thought this was an interesting article... about life in Oklahoma that we know nothing about...

Panhandle County Combats Shortfalls, State's Neglect
By Paul Monies, The Daily Oklahoman

Jan. 29--BOISE CITY -- The semi-trucks roll through here at all times of the day and night, taking cargo back and forth from the Texas border to Denver and beyond. Most don't stop, but those that do frequent the Love's or Shell truck stops to refuel. During the day, they check in at the scales -- if they're open. At night, drivers take a respite at the Longhorn or Townsman motels. This Panhandle town of almost 1,500 people sits at the intersection of five highways. The busiest is U.S. Highway 287, part of the 1,400-mile Ports-to-Plains trade corridor that stretches from the border town of Laredo, Texas, to Denver. More than 2,400 vehicles pass through Boise City each day, with almost two-thirds of them 18-wheelers, according to government estimates. As international trade increases, planners expect that daily total to rise to 4,200 by 2025. "It's not a problem now, but if you double the traffic going through town, it will be a problem," City Manager Rod Avery said. That's because the trucks go right through the center of town, stopping at the traffic "circle" -- on the town square -- that surrounds the Cimarron County Courthouse. Officials fear it's only a matter of time before a truck carrying hazardous or oversized cargo spills its load and puts local lives in danger. If they're headed north to Denver, truckers prefer to use U.S. 287 because it has fewer bridges and isn't as steep as connecting to the more westerly Interstate 25 that runs through Raton, N.M. In both the summer and winter, tourists heading to vacation hotspots in Colorado add to the traffic as they travel through Boise City. While most folks in Boise City describe themselves as proud Okies, they often feel ignored and isolated from the rest of the state. Some jokingly refer to the secessionist movement that flares up every 10 to 15 years, where disaffected residents of western Kansas and the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles talk about forming their own state. If you're an Okie stranger to the three-county "No Man's Land" of the Oklahoma Panhandle, you're liable to get called a "downstater." It's not always a charitable term. After all, the distance from Boise City to Denver is 288 miles. The state Capitol in Oklahoma City is 330 miles away, at least a five-hour drive. "People think Oklahoma ends at Woodward," said Britt Smith, who owns No Man's Land Beef Jerky in Boise City along with his sister, Belinda Gardner. "People don't have a clue we are out here." In recent editorials, C.F. David, editor of the Boise City News, poked fun at state leaders for their lack of attention to the Panhandle. The paper offered a $50 "bounty" for proof that either House Speaker Todd Hiett, R-Kellyville, or Democratic Gov. Brad Henry had visited Cimarron County recently to promote economic development. "Hiett, like other politicos from Oklahoma City and Tulsa, have no real clue that Oklahoma even has a Panhandle or that we contribute anything to the state beyond tax dollars," David wrote. That frustration can be traced in part to the amount of land in Cimarron County held by the state's School Land Trust -- more than 274,000 acres, or 25 percent of the state's total school lands. Commercial, agricultural and mineral leases on school land allow the trust to distribute about $60 million a year to the state's colleges and schools. But that's land that can't be taxed for local schools, hospitals or fire districts. Clifton Scott, secretary of the land office, said governmental units are supposed to get reimbursed for the missing property tax revenues. Competing interests in the Legislature mean the reimbursement fund provides just pennies on the dollar.

As Cimarron County Commissioner John Howard Freeman quipped: "We get 9 cents an acre. That might have been good about 50 years ago." Scott, who sat on the land office's board for 20 years as state auditor, said he's tried for years to get legislators to fully reimburse counties and schools that lose out because of their concentration of school lands. "What really kills them is that they're so far out there, people have a tendency to forget," Scott said of Cimarron County. "Whether they want to believe it or not, with the way politics works, the whole county has less than 3,500 votes in it." Hospital's importance In September, county voters approved a 5 percent hotel/motel tax to pay for operations and improvements at the Cimarron County Courthouse. But school-land related tax shortfalls show up most acutely in the county's largest health care facility, Cimarron Memorial Hospital. The hospital is Boise City's largest employer, with 105 workers. The health care sector in Cimarron County employs about 230 people, with a payroll of $4.1 million. In all, the sector has an annual economic impact of $5.8 million, according to a 2004 report by Oklahoma State University's Cooperative Extension Service. After a succession of voter-approved sales tax hikes, Cimarron Memorial Hospital is taxed to the hilt. Most of its funds come from Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, and the county's 2 percent sales tax goes entirely to the hospital. Along with city and state sales taxes, shoppers in Boise City pay a combined 9.5 percent in sales taxes -- one of the state's highest rates. Cimarron County ranks 50th out of 77 Oklahoma counties in per-capita income.

In the past three years, the hospital has had eight chief executive officers. Billing problems have been rife, and management companies hired to turn things around have failed. One even tried to shut down the hospital. Amid financial difficulties, overworked employees were at least a paycheck behind for most of 2005. It wasn't until the end of the year that the hospital was able to catch up on its payroll. Meanwhile, competition from health care facilities in nearby Elkhart, Kan., Clayton, N.M., and Guymon adds to the pressure to recruit surgeons and nurses. Patsy Shields, a medical services consultant from Colorado, became the hospital's latest chief executive officer in August. "We have made progress," Shields said recently. "A lot of the issues we've had as far as billing have been straightened out with extra training and better equipment. But the employees absolutely need some stability; they've had way too many administrators." Shields said funding continues to be the hospital's biggest challenge. Officials are talking to a Clayton, N.M., bank to restructure the terms of a $300,000 loan from 2004. A new nurse practitioner should join the hospital soon, and Shields hopes to have another family practitioner by summer. "In six months, we anticipate being able to focus on generating new revenues and finish fine-tuning the internal procedures," Shields said. Frank Lynch, the hospital board president, said he's hopeful about the future. He didn't feel that way in early 2004, when he first came to the board. There were a lot of sleepless nights, Lynch said, with confusion over which creditors to pay first. That subsided as the two chief executives before Shields began to make changes. "There's been a lot of changes in attitudes," Lynch said. "I'm starting to hear good things from the citizens."

"We had one guy here who said, 'I wouldn't go to that hospital if I was on my death bed.' Well, he got on his death bed and the hospital saved his life twice. He wrote a beautiful letter of commendation to the hospital, and he's one of our best fans." Cimarron County residents have rallied around the hospital, recognizing its dual importance as an economic lifeline and in providing care for an aging, rural population. Economic development experts say it's hard to attract new jobs or retirees if health care resources are scarce. "I'm afraid if we lose our hospital, we'll lose 200 kids out of our school system and that'll be the beginning of the end," said Freeman, the county commissioner for District 2. "It's hard to get the county to tax itself, but people have shelled out money year after year to help the hospital and schools. People always come through and pull together." Economic connections Boise City Mayor Craig Sanders said everything is connected economically. The farms depend on the weather, the tax base depends on good farming, and so on. Farmers faced drought conditions in four of the past five years. "If we can raise the crops, we'd be close to surviving," said Sanders, who also owns farm-supply store Sanders Town & Country. "But with the low prices and drought together, it makes me question the survival of farming." Plumber Delane Schwindt, owner of Ferguson Plumbing, also wonders how the area will fare. As the only licensed plumber in a 65-mile radius, he's noticed there's just not as much money flowing around the community. Although it pains him, he's had to stop extending credit to customers and go to cash-only payments for plumbing jobs. "The ranchers with cow-calf operations have cut down on their herds, so they can't take advantage of the good cattle market," Schwindt said. "There's just not as much money around. The banks have cut down on their credit and loans." Down the street on the courthouse square, Audie Cochran sees it, too. She and her sister, Lane Reynolds, own the Style Shoppe, a clothing store. "We just try to keep the doors open and wait 'til better times to help the town keep going, but I don't know how long we can do it," said Cochran, who's been in business seven years. "We're surviving, just hanging on." Cochran said part of the reason she's managed to hang on is because she stocks the essentials. For most other things -- and despite recent high gasoline prices -- residents make the 60-mile drive to Guymon or head further afield to Amarillo, Texas, 120 miles away. "You don't realize how you miss the little things until you can't drive downtown anymore to get what you want," said Mike Munsch, manager of Bartlett & Co.'s grain elevator in Boise City. "I don't think there's anything here that's on rock-solid footing. Everything's struggling. "I'm amazed farmers are hanging on like they are because the farms are getting bigger and there's less people farming," Munsch said. Highway help The community received some good news last summer, when the federal government approved the first batch of money -- $36 million -- to acquire rights-of-way for a U.S. 287 bypass around Boise City. The bypass is part of the $2.9 billion Ports-to-Plains project slated for completion by 2030. The $55.9 million needed for the Oklahoma portion also would widen the 40-mile stretch of the highway that passes through the Panhandle. While the bypass would ease concerns about accidents involving 18-wheelers driving through Boise City, some are worried about losing sales tax revenue. More than likely, the 24-hour truck stops in town, and possibly the two motels, would move out to the bypass, a route just outside the city limits. Avery, the city manager, said it's still to early to say what might happen. Regardless, the bypass should help to improve the local economy, officials said. "That could have a real positive effect on the economy, even though Oklahoma is just a little chunk of it," Sanders said. In the meantime, the area needs to attract new jobs in order to grow, although some have doubts about attracting the kind of large-scale industry at Seaboard Farms Inc., 60 miles to the east in Guymon. Guymon's sales tax revenues and property values swelled as the population jumped by 34 percent in the years after Seaboard opened its hog operation in 1996, but many think Guymon wasn't prepared to deal with that kind of rapid growth. Schools, police and housing all have been stretched to the limit. "A lot of people think they sold their soul for industry," said Munsch, the elevator manager. Out toward the western edge of Cimarron County near Black Mesa State Park, tourism offers the best hope for growth. A couple of bed-and-breakfast establishments have popped up around the desolate -- yet beautiful -- mesa area near Kenton. Locals say an Arizona businessman, James Parker, plans to build a motel, steakhouse and convenience store as part of a development called Cimarron River Ranch. Parker couldn't be reached for comment. His outsider status has raised eyebrows in tight-knit Cimarron County, where generations of ranchers have leased the same tracts of school land. In a heated October school-land lease auction, representatives of Parker's son, Samuel, leased 23,141 acres of land through Cimarron River Ranch LLC. At the end of the auction, state troopers escorted Parker and his representatives to the door. "It caused some friction," said David, the newspaper editor. "It's a double-edged sword. The ranchers out west have been leasing the land for generations and it's untaxable. Some farmers and business owners out east don't like that setup, but it's an auction and it's the fair way to do it."

-----

Copyright (c) 2006, The Daily Oklahoman

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

wow, food for thought.... got this in an email today... from my friend Jay Red Eagle...

"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children." - Chief Seattle

Cute... Makes you wonder, haha.. thanks Heather

I was out walking with my 4 year old daughter.
She picked up something off the ground and
started to put it in her mouth. I took the item
away from her and I asked her not to do that.
"Why?" my daughter asked.
"Because it's been laying outside, you don't
know where it's been, it's dirty and probably
has germs" I replied. At this point, my
daughter looked at me with total admiration
and asked,
"Wow! How do you know all this stuff?"
"Uh," ....I was thinking quickly, "All moms know
this stuff. It's on the Mommy Test. You have to
know it, or they don't let you be a Mommy." We
walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but
she was evidently pondering this new
information.
"OH...I get it!" she beamed, "So if you don't pass
the test you have to be the daddy."
"Exactly" I replied back with a big smile on my
face and joy in my heart.

THE CAT THIEF-- in San Antonio, Texas

THE CAT THIEF-- in San Antonio, Texas

This is too funny! This could only be true, you can't make this stuff up.

(Dillard's is a posh department store)


Clutching their Dillard's shopping bags, Ellen and Kay woefully gazed down

at a dead cat in the mall parking lot. Obviously a recent hit --- no
flies, no smell.

" What business could that poor kitty have had here?" murmured Ellen.

"Come on, Ellen, let's just go..." But Ellen had already grabbed her
shopping bag and was explaining,"I'll just put my things in your bag, and
then I'll take the tissue." She dumped her purchases into Kay's bag and
then used the tissue paper to cradle and lower the former feline into her
own Dillard's bag and cover it.

They continued the short trek to the car in silence, stashing their Goods
in the trunk. But it occurred to both of them that if they left Ellen's
burial bag in the trunk, warmed by the Texas sunshine while they ate, Kay's
Lumina would soon lose that new-car smell.

They decided to leave the bag on top of the trunk, and they headed over to
Luby's Cafeteria.

After they cleared the serving line and sat down at a window table, they
had a view of Kay's Chevy with the Dillard's bag still on the trunk. BUT
not for long. As they ate, they noticed a black-haired woman in a red
gingham shirt stroll by their car, look quickly this way and that, and then
hook the Dillard's bag without breaking stride.

She quickly walked out of their line of vision. Kay and Ellen shot each
other a wide-eyed look of amazement. It all happened so fast that either
of them could think how to respond. "Can you imagine?" finally sputtered
Ellen.

"The nerve of that woman" Kay sympathized with Ellen, but inwardly a laugh
was building as she thought about the grand surprise awaiting the
red-gingham thief.

Just when she thought she'd have to giggle into her napkin, she noticed
Ellen's eyes freeze in the direction of the serving line. Following her
gaze, Kay recognized with a shock the black-haired woman with the Dillard's
bag, THE Dillard's bag, hanging from her arm, brazenly pushing her tray
toward the cashier.

Helplessly, they watched the scene unfold: After clearing the register, the
woman settled at a table across from theirs, put the bag on an empty chair
and began to eat. After a few bites of baked whitefish and green beans,
she casually lifted the bag into her lap to survey her treasure. Looking
from side to side, but not far enough to notice her rapt audience three
tables over, she pulled out the tissue paper and peered into the bag. Her
eyes widened, and she began to make a sort of gasping noise. The noise
grew. The bag slid from her lap as she sank to the floor, wheezing and
clutching her upper chest.

The beverage cart attendant quickly recognized a customer in trouble and
sent the busboy to call 911, while she administered the Heimlich maneuver.
A crowd quickly gathered that did not include Ellen and Kay, who remained
riveted to their chairs for seven whole minutes until the ambulance
arrived.

In a matter of minutes the curly-haired woman emerged from the crowd, still
gasping, strapped securely on a gurney. Two well-trained EMS volunteers
steered her to the waiting ambulance, while a third scooped up her
belongings.

The last they saw of the distressed cat-burglar, she disappeared behind the
ambulance doors, the Dillard's bag perched on her stomach.

My mom always taught me if it doesn't belong to you don't touch it. Guess
she didn't have a wise mom like I do. Serves her right!


Happy Trails!

Rain... Rain.... Rain..... Rain....

0.30 inches.. first since mid summer of 2005... Rain... Rain... Rain.... Rain....Rain.... Rain.... 0.30 inches.. first since mid summer of 2005... Rain... Rain... Rain.... Rain....Rain.... Rain....0.30 inches.. first since mid summer of 2005... Rain... Rain... Rain.... Rain....Rain.... Rain.... 0.30 inches.. first since mid summer of 2005... Rain... Rain... Rain.... Rain....Rain.... Rain.... 0.30 inches.. first since mid summer of 2005... Rain... Rain... Rain.... Rain....Rain.... Rain.... 0.30 inches.. first since mid summer of 2005... Rain... Rain... Rain.... Rain....Rain.... Rain.... 0.30 inches.. first since mid summer of 2005... Rain... Rain... Rain.... Rain....Rain.... Rain.... 0.30 inches.. first since mid summer of 2005... Rain... Rain... Rain.... Rain....Rain.... Rain.... 0.30 inches.. first since mid summer of 2005... Rain... Rain... Rain.... Rain....Rain.... Rain....etc...

If you like the Eagles.... enjoy these... cds...

Eagles - Very Best Of .. Disk 1.zip (16843 KB)
Eagles - The Very Best Of .. Disk 2.zip (16418 KB)

Eagles - Hell Freezes Over.zip (16220 KB)

Today's Quote

Today's Quote

There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience.

-French Proverb

WEATHER BULLETIN

WEATHER BULLETIN

Up here in the Northern Plains we just recovered from a Historic event --- may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions" --- with a historic blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds of motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores of communities and cut power to tens of thousands.
George Bush did not come....
FEMA did nothing....
No one howled for the government...
No one blamed the government
No one even uttered an expletive on TV..
Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit
Our mayors did not blame Bush or anyone else
Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else either
CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX, or NBC did not visit - or report on this category 5 snow storm
Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.....
No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House....
No one looted....
Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something
Nobody expected the government to do anything either
No Larry King, No Bill O'Rielly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No Geraldo Rivera
No Sean Penn, No Barbara Striesand, No Hollywood types to be found
And Nope, we just melted the snow for water
Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow engulfed cars
The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask for a penny
Local restaurants made food and the police and fire departments delivered it to the snow bound families
Families took in the stranded people - total strangers
We Fired up wood stoves
Broke out coal oil lanterns or coleman lanterns
We put on an extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or Die"
We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program that trades votes for 'sittin at home' checks.
Even though a Category "5" blizzard of this scale has never fallen this early we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.
"In my many travels, I have noticed that once one gets north of about 48 degrees North Latitude, 90% most of the world's social problems evaporate."

Today's Quote

Today's Quote

Learn to write your hurts in sand.
Learn to carve your blessings in stone!

-Unknown

If tomorrow starts without me...

IF TOMORROW STARTS WITHOUT ME

A few weeks ago, a woman was killed in an auto accident. She was very well liked, so the office shut down for her funeral and it was on the news and so on. On the day the workers came back to work, they found this poem in their e-mail that the deceased woman had sent on Friday before she left for home.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If tomorrow starts without me,
And I'm not there to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me;

I wish so much you wouldn't cry
The way you did today,
While thinking of the many things,
We didn't get to say.

I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me,
I know you'll miss me too;

But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name,
And took me by the hand,

And said my place was ready,
In heaven far above,
And that I'd have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.

But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from m y eye,
For all my life, I'd always thought,
I didn't want to die.

I had so much to live for,
So much left yet to do,
It seemed almost impossible,
That I was leaving you.

I thought of all the yesterdays,
The good ones and the bad,
I thought of all that we shared,
And all the fun we had.

If I could relive yesterday,
Just even for a while,
I'd say good-bye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.

But then I fully realized,
That this could never be,
For emptiness and memories,
Would take the place of me.

And when I thought of worldly things,
I might miss some tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did,
My heart was filled with sorrow.

But when I walked through heaven's gates,
I felt so much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me,
From His great golden throne,

He said, "This is eternity,
And all I've promised you.
Today your life on earth is past,
But here life starts anew.

I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last,
And since each day is the same way,
There's no longing for the past."

So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don't think we're far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I'm right here, in your heart.

NASA Plans 3rd Try to Launch Pluto Mission

NASA Plans 3rd Try to Launch Pluto Mission
By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 11 minutes ago



NASA scientists hope the third time is the charm for their $700 million unmanned mission to Pluto.

The space agency planned to make a third attempt to launch the New Horizons probe on Thursday, a day after a storm knocked out power at the Maryland-based laboratory that will command the mission.

Strong winds in Laurel, Md., knocked out power at the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and mission managers were wary of launching the spacecraft without backup power at the facility.

"The air conditioning was off. The flight controllers were sitting there wiping sweat," said Alan Stern, the mission's principal investigator. "If they were dealing with any spacecraft issues, which first day out of the box a lot of spacecraft have, you can't concentrate like that."

High winds at the launch pad also kept the spacecraft from lifting off on Tuesday. Winds in the Orlando area were expected to be 10 to 15 mph Thursday.

Scientists have been working 17 years on the nine-year voyage to Pluto, and they were unfazed by the back-to-back postponements.

"Two or three days doesn't mean a hill of beans," Stern said.

The space agency has until mid-February to send the spacecraft on its way, but a launch in January would allow the spacecraft to use Jupiter's gravity to shave five years off the 3-billion-mile trip, allowing it to arrive as early as July 2015.

The spacecraft is about the size and shape of a concert piano attached to a satellite dish. It will study Pluto as well as the frozen, sunless reaches of the solar system known as the Kuiper Belt. Scientists believe that studying the region's icy, rocky objects can shed light on how the planets formed.

The planned launch has drawn attention from opponents of nuclear power because the spacecraft is powered by 24 pounds of plutonium, whose natural radioactive decay will generate electricity for the probe's instruments.

NASA and the Department of Energy estimated the probability of a launch accident that could release plutonium at 1 in 350. As a precaution, the agencies brought in 16 mobile field teams that can detect radiation, plus air samplers and monitors.

___

On the Net:

New Horizons Mission: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu

Nuclear protesters: http://www.space4peace.org

Photo by Phillip... We all go together for Tammy's Birthday on Sunday. AWESOME time by all. Jon even made it up to see us too, how cool!! We ate and Birthday'd at Applebees in Stillwater. Tammy got some nice gifts from all and she was excited!! We all were excited for her. And Tammy... We love ya....! 

Amazing...

USDA Using Satellites to Monitor Farmers


Email this Story

Jan 13, 7:44 AM (ET)

By ROXANA HEGEMAN

(AP) In this photo released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a satellite view shows a higher seed...
Full Image



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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Satellites have monitored crop conditions around the world for decades, helping traders predict futures prices in commodities markets and governments anticipate crop shortages.

But those satellite images are now increasingly turning up in courtrooms across the nation as the Agriculture Department's Risk Management Agency cracks down on farmers involved in crop insurance fraud.

The Agriculture Department's Farm Service Agency, which helps farmers get loans and payments from a number of its programs, also uses satellite imaging to monitor compliance.

Across government and private industry alike, satellite imaging technology is being used in water rights litigation and in prosecution of environmental cases ranging from a hog confinement facility's violations of waste discharge regulations to injury damage lawsuits stemming from herbicide applications. The technology is also used to monitor the forestry and mining industries.

"A lot of farmers would be shocked at the detail you can tell. What it does is keep honest folks honest," said G.A. "Art" Barnaby Jr., an agricultural economist at Kansas State University.

Satellite technology, which takes images at roughly eight-day intervals, can be used to monitor when farmers plant their acreage, how they irrigate them and what crops they grow. If anomalies are found in a farm's insurance claim, investigators can search satellite photos dating back years to determine cropping practices on individual fields.

What's catching the attention of Barnaby and others is a spate of recent cases involving the use of satellite imaging to prosecute farmers. The largest so far has been a North Carolina case in which a couple faked weather damage to their crops by having workers throw ice cubes onto a tomato field and then beat the plants.

In September, Robert Warren was sentenced to six years and four months in prison, while his wife, Viki, was sentenced to five years and five months. They were also ordered to forfeit $7.3 million and pay $9.15 million in restitution.

The Warrens and at least three other defendants pleaded guilty. But in one related trial that went to a jury, prosecutors used satellite images and testimony from a satellite image analyst to present their case.

"It was impressive to the jury to have this presentation about this eye in the sky and satellite imagery and a trained expert," said Richard Edwards, the assistant U.S. Attorney in North Carolina who prosecuted the case. "In our case it did not make the case, but it sure helped and strengthened and improved the case."

The Risk Management Agency is involved in three other multimillion-dollar crop insurance fraud cases that have yet to be filed that will rival the Warren case in scope, said Michael Hand, RMA's deputy administrator for compliance.

While fewer than 100 cases have been prosecuted using satellite imaging since the RMA started its crackdown in 2001, data mining - coupled with satellite imaging - pinpoints about 1,500 farms annually that are put on a watch list for possible crop fraud, Hand said. Ground inspections are done on the suspect farms throughout the growing season.

The agency says its spot checklist generated by the satellite data has saved taxpayers between $71 million and $110 million a year in fraudulent crop insurance claims since 2001.

The agency stepped up its enforcement after the Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 2000 mandated it use data mining to ferret out false claims, Hand said. Every year, it ships claims data to the Center for Agriculture Excellence at Tarleton State University in Stephensville, Texas, where analysts look for anomalies in claims. They generate a list of claims for further investigation, with satellite imaging pulled on the most egregious cases.

Just as U.S. satellites kept track of things like the wheat harvest in the former Soviet Union, other countries have also launched satellites to monitor American crops. Germany, France and others have satellites monitoring crop conditions, and many other private firms sell those images in the U.S.

"Everybody spies on everybody. I was stunned to hear that myself," Edwards said. "Someday, I may have to rely on a French satellite to convict an American citizen."

Wonderful time last night....

What a wonderful time visiting and eating last evening with Sharon and Lawrence Robinson last evening and their new short term family addition, Jasmine, an exchange student from Vienna, Austria, who is 16 and will go to school here for one semester before returning home. Great Grandma Moffat and Sis MK and Phil and Tammy and Austyn were there also, along with Jake. We had Taco Soup, and wow, it was AWESOME! and Pecan Pie by Sharon and a Blueberry Desert by Ann. oh my gosh it was great, and visiting and taking the dollar tour of Robinson's beautiful home in Stillwater on Boomer Lake was truly great as well. They have remodeled their home to take in the lake view from all areas of the home and wow, they DID it up right! It is a now a Homes and Gardens Award winner, declared so by me!
Speaking of Jake, there are some new photos from his work online in the family albums along with a couple of short videos... we need to get a battery out of the camera case Phil has borrowed so he can get some more taken today... but he is already at work, so maybe next time.
Heather called about 5 to tell us they could not make it last night as she was on way to pick up a very sick Andrew at school... and take him home. We missed them all the more. Maybe next month of Feb. 10th, they can make the next one, and it would be awesome for Jonathan and Randi and Kaitlyn to come up as well. Maybe some time? it never hurts to dream, huh??
Jon reports an ok second day of school. Glad all is going well with him in his venture.
We ... the family, will celebrate Tammy's Birthday tomorrow at 11:30am at applebees in Stillwater. Yelp, she turns another year older... sigh.. as we all are in 2006...
Pray for Rain....
enjoy the day...

This week...

Isn't this weather something else? Hi's in the summer figures and lows in the winter figures.. WOW! And with every day that goes by warm, we have beat ole man winter out of a cold day!!
Poor geese can not decide whether to go south or stay here, and there are tons of them on the wheat fields this am.
Walked about a mile today... took 21 mins. But I will get better! I am feeling a bit more like a human being now. Don't have to carry a "bag" or have needles in my arms, but still have a few problems that puzzle me.
Got our bill for the helicopter ride to Tulsa.... our part of it is a bit shy of 2000.00 dollars. total bill was almost 12000.00. Sort of feel like we have been had. What we learned was... it cost about 7000.00 to have a copter ride to Tulsa, but after 7pm and before 7am and on weekends, they tack on a "fee" for after hours and it was over 5000.00 dollars. Man, that is like really taking advantage of folks. Sorry, just my opinion on this matter...
enough of me, how about you? How are you all doing??
Jon started back to get his degree yesterday and said his day went well. He will get his degree and we will all be proud of him! It takes some big time adjusting to go back to college and finish. Ask Phil... Who is taking car of our cattle for us this winter, many thanks PHIL!! speaking of him, his company is now owned by National Carriers, and Rains and Son's and employees are now employees of theirs. He did not call with a report but yesterday was their day to meet with National to see what the future held... bet we here later, or you might check his blog..
Paul is now for the first time in his many years with Stillwater PD, working day shift and off on the weekends. This too is a big adjustment for the family... but they to will make it!
Heard from Jon that Randi has been taking care of a sick Kaitlyn last week too... hope she is better now...
Jake got his figure cut at work last week and made a trip to the emergency room, and went back yesterday to get stiches out. It was still a bit pink but they took out the stiches... He is LOVING his job, welding about 12 hours a day 6 days a week getting time and half after 40! He loves his checks too!!
Sure there is more news, but for now... enjoy the day!

quote...

Today's Quote

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.

-Karl Barth

Did a walk a bout today in the snow about 8am. Lots of beauty to behold. I'm afraid I can not due justice with camera to how beautiful it was, but there are some more pics online in family album... Enjoy! 

Uncle Ivan sends along this funny.... haha..

Lost in Wal-Mart

Lost in Wal-Mart

Two old guys are pushing their carts around Wal-Mart when they collide.

The first old guy says to the second guy, "Sorry about that. I'm looking for my wife, and I guess I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

The second old guy says, "That's OK. It's a coincidence. I'm looking for my wife, too. I can't find her and I'm getting a little desperate."

The first old guy says, "Well, maybe we can help each other. What does your wife look like?

The second old guy says, "Well, she is 27 yrs old, tall, with red hair, blue eyes, long legs, big busted, and is wearing short shorts. What does your wife look like?"

The first old guy says, "Doesn't matter --- let's look for yours."

Miss Madison and Mr. Andrew came a visiting Sunday. More pics are in the Gallery.... Enjoy! 

Today's Quote

Today's Quote

A love affair with knowledge will never end in heartbreak.

-Michael Garrett Marino

Last night...

Had a wonderful time renewing a very important friendship last night with Sharon and Lawrence Robinson and their son, Morgan. They were our neighbors for many years and our kiddos grew up together. Sharon is spearheading a fund raising effort to buy a beautiful water display fountain to be installed in Boomer Lake in Stillwater. She is indeed a one man band. Sharon is the one you want on your side in a pickle... She has done more in the communities of Stillwater, Ripley and Perkins to raise money for kiddos, help the schools, foster kids, and the list goes on and on, then anyone I know of in any community anywhere.
Anyway, we had a wonderful meal and visit. We needed a few more folks there, but overall it was a success.
Ann and I actually double dated with Phil and Tammy and Austyn. The event was at El Chico's and a percentage of the food sold will be donated to the cause.
Jon and Heather... a small donation in your names was made since you could not attend.
Heard from Cousin Joanna in Norman over night. She says hey to all, and that things are busy and going well. She mentioned that someone's birthday was coming up and we might need to do something... will email you with some thoughts...
Doris's Jim is recovering quite well I think. What I heard was Doris keeps him busy... haha, can you imagine that?? haha.
Thanks Phil for the invitation... last night.
Stay safe, watch out for wildfires, and don't burn anything outside!
love to all... Stan

Borrowed from Phil's Blog.... el chico tonight!

el chico tonight!
January 5th, 2006
if you live in stillwater, ok you need to be at el chico’s tonight for dinner! our friend, sharon robinson, is raising money for a fountain to be placed in boomer lake. tonight, el chico will donate to the fountain fund based on how many people eat. when you get there, be sure to tell the staff you are eating for the fountain so they can mark you on the list.

...... EVERYONE NEEDS TO ATTEND THIS GREAT EVENT. YOU GET TO EAT, EL CHICO GETS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FOUNTAIN TO BE INSTALLED IN BOOMER LAKE, VIA SHARON ROBINSON....

Miss Kaitlyn came to visit on New Years Eve, to celebrate Grandma Moffat's birthday and have Christmas at Great Grandma Moffat's. She's really special! 

Best commerical of 2005

You need to take time to download this and look at it... it is awesome......

Best Commerical of 2005

Want to veiw the fires in OK?

Here is a link to view where the fires are burning in Oklahoma... what an unusual winter...!!!

Good news.... for some, haha....

For those folks wishing my demise.... sorry! I am back and in about 6 weeks, I ought to be better than before. Got a clean bill of health from the Drs yesterday. Don't have any needles in my arms or tubes hanging out of me.... And I am smiling.... very big smiles.... Got to send a big THANK YOU to Ann who has baby sit me since December 21st, our first trip of 22 that we made from that date to yesterday. She was a trouper... Boy, did I do good in picking my BEST friend!! She was my arms, legs, etc. She made every trip with me, even when Phil offered to haul me to emergency room, she said no and did it herself. The irony of all this is that the 21st was her first day of vacation and yesterday was her last. And all she did was care for me. I could not have made it without her. I never in my life felt more SUB human than I did during this period. It was embarrasing, it was sad, my heart ached for Ann, who was tired, sick, and still smiled and told me she loved me... wow.... how uplifting she was, and still had family together for Christmas, and one other time... Ann, I love you and will be there for you too... but gosh I hope the best and hope you never have to go thru what I did, ever!
Anyway, no pain pills... body is adjusting, very short tempered and no patience at all, I have learned today trying to get back into the hang of working again.. eyes are tired... ok enough of me.. how about you???

Uncle Ivan sends his best wishes to everyone and says he has his diabitics under control... I can see his big ole smile all the way up here!!! Glad you are doing well, Uncle Ivan... and hey to Aunt Freda too.

well, got to get back to killing rabbits... later... S

Heather sent this tidbit along.... sigh.... what a deal... haha

Jacksonville, FL Police Dept.

A man goes to a party and has too much to drink.

His friends plead with him to let them take him home.

He says NO -- he only lives a mile away.

About five blocks from party, the police pull him over for weaving
and ask him to get out of the car and walk the line.

Just as he starts, the police radio blares out a notice of a
robbery
taking place in a house just a block away.

The police tell the party animal to stay put, they'll be right back

and they hop a fence and run down the street to the robbery.

The guy waits and waits and finally decides to drive home.

When he gets there, he tells his wife he is going to bed, and
to tell anyone who might come looking for him that he has the flu

and has been in bed all day.


A few hours later the police knock on the door.

They ask if Mr. Smith is there and his wife says yes.

They ask to see him and she replies that he is in bed with the flu
and has been so all day.

The police have his driver's license.

They ask to see his car and, she asks why.

They insist on seeing his car, so she takes them to the garage.

She opens the door.

There sitting in the garage is the police car, with all its lights
still flashing.

True story, told by the driver at his first AA meeting.

Happy Motoring !!!

Welcome - Stan and Ann's Ramblings

first day without pain killers since Dec. 19th. I am making progresss!!! hopefully, will get a clean bill of health from drs today... the swelling I have willl take about 6 weeks to get rid of the first dr. told me this am...
thanks for all the prayers and words, etc... love to all... will post more later.. s