back the 11 square miles of land the IRS sold at auction in December, the tribal chairman said. A stipulation filed in court last week indicates the tribe will dismiss its lawsuit, which sought to prevent the IRS from selling the Hyde County land. That will cancel a May 4 trial. The IRS took the unusual step of seizing and selling the land because the tribe refused to pay $3.12 million in employment taxes, penalties and interest it racked up since 2001. At $2.58 million, the winning bid did not fully satisfy the debt. But tribal chairman Brandon Sazue, who met with government officials in Washington last week, said the IRS is forgiving what's left. "We don't owe the IRS anything at this point in time, as long as we drop the lawsuit," Sazue said. A spokesman for the Department of Justice's tax division acknowledged a deal was struck but could not provide any detail...read more

Rescued hiker on mission to find lost dog Zulu

Bob Sumrall is a man with a mission. On Saturday, Feb. 27, Sumrall came back to the area where he was lost in the wilderness for six nights and almost died in late November and December, looking for the dog he says saved his life. Zulu, a black lab mix Sumrall and his wife Jan have had since it was a puppy, has still not been found. Sumrall practically dismisses the story of his ordeal - getting lost in the Black Range during what was supposed to be a few-hours-long hike, spending six freezing nights in the wilderness, surviving a raging snowstorm that dropped as much as 10 inches of snow on the mountains, and being found - near death - lying on the ground in an arroyo by two ranchers heading out to round up their cattle, Zulu at his side. When he was found, by Melba and Tom Parra, Zulu was laying on Sumrall's back. But as soon as the ranchers stopped their truck and opened the door, the dog took off and no one has been able to get her back or lure her in...read more

Federal regulators launch probe of big agriculture

Some Obama administration officials have made clear their unease with the increasing control a handful of corporations have over the nation's food supply, and this week in Iowa they could show whether they are serious about changing the system. The first joint workshops on agriculture by regulators at the U.S. Justice and Agriculture Departments is expected to give farmers, lobbyists, executives and academics a strong indication of where the Obama administration stands on consolidation in agriculture. Administration officials said the meeting Friday in the Des Moines suburb of Ankeny will give antitrust attorneys and farm regulators their first chance to work side-by-side and examine the concentration of power in rural America. The Iowa meeting will be followed by four other gatherings held later in the year. The series of workshops will run through December, looking at the seed, dairy, poultry, beef and crop industries. At issue will be the practices of industrial agriculture's biggest players, such as grain processors Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Cargill Inc., meat companies Tyson Foods Inc. and JBS SA and biotech seed firms Monsanto Co. and DuPont...read more

Action star Matt Damon on saddling up for remake of western classic

MATT DAMON has revealed how he is saddling up to follow the Oscar-winning trail of legendary American hero John Wayne. The 39-year-old star - best known for playing super-spy Jason Bourne - will pull on a Stetson and buckle on a pair of Colt 45s for the big screen remake of western classic, True Grit. Damon, who also won an Oscar for the screenplay of Good Will Hunting, teams up with Jeff Bridges and Josh Brolin for an even grittier version of the cowboy tale of revenge, first filmed 41 years ago. The new film is being made in New Mexico by the Coen Brothers, the team who walked off with three Academy Awards for No Country for Old Men. Bridges will step into John Wayne's boots to play Rooster Cogburn, the overweight, boozing, one-eyed marshal who is way past his sell-by date. Damon plays the straightarrow Texas Ranger La Boeuf, played by country singer Glen Campbell in the 1969 film...read more

Poor Texas cowhand became one of area’s first millonaires

For his time, Daniel Webster Wallace was a phenomenon. He began driving cattle along a Texas trail in 1875 as a 15-year-old penniless cowboy, and died in 1939 with a ranch-based estate reported to be worth more than $1 million. One of the houses he built in Nolan County on his 12-section ranch that extended into Mitchell County is now among the historic structures at the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock. Schools and other government facilities have borne his name in Colorado City. He was favored in the eyes of the 19th century ranchers, and seemed always to be in the right place at the right time. But if he ever squandered even one of the breaks he was given, it isn’t recorded. His integrity was legendary. Mary Wallace, as a slave, had been purchased in 1860 by Mary O’Daniel three months before Webster was born. His mother had a bit of education, and became a servant and confidante to O’Daniel, who also was the mother of an infant son. Mary Wallace attended both children in the O’Daniel home in Victoria County...read more

It's All Trew: Sheep often taken for granted

My favorite sheep story took place after the railroads arrived allowing livestock to be shipped to market by rail. Special facilities were built to load herds onto rail cars. Dust clouds rose to the skies during shipping season as crews worked around the clock to load the animals. Almost every sheep loading facility featured a very important employee living nearby, usually a pet ram who was raised on a bottle by a young boy. Most were named "Sancho" and called a Judas Goat, the animal was used to lure the sheep and goats aboard the rail cars. When ready to fill a car Sancho was turned into the pen to be loaded. He milled around to get acquainted then led the herd into the car. When full, the doors were closed and Sancho worked his way back to the door to be let out to load the next car. The owner of this talented, hard-working animal was given a dollar, maybe, for the service and the star of the show was given a "chaw of tobacco or a few tailor-made cigarette butts" which he purely relished. Now just how cheap can wages get?...read more

Song Of The Day #255

Ranch Radio will get your foot stompin' this Monday by heading to the sixties. Hank Thompson & The Brazos Valley Boys will entertain us with A Fooler, A Faker (1960) and Oklahoma Hills (1961).



Both tunes are available on his 20 track CD Vintage Collection.

Timed Event Championship: Peek Is The World Champion

COLORADO’S JOSH PEEK FINALLY GETS THE GOLD BUCKLE

Adversity doesn't stop Josh Peek of Pueblo, Colo. It never has. A year ago, Peek was leading the Wrangler Timed Event Championship of the World at the Lazy E Arena with one run left. He took a 60-second time in the steer roping, the equivalent of a no-time at the WTEC, and dropped to a fourth place finish. On Sunday, he was again leading the average with one run remaining. This time, the 30-year-old tied his steer down in 18.4 seconds to clinch the title of 2010 Wrangler Timed Event Champion of the World with 315.2 on 25 runs. He is the 11th man to win the title in the 26 years of the WTEC.

In addition to winning $50,000 for the average, Peek, the two-time PRCA Reserve All-Around World Champion, placed twice in the fast rounds and exited the Lazy E Arena this weekend with $58,000. "I was more prepared this year," he said. "Before I got here, I believed I was going to win." Again, he's faced adversity before. When Peek was 9 years old an old nail pierced the skin of his right foot. In a lot of cases, the story might have ended with tetanus shot. But Peek had stepped on this nail while in a pig pen. The child would undergo four surgeries, almost lose his foot and spend about a month in the hospital. In that span he would be given some antibiotics and that's what he's told induced epilepsy.

That didn't stop him. "Without adversity, you'll never achieve success," he said Sunday. "There will always be road bumps and you'll need the Lord and your family, but you also have to believe in yourself."

The WTEC annually takes 20 of the world's toughest cowboys to battle the clock and tests their talents in a marathon of team roping - heading and heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping over five rounds for a share of a $150,000 total purse.

Peek went to the lead in the third round on the 14th run of the weekend. However, on the 19th run a fast running draw led to a 27.5 in the steer wrestling. He would end the fourth go in second place. In the fifth round, Peek dropped to third. The team roping - heeling shuffled the deck as K.C. Jones of Burlington, Wyo., a four-time WTEC Champion, dropped to third. Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, the six-time WTEC Champion, moved to the lead in the average and Peek went to second after 23 head. In the steer wrestling, Brazile had a tough steer, suffering a 60-second time. So, Peek tossed his draw in 4.1 seconds for 296.8 on 24 and the lead, with one run remaining. Jones was second. In the steer roping, Jones was 18-seconds for 343.0 on 25. Peek needed to be 46.1 for the win and was 18.4.

Jones finished second in the average for $25,000, while Jo Jo Lemond was third at 358.3 seconds for $15,000. Brazile claimed fourth with 364.9 for $10,000 and fifth was Chance Kelton of Mayer, Ariz., 367.6 for $7,500. Kelton also had the fastest round with 48 seconds in the second go for and additional $10,000.

Not long into Sunday's action, fans witnessed something never before done at the WTEC, as Jo Jo LeMond of Andrews, Texas, along with the assistance of World Champion Randon Adams, shattered the WTEC team roping - heading record with a 4.5-second run. The previous record was a 5.1-second run by B.J. Campbell in 2002. LeMond also holds the WTEC team roping-heeling record with a 4.9-second effort with Matt Sherwood in 2009.

The Ironman event of ProRodeo returned to the Fabulous Lazy E Arena this weekend in Guthrie, Oklahoma. For over two and a half decades, this one-of-a-kind event has showcased world champions and a cast of ProRodeo’s most elite cowboys competing in the most unique event in rodeo – the WTEC.

New in 2010, the Wrangler Timed Event Championship will be aired as a special on RFD-TV’s “Beyond Rodeo Show with Susie Dobbs”. The WTEC is proud to be partners with “Beyond Rodeo” and RFD-TV. Original air dates for the 2010 WTEC will be Wednesday, April 29th at 12:30PM Central and 10:30PM Central. Be sure and tune into RFD-TV and catch the action of this years WTEC event! Also new this year, the Lazy E was proud to have the WTEC broadcasted live on numerous radio stations across the country and on the web at ProRodeoLive.com. As always, fans can also re-live all the runs at the WTEC on DVD by ordering the entire show from Rodeo Video – don’t miss a run of your favorite WTEC competitor at Rodeo Video.

The 2010 Wrangler Timed Event Championship was sponsored by Wrangler in conjunction with, Ariat Boots, Priefert Ranch & Rodeo Equipment, Jack Daniels, Cross Bar Gallery, Dodge, Relentless Ropes by Cactus, John Vance Motors, Coca-Cola, Cinderella Horses.com, Corona Light, R.K. Black, Inc., Gist Silversmiths, Spin to Win Magazine, Cactus Saddlery, Hot Heels, Clear Channel Radio, The Oklahoman, Shorty’s Caboy Hattery, CSI Saddlepads, the Best Western Edmond, and the Fairfield Inn & Suites – Edmond.

The 2010 Wrangler Timed Event Championship is a Lazy E Production. For more information on the Wrangler Timed Event Championship or other Lazy E events, contact the Lazy E Arena, 9600 Lazy E Drive, Guthrie, OK 73044, (405) 282-RIDE, (800) 595-RIDE or visit www.lazye.com.

26th Annual Wrangler Timed Event Championship – Lazy E Arena, Guthrie, OK March 5-7

Fastest Go-Rounds

1. Chance Kelton – Mayer, AZ 48.0 seconds set in 2nd go $10,000

2. Josh Peek – Pueblo, CO 49.6 seconds set in 3rd go $ 6,000

3. Trevor Brazile – Decatur, TX 50.8 seconds set in 3rd go $ 5,000

4. Kyle Lockett – Visalia, CA 51.3 seconds set in 2nd go $ 4,000

5. JoJo LeMond – Andrews, TX 52.2 seconds set in 4th go $ 3,000

6. Josh Peek – Pueblo, CO 52.4 seconds set in 5th go $ 2,000

Average (total on 25 head of cattle over 5 go-rounds of competition)

1. Josh Peek 315.2 seconds $50,000

2. K.C. Jones – Burlington, WY 343.0 seconds $25,000

3. JoJo LeMond 358.3 seconds $15,000

4. Trevor Brazile 364.9 seconds $10,000

5. Chance Kelton 367.6 seconds $ 7,500

6. Beau Franzen – Sidney, MT 367.9 seconds $ 5,000

7. Kyle Lockett 388.0 seconds $ 4,500

8. Jimmie Cooper – Monument, NM 391.8 seconds $ 3,000


Arena record broken for $3,000 Lazy E Arena bonus

Team Roping - Heading

JoJo LeMond 4.5 seconds in 5th go breaking the 5.1 seconds of B.J. Campbell from 2002

WTEC Notes from 2010

Winning $58,000 Josh Peek’s cumulative Timed Event earnings total $79,500 for three years

Winning $25,000 K.C. Jones now totals $388,500 for 19 years

Winning $15,000 Trevor Brazile now totals $579,500 for 15 years

Winning $8,500 Kyle Lockett now totals $156,500 for 10 years

Cowgirl Sass & Savvy

How high's the water, Momma?

by Julie Carter

Dan and Donnie were working on the Tierra Verde Ranch one exceptionally wet spring.

It had rained repeatedly. Deep mud prevailed and the ground was saturated to the hilt.

The duo had an old pickup they used to get around the ranch for feeding or whatever else needed doing. This relic had four-wheel drive, big tires, a good strong engine and a back window that was broken out.

Because of the rain and the fact that it could go most anywhere, the truck was christened Noah.

Cold, wet spring weather motivated them to acquire a new back window for Noah, which required an entire day of their time to install. The new window had a sliding glass opening which was just perfect for the special needs of cowboys, including but not limited to spitting and reaching the cooler strategically placed within reach.

The boss was gone one Saturday so Dan and Donnie decided to go to the Stephenville Horse Sale.

They didn't have any business going since individually or combined, they could not come up with $10. Nevertheless, they loaded Noah with their cooler and headed out.

When they arrived, they visited with friends, watched the sale and got caught up on the news.

On the way home, they had to pass the Ranch House Restaurant, where they noted that the parking lot was crowded with pickups. They figured it was just some of the sale barn crowd and so they decided to stop and continue the day's good time. But when they got inside, they discovered the crowd belonged to a wedding reception.

Nobody threw them out and there was food, beverage and pretty girls all dolled up in the wedding attire. Being the suave and debonair type of cowboys, they got one gal sorted out and soon had her agreeing to go with them for a ride in Noah.

The girl was a bridesmaid - fancied up in a full length formal gown that is required for such an affair. They took off in Noah with the girl in the middle, a cowboy on each side and the cooler just through the sliding window.

They were all getting along just fine. The roads were slick and the rain still falling when they came to a creek where water was rushing over the top of the road crossing.

Dan stopped the truck and a consultation was held. Donnie told Dan he had complete faith in Noah and to just take off.

Dan launched Noah into the creek and the rushing water promptly took them off the crossing and floating down the creek. Dan could feel the wheels touching bottom occasionally. It felt like the water wasn't too deep, so he didn't worry.

Eventually the girl became concerned that they might go too far down the creek. Dan climbed out Noah's sliding window, dropped a catch rope over the trailer ball and snared a big oak on the bank.

That stopped the truck from going any further. Dan sat down on the bank and watched the truck. At some point, Donnie thought Dan needed help, so he climbed out the window and joined in the sitting and watching.

Some later, the bridesmaid yelled at them from the truck. "Hey, did you guys forget something?"

Dan grabbed the rope and hand-over-hand, worked his way to the truck bed. There he rescued the cooler and brought it to the creek bank. He and Donnie had a few cool ones pondering the situation.

At some point, possibly near the end of the beer supply, it became apparent they were going to need some equipment to rescue Noah. They told the girl to stay with the truck while they went to get a tractor.

The general philosophy of "all's well that ends well" applied here. The truck was rescued, the occupant was safe and no harm was done.

However, Dan reports that that was one of the maddest women he has ever seen.

Julie can be reached for comment at jcarter@tularosa.net.

Song Of The Day #254

Ranch Radio's Gospel tune this Sunday morning is Loretta Lynn's 1965 recording of If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again.

The song is available on her 12 track CD Hymns.

Big Brother Wants to Know All About You: The American Community Survey

Over the past several years, I have been barraged with emails from Americans expressing their dismay over the American Community Survey, the latest census form to hit randomly selected households on a continuous basis. Unlike the traditional census, which collects data every ten years and is now underway, the American Community Survey is taken every year at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. And at 28 pages (with an additional 16-page instruction packet), it contains some of the most detailed and intrusive questions ever put forth in a census questionnaire. These concern matters that the government simply has no business knowing, including a person’s job, income, physical and emotional health, family status, place of residence and intimate personal and private habits. As Beth found out, the survey is not voluntary. Answering the questions is not a polite request from the Census Bureau. You are legally obligated to answer. If you refuse, the fines are staggering. For every question not answered, there is a $100 fine. And for every intentionally false response to a question, the fine is $500. Therefore, if a person representing a two-person household refused to fill out any questions or simply answered nonsensically, the total fines could range from upwards of $10,000 and $50,000 for noncompliance. While the penalties for not answering are outrageous, the questions, as Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) has said, are “both ludicrous and insulting.” For example, the survey asks how many persons live in your home, along with their names and detailed information about them such as their relationship to you, marital status, race and their physical, mental and emotional problems, etc. The survey also asks how many bedrooms and bathrooms you have in your house, along with the kind of fuel used to heat your home, the cost of electricity, what type of mortgage you have, the amount of your monthly mortgage payments, property taxes and so on. This questionnaire also requires you to detail how many days you were sick last year, how many automobiles you own, whether you have trouble getting up the stairs and, amazingly, what time you leave for work every morning and how long it takes you to get there...read more

Feds weigh expansion of Internet monitoring

Homeland Security and the National Security Agency may be taking a closer look at Internet communications in the future. The Department of Homeland Security's top cybersecurity official told CNET on Wednesday that the department may eventually extend its Einstein technology, which is designed to detect and prevent electronic attacks, to networks operated by the private sector. The technology was created for federal networks. Greg Schaffer, assistant secretary for cybersecurity and communications, said in an interview that the department is evaluating whether Einstein "makes sense for expansion to critical infrastructure spaces" over time. Not much is known about how Einstein works, and the House Intelligence Committee once charged that descriptions were overly "vague" because of "excessive classification." The White House did confirm this week that the latest version, called Einstein 3, involves attempting to thwart in-progress cyberattacks by sharing information with the National Security Agency. Greater federal involvement in privately operated networks may spark privacy or surveillance concerns, not least because of the NSA's central involvement in the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping scandal. Earlier reports have said that Einstein 3 has the ability to read the content of emails and other messages, and that AT&T has been asked to test the system. (The Obama administration says the "contents" of communications are not shared with the NSA.)...read more

The Second Amendment and the States

Imagine you are a visitor from another planet reading the U.S. Constitution. You come to the 14th Amendment, where it says: "No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States." Might you not think this must be a pretty important provision? Now suppose you are told that, for over 135 years, the Supreme Court has, with one exception, entirely ignored that language. Might you question whether Supreme Court justices were bound by the written Constitution? Had you been seated in the Supreme Court yesterday to hear oral arguments in McDonald v. Chicago, your suspicions might well have been confirmed...read more

COMMENT: An informative discussion of the second amendment, incorporation, due process and the priviliges or immunities clause.

Texas secretly sends newborns' blood to feds for DNA database

When state health officials were sued last year for storing infant blood samples without parental consent, they said it was for medical research into birth defects, childhood cancer and environmental toxins. They never said they were turning over hundreds of dried blood samples to the federal government to help build a vast DNA database — a forensics tool designed to identify missing persons and crack cold cases. A Texas Tribune review of nine years' worth of e-mails and internal documents on the Department of State Health Services’ newborn blood screening program reveals the transfer of hundreds of infant blood spots to an Armed Forces lab to build a national and, someday, international mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) registry. The records, released after the state agreed in December to destroy more than 5 million infant blood spots, also show an effort to limit the public’s knowledge of aspects of the newborn blood program, and to manage the debate around it. But the plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit never saw them, because the state settled the case so quickly that it never reached the discovery phase. Eventually, research proposals indicate, federal officials hoped to be able to share this data worldwide, “for international law enforcement and investigation in the context of homeland security and anti-terrorism efforts.”...read more

Homeland Security loses over 1,000 computers

New documents reveal that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to lose hundreds of computers per year. At least one DHS component agency maintains that the losses fall within accepted accounting standards. In fiscal year 2008, inventories of lost, stolen, and damaged equipment show that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) combined to lose no fewer than 985 computers. Meanwhile, the lost, stolen and damaged report for ICE shows 13 vehicles classified as "lost" or "not found during physical inventory." CBP's total inventory (immediately below) of lost stolen and damaged equipment tallies 1,975 pieces at a total valuation of $7.5 million. "When I look at these inventories with my own eyes, page after page, I still think there's a good chance that we're dealing with some significant security breaches, and possibly insider theft," said Jon Caldara, President of the Independence Institute which obtained the documents...read more

Anthrax Attacks Show Government Officials Made of (Flawed!) Human Material

“The federal government is supposed to protect us from terrorism.” This may have been a plausible theory at one time, but now, after a decade of goofs and lapses, it sounds more like the opening line of a late-night comedy routine. The latest revelation about government’s anti-terrorism programs makes for rather dark comedy indeed. The Department of Justice has just released a comprehensive, final report on the anthrax attacks that occurred in the United States in the fall of 2001. As the reader may recall, envelopes containing weapons-grade anthrax spores were mailed to media organizations and U. S. senators, resulting in the deaths of five people, and leading to the hospitalization of 17 others, and causing expensive cleanup efforts. Since the poisoned letters contained notes scrawled with “Allah is Great” and “Death to Israel,” these slogans suggested the perpetrator was a radical Muslim. Well, he wasn’t. After an exhaustive FBI investigation, the Justice department has concluded that the spores came from a U. S. Army medical research facility, and that the person responsible was a scientist, Bruce Ivins, who worked there. So “the worst act of bioterrorism in U. S. history,” (as the Washington Post described it), proved to be the work of a U. S. government employee: a nightmare version of “I’m from government and I’m here to help you.”...read more

4.5 SWAT Raids Per Day

Over the last six months of 2009, SWAT teams were deployed 804 times in the state of Maryland, or about 4.5 times per day. In Prince George's County alone, with its 850,000 residents, a SWAT team was deployed about once per day. According to a Baltimore Sun analysis, 94 percent of the state's SWAT deployments were used to serve search or arrest warrants, leaving just 6 percent in response to the kinds of barricades, bank robberies, hostage takings, and emergency situations for which SWAT teams were originally intended. Worse even than those dreary numbers is the fact that more than half of the county’s SWAT deployments were for misdemeanors and nonserious felonies. That means more than 100 times last year Prince George’s County brought state-sanctioned violence to confront people suspected of nonviolent crimes. And that's just one county in Maryland. The use of these paramilitary police units has increased dramatically over the last 30 years, by 1,000 percent or more, resulting in the drastic militarization of police. It's a trend that seems to have escaped much media and public notice, let alone informed debate about policies and oversight procedures...read more

Waste watchers? UK group fears trash bin spies

It's the new front in the nanny state: Microchips placed in garbage bins to monitor how much people throw away. A pro-privacy group warns in a new report that more than 2.6 million of the chips have been surreptitiously installed in what is seen as a first step toward charging those who toss too much. Proponents say it's a bid to push recycling. Opponents say it stinks. "They should mind their own business," said Terry Williams, an unemployed Londoner who thinks the government is meddling. "I believe they have gone too far. It's not like we are throwing away anything that is illegal." The advocacy group Big Brother Watch found through a series of Freedom of Information requests that many local governments, called councils in Britain, are installing the microchips in trash cans distributed to households, but in most cases have not yet activated them — in part because officials know the move would be unpopular. "They are waiting for the political climate to change before they start using them," said campaign director Dylan Sharpe, who predicted that families that produce large amounts of garbage would be fined...read more

Timed Event Championship - Video Ad

Timed Event Championship Round 4

Staying within striking distance. That's exactly what K.C. Jones of Burlington, Wyo. has done this weekend at the Wrangler Timed Event Championship of the World. The four-time WTEC champion was third after the opening round, fifth after two rounds and third after three go-rounds.

On Saturday night he struck. As others fell Jones continued to move up in the fourth round, all the way to the top. Now Jones leads the average with 253.9 seconds on 20 runs going into Sunday's fifth and final round of the 26th Wrangler Timed Event Championship of the World at the Lazy E Arena.

The WTEC takes 20 of the world's toughest cowboys to ever battle the clock and tests their talents in a marathon of team roping - heading and heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and steer roping each round for five rounds. Waiting at the end is a total purse of $150,000, including a staggering $50,000 to the winner of the average after 25 runs.

Josh Peek of Pueblo, Colo.led the average after Saturday afternoon's third round. In fact, he still led after three runs Saturday night with 218.7 on 18 runs. However, his steer sprinted out of the chute in steer wrestling. Peek didn't give up though and tossed him in 27.5 seconds. He would drop to third behind six-time WTEC champion and 11-time PRCA World Champion Trevor Brazile of Decatur and Jones, respectively, after 19 head. Brazile had been 17th after two runs in the first round but also stayed within striking distance for the lead at 230.3 on 19 runs.

Still the scoreboard was anything but settled. Brazile's steer roping draw took off to the back end of the arena. But Brazile stayed with him and tied the steer in 35.3 seconds in the fourth round Saturday night.

Jones tied his steer in 18.8 and Peek in 16.6 in the steer roping.

So, after the dust settled on 20 head, Jones has the lead in the average, Peek is second in the average with 262.8 seconds on 20 runs and Brazile is third with 265.6 seconds on 20 runs. Chance Kelton of Mayer, Ariz. is fourth in the average with 268.3 on 20 runs and three-time WTEC Champion Jimmie Cooper of Monument, N.M. is fifth at 294.2 on 20 runs.

WRANGLER TIMED EVENT CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD Leaders after the 4th Go-Round, Saturday night at the LAZY E ARENA, Guthrie, Okla.

Average on 20 runs: 1. K.C. Jones, Burlington, Wyo., 253.9 seconds on 20 runs; 2. Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo., 262.8 on 20; 3. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 265.6 on 20; 4. Chance Kelton, Mayer, Ariz., 268.3 on 20; 5. Jimmie Cooper, Monument, N.M., 294.2 on 20.

Fast rounds after four rounds: 1. Chance Kelton, Mayer, Ariz., 48.0 on five (2nd go); 2. Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo., 49.6 on five (3rd go); 3. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, 50.8 on five (3rd go); 4. Kyle Lockett, Visalia, Calif., 51.3 on five (2nd go); 5. Jo Jo Lemond, Andrews, Texas, 52.2 on five (4th go); 6. Beau Franzen, Sidney, Mont., 52.5 on five (4th go).