As some of you may know, I'm an avid angler. I love fishing for
largemouth bass, northern pike, panfish, walleyes, and assorted rough
fish. I'm also a solid devotee of the spinning reel, and have used them
exclusively for many many years, with considerable success and pleasant
recreation.
So, after my recent 65th birthday, with my Mills Fleet Farm gift
cards in hand and despite having plenty (more than plenty) of fishing
tackle already in my arsenal, I visited the store and was browsing
through the fishing tackle department.
"No," I thought, "I have plenty of those, and enough
of that, and more than enough of those worthless things." I was
just about to head for the men's clothing department and buy something
practical, like a couple of pairs of new jeans, when something caught my
right eye. Now, had it been my left eye, which is the dominant eye, I
might have simply walked on, but occasionally my right eye leads me
astray.
What was spotted by my right eye was a fly rod and reel, with a
reduced price that seemed most attractive. Fly fishing, eh? Influenced
by the right eye, I allowed myself to be sucked in by the promise of
gracefully casting my line and using the most conservative form of
fishing to land...well...who knows what? So, deceived by the promise of
prestige and respect from other anglers, I found myself grasping this
fly rod and reel. Of course, there were many other things I'd have to
buy if I were going to take up this oh-so-old-fashioned method of
angling. So, I bought fly line, leaders, an assortment of flies, and a
few other oddments I had heard were part of this traditional, yet
complex way of angling.
Doing a quick calculation in my brain (the left side, not the right,
which has trouble with numbers and values for some reason), I discovered
that I had reached, and even exceeded the value of the gift cards in my
wallet. I would have to use some of my precious cash to fully
participate in fly fishing, it seemed. I almost put the equipment back
on the shelves and headed for the jeans, but, once again, my right eye
got the better of me and I hauled all this gear to the cash register,
where I parted with the gift cards, and some folding green.
I arrived home and showed my wife my dubious treasure, and she gave
me the usual, "Oh Lord, not more fishing tackle" look -- a
look with which I am more than a little familiar. I dismissed this lack
of enthusiasm summarily and repaired to my "office." I
assembled all my birthday loot, put line on the reel, tied a perfect
nail knot (after about a dozen tries) to attach the leader to the line,
and sorted my assorted flies. I would go the next day and master the art
of fly fishing. I reviewed some useful information on the internet and
dreamed of all the leaping smallmouth bass I would catch from the
Mississippi River the next day.
Well, once again, the right side of my head was a wicked deceiver. I
did get to the river this morning, tied a very pretty streamer fly to
the leader, and set about to master casting with a fly rod. Not so fast!
My first few attempts ended in having fly line and leader falling upon
my head in a tangled heap. I tried again, and again, and finally managed
to put about 25' of line, plus the leader, on the water. No bites, so I
did as I had seen done on the many Youtube videos of fly casting the
evening before, and smartly raised my rod to lift the line and all for a
backcast, then duly waited, as I had been told to do, for the line to
straighten out behind me, then smartly made the forward cast.
After I had pulled the hook in that streamer fly from the back of my
right earlobe, staunched the bleeding, and partly recovered my dignity,
I happened to glance up the river, only to see two gentlemen who were
fishing with more sensible tackle laughing and pointing in my direction.
I looked farther down the riverbank, but there was nothing laughable in
that direction. I knew humiliation.
Eventually, I managed to make some decent casts, but never succeeded
in having any of them intersect with a hungry smallmouth bass. Finally,
after breaking off the streamer fly on a sunken branch, I decided that
perhaps this fly fishing thing would have to wait for another time. I
packed up and returned home, my head hanging low with the shame of it
all. My wife, seeing my dejected face, wisely chose not to query me on
my success.
I learned something, though, today: I must never let myself be
deceived again by my right eye. It lies to me and tells me that things
will be much better than they turn out to be in reality. A costly
lesson, that diminished both my dignity and my wallet. Hereafter, I will
trust my left eye...my dominant eye...my reliable eye. Perhaps I will
donate my fly fishing tackle to some fishing club of old men who would
die before touching a spinning reel. Perhaps...well...perhaps I'll just
put a patch over my right eye to keep it from further deceiving me, and
go in the direction of efficiency, productivity, and reason in my future
angling. The left eye sees things more clearly, it seems.
8/6/10
Comments? Email Me!
Target Corp. Shills for Tom Emmer
Well, the Supreme Court decision allowing corporations to spend
unlimited funds on political campaigns has hit home in Minnesota.
Through an PAC named Minnesota Forward, Target Corporation, Polaris,
Hubbard Broadcasting, and other corporations, have begun running
television ads supporting Tom Emmer, the teabagger-like GOP candidate
for Minnesota Governor. Emmer has called for cutting restaurant server
wages to lower than minimum wage, and has praised Arizona's harsh
immigration laws.
The story about the PAC broke yesterday on television news and talk
radio stations. Here's a link to one television report:
Emmer, himself, hasn't run any ads at all yet, but this
corporate-sponsored ad, in part, says, "Travel around Minnesota,
and it's clear. People are hurting. State government continues to spend
too much. Businesses forced to lay people off. That's why Minnesota
needs Tom Emmer."
So far, contributions to Minnesota Forward total just under half a
million dollars, but a spokesperson for the organization says that
they're committed to spending "whatever it takes" to elect Tom
Emmer as governor. He also called for tax cuts for businesses, to
"let them create jobs."
Today, I'll be sending a snail-mail letter on my business letterhead
to Target, the only one of the companies of which I am a customer.
Here's the contact information for Target Corp. You won't find it on the
target.com website:
Gregg W. Steinhafel, Chairman, President, and CEO
Target Corporation
1000 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55403
MN Tel. 612-304-6073
Fax 612-696-5400
In that letter, I'll explain why it's a bad idea for businesses to
take a public partisan position in elections. I'll further explain that
I do not support Tom Emmer, either directly, or indirectly, through
purchases from companies who advertise for that candidate. I'll add that
I will be encouraging others to stop spending at Target, as well, as
long as the company financially supports Minnesota Forward and Tom
Emmer.
I encourage anyone who feels the same to send a letter to Gregg
Steinhafel. Let him know how you feel about Target paying for partisan
political ads.
7/20/2010
In her attempt to form a "Tea Party Caucus" in Congress,
Michelle (Crazy-Eyes) Bachmann continues her campaign to lose her seat
in that very legislative body. The tone-deaf Congresswoman, facing tough
competition in the MN 6th Congressional District, is apparently plotting
to move into national politics by losing the 2010 election. Her loss
should catapult her political career into the same mucky backwater
created by half-term Governor Sarah Palin. Minnesota voters will no
doubt aid her in her ambitions come November.
And, speaking of holes, it is rumored that Ms. Crazy-Eyes Bachmann
will make a campaign appearance at this weekend's Hole concert in the
Twin Cities. No doubt the audience for that concert will applaud
Congressman Bachmann's ambitions to lose her seat.
7/16/10
Minnesota Nurses Throw Patient Care Issue Under The Bus
Well, the MNA and the hospitals came to an agreement today, shocking
everyone pretty hard. Yesterday, they were miles apart. Today, they
settle.
For those of you not in Minnesota, this strike was touted to be a
strike over "patient care," and that was the only issue that
ever got mentioned by the MNA. "It's not about money at all,"
the MNA spokesperson kept saying. The thousands of signs in yards around
the Twin Cities all read, "We Care For You!"
So, did the nurses get any staffing changes? Nope. They got a small
raise, and their pensions and health care intact. No staffing changes.
No changes in the all-important nurse:patient ratio, which they kept
saying was the only reason they were going on strike.
This agreement happened because many, many nurses in the MNA made it
clear that they were going to work, crossing the picket lines and
breaking the strike. Patient safety? Feh. It was all about the money and
benefits...from the very beginning, just as many people suspected all
along.
The MNA spokesperson said nothing about patient safety today. In
fact, the MNA spokesperson said approximately nothing at all today. The
strike is settled. There will be no improvements in patient care. There
will be a little more money and no cuts in pensions and health
insurance. Patient care? Oh...never mind that...we're going back to
work. Strike's over.
You can be sure that every news outlet in the city will be point this
discrepancy out all next week. They've already started pointing out that
no patient safety provisions are part of this settlement, and that the
only thing that the nurses got was more money..
Here's the problem: The union made such a big deal out of that issue,
but when push came to shove, their membership was going to cross the
picket lines and go back to work. The issue wasn't even that important
to the rank and file. It was a manufactured issue, designed to put more
union workers on the job. Now, that's a worthy goal, but throwing that
issue under the bus as they have done makes the MNA look like a fraud.
This was a very, very bad move. It will harm the cause of labor in
Minnesota for years to come. It will not be forgotten, and that issue
will never be addressed properly.
Shame on the MNA for not even knowing what their membership wanted
and shame on them for using a false issue, then throwing it away
suddenly when they found out that the working membership didn't really
give a shit about staffing or patient safety.
This will set negotiations back for a long, long time, and not just
for the nurses' union. It was a bad, bad move.
7/1/10
Like everyone else, I suppose, I grabbed a couple of the new Rapala
Flat Raps before fishing season. Both were in perch coloration, and I
got an 08 and a 10 size.
This week, I put the 08 to the test at Bald Eagle lake. Very nice
action, and it seems to run well just above the weeds, at about 2' down
or less, depending on retrieve speed.
I even trolled it a while, over those same weeds, trying to stir up
whatever was in there. I didn't test it as a jerk bait much, but it'll
work well in that retrieve, too.
The action is dramatic, with lots of flash, even at very slow
retrieve speeds. When you rest the lure, it slowly rises to the surface,
then pops back down with a rod twitch or when you start retrieving
again. It does a good job of imitating a tired or wounded small
perch...a favorite prey of largemouths, northerns, and walleyes.
The lure generated lots of strikes, but has a problem in common with
many other lures of this type. The 08 size uses small trebles. They're
sharp, but too small, I think. I got hit by several largemouths, but all
but two managed to throw the lure with headshakes. Larger trebles should
fix this problem, but may have a bad effect on the lure's action. I'll
change out the hooks and see what that does, but the current hooks are
definitely too small for largemouths and northerns.
At almost $8 per unit, this is an expensive little crankbait, but
looks like it will be very productive...if it can be successfully
modified to produce better hook sets.
So, what I've done is to put on a pair of Size 8 VMC Sure Set
trebles.
I haven't fished this yet, but I've checked the action, and it's not
affected to any measurable degree. The extended large gap hook on these
trebles, as used on the Clackin' Rap, should produce better hook sets.
5/23/10
Springtime in Minnesota is the season of clear water. If you're an
angler that presents a real opportunity you won't get the rest of the
year. So, grab your favorite pair of polarized sunglasses and spend some
time looking at fish and underwater structure. You won't get another
opportunity to actually see the fish where you'll be fishing until next
year at this time.
Cruise very slowly through the weeds and rocky areas on your favorite
lake, using your trolling motor and look down. If you're quiet, you'll
discover that the fish aren't that frightened of your boat, and you'll
be able to see fish and structure you didn't know was there.
I did a lot of this yesterday on Bald Eagle Lake, where the water was
clearer than I've seen it for a long time. I could see the bottom at
least 5' deep. So, I spent little time fishing and decided to go into
all those areas where I'm usually casting, just to have a look. Besides,
I normally fish for bass, and that season isn't open yet.
The lake weeds aren't fully grown yet, so I could see clearly what
was in those shallows and weed beds where I usually fish. It was
amazing! There were bass and northerns in there that were way bigger
than most of the ones I usually catch. There were also thousands of
panfish, which is probably why I'm not catching those big ones...they're
eating the sunnies and crappies and perch they're swimming with. I even
saw a muskie at least 50" long swim under my boat.
The real surprise was that the fish seemed pretty unconcerned about
the NOTLUND GARCKY III passing over them. Even in places where the water
was only 2' deep, they either stayed where they were or swam off slowly
as I passed over. Any sharp noise from the boat, though, and they
scattered, but returned quickly. Interesting information.
I also saw rocks where I didn't know there were rocks. New structure
to fish later in the year. I even found, and retrieved, a nice mushroom
anchor someone left on the bottom. Lots of rusty old lures on the
bottom, too, but I have plenty of those, so I left 'em there.
Anyhow, the point of doing this is to explore the lake in a way you
can't do later in the year, when it gets mucked up with algae and other
stuff. I learned a whole bunch of stuff about the places I usually fish,
and found a couple of new areas I'll be targeting later in the year. I
made mental notes of all of this.
So, put your boat on the water right now and just explore. It's a
treat to see all those fish, and you'll learn a heckuva lot about your
favorite lake. Knowledge makes good anglers, and knowledge like this is
worth more than a whole tackle box full of the latest offerings from the
tackle makers.
5/19/10
Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia has been detected in fish in Lake
Superior. This is not good news at all for anglers in Minnesota, and we
can expect some harsh regulations coming down the road. It's a good time
to remember the rules for boating and fishing to prevent the spread of
the disease in other Minnesota waters. The University of Minnesota has
put together a couple of good videos on the subject, and I'm going to
post those videos below. All anglers need to see these and start
practicing good preventive measures. If we don't, we'll be seeing even
more restrictions on our sport soon.
Thanks for cooperating with these prevention measures!
With the good weather moving in early this year, I got started almost
a month ahead of time in my preparations for the 2010 fishing season. I
rolled the boat over on its trailer, installed the outboard, trolling
motor, and set up everything, then moved the trailer into the garage, so
it will be ready when I am.
I made my annual trip to the Woodbury Gander Mountain to pick up the
stuff I ruined last year and, maybe, a new thing or two. As I was
browsing the shelves there, grabbing some new circle hooks for
catfishing, and other cheap and necessary items, I was struck by the
enormous variety of fish-catching paraphernalia available and the
thinness of my wallet. Oh, I did pick up a #5 Flat Rap in perch color,
and replaced the Booyah Mini-Shad the muskie ruined last year in its
surprise attack. The Flat Rap is new this year, and I bought it in honor
of Mark Fisher, whose voice I will sorely miss on Sunday evenings.
But, I left the rest of the shiny stuff in the store. I don't need
it, given my dedication to fishing the simple way. I already have three
dozen or so lures in my tackle bag that I haven't used yet. They caught
me at one point or another while I was on another trip to Gander
Mountain or Mills Fleet Farm. Some came from the Sale bins, where they
were because nobody bought them the year before. Some came from the pegs
and were full price. They remain unused.
What does get used is a small assortment of lures that have proven
productive on the lakes I frequent. A couple of spinnerbaits, a Zara
Spook clone I walk across the surface of weed beds, a couple of original
floating Rapalas with tooth marks on them, and assorted lipless
crankbaits I troll through the tall weeds as fish locators. Then there
are the hooks and sinkers I use with nightcrawlers to catch anything
that swims in the Mississippi.
Fishing, for me, isn't the same sport it is for a lot of people. I
fish the old fashioned way, spotting likely structure, then applying a
very few strategies to catch the fish there. It's not complicated, and
it works very well. Yes, I've been sucked in by the lures that are
designed to catch anglers better than they catch fish, but I don't
actually use them, mostly.
The rest of my equipment is similar. An old 12' aluminum boat, a
small outboard, the cheapest electric trolling motor, and a fish locator
that manages to locate the water depth most of the time. It's minimalist
fishing, at least compared to what I see other anglers using on the
lakes I visit. But, I have a couple of other pieces of equipment I find
even more effective: my eyes and my brain.
Instead of racing from one honey hole to another, I motor along
slowly, often trolling a lipless crank bait behind me. Instead of
looking at my LCD screen, I'm scanning the water around me, looking for
the tell-tale signs of forage fish nearby. Since I don't have a GPS, I
triangulate my position, using landmarks, when I find a good fishing
spot.
I tend to return to the same lakes, again and again. They're mostly
smallish lakes, many of which I know intimately now. I'm in no hurry,
and don't want to make much noise or too big a wake. I fish where others
aren't most of the time, and my rod is bent more often than those in
much more expensive boats with much more expensive equipment.
Last year's accidental muskie is a good case in point. As I headed
for the spot where I caught it, in the middle of an edge between dense
water lilies and deeper weeds in 10' of water, I passed a muskie angler
in his large boat. He was making beautiful long casts with a monstrous
surface bait, over and over again. Where I went, he couldn't even get
to. As I drifted into the weeds, I spotted a fish rolling about 30 feet
from my boat. So, I cast a 3/16 oz triple willow spinnerbait, a Booyah
Mini Shad that has caught largemouths and northerns many times in the
weeds. This time, it hooked a 36" muskie. After a good fight on my
light tackle, I released it alongside the boat. Afterwards, I saw the
other muskie guy, who was probably 200 yards away, fishing in another
location. He had watched the fight. He put his rod down, started his
outboard and blasted out of the area.
No, I don't need another dozen crankbaits. I don't need a new boat.
My 6 hp outboard started up on the third pull after the long winter. I
did buy a new spinning rod, though -- at Goodwill, for $5. It fills a
gap in my collection of other used tackle. I need to fill up the 6
gallon fuel can, though, with fresh mix. I have to fill it up twice
during the fishing season. Other than that, though, I'm ready for
another season of slow, quiet fishing. It calms my mind and restores my
peace. I'm looking forward to it.
4/6/10
There is no update regarding the new format. It still sucks. I've
changed all my radios over to another station. If anyone hears anything
good about the new format, you can Email
Me! 2/26/10
Bear Facts & Fish Tales Takes The Pipe at AM-1500
Another casualty of AM 1500 KSTP's remake of their station into a
sports talk station is Mark Fisher and Larry Bollig's "Bear Facts
& Fish Tales" program, which has aired on the station for 17 or
18 years now, at the Sunday 7 PM to 9 PM hour. Taking the place of this
popular program is more inane ESPN sports talk. No doubt it will be a
show that wraps up the weekend sports events for the 23rd time.
I hope Mark and Larry find a new location for their show. Their loss
is just one more reason to tune off AM-1500 for another station. You
want my opinion? Well, here it is: AM-1500 and Hubbard Broadcasting
suck! Fishing and Hunting are sports, and they are sports that predate
all other sports. See ya, KSTP!
2/15/10
Remember AM1500? Pretty soon, you aren't going to recognize it.
Hubbard Broadcasting announced today that they were aligning with ESPN
and that AM1500 was going to be "1500 ESPN Twin Cities" soon.
To that end, the daytime programming shifts on Monday, 2/15/10, to a new
schedule. Joe and Patrick will still be around, but the subject's going
to be sports, sports, and more sports. Over a period of time, the
schedule will continue to change, bringing content (and shows) from ESPN
radio.
Who's getting the ax over at Hubbardland? Well, Bob Berglund, Jason
McGovern, Angie Ludwig, John Burns, Jay Kolls, and Al Malmberg. No word
on Kelly We'ub, but his time slot's going away, so I'm guessing he's
out, too. Overnights? It's ESPN's Jason Smith. Who's gonna listen? Who
the hell knows. It won't be me, though.
The local talk show format is dead, folks. Long live Sports Talk, eh?
Feh! I'm already retuning the radios in my house and car. See ya
somewhere on the dial!
2/11/10
I was in France with an orchestra and choir, doing concerts here and
there. The buses stopped, at one point, at a hypermart in France around
lunchtime. There was a McDonalds. All the silly people on the bus
trooped over to the McDonalds. I looked around, and saw that there was a
mobile grill sort of place parked not far from where the buses had
parked, so I wandered over there.
They were selling hamburgers, of all things. So, I ordered one. On
about half of the big griddle in the trailer were sliced onions being
cooked. The cook hand-chopped about half a pound of beef as I watched,
then slapped it on the empty half of the big flatiron grill. As it was
cooking, he got a copper bowl and whipped up some mayonnaise using olive
oil and lemon juice. He flipped the burger patty. Then, he got out a
nice-looking, big roll about 6" long and 3" wide and sliced in
half.
While I drooled, the meat was getting finished cooking. Rare. When it
was done, the cook slathered the roll halves with the mayonnaise, put
the meat on the bun, then scooped up a big pile of caramelized onion and
put that on the meat. He then wrapped the burger in a sheet of newspaper
and added a pile of lovely fries that I hadn't noticed before.
I took my newspaper-wrapped burger and got back on the bus, where
people were filing on with their McDonalds bags. As they ate their poor
sandwiches, I opened mine up. The aroma of grilled onions from it just
filled the bus, and everyone turned around to see what I was eating. I
didn't say a word.
Best. Burger. Ever. I have never eaten anything so good in my
life.
1/27/10
Food for Thought: How Anonymous Is Your Internet Presence?
A recent thread here on DU produced some interesting replies. It
appears that a lot of people still think their Internet presence is
anonymous. For a lot of reasons, I can assure you that it's probably
not. You may think you have anonymity, but the likelihood is that you
have very little. While it's possible to keep your real identity hidden,
it's not an easy proposition. Odds are you are pretty exposed out there.
Here are some questions to ask yourself, some checks you can make to
see your anonymity level, and some advice:
Questions to Ask Yourself
1. Do you use the same screen name on multiple forum sites? If you
do, then your posts on sites may contain more information than you
think. It doesn't take long for someone to locate the places your screen
name appears and discover clues to your identity. In some cases, people
have actually put their addresses, real names, and phone numbers on
other forums, while using the same screen name on forums where they'd
rather be anonymous. The more unique your screen name is, the easier
it'll be to find info about you.
2. Does your screen name actually reveal your real name? This is more
common than you may think. People try to be clever with their screen
names, but intuitive people can often figure out what's going on. Hint:
Spelling your name backwards is lame.
3. Do your profile settings on websites reveal more than you think?
Very few forum sites disable profile viewing for non members, and anyone
can join to see it. If you identify your city and state, have links to
other websites or to your own website, those can be clues to someone
trying to figure out where you are. Identifying things like email
addresses, IM addresses, and other info in profiles, can also identify
you.
4. Do you refer to forums in which you participate on social
networking sites where you use your real name? For example: DU members
have set up a DU fan group on Facebook. Many people have posted their DU
screen name on that group's pages. A site that cannot be named here
brags that they have a list of DU screen names and the real names, as
used on Facebook. They just read the DU group's stuff to gather that
info.
Checking Your Anonymity
1. Google your screen name. See what pops up and click the links.
Think about what you find at those links. Have you entrusted your
personal information to that quilting site or fishing site? Look at your
profiles on forums. Does your Facebook page show up somewhere? Your
email address? Use Google's image search, too. Your face may be on
there, with a link to whatever online place you store your photos. If
your image folders are not protected, anyone can browse through your
photos. You'd be amazed by what you might find. Protect your image
storage folders. Is someone talking about your posts here or elsewhere?
Could be.
2. Google your phone numbers, both landline and cell phone. You may
have some surprises in the Google results. Most people do. Also, go to
www.whitepages.com and do a reverse search on your phone numbers. Odds
are your address is there, even if your phone is "unlisted."
3. Google your email addresses. Again, you may find that you've
revealed them in places you'd rather not have revealed them, and may
find your email address in surprising places you've never thought of. A
clever searcher can put this stuff together. Amazon.com is a common
source of information for people who are looking for you.
4. Google your real name. If it's a reasonably unique name, you may
find that the old adage, "Fools' names and fools' faces often
appear in public places" is truer than you may think. Don't forget
to do an image search on Google, too. Oops! That photo you forgot you
posted on some place four years ago may be right there staring at you.
The same things mentioned in tip #1 apply.
5. Google links to your personal or business website or blog. Use the
search form "links:yoursite.com" without the quotation marks.
Isn't it amazing what you can find there? The links may well appear in
places you don't know about, and may reveal places where you've exposed
your identity unknowingly.
6. Google your address. Just enter it, with commas separating
elements, in post office format, without punctuation after words like st,
ave, etc. e.g.: 1234 mystreet st, mycity, ST, 11111 Just the address,
without your name. See your house in Google Maps satellite view? See
your name? See your phone number? See the sites where your address
appears? Weird, huh?
What Next?
If you discover that your anonymity is a myth, as so many people do,
there's little you can do to recapture it. What's on the internet will
stay there pretty much forever. What's done can't really be undone.
That's a sad fact.
If you can't find yourself, then you've done a pretty good job with
preserving your anonymity. You can probably keep doing what you're
doing, but recheck from time to time, and keep the risks in mind. It's
not impossible to be anonymous, but one slip can end that.
Or, do as I do and just accept that it's pretty much impossible to
completely anonymize yourself. I gave up that folly several years ago.
Use caution and good sense when posting in public places. Keep your
images safe if you store them online. Don't post outrageous or
slanderous things publicly. Always keep in mind that you are a public
persona, so watch what you say and do online. It could come back to bite
you at some point, as many people have discovered to their embarrassment
or worse.
1/21/10
I'm six months away from Medicare now, and my mailbox is chock full
of pretty brochures from health insurance companies clamoring to sell me
supplemental insurance to cover the 20% Medicare Parts A & B don't
pay. Other brochures want to sell me a Medicare Advantage plan that even
includes vision, dental, and hearing aid coverage. Either way, it'll
cost me from about $100-$120 to sign up for one of these things, plus
the $100 or so I'll be paying for Medicare Part B, taken out of my
Social Security payment.
That's pretty cool for me, of course, but it has me wondering about
something. Among the offers is one from Blue Cross, which is my current
health insurance company. At age 64, I pay them $711/mo. for lousy
coverage, and still have the 20% burden until my health care costs hit
$5000 each year. Plus, I have a $1000 deductible. I've never met even
the deductible, so all of my health care, plus $711/mo. comes out of my
own personal pocket.
Now, Blue Cross whines about the rising cost of health care every
time they send me a notice that they're...once again...raising my
insurance rate or cutting one benefit or another. They're getting about
$8500/yr. from me, and I don't use any of the insurance, thank goodness.
I like being well.
So, when I turn 65, they'll be happy to pay all of the 20% Medicare
doesn't pay, and will only want $100/mo. from me. No deductible. They're
all very excited to sell me this supplemental coverage...all of the
insurance companies. And that brings up the very real question: WTF?
Why is it that when I'm 64, they seem to want to price me right out
of my insurance coverage, but when I turn 65, they want to sell me a
reasonably-priced package to cover that 20%? I mean, it's not like my
health is likely to improve over the next couple of decades. It's not
like they aren't going to have to start paying out 20% of the cost of my
colonoscopy and probable MRIs and the like. See, I haven't gotten any of
those things, because I'd have to come up with the first $1000 and the
20% over that.
I've thought about it, and I actually know the answer now. Medicare
pays way less money for every procedure than the insurance companies do.
The providers have to take the Medicare allotment for whatever they do
for me. It's a lot less than the insurance companies have been able to
negotiate, since they're in collusion with the providers anyhow. So, the
insurance companies can offer me some pretty enticing packages for a
small fraction of what I'm now paying for my health insurance. They're
not doing it grudgingly, either, given the pretty 4-color literature
they're sending me daily. They're going to make money on the $100/mo
I'll be paying them.
Again, Medicare pays less per procedure than the insurance
companies do. Much less. And that brings the price of health care
down to a level that allows profitability for the insurance companies
who provide supplemental insurance at bargain-basement rates.
Some will say that the doctors and hospitals don't like Medicare.
Well, in the Twin Cities here in Minnesota, they love it. Medicare
patients pay the operating costs of all the excessive number of
hospitals and services that are available here, while regular patients
put off health care because they can't afford the deductibles and
co-pays. Yes, the health care industry here relies on Medicare
patients to pay the bills. They couldn't survive without them.
The bottom line: If Medicare were available to all, those insurance
companies would still be out there selling supplemental coverage to
people. People under 65 would pay a higher premium for their Medicare,
and the insurance companies would still profit from the supplemental
insurance, as they do now with us old folks. Medicare would still
control prices for procedures, as it does now, and costs would go down
overall, but the hospitals, labs, and clinics would be busier, since
people could afford to get health care.
Single-payer health care. It works. Everyone benefits. Everyone gets
health care and all the providers get paid and the hospital beds are
full of people who need health care. The insurance companies should be
pushing for this. Why aren't they? Because they're in collusion with
the health care providers. This artificially drives up prices for
health care.
Can we sell this? I think we should be able to. In any case, that's
the system I'll be using, beginning in July. I wish everyone could get
it.
1/20/10
Comments? Email Me!
A Fun True Story about A Con Game Gone Wrong...
The Short Con Runs Long
Well, I just made my weekly phone call to my parents, who are 85
years old, and still kicking the crap out of people 20 years their
junior. My father said he had a great story for me. He was right, so I'm
going to relay it along here:
About the middle of last week, he got a phone call. When he picked
up, noticing the lack of Caller I.D. information, he said hello. The guy
on the other end said, in a dejected voice, "Hi, Grandpa."
Now, my father has one grandson, so he responded in a friendly way, even
though he didn't recognize the man's voice.
"I really need your help, Grandpa. I came up to Quebec for a
concert, and got into a car accident with the rental car. Now, I'm in
jail, the car's wrecked, and I don't know what to do," was the next
line.
My father, always quick on the comeback, said, "That's terrible.
I'm really sorry to hear that. How can I help.?"
The guy answered, "Well, I need $3500 to get out of jail and fix
the rental car so I can get home. I still have my airline ticket, so
that's not a problem."
My Dad: "That's a lot of money. Things are pretty tight here,
you know"
The Caller: "I don't know who else to call. I really need your
help. Isn't there some way? I can pay you back...a little bit a
month."
My Dad: "Well, I suppose I could get a cash advance on one of my
credit cards..."
The Caller: "That'd be great. Could you talk to the booking
officer here. He can tell you how to send it."
"Booking Officer": "I'm looking through the paper
work...what's your grandson's full name, please?"
My Dad, recognizing the extension of the con by using another person,
tells the new guy his grandson's name. The counter-con is on.
Booking Officer: OK, if you take the money to a local Walmart, you
can send it by Western Union to your Grandson here in Quebec. We'll take
care of getting him to a place he can get it."
My Dad: "OK, that'll work. But I'll have to do it in the
morning, since I need to go to the bank, and they're closed. The nearest
Walmart is about half an hour away, so can you call me again tomorrow,
around Noon, California time, and I'll confirm that I've sent it and
give you the transaction number."
Booking Officer: "That'll be fine, sir. We'll call you
then."
So that was the initial contact. The next day, at Noon on the dot,
the phone rings. My Dad tells his "grandson" Mike that he
didn't realize how little available he had on his credit card, and that
he couldn't get $3500 at the bank, so he wasn't able to send it. He said
that he could, maybe, get $2000, but he didn't do it because he wanted
to touch base first.
Naturally, his "grandson" was not pleased by this. He
allowed as how $2000 would help and, if that was all my Dad could get,
then he'd have to do what he could with it. My Dad agreed, but told the
guy that he had a doctor's appointment and couldn't get to the bank
before it closed, so he'd have to do it the next day, and could the
"grandson" call him again the next day around Noon, so he
could confirm that he sent the money and give him the number for the
Western Union transaction.
More disappointment from the grandson, of course, but needs must, so
he agreed.
Well, the next day, which was Friday, the call came at Noon. My Dad,
hoping to enjoy more of this, told "grandson" that he'd been
thinking and didn't want to only give partial help to his only
"grandson," and that he'd arranged with the bank to borrow
$3500 on his car, which he'd just paid off. The money would be available
on Monday, he told the "grandson." If the "grandson"
would call on Monday, at noon, he'd give him the transaction number and
everything would be OK.
Well, the agreement from "Mike" was a little slower in
coming, but he guessed it would all work out. The food in the
"jail" wasn't too bad, and it would be better to have the
whole amount, he reckoned, so everything could be taken care of.
My Dad ended the conversation by asking "Mike" if he'd
called his father yet about this. He said that he knew that
"Mike" and "Mike's father" didn't get along well,
and hadn't talked for a couple of years, but it might help if he talked
to him.
"No, no! My father can't know about this. No way. Let's just
keep it between us, Grandpa. I'll call on Monday at Noon."
Well, tomorrow's Monday. My Dad talked to the real Mike's real
father, and enlisted his support. On Monday, when "Mike"
calls, my Dad is going to tell "Mike" that he told his father
what was going on and that his father wanted to make things right
between them. Then he's going to hand the phone to the real Mike's
father.
Where will it go from here? They've already talked with the Chief of
Police in town, who both know very well. He doesn't think there's much
he can do, but he thinks the counter-con is great fun, and contacted a
reporter from the local paper, who's going to write this whole thing up
as a teaching tool about this scam.
They figure that "Mike's" going to know the game is up,
once his "father" is on the line, and so the con will end. But
they're sure enjoying it. My father, who taught me how to prank
effectively, is pulling one of his best ones with this con man. I'm
proud to be his son, and it'll make a great story for future family
gatherings.
The moral of the story: You can't con a prankster. You'll never win,
and it amuses the prankster.
1/12/10
Comments? Email Me!
American Health Care Has Its Roots In Calvinism
Why are we, in the USA, so reluctant to adopt some form of socialized
medicine, where all are entitled to medical care, regardless of our
station in life or wealth? The answer, or at least part of it, can be
found in Calvinism.
Its doctrine, as do the doctrines of many other protestant
denominations, includes predestination, sometimes also called
"election." According to that doctrine, God knows who is among
the "elect," destined to achieve salvation and have eternal
life. Mere humans cannot change their status from not being among the
"elect" to being an "elected" person. If you accept
Jesus, then that was foreordained.
This is extended in some doctrines to the idea that such
"election" is also connected to your material success. If you
are one of the "elect," one of the ways that is evidenced is
by your material success here on Earth. God has favored you. This was a
common belief amongst some of the earliest settlers in America, and
still informs the foundation of our society.
While many Americans are completely unaware of these doctrines, and
because predestination is a doctrine rarely presented to lay
congregations, the influence of this doctrine is strong in this country.
Are you poor? Well, that's your lot, and too bad for you. Are you
wealthy and successful? Well, good for you. Not only do you have your
success, but it's a sign that you're headed for the pearly gates when
you die.
It's also the underpinnings of the "Prosperity"
denominations. If you're approved of by God, you will have success. If
you do not have success, it's clear that you are not among the
"elect."
So, this rather fatalistic doctrine leads to difficulties when things
like equality in the society come up. Are you black? Well, you're part
of Ham's tribe, and that's not a good thing. Sorry about that. Are you a
poor immigrant? Too bad about that, but even Jesus said that the poor
will always be with us. It's your fate, and we just don't care all that
much and don't want to interfere with God's will.
Are you sick? What sins have you committed to cause your illness? You
can't afford medical treatment? Well, since you're not among the
"elect," we're really sorry about your misfortune, but we're
afraid that's God's will. If we pay for your medical care, then we won't
be as prosperous and that might be a sign that we're not among the
"elect," too. We can't interfere with God's will.
It's not that we just don't like poor people, minorities, and others
who are not successful and "like us." It's God's way. What can
we do?
If you look around at how we behave, as a nation, you can find many
examples of this "election" and the predestination doctrine at
work. It's a fundamental protestant Christian idea, and that's why
fundamentalists are so adamant about their misanthropy. If you're not
among the "elect," then that's just too bad for you. You're
not favored by God. Why should the "elect" do much of anything
for you. In fact, why shouldn't the "elect" dislike and shun
you in general? God has shunned you, too.
It's an American doctrine...one that's not even known to many people
who follow it, but it's there, and it's pervasive. It's one more way
that religion, at least religion as it is often expressed here, impedes
progress.
12/23/09
Christianity to Embrace Household Denominationalism
The history of the Christian church is a history of schisms and
denominationalism. Christians appear to divide and separate frequently,
much like amoebae. This has lead to a profusion of names,
doctrines, and focuses within Christianity as a whole.
In a blindingly brilliant move, church bodies everywhere are
embracing a new concept: Individual denominations for each Christian
household will be the new future of Christianity. The benefits are
almost endless, but include tax benefits, since each home containing a
Christian family will be tax exempt, and each adult homeowner will be
the ordained minister of that denomination. In some households, more
than one denomination will exist, since full doctrinal agreement amongst
Christians is almost unheard-of.
Additionally, each household denomination will adopt a single Bible
Verse as its sole reason for being. This will complete the overall
splintering of Christianity and fulfill the ultimate destiny of world
Christianity.
Illustrating the power of Household Denominationalism, Ima Blessing,
pastor of the newly-formed Church of 147 Maple Circle in Cleveland,
said, "This is the best thing that has ever happened to
Christianity. Too many churches completely ignore the seminal verse in
the New Testament. 'Jesus Wept.' is my church's total doctrine. You
won't find that kind of clarity and simplicity at your local
Presbyterian Church, now, will you?"
The motto of this new movement was announced at the gathering which
produced this new movement:
A Church in Every Home and A Dogma in Every Backyard!
The White House announced today that a federally-run farm for the
breeding of Shetland Ponies has been operating since January, 2009.
Located in an undisclosed rural area in Maryland, the farm was
established to relieve the critical shortage of ponies in the United
States. This shortage, brought on by the administration of George W.
Bush closing all federal pony farms in 2002, has led to critical
shortages of ponies that can be distributed by government agencies.
A White House official, who spoke off the record, said, "There
is such a high demand for ponies at this time and such a low supply,
that we opened this extensive farm to try to supply the pent-up demand
generated by the previous administration. We did not announce the
existence of the farm prior to today to prevent undue optimism amongst
those who do not fully understand the difficulties of producing Shetland
ponies in quantity."
The gestation period for Shetland ponies is 330 days, on average,
although some mares carry their young for as long as a year. Ponies then
remain with their dams for another year before adoption or distribution.
Even with the massive effort to produce an adequate pony supply by the
Obama Administration, it will be another year before the supply of
ponies begins to match the unparalleled demand generated by years of
underproduction.
The extensive Maryland farm currently has 20,000 Shetland mares in
foal. The first foalings should begin around Christmas of this year.
Currently, supplies of Shetland ponies are available only from small
family farms. Under the direction of the Department of Equine
Distribution, now led by Ephraim Whimble, the entire production of all
Shetland breeders is being purchased for distribution by the department.
However, the output of the Maryland farm will not be available until
December of 2010, too late to satisfy the unprecedented demand.
This year, only 3500 ponies are available for distribution from the
DED. These will be rationed carefully, and distributed to the most
critical areas. The White House spokesperson said, "Eventually,
there will be enough ponies for everyone who wants one. For now, though,
we ask the nation to be patient and wait their turn. The ponies are on
the way!"
To help ease the anxiety over the pony shortage, the Maryland farm
will open for tours, beginning in January. Visitors will be able to see
ponies, and even touch them, in a special foaling barn. Administration
officials believe this opportunity will help people cope with the
additional delays before enough ponies are available to fully satisfy
the nation's needs.
Due to limited space, visits must be prescheduled. A web site is now
online to accept reservations for visits. To view the site, which also
contains an interactive tour of the facility, point your web browser to:
As the Yule season approaches, it's time again for those awful Jared
Galleria of Jewelry ads. You know the ones: Shrill soprano voices with a
too-fast vibrato screaming, "It could only be Jared!" and
women trying to shame their husbands into shopping there for jewelry
gifts. The scornful voice saying, "He went to
Jared," to the hapless husband who stupidly bought his wife's
necklace somewhere else...somewhere obviously inferior to Jared.
Anything less, and hubby's a thoughtless toad.
Well, folks, combine all of those things, and there's not a chance on
earth I'll ever darken the door of that vendor of sparkling gemstones
and glistening gold. I guarantee it. There are jewelry vendors aplenty
in every mall on this planet. I'll pick one of those -- one that doesn't
insult my intelligence or try to shame me into shopping at their store.
I don't respond to that kind of advertising. I'm not even sure who does.
For me, the Jared television and radio ads epitomize advertising that
simply doesn't work. Here's why:
1. It aims at the wrong demographic. Men buy jewelry for their
wives and other women in their lives. Men don't like shrill voices
screeching in their ears. They don't like being shamed into doing
things.
2. Selling products works better than selling fear. Few people are
going to buy a ring or necklace or brooch because you tell them they'll
get ridiculed by the very person they buy it for if they don't shop at a
particular store.
3. Selling quality and value works better than selling shame. Now, if
I give my wife a trinket in a Tiffany's box, she'll know that quality
and value are important to me. Tiffany's has been selling quality for
decades. If I give her the same trinket in a Jared's box, she's going to
wonder if I went there because I was shamed into it.
Even Kay Jewelry ads, which are also annoying, promise a kiss (and
more, wink, wink) from the recipient, rather than shame if you buy
anywhere but Jared. I like kisses. I don't like someone telling me,
"Shame on you if you don't shop here. Your wife's going to sneer at
any present you buy anywhere but Jared, you pitiful moron."
So, sorry, Jared. I won't be stopping by this holiday season. Good
luck with your ugly advertising campaign.
11/9/09
At a protest today against President Obama in Florida, a group of
Limbecker morons displayed their so-called patriotism as only they can,
by dropping an American flag in a heap on the ground. These are the
folks who think they are the only true patriots in the USA. Shame on
you, Limbeckers! Shame!
*Limbecker -- A word I have coined to describe those who, unable to
think for themselves, listen to Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, who tell
them what to think.
The success of any overnight band trip taken by the Farflung High School
Band depends, in large part, on following the rules listed below. Please
read and understand these rules well in advance of the trip. Violations
of the rules by any band member may result in disciplinary action.
General Rules
1. What happens on band trip stays on band trip.
2. Band members are expected to behave as full-fledged adolescents.
3. Band members are individually responsible for all personal property.
4. Band members are expected to take good care of property owned by
Farflung High School. For example: Do not use instruments as bongs.
5. Our director, Mr. Goodnote, and the trip chaperones are to be treated
with the utmost discretion at all times. They are adults, and do not
have to follow the same rules as band members.
Bus Rules
1. Mr. Goodnote and the trip chaperones have exclusive use of rows 1-6
in the bus. All students must remain in rows 8-24. Do not disturb the
trip chaperones except in emergencies. Note: Few things are emergencies.
2. Rows 16-24 are reserved for established couples.
3. Rows 12-16 are reserved for couples formed during the trip.
4. Rows 8-12 are reserved for prissy-faces. Do not disturb people in the
rows behind you.
5. In all cases, Band Members must retain at least one item of clothing
on their persons at all times.
6. No cameras of any sort are permitted on the bus.
Hotel Rules
1. Band members will be assigned rooms before the trip begins.
2. If you change rooms, please notify a chaperone, so we can find you in
case of emergency.
3. Co-ed room visitation is permitted, but doors must be closed at all
times to prevent embarrassment.
4. Before throwing objects out of hotel windows, inspect the area below
to avoid personal or property damage.
5. Do not stand naked in front of room windows. People in other tall
buildings may see you.
6. Mr. Goodnote and the trip chaperones are located one floor above Band
Member rooms. They are not to be disturbed, except in case of emergency.
Note: Few things are emergencies.
Substance Rules
1. There will be no smoking in non-smoking rooms or on the bus.
2. We do not want to hear about any consumption of non-legal substances.
Public Behavior
1. As Farflung High School Band Members, you represent your school and
community. Please think about this before engaging in any behavior.
Behaving badly in public could lead to cancellation of future band
trips. Don't spoil things for future band members.
2. Wear clothing at all times when in public.
3. Avoid excessive public displays of affection in public. Save it for
the bus, please.
4. Always travel in groups when in public, but keep group size under 8
to avoid frightening people.
5. Mr. Goodnote and the trip chaperones should not be approached by any
Band Member in public, except in case of emergency. Pretend we don't
know you, and we will do the same. Note: Few things are emergencies.
This morning, as I perused the Pioneer Press, I noticed that
the Minnesota Vikings are reintroducing the idea of getting the
taxpayers to fund a new stadium again. So that's what hiring Brett Favre
was all about. I expected this, of course, since the Vikings' contract
to use the Metrodome expires after next season.
This year, though, they'll be using a new tactic to promote this $700
million boondoggle. Well, it's not new, really. Every team who wants a
new stadium uses it. The tactic? "If we don't get a new stadium,
we'll have to leave this wonderful state." They aren't saying it,
directly, but the team's VP for public affairs said, according to the
PP's story, "If the answer is no, then why would you own a team in
this market?" There it is, folks. Brett Favre and a threat to
leave, all in one season.
There's just one word that can be offered as an answer: NO! That's
NO, as in there is no chance any state legislator's going to propose
picking the taxpayers' pockets this year for a stadium boondoggle.
That's NO, as in the state's taxpayers saying "Oh, hell no!"
to paying $700 million for a playground for the football boys. Not now.
Not while the state's economy is pressed to the limit. Not to support a
professional sports team.
Los Angeles is calling. They've been without a pro football team for
a long time, now, and they seem ready to build an open-air worship
center for the sport. The team wouldn't even have to change its name:
The LA Vikings sounds pretty good.
I'm going to buy one of those "GO VIKINGS!" bumper stickers
for my car. I'll add a comma, so it reads: "GO, VIKINGS!" Go
to Los Angeles! My taxes are already too high here, and we've had to cut
critical funds for health care for the poorest of our citizens in
Minnesota. They don't go to Vikings games. We've had to close schools.
We're cutting expenses all over the place. And the Vikings want us to
give them almost three-quarters of a billion dollars?
The 1960s were not always the days of psychedelic art. There were
plenty of bad designs in those days, especially in the early 1960s when
I was in high school. Recently, I encountered an image of this record
album cover from those days. Never mind the subject matter of the album.
This has to be one of the worst album covers ever produced. See if you
agree.
I took a relative and his 5-year old son out in the boat yesterday
afternoon for a little fishing, up at Bald Eagle Lake. As expected, the
kid caught tons of small panfish, plus a couple worth taking home for a
snack. The adults? Not so much. But that's OK, since the point is that
the kid catches fish, not the adults. He caught 12, and was happy as a
clam.
What was interesting, though, was what happened just before we left
to run back to the ramp before it got dark. We were anchored in some
weeds just off a bank of bulrushes. The boy's father, skunked so far,
decided to catch a couple of panfish, just to say he'd caught something.
So he cast a worm under a bobber out and waited. After a minute or so,
he hooked a small sunnie. He unhooked it and laid his rod across the
gunwale of the boat. Apparently, a bit of worm was still on the hook,
which fell into the water. Enough line was out that the bobber was in
the water, too.
Maybe a second later, down went the bobber, and there was another
sunny on the line. Hmm...he tried it again, with the same result. And
again...and again. The worm was never in the water more than a second
before it was grabbed by a sunny or small perch.
I learned something new. Apparently, an anchored boat, even with
three people in it moving around and making noise, is a powerful
attractant for panfish. Fishing away from the boat meant waiting for a
minute or more before a fish found the bait. Dropping the bait right
next to the boat got a hookup in just seconds. Who knew?
I'll remember that, for the next time I take a kid out fishing.
Apparently, even a noisy aluminum boat doesn't scare the panfish away.
They see it as another sheltering piece of structure and feel safe under
it.
9/25/09
A couple of weeks ago, I had a very minor collision in a supermarket
parking lot. A guy backed into my car as I drove slowly down a lane in
the lot. Both cars were perfectly drivable, but got dented up a bit.
Nobody was injured in any way. Still, the local police showed up and
wrote up the incident.
The other driver's insurance company paid for the damage to my
vehicle within a week of the incident. Since the car is not worth very
much, I'm just going to live with the dents and use the money more
wisely. I thought that was it. Not a chance. As of yesterday, I've had
four very official-looking letters from personal injury attorneys, and
half a dozen impressive packages of literature from various chiropractic
clinics in the area. One of them, as pictured below, even included a DVD
of some kind (it'll make a great coaster), along with the universal
offer of a free examination and massage to ease the pain of my
accident...even if I don't have any pain. Nothing wrong with this, and
I'm sure all of those attorneys and Chiropractors are quite legitimate.
What's remarkable to me is that there is an entire industry built
around car accidents. Someone has to be visiting the police departments
in the area and collecting the accident reports, then selling the lists
of people involved in accidents to the personal injury lawyers and
chiropractic clinics in the area. All of these then send out packages of
literature to every accident victim, hoping to attract them to their
businesses.
Given the cost of these direct mail campaigns, it's clear that
there's money to be made in the car accident business. How much money? I
don't know, but given the low return on direct-mail advertising, it has
to be plenty. Again, there's nothing at all wrong with soliciting
business from accident victims, and I'm sure that all of these companies
and individuals who contacted me are legitimate, but you do have to
wonder just how much impact this has on our car insurance rates.
I'm very glad nobody was injured in the minor collision I was
involved in. I appreciate all the interest in my well-being shown by all
of those who sent me expensive mailings. I won't be contacting any of
you, even though those expensive massages sound great, but you did give
me a topic for today's blog entry. Something good comes from everything,
it seems.
9/22/09
My high school days ran from 1959 to 1963. It was a time of
transition, not just for me, but for the whole country. The Vietnam era
was just beginning, and none of us could forget hiding under our desks
in grammar school in those "atom bomb" drills.
Thanks to Alan Lomax and Pete Seeger, we started to hear the folk
music of America's past. From the blues to the hill country music, and
from old labor protest songs to the laments of migrant workers in the
South, we began to become aware that our America wasn't just the calm,
friendly place we thought it was. All of this hit me like a ton of
bricks in about 1960. What an awakening. I listened to Woody Guthrie,
Pete Seeger, and other pioneers in the resurrection of another kind of
music of America, far from the Rock and Roll so popular with other kids
my age.
Three friends and I shared this fascination. We dug up some guitars,
an autoharp, and an antique 5-string banjo and started learning how to
play them. We were all band geeks, so we knew something about music, and
taught ourselves the rudiments of these strange stringed instruments. We
learned the few chords necessary to handle most folk music, and I
learned basic clawhammer techniques on the banjo from an old timer in a
music store.
We got a copy of one of Alan Lomax's collections of American Folk
music, and started learning songs that appealed to us. Pretty soon, we
were performing at school events and in the local churches, Rotary
Clubs, and other friendly venues. We never went any farther than that,
but we learned the music and helped spread it at a local level over the
next couple of years.
At the same time, others were doing the same thing, but on a larger
scale. Bob Dylan was spinning off the old Woody Guthrie stuff, and Joan
Baez was singing the old songs, and some new ones. Groups like The
Brothers Four, The Lettermen, The Limelighters, and Peter, Paul and Mary
were bringing this newly-rediscovered music into the popular music
scene. Others, like Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, were reviving
bluegrass music. It was a music revolution for some of us in those days
of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and a quartet of long-haired boys from
England. It was an alternative at a time when we needed one.
That alternative included songs of protest against war, poverty, and
other evils of modern civilization. Every group included some of these
protest songs in their repertory, and new ones were written in the same
style. Everyone influenced one another, and paid homage to some of the
folks from the previous generation who had dedicated their lives to
collecting this dying brand of music so it could be passed along.
For many of us who were growing up in the period, that music was the
beginning of a new way of looking at the world. Inspired by the music
and the lyrics that made it up, we began to question the status quo. We
moved from being complacent kids to seekers of something else. Some of
us joined the protesters in Selma. Others founded the anti-war movement
brought on by our ill-fated excursion into Vietnam. Some of us just
became staunch liberals and progressives.
Mary Travers, the female vocalist from Peter, Paul, and Mary, was one
small element of that process. Mentored by Pete Seeger and Alan Lomax,
she was a part of the inspiration that led so many of us in the early
60s to learn, grow, and go on to change the face of America. Now that
inspired and inspiring generation is beginning to leave us, It reminds
us just how much change we've seen and been part of. We'll miss you,
Mary!
9/17/09
A small minority of opponents to President Obama are getting a lot of
press these days. From the shouters at town halls to maybe 70,000 people
who showed up in Washington, D.C. this past weekend, the news is all
over anyone who opposes President Obama's proposals. So, who are these
people? Well, here's a photo of one of them, just to give you an idea:
"Politians?" "Dipers?" Yup, this is
the opposition. As they say here in Minnesota: Uff da! I think it's time
for our news media to recognize the essential illiteracy of many of
those uneducated folks who oppose the current administration and start
talking to people who can spell. Why are we listening to these people?
9/15/09
A Tale of Twin Cities: You Can't Get There from Here
This morning, an appointment forced this Saint Paul boy to drive to
Minneapolis -- to the warehouse district, specifically. Now, Minneapolis
is largely a mystery to me. I've only lived in Minnesota for just over
five years, and I'm firmly entrenched in Saint Paul. I know my way
around Minnesota's First City very well, thank you. Never mind that
Seventh Street sometimes goes East and West and sometimes North and
South. Downtown Saint Paul is more or less on a grid, has sensible
street names, and can be negotiated without severe trauma.
Not so Minneapolis. That city is a cosmic disaster for the
uninitiated. Streets and Avenues have the same numbers, and are mingled
incomprehensibly with named streets and avenues. There is more than one
street and avenue with the same number, but a different directional
suffix, and they are in no way connected. Some streets (or is it
avenues) are one-way in one direction, then suddenly change to be
one-way in the opposite direction. It's a wonder of design...with the
designer being someone hired immediately upon release from a facility
for the incurably silly. It is, in short, a maze -- a maze designed
deliberately to confuse the visitor.
Back to my story: Since my appointment was at 9:30 A.M., I reasoned
that I could avoid the rush hour traffic by taking Snelling Ave., then
Larpenteur Ave. in St. Paul, which becomes Hennepin Ave., then follow
Hennepin Ave. until it intersects with Washington Avenue. At Washington
Avenue, I'd turn right, and my destination was just four blocks away.
That seems simple, right? So a guy would think, but he'd be very wrong.
First, Larpenteur Ave. is interrupted by construction at I-280. I had
forgotten that. So, I followed the detour signs to bypass that
always-under-construction freeway and got back onto Hennepin Ave., and
was actually in Minneapolis. I thought I was all set. Then, as the
downtown skyline loomed, I discovered that Hennepin Ave. suddenly
becomes one-way, going the opposite direction from the direction I
needed. I got shuttled off onto some other street, and thought that I
was going the same direction as Hennepin Ave, so I'd soon reach
Washington Avenue and that would be that.
No such luck. In the way of things in Minneapolis, the intersection
of 3rd Ave. and Washington Avenue is also under construction. As part of
that construction, the signs marking Washington Avenue are missing. Not
seeing Washington Avenue, I continued, finding myself near the maze that
is I-94 and I-394. I made a turn that seemed sensible enough to me at
the time, and suddenly found myself shuttling between the Target Center
and the new Twins Stadium. On the other side of that fascinating
complex, I had traveled beyond the scope of my printed Google
Map. Now, I was well and truly lost. I tried to turn around and go back
whence I came, but was thwarted by a maze of one-way and no-way streets,
and found myself in a neighborhood that did not seem to me to be
friendly to people in old white Volvo station wagons.
Now, I'm a man, so I have a strong urge not to ask for help. Still, I
had an appointment and was woefully late, so I grabbed the cell phone
and called my wife in St. Paul. She's a Minneapolis girl, and I knew she
could help me. In the meantime, I had driven to a place I could
identify. I was under I-94 and I could see Lyndale Ave N. I parked. I
called. My wife consulted yet another Google map and told me that I was
way off track, but couldn't direct me from there to my destination. I
was told that I must drive into the belly of the beastly city and call
again when I was at a more convenient intersection.
Finally, I was on N. 4th Street at 3rd Ave. N., parked in a
more-or-less legal spot and called again. Now, I could be helped.
"Get on on 3rd Ave. N., which goes to Hennepin Ave., then follow
Hennepin Ave. to Washington Ave.," she said. "Washington
Avenue is the street right after you cross 3rd St." What? Well, I
got to Washington Avenue, but it, as before at the other intersection I
had missed, was missing all the Washington Ave. signs. Finally, though,
I reached my destination, just half an hour late. I apologized to
my prospective client, was forgiven, and we got our business done.
Note, for Minneapolis dwellers: I probably have all these
streets and avenues messed up, but that's not the point, really. Or,
perhaps it is the point...exactly.
I will, without doubt, be forced to venture into the maze that is
Minneapolis in the future. Hereafter, I will take my King of Maps
with me. I will not be beaten by the demon city on the wrong side of the
river. I will conquer its mean streets and find my way, despite
the machinations of its evil designers. So there!
9/11/09
There's an eBay auction running right now, with nine days to go. The
item? Dinner for five with Sarah Palin. Starting price for this auction
is $25,000. So far, nobody has bid. Not suprisingly, several other
auctions have popped up auctioning off NOT having dinner with Sarah
Palin. What a world we live in, eh? Click
Here to see the auction.
Dinner with Sarah Palin -- $25,000
Not having dinner with Sarah Palin -- Priceless
School administrators who refused to allow students to hear the
address by the President of the United States are nothing more than
cowards. They have allowed a vocal minority, and a tiny minority at
that, to frighten them into depriving students of the pleasure of
hearing our President directly address them. And the subject of the
address? The President's address speaks to students about the importance
of sticking with their educational opportunities and working hard to
learn as much as they can.
Is that a subversive message? Of course it isn't. It's the same
message we've been telling students for decades and decades. And yet,
bowing down to the strident voices of a tiny minority, some
cowardly school administrators kept this historic speech by the
President of the United States from their students.
I would have the same attitude about this no matter who was the
President. We live in the United States of America, and our President is
the head of our national government. He is duly elected by the citizens.
When he wishes to address students, he should be able to do so. It is
that simple.
In another era, when I went to school, back in the 50s and 60s, every
classroom contained a flag and a photograph of the current President. We
saluted the flag each morning and were watched over by the image of the
President of our nation. Not all of our parents agreed with the politics
of the man whose photo was on the wall, but he was the President,
nevertheless.
We have descended a long way from that time. Today, people who hate
our current administration are able to frighten our school
administrators into abject cowardice. What a shame! We have to put an
end to this nonsense.
Check to see if the schools in your community made the President's
address available to their students. If they did not, contact the
school's principal and the superintendent of the district. Use the US
Postal Service to do this. Demand that the school's administrators
explain why they let a tiny minority of loud voices keep them from their
responsibilities. That's what I'll be doing tomorrow. We need to let our
educators know that we expect them to show the respect due to the
President of our nation.
Follow that up with a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.
Demand that school administrators explain their cowardice.
8/08/09
Even though I've only been a Minnesotan for just over five years, the
Minnesota State Fair has become a tradition for me. Every year, my wife
and I trek over to the fairgrounds and walk the fair. Normally, I make a
point of eating the weirdest new foodstuff-on-a-stick while I'm there,
but I changed it up this year. Maybe it's my advancing age (I actually
stopped in the Medica tent to ask about Medicare supplements), or
memories of grumbling innards from previous years. This year, I bypassed
the pig cheeks on a stick, the deep-fried banana split, and the fry dog,
and went for more traditional fare.
Around 11 AM, after hiking through the sheep and poultry building,
the cattle building, the swine building, and discovering that there were
no horses in the horse building, I was feeling a bit peckish. So I led
my lovely wife to the food building, and we hit the State Fair Cheese
Curd booth. Now, a guy wants to get the original stuff, and that booth
is the only place original fried cheese curds can be found. We shared
one order of the cheese curds and reveled in their salty, chewy
goodness. All that salt, though, gives a guy a powerful thirst, so we
went for the big glass of lemonade from the joint just outside the food
building.
Our energy restored, we trudged off to wander through the commercial
buildings, somehow avoiding being taken in by the smooth-talking
pitchmen. We visited the DNR building and gazed into the fish pond for
some time. I pointed out a musky to my wife...a musky somewhat larger
than the one I had recently caught. She likes the paddlefish better.
Oddly, there were no giant catfish in the pond this year.
A visit to the Miracle of Birth building was also on our must-see
list, and we narrowly avoided seeing triplet lambs born to one straining
sheep in the birthing pen. For our edification, though, the building
offered several large video screens, all tightly focused on the sheep's
gaping...umm...birthing parts. At that moment, I was thankful that I had
not chosen the lamb meatballs on a stick for my midmorning snack. After
watching about 300 baby pigs struggling to reach the mother pig's
nipples, I was equally glad to have skipped the pig cheeks.
By this time, it was past noon, so another feeding was in order. We
passed by the scotch eggs, the giant turkey legs, and the buffalo
kabobs, all served, of course on the obligatory stick. Instead, we hit
one of the Original Pronto Pup wagons. I had somehow managed for all
these years to have missed eating an Original Pronto Pup, although I've
stuffed numerous corn dogs down my gullet. I discovered that a Pronto
Pup, slathered with both mustard and catsup, tastes very much like a
corn dog. Oh, well...it's a traditional food item at the Minnesota State
Fair. Good, too.
Since it was afternoon, the crowds had grown full, and my wife suggested that
we might visit the Dairy Building, where she knew there was fresh ice
cream to be had. By then, my aging hips had announced that I'd be
seeking a hip replacement a few years down the road, but I walked across
the fairgrounds with her--only to find that the line for the ice cream
vendor extended to Minneapolis. Never mind...we walked back across the
fairground to the Education Building near the Snelling Avenue fair
entrance. She was determined not to leave the fairgrounds without a
useless free cloth tote bag, and had heard they were to be had in the
Education Building.
Now, tote bags hold little interest for me, and I long ago completed
my education, so I chose to sit outside the building on a shady bench,
where I shared complaints about sore hip joints with another older
gentleman who was also waiting for his wife to emerge with her own tote
bag. Life's good.
Presently, my wife appeared, green tote bag in hand. We discussed the
next stop at the fair, which turned out to be the bus stop outside the
entrance. We had visited everything we wanted to see, eaten as much fair
food as we wanted to eat, and walked further than we wanted to walk.
Best of all, my innards were grumble-free.
Still, I have some regrets. I did not get to try the pig cheeks, the
scotch eggs, and the other delicacies I might well have enjoyed. Never
mind. The State Fair will return next year around Labor Day. Perhaps
I'll feel more adventurous next time. I can hardly wait.
9/3/09
I haven't really fished for Minnesota's biggest trophy. It's just not
my thing. But, today, at Bald Eagle Lake, I caught one anyhow--my very
first. Not big, as muskies go, it just measured between 35" and
36", but it was a muskie, and a big surprise to me. I was fishing
for bass and northerns, with a medium-light spinning outfit and 8 lb.
test mono. I always put a light 6" steel leader on to keep from
losing lures to the northerns. On the end of that, I had a mini Booyah
3/16 oz. triple willow blade spinnerbait, with a green skirt.
I was fishing on the edge of a lily pad bed, in about 3' of water,
casting along the edge of the pads. No sooner did the spinnerbait hit
the water than WHAM! it got sucked up by a huge swirl in the
water and the battle was on. I fish with a fairly light drag and it was
buzzing away as the muskie took some line in an initial run...away from
the lily pads, thank goodness. I made an adjustment and started working
on the fish.
After some serious rod-bending and drag buzzing, the thing got near
the boat...then went under the boat, of course. Rod tip in the water, I
coaxed it back out on my fishing side and grabbed my net. After a few
more short pulls, it was in the net. I unhooked it, gave it a quick
measurement, then slipped it back in the water. No photos. It's just too
hard to do that while fishing alone.
So, am I hooked on muskie fishing? Nah. I'll keep on going after the
bass and pike, but it sure was nice to finally catch my first muskie.
WooHoo!
8/26/09
With the passing of Ted Kennedy, a great generation of Kennedy public
service is done. John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy died far too early
in their lives, depriving America of their leadership. Edward (Ted)
lived on and contributed mightily to the progressive cause...standing in
their place with fortitude..
Now, he is gone, too, and we may not see his like again. My internal
flag is at half mast, and will not be raised again until progressivism
becomes the status quo in this country. I mourn.
8/26/09
Wacky Michele Bachmann to Appear at Town Hall with Ron Paul
According to a story in the The Minnesota Independent [read],
our 6th District congresscritter is planning a September town hall
meeting with Ron Paul. Apparently, Wacky Michele has aligned herself
with Ron Paul's equally wacky economics theories and is showing up at
his weekly luncheons.
What does this mean for the 2010 election? It's anybody's guess, but
I, for one, welcome our new Libertarian overlords. Uff da!
8/25/009
This morning (8/22) at 10 AM, a rally was held supporting Healthcare reform
in the parking lot of the DFL Headquarters on Plato St. in Saint Paul.
My rough estimate of the crowd was about 500 supporters and maybe 40
protestors. Protestors were restricted to positions behind a rope line
at the edge of the lot.
Speakers included Betty McCollum, Keith Ellison, R. T. Rybak, and
Chris Coleman, along with others. The crowd was enthusiastic and loud.
The protesters were ineffectual and did not disrupt the rally, due to
their low numbers, although they tried.
Both legislators promised their support for a Public Option, and that
promise was received with loud applause. After the rally, attendees
planned to go out into the neighborhoods and talk to their neighbors
about supporting Healthcare reform.
Small groups of disruptors have been attending town hall meetings
held by members of Congress during the August recess. These groups,
encouraged by several organizations, some GOP-based and some healthcare
industry-based, are engaging in shouting-down the legislators and
health-care reform advocates. While no actual physical violence has
occurred, the potential for this seems high.
What these disruptors don't understand is that their actions are
harming, not helping, their position. They may be harming not only their
cause, but the GOP itself. Sensible people, attending these town hall
meetings to simply express their concerns and ideas, are naturally
offended by shouting, incorrect information, and more. Many of them are
Republicans, and they don't like this nonsense, either. It's not the way
we do things in this society.
Worse, many of the disruptors aren't even from the congressional
district in which the town hall meetings are being held.
The GOP and the health-care reform opponents need to rethink their
strategy, before it completely backfires or someone is injured or
killed.
My wife and I took her mother out to Fort Snelling yesterday to visit
her husband's gravesite. He served during WWII and Korea as an enlisted
man in the army and returned to live to the age of 86 years. I am always
in awe when I visit any national cemetary and see the rows and rows of
markers for some of those who served their nation in the military. As an
aging USAF veteran, I'm always aware of the sacrifices those men and
women made during their youthful years.
While standing in front of my father-in-law's headstone, I looked
around at some of the other markers. Flowers and flags abounded, as you
would expect on Memorial Day weekend. But, atop a marker near my
father-in-law's I spotted a couple of coins. A quarter and a penny. I
tried to imagine what that 26 cents meant to whomever had visited the
gravesite. Or was it just a coincidence of some kind?
Looking around further, I noticed another headstone with something
atop it. Walking over, I saw that someone had put three small stones on
the marker. They were not smooth pebbles, but jagged rocks of limestone,
with small fossils imbedded in them. I imagined that they came from a
place the man had lived or visited.
I began to look further among the memorial cemetery, to see if there
were more such items left on the tops of headstones. Indeed there were.
On one, two nickels were placed carefully. On another, eight pennies,
arranged in groups of two, and punctuated with a single hazelnut.
I was deeply and inexplicably touched by these headstones. Their
meanings were incomprehensible to me, but obviously had symbolic
importance to the family members who came that weekend to remember
someone who had served the nation.
I would have liked to have walked more of the Fort Snelling cemetery.
I would have looked for and examined more of these impromptu memorial
items. I would have tried to puzzle out their meanings, but would have
failed, I'm sure, as I did with the few I did see.
5/25/09
Visit the topic pages in the Navigation bar at the
top of this page to read many more stories from previous dates!
Bubba Lives!
Remember Bubba, the satirical spoof of Microsoft Bob,
written back in the mid 1990's? That was my freeware program. I finally
found a copy, and have put it on the server. It actually still runs in
Windows XP and Vista. To install it, download the zip file at the link,
then extract all the files into a single directory. Right click and drag
the bubba.exe file to your desktop and drop it as a shortcut. If
you don't remember Microsoft Bob, or Bubba, just ignore this. Runs in
all versions of Microsoft Windows, from 3.0 to Vista. Harmless to your
PC.
