Where we come from, it doesn’t snow in June. Our morning commute is not a five-minute bike ride. There is no Belgrade or buffalo tenderloin. Where we come from, it’s cities and sprawl. For two twenty-somethings working in Bozeman for the summer, Montana came like a sigh of relief. Soon we were huffing and puffing. […]
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“The four most dangerous words in investing are ‘This time it’s different.’” —Sir John Templeton Every decade or so since 1900, there has been a run of prosperity that detaches people’s common sense from financial realities. This generates widespread faith in a “new era” of ever-escalating wealth. If we’ll be richer next year, why not […]
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Last Saturday, while preparing to celebrate Independence Eve, I received two letters requesting political support. One was from Dan Choi, an Army Lieutenant who was standing trial for speaking three truthful words, “I am gay.” He is an infantry officer, an Iraq combat veteran, and a West Point graduate with a degree in Arabic. He […]
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I intend this column to be helpful advice to women. It’s about a sad subject, the plight of pine trees in our urban, suburban, and rural landscape and the casualties that follow. Mountain pine beetles have hit our trees. These creatures attack most pines, particularly ponderosa, lodgepole, and Scotch; trees we treasure around our homes […]
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Although today we must report to the IRS, there are solid reasons to be optimistic about our future. Many people find the positive cultural and environmental qualities of our valley, and indeed our region, compellingly attractive. Despite obvious current setbacks, our situation is enviable on multiple dimensions. Most importantly, accomplished, highly successfully people find Bozeman […]
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Exit interviews are normally comprised of questions posed to employees who leave an organization. It’s hard and expensive to replace good workers, and the causes of departure may need to be remedied. I believe exit interviews could be useful in another context; they could be given to contributors who terminate or reduce support for an […]
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We will soon celebrate the selection, election, inauguration, and for some the coronation, of America’s 44th president, Barack Obama. These events mark quite amazing progress in achieving ideals articulated in our Declaration of Independence, in several of Lincoln’s addresses, and by Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. America has suffered a political analogue to the doctrine […]
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I’m hopeful about this holiday season. Specifically, I hope we learn that the things economists measure best are not what matter most. Thoughtful people will understand that good friendships and the warmth that comes from helping the unfortunate are more satisfying than transitory fruits of wealth. This Christmas season is quite different from those of […]
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I’ve just finished “Mountains Beyond Mountains” the selection for One Book-One Bozeman, a worthy effort to promote community and literacy through a common book reading. A schedule of events can be found on the web. The book tells the story of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Harvard trained physician and anthropologist. Dr. Farmer’s calling is to […]
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Archaeology interprets past cultures and economies by studying material remains and environmental data. Long associated with analyses of classical civilizations such as Greek and Roman, it is also applicable to more modern times. For example, in 2001 the University of Arizona Press published Rubbish: The Archaeology of Garbage, an analysis of contemporary America’s disposal culture. […]
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