Mark in Montana

Determination

2011-07-23T23:12:00.002-05:00

The other day my mom sent me a recent news clip that featured my little cousin’s girl Lily. She is the youngest runner in the story and it’s just too cute not to share. Her determination is pretty rare for someone her age and it really brought a smile to my face. Hope you enjoy!

My internship with the Missoulian is about to wrap up and I hardly can believe it. I have three big stories to finish and I’m pretty excited to have them published. There are a few stories I haven’t posted but will do that in the next day or two.

Not too much else going on but I have been enjoying the summer weather we’ve had. It’s been a little warm but definitely not as bad as most of the country. It’s strange not to have the humidity out here in western Montana but hey I’m not complaining!

Take it easy and stay cool people!

Mark

Dragon Dictate

2011-07-17T01:23:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago at my internship, I became quite frustrated with how long it took me to type out a story. This got me thinking about again trying speech recognition software and hopefully this would be the solution to my problem.

The only available software that I could order for my Mac was Dragon Dictate. I’ve had a mostly hate relationship over the years with this product. My trouble had always been getting the program to recognize my voice with a decent amount of accuracy. I usually ended up by being so frustrated that I stopped using it. My past experience made me skeptical but there weren’t any other options.

I got the software installed but after a day of using it with great success the USB card that came with my Bluetooth headset crapped out on me. It was frustrating but a new card had to be mailed to me. I was able to continue working with the program with a different headset, while I waited receive a replacement card.

Yesterday I was finally able to get the new microphone to work. In these past few weeks despite some glitches, the software has worked great. Even with my ventilator it hasn’t missed a beat.

It’s amazing how fast I’m able to type and getting a paragraph written only takes a matter of minutes. This definitely will help me get stories typed much faster and the increased productivity has made me feel much more independent. Overall, I’d give the Dragon for Mac about a 9.5 out of 10. The downside is it misses an occasional word but the program gets better accuracy the more you correct its mistakes.

Mark

Latest stories

2011-07-10T22:03:00.000-05:00

Missoula County Relay for Life raises more than $136K

Yellowstone a park of change: New center, road will greet visitors

Big Sky graduate serving on USS Washington in Pacific

Food Bank Network gets $65,000 grant for summer children's program

Missoula-area law enforcement plan extra patrols over Fourth of July weekend

Blue Marble biotech business plans jobs expansion in Missoula

Darby Bull-O-Rama raises money for cancer

Family friendly wildlife films go into the ‘Woods’

Arlee Powwow

2011-07-10T21:44:00.003-05:00

Photo by Flickr user BigSkyKatie

I’ve been a little too busy to keep up on posting my stories as they are published but will list them in an accompanying blog post.

The internship keeps going fantastic and I’ve learned so much in a little over a month. I’m working on several stories at the moment including stuff for a few longer feature pieces. It’s hard to believe I only have three weeks left but I’m going to learn as much as I can in the time left.

I spent the Fourth of July up in Arlee Montana for their big yearly powwow celebration. The powwow has been a Fourth of July tradition since the late 1800s and the story of its beginning is quite interesting.

During the last part of the 19^th century, federal Indian agents were banning any celebration of traditional Indian culture because they wanted native peoples to integrate fully into white society. Traditional Indian celebrations were considered a barrier to these assimilation efforts.

The natives got creative and told the federal reservation agents they weren’t having a powwow but instead were holding a celebration recognizing America’s independence. This satisfied agents because they thought the native peoples were being patriotic and not reverting back to their traditional ways. I love the ingenuity of how they we able to keep their culture alive and fool the agents at the same time.

This was the first powwow I’ve ever been to and it was quite interesting. The dancing was phenomenal and the age of dancers ranged from three-year-olds to older gentleman in their late 80s. I liked it all but the little kids dancing was my favorite part. These young kids are so vital because they will be the next generation to keep these traditions alive.

I had a fresh foot-long corn dog for lunch and a fresh squeezed lemonade but I couldn’t leave without having some fry bread. Definitely not health food but hey it tasted so darn good! It was a great way to spend the Fourth and I ended the night by going to the fireworks here in Missoula with Theresa and Dustin. The fireworks were fantastic as usual and it rounded out a great day.

Mark

Week 2 articles

2011-06-25T21:46:00.001-05:00

Missoula churches look to provide temporary housing for homeless

Man wants unnamed Glacier peak dedicated to his dad, a former park worker

Missoula Moose Lodge to mark century of service

Former Lucky Diamond casino manager accused of embezzling nearly $400K

Week 1 articles

2011-06-25T21:37:00.001-05:00

EPA awards $1.2M in soil cleanup money to Kalispell, CSKT

UM scholarship created for Japanese students affected by tsunami

Missoula man wins national Older Volunteers Enrich America Award

Internship

2011-06-25T21:32:00.001-05:00

This spring I began the pursuit of finding an internship for the summer. Journalism majors are required by the School of Journalism to complete 240 internship hours before being able to graduate. I figured now was the time to get this done if I wanted to graduate with my class next year.

Portfolios were assembled and mailed out to almost every newspaper in western Montana. I didn’t know where my path would lead but as long as I could get quality reporting experience it didn’t matter where I went.

It didn’t take long before the Missoulian expressed interest in having me as a summer intern. I was excited to work for a large newspaper and it was my hope to do stories on a variety of topics.

Things got underway three weeks ago and I really had no idea what to expect. I just decided to take things as they came and report to the best of my abilities. The experience has been fantastic and everybody at the paper has been extremely kind to me.

The range of stories I’ve covered has been quite astonishing. Some of the stories I’ve done include: a new UM scholarship, naming a peak in Glacier National Park for a former employee, the Missoula Moose Lodge turning 100 and a high profile embezzlement case.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to interview a local sailor who is deployed on the USS George Washington in the Pacific Ocean. Everyday definitely brings something different to my desk and I love the surprise each story provides.

I’ll be posting my articles here weekly after getting the first few weeks up.

There is much ahead this summer in addition to my internship. I have a few road trips planned with the first taking me to the Vancouver Pug Gathering at the end of July. Hopefully if all works out, I’ll be North Dakota bound sometime in August.

Stay tuned and I’ll do my best with keeping my updates current.

Mark

Resurrection

2011-06-23T01:30:00.001-05:00

My blog has been out of action for many months and I figure it’s time to give things a bit of a jumpstart. I’ve been extremely busy these last few months, as I have transitioned into the world of professional journalism. To start things off let me begin with a brief summary of spring semester.

The bulk of this past spring was devoted to my Public Affairs reporting class. I must admit it scared the hell out of me to take the class after hearing the amount of work involved but I dove in headfirst anyway.

This class takes green student journalists and gives them the tools needed to succeed in the professional world. We met twice a week and were expected to file a weekly beat story in addition to whatever else we were covering. I choose to cover the city beat and it was a great way to learn about the inner workings of local government.

We also were required as a class to cover the regular Monday night meetings of the Missoula City Council for a month. It was a little crazy at first trying to file a story on a midnight deadline but it got better as time went on. City council meetings for the most part aren’t awful exciting but they do have their moments especially when public controversy is involved.

When our council duty was over, we were briefly exposed to the world of criminal justice. I learned how to access court documents and got the chance to cover the wrap up of a felony domestic violence case. The case was cut and dried because the defendant entered a plea agreement. I liked being in the courtroom but the case I chose to cover was over in three minutes. It was shocking to have things end so fast but it still was an invaluable experience.

During the semester I covered a variety of issues ranging from an epidemic of potholes in Missoula to medical facilities banning legally registered patients from using medical marijuana. There is a funny aside to the marijuana story.

This story was difficult because most facilities wanted to remain tight lipped on patient policies but that didn’t deter me from doing my job. Anyway, I visited a particular nursing home in town and the administrator was not very happy with my prying questions. I was quickly asked to leave the facility or the local authorities would be summoned.

I found my experience of being kicked out of a nursing home to be a hilarious case of irony. Reminds me of challenging authority back home but hey thats a story for another time!

The other highlight of Public Affairs class was getting a piece published in the school paper The Kaimin. I probed the failure of the University of Montana to follow updated regulations to the Americans with Disabilities Act concerning concert and event ticketing for folks with disabilities. Click to view the article: GrizTix not in compliance with new ADA regulations

I greatly enjoyed this course and it prepared me to take my journalistic skills to the next level. Our professor was amazing and I’ll definitely take his kernels of wisdom with me throughout the rest of my career.

Probably my favorite class this spring was Print/Web Design. I didn’t know how much work this class would be but it was worth every bit of effort.

This class introduced me to the digital world of professional printing and it was quite an intense learning curve at first. There was so much to learn and we had to throw all our preconceived notions out the window.

We used Adobe InDesign for all our work and it was great to learn many new skills. I worked hard on learning the software and I completed a wide variety of assignments. Some of these included newspaper layouts, a journalism portfolio, advertisements, a tabloid newspaper cover and other assorted projects.

The final exam required us to design a multi-page magazine layout, which implemented many of things learned over the semester. I put together a fictional dog magazine called Woof and the end product turned out great. If I can figure out how to do it, there will be a copy of my magazine here on the blog.

My trio of journalism classes was rounded out by Media Law. You may think this would be a boring class to take but I found it to be quite interesting and informative.

The class was broken up into discussing the different facets of law affecting the media. Topics ranged from media access and libel to obscenity and free speech. Hopefully I’ll never need to put many of these legal principles into use but it’s important to know what my rights are as a journalist. It’s hard to inform the public without having these protections in place for the media to use.

I enjoyed the part of class where we got to participate in mock trials dealing with certain parts of the law. Each person in the class was assigned to a group and we took turns acting as judges and lawyers representing different cases. Cases were spread out through the semester so it wasn’t too overwhelming to prepare for our particular roles. We also had to write legal briefs, which weren’t tons of fun but it was educational to research legal cases and precedents.

The semester was pretty taxing on me but everything worked out beautifully in the end. I was able to nail down A’s in all my courses and this made every late night worth it. My goal each semester is to work as hard as possible and let the chips fall where they may.

It’s hard to believe I only have a year of school left but at least my hardest semester is over and done with.

Mark

Indian Education

2010-12-31T02:23:00.000-06:00

The nice thing about attending a liberal arts university is you get the chance to take classes outside of your major. This past fall I took my first Native American Studies class and while it was a challenging the course was rewarding. The class dealt with the post-reservation era in Montana and taking this class was partially for enjoyment. I also took the class to explore the complex issues affecting Montana tribes and this will hopefully make me a better rounded journalist.

Dr. Beck, the chair of the Native Studies department, taught the class and his wealth of knowledge made learning very interesting. We explored the history of each Montana tribe and the contemporary issues playing a role yet today. It was nice to spend time on each tribe and I was surprised at how complex many issues were. Issues relating to water rights and tribal self-determination were especially complex.

During the semester our class gave team presentations on each reservation. We had the individual responsibility of covering an issue unique to our specific reservation. I addressed the epidemic of Indian suicide on the Fort Peck reservation, which is located in Northeast Montana. It was difficult subject matter to tackle but I felt it was a critical issue to understand. My research was quite extensive and this allowed me to put together an awesome PowerPoint.

There are few classes I hate to see end but this was certainly one of those. I learned an incredible amount and have a much greater respect for American Indians. This spring I’m taking another Native Studies class and it deals with the portrayal of Indians in American cinema.

I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and all the best in 2011! The year ahead looks to be very exciting and I look forward to sharing it with each of you.

Peace… Mark

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T02:09:00.003-06:00

You may have thought my blog was lost in the digital abyss but it is very much alive! The busy fall semester of 2010 is in the books and it was a satisfying experience academically. I’ll begin things here by recapping my start in the professional program at the UM School of Journalism.

I was excited to begin my foray into online reporting but the prospect scared the hell out of me a little too. The class turned out to be a great experience and I had the opportunity to work on a collaborative project for NewWest.net Our class explored food/agriculture issues unfolding in the Rocky Mountain West during the semester. The group I was part of tackled agricultural decline and attempts to revitalize the current situation.

I covered the history and impacts of agricultural decline in eastern Montana and Colorado. It was a daunting task to construct this story but I had tremendous luck in gathering informative sources. The whole story process was invaluable and I was quite happy with how everything turned out.

Our class had five groups that explored different areas of the food economy and our work will appear on NewWest.net, an online news source covering issues in the Rocky Mountain West. It’s exciting that NewWest is giving us the room to run a 5-day series on their web site. I’ll put my story up here when it appears.

My other journalism class was less exciting but it taught the basics of print editing and the extensive AP style method. The experience was tough but in the end I developed skills that will serve me well in the future. I learned that editors do a ton of work and it is something I respect but really don’t have a passion for. Personally I find reporting to be where I would like to focus.

I took a Native American studies class, which I thoroughly enjoyed but more on that after Christmas.

Recently I discovered a new social media tool that is a cross between Facebook and Twitter. It’s called Tumblr and I really like the simple format it uses. I’ll use my Tumblr page to put up stories & photos I find interesting along with some lighter stuff as well. You can view it by visiting: http://markboatman.tumblr.com/

Well that’s it for now but I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Have a safe weekend and I will return in a few days with a wrap on the rest of the fall semester.

Peace,

Mark

Birthday bash

2010-08-27T01:55:00.006-05:00

Every once in awhile we get to have those perfect days. Days where all is right with the world and nothing can seem to go wrong. I was lucky enough to have a day like this twelve days ago when I celebrated my 35th birthday with friends and family.

My parents planned to be in Missoula this year for my birthday and I thought it would be fun to have a get together while they were in town. Theresa and I planned a picnic for my folks and many of our Missoula friends. It ended up being a fantastic event and a chance for people to gather before fall arrives.

We had ribs, chicken, salads, along with some great adult libations. Not to worry the kids had soda and water to drink ☺ Theresa thought she was being quite funny by putting a sheep on my cake as you can see in the picture HA HA HA There is a story that goes along with my cake motif but you’ll have to ask Theresa about that!

It was awesome having T’s grand daughter Aleah and our nurse Casey’s kids in attendance. They are all so cute and man are they getting so darn big. Aleah was kinda shy but Casey’s boys sure warmed up to everyone.

Piper, Casey’s oldest boy is six and he lives to play pranks. Well Theresa bought Jelly Belly jelly beans for the party but she bought Piper some “special” look-alikes that were in a word noxious. He laughed so hard giving me these nasty confections. The jelly beans were disguised as normal Jelly Belly’s but they were flavors that included: skunk spray, pencil shavings, dog food, toothpaste, baby wipes, rotten eggs, and centipede. Hey at least I was given some normal ones in between.

Well I’ve rambled enough but I would like to thank everyone who was involved in my special day. Having my parents here was the best birthday present I could ask for. Sometime this weekend I will blog about the rest of my parent’s recent visit.

Peace… Mark

Pug-demonium

2010-08-19T00:52:00.003-05:00

Wow it’s been a busy but amazing summer and I apologize for the lack of blogging activity. Things are going great in Missoula and I just had a very nice visit with my parents. There will be a blog about that soon but in the meantime here’s one about our first visit to the weekly Mountain Pugs meetup here in town. I hope everyone of you is having a fantastic summer and I promise that my blog will be busy before the start of fall.

The Missoulian recently published an article about Mountain Pugs, a locally based Pug owner group that meets weekly at Missoula’s Bark Park. We got very excited after reading this because we’ve been looking for a way to network with other area Pug nuts for a long time. Well about ten days ago we braved the unknown and under went our initiation in local Pug culture.

Theresa and I pulled up near Bark Park with Sammy and Ugga not knowing what craziness lay in store for the four of us. We turned onto the trail leading into the park and met the owners of Bam Bam, an enormous thirty eight pound muscular Pug. We walked and talked while Bam Bam playfully chased after Ugga. It turns out they were all making their first visit to the group too.

I wound my way to the meeting spot, maneuvering my chair around bumps and low hanging tree branches. We finally arrived at a shady area where all the other members were congregating with their curly tailed furkids. I looked to the right, I looked to the left, and all I could see were PUGS. There were fawns, blacks, little Pugs, big Pugs, young Pugs, old Pugs, and even a few Puggles thrown in for good measure. Ugga was quickly off to socialize with the others but things were quite different with our Sammy.

Sammy is usually if not always Mr. Outgoing at home but in the presence of all these strange Pugs, he became a big shy guy. He initially wanted Theresa to hold him but after a few minutes he cautiously checked out his surroundings. He didn’t venture very far from the security of his mama though. Sammy will definitely be making more meetups so he can learn to better socialize with his furry brethren.

I’ve included some of my favorite pictures from the meetup. The second picture is of a sweet Pug named Polly. Little Miss Polly slowly made her way up to me at first, woofing at the mysterious contraption I was seated in. Her owner then brought her up for a closer look and I was immediately given a few gentle pug kisses. I was sure smitten with Polly and can’t wait to see her next time.

The final picture is of our Ugga. We brought along a water dish for our kids but it didn’t hold Ugga’s interest very long. She was wandering around and thought this dish looked much more inviting than hers. Nothing like your Pug lounging in another dog’s dish. Oh well nobody minded at all because we were all there to get away from the grind and smile at life for awhile.

We had a great time meeting over 50 Pugs and their wonderful owners (or people as I like to say). I look forward to many more meetups in the future and getting to know many new friends both furry and human. My life has been so enriched by these snorty, silly, and bug-eyed creatures and it’s amazing to be around others who couldn’t agree more.

Peace,

Mark

Slower pace

2010-07-08T22:34:00.008-05:00

Life here in Missoula has slowed down after summer school wrapped and I've started enjoying summertime. It feels good to have had a successful summer class and there was so much I was able to learn.

I've attached a copy of my final project and I couldn't be happier with my first attempt at non-linear video editing. The process leading up to the final selected video was pretty intense because we only had five weeks to learn everything. This included many hours gathering video & interviews, researching, and editing it all together. Hope your enjoy the story I was able to assemble.

The best part of the class was working with our professor Kagan. He made the class not only informative but fun too. The real world knowledge we gathered will serve many of us well in our future careers in journalism. Gets me excited to begin the professional program in the fall.

The transition from school to vacation has been fabulous and it's great to unwind a little bit. I plan on enjoying my time off and I have a few plans. This weekend our friend Julie from New Hampshire is flying in for a visit. She plans on checking out the U for grad school and it will be fun showing off what western Montana has to offer. My folks are coming out for a visit in August for my birthday as well. Summer will end on a high note as Theresa, Dustin, and I will catch The John Mellencamp/Bob Dylan concert here in town.

Hope everyone's summer is going great and hopefully I'll be back with another update real soon.

Peace...Mark

Adventures in Television

2010-06-06T20:56:00.000-05:00

Tuesday morning I wheeled myself into UM Disability Services (DSS) to start work on my first television production project. I met up with my professor Kagan to begin shooting the B roll footage for my final project.

My story deals with the expansion of DSS to better serve students with disabilities here at the University of Montana. The B roll portion of footage I shot last Tuesday will supplement the interviews I will shoot this coming week. I will lastly edit everything together into a cohesive story by using Final Cut Pro. If things go as planned, hopefully it will end up on my blog in a few weeks.

Kagan arrived shortly after I did and the work was set to begin. Before it was time to work though, I had to run through my mental checklist. Operating a television camera is somewhat complex and it requires following numerous procedures. You first have to get the tripod level before attaching the camera or all your footage will be crooked and unusable. Next you have to white balance the camera so your colors will look like they are supposed to. You need to white balance the camera each time the lighting or shooting environment changes. Now the camera iris must be set to let in the right amount of light for the conditions. It’s similar to an f-stop on a still camera so it wasn’t a huge deal to learn. The last thing left to do is focus the camera and adjust the audio levels.

I wanted to get a feel for what was going on around the DSS offices because I felt it was important
to the telling of my story. This involved shooting some of the office staff working, staff moving boxes to the newly expanded DSS area, and the front desk/lobby area. My professor offered me great advice as the shoot progressed and that helped my confidence grow. The biggest hurdle was using the viewfinder of the camera but my professor solved that by letting me use an auxiliary monitor. This allowed me to see the shot and then I could adjust the camera accordingly.

I’m not planning a future career in television but you just never know. My decision to take this class was based on my need to become a well rounded print journalist. There will be few journalism jobs for those of us who can’t write, gather audio, shoot video, and take still photographs. The goal for now is to enjoy the rest of this class and possibly look at taking a professional level television production class. After that anything is possible.

Peace…Mark

Final project

2010-05-29T23:07:00.000-05:00

The ending of my photojournalism class marked the close of an intense challenge for me. I didn't know what to expect going in but at the least hoped to keep up and learn a few things. These things were acheived and I exceeded the expectations I laid out for myself. I will be posting more of my work from the semester but I'll start with my final project which I consider my best work.

The subject for my project was Missoula glass blower Casey Bergschutz. I covered the entire glass blowing process and also Bergschultz's life as a father of two adorable boys. My shoots went well and the toughest task was narrowing down over 500 images to the final 8-9 selections. I'm happy with the results and below are my favorites.

Enjoy...Mark

Idaho and Bare Naked Ladies

2010-05-25T22:33:00.001-05:00

I set out last Tuesday (5/18) for a day trip to Clark Fork, Idaho with Theresa as my guide. We went to Clark Fork so Theresa could put plants on her parent’s graves and show me around the town she grew up in.

The weather for our trip was cloudy with on and off rain but we weren't going to let that damper the day. We travelled along Highway 200 and went through Plains and Thompson Falls before leaving Montana. Our stomachs were rumbling as we came into Plains and stopped at a great roadside stand. The lunch fare consisted of buffalo burgers and tacos with a chaser of huckleberry lemonade.

We made it into Clark Fork after three plus hours on the road and I received the grand tour. Theresa showed me the house she grew up in, her high school, where certain friends & relatives had lived and of course the local hang outs. It was a nice little town nestled in the Idaho Panhandle and I was very glad to have seen it.

Next on our agenda was a trip to the local cemetery where Theresa cleaned and planted her family's gravesites. It was weird that while we were at the cemetery a wild tom was calling for his mate. He was very intent on noisily reminding us of his presence. Theresa tried to get a picture of the rowdy pair but they were moving a bit too fast.

Before hitting the road back to Montana, we made a brief stop at Lake Pend Oreille. Lake Pend Oreille is massive at an area of 148 square miles and maybe on our next trip we can explore it a bit more. The highlight for me was watching a family of ducks out for a swim on the lake.

I had the bright idea of stopping outside of Clark Fork to dine at the Amber Bear Inn. The Inn was very well advertised but getting there was another thing. We saw the main sign for it along the highway and turned off. We went a short distance and made another turn. I started to worry when after several turns we hit gravel. At this point we were committed and decided to forge on. Well after what seemed like an eternity we came upon a large house in a mountain meadow.

Theresa went up to the door and proceeded to ring the bell. After a few minutes the proprietor finally emerged. She informed Theresa that they had just returned from a grocery run and she supposed she could cook us something. Well geez we wouldn’t want to inconvenience your fine establishment for a meal! She went on to explain they were open mostly for breakfast and lunch but dinner was more of a summer thing. Well don't ya think it would be good to put that on your billboard? She volunteered her husband to carry my very heavy power chair up the steps but we politely declined. Theresa told the gal she was worried about us finding our way back to the highway. Our hostess said we shouldn't have any problem and if we end up in the Diggers driveway we know we've gone too far. That would be fine except who the heck are the Diggers?

We finally made it to the highway and began our long trip home. Dinner had to wait and we ended up eating at the O.K. Cafe in St. Regis. The O.K. Café is good place to stop if you find yourself on I-90 in western Montana. We finally rolled into Missoula about 10:30 that night but it the trip was awesome. I surely won't forget about our trip to the Amber Bear Inn!

I've been a Bare Naked Ladies AKA BNL fan since my Dewey Apts. days back in Jamestown. Their blend of sophisticated pop lyrics and quirky humor drew me to the band. When Theresa said she had tickets I was so excited but a bit bummed because Steven Page was no longer fronting the band.

The concert was fabulous and BNL didn't miss a beat with Ed Robertson at the helm. They had an awesome light show and it was fun to see them engage with the audience. I thought they sounded quite good and they played many of my favorites including: The Old Apartment, Falling For The First Time, Pinch Me, You Run Away, Too Little Too Late, and It's All Been Done.

It was a memorable evening and I'd definitely go see them again if given the chance. Check out BNL if they come to your neck of the woods.

I promised some pictures on my final photojournalism project but I'll be back Thursday with that.

Peace...Mark

BNL Photo Credit: barenakedladies.com

History in the making

2010-05-16T15:20:00.000-05:00

Thursday I witnessed the beginning of a new chapter at the University of Montana as the Payne Family Native American Center was dedicated. This beautiful facility will house the Native American Studies (NAS) program and is the first building of it's kind in the nation.

The new Native American Center has a few features that stood out to me. They include:

+The Bonnie HeavyRunner gathering space, a stunning atrium that is the centerpiece of the building.

+Native designs from each of Montana's tribes are inscribed throughout the flooring of the building.

+The Payne Center is the first completely green (LEED certified) building on the UM campus.

+The landscaping uses a combination of native grasses, plants, and flowers that require little water.

+Outside the center are the flags of each Montana tribe and a storytelling area where the oral traditions of the first Montanans can flourish.

I have no native blood in me but seeing the faces of those in attendance at the dedication filled me with hope for the future. This country to put it bluntly has screwed over it's indigenous peoples and treated them like second class citizens for centuries. These wrongs sadly can't be undone but things like the Payne Center can start giving appreciation and respect back to our native brothers and sisters.

As a student journalist, I want to have a basic understanding of the issues related to Montana's first peoples. I'll get a start on that this fall when I take my first Native American Studies (NAS) course. The course will deal with issues Montana Indians have dealt with since the reservation era began. I'm expecting this to be a rigorous class that will benefit me greatly in the future. If this class turns out to be as interesting as I think, there may be more NAS classes in my future.

I failed to mention this but at the Payne Center dedication a very famous Montanan was in attendance. Joe Medicine Crow was born in Lodge Grass Montana and his deeds in WWII earned him the distinction of being the last Plains Indian War Chief. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom (highest civilian honor) by President Obama in 2009. Below is on clip on Joe Medicine Crow from the Ken Burns documentary The War.

I’ll have a post Wednesday on my final photojournalism project and a summary of the semester gone by.

Peace…Mark.

The Verdict

2010-03-28T12:04:00.002-05:00

I've been awaiting a response on my journalism school application and last Wednesday I received a long white envelope in the mail from the university. My heart was racing as my nurse opened the envelope and began reading. She started saying something about congratulations and I let out a yell. I sat stunned in my van while learning I'll be an official journalism student this fall!

Yes there are many questions I have but these will be answered at an early April orientation meeting. I'll begin picking my fall classes soon and then the countdown will be on.

I would like to thank anyone who has supported me over the years, especially my mom, dad, and sister. You all are so important to me and I'll try very hard not to let you down. Special thanks must go to Theresa, Dustin, and a few incredible nurses. You guys have been beyond amazing and are the reason this dream is a reality! I can't thank you enough.

There still is a semester to complete so we will have to continue this journey later. Hope you will enjoy joining me on this ride because I have a feeling it won't be a dull one :)

Peace...Mark

Portrait pressure

2010-03-13T12:51:00.009-06:00

A couple weeks ago we were given probably the hardest assignment of the semester in our photojournalism class. My mission whether or not I chose to accept it was to take thirty portraits of total strangers in a week.

Needless to say I was a bit panic stricken at first but it wasn't too bad once I got underway. I must say Missoula is full of cooperative souls and I only had a few refusals. The hardest part of this whole thing was the editing process. I'm still new to Photoshop so it took some time to edit thirty photos but I made it through.

I couldn't put all my portraits up here so I chose a few favorites instead. Hope you enjoy!

Peace...Mark

Chilean Heroics

2010-03-10T23:18:00.004-06:00

I've been slacking with the blog lately but school has been keeping me busy. My friend Marsha brought this video to my attention and I just had to share. It speaks to the good of humanity and also the bad.

These two women are heroes in the truest sense of the word. Their actions were unselfish and show the love these two have for their fellow human beings. As for these cowardly nuns, they sicken and disgust me. How can you pledge to take care of these people and then bail on them in their hour of need? Hopefully karma will catch up with those two very soon. I'd continue on a further rant about organized religion but I'll step off the soapbox for now :)

I'm curious to what other's think so please feel free to comment on this post.

Peace...Mark

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part

2010-02-26T01:13:00.000-06:00

Well the time has finally come for me to formally apply to the UM School of Journalism. My application has been submitted and hopefully I will receive the much awaited decision around the end of March. I feel pretty confident but you just never know about these things.

I have been a fan of CBS's Steve Hartman for awhile now and love his unique style of reporting. Being it is the winter sports season, I thought I'd share the story of Wil and his passion for skiing. Enjoy and I'll share more of Hartman's gems from time to time.

Peace...Mark

Depth of field

2010-02-22T12:54:00.005-06:00

Here are a few of my shots from an assignment dealing with depth of field. Depth of field is a term that deals with how much of a picture is in sharp focus. I took the pool ball shot with a wide aperture and this gave me a shallow depth of field. The shallow depth of field brings the 5 ball into focus but blurs most of the remaining picture out. This shot worked out pretty well for my basic level of skill.

The other two photos were taken with a very narrow aperture and this brought the entire image into sharp focus. I've really enjoyed learning the basics during this class and it is a great pastime for me to pursue. There will be many more photos upcoming here and this spring I hope to travel a bit and shoot the beautiful scenery of western Montana.

Peace...Mark

Portrait pics

2010-02-19T23:00:00.002-06:00

I'm really getting into my photojournalism class and last week we worked on depth of field. It was fun to experiment with a few different types of shots and I felt things went well. The photos need to still be converted to jpeg but I'll put them up here on Sunday.

The above shots were taken by my classmate Micheal and I felt he did a great job. I really like the tighter shots he took and hey I didn't even break his camera :)

Things will get crazy this week as we head out into the field for a major portrait project. It's been a blast so far and I've learned so much already about the intricacies of photography. Can't wait to see where I can take my new knowledge.

Peace...Mark.

disAbled in the media

2010-02-15T17:51:00.001-06:00

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When I began my pursuit of a journalism degree, I wondered how many others with disabilities had taken a similar path. Yes there are examples like my friend Scott in Florida who graduated from St. John's and there are high profile examples in people like John Hockenberry. Beyond the few examples I can cite here, I wonder why there aren't more of us in this field.

Now I'm not naive to think there aren't reasons for this. Yes it's a challenging endeavour and there are more times than not when you have to flat out work your ass off. The feeling I get though from working on a story makes up for the effort expended. It may also be there is little money in the bulk of journalism. Yes there is money in the upper echelon careers but very few of us will become the next Katie Couric or Brian Williams. Being happy in a profession is more important to me than raking in the dough.

These reasons are valid but I'm hoping I can inspire others with disabilities to take the plunge and I'd be satisfied if it's even just one. The video above should be all the proof needed to show that it can be done. We as a community need to take an active role in the world around us and perhaps even to be the storytellers of important events. I'd like to wish the good folks in Chicago well as they work to inform their community. Just think of the potential if more of us got involved all around the country. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

Peace...Mark

First photos

2010-02-13T00:17:00.003-06:00

I had my first shoot last week and here are my best photos. Not bad for my first attempt but there is much to improve on.

This project called for us to be paired with a classmate and to take pictures of each other. My partner was Michael, a foreign exchange student from Australia. It was a good experience and a fun beginning project.

Peace...Mark

Super Saints

2010-02-08T21:33:00.002-06:00

It's a sad day today as the realization sets in that there will be no football until next fall. I must say though that the Superbowl was a fitting way to end the season.. Congrats to the Saints on their Superbowl victory and on being an inspiration to your city. Job well done.

Here's a few of my favorite commercials from yesterday. Enjoy!

Beautiful boy

2010-02-05T15:38:00.004-06:00

Boy this week flew by and I'm spending my day off getting some notes transcribed. School is going well and tomorrow I have my first photo shoot. My photojournalism class has made me a bit dizzy but this should get better as I practice more. Hopefully I'll get some pictures up here next week.

We are a proud household this week as our Sammy won the Forever Pugged Beautiful Black & Fancy Fawn contest. He's quite the funny little man and is such a charmer. Congrats to Molly as well :) Such a cute squishy face she has.

Well it's back to work for me but I'll be back this weekend with another post.

Peace...Mark

Back to School

2010-01-31T11:00:00.000-06:00

I find it funny every time I think an easy semester is upon me, it turns out to be the opposite. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to be done with break and I look forward to the endeavors ahead. The new semester will continue to teach me many things and it should put me in good position as I apply to the professional program

Monday evening kicks things off with my oceanography class. This is an interesting and laid back class and it appears that the prof will make the class enjoyable. I liked the first lecture on the history of oceanic exploration. Class is held on Wednesday evening too.

Tuesdays and Thursdays will be my busy days as I have International Relations and Photojournalism. I've always had an interest in world events and my International Relations class should further my understanding. A big part of this class is reading and analysing international issues in the NY Times. The lectures are captivating but my caregivers probably will dispute that :)

Photojournalism will be my big challenge but I'm optimistic that I will become a decent photographer. We'll be spending the beginning of the semester learning the technical aspects of what our DSLR's can do and then this knowledge will be put to the test out in the field. I'll blog some of my images throughout the Spring.

Lastly, there is my Current Events class which I haven't been to yet. We'll be reading several articles weekly in The Economist and getting testing on that. There will be team multimedia presentations but I'm not sure how that will pan out.

Well that's my next few months in a nutshell. I'll try to keep my blog current and 3 weekly posts sounds doable but I will see how things go.

Peace...Mark

Favre's Secret

2010-01-23T21:26:00.000-06:00

Well tomorrow is the day that the Vikings can take one more step towards a long awaited Superbowl appearance! I'm hoping the boys in purple will be able to notch the victory in front of a raucous NeHere's a report from ESPN's Kenny Mayne on a special Favre secret Orleans crowd.

Enjoy!

Mark

Frosty Photos

2010-01-21T18:00:00.004-06:00

Thought I'd share some photos my mom took of a recent frosty day back in my hometown. These appeared in Logan Adams's "It's Good to Be In North Dakota" blog. You can view them at

http://www.areavoices.com/adams/?blog=68928 Great job Mom!

I've been enjoying my last few days of break before the grind resumes on Monday. Hopefully Sunday will a perfect end to my break as the Minnesota Vikings face New Orleans in the NFC title game. The Vikes have had a stellar season and it would be awesome to see Brett Favre lead them to the promised land. I'm excited already :)

Peace...Mark

Sacrifice

2010-01-18T22:32:00.009-06:00

There are many things people admire about Martin Luther King Jr. but sacrifice is what I think embodies King best. He used his life to speak out on the worst injustice in our country's history. It dismays me that the color of someone's skin has ever been used to judge a person's character but sadly racism still exists. King set the standard of what our country's potential could be but he realized the long road it would take. His dream lives on through the generations and hopefully in my lifetime we will see a totally inclusive society.

Non violent civil disobedience has been a powerful tool to correct many social injustices. It certainly was instrumental in the civil rights movement of the mid 20th century. I along with my brothers and sisters with disabilities continue to use civil disobedience in our fight for equality. Our community must use this to gain attention of our elected officials and to give voice to the voiceless. I long for the day when we no longer have to fight for our place in society but until then I remain committed to doing whatever it takes. So when you think of Martin Luther King Jr. think not only of what he helped achieve but what he has done to inspire others.

Peace...Mark

Uncle Sam

2010-01-13T14:56:00.005-06:00

We recently found out that our little black boy Sammy became an uncle. Sammy's brother Lucky who lives with our breeder Julie in North Idaho had five little girl pups. They are absolutely adorable and the spitting image of their dad and uncle.

The first picture is of our Sam followed by the proud papa. It amazes me how much these two look alike! The last two pictures are of the little ones. I may be biased but there's nothing cuter than a litter of baby puglets :) Thanks to Julie for these great pics.

By now many of you are aware of the recent catastrophe in Haiti. I'd like challenge each of you to make some kind of donation to the relief efforts. The easiest method I've found is donating online through the Red Cross. You can do this by visiting www.redcross.org

Peace...Mark

The Truman Show

2010-01-11T18:53:00.011-06:00

I was in a documentary watching mood this weekend and the vast library at Netflix fit the bill. After a brief search, I settled on one covering the life of President Harry S. Truman.

Initially I knew little about Truman except he succeeded FDR and ended WWII with the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan. This particular documentary brought to light many things I didn't know about our 33rd President. Here's a few interesting facts I discovered.

Truman was a Missouri farmer and haberdasher who served as a military captain during WWI. Truman is the only President in modern history to not have obtained a college degree.

President Truman had a long courtship with his wife Bess and she turned down his first proposal. Bess was the only woman that President Truman ever dated.

Truman left office with an approval rating lower than President Nixon's but with the passage of time he has become quite a popular ex-president.

When President Johnson signed the Medicare legislation in the 60's, he gave Harry and Bess Truman the first two Medicare cards.

I could go on and on but I think you get the picture. Digging into history has been a favorite pursuit of mine and it's great to learn about the rich history of our country.

Peace...Mark

Muslms In Missoula Project

2010-01-07T11:40:00.002-06:00

During my print journalism class we were assigned several stories relating to the perceptions of Muslims in the media. It was quite interesting to gather people's opinions on this often misunderstood group in American society.

Our professor, Clem Work assigned us a final group project relating to Muslims living here in Missoula. The stories covered a wide range of subject matter and I was assigned the task of gauging the amount of knowledge UM students had about Islam.

The stories were gathered and placed into a blog that I designed. I would like to invite you to peruse the work that our class assembled for our final.

Visit the Muslims In Missoula Blog

I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about this fast growing religion and hopefully our work will clear up some of the numerous misconceptions surrounding the Islamic faith.

Peace...Mark

Changes

2010-01-05T21:37:00.000-06:00

We've said goodbye to the naughties and ushered in a new decade. I'd like to wish you all the very best in 2010 and in the coming decade. May you be happy and healthy in the year ahead!

I said in my last entry that there would be changes ahead for my Mark in Montana blog. No worries about my blog ending but steps will be taken to keep things fresh. Starting this Thursday, I'll be doing briefer blog posts 3-4 times a week. This will make it easier for me to maintain my blog and at the same time allow me to cover a wider range of topics.

The other change I'm making is the end of sending out mass emails when I have a new update. This will save me a considerable amount of time with the planned increase of blogging. There are two alternative ways in which you can keep up with my blog.

Your first option is to become a follower of my blog. This means that Blogger (the host of my blog) will update you whenever I post a new entry. TO BECOME A FOLLOWER, SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF MY MAIN BLOG PAGE AND CLICK ON SUBSCRIBE TO: POSTS (ATOM).

If you don't want to become a follower you can email me at nodakwheeler@yahoo.com and I'll add you to my notification list.

I recently received my fall grades and I managed to get a 3.76 GPA. I'm really pleased because I had some pretty intense classes this fall. My best grade came in my reporting class and it should help greatly as I apply to the School of Journalism in March.

The break from school has been great and it feels good to be free from deadlines. I've been spending time catching up on movies, listening to some audio books, and of course enjoying our Pugs. Time is flying by and soon I'll be resuming the grind.

This spring will provide a diverse range of classes but I'll still be continuing my journalism education in earnest. My classes will include: Photojournalism, Current Events, International Relations, and Oceanography. I'm looking forward to getting my camera out and do some shooting. Last fall left me with little time to work on my photography.

Well it's time for me to ready for bed but before I go I'd like to thank you all for your continued support. It's hard to believe that this project is entering it's 6th year and the experience has been amazing! Here's hoping that 2010 will be the best yet.

To be continued...

Mark

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T13:46:00.000-06:00

Some of you may be wondering where the heck I've been but here I am alive and kicking after a fantastic fall semester. My school obligations have kept me extremely busy so the blog had to be put on hold temporarily. That being said, here's a wrap up of how the fall semester went for me.

I began my journalism education this fall and it went as well as I could have hoped. The first half of my reporting class was devoted to learning the basics of broadcast journalism. This consisted of being sent out into the field to interview, gather audio, and compose 30 second to 2 minute radio pieces. Some of the stories I covered included: Missoula's panhandling ordinance, Montana's statewide smoking ban, and the healthcare reform debate. My professor was tough but she provided us with a wealth of information from her career as the news director for Montana Public Radio. Composing and recording my stories took a good amount of effort but I was able to turn out some good pieces.

During the second half of the semester we learned the ropes of print journalism. Again we had another great professor who shared his real world experiences with us. The workload for this half increased greatly and we were sent out to report on a wide variety of campus events. Our challenge was to turn out complete stories under very short deadlines. I tolerated the pressure pretty well and in the process produced some pretty good stories. In the next several weeks I will post some of my broadcast and print stories on the blog.

My radio production class was an enjoyable one and it taught me many digital audio editing skills. We produced some stories by ourselves but also worked in radio teams as well. Our radio teams had to put together three complete one hour live broadcasts during the semester. I had different jobs for the broadcasts and these included composing commercials & promos, doing a brief newscast, participating in a live remote, and conducting one live interview. The class was a blast but I'm glad it's over and done with.

Lastly, I had a public speaking class on Wednesday nights and this was another time intensive class. We learned how to present various types of speeches and there was a fair amount of preparation required for each speech. The class wasn't too bad and it ended with a very special final speech.

My final speech was one of tribute and I devoted it to the Chinese Pug. I had a straight forward speech planned with a Powerpoint but I was in for a huge surprise. When it was my turn to speak, I went upfront, turned around and saw Theresa standing there with our Pugs Sammy & Cari. They all came forward to join me and it was cool to have two adorable visual aids for my speech. My speech went very well and having the Pugs there was an added bonus. Thanks Theresa for helping me end the semester on a high note!

I want to wish my family, friends, and blog readers a very Merry Christmas! May you have a wonderful holiday season and best wishes in the new year ahead.

Stay tuned for an update very soon on some changes I have planned for my blog.

Peace...Mark

Success!

2009-09-10T11:44:00.001-05:00

I’m happy to report that I independently took my own pictures on Tuesday. It has taken weeks of planning and research to get to this point but the wait has been worth it. You may be wondering how this is possible. Well here’s my setup.

The first step I take is getting my photographic mount clamped onto my left armrest. My Nikon camera gets screwed onto my mount and I’m almost ready. I get my LCD screen in position and the bite activated shutter switch goes in my mouth. You can see the red switch in the first photo.

Whatever I’m planning to shoot gets lined up in the screen and the magic begins. I bite down slightly on the switch and the image gets brought into focus. My teeth clamp down a little further and the shutter activates. I’m able to snap pictures quickly and with hardly any effort.

There are a few people I have to thank for making this all possible. Dick at Conceptus Remote Switches for letting me demo the bite switch. Scott Sands for helping me figure out how to attach the bite switch to my camera. I must also thank my caregivers for their patience in helping me with getting this all set up. You guys are all fantastic in my book!

School has gotten off to a quick start. It’s hard to believe that two weeks are down already. The semester will be very busy but it should also be fun as well. I have some great professors and they have been very accommodating my needs.

It’s getting close to midnight here so I better drift off to sleep. Enjoy the music and have a great weekend…Mark

Gone Fishin'

2009-08-31T00:12:00.001-05:00

On Friday I went on an adaptive fishing expedition that was held in the Bitterrroot Valley near Florence. It was a sunny & hot August day but we had a beautiful fishing spot in the shade. Montech brought along their arsenal of adaptive fishing equipment for people to try out. It was great to see so many people give fishing a try and have a blast doing it. We also had a great lunch of grilled dogs and burgers.

The sip and puff pole was in for repair so I didn't make an attempt. The good news is that Montech is working at getting in a switch operated automatic rod and reel setup. I can't wait to give it a test drive when it comes in. Thanks to the folks at Summit and Montech for their efforts at making this outing possible.

A few words about my video. This was my first attempt at shooting my own video with my new Bogen mount. The quality wasn't the greatest but I'm still pretty happy with it. I learned so much and it was a great feeling to do it independently. Next time should produce a more polished product :-)

I better wrap this up as I have school tomorrow morning. It's been 7 months since being in school full time and I couldn't be happier to get back in the saddle. I'll be back soon with how the semester has started. No music this week but I'll make up for it next time.

Peace...Mark

Adventures in photography

2009-08-24T11:57:00.011-05:00

Living with a disability all these years has been an interesting existence. I've gone down many paths filled with several twists and turns along the way. I've met some fantastic people along my journey as well. Luckily I still count many of these folks as my friends and sadly some have gone out of my life through the passage of time. My regrets are few and my disability has given me a unique perspective on life.

The most troubling thing to me about living with a progressive disease is the lack of recreational outlets. For many the desire is there but finding creative solutions is a significant barrier. Well in the next several months, I'll be looking to turn the tables on this trend as I delve into some new adaptive recreational opportunities. My first foray will be into the world of adaptive photography.

Photography has always been something I've wanted to do but the how has always been the barrier. This changed recently when I paid the folks at MonTech a visit. MonTech is a state program that provides support in all kinds of areas relating to Assistive Technology. Chris and Whitney over there showed me this awesome camera mount which attaches right to my wheelchair. It got me excited to see that I could have a camera brought up to my eye level. I ordered the mount and now have a major piece of the puzzle solved.

A big hurdle though has been figuring out how to activate the shutter. Nikon makes remote shutter releases but they are unfortunately too hard for me to push. I've been discussing these issues with fellow DMDer Scott Sands. Scott has been a great resource and he's been doing adaptive photography for a little while now. Thanks man for your advice and willingness to listen! I'm currently working on getting this issue solved and things are looking good. Tonight may have been a breakthrough moment though. I found a company in Arizona that makes bite switches for skydiving photographers. I'll be anxious to see if this will be workable for my needs.

Well now for the biggest decision, the camera. After much research and contemplation, I've decided to purchase the Nikon D5000. The Nikon D5000 is great starter DSLR and has all the features I'll probably ever need. It also has an awesome multi angle screen that will come in very handy for me. I should get it just in time for the photography class I've signed up for.

Hopefully I'm well on my way to being successful in adaptive photography. This may be quite useful in my journalistic pursuits but my main goal is to get out there and have fun. Just because you have a disability doesn't mean you should miss out. It may require some ingenuity but that is all part of the journey.

Peace...Mark

Turning point?

2009-08-16T18:08:00.004-05:00

Thursday was the long awaited culmination of our efforts here in Missoula to meet with Sen. Max Baucus. As I arose that morning and put on my ADAPT colors, I felt some optimism that something positive would happen for me and my fellow brothers and sisters. Maybe we would finally get the Senator to realize the need to include community long term care supports into the current healthcare reform efforts.

We arrived at the Missoula Public Library a bit before 10 a.m. and assembled our group of advocates. Senator Baucus arrived shortly before 10 a.m. with his entourage in tow and after some brief introductions we sat down to talk.

The meeting went fairly well but the Senator kept wanting to direct things toward more general healthcare reform. We got him back on track and he brought up the budget figures that the Congressional Budget Office applied towards the CCA legislation. These numbers were skewed and the CBO backed off their initial figures after research proved that home and community based services were far cheaper than nursing home care. Sen. Baucus wanted to know what states are excelling at providing home & community based services. We named the states we were aware of including Montana.

Dustin and I shared testimony of how community based services here in Montana have benefited us. I told the Senator about the sacrifice I made moving away from family and friends in ND just to have a chance at living a free life. I also told the Senator how being institutionalized tears away your freedom and wastes your life. In order to drive the point home, I told the Senator that I went from languishing in a nursing home to now being able to pursue a college degree in Journalism. Sen. Baucus did seem to be very interested in our stories and I hope that I was able impact him in a positive way.

We mentioned to Senator Baucus that failure to remove the institutional bias has civil rights implications because it may put Congress and the Obama Administration in violation of the ADA and the Olmstead decision. This got Max's attention, and he suggested we get some good attorneys to look at that point and possibly force something to be done.

Potentially a breakthrough moment came when we suggested that Medicaid law be changed to mandate Long Term Supports and Services and let states and individuals choose what kind of care they want to receive. It was like a light bulb went off in Sen. Baucus’s head and he said "You know, that might just be the way we get at this issue."

All in all the meeting was a good starting point and the Senator pledged he would keep a continued dialogue going. He put us in touch with one of his D.C. staffers and he wants to hear from us after he returns to D.C in September. I’ll admit it is tough to keep upbeat but hopefully these little steps will add up to a giant leap forwards for Americans with disabilities.

Fall semester is only two weeks away but I’m excited and ready to go. I spent last week gathering my textbooks and getting my necessary accommodations in order. It looks like a few challenging months ahead but hey this is what I’ve been waiting for. I’m looking forward to getting back into my journalism classes and making the push towards applying to the J-school.

In my next few blogs, I’ll be discussing my forays into some excited new adaptive technologies. I have some exciting new projects coming up and I look forward to sharing them with you. That’s all for now but I’ll leave you with a few favorite tunes that I’ve been listening to lately. There will be a video or two on each new post from now on and I hope you’ll enjoy some of my musical influences.

Peace…Mark

Had a ball

2009-08-02T23:23:00.009-05:00

This past Thursday I hit the interstate and headed east to partake in the 26th annual Testicle Festival. In case you are wondering, the Testy Fest is a summertime bacchanalia paying homage to the Rocky Mountain oyster. My nurse and I had a great time and yes we took the plunge and had a plate of cowboy caviar. Despite what you may be thinking, they weren't too bad. I really can't effectively describe what they taste like but anything deep fried tastes pretty good in my book. Was a fun experience and I look forward to returning next year.

Friday night Theresa and I spent the evening at Lake Missoula Cellars catching a performance by local cellist Brandon Smith. The performance was great and it was nice to sit outside on their patio, eat burgers, and drink some fantastic local wine. I had one of their whites and I was pretty impressed. Now I confess I'm no wine expert but it's my goal in the next several months to become more acquainted. I'll have to list some of my favorites as I find them. For those of you in Missoula who love wine, head out to Lake Missoula Cellars and give them a try. You won't be sorry.

The 19th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act was recognized on July 26th. Many positive steps have been taken but progress has been painfully slow. We as a community need to continue the struggle and keep pushing for the advancement of all people with disabilities. I'll leave you with a video of a recent event in Central Park where Nadina LaSpina (NYC ADAPT) gave a powerful speech. Her words sum up what we as a society need to achieve before we can consider the ADA truly finished.

Peace...Mark

Missoula protest

2009-07-22T19:41:00.002-05:00

I took part yesterday in a protest/sit in held at U.S. Senator Max Baucus's Missoula office. It was organized by the Missoula Coalition for Disability Rights and was part of a nationwide 25 city protest to push forward on passage of the Community Choice Act.

It was empowering to march with my fellow brothers and sisters over to Sen. Baucus’s office. I was on the team of folks who entered Max’s office at around 11 a.m. to make our demands. The demands were very simple. We as the Montana disability community just want some opportunity to meet with the Senator to discuss the Community Choice Act. His office has blown off previous attempts to schedule a meeting with the latest instance happening just three weeks ago. This time we weren’t leaving until there was something concrete promised. I was in my first sit in as a member of Montana ADAPT and it was awesome directly challenging the system.

The afternoon negotiations were headed up by Bob Liston and Marsha Katz. They talked to several Baucus staffers and got the typical run around that the Senator was so busy and they just didn’t think an appointment could be made. Well that wasn’t flying with us and as the afternoon wore on, progress was being made. I know we’re not fat cat donors but geez we are his constituency and we should at least have our concerns addressed.

Well it wasn’t long after we started our protest that the local CBS affiliate showed up and conducted interviews and shot footage. The local Baucus folks were nervous but like it or not they were stuck with us.

The 4 o’clock hour approached and were notified that the Missoula police would be paying us a visit at office closing time. We were prepared for that but we were finally able to get an email from Max’s DC scheduler that a meeting was in the works. Well we’ll see how that unfolds but I’m ready to go back if things fall apart.

Some of you may be wondering why direct civil action is necessary. We’ll here’s why. We as a community of people with disabilities have been ignored for too long. It is too easy for seasoned politicians to consider us an invisible part of society. We’ve tried asking nicely but that has severe limitations. That’s why we need to get in their faces and shake the foundation. We need to demand our rights and accept nothing less than what is just.

I’m happy that things went well yesterday but this won’t be my last protest or sit in. As long as one of my brother’s or sister’s rots away in a nursing home, I’m there for whatever needs to be done. I lost 3 ½ years of my life in a human warehouse and nobody else should ever go through that. We must FREE OUR PEOPLE and FREE THEM NOW.

In solidarity…Mark

You can read the press release for yesterday's protest below.

Disability Rights and Aging Activists Confront Sen. Baucus on Institutional Bias

Missoula, MT.--- Demanding an end to the institutional bias in the nation’s health care policy, the Missoula Coalition for Disability Rights (MCDR), a coalition of organizations for the aging and disabled, took its fight back to the Missoula office of Senator Max Baucus, while similar protests occurred simultaneously at Democratic offices across the country, and the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C..

MCDR and disability rights and aging organizations across the country are calling for Congress to eliminate the Medicaid institutional bias in 2009 - either in health care reform or as separate legislation, specifically the Community Choice Act (CCA). CCA (S683/HR1670) allows people to choose to stay at home to receive long-term services and supports instead of being forced into nursing homes and institutions because that’s what the law will currently pay for.

The protesters are additionally demanding that the Democrats apologize for the loss of freedom suffered by countless Americans that resulted when a Democratically-controlled Congress created the institutional bias over 40 years ago; and that the DNC facilitate an immediate meeting between ADAPT and Senator Max Baucus, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee; Representative Henry Waxman, Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce; and Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison, to develop a plan to pass the Community Choice Act and eliminate the institutional bias in 2009. In Missoula, MCDR is also calling for a face-to-face meeting between Sen. Baucus and representatives of the Montana disability and aging communities.

“On July 2 the Montana disability and aging communities converged on all seven of Sen. Baucus’ state offices asking him to include long-term services and supports in health care reform and eliminate the institutional bias in Medicaid,” said Bob Liston. “We were promised by the Senator’s staff that we would get a call back early the next week with an appointment for a meeting. Not only did that call never come, but when we contacted them, we were brushed off like lint on an old suit. I’m beginning to think the Senator just doesn’t care about his constituents who are aging, disabled and low income.”

In an unprecedented show of unity this year, disability and aging groups across Montana and across the country have demanded that healthcare reform be the vehicle to change federal policy which favors paying for institutions over community-based services. They have repeatedly asked Sen. Baucus, Congress and the President to pass the Community Choice Act, but currently, NO proposal in the health care reform package eliminates the institutional bias in Medicaid. Sen. Baucus, as head of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, is playing a pivotal role in pushing for healthcare reform, but has also steadfastly refused to include long-term care in the health care reform effort.

"For 44 years, Medicaid's institutional bias has stolen the lives of Montanans with disabilities and older Montanans,” said Mike Mayer, Executive Director of Missoula’s Summit Independent Living Center.” It has deprived them of their most basic freedoms. The Democrats were in power when that bias was legislated. Now it's time for them to apologize, and most importantly, time for them to take action to fix it. We want to live in our own homes and communities, close to family and friends, like everyone else."

MCDR’s action comes in part as a response to a video released last week by the Democratic National Committee. The video tells Americans "It's time" for health care reform, and urges them to call their Senators. Picking up on that theme, the national grassroots disability rights organization, ADAPT, released its own video this week telling Sen. Baucus and other Democrats "It's time" to eliminate the institutional bias and pass the Community Choice Act.
www.adapt.org/takeaction
"The Democrats say they want health care reform to focus on covering more people and saving money,” said Mark Boatman, a 33 year old ventilator user from Missoula, “yet they refuse to change the current law that mandates people receive long term care in the most expensive setting rather than less expensively at home where we would rather be. Two years ago Sen. Baucus used my life as an example in a statement he made at a Senate hearing on long term care. He was so willing to talk about me moving from a North Dakota nursing home so I could live in the community in Montana, but he isn’t willing to take the action necessary that would allow me to live in the community in North Dakota near my family. Right now I live in fear everyday that Montana will cut my services and I’ll be forced back into a nursing home.”

Many states have no home and community-based services, or they may provide limited services with waiting lists that keep people stuck for years in institutions and nursing facilities before they have any chance of getting services. Or there are states like North Dakota that provide some community-based services, but will not provide them to people who use ventilators. In addition, the current law forces states to go through complicated procedures just to let a few people stay at home and get assistance there, while others must go to the end of a waiting list. It is not uncommon for people to wait so long that they die before their name reaches the top of the waiting list.

"The Democrats, including our wonderful Sen. Tester, have historically supported the Community Choice Act every time it has been introduced in Congress," said Brooke Jaqueth, a member of ADAPT Montana . “Many in the disability community were optimistic that the Democrats would finally pass CCA and eliminate the institutional bias, but the Democratic leadership in Washington, including Sen. Baucus, is doing absolutely nothing. It seems as though the Democrats are so concerned with political maneuvering that they have completely forgotten about the people they represent who have no voice in Washington.”

“We are concerned about people who right now are stuck in nursing facilities and other institutions, like I am. We are concerned about people on Medicaid, like me, who will continue to be forced into those places if the law isn’t changed. And if the Democratic leadership won't speak up for them, then I will," added Jaqueth.

Sad passing

2009-07-20T00:38:00.000-05:00

As promised I've put together a slide show of pictures from my parents recent visit. They were taken around Missoula and on the trips we took to Stevensville and Flathead Lake at Polson. We had so much fun and it's cool to flip through these pictures again. I'm already looking forward to their fall visit and hopefully we'll be able to schedule it around a Griz football game. Oops how dare I mention football in July :-)

A giant in the journalism world was lost this past week when former CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite passed away. I may be too young to remember Walter in his heyday but I've seen plenty of footage to recognize his superior skill as a newsman. His emotional announcement of Pres. Kennedy's death has become a permanent part of American history.

As a journalism student I'm in awe of the gold standard that Walter Cronkite personified. If I'm only 1/10 as good someday as Walter was in his career and life, I'll be damn lucky. Sure is sad that we will never see another one like him ever again. Godspeed Walter and thanks for showing us what the news is all about. Below is a clip looking back on his incredible career.

Peace...Mark

Objective journalism and an opinion column are about as similar as the Bible and Playboy magazine.

Walter Cronkite

Long overdue

2009-07-14T10:43:00.001-05:00

Well after a fantastic few weeks I thought it's high time I return with some sort of an update. Things have been crazy around here but I'm happy to report that Theresa, Dustin, and 3 Pugs are home safe after a 5,000 mile round trip to New York. They enjoyed themselves at the NY Pug Meetup and the Pugs travelled very well. It's sure good to have them all back home. You can read Dustin’s musings on their trip by visiting his blog at Speaking for the Dead.

While my housemates were off to New York, my mom stayed here in Missoula with me. We had an awesome time and we were able to do so many fun things. My dad joined us for the last 5 days and that was sure nice. I’ll share pictures next week of what we did but I need to sort through them first. Check out the video this week of the Missoula 4th of July fireworks we shot. Was good practice at some basic editing and it turned out pretty well I must say.

I finished up my American History class a few weeks ago and I couldn’t be happier. This class was intense but our professor was awesome which was nice. I was able to manage a strong B and that’s fine with me. Shouldn’t be any more history requirements but there is one or two classes I might still take. School starts on August 31st so at least I’ve got some summer left to enjoy.

Stay well and I’ll be back soon with some promised photos!

Peace…Mark

New York Bound

2009-06-25T10:34:00.006-05:00

Theresa and Dustin left for New York on Monday and are departing Rockford Illlinois as I type this. T & D took along Ugga, Daisy, and Sammy to the Pug Meetup so it is pretty quiet around here. The Pugs here with me are doing good but boy they sure miss their Mommy and Daddy.

Theresa is maintaining a blog during their entire trip and you can view it at Adventures of the MT Pug Pack

I'd like to say hello to all the FP folks who will be in Marlboro this weekend! Wish I could be there with you all. Heard a rumor though that the next one may be held over in Washington which would be a much shorter drive for us :-)

My mom has been here since last Friday and we've been having a great time. Today we are heading to Downtown Tonight and I'm taking her to the Osprey home opener tomorrow night. No shortage of things to go do that's for sure.

Summer schools ends today with the last exam for my History class. It's been a marathon course but I am so glad to get this big class out of the way. Now my two month vacation can begin and I can unwind a little.

I better go get ready so I can be at the university by 1. I'll be back with a more comprehensive update in the near future.

Peace...Mark

Ready for my closeup

2009-06-14T22:02:00.000-05:00

I can’t believe it’s been three weeks since I’ve touched my blog. That happens when summer school keeps me a bit busier than I’d like. The last few weeks have been packed but I’ve had a chance to do some awesome things aside from school.

This past Friday filming started for the Missoula group of men participating in the abuse and neglect video project. You can read more about the project in my 5/17 post. I was slated for the early session Friday and things couldn't’t have gone any better. The film crew from Portland was a fantastic group of folks to work with. They made me feel relaxed and this helped me tell my story in a detailed way. It was empowering to inform viewers about the true reality of living in an institution and how to combat mistreatment. There is no doubt in my mind that when this project is released that it will benefit so many people. The true heroes of this project are the other men I have had the chance to meet. Their stories are very compelling and the bravery they display is remarkable. I’m very humbled to be included with them. The first two pictures that I’ve included were taken at the filming session.

Three weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting an old friend of mine from Minnesota. Travis and I attended MDA summer camp together back in the 1980’s and it’s been almost 20 years since we’ve seen each other. Travis and his family went on a trip to Oregon and they stayed overnight in Missoula on their return trip back home. We had a great visit and it was nice to catch up on things over pizza. Travis has an awesome family and it was very nice of them to stop in Missoula so we could get together. Thanks guys!

Summer school keeps rolling along and in two weeks I’ll be a free man. I’m pumped to have almost completed a four credit class and it will sure make for a lighter load this fall. I had my first exam and managed a B+ which made me pretty happy. We have an exam on Wednesday and the last one is a week after that. I think I can keep sane until then or at least I hope so :-)

By this time next week Theresa, Dustin, and half of the Pug pack will be cruising through Minnesota on their way to New York. They are headed to the FPNY 2009 Pug Meetup. There will be old friends, new friends, good times and of course PUGS! I wish them safe travels and soon I’ll put up their blog they are doing along the way. Meanwhile back in Missoula my mom will be staying with me and helping out with Pugsitting duties! It will be nice to hang out with my mom and bum around Missoula.

Stay well and hopefully I’ll be back with more from the Big Sky in a week or two.

Peace…Mark

Strolling by the river

2009-05-23T20:15:00.000-05:00

We had a gorgeous day here Thursday after a few cloudy and cool days. There wasn't a cloud in sight and it was a perfect day to enjoy the great outdoors of western Montana. My nurse and I went downtown to take a walk along the river. I was impressed by the accessibility of the trail and how easy it was to navigate. I've attached a few pictures we took along our stroll.

My long hiatus from school is coming to an end and my summer class begins on Tuesday. I'll have an American History class on Monday-Thursday from 1:30-4 p.m. and it lasts for about 5 weeks. It should be a good class and it's with a professor that I've had before. The only big downside is that we have 4 books to get through and a paper or two to write. Oh well at least it's beautiful on campus and it will give me a chance to enjoy the scenery. The trees not the girls :-)

This is a short entry but I have to brag up our little Sammy before I go. He recently graduated from his beginner's puppy class at Petsmart. Things went great and he learned walking on the leash, sitting, stay, come, lay down and even roll over. The diploma is on the fridge and rumor has it that there probably will be an advanced class in his future.

That's the latest news from my corner of the world. The next few weeks will be busy so we will have to see how much time I'll have to blog. Enjoy the rest of the Memorial Day holiday.

Peace...Mark

Video project

2009-05-17T00:56:00.000-05:00

Abuse, neglect, and forced isolation are things that unfortunately permeate the world of disability. These are difficult issues to discuss but remaining silent will do nothing to eliminate this scourge from society. Men with disabilities are just as vulnerable to abuse, neglect as our female counterparts. It is about time that this fact is realized and I'm going to be part of a project that will aim to achieve this.

There was a recent video project that was done in Oregon. It addressed similar issues of abuse and neglect that pertained to Oregon women with disabilities. This project was a success but it maybe wasn't as user friendly and as available as it could have been. A new video project is in the works that brings to light the abuses that men with disabilities have suffered and I have been asked to be one of the contributors.

I along with other Missoula and Portland men will be sharing stories of abuse & neglect at the hands of caregivers, partners, family, and institutions where some of us have resided. The Missoula shoot will happen in June and I really enjoyed meeting the other participants at a meeting last week. We make up a panel that crosses through many different disabilities and life experiences. I'm optimistic that our finished Internet based video will be a valuable tool in assisting people in a range of unhealthy situations. Information is power and it's the only way that abuse and neglect will be brought to a halt.

I'm fortunate that my nursing home term didn't involve severe abuse or neglect but there were some incidences that I experienced & observed. They were subtle things for the most part but looking back after almost 3 years they were things that shouldn't happen to anybody. Most of my caregivers treated me well but as they say every barrel has a few bad apples. It is my sincerest hope that this retelling of things that I experienced will empower someone else out there. That is all I could ask for.

Peace...Mark

It is often easier to become outraged by injustice half a world away than by oppression and discrimination half a block from home. ~ Carl T. Rowan

Martha Mason

2009-05-07T15:30:00.001-05:00

The disability community lost a true pioneer on Monday when Martha Mason passed away at the age of 71. Ms. Mason of Lattimore NC survived a childhood bout with polio and went on to live a record breaking sixty years in an iron lung. The iron lung wasn't a prison for Martha but instead it allowed her to live independently, graduate from Wake Forest University with honors, and write an acclaimed memoir "Breath, Life in the Rhythm of an Iron Lung."

I'm a relatively young vent user compared to Martha but I owe a great debt to people like her. The vent users that came out of the polio epidemic paved the way for the generations yet to come. They showed the world what could be achieved when others thought it impossible. These people got educations, became employed, lived independently, got married, had kids and enjoyed amazing but normal lives. I couldn't be living the life I do without the contributions of these trailblazers.

My friend Bob in NYC communicated with Martha and was one of her countless friends. Bob who is blind became aware of Martha after hearing her memoir on tape. He became interested in iron lungs and vent assisted breathing which led him to join my Vent Support Network. It just shows how small a world it really is. Martha will be missed by many but it's comforting to know what a positive indelible mark she left upon this earth.

Godspeed...Martha

Twitter revolution

2009-04-30T22:21:00.007-05:00

It seems like everywhere you turn these days you hear about Twitter. This craze has been building for some time and Twitter is poised to became the next killer app of the computer world. You may be asking what the heck is Twitter? Well I'll try to sum it up as briefly as I can.

Twitter is a real time messaging service that is very simple and it operates over multiple platforms. Each message or "tweet" can be up to 140 text characters and it answers the basic question of what are you doing. You can follow the message streams of others on Twitter or they can follow you. The whole application is quite intuitive and I find it much less cluttered than Facebook. I won't tell you that Twitter will change your life but I find it a fun thing to do.

I signed up last week so I could follow the ADAPT national action which just wrapped up in D.C. You can read more about ADAPT in last week's post. Anyway it was quite impressive to get updates from the front lines and get live pictures from the protests. I was able to send words of encourage to my ADAPT brothers and sisters while they fought for me and countless others. Sure would have been harder to keep up this seamlessly on Fadebook or via email.

Getting on Twitter is easy and you can be up and running in just minutes. I'd encourage you to give it a try and let me know what you think. You can follow me on Twitter @ markboatman

Peace...Mark

Donation

2009-04-25T23:27:00.001-05:00

If you'd like to make a donation to Montana ADAPT please email adaptmt@aol.com

Thanks...Mark

ADAPT Fun*Run

2009-04-24T18:24:00.011-05:00

I'm one of a multitude of people who have survived terms of imprisonment in America's nursing home system. We have had to fight very hard for our freedom and our stories are all too familiar. Worsening of a disability, loss of funding, relapse of a mental illness, pressure from doctors or family, an accident or lack of community supports are all reasons why many of my brothers and sisters have been into institutions.

The institutional system is bleak in this country but there is hope for a better day. ADAPT is a national grassroots community of advocates fighting for community based care instead of nursing home/institutional care. ADAPT is currently working for passage of the Community Choice Act in Congress. The Community Choice Act would revamp the long term care system and put the emphasis on care being provided outside the walls of an institution. An individual needing care would be given a choice of where they want to live and receive services. I'm hoping that this vital bill will be passed by Congress this session.

ADAPT is holding their Spring action from April 25-30 in Washington D.C. Our dear Missoula friends Bob & Marsha are attending and we are with them in spirit. Bob & Marsha along with many other ADAPTers are holding a Fun*Run to raise money for the important work they do. It will be held in the Upper Senate Park and I hope the weather cooperates.

I'll be making a $30 pledge and I challenge my friends and family to meet or beat my donation. You can make a pledge by visting www.adaptfunrun.org and you can select ADAPT Montana to receive your donation. This will help Montanans like myself to attend national actions and support ADAPT's vision for community care. I thank you for your support!

Peace...Mark

Normalcy

2009-04-17T22:43:00.000-05:00

Things are back to normal here in Missoula and my leg is back to 99% I'd say. I went to the university on Monday to meet the medical director and discuss my academic reinstatement. The meeting was a mere formality and I'm officially a college student again and I couldn't be happier. I'll be taking American History over the summer and it will be a big class to get out of the way.

Registration for next fall was this past week and it looks like I will have a good schedule. I'll be retaking my journalism classes along with a Biology Lab and Public Speaking. The best part of my schedule is that I will only have to be on campus Monday, Wednesday, & Friday and that is fine by me. This will leave me plenty of time to study and keep up. That is unless I procrastinate and I'd never do that :-)

The flooding of '09 in North Dakota rages on and it's been affecting my hometown. My mom sent me pictures of the water levels today and it is almost beyond belief. The reservoirs protecting Jamestown are at record depths and will be activating the emergency spillways this weekend most likely. I'm keeping positive thoughts for the people back home and know the good fight goes on. This is certainly a winter that is one for the ages.

I'll leave you with a video featuring the 88 year old mayor of Mississauga Ontario Hazel McCallion. She's a kick and boy we could use more politicians like her. Keep on truckin' Hazel!

Peace...Mark

The War

2009-04-08T22:38:00.014-05:00

I've been an enthusiast of Ken Burn's cinematic works ever since I saw The Civil War in high school. That film was an incredible look at a war that almost permanently divided America. I was drawn in by how Burns covered this historically important event and there's no doubt that this experience developed my passion for history.

Burns is a visionary storyteller and is a master at assembling interesting facts & stories that most people have never heard of. I purchased his latest film The War and it has not disappointed. The War chronicles the transformative Second World War and how it affected every single American in the 1940's. What has really struck me is how this entire country pulled together and sacrificed to battle the forces of evil. Could this happen in today's United States? I have doubts about that.

This film is not a glorified endorsement of war but rather a honest look at moments suspended in time. You can't do this topic justice without showing the negative events that also transpired. One of the saddest things in this film so far is how this country treated it's citizens of Japanese decent. It gives me shivers at witnessing how hysteria led to these people's rights being trampled. It is a tarnished moment in American history that hopefully won't ever be forgotten.

I'm not a person who generally thinks war is an appropriate method of conflict resolution. But in WWII, I think it was something that had to be done. The evil that was afoot back then was something that had to be stopped and unfortunately it came with a heavy price. There will always be those who will debate if any war is ethical but I believe there are rare moments like WWII where it's imperative to act. I'm sure those who survived the Holocaust would agree.

Peace...Mark

Very proud

2009-03-30T21:30:00.000-05:00

My home state has been inundated by historic flooding the past several days and the Fargo-Moorhead area has especially been hard hit. This crisis has shown the tenacious spirit of North Dakotans & Minnesotans and I couldn't be prouder. I've been impressed by the number of people who have come forward to sandbag and fight back what the Red River has been dishing out. There aren't a heartier bunch of folks anywhere.

There has been some good fortune with a lower than expected crest but the battle is far from over. The water will remain high for a while and hopefully the man made dikes will keep the river at bay. I'm keeping everyone back home in my thoughts and prayers. You can help out by donating any amount to the Minn-Kota Red Cross @ fargoredcross.org You can get the latest news in the Fargo flood by tuning into the Mighty 790 KFGO on the web.

I've surpassed the 6 week mark since fracturing my leg and I visited my ortho last week. He said my break is well healed and I should be good from here on out. That was the news I was hoping for and now I just need to stay healthy for the foreseeable future. This winter has stunk but I look forward to spring and the warmer temperatures. It will be fun to take the Pugs for walks over at the university. Not all the Pugs at once though :-)

I came across the above video of Squeaky the Pig and got a kick out of his special talent. Squeaky is Babe the Pig come to life and who would have thought that this was even possible! If you think you've seen it all, watch this clip and be amazed.

Sarah the stupid

2009-03-24T23:25:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I've made any political observations but a recent story from the "Land of the Midnight Sun" has inspired me.

Sarah Palin the queen of the gaffe has returned to making the national headlines. Ms. Palin has made her objections to the Obama stimulus very publicly known. She may have her convictions but she has no problem accepting 69% of the funds. The important thing to look at here is what funds that she just couldn't possibly accept.

Governor Palin recently has refused 171.5 million that was slated mostly for special education services. That's right folks, Palin the self proclaimed friend & advocate of people with special needs withheld monies that would improve the educational services that they receive. She has some nerve when her son Trig will be depending on those same services during his school years. How can a person like that sleep at night?

Governor Palin has sold out her own son and others with disabilities just so she can do some political posturing. This demonstrates a perverse desire for attention and an attitude that nothing will keep her from appearing ultra conservative. She needs to face the reality that she'll never be able to lead on a larger stage. The election of 2008 showed plenty evidence of that. Alright, I'll get off the soapbox but I wanted to express my dismay over this outrageous hypocrisy :-)

I'd like to say that my prayers and thoughts are with all those in North Dakota and Minnesota who are fighting the severe flooding. This brings back memories of the disasterous flooding of 1997 and hopefully the outcome will be much better this time around. I'll be one of many who will be eagerly watching the developments this week.

I'll be back soon with an update on my leg. My final orthopedic appointment is Thursday am I am confident that the news will be good.

Peace...Mark

Stories...

2009-03-17T18:25:00.000-05:00

Quality storytelling is something that I've always been in awe of. A quality storyteller brings their reader/viewer along for the journey and you feel a part of the events transpiring before you. It is an experience that leaves you with the feeling that you witnessed something out of the ordinary. I stumbled across one of these stories last week.

I was surfing around Netflix late at night looking for something interesting to watch. When I'm in this state of mind, I usually am perusing the documentaries that are in their vast catalog. The title Bulls of Suburbia stuck out to me and I had to check it out.

Bulls of Suburbia is the story of American born Alex Lemay. Lemay spent a great deal of his childhood in Spain where he developed an affinity for bullfighting. This documentary follows Alex as he battles his alcohol addiction and pursues his dream of becoming a matador. Alex enrolled in a California bullfighting school where he began learning this complex art. The movie follows Alex through his training, participation in tientas (training sessions with young livestock), and eventually a one on one with a mature bull.

Now I realize this is a controversial subject with many people but I appreciated the art and culture surrounding bullfighting. Check out the included trailer if you have a further interest in this film.

As I type this, our little Sammy is at puppy school with Theresa. I'm sure he'll do great and will melt the hearts of all the people he encounters. I've included some pictures of our growing boy. The second picture was taken after he investigated the catnip. Never a dull moment in this house!

It's time to go dine on some corn beef, potatoes, and carrots. Happy St. Patrick's Day and I'll catch you all later...Mark

Slow but sure

2009-03-04T21:13:00.000-06:00

Things continue to move slow here in Missoula but I'm feeling better. My pain has leveled off considerably and that makes me quite happy. I saw the ortho last week and he had some encouraging news. I have a month left of healing and my femur is well aligned. The doctor put me into a hinged brace and this has been much more comfortable. It hurts much less to move because the brace has a bit of give to it.

I've been surprised with how much I really miss school. The structure of school is good for me because it keeps me focused. Don't get me wrong the break is nice but the itch for school remains. My plan is to take a biology lab class online and possibly a American History class on campus over the summer. We'll just have to see how the summer plans take shape. It would be great to get back to North Dakota for a visit but we'll have to wait and see.

Yesterday I ventured out and my leg did well. We're working on getting some range back in my knee so there won't be much transition when the brace comes off. I went and checked out the new Safeway store while I was out. The store is gorgeous and they have just about everything you could want. Alright I confess I'm a bit of a dork when it comes to checking out grocery stores. That was my day out and I look forward to getting out of the house more and more.

That's about it for new developments in my life. Spring feels like it's in the air and it will be nice to enjoy the outdoors again. I am looking forward to taking the Pugs on walks around the University. Take care and I'll be back next week with updated pictures of our little Sammy.

Peace...Mark

On hiatus

2009-02-23T21:23:00.000-06:00

Life is a crazy thing. It grabs you at birth, takes you on this wild ride, and you never know what curves lie ahead. Well my life lately seems like it has been stuck in one giant curve.

I had a driving accident 11 days ago and ended up with my second fracture in two months. My driving controls malfunctioned and I slammed into the back of Dustin's chair thus causing my femur to crack. Thankfully Dustin didn't get hurt too. Of course it had to happen the night my mom and sister flew in for a weekend visit. We got to spend our quality time hanging out in the ER playing the waiting game. The break could have been much worse and thankfully no surgery will be required. I visit my ortho tomorrow and we will discuss my latest xrays. Hopefully the prognosis will be good.

School has been up in the air but I've decided to request a medical withdrawal. I'll be on hiatus until May when I will take a summer biology course. I wasn't crazy about pulling out of school at first but I just don't feel I can keep up with things during my recovery.

That's about it for this update but during the next few months my blog should return to a regular schedule. Take care and hope all of you have a great week. Peace...Mark

Life is what happens while you are making other plans.
John Lennon -- "Beautiful Boy"

Back to work

2009-01-23T21:15:00.000-06:00

The winter break is over and it is time for me to get back to work. There isn't much new news except that I finished up my Photoshop class today. This class has been a great way to keep occupied during the past few weeks. I've posted my projects and you need to click each image to get a larger view.

Take care and I'll be back next weekend with a first week of school update.

Peace....Mark

Out of the fog

2009-01-16T23:38:00.000-06:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

The Bush Years: Farewell, Mr. President

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Things are finally looking up for me. This past month has felt like a dense fog had wrapped itself around me. It's a great feeling to be finally pulling out of this fog and hopefully there will be no further health issues. I'm still bummed that I lost my break to medical problems but thats just the way it goes. At least I will be ready to go for the most important semester of my college career.

I visited the ortho doc over a week ago and had updated x-rays taken. Dr. Powell took a look at my x-rays and was very pleased with what he saw. He got his scissors out and proceeded to cut my arm out of it's protective sling. He said things were extremely well set and I shouldn't have any further problems. My arm has been sore due to inactivity but I've managed to do well. I can finally start being more active and return to a normal routine.

My last kidney procedure was last week and it couldn't have gone any better. I go in Monday for an x-ray and one small procedure on Wednesday. Then I'm all done!!! I'm just a little bit excited :-) A big thanks to all the people who have kept me in their thoughts during these difficult times.

Spring semester gets underway January 26th and I'm starting to get excited. It's finally time to get into some Journalism classes and apply to the J-School in March. I'll be taking Intros into Reporting and Radio Production this semester to get me prepared. These classes will be a big test for me but I'll do my best and see what happens.

Finally I will end my blog on a very happy note. Let me be one of many to bid farewell to G.W.B., the worst president that our country has ever seen. These past 8 years have brought this country into a dark place filled with deceit and despair. Happily a new day has come, a new dawn for this great nation. President Obama will not have every answer but he will move this country back to a better place. The naysayers will continue their negativity but America has spoken their desire for a new direction. It all begins Tuesday and what a great day it will be to be an American! Peace...Mark

Mark 1 Kidneys 0

2009-01-04T21:53:00.015-06:00

The score is 1-0 and the next round vs. the kidneys is set to take place early Friday. I'm hanging in there but this week hasn't been any easy one. Last Friday I ended up in the doctor's office with a nice little kidney infection. This infection is most likely a parting gift from the first kidney procedure I had. Oh well enough of me moaning and groaning about my current state of affairs and onto the good news. Yes there is a light at the end of this long tunnel.

My urologist was ecstatic that the first lithotripsy blew up the biggest stone of concern. He had doubts at how effective he would be at treating me but the surgical gods were smiling on him. Seriously Dr. Graber is a talented guy and I trust his ability completely. Friday's encore will mop up the rest of my kidney stones and I'll be all done! I know kidneys aren't the sexiest of topics but thats where I stand or sit with things :-)

I had promised a few weeks ago that I had a surprise to reveal. Well meet Sammy James our new little black pug. He is devil and angel blended into one small body and his antics have kept us all in stitches. He's learned so much in his time here and its scary how smart he is! Sammy must be into everything and he especially likes irritating his siblings. They are tolerating him well and things will be better when he's a bit bigger. He can hold his own just fine though and thankfully the 6 pack is complete once again.

My winter session class starts tomorrow and I'm not sure what to expect. I've never worked with Photoshop but I guess I'll learn fast. The professor sounds good so that gives me some comfort heading into the unknown. I'll keep you posted how it goes. Spring books go on sale tomorrow so I may crawl out and head over to the bookstore. Thankfully I can order online and not have to wait too long.

I want to wish all my friends and family a very Happy New Year! Thanks for your love and support. You drive and inspire me than you'll ever know.

Peace...Mark

I've added a favorite Kid Rock song to this weeks blog. What would I do without music? I shudder to think.

A week to forget

2008-12-21T23:04:00.000-06:00

This past week has been awful and unfortunately it will be awhile until I can put this week completely behind me. Oh well I guess life occasionally deals us a rough hand and we have to do the best we can with whats been handed to us.

I went out to Community Medical Center on Monday for a CT scan and ended up in their emergency room. Things started out just fine as they got me registered and transferred onto a gurney for the scan. They took me to the CT room and they got me setup on the CT table. We were set to begin the scan and the plan was for the techs to keep my arms up and out of the way.

The CT table started moving into the machine and very suddenly my arm got caught on the edge of the tube. The machine kept going and before the technicians could get it stopped my arm made a loud snap. I knew my arm was broken and sure enough the x-ray confirmed that I had a compression fracture of my upper humerus. They wheeled me down to the ER where a trauma doctor checked me over. After consultation with an ortho it was decided that a wrap around sling would be the best way to treat my fracture. I'm hoping that things will heal up in 6 weeks but we'll have to wait and see. Needless to say I'm pretty steamed with the whole situation.

I laid low the whole week and my routine pretty much consisted of popping painkillers, sleeping, snuggling with the pugs, keeping up on email, and watching a little T.V. Not a very exciting way to spend my first official week of break :-)

Friday was the big day for my kidney procedure and things went very well. We were at the hospital bright and early to get the pre-op stuff done. The medical staff took really good care of me and I had some great doctors working on me. I was only supposed to be in the OR for an hour but it turned into 3 hours. It was nothing serious but the doctor had a hard time grasping the stone that was in my left kidney. My left kidney is all clear and I'll probably need one minor treatment to clear up my right kidney. My pain from the procedure has been very tolerable and I'm so happy about that.

Thats a wrap on the lovely week gone by. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and safe travels if your going to be on the road.

Peace...Mark

Winter arrives/NIN

2008-12-11T20:50:00.000-06:00

It's a frigid Sunday morning here in Missoula with the mercury currently at -4. We fortunately ducked the worst of the weekend blizzard and only got a few inches of the white stuff. As I look out the window, Mt. Jumbo has a nice thin blanket of snow on it. I must say it looks much better than the drab brown color we've been looking at. The pugs aren't impressed by this weather and they are in snuggle mode until further notice :-)

Well the semester has officially drawn to a close but it's not over for me yet. I had to postpone two of my exams until early January because of the pain my kidneys have recently been dishing out. Speaking of my kidneys, they are scheduled to be blasted with shock waves on December 19th. Not my idea of a fun at Christmas but it needs to be handled. Hopefully the procedure will break up my stones on the first attempt and we won't be looking at doing this a second time.

Winter break will be nice but I won't be idle for too long. Starting on January 5th, I'll be taking an online Photoshop course and I figured this would be a great way to pick up some fast credits. The course only lasts for two weeks and it should be helpful in my journalistic pursuits. I really don't have any other plans for break besides catching up on my Netflix.

I caught the Nine Inch Nails show as they made a stop in Missoula last Tuesday. They are much harder and intense than the music I usually listen but I thought they put on a great show. Reznor's vocals were awesome and his musical prowess on a variety of instruments was amazing. I really liked when Trent played an enormous xylophone. Very cool! I've attached a clip of one of my favorites from that night.

That's all for this update but I'll be back after my surgery on Friday. I'll have a little announcement to share when I come back with my next update. Take care until then...Mark

Oh by the way, the UM Grizzlies will be playing for the NCAA Div. I-AA football championship on Friday (12/19) night. You can catch the game from Chattanooga TN on ESPN2. Game time is at 8 p.m. Eastern.

The Great Chicken Debate

2008-12-02T14:31:00.003-06:00

It's a crazy pre-finals week here in Missoula but in 8 glorious days I'll be on break! Came across this neat video on the recent chicken debate in town and had to pass it along. For the record I'm pro-chicken ;-)

Peace...Mark

The return of the Stones

2008-11-26T21:59:00.000-06:00

The Stones have returned but unfortunately this time it isn't the Rolling Stones. I'd been having some abdominal pain for the past week and on Monday I went in for a CT scan. I met with my urologist yesterday and the scan showed a significant return of kidney stones. This news didn't thrill me but at least we won't doing any procedures until after finals are over. We'll most likely be doing a lithotripsy where they send a heavy dose of shock waves into the body in hopes of shattering the stones. The procedure is pretty simple but I'll definitely be sore for several days after. Looks like winter break will be spent recuperating but I'll have my movies, audio books and Pugs to keep myself occupied.

School has been going just fine and all thats really left to do is take my final exams. I have my MT History final on December 8th and my Ethics final on December 10th. This semester has been work but I've enjoyed studying Montana history and the philosophies of Aristotle and Nietzsche. Ethics has been my favorite class and I certainly wasn't expecting that when the semester began. It sure is a bonus when you end up loving a class that you thought you were going to hate. Learning is funny in that respect.

We are spending Thanksgiving at Dustin's aunt's and it is always a good time when we get together. It will be great to unwind a little and to escape the rush of school. I want to wish everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Take care and I will return in a week or so.

Peace...Mark

Yes we can! Yes we did!

2008-11-11T15:25:00.001-06:00

A week ago, I along with millions of other Americans made history as we elected Barack Obama the 44th President. It's high time that this country heads away from the corruption and failures that have marked the past eight years. The road ahead won't be easy but at least we will have an honorable leader guiding us along the way.

It was a great feeling as we went over to the fire hall to cast our ballots. There were no lines awaiting us but unfortunately the accessible voting machine was on the blink again. It really grinds my gears when our government spends a ton of money on these advanced machines and they don't work on election day. I ended up filling out a traditional ballot when the technician couldn't get the machine running. We left the polling place feeling optimistic and all that was left to do was to watch the results stream in.

Forward Montana had an election night soiree down at the Badlander so that's where we went to watch the results. The crowd built as the night went on and it became a very electric atmosphere. It was fun being with our fellow Democrats and the crowd went wild whenever a state went into Barack's column. The magic moment came suddenly at about 9 p.m. when it flashed across the screen that Barack was projected to be the winner. The Badlander went bananas and everyone was cheering and high-fiving. I couldn't believe the long election season was over and I let out a few whoops myself.

I was impressed by Obama's victory speech and it definetelty was one of those moments that I'll remember forever. Obama realizes that our nation has a long journey ahead but I think we're up to the challenge. The drive home was cool as cars were honking along the way and some people literally danced in the streets. I've never seen an election bring out that type of reaction from people. Now we only have to wait 69 days until this dream is complete.

School continues to roll on and I'm in pretty good standing. I had a history exam yesterday and it felt like it went pretty good. There are no exams until finals and that makes me quite happy. The only big project left is in my Math class and I'll be celebrating after that class is over. Our professor in o.k. but I just don't dig the material we've covered. Oh well it's another experience in my college career and I'll at least get a B.

I better get rolling on today's homework but I'll be back in the next week or two with more. Take care and be well....

Mark

Been a long time...

2008-10-29T21:20:00.005-05:00

I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since I've posted, but I guess time flies when your keeping busy. The semester is past half over and there's roughly 6 weeks to go until the much anticipated Christmas break. It will be great to relax and do as little as possible.

This past week has been crazy but it's been a good kind of crazy. I got back my 2nd MT History & Ethics exams and I scored A's on both. It feels good to have my studying pay off and hopefully I can finish out the semester strong.

I met with my advisor last week so I could lay out my spring 2009 schedule. I'll be taking American History, Beginning Reporting, Radio Production, and a Geology lab. It's exciting to finally get into some Journalism classes and see how things will go. This spring I'll apply to the Journalism School and if I get accepted, I would start next fall. The competition will be tough but I plan to give it the best shot I can.

A couple weeks ago, our Pug Cari gave us a bit of a scare. Theresa came home one evening and noticed a lime-sized bulge on Cari's belly. It was after 5 p.m. on a Friday so we ended up taking her to the emergency vet to get things checked out. The vet examined her and promptly diagnosed her with a inguinal hernia. He needed to operate on her that night and it was hard to go home and worry about what might happen. She was a trooper and the surgery went just fine. The vet told us to keep her quiet for a few days but that doesn't happen when the patient is a headstrong Pug :-) Cari quickly returned to being her bratty self and all seems to be back to normal.

On Saturday we went to the wedding of our friends Rebecca and Mandy. We had a great time celebrating their day with them and the weather couldn't have been better. I want to wish them all the best and may you guys have many years of happiness together.

I want to remind everybody to get out and vote next Tuesday. We will be helping poll watch at our local precinct and I'm hoping the turnout will be heavy. That night we plan on watching the returns at one of the election parties in town. It should be a night to remember and I can't wait.

That's all for now and hopefully I'll have another update before another 3 weeks have gone by.

Peace...Mark

Good Times

2008-10-08T21:40:00.000-05:00

Wow it's hard to believe that October is here and I'm into my 6th week of school. School has been great but it's been hectic journey so far. More on that shortly.

I had a great time when my parents recently came out on their fall visit. The weather was perfect and we sure took advantage of it. My parents attended their first Griz football game and what a wild afternoon it was! The Griz played Central Washington and at one point we were down by 14 points. Montana came back and it was a seesaw battle until the very end. The crowd of 25,000 roared as the Griz kicker punched through a 45 yard field goal as time ran out. It was a great victory for a very young team.

The rest of weekend was relaxing and it was a great break from school. We bummed around Missoula on Saturday/Sunday and went to one of my favorite restaurants. Time always goes by so fast and before I knew it, they were on their way back home.

My mom had the joy of helping me pug sit on Thursday (9/25) when Theresa & Dustin were in Helena. They were pretty good except for little Cari AKA Miss Mouth :-) She's a little squirt and is never shy about expressing herself. Even though she's a brat, she entertains us and makes us laugh. I wouldn't have her any other way.

I've survived my first round of exams and have come through in pretty good shape. My Math exam was a little disappointing with a score of 75 but I'm working hard on improving on the next exam. The bright side of things was getting A's on my MT History & Ethics exams. I'm happy with these scores but there's much more work ahead and several key exams yet to take.

There isn't much else going on besides school but I wanted to get an update up before this week was over. Stay well and I'll catch you sometime next week.

Peace...Mark

Homecoming 08'

2008-09-25T16:33:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy week and I finished the last of my first 3 exams yesterday. I think they went good but we'll see when I get the tests back.

Here's a few pictures of last week's Homecoming game along with one of a recent Pug pile. The Griz came from behind and pulled off an exciting victory over UC-Davis. Hopefully they can keep things rolling this week when they host Central Washington.

Sorry for the quick update but I'll return sometime next week.

Peace...Mark

Lungs gone wild

2008-09-18T19:27:00.000-05:00

Wow it's been a little while since I've posted but man school's been keeping me occupied. More on that latter but first some other news of what's been going on as of late.

I've been having a bit of a breathing issue and hopefully it's coming under control. A few weeks ago I ended up in the E.R. with breathing difficulties. My breathing was causing some high pressure issues with my vent and after a steroid treatment I was sent home. The issue got better but I continued to have flare ups. We visited with the RT and after consultation it was decided that my lungs were having compliance issues. This made me chuckle but then I had ask what the heck does non-compliant lungs mean. It basically means that my lungs have lost some of their elasticity. They aren't sure why this happened but at least it doesn't sound too serious. My pulmonologist added a new breathing treatment and we're starting to see some improvement. Hopefully things will keep getting better.

This past Tuesday night I went to the university to hear the riveting story of Hiroshima bombing survivor Shigeko Sasamori. She was 13 on the fateful morning of August 6th, 1945 when the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Her story was one of the most powerful that I've ever heard. How she survived is a true miracle and hearing something this makes you realize the pure evil that man can cause. The debate over the decision to drop the bomb will continue to rage on but when will mankind realize how pointless war is. Ms. Sasamori's story is a cautionary one in this age of continuing atomic expansion. You can click here to check out the story of Ms. Sasamori's visit to UM.

School has been good but this semester is my busiest yet. Math has been a drag but I keep telling myself that it will all be over soon :-) We have our first exam on Wednesday and it doesn't sound like it will be too bad. Montana history has been good and the lectures have been pretty interesting. I'm almost finished with the first book for this class and that makes me pretty happy. We have our first exam for this class on Wednesday too. It will be a two question essay and I'm feeling pretty good about it. Lastly, my ethics class has been pretty tough and it takes effort on my part to stay on task with the reading. The professor is awesome and it's the highlight of my day to attend his lectures. They are certainly never dull! We have our first exam on Monday and I'll be spending the weekend getting ready for it.

It's homecoming week on campus and we were fortunate enough to snag 3 tickets for this Saturday's game. The stadium had renovations over the summer and they now have room for over 25,000 rowdy fans. I'm looking forward to my first homecoming game and it should prove to be a memorable experience.

My folks are making a fall visit to Missoula next and I'm so excited. It will be great to hang out for a few days and we will be taking in a Griz game while they are here. Will be a nice break from the craziness of school.

Take care for now and if you missed the start SNL last Saturday, I've included it for your comedic pleasure.

Peace...Mark

Golden nugget

2008-09-08T23:58:00.000-05:00

I had to take a small break from studying to share this recent golden nugget from the Daily Show. I just love when the conservatives get caught in their words :-) Oh what a tangled web we weave!

Enjoy and I’ll be back this weekend with an update.

Peace…Mark

A great start...

2008-09-02T21:43:00.000-05:00

The last unofficial weekend of summer has come and gone. As luck would have it the weather was cool, cloudy and rainy. It's not the first cruddy Labor Day I've been through and it gave me a opportunity to do some studying. The rain has been great and it should help bring an early end to the 2008 fire season.

School got underway last Monday and I had a good starting week. The classes will be a little more challenging than last year but I feel prepared for that. My first class of the morning is contemporary math and it doesn't seem that bad. It's geared towards majors where math is a basic requirement and it deals with current issues in mathematics. The first few chapters are timely as they deal with elections and the various types of voting systems. I'm so happy this is my final math class and I plan to celebrate when this one is over :-)

The second class I have is Montana History. It's a big lecture class and it looks to be quite interesting. I'm a history buff and it will be great to learn more about Montana. We have 4 books to read this semester and each book is tied to a specific period in Montana history. The first book is quite good and the other 3 sound like they won't be too bad.

The last on campus class I have is Great Traditions (Ethics). This will be my most challenging class I have and it requires a great deal of complex reading. It's centered around the classic works of Aristotle, Kant, Mills and Nietzsche. We have a great professor and he makes the lectures very enjoyable which definitely is a plus. I hope I won't be gaining a bunch of gray hair with this class. The first exam will be a pretty good indicator.

It's nice to have only two days of school this week. Gives me a chance to get ahead in the game. Friday I'm helping out the College Dems with voter registration and that should be fun. Hopefully many students will get involved and exercise their right to vote. The future of our country is at stake and we face severe consequences if we don't change where things are headed.

That's it for my first update of September. I'm hoping to check out Hemp Fest this weekend and if I go I'll take my camera along.

Peace.....Mark

Wild weekend

2008-08-21T17:21:00.001-05:00

This past Saturday, I celebrated another year of conquering my old foe of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. We've battled each other for 33 years now and I have no desire to give my formidable opponent an inch anytime soon. It's great to be one of many with DMD who have lived much longer than the medical establishment ever gave us a chance to. Hopefully I'll be thumbing my nose at this disease for many more years to come.

My birthday was pretty laid back and it was a really good day. The highlight of the day was when we went to the newly opened Hooters for dinner. It was a little bit of a zoo since they had only been open a few days but the scenery made up for that :-) Wings, drinks, flat screen TV’s and pretty waitresses. Does it get any better than that? I don’t think so! Seriously though, it was just great being with friends and celebrating the day together.

Sunday was the direct opposite of the fun day we had on Saturday. At about 10:30 in the morning the power went out at our house. It turned out that our neighbor’s son was hauling something down our alley and he took out a few power poles in the process. We were in the two block area that was affected and to make matters worse, the temperature reached a high of 100. It was a long hot afternoon but we survived just fine. The power came back on at 8:30 that night and we were all pretty glad about that.

My second year of college gets underway on Monday and I’m ready to get started. I’ll be taking Contemporary Math, Montana History, History of Rock n’ Roll, and an ethics class this fall. These classes will be pretty interesting I think and I’m happy to be taking my final math class. The only downside to the semester is that I have 10 textbooks and there will be a heavy load of reading. Hopefully most of the reading will be fairly interesting and not too boring.

That’s it for this update but before I sign off I’d like to give a brief summary of the video that leads off this post. Matt Eddy is a vent user from Massachusetts and he’s currently wheeling across the country to raise awareness for Matt’s Place. Matt’s Place is a charity that seeks to provide housing and care options to adults with severe physical disabilities. Matt’s Place wants to give institutionalized adults with disabilities the chance to live in the community and be contributing members of society. If you’d like to learn more about Matt’s Place please take the time to check out the clip. You can also track Matt’s progress by checking out his blog from the road at http://obcrip.livejournal.com/

Peace…Mark

Fun at the Fair

2008-08-12T00:58:00.001-05:00

I’ve been a bit of a slacker with my blog lately but I’m trying to enjoy every moment of vacation that remains. Things will be more balanced when schools starts and my video blogs should be returning in September.

The dog days of summer have settled in here in Missoula and we've been having the hottest temperatures of the summer. Hey at least the skies are clear and we’re not having the heavy smoke we had last summer. The fire situation is pretty stable for now and the rain we had over the weekend should help out.

The Western Montana Fair was in town last week and we went last Thursday. It was a blazing hot day with temps near 100 but we had a very enjoyable time. My highlight of the fair is always the selection of culinary delights and I was not disappointed. I had my traditional Viking along with fresh squeezed lemonade, fry bread and a pulled pork sandwich. Everything was delicious and I went home with a very happy belly.

I also visited the 4H Barn and viewed the menagerie of critters inside. They had goats, sheep, pigs, cattle, llamas, and of course horses. A couple of the highlights were a 2600 pound long horn steer that was huge and the other was the adorable miniature horses that our former nurse Kimbra raises. It was fun to be sniffed out by one of the minis. I’ve included some pictures and I’d like to thank my friend Mandy for taking them for me. The fair was a great time and I can’t wait until it rolls into town next August.

The countdown to fall semester is on and there are two weeks remaining of summer vacation. I’ll be taking 12 credits and I had to tweak my schedule to fit with my nursing schedule. My on campus classes will fall on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I’ll also be taking an online class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This fall will be busy but I’m looking forward to the challenge that school will bring. Hopefully I can knock the cobwebs off my brain without too much trouble J

I’m up late tonight watching the Olympics and wow what a wild few days it’s been. The swimming has been my favorite and Michael Phelps has been absolutely dazzling to watch. It’s amazing to see these athletes perform at a level that pushes the limits of the human body. Hopefully Mr. Phelps can make history and win more gold medals than anyone has previously.

Stay well and I’ll return soon…Mark

DRM Dedication

2008-07-28T12:23:00.001-05:00

Thursday afternoon the three of us along with Cari packed in the van and headed over to Helena for an overnight. Dustin had a board meeting and we all wanted to attend the Friday dedication/open house for the new Disability Rights MT (Montana P & A) office. The ride over to Helena was enjoyable as always with the mountain scenery going by. It really makes the two hour trip over there go by pretty quick.

Dustin spent the evening at his meeting while we went over to the hotel to unload our luggage and respiratory paraphernalia. It was Cari's first trip out of town with us and needless to say she was pretty excited. There were so many things to check out at the hotel and she wasn't going to miss anything. She was a pretty pooped Pug by the end of the evening.

Friday we attended the noon dedication for Disability Rights Montana's (DRM) newly renovated building . The dedication was brief and it was cool to see those who worked on this project get the recognition they deserve. Dustin serves on their BOD and it was nice to be there with him. After the dedication they served up hot dogs to those in attendance and it was a great way to end the festivities. This new headquarters will serve DRM well as they continue their advocacy on behalf of Montanans with disabilities.

We returned to Missoula on Friday night and it was a pretty laid back weekend. My weekends will be getting much busier soon when school starts. School starts on August 25th and the only thing left to do is purchase my textbooks and get them scanned onto CD. It feels good to be heading into my 2nd year and hopefully things will go well for me this fall.

Well before school starts, I plan on enjoying the rest of my vacation. We have a few things planned to do in August with the Western Montana Fair being at the top of the list. Can't wait to satisfy my fair food cravings :-)

Hope everyone is having a enjoyable summer so far and I'll be back next week.

Stay well...Mark

2008-07-18T01:49:00.010-05:00

It's been a week of fantastic summer weather here in Big Sky Country and I've been enjoying every minute of it. We are now in our dry season here in Missoula and its beginning to show. Fire season is upon us and we were quickly reminded of that when Mt. Sentinal caught fire last week. 350+ acres were burned in the fire but it was put out fairly quick with the assistance of a bucket carrying helicopter. Thankfully nobody was hurt and no property was lost. I've included a few pictures of the fire in this post.

I went to the Steve Earle concert at the University Theater last Saturday night. I've enjoyed Steve's music for a long time and it was great to finally get to catch him live. His mix of folk, blues, and rock didn't disappoint and the crowd cheered intensely after each song. Many of the songs dealt with our criminal in chief AKA Dubya and how our civil rights and beloved democracy have been trampled on during the past 8 years. So many Americans are fed up with the status quo and needless to say Steve's songs of protest were well received at Saturday's show.

Yesterday we went over to Norco to fine tune my new backrest and we made some significant progress. They ended up trimming away much of the left support and that was fine because I wasn't using much of it anyway. This made getting me into my chair much easier and the backrest still holds me great. The backrest went back to Denver for some more fabrication but it should be back to us in a week or so. I can't wait!

Here ends another update but I'll be back next week with another installment. I'll fill you in then on a new hobby that I'm giving a whirl. Stay well until then...Mark

2008-07-11T10:40:00.000-05:00

I've returned from a wonderful vacation to North Dakota and boy it feels good to be home. It was good to go back east and visit family & friends that I haven't seen in ages. Here's a brief wrap up of the trip.

The trip back to North Dakota went really good and there were no glitches along the way. This made for fairly easy travelling which was really nice. We spent the first night of the trip in Miles City and that went ok. Motel 6 is one of the few chains where I can get my lift under the bed but the mattress was nothing to write home about. Oh well before I knew it morning arrived and we were on the road again.

The excitement kept building as the miles went by and I was glad to be returning to Jamestown a liberated man. It was a strange feeling as we made our way through the town that I left behind for a wonderful new life. Things looked good around town and it was just good to be home.

I crammed in as much as humanly possible during these few days and had a good time doing it. Besides visiting with my friends and family, I did many other things while home. I went up to see the famous Jamestown buffalo, hung out at a street dance, saw some spectacular 4^th of July fireworks, ate out at one of the new restaurants in town and finished up by attending the big 125^th anniversary parade.

One of the big highlights of being back home was getting to see my grandparents. We were able to spend a great afternoon together and nothing could have been better than that. My mom provided some awesome home cooking which made the day perfect.

The week went by so fast but I was ready to get going back to Missoula. It was a 13 hour long drive back home but it’s a great feeling to have a life of freedom waiting for me. We pulled in around early evening and all the Pugs were at the gate chomping at the bit to welcome me. I think they missed me!

I want to thank my family for taking care of me all week and for putting up with me. This trip wouldn’t have been possible without your efforts.

On a sad note, we are mourning the passing of Theresa’s mom this week. She passed away Monday and she’ll definitely be missed by those whose life she touched. These moments in life are hard to get through but we will support each other and get through it. Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.

Peace…Mark

Getting close/Cardio visit

2008-06-25T21:49:00.006-05:00

In 4 short days I'll be making my pilgrimage back to North Dakota. This week has been busy as the final preparations are coming together. Lots of things to get ready but Theresa and my nurses have done a wonderful job of getting me set to go. I really wish Theresa & Dustin were able to come with us but things didn't work out for that this time. Will sure miss you guys and the Pugs a lot!

Today I went to my cardiologist for the yearly echocardiogram. I'm always a little nervous when I do tests like this because there's always that fear that my heart has grown weaker. Well I received a clean bill of health and some truly awesome results on my heart function. My heart is doing great and functioning at a high level. My cardiologist is a great guy and it's always good to see him. The news today couldn't have made me happier and a high note to start my vacation on.

This will be my last post before heading home for a week but I'll be back during next week with an update from Jamestown.

Take care everyone....Mark

Celebrating Freedom

2008-06-20T23:16:00.004-05:00

I finished my summer class on Thursday and summer vacation can now begin! The final was difficult but I'm staying optimistic about it and hoping for the best. This was an important class to get out of the way and I'm one step closer to the completion of my pre reqs. The Fall semester starts for me on August 25th.

This past Wednesday, I did something that I've wanted to do for a very long time. I went to Painless Steel here in Missoula and got my first tattoo! This tattoo is more than just ink to me though. It is a permanent reminder of my 3 1/2 year incarceration and eventual liberation from the nursing home. I've already had many people ask me about it and what a great way for me to speak out against the institutions in this country. Too many people are losing precious years of their lives in these damn places and this has to stop. I've thrived outside of the nursing home and if a guy on a vent can do it, anyone can! My success outside of an institution is proof that home based care is far superior to anything else being offered. I still have days that challenge me but at least I’m in control and can discover my true potential.

A week from this Sunday I'll be hitting the road and returning to North Dakota for a week. It will be a little strange to return to Jamestown after being gone almost two years but I'm looking forward to it. I'm really excited for the chance to catch up with family & friends that I haven't seen since moving to Missoula. This week will be extra special as Jamestown will be celebrating its 125th birthday. There are many events happening during this week of celebration and I'm hoping to take some of them in.

I may have another short update before my trip if time allows. If not, there will be an update or two when I'm on my trip. That is if the technology gods cooperate :-) I’ve added a clip of my favorite song off the new Springsteen CD. Take care and enjoy.

Peace...Mark

Winter visits in June!

2008-06-12T12:01:00.001-05:00

We awoke to quite a scene yesterday as you can see by the pictures. June snow of any kind is rare for these parts but it happens from time to time. I didn't find yesterdays weather very humorous :-) but the weatherman says much warmer weather for the weekend. I maybe can finally break the shorts out.

My poetry class continues to go well and in a week I'm all done. It's been a bit of a crash course in modern poetry but the professor has really been fun. I have enjoyed this class and it's a nice break from the routine stuff I've been taking. All that's really left is to rewrite my first analysis and take the final exam.

The video blog will return sometime after next week. It's just been too much to manage with the schedule I've kept lately. Take care all and I'll be return with another update real soon.

Peace...Mark

Still around

2008-06-07T23:39:00.001-05:00

I've been staying pretty busy lately with school, the primary election and various other odds and ends. The blog has had to be put off a bit but sometimes a break is greatly appreciated.

Montana held its primary this past week and Dustin was on the ballot for House of Rep here in Montana. Unfortunately he wasn't able to advance and it disappoints me that more people involved in the issues we care about didn't support him more. Dustin’s primary opponent Tim is also in the disability arena (in an administrative position) but is out of touch a bit with how important Home & Community based services are here in Montana. He (Tim) actually said that we really need to support the nursing homes because someday we're all going to end up there. That’s troubling to hear because nobody will need to go in a nursing home if you fund care in the home properly. My life is an everyday reminder of how inferior nursing homes really are and I just had to let this bothersome tidbit out there

I’m incredibly proud of Dustin’s quest for a legislative seat. Our government today is sadly lacking people like Dustin who feel the importance of public service. Yes winning would have been great but getting your message out there is important too. Thanks D for the effort!

The highlight of primary night was Barack Obama’s securing of the presidential nomination. It’s been a hard fought campaign and I think the best person prevailed. It remains to be seen what Hillary’s role will be but I wouldn’t mind seeing her in a VP capacity. I think Obama has a great chance to win this fall and hopefully soon our country can heal from the past 8 years of embarrassing and deceitful leadership.

I suppose I should put away the soapbox for tonight and get to work :-) It’s a Saturday night and I have a poetry analysis waiting to be done. Enjoy the pics of Dustin and a very sleepy Harley. Take care and I’ll catch everyone later.

Peace…Mark

Relaxin

2008-05-26T15:19:00.000-05:00

The first week of summer school is finished and I'm enjoying the extended Memorial Day weekend. It's the unofficial start of the summer season but you can't tell by the cool and rainy weather we’ve been having. Oh well at least I've been able to catch up on my Netflix.

My poetry class has been pretty interesting and we wrapped up our brief study of ancient Japanese poetry. I have a haiku due on Tuesday along with a couple of essays to read. The homework is at a pretty relaxed pace and that’s great for a summer class. I’m not sure what my next recitation will be but I think I’ll stick with something contemporary.

Things are pretty quiet around here for Memorial Day. We’re going to grill some hot dogs today and have some pasta salad, chips, etc. It’s a good way to relax on this day of remembrance and break from the weekday rush.

It’s time for me to get out of bed but I’ll try to post a video blog sometime this week. Have a safe and fun Memorial Day and enjoy the clip of one of my favorite George Jones songs.

Peace…Mark

Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind. -- John F. Kennedy

Video Blog

2008-05-20T20:24:00.001-05:00

Missoulian Article

2008-05-14T15:58:00.000-05:00

The Missoulian ran a story yesterday on Dustin's run for a seat in HD 91. I'm proud of his efforts and wanted to share his story with all of you. Take care...Mark

Advocate for disabled hopes to take fight to Legislature:
http://tinyurl.com/6jqh22

I survived!

2008-05-13T16:20:00.000-05:00

I have survived a long finals week and made it through my freshman year at UM in the process. Finals went great and I even aced my Geology 100 exam, which shocked me quite a bit. Spring semester grades haven't been finalized yet but hopefully they will be posted soon. It was a difficult semester academically and I'm glad to be finished with my sanity intact. The good thing is that I am done with my required Econ class and no more supply and demand curves!!!

We celebrated the end of school last Friday at my favorite local steakhouse and it was such a nice way to relax and unwind. I only have until Monday to enjoy my time off and then it's back to work. Summer school will be 4 days a week but thankfully it's only one class.

I'll try to post a video blog in the next few days after I experiment a little more. There was a little glitch with my music playing during my first video but that’s been taken care of. Instead I will post clips into my blog of things relating to my current musical tastes. Hopefully things will flow a bit better for everyone who visits here.

It sounds like we'll be getting some summer weather this weekend with highs in the 80's. Finally it will be warm enough to be outside without having to be bundled up. I need to go get ready for a candidates forum tonight but I'll return in a few days with some sort of update.

Peace...Mark

2008-05-05T23:40:00.001-05:00

It's been awhile since an update but preparing for finals keeps a guy pretty busy. This week features the debut of my new video blog segment. This probably will be a weekly thing but it will take time to perfect it. Theresa is my camera person and she does her best with what she has to work with :-)

Enjoy the inaugural video blog and a brief clip from Saturday's Brewfest. Take care...Mark

New arrivals

2008-04-25T23:03:00.001-05:00

It's crazy here in Missoula as the school year winds to a close. There are a few loose ends to tie up before the semester ends and oh yeah 4 finals to get ready for. My Math final should be no sweat but the others will be very challenging. I'll be so happy to be done with my Macroeconomics and Geology classes. The professors have been fine but the subject matter has been testing my attention span :-)

In the midst of all this chaos, two great things have happened during this past week. Theresa became a first time grandma and my cousin Jay and his wife Lisa also became the proud parents of twin girls!

Aleah Marie was born to Theresa's son David and his wife Sarah last Saturday. Theresa and Dustin were over in Helena for a meeting so the timing couldn't have been any better. Aleah is so cute and I couldn't be happier for her grandma and parents. It will be awesome to get to meet Aleah and watch her grow up. The first two pictures are of little Aleah in case your wondering.

My cousin Jay and his wife Lisa became first time parents on Wednesday. Sabrina and Summer are both healthy and doing great. My grandma is thrilled to be a first time great-grandma twice over and I'm so happy for her. It will be great to watch the twins grow up and it's exciting to see another cousin start a family. The last picture is of the twins with a very proud papa.

I'm in the process of making my plans for this upcoming summer. Summer school lasts until June 20th and that will give about an 8 week summer vacation. At the end of June, I'll be heading east back to North Dakota for a visit. I'll be home for about a week and I can't wait to see my family and friends. Hopefully they will all still recognize me HA HA The rest of my summer will consist of bumming around Missoula, attending a few Osprey games and of course taking in the Western MT Fair. Definetly not a bad way to spend summer in Big Sky country.

Peace...Mark

"Life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act." --Truman Capote

Return of the Rocket Man

2008-04-19T22:56:00.000-05:00

It’s been a little while since an update but school has kept me well occupied. Two weeks to go until finals are here, and then I’ll have a short break before summer school begins. I’ll be taking Intro to Poetry to fulfill my humanities requirement. Hopefully it will be somewhat interesting.

On Friday April 11th Sir Elton John returned to Missoula for a much anticipated encore performance. We had been waiting for several months to see Elton and the wait sure was worth it. He rocked the house and treated the Garden City to an evening that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

We arrived at the arena about 90 minutes before the show and the line was already quite long. After what seemed like an eternity, we made it inside the arena to our seats which were amazingly close to the stage. The crowd was giddy with anticipation as they waited for this music legend to take the stage.

The house lights went dark and the crowd went absolutely crazy. The lights came back up and Elton started right into Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding which is a personal fave of mine. Elton’s piano mastery was something to behold and what a way to start things off. He then went right into the Bitch is Back before saying hi to the frenzied crowd. After almost every song Elton would pump his fist in the air or get up and interact with different sections of the crowd.

He played all the hits during his 2 ½ hour set and gave the audience all he had. I really thought these songs stood out: Take Me To The Pilot, Levon, Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting, Rocket Man, Philadelphia Freedom, Pinball Wizard, I'm Still Standing, and of course Your Song. It was unreal as Elton and his band kept playing song after song. Thought maybe he was planning on playing all through the night :-)

I’ve attended quite a few concerts in my life and this performance ranks right up there. This Missoula moment will be pretty hard to top that’s for sure. Enjoy the pictures/video clip and I’ll be back in a couple days with a few exciting bits of info.

Peace…Mark

A part of history

2008-04-08T01:04:00.000-05:00

Anticipation flowed through my veins as I awoke early Saturday morning. Barack Obama was in Missoula and in a few short hours I would be listening to him speak! A moment like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Theresa, Dustin, and I made our way to the Adams Center about 9 a.m. Surprisingly traffic wasn’t bad as we drove through the campus but the line of people waiting outside the arena stretched for blocks. We made our way through the massive crowd and one of the Obama volunteers spotted us and helped us inside. There was a short delay while we waited for security to inspect our wheelchairs but soon we were on our way to our seats.

We sat up in the skybox level which was a long way from the floor but we could see the stage pretty well. You could feel the electricity build as the arena filled up to capacity with eager spectators. Cheers emanated through the crowd as the 10 o’clock hour approached. Things got kicked off with Missoula mayor John Engen and he was followed by several other campaign staff and volunteers.

At around 10 a.m. Barack was introduced and he made his way to the stage as the thunderous chords of U2’s City of Blinding Lights blared overhead. Missoula was on its feet and ready to hear the man and his message.

I was expecting Obama to be a wonderful orator and he didn’t disappoint. He’s been criticized as having little substance in his speeches but I didn’t find that to be true at all. He has many excellent ideas and thanks to Dubya’s 8 years in power, it may take some painful measures to turn things around. Healthcare is a big concern for Obama as is the need to cut taxes on those earning $75,000 or less. I also liked his idea of providing large tax credits to college students in exchange for community service work.

Barack left the stage after talking over 45 minutes and I don’t think anybody left the arena disappointed. Missoula made history last weekend with visits by two presidential contenders and I’m glad to have been a part of it. I’ve included some pics and video of the Missoula speech courtesy of BarackObama.com

Peace…Mark

Obama Time

2008-04-03T23:38:00.000-05:00

After much speculation, Barack Obama’s campaign announced that the Senator will be making a stop in Missoula Saturday morning. He will be speaking at the University arena and they are estimating a crowd of 7,500 people.

Theresa, Dustin, and I got on Obama’s website last night and were able to secure three tickets before they were all gone. We are all so excited at the chance of seeing a historic candidate in an election year like no other. Obama’s optimism is something our country has been lacking for many years and I feel he is the man for the job. I will post some pictures if we’re close enough to take any.

My breathing is much improved since last weekend’s episode but I’m a little fatigued yet. The meds seem to be working good and I’m sure that I’ll be feeling 100% very soon. Theresa has been taking great care of me along with the assistance of our Nurse Ugga the Pug :-) I still marvel at how in tune animals can be when their humans aren’t feeling up to par.

That’s it for now but I’ll be back this weekend with an update of the rally. Peace…Mark

It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today. -- Barack Obama

Spring break trip

2008-03-30T23:21:00.001-05:00

I got to take a trip Saturday morning and unfortunately it wasn’t to an exotic sandy beach. It was a trip to the ER where I had a morning of poking, prodding and X-rays. Not the way I was envisioning ending an otherwise relaxing week :-)

It all started Friday when I went out to lunch and a matinee at the theater. My chest began hurting and my breathing got really tight during the afternoon. I crawled into bed, took some Tylenol and it seemed to help for a little while, that is until I wanted to turn the lights off.

At about 1 a.m. my ventilator pressures continued to rise and this caused my vent alarm to sound constantly. I tried my nebs and Cough Assist treatments but things didn’t improve. Eventually I was able to sleep for 90 minutes but then the problems returned. I decided it was time to seek medical help and the ambulance took me to the ER.

They did a breathing treatment right away and that helped a little. I played the role of the human pincushion for about an hour and finally they hit pay dirt. We also did an X-ray and a few other tests to rule some things out. The doc came in and said I had a slight inflammation in my lung tissue. I was discharged Saturday afternoon and sent home with a supply of steroid meds and antibiotics. The folks at Community Hospital were great and took awesome care of me. They remembered me from my last visit and that helped out a lot.

I felt much better last night and slept great. Today I’ve done well and I feel almost normal. Oh well the weekend wasn’t dull and spring break has come to a close. I’ll be going to class tomorrow if things continue to go fine. 6 weeks to go and I can feel the intensity building already.

Peace, Mark

Getting out of the hospital is a lot like resigning from a book club. You're not out of it until the computer says you're out of it. -- Erma Bombeck

2008-03-26T23:42:00.001-05:00

Its Spring Break week here in Western MT and I’m really enjoying the downtime. No big plans during this week except to relax and catch up on a few things that have been on the back burner. Friday I’m going to head to the movies and bum around town for the afternoon. Hey maybe next year I can plan my trip to Cabo or Cancun :-)

Monday I’ll be ready to get back to work and make the final assault on my remaining 6 weeks as a UM freshman. It’s a great feeling to almost be done and hopefully the next steps will result in admission to the Journalism School. I’ll be meeting with my advisor soon to set my schedule for Fall 08 and go over my summer school plans. Applying to the Journalism School won’t happen until March 2009 but that will be here before I know it.

Last week was tough as we lost Dustin’s Grandma Rose. She was a great lady and she touched all of those who knew her. I only knew her for a short time but she always made me feel like part of the family when we were together. Words are inadequate to describe the loss of people like Rose but I will miss her very much.

Here’s ends my Spring Break update but I’ll have another as school commences next week. I want to wish our friend MJ in Ohio all the best as she continues a long hospitalization. Keep up the fight girl and I hope you get the heck out of there soon!

Peace, Mark

Life is eternal, and love is immortal, and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight. ~Rossiter Worthington Raymond

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

2008-03-17T12:26:00.000-05:00

There’s one week to go until spring break and I’ll definitely need the break. I have major exams this week in Poli Sci, Macroeconomics, and math. I’ve studied hard and hopefully I will do well. No major plans for break except to relax and not think of school :-)

This weekend I went to the Big Sky Conference Women’s Basketball Championship at the university. It was a blast and the Griz women crushed Montana St. 101-65 to earn a berth to the big dance. The pairings will be announced on ESPN today and hopefully the women will have a successful tournament.

We’ll be celebrating St. Patty’s Day with the traditional corn beef and the trimmings. It was so good last year and I’ll be looking forward to that all day! It’s time for me to head off to class but I’ll be back next week with another update. Take care and I’ve attached a few pictures from the weekend. Peace…Mark

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; I'm not sure about the universe." -- Albert Einstein

2008-03-07T12:23:00.001-06:00

It's the end of another crazy week and where do I begin. Wednesday night I was downtown to catch the CrippleXXX comedy tour as it passed through Missoula. Two of the comics were from Seattle and they were pretty funny, edgy, and outrageous. Missoula's own (and friend of ours) Mike Beers was the opening act and he was awesome as usual. A late night but a good time I must say.

School continues to chug along and in 8 more weeks my freshman year will wrap up. Hard to believe! I had my Geology test Monday and it went well. Grades will be given back next week, so I guess we'll see. The best news of the week is that I managed to get a 98 on my 2nd math test. It's been so much work but the results are worth it. I have a big midterm in Macroeconomics on March 19th, so most of my attention is now focused on that. Spring break is after that and I can’t wait!

I've been starting to get involved with ADSUM (students w/ disabilities group) on campus. ADSUM deals with improving the college experience for students with disabilities at the University of Montana. They also work with any barriers or issues that arise. It’s been good to meet some new people and be involved with a campus group.

I'm happy to announce that Dustin is running for House District 91 here in Montana. Running for public office requires quite a commitment and I wish him all the best in this endeavor. You can visit his campaign website for more details.

That all for now from Big Sky country and hopefully I’ll be back with another update real soon. Take care until then. Peace…Mark

Dustin for House Dist. 91: http://www.dustinforhouse08.com/

"He who walks in another's tracks leaves no footprints." -- Joan Brannon

Pictures!

2008-02-28T01:20:00.001-06:00

It's another crazy week with school keeping me busy but here are some pictures from last week's visit. We had a blast and it was a great break from school. Peace...Mark

http://tinyurl.com/2q4dn3

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can. ~- Danny Kaye

2008-02-19T23:30:00.000-06:00

I went to the University Center today to hear Eleanor Smith speak. Eleanor heads up Concrete Change and she is this country's guru/expert on the concept of visitability. Visitability is a movement to mandate that every new home built has one no-step entrance, an accessible half or full bath on the main floor, and 32+ inch doors throughout the residence. Visitability has worked great in the parts of this country where it's been made law. Eleanor was great to listen to and hopefully we can be successful here in Missoula with adopting visitability.

School continues to roll on and I have an exam in Poli Sci. Wednesday. I've studied hard and hopefully that will translate into a good score. Everything else is routine in the school department.

Thursday will be a great day as some of my family will be flying in for the weekend. I'm looking forward to a fun and enjoyable weekend. My dad has to stay back in North Dakota to keep up with tax season but he'll be out here after the rush is over.

Before I close I'd like to ask for prayers and positive thoughts for my friend MJ in Ohio. She's having surgery tomorrow to get a trach and here's hoping that things go great. Take care and I'll be back soon.

Peace,

Mark

Concrete Change: http://www.concretechange.org/

The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher. ~Thomas Henry Huxley

2008-02-15T12:25:00.001-06:00

It's been 10 days since the last post and wow how the time flies! Things are well and school continues to keep me pretty busy. The results from my first math test came back yesterday and I managed a 94. Hopefully this means I'll continue to survive this dreaded subject. The other classes have been uneventful but the next few weeks will bring more exams.

Wednesday I went out to Community Rehab and had the chance to meet Tom (co-owner) of Ride Designs. Ride Designs is based in Denver and they specialize in wheelchair seating. We talked about what I was looking for in a backrest and Tom took a mold of my upper body. The molding process involved putting a bag full of styrofoam pellets against my back. Then they massaged the pellets into the places I need support. When we were satisfied with my positioning, an air compressor was used to tighten down a mold that could be casted. The casting will go to Denver so the backrest can be manufactured. I'm excited that finally we may have a cushion that will make me comfortable. A big thanks to Tom, Mary, and all the others who helped out with this process.

That's it for now and I'll try to get another post out soon. Some of my family is flying into Missoula next week and I can't wait! Will be fun to hang out for a few days and catch up.

Peace,

Mark

Ride Designs: http://www.ridedesigns.com/index.html

“A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive.” --Walt Disney

2008-02-05T23:03:00.000-06:00

I'm hunkered down in my bed tonight juggling studying with watching the Super Tuesday returns. There's a sense of optimism with me as I hope that our country can finally get back on the right path. I was happy to see my home state (ND) won by Obama! It looks like a long race to the finish but that's not a bad thing for political junkies like me.

School continues to go fine but I can't remember when I've read so much :-) On Thursday I'll be taking my first math test and I'm actually feeling pretty good about it. I like not being rushed to get to class in the morning but going everyday sure makes the week fly by. The weekends sure are appreciated.

In Pug news, our gang of brats was selected to grace the homepage of the Pug owner group that we belong to. I had to put their picture on my post this week! Words can't describe how much joy they all bring to our lives.

Well time to wrap it up so I can go eat and watch more returns. I'll try to be back soon with a little lengthier update. Take care until then!

Peace,

Mark

We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. -- John F. Kennedy

At it again

2008-01-27T18:48:00.000-06:00

Whew the first week of the semester has past and things feel pretty good. My classes are in all new areas of study and it could make for an interesting semester. The good thing is that my classes are mostly 50 minutes long and that helps my attention span greatly :-)

My favorite class will definitely be American Government. Politics has always been a love of mine and with the election season upon us I can't think of a better time to take this class. The only bad thing is with two books to get through for this class, there will be tons of reading.

After American Government we have to hustle across campus to be in attendance for my Geology lecture class. I really didn't have an itching desire to take this one but I need a natural science to get into the Journalism school. The professor seems funny and we are going to be trying out some new technology to communicate as a class. You can check out ICLICKER.com for more info.

Then after Geology it's off to Macroeconomics to finish out the afternoon. Macro isn't too bad except for learning a good deal of new terminology. Math plays a part in this class and hopefully it won't be so bad if I can learn the formulas.

I'm taking my math class on the days when I'm not on the main campus. Math isn't bad so far and we have a really good professor which helps. The only problem I've had is that when my math book was scanned onto CD, they only scanned the odd pages :-) That will be remedied tomorrow when they give me the entire book.

That's spring semester in a nutshell and I'm trying to keep my blogging on track for weekly updates. We'll see how that goes as the semester progresses.

Peace,

Mark

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright