Big Sky Blog

The most famous daredevil of modern America and favorite son of Butte, the legendary Evel Knievel, has died at the age of 69.

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And although some locals aren’t wholly convinced that Knievel is indeed the “favorite son” of Butte, I suspect that Evel will always be remembered well everywhere.

And how many young boys (and girls?) in the 1970s can directly attribute their broken, scraped, and/or bloody limbs and bones to Evel? And still smile about it today?

UPDATE: Billings Gazette blogger Ed Kemmick recalls (and republishes) a letter that he received from Evel Knievel a few years ago.

No, I’m not resorting to name-calling – he really IS a communist! Meet the only known Montana Communist Party blogger: jjack, blogging over at Red Montana.

Red Montana is a blog written by the one, the only jjack, comin’ atcha straight outta Butte, Montana. The purpose if this blog is to share with you my opinions on labor, politics, international affairs, economics, Marxist-Leninist theory, and other good stuff, all from a left perspective.

An example: I’d wager that Red Montana is the only Montana-based blog that recalls fondly the decades of oppression, torture, and murder of the Soviet regime.

A long-time member of the Montana blogging community, Allan (aka AJ Tooley) (formerly known as The Raving Norseman), has created a clever video as an entry in a Home Depot gift card contest.

UPDATE, December 19: Despite the best efforts of all Montanans, AJ didn’t take home the $25K – but he did win a runner-up prize! Congrats, AJ!

As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t think that I ever saw or met real “cowboys” until I moved to Montana (from Texas, no less). I’m talking about folks who, as part of their real-life job description, actually ride horses, tend to cattle and livestock, and live according to an unwritten code that includes honesty, integrity, and other iconic qualities. And while some cowboys may prefer to be called “ranchers,” there is not much daylight between the two. Sarpy Sam qualifies as both, to my mind, but even he wonders if there are any younger folks to carry the cowboy/rancher lifestyle into the 21st century.

If you’re considering moving to Montana (or within Montana), the internet is an amazing resource – you can view listings and see pictures of property from the comfort of your home or office to narrow your search. But more and more realtors (and FSBO) are turning to video to market real estate. Some examples: Google video search; YouTube video search; Yahoo video search.

Here’s a sample:

We haven’t done a Big Sky Blog Roundup in a long time, so let’s get busy:

1 – The Horsewoman over at InnStyle Montana has some timely tips on the upcoming holiday titled “The Ten Commandments of Holiday Eating.”

2 – And speaking of eating…here’s one way to begin working off the turkey – at the “Huffing For Stuffing” fun run in Bozeman!

Today is the day – the annual football classic between the Montana State University “Bobcats” and the University of Montana “Grizzlies.” Check out what Sports Illustrated had to say about the matchup:

This week’s law enforcement roundup takes us to Missoula, Mont., home of the 10-0 Montana Grizzlies. Heading into their rivalry game with Montana State, it seems that only the law can stop this team. In a season that has already seen Grizzlies players accused of assault by beer bottle, pointing a gun at a woman’s head and, oh yeah, murder, three more football players are facing burglary and kidnapping charges after a house break-in last week. The Grizzlies may not play in the Bowl subdivision, but murder and kidnapping are big time. No I-A program can boast a rap sheet like that this season. Not even Texas or Florida.
Pick: Montana by 20 to life

Ouch. Well, to lighten the mood, you can always check out a repository of Griz jokes – at the expense of the Cats, natch. And if you’re a Cats fan, just replace “Cats” with “Griz” in each joke. Here’s a sample (but I switched teams on some of them!):

What does the average UM player get on his SAT’s?
Drool

What do you get when you put 32 MSU cheerleaders in one room?
A full set of teeth

How do you get a UM cheerleader into your dorm room?
Grease her hips and push like hell

How do you get A MSU football player off you porch?
Pay him for the pizza

Why do the UM cheerleaders wear bibs?
To keep the tobacco juice off their uniforms

Why do they no longer serve ice at MSU football games?
The senior who knew the recipe graduated

Why is the UM football team like a possum?
Because they play dead at home, and get killed on the road

What are the longest three years of an MSU football player’s life?
His freshman year

How many UM freshman does it take to change a lightbulb?
None, that’s a sophomore course at UM

Any predictions on the winner of the game – or the score?

Shameless Plug: here are some favorite Montana-themed things that you might enjoy.