| |
 |
 |
Thursday, December 27, 2007
753 A look back at 2007
This is my 53rd column of 2007 and as it is time to look back at some of them. And while doing so, some interesting developments come to mind. For example:
• Best known. One of my most controversial columns was when I speculated that Vice President Dick Cheney was the most famous Wyomingite ever.
Although it still makes sense to me that this accurate, there is a compelling argument that Buffalo Bill Cody was the best known person in the world, next to the Queen of England, back at the end of the 19th century.
That column included a long list of famous Wyoming people but two big ones that were omitted were J. C. Penney, who grew up in Kemmerer and actor Harrison Ford, of Jackson, who has appeared in more blockbuster movies than anyone in history.
My liberal sister Mary who owns a newspaper in Iowa says that five years now no one will remember who Dick Cheney was. And my even more liberal brother Tom in South Carolina says Mr. Cheney will be more “infamous” than famous. Oh well. Obviously I disagree.
The Veep is tops when it comes to world recognition.
• New gadgets. A column about gadgets included an item where I admitted my confusion over why kids today “text” rather than “talk” on the cell phones.
Although no good answer has emerged to that burning question, a great burning answer did come forth from one of my readers. “C’mon Bill, be thankful they are texting and are NOT yacking on the phones all this time. It would be a cacophony.” Well said.
• Wonders. A column about the seven wonders of Wyoming created intense interest and lots of local commentary. Most of the abuse came from people here in Fremont County, who (like me) are convinced they live in God’s country.
Also, my boating buddies at Flaming Gorge just could not believe that that body of water was not included in my top 7 list.
• Smokers. My column about smoking generated some angst and some phone calls.
“Cough, cough! You are not fair to us smokers!” yelled one caller into my ear when he complained about my bias. Geez, I thought that column was eminently fair.
• Interstate 80. Readers of this column know that lots of opinions of this road emanate in this space.
Truckers seem to get very offended by my references to them as smoke-belching behemoths driven by drug-crazed flatlanders, etc. etc. Apparently they take umbrage to this and they should. Fully 99 percent of truckers are great but even if just one percent of the 6,000 of them per day are troubled, well, that means you have to deal with 60 ugly ones out there on any trip you take. In the winter, I boycott the road.
• Christmas column. Karen Gibbons of Laramie sent me this in response to my holiday column about telling your parents how you felt during special times while growing up at home:
“My dad was in the oil business with all its ups and downs. One day in Denver during the 1960`s oil bust, my mother was lamenting that she needed a new bra but had no money while my dad was looking at a catalog for expensive boats and thinking about buying one.
“The scene was so bizarre. Mom didn`t have any money. And dad did have the credit for buying the boat. When I pointed that out, we all laughed until we cried at the absurdity of it all.
“It is one moment I will always remember. What I wouldn`t give to spend another morning with them . . . thanks for reminding me of how important memories are.”
• Nation’s breadbasket. My column about the Midwest and the new attitude by residents back there as they see their area as an energy–producing region rather than a food-producing region earned some comments.
My Midwestern friends thought I was too hard on their area while many people were appalled at the energy is takes to create ethanol and despair over the whole concept of using food for fuel.
• 2007 changes. We also said good-by to the late U. S. Sen. Craig Thomas and hello to his successor, Sen. John Barrasso,
A column called When Superman Died was about heroic Lander climber Todd Skinner who died in a freak accident at Yosemite.
Our New Year’s column in 2007 predicted continuous huge budget surpluses for the Legislature. Apparently that trend is over, as we will see much smaller ones in the near future.
• Looking ahead. And so we look forward to another year of columns, which will primarily, deal with Wyoming subjects, although I will probably wander a bit from time to time.
Thanks so much for reading them and a Happy New Year to all my friends and readers out there.
|
Monday, December 24, 2007
752 Old, new Christmas traditions
The Christmas season is a wonderful time of year. And besides the obvious religious reasons we celebrate the holiday there are gifts to give and to receive.
As we approach the big day, here are some thoughts.
First of all, remember the three rules of shopping locally: First, it helps the local economy; second, you will see all your friends; and third, you may be stunned to see the selection of unique products being carried by your local stores. And be sure to read the ads in the newspapers, too.
Next, always keep in mind that not everyone is having as good a Christmas you are. Is there someone you can help? Of course, there is.
Here in Lander, we have a program that provided 198 Christmas Gift baskets crammed full of food, toys and goodies to the needy.
We saw a professional musician, Steve Gora, donate all the tips he received this past year to the project. A lady sent in $200 and said she notified her kids that she felt they were all doing fine and this was her present to them – to help the needy in their names.
Members of the local Elks Club delivered the baskets last Sunday. Jake Jacobs has been delivering them for more than 25 years. “I like doing it,” he says. “It helps people but it also makes me appreciate what I have all the more.” Members of the Elks also bought the turkeys to go with the food baskets and provided toys, too.
Another gal, Arky Milhollin spent all year knitting blankets, towels and wash clothes, which were put in the baskets. A local policewoman Anna Bennett saved up two huge baskets of toys and donated them. Cabin Fever Books owner Mary Ann Hoyt and her crew gift wrapped hundreds of books and the local Gabel Theatres donated movie passes for teen kids who weren’t getting anything under their trees this year.
This type of giving occurs all over Wyoming. This is just one example what happens here in Lander. By the way, my wife Nancy and Becky Elliott chair the project. Lander area people donated over $6,000 to pay for the baskets.
Christmas can also be a nutty time of year, in my opinion.
For example, what is with wrapping gifts? What a dumb idea. When I wrap a present you know which ones came from me at first glance. I have wrapped them for years in newspapers. Sort of fits my background. They look like giant wads of, well, newspaper.
And finally, my wife and kids say that I am impossible to buy for. Because of this, I am including some tips for last minute Christmas shopping for Wyoming men, which were sent to me by my friend, Aggie Smith. Although these guidelines sound suspiciously like an old Dave Barry column, she contends it was anonymously sent to her through the Internet with some Wyoming editing.
So here, are two last minute tips for buying gifts for a Wyoming man:
#1: The best gift of all is a cordless drill. It does not matter if he already has one. Aggie says she has a friend who owns nine and he has yet to complain. In Wyoming, you can never have too many cordless drills. No one knows why.
#2: If you cannot afford a cordless drill, buy him anything with the word ratchet or socket in it. Men love saying those two words. "Hey Bill, can I borrow your ratchet?" "OK. By-the-way, are you through with my 3/8-inch socket yet?" Again, no one knows why.
Phil Roberts of Laramie sent me a story about old-time Christmas celebrations in Wyoming, which included:
• In Cheyenne in 1877 the ladies of the African Methodist Church cooked a Christmas dinner for church members and friends. "About 250 presents hung upon the tree," the newspaper item reported. Must have been a heckuva big tree or really small presents.
• There was less debate on the festivities at Laramie that year. The "Wanless Hose Company" sponsored "a grand ball at a hotel Christmas night."
• The Christmas tree was a standard part of celebrations in the 1870s. Residents of Rock Springs held a Christmas party at their one-room schoolhouse in 1878. The Christmas tree was decorated with cranberries and popcorn strung by the school children.
And here we are today as the Christmas season continues to be celebrated all across our great state. Best wishes to all.
|
Sunday, December 16, 2007
751 The perfect Christmas present
During this commercial time in which we live, it is refreshing to come across a truly great idea that personalizes Christmas.
My brilliant kid sister Susan Kinneman came up with this idea a few years ago and foisted it on her nine brothers and one sister as a way to give our parents a truly once-in-a-lifetime Christmas present.
Sue decided to put together a calendar that added personal comments from all of my parents’ children, grandchildren, sons and daughters-in-law, etc. These comments were placed on the calendar throughout the year so that when the parents turned the page they would see a whole additional set of encouraging messages throughout the year.
Let me let Susan tell you in her own words where she got the inspiration for this outstanding idea:
“Here is my idea for a group Christmas present for mom and dad: Please finish the following sentence stems and send them back via email.
“ I got this idea from my good friend Janice Hanson.
Many of you remember her parents, Beula and Bob Hanson. Bob was active with dad in the insurance business.
“Anyway, Beula died suddenly last March. The family
wrote this kind of document up and read it at her funeral. All I could think of is how much that would have meant to Beula if she had had a chance to hear it when she was alive.
“I`ll create a pattern, or just randomly put them here
and there. This is the list of sentence stems. You fill in the
blanks:
Mom, I`ll always remember...
Dad, I`ll always remember...
Mom, we were happy when...
Dad, we were happy when...
Mom, thanks for teaching me...
Dad, thanks for teaching me...
Mom, just one more thing...
Dad, just one more thing...
As you can see, my sis is one bright gal. She is also the superintendent of schools at Dubois. Our family is this huge Irish Catholic bunch and we have lots of family pride. Dad was 80 and mom was 75 when Sue came up with this great idea. Our dad died soon after.
Here were my responses for that first calendar:
Mom, I`ll always remember your inability to ever say anything bad about anyone. This is a lesson I’ve tried to live in my own life (despite being a journalist and writing opinion pieces for over 40 years.)
Dad, I`ll always remember how important it was to you to always to tell the truth. I will never forget a time when you were mad at us kids for some thing bad that we had done. You singled me out and told me how you knew I would tell you the truth. So then you asked me your question. I looked into your eyes and lied. I have never forgotten that and have tried to live up to your expectations the rest of my life.
Mom, we were happy when we older kids could go home to little Wadena, Iowa, for holidays with our little families of our own and you made us feel so much at home there.
Dad, we were happy when, as kids, you took us to Backbone State Park for our picnics. It was a lot of trouble when you loaded up all the kids and made those trips. It was wonderful getting involved with Boy Scouts as we learned about stars, camping and the outdoors, too.
Mom, thanks for teaching me how to treat other people. You just never, ever held grudges or complained. This was a lesson that I have tried to live in my life and to pass along to my own children.
Dad, thanks for teaching me the service industry and how to really take care of the customer. You really tried to instill the concept that if you give the customer service that is better than he would ever expect, you could keep that customer forever.
Mom, just one more thing: thanks for being such a booster of my journalistic ability and your insistence that I go to Iowa State and pursue my dream of being a newspaperman. There are no words to express how much I love you for supporting me during that time so long ago.
Dad, just one more thing: your love of keeping up on the news left a lasting impression. You passed on a love of the printed word and a love for current events. It was a critical element in my becoming a journalist.
|
Saturday, December 08, 2007
750 The times, they are a changin`
You don’t need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows. – Bob Dylan
Had the chance to hear one of the country’s top futurists last weekend at a meeting in rain-soaked Phoenix. Also had a good chance to talk with him about the future of energy and what it all means to Wyoming.
Jeff Wacker is a native of Nebraska and is the senior strategist for the huge EDS Corporation in Dallas, Texas
He travels the world talking to people about the future and also spends time looking into the trends that he thinks will really matter.
Mr. Wacker agreed that coal would still be the country’s dominate source of electrical power in the foreseeable future. He also says that utilities are notoriously conservative entities and will be reluctant to risk having the power go off by venturing off to new technologies.
He also talks a lot about something called ME, which is Mobile Everything. Although it is tempting to equate this to the so-called “Me Generation,” the reality is that it is far, far more.
He says that to the older generations, mobility was epitomized by the advent of the car for everyone.
Today’s younger people see their cell phone as their symbol of mobility. And he says the cell phone is now going to become everything.
He could not answer my question of why today’s young people use their phones for text messaging rather that just speaking. My theory is that to us oldsters, when the phone rang in our youth, we knew it was really important.
To people 45 and under, well, they have lived during a time when the phone rings incessantly, usually with crank calls or telemarketers.
This generational difference reminded me of more prophetic lyrics from Bob Dylan:
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don`t criticize
What you can`t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin`.
Please get out of the new one
If you can`t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin`.
(Copyright, Bob Dylan)
Not sure he was talking about cell phones when he wrote that 30 years ago!
Another speaker said the future lies in cooperation not competition. This is something that was brought home to me many years ago in the newspaper business.
After being intensely competitive for my first couple of decades, it was easy to learn that collaboration could often help you produce a better product and sleep better at night.
T he speaker quoted an old saying that was new to me:
If you want to go fast – go alone.
If you want to go far – go together.
This typifies what the state of Wyoming has been doing in recent years under Gov. Dave Freudenthal. His administration recently went to bat for the state of Illinois in that state’s effort to get the new clean coal technology.
Another example was the work the governor did with the West Virginia governor concerning coal development and problems on the horizon. They worked together to provide a common ground in working with the federal government. They met this past week at an energy summit in West Virginia to promote coal’s role collectively as the nation’s primary energy producer.
Gov. Dave even teamed up with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California for a TV program featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tom Friedman of The World is Flat book.
And finally, the governor believes the solution of getting funding to fix I-80 cannot be done by Wyoming, alone. “We have to reach out to the other states where this road goes and get their help, too,” he says. All are good examples where collaboration makes a lot of sense in the world we live in.
The meeting I was at was at damp and humid Phoenix. The much-appreciated moisture completely threw the locals into a tizzy. They had received about two inches of rain the entire year and more than that fell during the three days I was there.
Oh well. So much for golf and a tan.
It had been two decades since I had been there and the Valley of the Sun was unrecognizable to me except for Camelback Mountain. Talk about sprawl. In the news there was talk of a proposed subdivision that would contain 20,000 homes.
On a totally other subject, on my flight home, I sat next to a United Airlines executive and he was speculating on the proposed merger of United and Delta Airlines.
“We think it will be called Delted,” he said with a wink.
|
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
749 Wyoming coal and global warming
Will Wyoming’s vast coal mines be cut back or closed down at some point during our lifetimes?
When the current energy boom started in the fall of 2002-2003, just five short years ago, several prognosticators (including this columnist) predicted we could see a period of prosperity that stretched out for decades.
This was based on two things:
First is our 250-year supply of low sulphur coal. Wyoming is North America’s Saudi Arabia when it comes to coal.
And second, vast reserves of natural gas continue to be discovered in our state. Plus projections of more than 100,000 coalbed methane natural gas wells will be developed in the next decade.
In the meantime, a bogeyman named Global Warming has entered the nation’s consciousness and is starting to put a crimp into some of these developments, especially coal.
Ten years ago, who could have imagined that today nuclear energy would be viewed as “clean” and coal would be viewed as “dirty?”
One example of this change in public attitude was the cancellation of a huge development of coal-fired plants in Texas that would have used 7 percent of Wyoming’s coal in favor of nuclear power.
A recent news report talked about a coal-fired plant scheduled for Mesquite, NV, which has next-door Utah residents up in arms, and they are marshalling forces to kill it.
Coal plants that were on the drawing boards in Wyoming are now becoming more of a long shot, as financing and long-term power contracts are being renegotiated.
You even see Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger leading California lawmakers into a program where they refuse to buy energy that is produced in a way that causes global warming, i.e. coal fired plants.
Meanwhile the Union Pacific Railroad is setting new records for the amount of coal it is transporting out of the Powder River Basin back to the Midwest and to the south and the east.
The size of these trains leaves a big impression. I recently drove home through the Lusk area and it was amazing to actually see how long these trainloads of coal really can be. They stretch out for more than mile … almost disappearing on the horizon.
That coal train is a symbol of a global battle. No doubt we are seeing the beginnings of an epic struggle between the folks concerned about global warming and the pro-energy at any cost folks.
It is a fact that the thirst for more electricity could easily outstrip the supply. Energy demand is growing much faster than supplies are being developed.
Perhaps the biggest victims in this are the big utility companies. And it is often hard to feel sorry for them but in this case they perhaps deserve a tear or two.
They operate monopolies and, as part of that monopoly they cannot allow the power to ever go off. Thus, as energy demand grows, so does the threat of brownouts or blackouts loom on the horizon.
These utilities have invested heavily in coal-fired plants, which produce energy pretty darn cheaply, and, in their minds, pretty darn cleanly, too.
It will take over a decade for some of these utilities to convert their energy production to wind, nuclear, natural gas or clean coal.
What happens in the meantime? If the power goes out, they risk big fines and even losing their franchises.
Many in the utility industry feel they are in a no-win situation. They preach conservation but Americans are big consumers of energy and are showing no real measurable change of lifestyle, at present.
With the above said, Wyoming’s energy future is still very bright, indeed. The development of new clean coal technologies could provide even more opportunity than what the coal fields are now providing. With leadership from industry, state government and UW’s School of Energy, wonderful things could happen.
Meanwhile up north, a different sort of attitude prevails. Montana has almost as much energy as we do, although not nearly so well developed.
A major news story in the Missoula daily newspaper proclaimed how scary it would be if “Montana turned into another Wyoming.”
A Montana Trout Unlimited spokesman was quoted as saying: “You’re not going to see another Jonah Field in Montana yet but that’s what people are afraid of,” he said, referring to the vast natural gas field in Wyoming that has become ground zero in the controversy over energy development in the West. “We want to get ahead of the curve so that won’t happen.”
Whether it is Montana or Wyoming, it appears that a lot can change once blackouts and brownouts occur. Until that happens the public relations advantage is definitely in the hands of the global warming folks.
|
|
 |
|
|
