Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 1932
Times are tough for a lot of Montana families right now. Interest rates are high, housing is expensive, and grocery bills aren’t getting any smaller. And when life feels tight, it’s easy to buy what the pessimists are selling—especially on social media—and before long that “old man” talk seeps in: “Kids these days.” “Nothing works anymore.” “We’re headed downhill.” We start pining for a past that never really was. But my gray hairs—plus a few wins and hard lessons—have taught me this: we’re limited less by circumstances than by this very negati...
Dear Editor, Another few questions that deserve answers. When do CAPTURE and KIDNAP become synonyms? When do INTIMIDATION and THREATS become non-criminal offenses? When does adding $3 trillion dollars to the National debt become fiscal conservatism? And finally, why are we having such wonderful January weather? Is it because of climate change? I am sure that other people have more important questions to ask, but these are simply four of the many that have occurred to me. Thank you in advance...
What Bad Behavior on the Road Annoys You Most? People not checking their blinker fluid regularly! -CP People not coming to a complete stop at stop signs - MH Tailgating, especially at night on roads with lots of deer and/or in inclement weather. Your rush to get somewhere is not more important than my safety (or yours, for that matter). Pass, or be patient until you can pass or I can safely pull over for you to pass. - SK People who drive slow until you’re ready to pass then act like they’re in the Daytona 450 and gonna take home all the gli...
Our safest time of day is a nightmare landscape for nocturnal animals. If upside-down cake were served upside down, it’d be the right way up but not look like it. Most of life is not shaped by big decisions, but by the small habits we repeat without noticing. Over time, those quiet routines become our personality, our future, and our limits. What feels insignificant today is often what defines us tomorrow. X-rays expressed as a radio station would be 10 billion FM. An unmarked Costco receipt would be really hard to find outside of a w...
A bit different this week: I’ve listened about the data centers needed for AI; the power required to operate, along with the amount of water, makes it a bit frightening. Then I received an email from a trusted friend, complete with links. In August of 2025, The Missoulian ran a story about Northwestern Energy’s plans for an AI data center, which would be the largest in the state and require 1,000 megawatts of energy (enough to power 800,000 homes). The Missoulian reported the 2024 census stated there are 539,670 housing units. Water usage? Acc...
GEORGIA, I have a question, I live with my girlfriend - we’re both in our early 20s. She recently got super into productivity stuff, like watching TikToks about optimizing your life, cutting wasted time, etc. Last weekend, she said she was starting to meal prep for the week to “save time.” I said, "Cool, thanks, sounds good." Monday morning I open the fridge and there’s literally one giant container. Just one. With a sticky note on it that says “MEALS.” I open it, and I genuinely didn’t know what I was looking at. It was chicken, rice, pasta,...
Winters in Montana can be brutal, and while the weather in the Whitehall Valley has been unseasonably warm lately, I know that when the temperature drops into the single digits or below, I will not go outside without being properly dressed. The chilly wind cuts like a knife to the marrow. For the Christian, being prepared is not an option but a necessity. Spiritual disciplines help us win the day, as found in Ephesians 6 and The Armor of God. The first piece mentioned is the “belt of truth.” For the soldier, this item was a core element bec...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, look for ways to boost your income this week. Be open to dealing with people who might otherwise not come to your attention. Some extra earnings will be useful. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, you may be happy to socialize this week, especially with new people who are friendly and congenial. Enjoy some time out on the town and the chance to meet new people. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Right now, you are anxious to work and be productive, Gemini. However, obstacles seem to get in your way left and right. You might need to...
Dear Editor, November 8 was Montana's 136th statehood birthday! Most Montanans felt little to celebrate-a lack of affordable housing, healthcare, food, and opportunity. Mostly, the lack of representation by our Congressional Delegation. Four men lacking Montana values. They say anything to get elected, deny their voting record, lie about their legislative actions and votes, and sponsor bills that benefit Montana. Whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, a Libertarian, or an Independent, we can...
As the year comes to a close, we’ve taken a look back at the questions Montanans brought to us in 2025. Each request offers a window into the kinds of information people know they can ask their government for, and the gaps show what you might not think to request but still have a right to access. Taken together, the requests we received and those we didn’t show how public records can help resolve problems and that many avenues for understanding our state and local governments remain untapped. The most common requests were those related to loc...
If your first-ever attempt at gambling went completely unsuccessfully, that was probably the better outcome. Since human memory fades over time, Google Photos could be retroactively using AI to alter details in pictures we took years ago, and we would likely rewrite our own memories to match the file rather than notice the change. You never see good news written in the fine print. Very few people can actually keep their watch 5 minutes fast anymore. On most family Christmas trees, you can tell where the kids hung ornaments by the clusters and...
GEORGIA, I have a question, My daughter-in-law enjoys knitting and crocheting. For her birthday last year, my husband and I gifted her a generous gift card to a local yard store, for which she thanked us and seemed pleased. Imagine, to my dismay, that when this Christmas I opened a lovely temperature bedspread for each day of 2024 (as it was the year of our 50th anniversary), she told me she made it with yarn purchased with the gift card! I told my son that we’d, in effect, paid for our own present and that he needed to tell his wife how improp...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Strange things are happening, Aries. It may be better to go with the flow right now. You might like the change that ensues, and the change in pace could be a positive. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Better days are ahead, Taurus. It's just a matter of having a little patience and waiting a little longer for things to settle down. Start a new project to take your mind off things. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Make the most of time spent with friends and family this week, Gemini. You may need to step away for a little while, so cherish...
If you think money buys happiness, that means you still have hope. The more the world moves towards a cashless economy, the harder it becomes for an average person to participate in money laundering. East and West aren’t opposite destinations; they’re the same place, just reached by different distances. You only realize how loud modern life is when the power goes out. Mall Santas must get sick a lot. Rice Krispies Treats may be the only reason Rice Krispies cereal is still being made. Architecture made by animals in fiction often inc...
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, chapter six, is well known for its “Armor of God” teachings. Paul uses strong metaphors to draw comparisons to spiritual disciplines we Christians can utilize to stand firm against deception and temptation. Humans tend to focus on physical strength and agility, so Paul’s metaphor is typically illustrated by large, muscular soldiers. For a second, Google “The Armor of God,” and you will see what I am getting at. I would contend that spiritual discipline and Godly attributes have little to do with physical mu...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 If you are feeling half-hearted about what you are working on, then put it off for a little bit and focus on something more interesting this week, Aries. You can use the rest. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Make it your business to remind others not to take life so seriously this week, Taurus. The best way to do that is to show them how to laugh by example. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Your thoughts are on an important decision that you need to make, Gemini. It’s best to wait a few days before you get into the thick of things. You n...
While House District 69 Representative Ken Walsh sponsored HB 680, it passed with overwhelming support from the Legislature, making it a mistake shared by many that never should have happened. HB 680 changes how Montana treats two of its most important historic places: Virginia City and Nevada City. These towns are not just state-owned property. They are living parts of Montana’s story, held in trust for future generations. HB 680 breaks that trust. The bill allows the state to enter into 99-year lease agreements. In simple terms, that gives p...
For weeks now, Montanans have been treated to a steady stream of op-eds from legislators—among them Jane Gillette, Shannon Maness, and Tracy Sharp—denouncing the recent property tax legislation. Their criticisms have focused on SB 542, which created a homestead exemption for primary residences and a different tax rate on second homes. Here is the real question: If SB 542 is so bad, why did Gillette, Maness, and Sharp vote for it? It sounds like Gillette, Maness, and Sharp voted for SB 542 without reading and understanding its contents. After re...
Maybe the homes of the rich look soulless because they fill them with things just because they can afford them, not because they have any personal meaning. The Robinhood trading app allows the poor to participate in getting robbed by the rich. I wish humans had more time to evolve a better spine before we effectively locked in our body structure through modern medicine. If you were born in the ‘90s, you may be the last generation to remember what it was like to go to the internet rather than always being on it. Autocorrect and talk-to-text h...
GEORGIA, I have a question, My in-laws are giving their four children/spouses (7 total) and four grandchildren a trip to Disneyland for Christmas. Before my mother-in-law (MIL) purchased the gift, she checked with each couple/child to see if we would accept the gift. Each of us obviously said Yes! Now that my MIL has spent $15K for thirteen of us to spend a week at the happiest place on Earth, my sister-in-law has decided she does not want her children (7F, 3F) to receive the gift on Christmas but would like to wait until Easter. She reasons...
Confusion and misunderstanding flourish in today’s America. A pet peeve I wrestle with is when people throw around words that don't fit the context of Scripture. Here are two humorous examples of how poor translation caused issues for companies. KFC’s “Finger-Lickin’ Good” in China came out as “Eat your fingers off.” Mercedes-Benz, a prominent high-end automaker, launched in China, and it was rough. “Benz” in China was translated as “Bensi,” which for them meant “Rush to die.” One of the most misunderstood topics of the Bible is found in Ephesi...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, you have been looking for some new ways to make some extra money, and now might be the time to start putting your plan in motion. Good fortune awaits. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Passion is on your mind this week, Taurus. Get together with a spouse or romantic partner and enjoy an evening with just the two of you. Embrace this chance to let the sparks fly. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 A gift would be a wonderful surprise for a loved one or friend this week, Gemini. Perhaps there is something that this person has had an eye on...
With almost all companies using AI for their marketing, it is weird that AI companies aren't using it in their ads. A person’s peak height is only known in hindsight. An average kid is taught not to talk with their mouth full. An average mute kid is probably taught not to speak with their hands full. Most cars will never be upside down. The older you get, the more dead people appear in your dreams. Men’s public restrooms are laid out all wrong. It should be urinal, stall, urinal, stall, urinal instead of urinal, urinal, urinal, stall, sta...
ChatGPT is making quite a mark in the human world. And not always to the good. Currently, ChatGPT has over 700 million users, of whom 58% are younger than 30. According to a Pew research survey, that’s up by 43% from last year. You can have conversations with ChatGPT about anything. It is designed to discuss whatever the user wishes. In many ways, this can be a great thing. But there is a dark side. There are no limits to what fantasies or delusional beliefs you can discuss, and ChatGPT, either by design or poor planning, plays along with the p...
GEORGIA, I have a question, I (26F) stopped shaving my armpits a few years ago and found that I greatly prefer not having bald armpits. I have sensitive skin and get horrible rashes and razor burn from shaving. My decision not to shave my armpits is primarily personal, but I am aware that it is going against a societal/gender norm. My friends are getting married next summer, and they’ve invited me to their summer wedding in Mexico. I asked about dress codes for the various events, and both the bride and groom said they won’t be strict abo...
