Visiting the Looni Bin

Every State has a town that houses the Looni Bin. In North Dakota the bin is in Jamestown, so the code word is "Going to Jamestown". Well that is where we sit, visting friends and enjoying fine food and whine. Tonight we are scheduled to do black light bowling. It will be a first for Lord Kadizzle. Sometime today we have to go to the thrift store and get our outfits.
Be Sure to read Tom Krugman in NYT today

Free Rice?

Over the holidays a good friend told Lord Kadizzle about a site called Free Rice. On the site you take a vocablulary test. For every try you make free rice is donated to poor people in third world countries. People who like scrabble and other word smiths will enjoy putting themselves to the test. The site is sponsored by The United Nations.

Mission Accomplished, P Day a failure?

Today, Lord Kadizzle knows just how Bush must have felt when he was forced to invade the wrong country. We were denied access to the land, where the pheasants were holed up. Just like Bush has not been able to go into Pakistan to get Osama, we were denied entrance to the hideout. So we did what Bush did, attacked the wrong country. Of course our results were just like Bush's, no pheasants. Lord Kadizzle wanted to stand in the back of the pickup truck and give a victory speech just like Bush did on the air craft carrier, but he resisted the temptation.

P Day

A major offensive is planned today against the cacklers (pheasants). Just as Al Quida, has taken refuge in Pakistan, the pheasants have a massive sanctuary south of town. If the farmer will let our troops onto the property we may be able to launch a major winter offensive. We know they are there in great numbers. As the plan now stands we will be using our best intelligence technology. (two dogs, with super noses). Osama Ben Pheasant can hide his troops as if they have vanished in thin air. Our plan will be committed to paper, and we will use the pincer movement perfected by the Germans. The slightest failure to execute this procedure could result in leakage of enemy troops into the adjoining fields covered with grass. Like Bush we are not committing enough troops and resources to get the job done correctly. If insurgents come in from adjoining fields, we will welcome the chance to make martyrs out of them. As has been mentioned before, these devious fundamentalist have defeated our advanced technology before by making us waste countless resources. If we can drive the Chinese Ringneck Pheasant from our country, the native population of grouse can life their traditional live of peace. Although we have walked every field in the county and found nothing our intelligence indicates the ringnecks have weapons of mass destruction.

Stratford Springs by Kate Quinn

This article is written by my sister Kate, and goes with the post below. This resort at one time existed close to the home I grew up in. This is the spring that cured our family of chohexia in the blog post that follows this one.

STRATFORD SPRINGS


My interest in the Stratford Hotel began as a young girl. It was there I played hooky from piano lessons, picked wildflowers and earned my Girl Scout trailblazing badge.
One day I found silverware and shards of plates that said “Stratford Springs Hotel” on them. I have since discovered that the china used at the hotel was made by Homer Laughlin China, but their records were lost in a fire so they were unable to tell me anything about the china. But I never lost my interest in the hotel, whose grandeur and mystery has intrigued me to this day.

The hotel was built in 1903 on what is now Edgewood Street in Woodsdale. The former owner of the land was aware of the many springs on the property and had sold the waters that he bottled himself. At that time, going to “take the waters” was a very sociable thing for society to do and many resorts had grown up around mineral springs. This is how Saratoga Springs in New York State got its start and later Greenbrier in the Southern part of West Virginia. The Greenbrier was not yet a year-round resort and difficult to get to and Saratoga was not centrally located enough, so the Stratford became a real drawing card for society to gather and imbibe in the brisk, sparkling, and acidulous waters from the springs.

West Virginia has a large percentage of the 250 mineral springs found in the United States and reputed to have medicinal properties. Among other ailments they propose to cure anemia, chlorosis, dyspepsia, chronic cachexiae, gout, diabetes, leucorrhoea, and chronic diarrhea. They increase the appetite, improve digestion, give increased cardiac action, and improve the quality of the blood, particularly in anemic individuals. It is also claimed that they prevent kidney and gall stones, help a sluggish liver, and cure hemorrhoids, rheumatism, and syphilis, but their most important curative power was in their ability to regulate moods. In this they were the equal of the best of European springs at Vichy (France) and Seltzer (Germany).

None of the many springs at Stratford were thermal springs. They maintained a constant temperature of 55 degree Fahrenheit year round, so to get their benefit one had to drink this bubbly concoction daily. The springs were naturally carbonated, so this was the “soda water” of the day.

When completed in 1907, the hotel was a block long and three stories high with 84 rooms, a spacious lobby, two dining rooms, several sweeping verandas, three sun parlors, a tennis court, pool, and a billiard parlor. Modern conveniences included a telepho9ne in each room and a power plant for electricity generation on the site.

The dining room seated 300 and the meals were elegant. A six-course meal costs $0.75 and the Assembly hall served for conferences and conventions and was used as a ballroom.

The sitting room or sun parlor was a particular favorite of patrons. The hotel described it as follows:

“Sitting in the beautiful Sun Parlor, one is struck by the color of the windows as the shadows of twilight begin to fall. Whether it be a reflection of the surrounding hills, or just some unexplained phenomenon for the contemplation of science, the windows take on a deep blue tinge, and fill the room with a soft and soothing radiance, like the light of dreamland.”

The Stratford Hotel was the site of dancing lessons, bridge clubs, luncheons, dinners, and numerous other social occasions. There was even a luncheon for the WVU football team. But it was most famous for its masked balls usually held twice a year at Easter and Christmas. Young society women acted as the hostesses at these “living kaleidoscopes” and the ball began with a procession at 9pm when the charge d’affairs ushered the patronesses into the dining room followed by the guests. The ballroom glittered with magnificent decorations appropriate to the season and only the best orchestras were contracted.

The local gentry soon decided tat living at the hotel during the winter was cheaper and easier than keeping a staff and heating their mansions. The rates were $12.50 to $15 per week for a suite or $3 per day. Meals were served and many of the occupants brought their own furnishings from home.

The Wheeling Intelligencer, “The Stratford was beautifully located near the foot of Woodlawn hill and nestled in a perfect bower of trees and shrubbery that made it a beautifully cool and sequestered spot during the sultry days of midsummer. The hotel was abundantly supplied with sweeping verandahs its whole length and sides, together with roomy sun-parlors admirably adapted for living room purposes during the winter months.” Since so many out-of-towners stayed at the hotel, this was also an ideal place for society debs to meet future mates.

In the early hours of the morning on January 13th, 1918a spark from a gasoline engine in the ice department set waste nearby on fire and spread to ammonia tanks causing them to explode. The fire quickly spread to a nearby linen storage room and was soon out of control.

The wind was blowing strongly from the West and since the fire started in the northeast corner of the hotel, the flames had to struggle against the brisk wind, which prevented the conflagration from moving more quickly against the all-wooden structure. Fire departments from Woodsdale, Edgewood, and Wheeling responded with pumper trucks, but as the night was so cold, the water soon froze over the structure making a “toboggan slide of the front porch” which enabled the firefighters to slide grand pianos, safes, ornate mirrors, velvet couches, precious rugs, and patrons down the slippery slope.

The residents of Woodsdale took the bedraggled guest, most in their nightclothes and bare feet into their homes and provided warm drinks for the firefighters. The flames were bright enough to be seen in downtown Wheeling that night, but no lives were lost. The next morning’s paper reported the locations of all of the guests most of whom had moved to other hotels in the city.

The building was underinsured and was a total loss. It was never re-built because of increased building costs. The total loss in property, furnishings, and personal property of the guests was estimated at $150,000. There were 125 guests at the time of the fire.

The Stratford Springs Hotel, the grand dame of the turn of the century resorts, was sorely missed by the social set of Wheeling. Its history as a “pillar of beauty” should be remembered.

_________________________________________

Family Saved from chronic cachexiae

This morning I read an article from sister Kate, who often writes historical articles for the local historical press in my home town of Wheeling, West Virginia. Her article dealt with a famous resort that once existed within blocks of our house. The resort was based on a spring that had curative effects. As a child I remember drinking from what was left of that spring. I am sure most of my family also drank from the spring. Kate noted in the article that the spring was known to cure chronic cachexiae. Reading the article, I wondered "What in the hell is chronic cachexiae?". It turns out chronic cachexiae causes people to waste away and become anemic. If you saw my entire family side by side you would know we were all cured by the spring. I often wondered why we all had no problem putting on weight and keeping it on. Now, I have found that we were all cured accidentally of chronic cachexiae. This may prove to be one of those rare diseases that the cure is worse than the disease. Like most of my family I have been fighting the cure for years. Unfortunately the cure for the cure involves excercise, and a diet consisting of empty bowls and water.

War on Terrorist Likely to Continue in Hazen

Although a lot of people do not see the threat from the Chinese invaders in our area, Lord Kadizzle, and The Commander take the threat seriously. These Chinese work under cover throughout the county, under the cover of brush, CPR, and often corn or sunflowers. They are a sneaky bunch. Even though the males wear the bright red suits of Chairman Mao, you can often drive right by them while they eat the agricultural products of our farmers. While we have high tech weapons like radios, and semi-automatic shotguns, these guys with brains smaller than golf balls can run us in circles and force us to wear ourselves out in hopeless pursuit. Just as their brethren escape into Pakistan, these deviant purveyors of forien ideology often run or fly onto posted land. Although the farmers who post the land claim they are friendly to our cause they are harboring the red Chinese. Remember these are the same Chinese that are filling Wal Marts with cheap goods and putting American workers in danger. God set aside America for Americans. Pheasants are Chinese, grouse are American, Turkeys are American, and by God Lord Kadizzle is an American. Just like the minute men on the Mexican Border who sacrifice their time to protect us from Mexicans, Lord Kadizzle and The Commander are our almost every day beating back the Chinese invasion. Today may involve maneuvers South of Hazen to keep these invaders at bay.

Kadizzle Christmas Messge

Amazing Grace

Sister Suzie decided to label her brother for Christmas. This should eliminate some confusion

The Mother of all Jukeboxes

For the last two days Lord Kadizzle has been working on the royal music collection, which now numbers over forty thousand songs. Modern technology means all this music can be stored on a hard drive. To play all the music would take over two or three months. In the course of loading the Ipod many new songs have been found. The entire collection might weigh a mere two pounds. Contrast this to Duke's collection. Duke is the development director for Hazen. Duke collects music the old fashioned way. In his basement there are probably close to ten tons of records. This may seem unbelievable, but Lord Kadizzled hauled about a ton and a half to the basement himself. Duke asked for help moving a collection form Bismarck. It took two and a half pickup loads. This was just a small portion of what he has. Duke has no clue what is in his collection. If his house ever catches on fire, it will be the biggest toxic incident in Mercer county, and take days to put out.

West Virginia Road Trip

Back in the old days

When God Made Me

Maybe God does not discriminate

WHEN GOD MADE ME

Was he thinking about my country,
or the colour of my skin?
Was he thinking about my religion,
and the way I worshipped him?
Did he create just me in his image,
or every living thing?

When God made me.
When God made me.

Was he planning only for believers,
or for those who just had faith?
Did he envision all wars
that were fought in his name?
Did he say there was only one way
to be close to him?

When God made me.
When God made me.

Did he give me the gift of love
to say who I could choose?

When God made me.
When God made me.
When God made me.

Did he give me the gift of voice
so some could silence me?
Did he give me the gift of vision
not knowing what I might see?
Did he give me the gift of compassion
to help my fellow man?

When God made me.

Wall Street gives itself 32 Billion in Bonus while middle class goes nowhere

One of the biggest problems our country faces is the fact that since 1979 the income of the top 1% of the population has had a 228% increase in income. This means that essentially the middle class has gone no where. My good conservative friends tell me this is only true if you trust sources like the New York Times which today had a good article on the subject. Ironically you can find the same facts in more conservative journals like Forbes.

Keith Olbermann's Special Comment 12/6/07

If you believe in George Bush, you do not have the guts to watch this. If you do, tell me where it is wrong to win a prize.

KEITH OLBERMANN SPECIAL COMMENT ON WATERBOARDING NOV 5, 2007

You need to watch this is you have an once of doubt about what water boarding is. I love Oberman, he tells it like it is.

Ray Stops by with Assistant

Ray stopped by on this snowy morning with his assistant Janey. Many people think Ben Franklin was a genius of sorts, but if you have done your homework you would know that a mouse lived in Ben Franklin's whig, and hat. The mouse actually was the genius and whispered ideas in Ben's ear. Lord Kadizzle suspects the same is true for Ray, Janey is the knowledgeable one. Think about it, Ray does all the work, and Janey live the life of ease. Now tell me who is the smartest?

Bill Maher on 'Elite,' Pat Robertson U., and the Bush Admin.

Stumbled across this, you have to watch it. I hate Pat Robertson, he is the biggest fraud not in jail. Bill Maher cuts Bush to shreds, it is funny, watch it.

Worn our from Pheasant Hunting

Yesterday neighbor Bob took off the afternoon from work and went on the great hunt with us. The Kadizzles had been drooling about trying to get permission to go into a honey patch of birds. The owner at the Buffalo Ranch was gracious and let us hunt his CRP. It was loaded with birds, and three idiots. Through confusion and poor hunting we managed only to get four birds when we should have had nine. As usual the birds out smarted us. We failed to execute the German pincer movement correctly. It is hard to do with just three people. With no one posting, the birds just poured out the end. Today will be a day of rest. Tomorrow we may make another assault in Saturday morning.

Angels Landing

While the commander sleeps Lord Kadizzle got caught up in surfing youtube. He came across some videos of one of our favorite hikes. Megan and Erin will appreciate the footage. It is probably the best hike you can take in two hours. The last part where you go out to the pinnacle is the most treacherous. I am always surprised they even let the public do it. While watching the videos, I came across one that was made last year when The Commander and Lord Kadizzle made the hike. It was amazing that these people were pushing this guy up the mountain in a wheelchair. You could never appreciate what these people did unless you have made the hike. I could not believe they were actually running up hill pushing him, and pulling him. If you decide to watch the videos, go to the bottom one first, and work your way to the top. We had a lot of fun kidding Erin when we went up because she was not quite up to the final assault. In our family you have to earn your Angels landing pin. I don't recall if Erin ever earned the pin. Don't miss this hike if you ever get the chance. We have done it three or four times, and it is well worth it.

Climbing Angels Landing

Using the Chain to get to the top

Angels Landing - the bridge

In this spot the trail is about four feet wide, with a fall of over a thousand feet on each side

2007 Zion Angels Landing National Park

Nice Pictures, but I am not sure these people went to the top

Zion NP Angels Landing

Cissie and I were on the trail the day they took this person up in a wheel chair

Maybe There is Hope

A couple of our married friends came over the other night to have a glass of wine. Both will soon be retired. The topic of health care came up. Most people don't take the health care crises in this country seriously when they are working, and daddy company pays the bills, but when the insurance is turned over to the retired employee reality hits. The big surge is starting with the baby boomers and reality is going to strike. Just scratching the surface of the mess we have in the United States you can see how the whole system has been rigged in favor of the special interest. What the drug companies alone have done with the help of the Republicans is one of the most blatant ripoffs imaginable. The New York Times has a good editorial today on the subject. The one figure that keeps sticking in my mind is the fact that as a country we are ranked number thirteen in the industrialized world, while we pay at least twice as much for health care as the twelve countries that are ahead of us.

The Family That Bloggs Together

The disease is spreading. Erin from deep in the Colorado mountians has started a blog, The-Not-So-Idiot Sevant. Megan realized she did not want to be last so now you can read her stuff on The World According to Pook. Megan has a good story about how her mom and the neighbor tricked her into picking out her own Christmas present.

Christmas for Hungry Man, and maybe Hungry Woman

About four years ago we stumbled across a good hunting spot. A peculiar elder couple lives on a farm far south of Hazen. They seem to be the poorest people I have found in the whole county. I would guess they are in their late eighties, yet they still work hard and raise a few cattle. There home looks like something out of a fairy tale. It is a small two room shack, heated by coal. There is no door knob, just a piece of string through the hole where the knob should be. You could easily assume the whole place was abandoned. The first time I met hungry man I asked if we could hunt, graciously he gave us permission. I asked him if he would like to have some pheasants if we got any. When we dropped off the birds later in the day I could see they were very happy to get the meat. Ever since then I have always left them pheasants when I hunt there or I am in the area. They are very reclusive, and often will not answer the door. In order to leave the birds for them so the cats don't get them I have to hang the birds from the little porch in front of the house by bailer twine. Today I was lucky to see Mr. Hungry out in the farm yard when we got near. I was able to give him four pair of socks we carry to give farmers that let us hunt and four pheasants. I could tell he was pleased and it was the best Christmas present I have been able to give in a long time. There must be a good story about this couple that have stayed together alone in the middle of no where for years. Every time I see them I wonder, how did this couple come to be. When I drove up he was tattered and torn doing something with his fence. To keep himself warm he had bailer twine wrapped around his middle to keep his coat tight. Many times we see the two together out in the field moving bales with the old pickup truck. Was there a time when this was a handsome young man, and she was his dream? Did they ever know they would spend the end of their days by themselves alone miles from anyone, working day by day, side by side? Everyone has their own definition of contentment, and happyness, perhaps these people are richer than any of us because they have learned to be happy with what they have.

The Wave and Coyote Buttes North

We were here last year, hope to go back this year. Some of the most amazing rock formations you will ever find

Such Vision without Lenses

This was our little artist many years ago with her professor glasses on.

Meat on the Table

The Commander and Lord Kadizzle had a wonderful hunt today. Until the Commander shoots her first bird she can be a little grumpy. The weather was perfect, and we got our limit of birds. The Commander ran across a dead coyote caught in a snare. I told the farmer who was letting us hunt. I was surprised how upset and excited he got. He jumped in his truck and said he had to check it out. The Commander talked to him for a moment, and his demeanor changed. When she came back to our truck she said he had misunderstood and though it was a cow caught in the snare. She set him strait.

Life in the other half of a Paralel Universe

Lord Kadizzle woke up this morning in a different universe. This one has cold mornings and it stays that way all day. Back in Hazen time seems to stand still. The trip across the Eastern plains of Colorado, and Nebraska are almost like a trip through space. Everything that was left over building the planet is stored there.

Lunch at Villanueavo

This is where we stopped for lunch

Don't Mess with May

Before we left Cottonwood we had to say goodbye to May. May is my oldest girlfriend, she is 83. May is sharp, and knows how to handle things. She lives in a nice neighborhood, but as circumstance would have it some drug dealers moved in next to her. Of course May became friends with them and whenever she needed a task done, she did not hesitate to have them over to perform work for her. They have since had to move on. Lord Kadizzle asked May if she had a car. "Heaven's no " she replied " We got too many old people on the road now". May is one of the few old people with any sense in this regard. "Besides" she said "When I did drive I was too wild". May went on to relate that she drove pretty much the way she wanted, but if someone pissed her off, she "Pulled the hood". "What are you talking about?", I asked. May then explained if anyone behind her was rude, she would just pull the hood latch in traffic and get out and raise the hood, so the rude person behind her would be trapped. She would pretend to have car trouble just to increase their frustration. Knowing May, I could see her doing this, so I had to agree it was a good thing when she gave up her car.

Limon Colorado

After driving 12 hours we are sitting at a hotel in Limon, Colorado. The last hundred miles or so were on the Santa Fe trail. It was eerie driving along before dusk thinking about all the pioneers that came that way. At noon we stopped at a wonderful little Mexican Resturant, it was the real deal, it was near Villaneuva a little Mexican town that happens to be in New Mexico. The place is located where no one but locals could patronize it. We had beef and cheese burritos, with green chili, and a side dish of whistle beans. Tonight we should hear the serenade from the whistle beans. Up early and back to Hazen tomorrow. We both need to see professional help and find out why we went back.

The Home Dingers

Growing up in Wheeling, West Virginia, Lord Kadizzle went to school with a lot of orphan children. The orphanage pictured above happened to be located in a very well to do neighborhood full of mansions. As one of nine children Lord Kadizzle had the protection of a tribe. If you harmed one Quinn child, you could be subject to the wrath of nine of them. There was only one tribe more fearsome, it was the Homedingers as we called them. Those kids were smart enough to form a union. Most of them were tough enough on their own to kick a lot of butt. I was a pretty tough kid in my time, but Gary Caldwell from the orphanage always was nearby to tune me up if needed. He was the only kid on the playground I had to respect. The homedingers were in our scout troup and a lot of them were nice kids. Some of them had mental problems. Once I recall one of them stabbing me with a hand full of darts on the wrist. Most homedingers were a grade or two behind, so that meant the were extra big for the class they were in, one more reason to give them a wide berth. I always felt sorry for the poor home kids as the were politely called. They forced those poor kids to go to Sunday school, which was a fate worse than death. Only once did I ever know of any of them getting adopted. I am not sure what happened to the place. God bless the homedingers.

Heading back to the Dakotas

The executive committee has been puzzling for days on the Kadizzle schedule. Since the Quinn family is planning a mini reunion in Cottonwood during the latter part of February it seems propitious to return to North Dakota, then come back and meet up with Suzie, Louise, Melissa, and Bob. If we do that plan we will be able to spend some time with Melissa and Bob over in the Death Valley area early next year. So we may be able to squeeze in a little pheasant hunting in Hazen. If there is no major change we will be back in Hazen late Monday.

Checked the Superior Site

Yesterday we made the trek to the Superior site and checked the pot in the creek bed. What is left of the pot is doing fine. After checking the pot site we went up on the hill and looked over the pueblo site. As always it is amazing how many people actually lived in this area. An abundance of pot shards was everywhere. Also there were many examples of the rock they were using for arrows, and other sharp objects.

Was it a sign?

Indians believed animals had messages and were part of the spirit world. This morning The Commander saw a coyote within 50 feet of our little abode. Among the Indians the coyote was referred to as the trickster. What was he up to? He wandered off into the forest and has gone about his day. Today's mission will be to go to a site where a pot is sticking out of the side of a creek bed. This pot is a good example of the dilemma one faces with artifacts. Ned found the pot awhile back. It was a very nice specimen. Ned reported it to the archaeologist. Before the pot could be recovered properly, the creek rose and broke it in half. The pace that the government moves means a lot of artifacts are needlessly lost. Hopefully we will be able to see the other half of the pot still in the creek bank.

Excellent Article about Religion in Politics

Erin suggested to me I use the link feature of this blog. The NYT has a very good editorial on the danger of religion in American politics. At the right of the page is a link to the article.

The Pious Atheist

Yesterday the commander talked to a good friend. They discussed the silly nonsense in the Bismarck Tribune about "The Letter from Hell". Our friend described himself as a pious atheist. We both loved the description. Doing my morning homework it occurs to me the Republicans may have painted themselves into a corner by pandering to the religious right. With Mitt and Huckabee trying to out Jesus each other people are bound to see how silly this stuff is, I hope. One of Mitt's biggest problems is that people may wake up and actually read something about the Mormon Church. If you want a good book, and a real eye opener read "Under The Banner of Heaven" by John Krakaur. Mormonism is a well documented fraud, and the book makes it clear. One of the best parts of the book describes how the Mormons almost castrated their founder because he wanted to promote polygamy. Joseph Smiths own wife thought he was a fraud. The story about how Joseph made up the book of Mormon is hilarious. Joseph put up a blanket in the kitchen to shield his neighbor from seeing him as he translated the tablets. His wife got pissed with the nonsense, and burnt up the transcription the neighbor was taking. Joseph got mad at his wife and she said "It should be no problem, you have the tablets, and all you have to do it read them again". They both knew he was just making it up and the second try would not be the same as the first. Another historical account in the book covers the massacre of people on a wagon train by the Mormons. The Mormons tried to blame it on the Indians, and when that didn't work they got Lee to be the fall guy. Lee led the massacre at the direction of Joseph Smith. Lee was told by the church to hide a Lee's ferry. Named after him. The Kadizzles have camped there. Lee got caught and executed, and the Mormons did nothing to save him. The Mormons killed everyone on the wagon train over the age of twelve. Of course this was God's plan. This is not something Lord Kadizzle is making up. Go to the Library and you will find every bit of it documented.

Fallen Art

Watch the whole thing. Interesting

The Commander Speaks

Cissie finds artist

Make me Puke

I just read that Huckabee has accepted an endorsement from the author of the "Left Behind" series. When Guilliani accepted and endorsement from Pat Robertson, I thought that was bottom scraping. Guilliani was a complete fraud with Robertson because anyone with any sense knows he doesn't buy the religious routine for one moment. At least you could say Huckabee is at least honestly deluded. If we get another president elected by some politician pandering to the fundamentalist, we are up the creek. One good thing I would have to give Huckabee credit for is he will call a spade a spade. Huckabee has come out publically against the rotten CEO scam in this country whereby they get outragous salaries while the workers get nothing. If I had to choose a candidate on the Republican side, Huckabee would be my choice. It is hard to trust him however when you realize the lunacy he believes in.

Fish Hatchery

The Price of Boredom

My eldest daughter the Snoocher Bear just finished a phone conversation with me. She read some to the replies to "The Letter from Hell", in the Bismarck Tribune. On line you can see comments to articles in the Tribune. When fundamentalist topics come up and I get bored (because we are trapped in the rain) I cannot resist seeing the ongoing battle with the fundies in the paper. How these people manage to live and still be so devoid of logic is unbelievable. The scary part is how many of them are walking around among us. Of course I throw in some comments myself. Erin fairly accurately can pick out what I wrote, however there are a few other people who also must have my exact mindset, because they had her fooled. My greatest fear for our country is hard core conservatives, and hard core fundamentalist. The combination is like bomb material for fundamental freedoms. The way our country is headed toward a religious theocracy disturbs me. I always felt that it was inevitable that society would go forward, but seeing the way we have chosen presidents scares me. The fact that the religious litmus test is being applied so heavily in the current election process portends nothing but bad things.

The World Box

The Commander and Lord Kadizzle are having a heated argument, about his lordships idea for a World Box. What in the hell is a World Box? Lord Kadizzle believes a box could be designed with modern technology that would enable some poor person in the third world to live at a higher level, with less impact on the environment. Since the Kadizzles are living in the RV version of a world box, the thought comes naturally. How could you make this box cheaper, and more self sufficient? If the box had no wheels and did not sit on a trailer frame, the cost would drop. If both the interior wall and exterior wall were fiber glass that cold all be molded, the cost should drop. Many sail boats are made this way. The beds, seats, and almost everything else is just part of the mold. Now to power. If the box was powered by wind and solar our poor third world friend could probably have light, ventilation, and a few other modern amenities. Since there is a move afoot to provide all third world people a laptop for under a hundred dollars the box dweller could have access to the internet. Heat, waste, and water would need careful thought. Most third world water problems can be solved with fairly inexpensive filters. Some sort of self composting toilet would need to be built into the box. The whole thought exercise would be to build a box a person could live in for minimal real cost, and minimal impact on the environment, and minimal use of materials. NASA has gone to great lengths to do this in space. How hard would it be to do it on Earth. Ideally the box would be either the size of a cargo ship shipping container, or half that size. This would enable the homes to be shipped with current technology, at minimum cost. When you think of the horrendous amount we spend to develop war materials it seem sad that we have never put the same effort into affordable third world housing. The disease, pollution, and other negative impacts the third world inflicts on the planet in large part stem from poor housing. By providing poor people with good housing we are in the end helping ourselves by saving our planet.

Get Yourself A Copper Kettle

Back in the hills of West Virginia we used to sing "Get yourself a copper kettle, get yourself a copper coil, get yourself some new made corn mash, and never more will ye toil". Today we stopped at a winery that had some very nice table tops and counter tops made from copper. First it is acid etched, then burnt with a torch, and then coated with lacquer. It would be tempting to make one of these counter tops.

Mission Number One a Failure

Lord Kadizzle drove into the National Forest to find the white box that appeared on the hillside. After a lot of searching the box turned out to be the plastic inside of a refrigerator. Unfortunately there was no way to trace it back to the polluter. It is sad to see how little regard the slummers have for National Land. Ned and Patty and other good citizens have picked up a lot of the trash the slummers have left, and things look a lot better than last year, but it is still sad to see the litter these people have created. The Forest Service spends a lot of money doing nothing. A sign offering a reward for the capture of slummers could do a lot to help slow down the ruination of public land. Everyone needs to do what they can to help round up and fine these degenerates.

Today's Goofy Ideas

Pondering how to spend Sunday, Lord Kadizzle has come up with two simple minded ideas. Both involve catching people. First, Patty is annoyed with speeders on her street. So later to day we are going to dress her up with an orange vest and some sort of offical hat. We will cut the cord off a hair dryer for her to point at cars going by, If we fool them that she is taking radar reading, the experiment will be a success. Secondly, the Kadizzles will make a foray onto nearby public land where some slummer just dumped some trash. Out investigation will try to see if there is an address or any such thing whereby we can catch the wild slummers and return their garbage. Sister Patty said she and Ned found a cell phone at a site slummers had despoiled, and were able to trace down the slummers and report them to the Forest Service. If I can get a picture of Patty in her radar suit, I will post it.

Ned finds evidence to Geronimo's Gold

First read this story, then as Paul Harvey says, I will tell you the rest of the story.

During the late 1800's southern Arizona was a hot and hostile land. Tombstone had some of histories worst bad men. Also, in that same region there was some of America's most feared Indians. One, being the famous apache leader Geronimo. He was being forced to move his band to the San Carlos reservation. He and a small group escaped and stole horses and made a long ride to Fort Verde.(This is near where the Kadizzles are camped) Riding some 70 miles a day, they killed and ate their own horses to survive. While camping in the forest, Geronimo came upon a small band of renegade soldiers smelting gold in the hills some 3-5 miles from the Fort. Watching this day by day he learned the gold smelting process and the value of this yellow metal. Geronimo and his men proceeded to kill the miners. Then they walked to Camp Verde and with the Raw gold, bought each man a 50-70 caliber Spring field rifle with cartridges. General Crooke then mustered 1000 men at Fort Verde to pursue Geronimo into Mexico. General Crooke trailed them high into the Mexican Mountains and talked them into surrendering. Eventually, Geronimo was captured with only 18 (approximate) of his men left. Geronimo and his people were shipped like cattle in trains to Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was 80 years old when he died from being drunk and catching pneumonia, falling from his horse. Geronimo died in 1909. Signing his name for $1.00 a piece.

As you know we are staying with my sister and brother in law (Ned). Ned is a site steward in this area for Indian sites. His job is to protect them. Know one knew for sure if the story above was legend or true, but the site of the smelter is known. An archaeologist knew Ned was going to visit the site, so he asked Ned to look for cartridges which may have resulted from the supposed battle. Ned did find the cartridges pictured, and they fit the description of what was used in the battle.







We are looking for associates wh

An experiment

Perhaps next week we will get bored and decide to go on an adventure. The question is where? If you know of a place in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, or Nevada, you want us to explore, let us know. If we do we will give you pictures and a report. Hopefully it will be an interesting place we have not been. We will not go to hell, that has already been requested many times. Utah may be a little too cold. If you know of a place drop us a line

The Letter from Hell

If you ever wondered what North Dakota is up against read today's Bismark Tribune article about the teacher who showed a video entitled "The letter from hell". If you read it online, read the comments. If you have an ounce of doubt about separating church and state be sure to watch the video the teacher showed the students.

Met This fellow on the trail

This was the first tarantula I have seen. On the way down from Wilson Mountian he was on the trail. According to Ned there are plenty of them around here.

Back up on the Mesa

The Kadizzles went back to Bell trail and took off a side trail. The trip was made with some people we met that live next to a house we have considered on our buy list. For the week we have hiked somewhere between 24 and 30 miles. Two of the hikes were big elevation gainers. The view was good from the mesa top. We could see over to Sedona where we hiked the other day.

Visiting an Old Girl Friend

May insisted we visit, so last night we went to May's for dinner. When I say an old girl friend, I mean it, May is 83. May killed two husbands with kindness. Now this may not seem possible, but if you visit may and you are one of her sweethearts, you can see how it may have been so. First, you art told to sit in one of those special chairs that electrically lifts you up and down. Once you have been instructed about how to use the buttons, you recline and May removes your shoes. A blanket is placed over you, and a heating pad is put behind your back. Next, you request a beverage and the remote control is placed in you hand for the television. Mean while May lays out the Kentucky fried chicken with all the trimmings. After dinner you get back in the chair and readjust the heating pad. May plays the piano and you drift off before the evening conversation begins. Don't ever let anyone tell you older women don't have charms.

May is full of life and her mind is sharp. May hates bugs, snakes, and anything small coming into her house. At every door are special sticky strips to catch intruders. The best defense doesn't always work. May explained how two small snakes got in her house and she had to stand on the dinning room table until the neighbors could rescue her. May like to party, and invited us to a couple more get togethers. We even got an invitation to a cookie exchange.

Safe for troops?

The news this morning on NPR mentioned that more troops will be put on the streets of Iraq, because it is now safe for the soldiers according to the Secretary of Defense. This seems like an extremely strange way to use soldiers. You don't put them in a position where they may get hurt. Isn't it inherent in the definition of a soldier that they work in unsafe places? What kind of war do you have where you don't deploy soldiers until it is "Safe"? I don't know how we ever would have defeated the enemy in World War Two if we didn't send troops until it was safe.

Found the GPS

Another hike today. Yesterday luck smiled on Ned, he left his GPS on the back of the pickup at Clear Creek. It fell off, but survived without being run over. It was on the ground and running when he made the twenty minute trip by dirt bike to get it. Another ten feet and it would have ended up in a massive puddle. Today will be another hike. Luckily the gipple in my back is doing alright. For some reason going up hill seems to work for Lardo (as our French exchange student called me.) First task this morning is some good breakfast rolls.

Who is Lisa Cremmer?

Todays hike was up to some altitude. The Kadizzle's went from 4,444 feet to 7,352 feet above sea level. Wonderful day, and scenery hard to improve. On the way up the trail we both missed a little day pack in the bushes. It was more obvious on the way down. Examing the day pack it first appeared to be some sort of rental thing, but closer looking revealed the name Lisa Cremmer. Why did Lisa leave the pack? Did she fail to return this way? Did she drink all the water and just throw the pack away? Did she ever return? Mud on the pack made it look like it had been there several days. Once before we found a pack like this, except it was completely loaded with goods. It had water and a lot of supplies. It was there early in the day and there when we returned. When you find things like this you wonder if someone is in trouble, or if it is just a stash as part of a hike. The other strange thing I have found this year, and never before is weather balloons. While hunting I found what at first I thought was a kite, but on a closer look, it was a parachute for a weather balloon. I traced the string down and found the transponder. I sent it back in the package provided and asked them to send me a balloon, or at least tell me where it was launched from. To this day I have not had a reply. On the way down here near Zuni I saw another weather balloon parachute in a field. We did not stop to investigate, but I am sure it was one. The odds of things seem strange. I have hiked for years and never found a weather balloon, and then this year I find two. Correction, last year I did find just the shredded balloon, but no transponder or parachute. An old fellow walking by yesterday told us about finding a human skeleton in a well while hiking around here.

Funny, but sadly true

Be sure to read Tom Friedman's column in the NYT today. He hits the nail on the head, and it is very funny. Friedman has a phony satirical letter from Iran

A little excerpt from NYT on cost of Iraq

From Bob Herbert

Early last year, the Nobel-Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz estimated that the “true” cost of the war would ultimately exceed $1 trillion, and maybe even $2 trillion.

Incredibly, that estimate may have been low.

A report prepared for the Democratic majority on the Joint Economic Committee of the House and Senate warns that without a significant change of course in Iraq, the long-term cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could head into the vicinity of $3.5 trillion. The vast majority of those expenses would be for Iraq.

Priorities don’t get much more twisted. A country that can’t find the money to provide health coverage for its children, or to rebuild the city of New Orleans, or to create a first-class public school system, is flushing whole generations worth of cash into the bottomless pit of a failed and endless war.

To the top of the rim

The Commander was still full of energy today, so we hauled her to the top of the rim and let her hike down into Blodgett Canyon. Ned and Lord Kadizzle went on out to the top of the rim. His Lordship has often wondered what the top of the mesa was like. Once on top you can see how the cattle men in the old days took the herds up there to graze for the summer. There is not a lot of water, but the grazing looked good. It is evident that to the East of Cottonwood, Camp Verde, ect is a vast expanse of wilderness. However, this is the way all the early explorers came in and out. Things worked out perfectly and when we got to the bottom of Clear Creek, The Commander was just stepping out of the woods.

China's Corpocracy

Read David Brooks in today's New York Times. Mr. Brooks claims China is run by a corpocracy. All of a sudden it may occur to you while reading the article we have exactly the same thing in this country. The whole exercise could be enlightening.

Bell Trail Hike

Back Frozen Up

The Kadizzles set out on the first hike of the season. First the cinnamon roll place was closed, a near catastrophe. So the hikers drove to Oak Creek and had breakfast. Next we hiked up about two thirds of a touristy pinnacle, but lost the trail, and gave up. So the big hike started up Bell Trail. Bell trail was an old means to reach the rim above Wet Beaver Creek about 20 miles east of Sedona. Bell Trail turned out to be a perfect hike with some spectacular scenery. Later his lordship may put a slide show together. On the way back the belly overcame the back and now I am froze up. The hike was a fairly flat eight miles, but having the old Thanksgiving turkey hammer on the sciatica was just too much stuffing. Hopefully the gipple will give up by tomorrow, and we will be back at it.

Perfect Day in Rim Rock

The rain quit, and it could not be nicer. Bike riding, neighbor visiting, and sitting in the sun are the order of the day. Patty has been dog sitting, and house cleaning. The Commander and his Lordship have been looking at houses. Prices are falling right in front of us. Maybe some hiking tomorrow. This picture is looking down the street from Patty's toward the public land.

Stump Preachers

Lord Kadizzle was not long awake this Sunday morning, when The Commander suggested we watch CBS Sunday morning. We must have got up to early, so spinning through the channels, which were limited, we found nothing but stump preachers. It is amazing the numerous thieves masquerading as preachers there are on television. Why do we tolerate, and even encourage these thieves by making their theft tax free? Europeans come to this country and are amazed at what a bunch of bumpkins we have giving money to these charlatans that freely admit they have jets and live in Mansions. Billy Graham was a classic. He was a racist, and the White House always invited him over to get the bumpkin vote. As it happens The Commander went to camp with Billy Graham's daughter in law. The last time she met her they talked about how they flew their twin engine plane over North Dakota on the way to their retreat in Alaska. Sounds like a man of God to me.

If you care an once about reality

I have a couple of friends who are hard core conservatives. No matter what you presented them with in terms of evidence, they would not change. One of them sails like I do. I remember my one friend's little sail boat engine was on the verge of disaster. He could not comprehend how the engine could run, and still be on the verge of disaster. The symptoms were clear, but the engine ran. Until the engine failed, I could not convince him that if you put a quart of oil in the engine, and it immediately ended up in the bilge you had a serious problem. My neighbor up the street is the same way. He is so entrenched in the Bush mythology, that he cannot comprehend the looming disaster Bush has created. 72% of the American public has finally awakened to the reality that is the Bush Administration. The other 28% caught in the Bush cult, will never admit what a disaster we have on our hands.

This morning I read an article that articulates what has been on my mind. In VANITY FAIR, Nobel Laureate, Josephe Stiglitz wrote an excellent article outlining the damage George Bush has done to the economy of the United States. If you care at all about what has happened make every effort you can to read the article. The title of the article is The Economic Consequencies of Mr.Bush. If I could print it and send it to everyone I know I would. It will almost make you cry. Josephe Stiglitz, feels Bush will surpass Herbert Hoover for the number one economic disaster we have ever had for president. It isn't just that Bush got one thing wrong, but the fact that he managed to mess up virtually everything. If I can find a link to the article on the web I will provide it. Here is the link http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/12/bush200712

John Prine and Iris DeMent - In Spite of Ourselves

This is the theme song for Lord Kadizzle and The Commander. I ran across it with some comments form my hero John Prine

Down to Patty's

The Indians Knew Real Estate

As the old saw goes, location, location, location. If there was a good place, or to be more precise perfect place to build something, it seems the Indians always could find it. Visiting El Moro, we found this to be the case one more time. The Zuni built a pueblo on top of a U-shaped mesa, that surrounded an idyllic box canyon. Everything about the site was perfect. The view from on top was for fifty miles in every direction, there was a year round water supply in the perfect pool, and the site was very defendable. I have tried every thing to get my video on here, but nothing seems to work. If you want a more complete view, go to youtube and search for Down to Patty's.

Arrived at Patty's

The Kadizzles have arrived at Patty's. I have been trying to post a video all day, but there must be a glitch. Check back later.

It always Happens.

Sari Clark, works in a little art place in the middle of nowhere. Lord Kadizzle and The commander stopped at this place in the middle of no where fifty miles south of Grants New Mexico. In no time we found out Sari went to high school with Lenard and Carylon Garceau.

If the Lord is willlng and the creek doesn;t rise

If all goes well we will be in Albuquerque New Mexico to night. We may stay at the Wal Mart Temple to American consumerism. If we are ambitious we may go on towards Grants. It seems like the Epizootic has loosened its grip. Megan, Erin, and the Commander all went to Yoga yesterday to get their shakra aligned.

Epizootic on retreat

Gradually after spending hundreds of dollars the epizootic is in retreat. It strikes Lord Kadizzle as unbelievable that a simple dose of the flue can have associated cost of over $250. This is for a person that has insurance. No rational person can believe our health care system is just fine in this country. If you want an eye opener there is a good article in the NY times called Dr. Drug Company. The article is by a doctor that worked or a drug company promoting their drug. His conscience got the best of him and he quit. You do not have to dig very deep to see our health care system is so riddled with special interest that it is hopeless.

Megan in the Kitchen

Strong Bad: Garage Sale.

Bee Bumble and the Practice Baby

Lord Kadizzle has been fighting the worst epizootic in recent history. I cannot shake the crud. If I have managed to infect the rest of the family it will be a major disaster. The Commander also has a case. Today we may go see the doctor, I am ready to surrender.

War of Words breaks out

Evergreen man woke up with his scrabbled brain anxious for a match. After challenging the new words Schatzer made up The Commmander won, by explaining to him there were no such words as taz, ri, and zeke. Next up on the slate was the sister match, which is still in progress.

Ancient Family Mystery Solved

As children we all lived just a short distance from our maternal grandparents. Granny Goodwin often made a desert that she fed to members of the Quinn mob. It was so good many of us long for it to this day. Many times the recipe has been discussed, but it seemed Granny took it with her to the kitchen in the sky. She will not be making it in that kitchen, unless she can get her hands on some bourbon. Today Suzie discovered in The Joy of Cooking the recipe for the sauce, it requires one half cup of bourbon. We must digress for a moment. The desert consist of white rice mixed with whipped cream, but the sauce is the key ingredient that draws it out. Many times I tried some alchemy to make the stuff. My observation was that it contained melted butter, brown sugar, and syrup. As regular as clock work bourbon was consumed at the rate of 1/2 bottler per day at grannies house hold. We always knew bourbon was a key ingredient in the manufacture of the lamps my grandfather made. The bourbon could be purchased in a decrotive bottle that made a nice lamp, when emptied. Emptying the bottles was key to making the lamps. Now we know why some of the bourbon went into the sauce.

Super Hero Appears on Deck

As we sat around and read this morning someone glimpsed up and spotted Evergreen man on the deck. Apparently someone left the lid off the hot tub. Like birds Evergreen man is attracted to water, hot water. We could see him frolicking in the tub. He declared "fear not this snow, Evergreen man is here, I will make it disappear". He left, but the snow didn't. Megan immediately fell in love with Evergreen man and hatched a plan to get him to return. She jumped in the hot tub and yelled "Help, I am drowning". Instantly Evergreen Man appeared and saved her.

The Elephant and the Dragon

If Lord Kadizzle enjoys a book a great deal he usually reads it as fast as he can. Since yesterday I have just completed THE ELEPHANT AND THE DRAGON, BY ROBYN MEREDITH. The book should be considered almost mandatory for passengers on this planet. Meredith gives an excellent summary about what is happening as India, and China dominate the world stage. The book is a real wake up call for those snoozing in the American La La land. Some big things are on the horizon and this is a heads up. As anyone who knows me knows, I think Bush is the worst president our country has ever had. It scares me immensely that our country with the encouragement of our president has been sitting on our hands while a snowball is rolling down the mountain at our way of life. After you read this book you will know for sure the world is going to change in a big way in the next ten years, and our life style is going to be shaken up. As our country is dumbing down with religious fundamentalism, THE ELEPHANT AND THE DRAGON are about to stomp on us in a way that even Jesus will not be able to save us from.

The Eagle has landed

The Kadizzles have landed in Evergreen. Last night we slept in fifty mile per hour winds at the rest stop near Wheatland. Ned, and Megan made it with dog Tony. So here we are ready to bug Erin for a week. The big problem is not getting snowed in here.

Failur to Launch

Since Lord Kadizzle has been suffering form the double epizoodic the wagon train did not leave Friday as scheduled. However, it looks like we will go today. The snow will make it so much more fun. We will be at Erin's for Thanksgiving.

Wagon Heads South Today

With a miserable head cold his lordship will head out when Buckwheat (The Commander)rolls out of bed. We may end up spending the night at the rest stop near Wheatland Wyoming.

Things I would never have predicted.

Often I think about how I ended up in North Dakota. I never imagined as a young hill billy I would spend most of my life in North Dakota. Now, I find myself the major stockholder in a fashion design company. Megan is going to make a stab at a line of clothing in New York City. So now a man with the fashion sense of a person living under the bridge, is watching Project Runway. Lord Kadizzle is learning, he correctly predicted the loser, and the winner. Since gay men seem to dominate women's fashion, I am not sure about Megan's chance. However, her boyfriend dressed as a gay guy for Halloween, so there may be some hope. This leads to an interesting question: Do gay women design men's clothes? Mine seem to be designed by a chubby elf. Lord Kadizzle may start his own line of mens cloths. A friends wife had a good idea, she put a bell on his zipper so he remembers to pull it up. Lord Kadizzle is thinking of various cloth with food stain patterns that would hide the clues to what was served for dinner. Also a shirt with buttons on the bottom that can be attached to the pants to hold them up is in the works. My big hope is to bring out a line of jump suits for retired guys. When RV's first became popular, every old fart that bought one had a silver jump suit. His fashion statement was "I am retired, and my belly no longer has to fight a belt". It also reflected the NASA era. If Kadizzle fashions can bring this trend back, you will see rolly polly guys poping out the doors of great big road hogs looking like a fat guy just landed on the moon.

Sea Change

If the Lord is willing, and the creeks don't rise the retinue of Lord Kadizzle, and The Commander will head to Colorado tomorrow to see the Snoocher Bear in her mountain lair. As hard core nature lovers, which includes piece and quite, we violated a fundamental principle yesterday and bought portable electricity, a generator. Prior to this purchase we were forced to return to civilization periodically to recharge the batteries. Hopefully this addition will reduce our traveling cost. I am not sure we made the right decision. For years we have done just fine without one of the damn things. On many occasions his Lordship has been ready to kill some inconsiderate person that came into a peaceful place and ran a generator. Hopefully we will be judicial enough not to ruin someone else's experience.

Late Night Television

Lord Kadizzle is one of the harder people to shock, but last night the feat may have been accomplished. Unable to sleep because of congestion his lordship got up at three in the morning and turned on the television. Every ripoff scheme imaginable was being sold on some channel. On one channel four women were helping to promote a male enhancement product. I am trying to think of a polite way to describe the winner, that will not ruin your breakfast. Some older man was promoting pills to give yourself a colonic, as he called it. The gentleman was extolling the virtues of flushing your pipes four times a year. The highlight of the commercial was a couple photos of what he said came out of him. It appeared to be a six foot long black rope that was dripping with what appeared to be crankcase sludge. As if this was not enough, he said a bunch of worms also accompanied the rope. Most amazing was that he said his daughter got similar results. This commercial may give a whole new meaning to me when someone says "your full of it". People who are watching television late at night must be dazed, confused, and gullible. My pills should be here in a week or two. I am hoping the results produce a gold brick and enough worms to fish for a week.

Warren Buffett (second richest man in the U. S) pays less tax than you do

Warren Buffett is challenging Forbes 400 members to fork over more

Warren Buffett has been up on his soapbox recently, railing against the Bush Administration's tax policy. America's second-richest man--whose net worth now exceeds $57 billion--pontificates that the rich have lower tax rates than the middle class. It's not a novel argument for Buffett, but he's finding new ways to showcase it.
A few weeks ago he told Tom Brokaw of NBC News that he pays less tax, as a percentage of his taxable income, than the folks who work in Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK-A - News)'s home office. That's because much of his income is taxed at the lower dividends and capital gains rate. To prove his claim, the Oracle (NasdaqGS:ORCL - News) of Omaha produced a memo showing that he had $46.9 million in taxable income in 2006 and paid just 18% to the Feds. The average federal tax paid by Berkshire employees was nearly double Buffett's rate, at 33%. Their salaries range from $60,000 to $750,000.
Buffett wants to take the argument further. He says he will bet any Forbes 400 member $1 million (proceeds to charity) that the average federal tax rate (income and payroll) paid by The Forbes 400 is less than the average rate of their secretaries and receptionists. "So far only three close friends, all 400 members, have made the calculation for me," he tells forbes in an e-mail exchange. "They all came up with results similar to mine but have no interest in being identified."

While we couldn't pin down many other Forbes 400 members to a real million-dollar wager, some did speak their minds.

Phillip Ruffin $2.1 billion Casinos

"I think Buffett is (getting) carried away with all of the media hype he gets. He is forgetting about the 55% estate tax at death that goes along with making the money. Maybe he is getting senile? [I have] no interest in his challenge, but I will play him (in) a game of poker, any stakes he wants."

Mark Cuban $2.6 billion Broadcast.com, Dallas Mavericks

"I agree with him. I put a lot of money in tax-free instruments. So, yes, I do pay less as a percentage of income than those that work for me, and I have no problem admitting it. Conceptually I have zero problem with paying more taxes. Unfortunately, far too much money is wasted by our politicians."

John Catsimatidis $2.1 billion Oil, real estate

"The numbers can fool you. If I make $20 million, I'm not going to pay 35% on it because I have a complex business. I own real estate, stocks and bonds, and so I have depreciation and writeoffs. But I do pay a lot in taxes. My secretary is going to pay it straight, because her only income is her salary, and her assets are essentially her home. Death is where the government really gets the rich."

George Kaiser $11 billion Oil, banking

"I agree wholeheartedly that our tax system is insufficiently progressive. I also agree that the estate tax at levels above $10 million should be retained. Higher tax rates for higher levels of income [up to at least 50%, maybe higher] not only are socially responsible but also would encourage more charitable giving."

Kenneth Fisher $1.8 billion Investments, FORBES Columnist

"He should stick to his area of expertise. It's a little late to be trying to learn and teach social policy. The fact is that most rich people have an impossible time avoiding high taxes, even if they are purely invested in instruments that are solely subject to capital gains. Rich people are still subject to alternative minimum tax on the federal level and still have to pay state income taxes. "

RANDAL J. KIRK $1.6 billion Pharmaceuticals

"While I admire Mr. Buffett greatly, his thesis here seems grossly simplistic. There are good reasons why investment returns are not taxed at the 'ordinary' income tax rate. If investment returns in the U.S. are reduced through the imposition of additional taxes, people will 'buy' less investment (because the price would have gone up)."

B. Thomas Golisano $2 billion Paychex (NasdaqGS:PAYX - News)

"There are some facts I'd like to remind Mr. Buffett of. The top 1% of earners in this country pay 30% of the income taxes, and the top 5% pay 50% of the income taxes. Other than that, I don't think he's crazy."

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