RezBlog

2012 - The Year of the Dragon!

2012-01-18T00:16:00.000-08:00

The stars say it's my year to shine! I'm glad they're on my side because I have every intention on making this one of the greatest years of my life in all aspects! The last dragon year held so many unbelievable blessings I am still in awe of how the universe works. All that glitters is gold. Only shooting stars break the mold!

Letting Go

2011-12-17T13:44:00.000-08:00

Part of letting go means you have to erase some of the harsh words and mean spirited actions that were directed toward you.... so today I am letting go of one thing - throwing it out to the universe... and honestly, i have no idea why it bugs me but it does... but one of our last arguments he told me his best friend and best friends family never did like me - they thought i was difficult. I have no idea what i ever did to them except welcome them in my home when they came, offered food & a place to stay in the spirit of hospitality as was taught to me by my mom. I guess sometimes when you share smiles and laughter with people it isn't always real. Disillusion.

False Starts False

2011-11-29T18:16:00.000-08:00

And did I tell you we finally started our FTTH project? Yes, 17 (SEVENTEEN) months later... After a long painful process peppered with false starts and high hopes we are finally back at the start line ready to roll. Proof that the universe still intends to shower me with blessings.

It's not complicated

2011-11-29T17:47:00.000-08:00

The bad part about being strong for so many years is it freaks people out when they see a moment of weakness. I've cried almost every single day for the last few months. I guess they're not used to it so they're trying to "figure me out" like I'm not allowed to have feelings. My BFF thinks it's loneliness. My sisters think it's my ego. My neices don't understand it. My mom - at least she gets me (I love her). Why can't they understand that I was in love? What's so hard about that? Sheesh.

. . . dolo . . .

2011-09-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

There's nothing worse than . . .

going to bed alone.
waking up alone .
eating lunch alone .
shopping for dinner alone .
making week-end plans alone .

all for the first time in years.

Still in limbo

2011-08-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

I didn't mean to be here so long.

In Memory of My Brother George

2011-05-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the second hardest day of the year. The first hardest day was May 13, 2010 when we heard the tragic news of my brother's death. Since then I've gone over every moment, every experience, every day we had together on this earth. I can't even count how many days I spent in a fog - lost - going through the motions of life, but unable to cope with the grief, loss, and pain of a losing my brother.

When we were kids he taught me how to clean my own fish, scramble eggs, and make fry bread wrong. I still have the scar on my right wrist from that day when the grease splashed on me.

We used to go fishing, play stick game, ride bikes, play baseball, and tell ghost stories outside at night.

When we were teenagers he taught me that you're never too young to work hard and earn your own way. Following his path, I started working since I was 13.

As adults, he was always the most successful, demonstrating to the rest of us that it is possible to start at the bottom and work your way up. He was still in his 20's when he was promoted to manager of a company he worked for. They relocated him to California, where he was robbed at gunpoint - twice. While the family was worried and wanted him to come home, he stayed and continued to work hard and do his best.

He taught me the value of being fearless and independent, and he has always been the example I used for my own children to look up to.

His life was much more than anything I can put into words. He was a loving brother, great teacher, hard worker, and all around athlete.

When I got the call that he took his own life I drove around for a long time and cried... asking him why? Why? Didn't he think about us?

In a strange moment that I can't explain, he somehow reached out to me and simply said "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."

I know brother, I know.

Missing Missy

2011-01-12T16:21:00.000-08:00

When communication wires get crossed....

The good, the bad and the ugly of home remodeling

2011-01-02T23:42:00.001-08:00

Video or slide show COMING SOON! See the posts and slide shows below for a sneak preview!

Electrical Wires

2011-01-02T23:08:00.000-08:00

Electrical wires hanging loosely under the house... this can't be right.

Water in crawlspace

2011-01-02T22:57:00.000-08:00

The contractor decided not to grade the yard so that the water would run away from the house... in the meanwhile down in the crawlspace water is building up. Yes, that's a beam sitting in all that water. My ice cold floors are also reminders that there is not any insulation underneath the flooring... nor is there a vapor barrier to mitigate the "moisture." I don't get it.

New foundation

2011-01-02T22:36:00.001-08:00

The new foundation is not square with the new addition... the walls are supported by wood.

Collateral Damage

2011-01-02T21:35:00.000-08:00

Last fall I got an addition put on my home and had some remodeling work done... I didn't sign up for the unintended consequences. The contractors threw my laundry outside and just left it there... the Pendleton chairs I personally upholstered were used as work chairs... along with my desk chair and bar stools... my dining room table was used as a work bench, but luckily I was able to clean it and it survived... my nice entry door looks like it was stabbed three times... like what's that all about? Dang... can't have nothing nice...

106 Long Days Later

2010-11-30T17:47:00.000-08:00

106 long days later, I finally started to move back into my house. I have a couple of beds set up and a few dishes washed and put away. It's a start. The house is neither perfect, finished, nor complete, but I moved back home anyways because I am tired of living out of a suitcase on the floor at someone else's house.

Day 81

2010-11-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

Still waiting for my house to be finished. Advice: Don't get a HUD 184 Loan unless your contractor has the cash flow to fund the construction himself on a reimbursement basis. It's not worth the headache or time, and it costs more in the end. Everyone loses. I'm not a fan of HUD 184. Booo.

Day 64

2010-10-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

still displaced . . . waiting on my home remodel to get done . . . it's hard getting used to sleeping on the floor in someone else's house, even if it's my mom's.

George Flett Prairie Chicken Dance Special Pt 1 - Wellpinit, WA

2010-09-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

Go to www.RezKast.com to see the other three videos.

Coeur d'Alene Tribe will leave Seattle in the Digital Dust!

2010-03-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

News segment about fiber to the home from yesterday's show on KUOW Seattle: High Speed Internet: How Would It Change Us? Bill Schrier, Chief Technology Officer of the City of Seattle compares their broadband plans with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's and says our network will leave them in the digital dust!

"Today's Sessions Are Not Lip Service"

2010-03-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

As they are discussing the details on the Cobell Settlement, let us not forget the new [not-yet-broken] promises....

I listened to he first 45 seconds and heard him say, and I quote: "Tribal Nations do better when they make their own decisions. Tha'ts why we're here today."

That's all I needed to hear. Can we get that painted on the ceiling above his bed so he wakes up to that message everyday?

2010-02-19T14:03:00.000-08:00

When I think of sovereignty I think of our tribal leaders past and present and realize....

Sovereignty is a state of mind... it's what's in your spu'us (heart)... those with courage will defend... everyone else will negotiate.

A Chicken in Every Pot - 100 Mbps to Every Home!

2010-02-18T15:10:00.000-08:00

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is a man after my heart! First open Internet Rules, then net neutrality, and now a national Broadband Strategy that includes 100 Mbps to the home! Woo-Hoo! I love it that we finally have an FCC Chairman who can spell IT and mean IT!

Hidden? Costs of Txt Msging

2010-02-02T15:44:00.001-08:00

Who? Who? Who??? in their right mind pays .00125 cents per bit? The average guy doesn't think that less than 1/8th of a cent sounds like a lot, but I have to ask... Are we out of our freaking mind?

This might get a little dry or nerdy for most of you, but work with me for a sec.... Consider this....

The max size to send and receive a txt message on your cell phone is 160 bytes per txt, With rates ranging from a nickel up to 20 cents per txt. When you break it down to cost per bit, you, my friends, are paying anywhere from .000313 cents to .001250 cents per txt, depending on your rate per txt.

Does that sound like a steal? IDK, you decide - you do the math and bore yourself for just a minute:

Take your monthly connection speed x your rate = total cost

For example

512,000 (512k) x .00125 cents = $640
768,000 (768k) x .00125 cents = $960
1,048,576 (1.5M) x .00125 cents = $1,310.72

Now think about this, and then I'll leave you alone... Bits and bytes, whether they are on the inernet or on your cell phone, are all created equal. Equal means they're all zeros and ones. The only difference is this - your major telco carriers have a propensity to charge you for what your Internet Service Providers practically give away for free. Think about it. When was the last time you paid to send or recieve e-mail? (0's and 1's) When was the last time you paid to chat? (0's and 1's) When was the last time you paid to send or receive a txt? (0's and 1's) Ok, nuff said. Geek hour is over. Think, be, know, do - accordingly.

Up on the Housetop - NDN Style

2009-11-30T13:52:00.000-08:00

A touching short video about a fellow Native Veteran

2009-11-17T14:19:00.000-08:00

Jack
(2009, 4 min.)
Director: Tom Roberts
Produced by Normal Life Pictures

Vietnam veteran Jack Menard, a member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation, struggles to reconcile his pride in having served in the U.S. military, with the knowledge that his regiment, the 7th Cavalry, had infamously murdered his own people at the Wounded Knee Massacre.

Health Care: It's a matter of perspective

2009-09-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said: "I don't need maternity care."

Sen. Debbie Stabenow replied: "I think your mom probably did."

Raising Children [the NDN Way]

2009-09-12T11:56:00.001-07:00

Children see...
Children do...
Be a positive influence on your child's life.

Going, Going, Gone! The death of Sears

2009-09-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

Sears is going out of business. Normally I don't cheer someone else's bad luck, but in this case I say good-bye and good riddance! I used to like Sears until they started getting desperate using outrageous predatory credit card practices.

Ther first time I opened a statement and saw that they increased the interest rates to 29.99% I went into shock. The smartest thing I did was cut up my sears card and then close the account. I couldn't take their pawn shop interest rates any longer. I'm pretty sure I wasn't alone in my disgust and countless others probably did the same. It's no surprise they are going under.

I have to admit I'll probably miss giving Crafstman tools for Christmas, but then again there's always Snap-On.

Other than that, someone tell me when the last store closes. I want to be there to help them turn off the lights.

Rosebud Fair 2009 is on RezKast.com!

2009-09-03T23:32:00.000-07:00

Are you stimulated?

2009-07-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

Is your rez suffering economically? Could your tribe use an economic boost to provide jobs AND build infrastructure at the same time? Then why not go for the president's Broadband Economic Stimulus grants? There will be over $7 billion available in broadband funds from both NTIA & USDA / RUS in three grant cycles. On July 1st, 2009 the funding agencies (RUS & NTIA) announced that funding is available NOW for their first cycle! You can find the grant applications and guidelines online . In addition, they are making it EASY for us to apply be hosting several workshops in the next few weeks. Grant writers, techies, council people, make your travel arrangements! Get funding for your tribal networks! Wi-Max! Fiber to the home! Don't miss out! The train is only coming through town once! And they won't come back to get you once you realize you should have jumped on it. Just pack up your duffle bag and go....

BTW, I will be at tomorrow's workshop in Billings, MT. You can register for online(see my Tribal Broadband Blog).

Let's Get Geeky

2009-03-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

Under Obama's economic stimulus plan there will be $7.5 Billion to roll out broadband to rural communities. This is a rare opportunity for tribes that have missed out on opportunities to build out their communication infrastructures. I started a new blog dedicated to the cause. If you want to check it out goto:

http://tribalbroadband.blogspot.com/

Return to Tribal Greatness

2009-02-08T12:39:00.000-08:00

Yes We Can!

Offensive Wannabe of the Day

2009-02-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this was originally a post about a man who made a video documenting a Native American Hunting Dance. I had a video of him performing a dance he did to bring back the caribou. Since then he has written to me, and I will openly admit I misjudged his intent. I apologized to him, and out of fairness decided to remove the video from this post. It doesn't change how I feel about our native culture, though. This post wasn't necessarily about him, but the whole wannabe thing.

I'm still torn about the issue and haven't decided if it's helpful or harmful. I've been scolded by my elders a few times in my life for not accepting "suyapis" when they come to our ceremonial dances. "They need to pray too," they tell me. I guess that's true enough, and besides, I think it works in our favor when we can "conquer by culture." But the thing that really gets to me is WHY OH WHY do they always take what little they might have learned from us and then go off and make up their own songs and ceremonies? At that point you have to ask are they really trying to just pray for themselves? And is it really worth it to "let" them in on our private ceremonies and teachings? How long do we have to compromise our customs & ceremonies in the name of letting our fellow man pray with us? Geez, can't we just hand these people a bible and send them on their way?

Ken Lee Mania

2009-01-11T02:40:00.000-08:00

You gotta admire Valentina Hasan's courage. Never mind the fact that she can't speak english. She took a song she loved and sang her heart out. Here's wishing you all laughter, heart and courage for the new year. When in doubt, make it up or fake it and hope they don't notice....or sing those magical lyrics - Ken Lee, Tulibu dibu douchoo....

Ken Lee - Bulgarian Idol With English Translation

Ken Lee -improved English

Esil Duran - Ken Lee Folk-dance remix

Resolutions are Made to be Broken

2009-01-10T07:30:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't you know it, I already broke two of my three New Year's resolutions. The first one was to leave work at the 4:30 pm quitting time everyday like everyone else. I almost heard that one break the moment I made it. I don't know what got into me, but somehow I thought if I formalized this long pending thought that it would make a difference in my work habits. I might as well face it - I get way too many interruptions in a day to get things done in a nice neat little 8 hour period. Sometimes it's people who pop into my office or call and just want to chit chat, which I love to do, but it makes me wonder - don't other people have work to do? But most of the time it's people who have problems they want me to help them with, which led me to breaking my second resolution: not to set up any new online accounts.

Yesterday I got a call from someone who wanted help with an issue of injustice. Due to the nature of the issue I won't go into detail, but it sounded very much like police brutality. I called on a few people and got a reference for an attorney who has dealt with police issues before. Out of curiosity, I googled this attorney and found him on this very cool website: http://www.avvo.com It's an awesome site where you can find attorneys, check out their profiles, read their reviews, or even submit questions to their free legal advice forum. It's funny because I'm not the one who needs legal advice, but I found myself signing up for yet another free account just so I could participate in technology justice. *Sigh* I guess I'm a hopeless technology enthusiast. Either that or an internet junky. Hmmm, do you think now would be the time to start my own online 12-step internet recovery chat program?

Hark the Herald (Lakota)

2008-12-22T13:55:00.000-08:00

Click here to listen to an absolutely beautiful version of Hark the Herald sung in the Lakota language.

White Elephant Gifts

2008-12-21T12:57:00.000-08:00

Are you last minute shopping for your white elephant gift exchange? My favorite places to shop for inexpensive gifts are Michael's Crafts and Ross Dress for Less. Micheal's has a ton of crafty gift sets to buy for men, women, kids, adults. Ross always has those unique one-of-a-kind gifts in the home section, such as jewelry boxes, baskets, wall hangings,etc. But then again, Sears always has decent sales. Here are this weeks ads:

Craftsman 18-piece screwdriver set - $16.99
Cosmetic Traincase - $19.99
Kinoki cleansing detox foot pads (as seen on tv) - $19.99
Elegant 2GB MP3 player - $17.99

Or, if you want to try something new here's an idea. Buy $20 - $25 worth of your state's lottery scratch tickets (don't scratch them!) and put them in a plain little box and wrap it. We did that last year and it was funny to watch all the gamblers in the house debate whether to keep the tickets or pass on for a different gift.

Happy Shopping!

Timeline of Federal Indian Policy

2008-12-18T01:01:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought I had enough accounts, enough profiles, enough INTERNET, I discovered this cool site called Dipity... In Dipity you can create your own timelines for practically anything you want. Of course, I had to test it out so I put together a quick timeline of Federal Indian Policy. Of all the accounts I have, I think this site has potential!

As Seen on REZNET News!

2008-11-19T19:17:00.001-08:00

REZNET Journalist, Tileena Leighton, conducted an on site interview with RezKast staff about this up and coming media sharing site. Through her interviews, she captured the essence of what RezKast is all about. Check it out!

Coeur d'Alene Tribe Launches Video Sharing Site from Reznet on Vimeo.

For the full article, go to: www.reznetnews.org

Native American Freedom

2008-11-11T00:46:00.000-08:00

In the eighteen hundreds of the Indian Wars
To the 1950's-60's of the Hollywood stereotype western movies
and the prejudice years
To the 1971-1976 A.I.M. years
of fighting for equal rights for
the Native American
Dominant society - U.S.A. had a belief:
"The Only Good Indian is a Dead Indian"
This belief has changed through the years.
Now in the 90's and 2000 years
Dominant society - U.S.A. has the belief:
"The Only Good Indian is a Poor Indian"
for it is their belief that if you
keep the Indian poor they will always
be subservient to dominant society - U.S.A.
and powerless to help themselves.
However, if you allow the Native American
to prosper through their "smoke shops,"
their bingo halls and casinos they will gain
economic and financial power and eventual
freedom from dominant society - U.S.A.
The Native American will have the financial power
to dictate to dominant society - U.S.A.
What is right and just for their people.

Joseph Frank Mellon, Jr.
Colville/Coeur d'Alene
"Su-Sep - Spee-le-ya"
[Joseph Coyote]
(Uncle Joe)
November 6, 2008

Salish Graphics for Myspace

2008-10-24T02:33:00.000-07:00

If your bored with all the usual myspace graphics, check out my new salish graphics. Yes, I had a little too much time on my hands, but there's not much else to do when the kids are watching shrek for the 99th time and SOMEONE has your vehicle so you can't really go anywhere....
enjoy!
http://www.dotrez.com/myspaces.htm

Barack Obama Speech to NCAI

2008-10-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama speech to NCAI, October 20th, 2008 in Phoenix, AZ via video feed.

The Real Dot Rez

2008-10-20T01:15:00.000-07:00

We will now proceed back to our irregularly scheduled programming. The Real Dot Rez is back up and running with the same lame jokes, same lame links... Johnny Bravo, Nerdy Shit..... everything is exactly the same as it was before it broke, except older. Almost as old as John McCain just days before the elections, LOL! Ok, maybe not that old, but still... Sorry about that! I'll try to post your new jokes sometime soon! I'm working on a new look and feel, and maybe a word press theme. I'm still testing it out, but I'll keep you posted!

Moose Hunting w/a cross bow

2008-10-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

I went moose hunting yesterday. My second day out this season. As we started out I still wasn't sure what I was doing out there. I'm not what you would call a real hunter. I mean I like the outdoors, but just not for long periods of time. I'm a homebody by nature, and I'm not too big on roughing it, especially when that means no flushing toilets.

To be honest, I wanted to go home after about 4 hours. I can't stand to be cold and I desperately wanted some fresh coffee, but the weather was cooperating so I forced myself to continue on. I knew if I put it off for another day I was taking the risk of being out in the rain or snow. Totally not my idea of hunting.

After nearly 8 hours we were just about to call it a day, and poof! There she was standing about 42 yards out. It took four arrows. The first two were total misses - maybe it was the foliage, or maybe it was reluctance on my part, but once I hit her with the third arrow I knew I would have to follow through. At that point I was completely amazed and overwhelmed at how she seemed to take pity on me. She could have ran away, she could have made it hard on me, but instead she gave me a fourth chance, and this time the arrow went straight to the heart, both hers and mine.

I'm not sure I will take up hunting again, but I have five years until I'm eligible for the moose lottery again so we'll see. In the mean while, I have 465 lbs of meat to take my family through the winter.

Click here to watch the video.

I Remember

2008-10-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

Since my DotRez site is down I decided to go through all my old files to decide what to trash and what to keep. I cam across this composition originally written for a high school English class by one of our young tribal members, Ronald Torpey. I have to say it's still my absolute favorite.

* * * * * * * * * * *
I remember the days of innocence, living on nothing but the thought of having fun. When getting hurt was only a part of the game I was playing and tears were only used to get something I wanted. When all that was good for me tasted so bad, and Superman was my career pathway. When the thought of a spanking was worse than any bogeyman, when my mom could heal any wound and fix any problem with a kiss.

I remember being too young for this and too small to do that, but trying anyway. When doing nothing was my job and getting dirty was a hobby. When girls were dirty and a dog's lick was a sign of friendship. When my duty was to question everything and raising Cain was a must. When candy was a food group and cartoons were an education source. When toys hurt more to break than bones and youth was my alibi.

I remember the years I've spent alone and the way I grew up. When my mother's job was to drink and my father's job was not being a father. When a beating from an adult figure close to me was unavoidable and hiding the hurt was the hardest thing to do. When alone was a natural feeling and having nothing was all I had. When having someone to watch my home games was a wish and waking up every morning was a goal.

I remember watching my mother waste away and getting pictures of my father in the mail. When love was rarely seen and alcohol was a relative. When Christmas was a day to see Santa, but I couldn't, and my birthday was just the day I was born, that's it. When a mother's touch left bruises and being ashamed was a part of my everyday life. When filling with rage was normal and crying was a pastime.

I remember when I said I'd never turn out that way and slowly realizing my choices. When living that way scared me to death and facing the truth was inevitable. When going to school was eight hours of freedom and spending time with my family involved alcohol. When achieving was never done and fending for myself was the only way to survive. When abuse came to be in all forms and time alone was a healing process.

I remember when emptiness was always there and a reliable parent was not. When growing up without a father made me a man and growing up hating my mother made me want to love her more. When running away sounded simple and being happy was a dream.

This is all that I remember, of course. How could I forget.

DotRez Redirect

2008-10-03T23:08:00.000-07:00

If you came here by way of DotRez redirect I guess you noticed by now my site is down. It looks like it may have been down most of the day. I sent an e-mail to technical support, but my site is hosted in the UK so who knows how long it will be until they get it running again. For now I hope the redirect is at least working. I've been thinking about nuking the site for a while anyways... I'm not sure what I really want to do with it.

1999 seems like such a long time ago, but that's when I first learned html. I thought it was kinda fun so I decided to start DotRez - mostly to post all the jokes I was getting in e-mail, but also to post other things I was interested in - Indian activism, quotes I liked, technology information, and stuff about me. While Victor Rocha was up at all hours of the night aggregating Indian Gaming News, I was aggregating all the bad jokes.

I used to update the site once a week. Then life got busy and weeks turned into months, and once I think I went almost a whole year without updating. I'm surprised at the number of hits I still get. I guess comedy relief never gets old.

In the meanwhile, now might be a good time to overhaul the site.... or I could just call it a day and say "that was fun."

How To Make a Custom Youtube Player & Embed it on Your Blogger Blog

2008-09-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

In response to anartistlife.com, who said:

"This is way cool/Ihave been searching for a way to download videos to my Blogger, because the site doesn't do it well, if at all..Can you post a link to the download page for this? Thanks, Reddawn"

Here are General Instructions to create a Custom Youtube Player-

Log in to Youtube and click on:

> Account
> Custom Video Players
> Create Custom Player

Enter your information:

> A name & description for your player
> Select a theme
> Select a layout
> Select your content
> Generate the Code and Save your Player
> Copy & Paste the code from the Embed Code box into Notepad
(save it for using on your blog)
> Click Finish

To paste the embed the code into your Blogger site-

Log in to Blogger and click on:

> Dashboard
> New Post
> Paste the embed code you saved from Notepad into your new post
> Click on Preview to verify the code pasted correctly and displays your player
> Click on Publish Post

The embed instructions are similar for RezKast or other sites that allow sharing videos.

Was the BIA born on a rotten day?

2008-09-05T00:41:00.000-07:00

LOL, so how many of you out there are curious about the astrology of the BIA? Even if you don't believe in lucky or unlucky stars, you just have to read this if for nothing else but sheer entertainment. How else are you going to know how the sun, moon, stars, jupiter, and all the other planets were aligned when the BIA was born? And just who's lucky day was it when Mercury and Venus and Leo opposed Neptune in Aquarius? LOL, I hope someone figures it out!

Read more about: The astronomy of the BIA (or is it astrology? Aw, who cares?)

RezKast Shout!

2008-08-26T12:14:00.001-07:00

Ok, if you haven't already figured it out, there's a new site out there called RezKast! It's a native youtube like site where NDN's like you and me can upload and share music and videos. Be sure to check it out! The URL is www.RezKast.com. That's www.RezKast.com. One more time, that's www.RezKast.com. NDN's are standing by...

Rosebud Fair

2008-08-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it, here's the Friday night Grand Entry at Rosebud Fair & Wacipi 2008, Rosebud, South Dakota.

I should probably invest in a real video camera one of these days.... but for now all I have is this cute little Casio Ex-z9 that I bought at Radio Shack cuz I just couldn't resist the pink case :)

Forget John Wayne's Teeth. . .

2008-06-14T00:29:00.000-07:00

What about Aaron Behren's braids? If you ever saw Ghostland Observatory you had to have noticed those big fat braids. What I am wondering is if he is a real native, or is he just running for President of the Thomas-Builds-the-Fire fan club?

Custom Youtube Player

2008-06-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, so maybe I'm slow, but I JUST noticed that you can make a custom player in YouTube and post it to your blog, website, etc. That's pretty damn fancy, don't cha think? Ha, so in addition to boring everyone to tears by posting my favorite videos, NOW I can post COMPLETE playlists and force everyone to listen to all my videos! LOL, j/k. Really now... I'm just posting this here because I'm curious to see how it works. No other reason except I want to test the functionality. So, if you want to listen to my "Random Music" playlist of songs I like for no apparent reason stick around....and enjoy!
- or not :)

Parleen

2008-05-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

This is a beautiful song made famous by Parleen Singh Gill, an India Indian who sang this on his last performance on Indian Idol. I have no idea what the song is all about, but it's very touching and sad.

Too Cute Not to Post!

2008-04-25T01:15:00.000-07:00

This was too cute to pass by! Something to brighten up your weekend... A Korean child singing "Hey Jude."

Promoted Youtube Video

2008-04-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

David Cook sings Billie Jean on American Idol. It's based on Chris Cornell's rock ballad version. This was probably his most awesome performance. Randy thought he was hot, Paula couldn't sit down, and once he stopped picking his nose, even Simon had to admit it was an amazing performance...

I think it is simply beautiful.

Stickgame

2008-04-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

If you're into stickgame, or just want to try your luck playing without losing anything, here's a game for you! It's an online "virtual" stickgame. Well, they call it a handgame, but same same! It's a cute little program. They even have several different teams and songs. I tried my luck and lost a few times... they have to be cheating, LOL! Anyways, here's the link:

http://www.yerbabuenapress.com/game/handgame.htm

Good luck!

Notes

2008-02-29T17:11:00.000-08:00

I was cleaning off my desk at the end of the day and found some notes I jotted down from some meeting. I'm only putting them here so I can throw the paper away. I might come back and edit later when I get the full story.

> Lawrence Nicodemus: In his H.S. years (during the 1920's) his mom was jailed for not turning her $$ over to the BIA. Lawrence was clubbed over the head by the police man Lee Parish (?) for staying with his mom (she didn't want him to leave her). They were both jailed (at the old agency?) Indians couldn't legally keep their own personal finances.

The Plight of Eugene Little Coyote and the Northern Cheyenne

2008-02-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

About this viedo:
December 28, 2007, Elected Tribal President, Eugene Little Coyote was forcibly removed from his office by a team of BIA SWAT officers. Since then a series of Appeals have come to a dead end when Majel Russell, Principal Deputy Secretary, Bureau of Indian Affairs, preempted the Interior Board of Indian Appeals process and denied an appeal by Eugene Little Coyote. One may argue that it is merely a personal matter, but with the world's largest undeveloped Coal Bed Methane Gas Field underfoot, the Northern Cheyenne may have more than a personal matter to look for.
hadjiofthenorth, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wsAdRqPnz8

First Americans for Barack Obama!

2008-02-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

Yeah! This is Chief Allan, Chairman of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, giving a young NDN leader's perspective on why he supports Barack Obama! Wo0t w0oT! Yes, if I still had long hair I would give him two braids up! Let's all show our support and join the First Americans for Barack Obama campaign!

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T16:12:00.000-08:00

Did anyone happen to see this performance by Team Lachey on Clash of the Choirs? This has got to be the craziest version of Flight of the Bumblebee ever performed on live television! At the time I didn't quite appreciate it because it seemed so dim against Patti Labelle's choir and their spiritual hymns... in the end it was Team Lachey that won the quarter of a million dollar prize for their favorite charity! Can't argue with that!

Anyways, Happy New Year!
(you might want to scroll down to pause the music player if it's still doing the liliwish song)

Attention Old AIM Activisits!

2007-12-22T00:44:00.000-08:00

Attention All old AIM activists! It appears Russell Means woke up from a long nap and he is not in a good mood. On his own behalf he has announced his withdraw of treaties signed between the Lakota Nation and the U.S.

AIM activists are hereby recalled to active duty. Report to "the rock" at Alcatraz to be issued uniforms, rations, and activist gear. Don your headbands! Don your braids! Suit up and show up no later than O-dark-hundred!

"As popular war advances peace is closer"
[Civil War, GnR]

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Liwliwish

2007-12-01T00:40:00.000-08:00

I made this music player at MyFlashFetish.com.

Liwliwish
Jingle Bells

liwliwish..., liwliwish..., liwish 'ets.me...lk'w
Bells are ringing, ringing all the way
qwamqwamt khwa ch-deqht-el'wis
What fun it it to travel about
e tsukwtsukwmi'n'n-e...t, hey !
In our sleigh, hey!
liwliwish..., liwliwish..., liwish 'ets.me...lk'w
Bells are ringing, ringing all the way
qwamqwamt has ch-deqht-el'wis
What fun it it to travel about
e tsukwtsukwmi'n'n-e...t
In our sleigh

ch'ii-t'aqt khwa a smaqhuqh
We are dashing over the snow
ch-'epł tsukwtsukwmi'n'n-e...t
In our open sleigh
ch'a-deqht khwe guł e'lish...
We travel over the mountains
'etsmelk'w ch'ets-mekhw.mu...khwt
Laughing all the way

chliwish 'eschiche'e...t
Bells are ringing on our horse
hngwishsh khwe slimt-e...t
Our joy is lifted
ch-snkwinm twe snkwi'i'i...'ts
We sing a song at night
ch-ch'napla'qhn aqhi...
While guiding the reigns

RIP Miss Moose

2007-11-07T00:17:00.000-08:00

It's done. I got my first moose, but I don't know where she is. I wasn't prepared to be so emotional about it, but I am.

I started out late this afternoon after my b/f spotted her in an area we were hunting in the other day. It wasn't far from town, and I thought there was enough daylight left so we headed out, bow in hand, hoping to do it this time.

When we got there we looked everywhere, but she hid herself well. After combing the area for a while, we headed back for the truck. Even though we were officially finished for the day, I told my b/f that I had a feeling we were going to turn a corner and run into her. I no more than finished the sentence when it happened just as I thought it would. There she was standing near some trees just to the left of the road. She had a big funny face with some signs of gray. In some ways I thought she looked like a cartoon.

At that point I was having second thoughts again. It wasn't that I doubted my shot, or that I even feared being trampled anymore. I just didn't enjoy the thought of what I was about to do.

In hunting there's not enough time to think about these things, and there's even less time to be emotional. Feelings shoved aside, I jumped on a stump to take a shot. I must have hesitated too long. She trotted off.

We ran further up the road and spotted her again. I didn't have a stump this time so I had to stand as tall as I could to shoot over the tall ferns and bushes. I hit her somewhere near the shoulder and she ran off. We tracked her for a while, but every time her funny face popped up I began to lose heart. I took a few more shots at her, but missed.

She led us through some crazy terrain I wasn't ready for. She was definitely the better athlete during this whole chase scene. I was pretty clumsy... my shoe fell off, I was stumbling over sticks, tripping over grass taller than me, and she was getting farther and farther away.

The last time I saw her she was limping her way into a tree line. We started into the woods, but didn't go far. It wasn't quite dark, but the sun was sinking fast. When it was obvious she lost us, we moped back to the truck and I sat there and cried.

There's a reason I'm not a hunter. I wasn't ready for her to live that long after the shoot. I wasn't ready for her to run way away with an arrow stuck in her. I wasn't ready to feel this horrible. In a lot of ways it felt like a funeral. I kept picturing her in my mind. I was thinking about all the good things about her, how she looked beautiful and funny at the same time, the way she kept looking back at me as she was running off.

I don't know if it's normal to feel this way, or if men will ever admit it, but I'm really having a hard time knowing she's out there. It's after midnight, I should be asleep, but I won't rest until I find her. I have some friends and relatives who are going to go out with me first thing tomorrow morning. I hope I find her.

White Elephant

2007-11-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

Well, now that we got Halloween out of the way we can all concentrate on more important things, like Christmas! It's never too soon to start shopping for those White Elephant Christmas gifts. Pretty much anything goes in a White Elephant gift exchange, well, except for groceries. I still remember the time my brother-in-law got a used container of cottage cheese from his g/f's grandma. I wasn't there, but when he told us about it he kinda had this strange twisted look on his face. I couldn't help but LOL. The funny thing is she was being sincere. She really wasn't trying to hurt or offend. Anyways, it seemed kind of relevant to mention it since I was talking about white elephants....

Oh yeah, and don't forget this.... For those of you with an "every other week" pay system, you will be happy to know there are FOUR (four) (4) more pay days until Christmas. Ha ha! Now you don't have to feel bad if you get the urge to play Christmas music! It's totally relevant and appropriate. As a matter of fact, I just tuned in to my Christmas tunes and I plan on listening to them until either the CD gets lost or stolen, or until July, whichever is **sooner.

**Ha, just so you know... last year July came sooner :)

Miss Murda

2007-10-30T22:14:00.000-07:00

Don't let the camouflage fool you. I'm not a real hunter. I don't normally murder my own meat, but moose are special. So special you can only get a tag through a lottery system. I've been throwing my name in the hat for over 10 years and never been drawn. This year they had a special archery category. At first I complained about this "special" category, then I decided to throw my name in that category to increase my odds. It paid off and I got my first ever moose tag.

I went out hunting exactly twice now. My first time out was really just a practice run. Except for the fresh droppings, I didn't see one sign of a living moose. I'm pretty sure that my smile of relief was as obvious as my hunting partner's disappointment. A couple of weeks back I nearly ran over a huge one on the highway near the area we were hunting in. I can't tell you what size he was, but I can say he towered over my poor little Mustang. I was within inches of what would have been a horrible collision. It's been a long time since my heart pounded so loudly.

I still had a sense of fear my second time out. It was last Friday - "Water Potato Day" - an officially designated tribal holiday. Everyone got the day off. Considering that I'm out of shape and I can't run, I really should have been out digging up peaceful water potatoes, things that can't fight back. Instead I was out stalking moose in the middle of nowhere at the insistence of my hunting partner.

I saw three live moose that day, all large, all females. I actually got to take my first, my last, and only shot that day. I was too far out - about 60 yards. I came up short and lost an arrow. To my surprise, she didn't charge. She just looked at us and headed up the hill. It didn't look like she was moving fast, but my short little steps were no match for her long cool strides. We tried stalking her out from the top of the hill, but she has far more patience than I will ever have. She found a group of trees and planted herself there for what felt like hours. After throwing moose calls and finally throwing rocks, we gave up and went home.

Overall, it was a good day for both me and the moose. I gained a new perspective on the whole moose hunting thing. I'm starting to get over my fear (see Moose Hunter Gets Charged ) and the moose are still safe in Idaho for another day.

10-23-07

2007-10-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to turn over a new leaf. Usually I put way to much effort into my work, which leaves little time for working out. Today I thought I would try something different.... like leaving work ON TIME. Although I still have a ton of things to do, I actually got up and left at 4:30 pm like a normal person. I was able to spend a couple of hours at the gym, which was nice. Here's my review:

Cardio:
Treadmill x 21 minutes - 1.38 miles
Stairclimber x 11 minutes - 376 stairs

15 x 2 straight situps
15 x 2 side to side situps
10 x 3 lateral pull downs @ 30 lbs.
10 x 3 abcores
10 x 3 88# assisted dips
10 x 3 rowing machine
10 x 3 incline bench press @ 10 lbs.
10 x 3 sitting kick outs

weight = 142 lbs.

The Longest Pause

2007-10-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

Ha, I think it's official. This has to be the longest pause between updates on my dotrez site.... four months of stale jokes is a long time. I wonder if anyone really reads it anymore? Well, if anyone still does, the reasons behind it are part technical - like my ftp program stopped working and my computer keeps crashing unexpectedly for no apparent reason - plus I got kinda busy with work and life, mostly work.

Right now I'm working on this radio station project..... the FCC is taking apps for full power FM stations...we decided to throw our name in the hat. The filing window is only open for one week. The deadline is fast approaching... the day after tomorrow. Thank god. I have had no life since starting this project...

sigh

2007-10-04T23:49:00.000-07:00

This whole "work out" thing is not "working out." As disappointed as I am with getting FAT(ER) I just don't have the motivation to do this thing everyday. I started out real gung-ho thinking I was going to make a religion out of it, but my workout blog doesn't lie. For all the right and wrong reasons, I have yet to make it to the gym for at least five days in a row. I gained two pounds since starting, which I force myself to believe is new muscle (at least my legs think so, HA!).

The good news is that I finally cleaned out my closet and threw out some clothes I know I will never ever fit again... well, except for things I'm keeping around for nostalgia's sake, like my desert BDU's from Desert Storm. The pants are wayyyyy small, like a 26" waist... it's hard to imagine I ever fit into them. Ha, I did try them on just to see... I guess there's a reason I have never owned a full length mirror or a scale. Let's just say that now I'm tempted to buy this T-shirt I saw...
"I beat anorexia."

Day 3

2007-06-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

I'm concentrating on my leg muscles for now, so there won't be any upper body excercises for a while. I basically did the same workout routine that I did yesterday and the day before. The only change was switching to the tread mill, mostly so I could chat with my friend. Spent 15 minutes on there, before heading to the dumbells. I decided I would keep my workout blog on my 43things profile since I have it listed as one of my goals. Daily activities, weight, etc will be kept there. If I skip a day, I will also post my reasons there so I can see what my "excuses" really are.

Yet Another Work Out Routine

2007-06-26T21:48:00.000-07:00

Some time ago (like January) I made a resolution to get in shape this year. Well, almost seven months later I finally decided to do something about it. The bright light came on after hearing about a 60 year old women completing the Iron Man competition. After seeing her photos and the shape she is in I felt somewhat ashamed for my idleness so yesterday was the first day of my workout routine. This time in order to be bruatally honest with myself I put on my swimsuit and had some “before” photos taken. I hope to use them for inspiration and also to measure my progress. No photo shop alterations are going to help me now.

Because I am not in shape at all, I’m starting out very slowly. My workout today was three sets of each:

8 reps of dumbell clean and press (10 lbs)
5 reps of dumbell squat (10 lbs)
60 seconds Farmer’s Walk (20 lbs)

My weight today is 139.5 lbs.

I also did 10 minutes on some cross country step and glide thing. Not impressive, I know, but it’s a start!

Zero!

2007-05-28T23:51:00.000-07:00

OMG, after trying for years to mange my e-mail inbox, I finally got it down to ZERO! Yes, that is 0 emails as of 11:24 p.m. on May 28, 2007! I started out with nearly 500 unread e-mails a few hours ago, then I got the bright idea to set up folders. I have no idea why that made a difference, but somehow it did. First, I set up folders for each category, then I established rules for each e-mail type. After that I was able to flip through them, save the important ones, and read and delete the rest! I never thought I would see this day! I thought for sure I was going to have to blind nuke them. Ha, the real test will be to see if I can do the same at work…

Little Superstar

2007-03-30T00:25:00.000-07:00

Hey Hadji, I think Little Superstar is spying on you. He stole your moves!

Barack is not black, I am not Indian, the BIA always knows what's right for us NDNs

2007-03-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

.... and other urban legends that otherwise intelligent people believe to be true. Yes, it sounds crazy, but this would be the title to my new book if I were an author.

The other day I saw video clip where Debra Dickerson claims that presidential candidate Barack Obama is not black. Although he claims his black ancestry, according to Debra, he cannot be black because he is not the descendant of American Black slaves. His father is from Kenya.

Now I know it wasn't meant to be funny, but somehow I found it amusing that someone would openly and publicly make such a ridiculous statement. I think I might have still been ROFL when I read this statement posted today on an online forum about ME in regards to my 4/4 degree Indian blood:

Well enrollment made the mistake and we have to live with it, your dad was Canadian and although he may have been a full blooded Canadian Indian our tribe should not have counted his blood, how that got past the BIA is why we have enrolled members that don't have a drop of Indian blood.

Now this is even more amusing than the Obama is not black argument. My dad was indeed a full-blooded Indian. He grew up on his reserve speaking the language, and only learned English as a second language after a brutal boarding school experience. How much more native can you get?

But of course, the BIA is always right, right? I can only imagine the conversation that would take place today if my dad were still alive .... "Uh, excuse me... I'm sorry, but you don't meet the definition of being Indian in accordance with BIA rules. You don't have any legal right to be Indian, and being Indian is not a choice in this United States so from now on you're going to be a white guy, and your kids.... well, they are all half white."

Anyways... I just think it's funny that we are each being challenged about our ethnicity, heritage, blood-quantum, or whatever by our own people.

So, let me see if I can get this straight.... Obama is not black because his dad is from Kenya. I'm not full-blooded Indian because my dad was from a Canadian Tribe, and the Freedmen are not Cherokee because they don't have the blood quantum to be eligible for Cherokee enrollment, BUT they are descendants of American Black slaves, so if they go along with Debra's definition they can be black, but they just can't be Cherokees, so it's all good. No harm, no foul, right?

VOTE FOR BARACK

2007-02-22T23:04:00.000-08:00

Anti-Digital

2007-02-17T00:59:00.000-08:00

Why is it every time I fall in love with a technology it gets in trouble? First there was Napster, then there was VoIP, and now it's You Tube.

What part of the digital age do people not get????? Isn't there a diagnosis in some DSM-IV Manual for being anti-digital? Any psychiatrist types out there care to lock these people up?

No New Debt

2007-02-09T23:52:00.000-08:00

Every year around this time I get total buyer's remorse. I'm pretty sure it has to do with my holiday spending habits and the fact that my credit card debt has slowly creeped up over the years. But if you can't be generous at Christmas then what's it all for?

Anyways, my paying habits are just as much to blame as my spending.... It doesn't take much when your formula consists of minimum payments + outrageous finance charges.

Although I don't use it very often, my Sears card has to be the absolute worst... their rates are worse than what the local pawn shops charge. If I thought I had anything worth pawning I would get rid of this debt now, but everything I ever bought has either been eaten, worn twice before getting lost in the closet, or got broke the day after.

The only thing I have that's worth pawning is my house, which is slowly falling apart as we speak. The heating system hasn't worked in months [I use my woodstove for heat], the plumbing needs to be roto-rooted, my cupboard doors are all falling off, and the kitchen sink fell apart a couple of weeks ago. But the good news is the walls are still standing and it's paid for. And although I can't get a conventional bank loan because it is a HUD house and it is on the rez, I found out that I can get a Section 184 loan.

I went to the housing office the other day to see exactly what kind of borrowing power I have in this 184 program. I was hoping I could finance something like $20,000 for repairs and some renovation. I want to tell you that I was shocked to find out I can actually finance WAYYYYYYY more than that.... something in the six digits. OMG... if I ever need to exercise self-discipline, it's now. On the one hand it's nice not to have that house payment every month, but it almost seems insane to keep jimmy riggin' the house.

Anyways, I'm not sure what I'm going to do at this point, but I'm pretty sure this is going to mess up my plans of No New Debt.

And they say men are dogs...

2007-01-13T12:35:00.000-08:00

Monkeys Pay to See Female Monkey Bottoms

http://www.cynical-c.com/archives/2005_09.html

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-21T12:13:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas people!
I know....You're right.... I'm not really that thin in real life. But hey, you gotta love an avatar for giving a person goals, right?

So having said that, with all of you as my witness, my new years resolotion for the 20th year in a row is to lose weight and get my girlish avatar figure back, LOL!

4 Coby Dane

2006-10-18T23:27:00.000-07:00


Coby... if you didn't beat this song yet, check this out! BTW, where you at? You won't believe this, but I had to start over from the beginning three times since the summer. One time was because the memory card faied... Is that so unfair? Anyways, I still can't get this song or Cowboys from Hell....

New Site

2006-09-11T22:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, here's a new site worth mentioning... its an interactive forum made possible for you by the one and only Ryan of Nativesweb. So for those of you looking for a place to sound off, have at it! I will also be posting a link to it on my side menu for future reference.

Check it out: NDN Bloggers

Ice Dreams

2006-08-18T17:09:00.000-07:00

Last night I dreamed about ice. "Monte" [not his real name] was sticking ice down the back of my shirt, and then he started rubbing it on the back of my neck to the point that it was starting to hurt. And he wouldn't stop. It was like he was trying to be mean and hurt me. It was real weird.

Normally I have nice dreams and half the time don't even remember them, but for some reason this one woke me up feeling real creeped out. What does that mean? It was an odd feeling. Anyways, just for the heck of it I thought I would do a google search on "ice dreams" and this is what came up first on the list:

==============================
Dream symbol: ice, ices, icy, iced

Interpretation: Blocked or unexpressed emotions, being as cold as ice
Melting ice may indicate emotional transformation or release
Needing to hold off on something or shelve for a while, put it on ice
A need to cool down a little, calm down
Feeling unsure, unstable or that something is a slippery or potentially dangerous, on thin ice
Needing to break the ice in order to ease an uncomfortable situation
============================

After reading this I thought "how funny".... yesterday I was real annoyed at a few of my peers after a very long and drawn out interview process. We were interviewing for one of the top dogs in our tribe [CEO of a multi-million dollar operation].

You would think an important position like that would knock sense into people to stop playing politics. Wrong wrong wrong. The whole things was oooooozing with politics and it was really getting on my nerves.

I was never a good politician to begin with, or at least I'm not very good at the "get along and go along" tactics that our veteran council members have become so accustomed to. Most of the time I am comfortable saying whatever's on my mind, but yesterday it was too much so after awhile I just kept quiet and cast my one vote. In the end it all worked out, but I still went home baffled and annoyed.

Anyways, I decided today I would just suck it up and drive on. They used to tell me in the Army, "If you're not a part of the solution, you're a part of the problem." I hope and pray I never become part of that problem.

Talk to the blog

2006-08-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

Talk to the blog... cuz no one else is listenin. Well, ok, it could have to do with the fact that no one else is home, and that's a good thing.

The way my life has been going I actually look forward to being alone. One of my friends describes it as the whole adult homebody thing... I just think I need periodic peace and quiet so I can collect my thoughts. I find it hard to regroup or rethink things when I have noise coming at me from all over the place.

Next week I go on a long needed vacation to So. Dak. I like to consider it my technology dry out since cell service is spotty at best, and internet access is worse. Will have great company so it should all work out, but I'm pretty sure the internet at large is going to miss me. After all, who else is going to start all these crazy online profiles and neglect all of them? LOL, and then I wonder why I don't have a life.

Star Performance

2006-07-18T00:04:00.000-07:00

Dang, Guitar Hero II is supposed to be coming out this fall and I’m not even through with this one. I hear there will be 55 new songs… I hope they have some of my favorites…. like Tesla – Love Song, something from Van Halen, Def Leppard, and of course who wouldn’t want Led Zepplin – Stairway to Heaven?

I finally made it through the Face Melters on hard, finishing with Bark at the Moon just today [after I managed to get out of jury duty]. Did I mention it was another star performance? You know… when you hit star power… three times…. just as they get ready to “boo” you off stage… LOL, whatever works, right?

See more progress on: become a guitar hero

Accidental Society of Bloggers

2006-05-11T22:20:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was invited to present our broadband project at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference in Calgary, Alberta. The panel I sat on was the Broadband for Rural and Indigenous Communities workshop, and my presentation was titled: Tribal Culture: The Red-Spectrum in a Rainbow of Corporate Intentions

[you can download it here. The full presentation is BB/060]

This was my first time speaking in front of a global audience. I was amazed at the number of delegates from many parts of the world. The panel I was speaking on had delegates from Chinese Taipei, Australia, Canadian First Nations, Indonesia, and Thailand. Yes, I was nervous. I thougt for sure I would choke, but as the other panelists made their presentations I realized we all speak the same language when it comes to building sustainable economies. We all want a better future for our people, we all want to build out the most advanced telecommunication infrastructure, and we all realize that unless people can find a way to make technology important to them it becomes useless.

As I listened to their presentations, I jotted down some notes and decided to mention "the blog." Although I didn't go into detail, I did tell them that our tribal members found a new hobby and that we accidently became a society of bloggers. I explained that a tribal member who recently moved from the reservation set it up as a way to keep up with reservation news, and even the latest gossip. I also mentioned that many tribal members used it as a way to communicate with each other on issues they found important.

They were amazed that in a four month period of time the site averaged over 50,000 hits per month when we have a membership of less than 2,000. Although we all came from different walks of life, I could tell by the nodding heads and grins on their faces that they understood the blog is not so much about the technology, but for something more basic than that, and that is the need for basic human communication. As they jotted down their own notes I wondered to myself how much of an impact my presentation made, and further, how many would go home and start their own blogs?

Crossroads and more...

2006-04-09T02:27:00.000-07:00

For four whole weeks Crossroads has been like a demon. Although it doesn’t seem like it should be that hard of a song, I couldn’t beat it to save my life, and I couldn’t move on to the next venue. The few times when I almost made it someone would walk in the room and start gabbing. Then there would be that familiar boooooo from a disappointed crowd. It was becoming an endless cycle. Get half way through, get interrupted, lose the game.

Once I thought I would be tricky and turn the volume all the way down. It turned out to be a great trick… I actually beat the song that day…. I really thought I was all that until realized I wasn’t in career mode…. I forgot I was in Quick Play practicing…. My brother was ROFL. I didn’t think it was so funny… I was wrecked…. for days…. It took me four whole weeks and too many losses to count until I finally beat it again.

And I almost wasn’t going to play today…. I wasn’t up to it, and was full of all kinds of excuses not to… chores needed to be done, walls needed painting, blog needed updating… etc.

But I never can stay away…. after I crossed everythihng off my to do list I thought I would at least get some more “practice” in. You would have thought I won a car on the Price is Right if you saw me after I BEAT THE DAMN THING! I haven’t called to tell my brother yet. He can find out when we play in multi-player mode…. Maybe then I can LOL at him :)

Anyways, here are the latest and greatest of my Guitar Hero stats and the songs I made it through since the last update:

Career Score: 1,635,553

Level – Hard
Status – Guitar Hero Status – 26 of 30 songs:

Ace of Spades
Crossroads
Godzilla
Frankenstein

Level – Expert
Status – Young Gun – 12 of 30 songs:

I Love Rock & Roll
I Wanna Be Sedated
Thunder Kiss
Smoke On The Water
Infected
Iron Man
More Than A Feeling
You Got Another Thing Comin’
Take Me Out
Sharp Dressed Man
Killer Queen
Hey You

See more progress on: become a guitar hero

Surrender

2006-03-07T23:12:00.000-08:00

I give up. This is impossible. I’ll never be able to catch up on my e-mails unless somehow I get the courage to “select all,” close my eyes and hit delete.

See more progress on: Manage My Email Inbox

SixSixSix

2006-03-07T23:05:00.000-08:00

Six new songs! Still not much to brag about cuz I’m still on the hard level…. but at least now I have company. More like sibling rivalry. For a while my little brother was LOL at me, but now HA! LOL, the game owns him, too! Won’t be long until we have our own Guitar Hero tournament!

Anyways, here’s how much I rock as of 10:00 p.m. today:

Fat Lip
Cochise
Take It Off
Unsung
Spanish Castle Magic
Higher Ground
No One Knows

See more progress on: become a guitar hero

Not exactly a makeover

2006-02-28T00:29:00.000-08:00

Ok… its not exactly a makeover, but I started working out with my b/f the other day… you know, guy stuff like lifting weights… push ups… masculine things I promised myself I would never do again when I got out of the Army. Well, when you’re on a steady diet of pop, chips, and commodity cheese you can only go so far before you start looking like a dumpling…. my friend likes to say we’re “zaftig”..... I think that’s German for fry bread queen…LOL! Anyways, my b/f knows I’m not all into trying to look like a man so started me off kinda easy… Well it seemed easy until my muscles started feeling like jello and shit….. problem is they still look like it too. Sigh

See more progress on: get a body makeover

The Shredder!

2006-02-28T00:04:00.001-08:00

Must be my new workout routine, i dunno…. but I managed to make it through five more songs. Crazy!

Level: Hard
Status: Shredder (17 of 30 songs)

New songs finished:
Stellar
Heart Full of Black
Symphony Of Destruction
Ziggy Stardust
Unsung

See more progress on: become a guitar hero

DotRez Update

2006-02-17T19:51:00.000-08:00

Anonymous said...
"hey...long time reader, first time commentor...when are you gonna upload some new jokes to dotrez...man i look forward to those...btw, nice blog"

Thanks for the nudge. I guess I'm not going to get anymore mileage out of the New Years jokes :)

There's no real reason I haven't updated my site for such a long time. Nothing other than the Indian Time thing. Seems to prevail with me. If you saw my house you would understand. I barely took down my Christmas tree just before Valentine's day. For a while we were calling it our January tree. Then I was going to paint it pink and call it my Valentine's tree. See how my life goes?

So anyways, guess I will get busy and post all those jokes that have been piling up in my inbox. Thanks for the comment!

Happy Valentines Day

2006-02-14T23:30:00.000-08:00

Damn. I forgot to send out my little black hearts today. Owell.... Happy Valentine's Day anyway!

hust-ees-spoose....
noqhnoqhnumt
chełchtu's'ya'(pqi'nm

GH Update

2006-02-13T08:42:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought I would never get it, I finally nailed “Iron Man!” Hoo-Ah! Must have been a mental block, because after that I plowed through several more songs. Here’s where I’m at:

12 out of 30 songs (still on the Hard level):

01 – I Love Rock & Roll
02 – I Wanna Be Sedated
03 – Thunder Kiss
04 – Smoke On The Water
05 – Infected
06 – Iron Man
07 – More Than A Feeling
08 – You Got Another Thing Comin’
09 – Take Me Out
10 – Sharp Dressed Man
11 – Killer Queen
12 – Hey You

;o)

See more progress on: become a guitar hero

Does it look like I drank the Kool-Aid?

2006-01-29T04:05:00.000-08:00

My friend told me I needed to post a picture with me smiling. She thinks I look too depressed in the others....

Hey Leta, how's this for a big Kool-Aid smile?

Good enough for the guys I go out with... LOL, j/k!

Perverts Everywhere

2006-01-26T23:10:00.000-08:00

I'm not usually one to dog technology, but there was a recent story about a 15 y/o girl who was "allegedly" lured into having sex with someone she met on MySpace.com.

Yes, there are perverts everywhere, but this site seems to have low standards for content and photo publishing making it prime breeding grounds for "alleged" stalking activity.

If you have kids I hope you take the time to read the stories below and talk to your kids about safe blogging, surfing, chatting, and other online activities.

League City teen found; 1 man arrested

Updated: Not necessarily a 'recommendation'

Don't wait to have this important conversation with your kids. Do it now. Do it often. In this day and age they are never too young (or too old) to have that "Don't talk to strangers" discussion.
==========

Bloggermania

2006-01-26T19:20:00.000-08:00

One of my new goals is to either consolidate all of my blogs, community spaces, profiles, etc. OR at the very least stop starting new ones. Someone told me the next time I get the urge to blog count to ten, drink a margarita at 8:00 and make toast. Something like that. I’m going to cross my fingers and try it.

See more progress on: Consolodate all my blogs, etc

GLOBAL BOYCOTT Gun - Video game Killing Natives

2006-01-25T09:02:00.000-08:00

----- Original Message -----

I received this e-mail about a game called "GUN" from a very good friend last evening,
very disturbing, apparently it is true!
I don't follow the computer gaming industry and so I called a local company
in Moncton, and asked if they have the game, after a short pause was the answer was; "We do".
We must stay together if we as a planet wish to beat this thing called "racism".

wayne m.

----- Original Message -----

Subject: Video game Killing Natives
GLOBAL BOYCOTT "Gun": killing & scalping Apaches

A racist game called "Gun." has been released by Activision , Santa Monica
CA video game publisher for Xbox 360, Xbox, Playstation , PS2 and PC.
"Gun" features a frontiersman hero named Colton White. The earliest
task the game player must complete is to slaughter Apache Indians. Not
only slaughter-- but also scalp Apaches with a "scalping knife which
can be purchased as part of the many weapons offered to the hero of the game, Colton White.
-------------------
If a similar game which advocated the killings of African Americans,
Irish, Mexicans, or Jewish would there not be an outcry?

The Hero" bemoans the fact that although he's killed so many Apaches, he is also letting so many get away!!!
Activision scriptwriter Randall Jahnson has just written a game that says
killing all Apaches is the right thing to do and in the game you not only
have to slaughter the Apache to advance
in the game, but you can purchase a "scalping knife" to "scalp them all!"
As if to make amends, "The Hero" switches sides later in the game and
discovers a secret about his own indigenous heritage. This story twist
DOES NOT make the preceding chapters any easier to accept. In fact, in the
official guide to the game, it actually says that because "The Hero" rescues
some Apaches held captive on a train, perhaps it cancels a karmic debt for his earlier actions.
The "Association for American Indian Development" is asking you to join us in
VISIT "Indigenous News Network".

Peeps

2006-01-17T23:29:00.000-08:00

This morning there was a high speed chase through our neighborhood. I'm not sure what crime brought it about. All I know is when I looked out the window there was an unmarked car in hot pursuit of some little honda or toyota or whatever it was. I hate it when they do that.

We used to live in this quiet little culdesac. Although it was still a HUD neighborhood, it was a nice little HUD. With only a few houses and a dead end street there really wasn't anywhere to drive fast to. But with housing the way it is on the rez, the tribe needed to build more houses so they opened up our street and built more houses up on the hill. That marked the end of our nice little dead end street.

It didn't take long after the housing boom before someone got hurt - Stupid Doug. Stupid Doug was our puppy. He was hit by someone who was obviously driving too fast for a residential area. After wiping the tears from my kids eyes, I voiced my concern to the Tribal Council and asked them to put speed bumps in. They nodded and listened, but the speed bumps didn't arrive.

At least not soon enough. The next victim was Fonzy. Although he wasn't exactly my dog (he belonged to my sister), he found out he could hang out at my house and eat. I imagine that's what he was on his way to doing when he got ran over. This time there were a lot of witnesses, all of them neighborhood kids. Again, I asked the Tribal Council to put speed bumps on our road before one of the kids got hurt. This time they responded, but it didn't seem to be enough.

Last summer the unspeakable happened. Peeps was ran over by someone driving way too fast on their way to do something important I suppose. Peeps is nine years old, and he was doing what you would expect any boy his age to be doing - riding his bike in front of his house.... yards from his mom and dad.

You could hear the whole reservation's heart break when they life-flighted him to the hospital, and then to Seattle for intensive surgery to heal his broken body. After months of more surgery, physical therapy, and a resilient spirit he is now healing and returning back to a normal life. It was truly a miracle that kept this from ending in tragedy.

But miracles don't show up everyday. Lessons do. So this morning when I saw the high speed chase my heart went out for the kids who were walking the streets on their way to school doing what they were supposed to be doing. And my prayers went out for the lessons we were supposed to learn from Stupid Doug, Fonzy, and little Peeps.

GH Stats for Today

2006-01-10T23:37:00.000-08:00

Easy
Guitar Hero Status (25 of 25 songs)

Medium
Guitar Legand Status (30 of 30 songs)

Hard
Rocker Status (5 of 30 songs)
*Whew! I finally got through “Infected” on hard mode by Bad Religion.
I think I’m going to bed now.
Good Night!

See more progress on: become a guitar hero

What's all the Buzz about?

2006-01-07T13:59:00.000-08:00

The other day one of my relatives asked me if I read "the blog. " The blog happens to be a site put up by one of our tribal members as a forum to share views about a recent financial type of report on casino spending. This report created a lot of buzz on the rez, so when "the blog" came out it created quite a stir.

For the first time some of our tribal members have been launcehd into the blogospere and are using it to express their views on the issues that are important to them. Right now it happens to be casino spending, tomorrow who knows. Either way, I think this is way cool. Another example on how technology can be very liberating.

Some are concerned that this information can be exposed to the wrong audience. Maybe so, but if we can use this as a tool for progressive change, then is that necessarily a bad thing? I hope not. Let freedom ring!

I'm getting there!

2006-01-03T22:47:00.000-08:00

190 and counting!
(# of e-mails in my inbox at the end of the day)

See more progress on: Manage My Email Inbox

RezBlog

2012 - The Year of the Dragon!

Letting Go

False Starts False

It's not complicated

Trending

. . . dolo . . .

Still in limbo

In Memory of My Brother George

Missing Missy

The good, the bad and the ugly of home remodeling

Electrical Wires

Water in crawlspace

New foundation

Collateral Damage

106 Long Days Later

Day 81

Day 64

George Flett Prairie Chicken Dance Special Pt 1 - Wellpinit, WA

Coeur d'Alene Tribe will leave Seattle in the Digital Dust!

"Today's Sessions Are Not Lip Service"

A Chicken in Every Pot - 100 Mbps to Every Home!

Hidden? Costs of Txt Msging

Up on the Housetop - NDN Style

A touching short video about a fellow Native Veteran

Health Care: It's a matter of perspective

Raising Children [the NDN Way]

Going, Going, Gone! The death of Sears

Rosebud Fair 2009 is on RezKast.com!

Are you stimulated?

Let's Get Geeky

Return to Tribal Greatness

Offensive Wannabe of the Day

Ken Lee Mania

Resolutions are Made to be Broken

Hark the Herald (Lakota)

White Elephant Gifts

Timeline of Federal Indian Policy

As Seen on REZNET News!

Native American Freedom

Salish Graphics for Myspace

Barack Obama Speech to NCAI

The Real Dot Rez

Moose Hunting w/a cross bow

I Remember

DotRez Redirect

How To Make a Custom Youtube Player & Embed it on Your Blogger Blog

Was the BIA born on a rotten day?

RezKast Shout!

Rosebud Fair

Forget John Wayne's Teeth. . .

Custom Youtube Player

Parleen

Too Cute Not to Post!

Promoted Youtube Video

Stickgame

Notes

The Plight of Eugene Little Coyote and the Northern Cheyenne

First Americans for Barack Obama!

Happy New Year!

Attention Old AIM Activisits!

Liwliwish

RIP Miss Moose

White Elephant

Miss Murda

10-23-07

The Longest Pause

*sigh*

Day 3

Yet Another Work Out Routine

Zero!

Little Superstar

Barack is not black, I am not Indian, the BIA always knows what's right for us NDNs

VOTE FOR BARACK

Anti-Digital

No New Debt

And they say men are dogs...

Merry Christmas!

4 Coby Dane

New Site

sigh