Last week’s FREE Insight focused on the primary reasons for the success of the National Rifle Association.  First is its reputation for championing self-protection from both roaming and sedentary bandits. This requires protecting the Second Amendment guarantee of individuals rights to have arms.     The second attraction is comradeship and fun times with families and […]

Hundreds of elk winter on our place and neighbors’ ranches. We admire and enjoy these beautiful animals.  We love to watch them on our hills a mile back and when they parade single file on the south side of our portion of the privately built and managed Kleinschmidt Canal.   These elk are just 300 […]

  Here is a true, empirical, universal generalization: Well off people enjoy seeing big numbers of large wild animals in natural settings. This applies to the Serengeti Plains, Yellowstone Park, farms, and ranches that attract these animals in large numbers.   While topography and geology are big draws, especially in Yellowstone, animals are key attractors. […]

    Diana, a Romania friend, recently queried me about guns. She asked, “We were discussing the idea of arming school teachers and were wondering what is your take on that issue?” Here is my answer to her. Neither she nor any of her friends or relatives own or have use of firearms. Guns in […]

Several years ago Ramona and I had a remarkable dinner.  We were guests of a university couple, both from California.  They invited us to meet their friends visiting from the East Coast.  The issue of guns came up: “Doesn’t it worry you that a lot of people in Montana have guns?” “Actually no,” I responded, […]

  Here is good news for the New Year; health is contagious.  Healthy people consort with their likes and good behaviors are reinforced.  This applies to fitness, eating, and avoiding addictive attractions.  Naturally, runners don’t hang out with smokers–an increasing rare category.  Ever seen someone smoking at a triathlon, or even a 10K fun run? […]

  When the term was created, people applied “reality check”* to dreams.  The challenge was to determine if one is awake or caught up in a dream.  Far more importantly, reality checks operate while going about one’s daily life.  They force one to know if she or he is responsibly dealing with the living, constantly […]

  Surely in Bozeman, and throughout much of America, “peace and goodwill” is the Christmas theme.  The Bozeman Symphony’s wonderful Christmas program featured this goal and each year the Presbyterian Church presents Handel’s Messiah in a community concert. Our tradition is to attend with Jewish friends, join the church reception, and adjourn for a long […]