Enbridge vs. Faith Leaders on the Upcoming PUC Decision on Enbridge’s Line 3 Proposal

Tags

activism, Enbridge, Faith Leaders, Line 3, Pipeline

So the final round of Public Utilities Commission hearings happen this week.

I’ve spent many hours reading about the pros and cons submitted on this Line 3 Proposal in Minnesota and I must say that I found the recent letter from the Interfaith Leaders to be quite inspiring.

Yes, five hundred fifty-four Faith Leaders.  554!!  Their names and information are included on the letter to the PUC and I can provide the full document to anyone interested.

Their main points include the fact that approving Line 3 would continue the “long tradition of taking positions against politically marginalized Indigenous communities” and that Enbridge’s “history of pipeline spills” could bring devastation to wild rice areas. “Even if there were no spills (an implausible outcome), this pipeline would be a massive new investment in fossil fuel infrastructure at a time when the threat of climate change requires a new direction.”  They note: “All signers of this letter wish to join together in stating our clear opposition to Line 3 and ensuring it is never approved.  We are ready to open a new chapter in how we treat our environment and and how we relate with our Indigenous neighbors.”

Enbridge too put out a letter recently, which they chose to print as full-page ads in many Minnesota newspapers.  They noted their commitment to “protect communities and the environment” and to “bring opportunities and lasting economic benefits”.  I’m not sure how they reconcile their commitment to protect communities with their pursuit of a lawsuit that is seeking tens of millions of dollars from Clearwater County alone. And their notorious history of oil spills has done nothing but harm the environment.  When it comes to job opportunities, most of the jobs will go, not to Minnesotans, but to outside experts.  And the economic benefits will mostly bypass America entirely, instead filling the pockets of Canadian business owners.

The Enbridge letter fails to mention that 1) the Tar Sands products they want to push through Minnesota will almost entirely go to foreign markets, having little effect on gas prices in Clearwater Country, 2) their preferred route will pass through forty-one wild rice watersheds potentially affecting 4000 acres of wild rice, 3) they are actually ignoring Tribal Sovereignty as all five affected Indigenous Nations are opposed to the New Line 3, and 4) their proposed route may affect less populated areas of the state but the people in this area are no less important than those along the I-94 corridor.

Enbridge says they will “work with any landowner who would like us to remove the old line from their property” but has made no strides in a month’s old request from Red Lake Tribal Council to immediately remove their pipelines from Tribal lands. They also fail to mention that they have yet to put in writing to the State of Minnesota how they will guarantee financing to clean up any spills that will occur here when their New Line 3 fails.  With the Canadian Tar Sands pipeline in South Dakota failing after only seven years of operation, this is a valid concern, especially since Enbridge’s lawsuit hopes to snatch from our coffers what amounts to over two years’ worth of Clearwater County revenues.

The question should not be, “What is the best way to transport Tar Sands oil through Minnesota?” but “What is the cleanest way to provide Energy for our Future?”

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Gardening Fun

Tags

DIY, Helping others

I have been having lots of fun playing in the dirt… some for the Harn Homestead and lots more volunteering to help others.

After such a slow coming spring, I worried that our gardens would not have enough time to finish.  But, as Char assures me, even if you don’t plant until July 4^th, the garden WILL make it (apparently one year they had a really late planting but still had a good harvest).  And it now feels like mid-summer with all the HOT weather.  Sometimes I’m amazed it’s just barely June!  We just never really got much of a Spring…  But things are growing, and fast!

Part of the process is cleaning up the past year’s growth.  Connie and I have recently spent time at our 89-year-old neighbor’s place working on cleaning up gardens.  And then we spent some time at Farm by the Lake, a local venue for shows, weddings, readings, and overnights.  Their garden beds were in need of cleanup and, because they do so much to bring culture to our little rural community, we were glad to help with a bit of gardening.  The property, on Lake Lomond in Bagley, was gifted by Bagley native Richard C. Davids, a naturalist, author, editor and teacher who wanted Farm By The Lake to provide a space where “we can find renewal with the land, with another, and with God.”  I’ve attended music shows, storytelling events, a writing workshop, and their annual craft fair, which also features lots of musicians.  It’s a lovely space currently being cared for by friends Dawn and Marty.

Before:

 

After:

 

You see, in the last photo, Connie “inspecting” my work, finding it acceptable. 😀

As a member of Shevlin Garden Club, Connie and I also recently did a Sunflower planting event where we helped children plant seeds at the Clearwater County History Center (CCHC).  From their website:

The museum is located in the former Shevlin School, a two-story brick structure built in 1911. The school closed in 1991 and the historical society “History Center” opened in 1996. The grounds also include several historic buildings: the first log school built in the county in the late 1880s, a school built in 1936 by the local WPA crew, the Ebro Depot (a small transportable depot- the size of a box car), and The Halvorson cabin (a two story log cabin from 1904). Two additional buildings on site house larger tools, machinery and miscellany. Exhibits are changed on a 12 to 18 month schedule, with different themes and topics covered each year.

We ended up having a wonderful day, even with a cold rainy morning.  The CCHC hosted a dairy event in the morning where kids made butter and ice cream and, just as they finished up their sundaes, the rain let up so we could plant the sunflower seeds!  Connie Nunemaker and Nancy Ames showed the kids how to turn up the soil and then hoe trenches for the seeds.  Then Connie explained spacing and the kids planted all five rows.  The outside rows feature Teddy Bear Sunflowers, a shorter variety, while the inside row is Sunburst, a very tall sunflower variety.  In between, we planted Ruby Moon and Autumn Beauty sunflowers, some of which present with red coloring.

Why do we do it?

First it’s nice to know we’re helping plants look their best by removing tall grasses and old growth.  Maybe it’s something to do with my apparently-increasingly-more-prevalent-each-year-OCD, but I am liking more order than chaos.  [Perhaps to combat the ‘chaos’ of not being able to control my aging??]  I like seeing the plants without all the grass encroachment.  And while I admit I do NOT have much issue pulling out grasses, I still struggle with the cultural idea of the ugliness of dandelions!  They are much harder to pull…

Another benefit we can bring is to relocate some of the bird-dropped seeds to more appropriate places and this allow more space and better proliferation in new locations.  Connie collected a spruce and a couple little pines to relocate.  Would they be fine without us?  Well, surely they would all duke out a co-existence.  But in a few years, that large oak growing among the flowers might bust through the concrete barrier poured years ago to contain the bed. We have one of these to relocate too – but that will be another day.

We are hopeful to help Dawn as she works to bring the flower beds back to what Richard Davids intended at Farm by the Lake.  It will be a multi-year project but will be fun to watch as things transform.   It will be extra fun and a bit easier if we can find more community support for the project. So far, Dan has committed himself and I’ll be recruiting soon!

Plus it feels good to be with the plant nation! They are lovely and if you listen close, you might hear them saying hello.  And, did you know?  Dirt has some kind of Prozac-type effect on people?  It apparently has some kind of component that makes us feel happy.  It’s just anecdotal for me so far but there might be something to it!  [And I much prefer the natural way to the idea of popping pills.  Who knows what else those might be doing!?!]

And speaking of anecdotal, it seems that the friends I have that talk with their plants, giving them love and attention, really seem to have better luck with abundance and growth.  I believe these plant beings hear us and appreciate us when we help and love them.  As such, I’ve been talking to the Sungold and Grapes just outside our front door every day. And I head out to see the Raspberries several times a week to tell them how big they are getting!  Hopefully they will soon be joined by the squash, beans, argula, beets, peppers and such that I seeded last week.

 

And of course there is the satisfaction of seeing the final result. The Sunflower event at the CCHC included a Sunflower growth chart where several kids marked their heights.  It will be fun at the end of the summer to see how the sunflowers surpass the kids in annual growth!

 

Plus, helping to clean up a couple of my neighbor’s flower beds resulted in a delicious lunch!  Can’t beat that!

 

Gardening is the gift that keeps on giving.  Seeing the plants thrive, enjoying the beautiful flowers, watching pollinators enjoy the food, and harvesting the veggies throughout the season.  I’m looking forward to great rewards for all my garden work.

Rec Lab 2018

Tags

fun, Rec Lab

Another Rec Lab has come and gone and it was again, full of fun and lovely people, most of whom I only get to see once a year but who I love dearly.  The amazing thing this year was the cohesiveness of the entirety of Rec Lab.

Typically we have a Discussion Leader that talks about one thing, a Monday Night Celebration that is usually a theme of a different sort, and Fireside evening programs which are quite diverse as well.  But this year was somewhat magical in the way that Discussion Leader Connie Nunemaker’s talks, focused on Gardening and including our friends the pollinators, was carried through in the Monday Night Flower Power celebration and the Fireside talks which had a number of links to butterflies and stories from the beautiful garden of life.  Even the donated items for the Fundraising Auction were linked in many ways to gardens with plants and floral handmade items.

And Tea Time was fantastic with its garden theme.  Barb Benson outdid herself with an organized, well-planned, and beautiful set-up for each afternoon’s refreshments.  She included a focus on sustainability that I really loved: For every time you brought your own mug, you got an entry into the drawing – for one of her husband Jewitt’s artistic cards.  [And there must have been a lot of us participating since I didn’t win once! ;-)]  I am hopeful that Barb’s efforts will continue to guide the Tea Time committee well into the future… until someone comes up with an even better way of doing things, once again.

I was so happy that Connie Nunemaker agreed to speak for Rec Lab as she was a delight and a thrill for many who gushed about how much they enjoyed the Discussion.  She truly had something for everyone.  From soil science to flower bombs, the language of flowers to free plants for your garden, she led informative talks where everyone learned a little something.  One of the more interesting points was about rainfall and how one of the reasons it greens everything up is because, as rain falls, it gathers nitrogen from the air (which is about 80% nitrogen and 20% oxygen) and puts it into the soil.  Nitrogen is what makes plants greener.  So after a rainfall, everything looks to have greened up significantly for good reason!

But as is the case with any large event, there were shortcomings.  And these are a chance for us to learn, though I sometimes wish that I could learn more easily.

What I learned through my failures this year is that, instead of working on how to proactively prevent issues, I should focus on how to reactively deal with what I foresee as potential problems – though this year I failed on both counts for the main concern I had.  Maybe that’s why I got to hear from those hurt most in the debacle.  It’s a penance I’m willing to pay though I wish I’d had the foresight to prevent the issues in the first place.

I struggle with the concept of letting things happen as they will… simply “learning from them for next time”.  Some may feel that it is only through failing that we learn… or maybe that we learn best through failure.  I can agree with the latter but not the former.

My dad often said, “Experience is a dear school.  A fool will learn by no other.”  Perhaps it is because I heard this so often that I am the way I am… constantly looking to make things better, constantly evaluating and dreaming of the next best iteration, always looking for the group to discuss ideas in hopes that, together, we can avoid pitfalls and find our best success.

I’ve seen many groups come up with amazing solutions… things one person alone would have never developed so quickly.  I have always thought that was the purpose of a Board ~ to develop ideas as a group, to keep each other on task and on target, to assure we are moving forward as a full team for our best effort.  I’ve helped many groups, often with non-aligned end goals to find win-win solutions so I know it can work.  It was one of my favorite things to do as an engineer in the steel industry.  Perhaps it’s just that I lack the skillset to do that like I once could.  Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s Minnesota.

A friend recently shared with me, “Board work can be soul sucking.”  I can see through my experience on many boards that this is often true.  I have seen success stories and had many good experiences, but it seems that it’s often some of the most trying work I’ve done.  Maybe it’s because it’s voluntary work!

But I believe it’s more because I care too much.  Dan told me as I struggled this year:

Very few are capable of going ALL IN like you do. Many have fears that hold them back from a full commitment to something. Most Americans worry more about their own image.  When we let that go then we become empowered to truly help others.  You have a gift and the freedom to share that.  This scares those who cannot understand it.

Maybe.  In discussions prior to the spring Board meeting I had the encouragement of multiple Board members in bringing up my topic of concern.  However, when I brought the idea to the floor, I stood alone.  I was immediately accused of “stepping on the toes” of another committee.  I guess I thought we were all on the same team!  Instead of being seen as an idea to discuss as a Board, my idea was seen as an attack on multiple fronts.  And instead of fighting for it, I just let it die.  Being off-site for the meetings doesn’t allow as much personal interaction or reading of body language in the room.  Perhaps this is part of the reason I seem to lack the capability I once had in business, and even on other Boards.

And I do jump ALL IN.  But I’m finally learning that it just isn’t worth beating my head against the rock.  [It always seems to take me longer than others to learn this… I’m pretty tenacious.  Or maybe just not so smart…]

Another friend recently advised, “When you feel like you’re caring too much, think to yourself, how much will this matter in five years.”  I’ve revised this down to five months or even five weeks.  And sometimes, it’s only five days to realize that most of life is really irrelevant in the grand scheme.  In reality, it’s all just an experience here on Earth.

I believe I am finally at a place where I can let go this year, my last as a Rec Lab Board Member, and fully enjoy the event without becoming consumed with trying to assure we’re thinking of everything, avoiding all the pitfalls, making everything awesome!  I am doing well so far to not need to correct any typos in the minutes, to not need to address any actions during the meetings, to not feel a need to put in my two cents.  OK.  Let me be honest.   I FEEL the need to do these things.  I’m just deciding to not do them.  I’m letting things be as they are.  My input is not required.  Nothing is really critical enough to necessitate my involvement.  It’s an idea I contemplate frequently these days.

And I am hopeful that, at next year’s Rec Lab, I will not be a detriment to my friends and roommates – who BTW did a wonderful job of encouraging me and helping me through this year as I struggled.  I thank them for their caring compassion.  It meant the world.

For Rec Lab 2019, all I need to do is assure that the Art Show is prepped for displaying the created works next May.  [Sorry, Laura, I’m taking the easy gig this year!!  Though Discussion turned out to be pretty easy too so I hope you enjoy it instead.]

And there were plenty of things for which to be grateful and proud.

• Watching the fun at Monday’s celebration unfold was hilarious!!  All those women with low hanging balls!  And seeing the creativity of costumes was wonderful.
• Watching as so many people took time to care for others ~ helping them learn, sharing experience, and being creative ~ was inspiring.
• Hearing the Fireside stories was heartwarming, funny, and challenging.  Tina shared a story about assuring you don’t live life too quickly and instead enjoy the moments, even the tough ones, as they are often the ones that bring you closer to each other.

I guess my painful moments gave me a chance to let others care for me and I am so grateful that they were there for me.  And it allowed others to give me insights that helped me see where I need to go from here.  Though some of those insights were painful, they turned out to be the most informative and helpful.

It’s hard for me to take a back seat and “not care” (as I put it).  As with any experience, I am hopeful that the growing pains will bring good lessons that lead to improvement.  And, in all reality, most of the downfalls were not enough to ruin what is, by and large, a wonderful event at a happy place.

Here are some of my favorite things…

Redneck Life with Laura Burlis, Ann Hippensteel, and Jill Featherwolf (thanks, Jill!); my polymer clay time; June’s collaborative switch plate (this is the heart of Rec Lab to me – working together to create something beautiful); my upcycled thrift shop finds ($4); Tracy Gulliver’s “star” talk (love it when a first year attendee jumps right in to participate!); Laura, me & Lutz ~ Hippy Time;  Mother Nature – Connie Nunemaker (this year’s Discussion Leader); more of my polymer clay and Jill’s Owl – love him!; and me – Happy (jacket before photo).

I also loved Laura Burlis’ Glacier Trip presentation – FABULOUS!!  Another example of why we shouldn’t rush through things… she spent almost an hour on this – AFTER Fireside – and had a HUGE audience.  And my most favorite time is Art Show where we can see all the wonderful work from our week together.  Here’s a video.

Rec Lab 2018 Prep

Tags

Rec Lab

It has been a whirlwind time since getting back from Indiana.  First I had to finish a book on Dan and my First Year at the Harn because a Shutterfly coupon I had was going to expire March 31st.  Then, I decided I’d made it so big that I should go ahead and use the 50% off coupon instead which had a deadline of April 2nd.

After getting that done, I could play a bit.  I headed over to Connie’s to work on tote bags we’re making for the Rec Lab auction.  Got partway through that work and then headed to Angie’s where she planned an Alcohol Ink on Tile craft day.

Now I thought this would be REALLY fun.  It turns out, it’s kind of frustrating.  There is NO CONTROL.  Just when you think it’s almost perfect, you add another drop and the whole thing turns to shit.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some really cool effects and Angie was pretty good at the perfect tile work.  She made flowers and landscapes and designs.  Meanwhile Connie made wonderful abstract flowers, rose, iris, etc.

Meanwhile, I was like a hippie clown on acid.  All my stuff was just rainbows of weirdness.  You can see Angie’s work in the top four left tiles below (and the far right solo one), Connie in the bottom four left corner tiles, and me in the line dropping down from the crazy alien fried egg thing.  I just kept adding stuff like an ink spritz, an alcohol spritz, another drop of ink.  Nothing really seemed to fall into place.

So… I started taxes.  Yes, I know, it was late.  But we had the Turbo Tax and I figured I could do it quick.  And you know what?!?  I DID!  It only took a couple days and it was SO MUCH easier than loop-de-looping through all those circular tax formulas in the book.  Now, let’s just hope we don’t get audited cause that program is kind of a black box…  Dan took a pic of me as I was immersed in the process.  I had two computers, three screens, a bunch of paper records, and two TV trays beside the desk.  And I survived.  Barely.

We had a Grant Writing class for a couple days and THEN I figured I could really start working on the Rec Lab preparations.  And what did I decide to do?  More alcohol inks.  (Yes, the tote bag I started at Connie’s is still awaiting a lining.)  I don’t know if it was that I thought I could make it work if I just tried harder or if I didn’t want to admit the project had bested me!

The second round of ink on tile went a bit better.  But I also realized that the clear coat spray had something in it (acetone, I think) that was causing the tiles to bleed as I coated them.  I had one only bleed halfway and I think this was because it was painted while not lying flat.  Half the tile remained as it had been originally painted, half turned into a tie-dye wash.  Weird.  But I decided this whole set could be a “Wake Up from the Blur/Party Until Blurry” coaster set.  You can just use them all the time if your a real alcoholic.  It’s like a progression of clear to blurry work it seems, or blurry to clear, depending on how you look at it.  But they still look kind of cool.  Who knows.  Maybe no one will bid on them.  But I’ve had a couple compliments so… we’ll see.

The new tiles I got are smaller as I thought I could make some little magnets out of them.  And they are turning out OK.  Here’s a Beach Bum set I made for the auction.

I also still have to get packed for Rec Lab.  It should be a fun year with my neighbor Connie coming as the Discussion Leader.  I’m hopeful she has an enjoyable time.  I am pumped up about the stuff she will present – something for almost anyone.

And I am really looking forward to seeing many of my Rec Lab friends as this is the one time of year I get to visit with some of them. And, of course I’m looking forward to the crafting.  And the food – Cheryl and the kitchen staff are pretty amazing at Camp Wapo.  Just hope it also decides to warm up a bit before we get there!!

I’ll see you in a couple weeks.  Next Monday is Rec Lab.  And I hope to have lots to show you from there after I return home.

So Lucky in Our Life

Tags

DIY, fun, local

So many blessings in the last couple months!  I don’t even know where to begin and I’m sure I will leave out several of the most wonderful things…  But I am starting to believe that some of the wonderfulness is because of our gratitude.  We are continually saying, “How lucky are we?!?”  It’s like good things just keep coming our way.  And I will keep giving thanks for it all, and hope it keeps delivering.

One of the first signs of spring are baby lambs and goats.  Our friends at Split Oak Farm have both.  Their lambs were rescued triplets from a local farm that keeps the best two of a litter and these sweeties are so small!  I never knew a lamb could be as little as a cat!  And this is at some days old.  I happened to be going for a visit with friend Connie who was helping Angie make an apron from an old linen tablecloth.  That tablecloth never looked so good as when they were finished.  A beautiful upcycle.  Anyhow, the lambs had arrived earlier that week and they were so adorable.  A few days later, Connie and I had a trip to town and so we stopped by the Farm on our way home.  Good thing!  Angie was just bringing out milk for the little lambs and we got to help!  We also got to see baby goats – four of them at the time – two new born and two a few days old, all adorbz!  Connie and I got to play farmer as we helped move two ewes to a birthing pen and relocate a momma and baby that had gotten into a wrong space.  Those goats are sneaky little devils!  All in all, I’m glad we don’t have livestock at our homestead… but I’m sure glad to have lots of farmer friends who do. 🙂

Another farmer couple, Jill & Randy at Merry Gardens Farm, are remodeling their kitchen and we (mostly Dan) are helping with the project.  They pay us good… in food!!  Every time we visit, we end up having a meal and it’s always, in part and sometimes almost in whole, harvest from their land.  We’ve had pork liver and onions, roasted potatoes, beets, and Brussels sprouts, pork chops, and Thai cabbage salad.  Yes, Thai food!!  Jill is an amazing cook and on a recent visit we had both the Thai cabbage salad and Thai noodles.  It was like a dream in rural Minnesota where most of the food tends toward the white and bland.  Her recipes for the two sauces were very similar – a mix of Liquid Aminos (GF soy sauce), garlic, peanut butter, chili sauce, oil and honey – but just different enough to give a nice contrast.  Oh, just yummy!!  And she also makes several varieties of mean tapioca pudding – my favorite.  We never leave their place hungry.

Winter at Merry Gardens is quiet in the fields but we also get to see baby piglets.  These Red Wattles are SO SWEET!! I just love their sleek ruddy coats and their sturdy little frames.  They are really manageable for the first couple weeks and then they are past the cuddle stage.  But they are still fun.  Their market pigs were cracking me up as they ran through the fields rearing up and taking off for no apparent reason.  And even the older sows and boars are wonderful.  Most of them are talkers and they are like little dogs the way they play with Jill when she steps into their pen.  They have some Mangalitsas which are like a velcro pig.  When they are little piglets, they look like sheep in their white fuzzy coats.  And maybe my favorite is Moses, the big boar who, when I call his name, comes running out to meet me like a big kid.  He has the best smile.  And he knows when I call his name I usually have food!  But his real buddy is Randy, as this video shows.  I don’t know who is cuter, Moses or Randy.  Merry Gardens Farm really love their pigs.

But it’s not all fun and games.  The market pigs require castration to prevent “boar taint”, an unfavorable smell or taste caused by the sex hormones testosterone and androstenone.  Though Randy had asked me to help last season, daughter Molly ended up being available.  But this season I got my chance to help.  It was a not difficult process and Randy made it very quick.  I had Danny film us and hope to eventually get a video posted for informational purposes.  Though it may take me a while because I realized it is much harder to watch (a requirement for video editing) than to do the actual castration.  In the moment, I was focused on trying to assure the pig was still for Randy’s process and comforted… as best I could.  Randy says it’s the hardest part of raising these guys.

Crafting has been magically happening in my life as well.  Neighbor Connie and I took a Craft Day to attend the Creative Spirit Fiber Festival and visit Anderson Fabric Outlet.  It was a wonderful event followed by a huge sale.  SO MUCH Creativity and Imagination!! My favorite gal at the fair was Lisa Jordan of Lil Fish Studio. You should check her out. She’s super fun. https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=193090157396798&ref=content_filter

And all that fiber watching ended up being a good inspiration for a project that came about due to Connie mentioning “making puppets”.  Turns out my friend Steph’s son Rook LOVES Boss Baby and I had the crazy idea that I would make him a puppet for one of the characters from the movie.  Steph said Tim was his favorite character but I knew I would have to also make a Boss Baby puppet too.  And we did!

How does the Fiber Festival factor in?  Well, when it came to hands and shoes, I decided felted wool might be the easiest option.  And it sure was… with Char’s help.  Char (of Char’s Yarn Basket just down the road from me) is an amazing artist and I knew she’d be able to help me with my project.  Sure enough, we got it done.  I believe my favorite parts of Tim are the jeans and shoes.  And his head is the best of the two puppets (Connie did the paper mache work on it).

All in all, we are truly blessed.  Even the icky stuff that seems to happen ends up having a positive impact – lessons learned, relationships strengthened.  I hope that you are feeling blessed in your life too!

Evaluation of the Line 3 Proposal Public Commentary

Tags

Enbridge, Pipeline, PUC

As I did on a previous session of public comments on the Enbridge Line 3 proposed new line project, I am again reporting on the nature of the data for this latest round of Revised Final Environmental Impact Statement (RFEIS) Public Comments for the Public Utilities Commission (PUC).

Yes, I am a glutton for punishment!!  But I am also a curious fuck and wanted to see what the commentary looked like for several reasons.  I suspected that, like last round, the Pro-Pipeline commentary would be very terse, uninformed, and belligerent.   I expected the Anti-Pipeline people to be more educated, verbose, and supportive of Indigenous Rights.

What did I find?

The Pro-Pipeline was definitely short and somewhat ignorant but not nearly as hostile as I suspected it would be.   The Anti-Pipeline was largely as expected.

Here are the details.

The listing indicated that 180 individuals had submitted comments.  I ended up with a few more so I’m not sure if this is their miscount or mine but with several hundred pages of letters, I’m not gonna be super nit-picky with the details.  I’m providing this review as a way of showing qualitatively how the two sides compared.  But if you want to count them, here they are [and yes, they AGAIN listed my name incorrectly – sheesh!]:

Mary Adams Lisa Havelin Mary-Churchill Peeples Vicki Andrews Gary Heimark Sheila Perrington Elizabeth Baker-Knuttila Ann Hess Cheryl Peters Steve Bakkum Janet Hill Doug Peterson Kathryn Beatty Jenny Hill John Pettingill Bill Bennett Kathy Hollander Joni Phillips Shannon Benzer Julie Huber Greg Pierce Ric Berkholtz Neal Illes Debbie Prestby Paul Berland John Iversen Richard Preston Reece Bertholf Carl Jarvi Curtis Proud Mike Birkeland Gary Jepson Cynthia Purchase Michael Blandford Chad Jewell Casey Quinn Dean Borgeson Barbara Job Ranee Raddohl Frank Bowker Al Johnson Rose Ragole Diana Brainard Deanna Johnson Phil Randall Annelise Brandel-Tanis Glen Johnson Kate Richardson Dave Butcher Matt Johnson Jim Roberts Mary-Kay Byers Rachel Johnson Deb Rogers Aaron Camacho Thomas Johnson Lora Schroeder Robert Chastan Bryn Johnston Leah Shwer Jaci Christenson Emily Jurgens Jennifer Smith Cyril Christo Daniel Kelley Rebecca Smith Nick Compton Matt Kesner Daniel Snidarich Michelle Crawford Kathy Koch Loren Solbergf Anne Cremons Dave Kotula Ashley Stalvig Alan Crompton Rachael Krivinchuk Michael Stang Lois Dalsin Jason Kruse Charles Staten Judy Diaz Kathy LaBerge Amy Stenseng Jimmy Dick Kathy Labriola Craig Sterle Tess Dornfield Philip LaFlamme Bud Stone Mary-Theresa Downing Craig Larson Richard Stuckey Jay Doyle Randy Lasky Walter Suronen Janet Draper Kurt Lauderbaugh Dean Swenson Eleanor Dvorak James Lawson Nancy Terhark Chris Elliot Sharon LeMay Mel Thoreson Nicholas Eltgroth Trevor Lindblom Gary Tibbitts Torrey Erickson E Lindell Jim Tjepkema Bill Erzar Gudrun Lock Jessica Tobin Jeanne Fahlstrom Mary Ludington Shelly Tocchio Lory Fedo Jason Markert Greg Todavich Cynthia Finch Terri Mathis Susan Tomte Brian Foster Nathan McKinney Bailey Troth Jamie Gaither Nancy McReady Peter Tuitt Shaun Germolus Brian Meier Wendy Ulrich Kerry Gersich Jorie Miller Joe Van Vynckt Chad Gilbert Keith Miller Nick Voss Steve Giorgi Kevin Miller Wendy Vyskocil Dawn Goodwin Mitch Mincoff Don Wagner Dylan Goudge Melodee Moniken Justin Wallace Mike Gragert Michael Monsrud Phillip Wallace John Grover Boucher Mooney Corey Weber Katie Grymala Tom Morgan John Weber Paul Gustafson John Munter Joe Wenker Shannon Gustafson Sharon Natzel Josh Yank Jaqueline Hadfield Nancy Norr David Ybarra Fredrick Hage John North Koh Zhi -You Shauna Haines Kevin OConnor Raymond Zidrick Patricia Hammel Gary Oja Tony Hansen Connie Olson Kelly Harrington Kevin Olson Brian Hartje Teresa Paris

Of the 192 submissions I counted, I found one Pro-Pipeline guy had submitted his commentary – the same letter – three times.  On the Anti-Pipeline side, there were two repeaters, one woman who submitted the same letter twice and one man who submitted two letters of substantially different material.   There were a total of 114 Pro-Pipeline and 78 Anti-Pipeline submissions.

In all, there were ~264 pages of letters from individuals.  [Note – one Pro-Pipeline submission  had about 10 blank or only a couple meaningless word pages in it, which I didn’t count. Looked like an internet issue.] Some of these letters were full pages and some were one line letters.  In trying to be fair about the counting, I would give a 3/4 page Pro-Pipeline letter a full count but if it was 1/2 page, only half.  For the 1-2 liner messages, I gave them 10% of a page – even though it was not truly that substantial.  And even the three-six line comments got 20% or 25% of a page.  I tried to count letters as 1/4 page, 1/3 page, 1/2 page and 1 page as best I could.

In all, the Pro-Pipeline folks submitted 36 pages of commentary.  Of these, 46 of the submissions were three lines of text or less.  Just for curiosity’s sake, I went back through the 264 pages and counted… 22 single line submissions (all but one Pro-Pipeline). Here are some of my favorites [No, I did not alter the punctuation, grammar, or spelling in any of these… and yes, these are the complete letters excluding the greeting/closing]:

• I am a Minnesota resident and 100percent for the replacement of line 3 and for the positive help to are local economies and the taxes that help the school district in the county that they cross
• I am in full support of line 3 replacement!
• this project needs to be completed ASAP!  [This exact verbiage was submitted twice, both without the capital letter to begin the sentence.]
• Build it and pull the old one out to create more job and help the economy in the area plus it will be a safer line with better coating and steel
• The EIS is more than adequate, the law’s been followed, grant the permit.  [Should I have counted this as a 3-liner???]
• JBW Consultin LLC fully supports the Line 3 endevour.  [This appears to be someone hoping to capitalize on the “endevour”…  Let’s hope their “Consultin” skills are better than their English skills.]
• This line replacement is an integral part of repairing America’s Infrastructure!!!

This was probably the best written of them all:

• It is in our community’s best interest to allow replacement of the Line 3 pipeline in a timely manner to enhance the safety of the pipeline and to reduce maintenance activities that disrupt landowners and the environment.

[I also counted about nine 2-liners, so… sixteen 3-liners.]

Here is the Anti-Pipeline 1-liner I found (I’d originally counted it as a Pro letter – my bias is showing!!)

• Line 3 makes no sense not only from an environmental and native rights standpoint, but also fro the economic standpoint of investing in an outmoded energy resource.  [So our side has typos too!  But at least I am now unconfused about a Pro-Pipeline letter referencing Indigenous Rights…]

Here’s one of my favorite short ones from the Anti-Pipeline side:

Tar sands…
> are a dirty and inefficient source of energy,
> will hurt the environment through climate change,
> and use land in violation of existing treaties.
Please do not approve a continuance of this offensive, opioid-like addiction.

Only 19 of the Pro-Pipeline submissions were more than a half-page in length and I don’t recall any being longer than a page.  I would say 12-15 were full-page submissions (again, if it was 2/3-3/4 page, I gave them a full page credit) but the majority of the submissions were very brief, 5-6 sentences or less.

As to the uninformed charge I make, I give this as an example of a Pro-Pipeline sentiment:

This is a long overdue needed line . The old line is failing and constantly being repaired . I c these things as I locate utilities for all pipeline projects in my area . The safety programs these guys put in place are top shelf .the environmental issues are above and beyond what’s required and the safety concerns of the pipeline are met
constantly with new technology and old they upkeep and inspect these line like no other . The money that this will bring into areas along it’s route will not only thrive while it’s going through but the tax base it will provide after that is detrimental to all plus it will employ and help our economy . Build it build it build it

OK, I admit, when I saw “Build it build it build it” as an ending to a letter, I knew I’d be picking it.  Now, reading it through, it shows some of the ignorance but really, I’m seeing how hard this is to even decipher!  What’s uninformed here?  Yes, the original Line 3 is old (and had quality issues when it was built because no one thought dropping pipes as they handled them might lead to issues down the line).  And it is constantly failing and needing repair, especially since they are pushing Tar Sands.  BUT I’d take issue with Enbridge’s safety programs.  They are NOT top notch.  In fact Enbridge has one of the worst records in the industry.  They do inspect lines but… we still have failures that are not detected by these inspections.  Best available technology does NOT mean sufficient and competent technology, just the best we’ve come up with to date.  As far as the money the pipeline will bring into the area?  Temporary jobs do not provide long-term economic support and while he says the tax base will be “detrimental”, I think he means the opposite.  And yes, I know I will pay higher taxes if a new pipeline doesn’t come through and provide.  But I’m pretty sure the risks to our much bigger economy of tourism are not worth chancing for a few jobs.  And I’m willing to pay higher taxes.

Very few of the Pro-Pipeline letters actually addressed what the PUC was requesting, whether the RFEIS addressed the four points that the PUC deemed Inadequate in the FEIS.  Most were about pipelines being the safest transport for oil, how we really need the jobs (though many will go to non-Minnesotans), energy independence (“It is time we get to the point where we’re not depending on other countries oil. Countries that fund the exact terrorism that is killing people every day!”), and how we all use oil and its products every day (“These include computers, cell phones, beauty products, appliances,
clothing and sporting goods.”).

So how many pages did the 78 Anti-Pipeline folks submit?  About 92.  Yes, 2.5 times the number of pages submitted by 40% less contributors.  On average, more than a full page per submission.  Yes, we had a few of our own short and poorly written letters and some were simply supporting the environment or Indigenous Rights.  But, by and large, the data in our letters was substantial, referencing links, news articles, and the page references in the RFEIS in question.  Most of the letters actually addressed the four items in question by the PUC.

I was pretty proud of the Anti-Pipeline showing.

When it came to form letters, Enbridge had given up on this tactic.  No pre-printed postcards for this round on the Pro-Pipeline side.  While this blog only concerns itself with self-directed letters submitted to the PUC, MN 350 and Interfaith Powe & Light did submit some pre-printed forms.  They were tallied in subsequent batches of Public Comments. As in the last go-around, many of these cards/petitions also contained verbiage, not just signed names and addresses without comment.  How many did they submit?  Over 23,000 citizens agreed that Enbridge’s New Line 3 is not good for Minnesota’s future.  Yes, the Anti-Pipeline submissions definitely surpassed those of the Pro-Pipeliners all-in-all.

As to the belligerence?  It was really not as bad as I thought it might be.  I recall one Pro-Pipeline letter saying something about putting “politics aside” and some stressing that this project has been on hold long enough.  But for the most part, the letters were civil on both sides.  Most of the outrage on the Anti-Pipeline side was regarding the racism (some called it by name) of not giving Indigenous People a voice by including a Traditional Cultural Properties Survey in the EIS or lamenting the little time left if we truly want to address climate change.  But even when an Anti-Pipeliner was short and forceful, they were often still polite…

I OBJECT- Before the Administrative Law Judge tries to make her findings, I request that you create a supplementary EIS that addresses the deficiencies in the Final EIS. Please.

So here’s the summary:

Pro-Pipeline: 114 letters, 36 pages, 21 one-line submissions, 9 two-line submissions, 15 three-line submissions, little data but lots of unsubstantiated statements.

Anti-Pipeline: 78 letters, 92 pages, 1 one-line submission, many multi-page submissions, lots of evidence backing up the statements saying that the RFEIS continues to be inadequate.

Seems like a no-brainer to me.  Deny the Certificate of Need.  Kick Enbridge’s New Line 3 Tar Sands Pipeline to the curb.

Update 3/15/18: The public Utilities Commission voted to accept the RFEIS as Adequate. You can read more on my FB post from that date.

 

The Aftermath of a School Shooting

Tags

common sense, guns

Just before my first blog posted on the school shooting in Parkland, I got a message from an old college friend to call when I got a chance. Not thinking anything of it and having a moment, I called right away.  Two and a half hours later I was still in shell-shock.  Her daughter was at the school in Parkland during the Ash Wednesday shooting.

The details she shared were shocking but they are hers, not mine to share.  She simply wanted to talk to someone outside the area.  As might be imagined, there is a pall over the towns surrounding the school.  And the effects, especially to kids, parents, and teachers so closely related to the event will likely continue to be quite heavy for some time to come.  And will affect everyone involved for the rest of their lives, no doubt.

To realize how close I was to this shooting made me see that these things affect more of us than we might imagine. The connections radiate in all directions.  For every child killed, the child has two parents (at least), and often siblings, four grandparents (at least), aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, family friends and neighbors.  I’m in an outer ripple of a light splash for a child who came home from Douglas this Valentine’s Day.  Not a family member, not a neighbor, just an old college friend who lives across the country.  And I feel heartbroken.  I well up with tears as I talk with my friend, I hold back a sob as she talks about her experience and I imagine what this must be like for her.  And I imagine that a thousand fold because this group of affected people goes into the thousands, into the millions I’d venture.  We are all connected in so many ways.  And another’s pain is our pain.  None of us likes when a loved one is in sorrow.  The pain may lessen the further out in the ripples you go, but the pain is there nonetheless.

Listening to her, and talking with others and reading about the shooting, the ramifications are heartbreaking.  Here are some of the things we might not think about.  But our children do.  And parents who’ve experienced the dreaded wait, they do too.

• Sarah Crescitelli, a 15-year-old, texting her mother during the shooting,“If I don’t make it I love you and I appreciated everything you did for me.”
• The 7-year old girl who tells her mother, after a “shooter drill” at her elementary school, “Mommy, I need new shoes.”  “But, honey, we just bought you those shoes.”  “Yes, Mommy, but the lights go on when I walk.”
• The parent waiting outside Douglas to pick up his child, watching the chaos unfold, not knowing if he would be getting bad news instead.

What’s happening?

Well, lots of people are talking.  For now.  I am hopeful, in the short attention span we often have in America, we do not forget this issue by the time November rolls around.  Voting out the NRA-financed members of our government is a good start to being able to find solutions.  The NRA has been funding the problem for some time and they currently have more sway than the millions of Americans who have been affected by mass killings and school shootings.

What’s planned?

A Nationwide Walkout at 10 AM on March 14^th ~ Seventeen minutes to commemorate the lives lost at Douglas.

A March 24^th Protest in Washington, D.C.  Cameron Kasky, Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, Alex Wind and Jaclyn Corin – these teens are stepping up to stop the madness that has gone on too long. They are organizing an event to make their voices heard and to bring about change.  The time is NOW they say, to talk about solutions.  It’s NOT too soon.   The students at Sandy Hook in New Town, Connecticut were too young, these teens say, but they are not.  Now is the time to take action and the NRA is their first point of attack. Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg sent a challenge to all politicians.   Either you Stand with the Children or you side with the Child Murderers.  NRA support is a badge of shame now.

A Nationwide Walkout April 20^th – To commemorate the anniversary of Columbine and to stand for change to prevent these mass school shootings.

And perhaps they will solve even more of our problems.  Emma noted that the gun control issue is “just the first thing” they are focusing on.  They are not just calling B.S. to our politicians in general, they are also calling out 45 on his thoughtless, self-centered tweets.

Thank God someone has the balls to stand up and say what we’ve all been thinking.  The Children will lead us where the Media and Congress have failed.

I’m seeing much hatred, rage, and meme-throwing – yes, I use them too.  But we need to get to real solutions.  We need to talk about real answers.  I personally like the ABC approach I read about: Assault Rifle (AR-15) Ban, Background Checks for all, Closing Gun Shop Loopholes.  I also support Waiting Periods and Limits on Ammo purchases.  And Requiring a License for Buying Ammo and making Ammo REAL Expensive – unless you’re on the range.  How about AR-15s ONLY at shooting ranges?  Kind of like the Army does, they leave the weapons on the range.  They aren’t carrying AR-15s back to the barracks. The MPs carry only handguns.

You don’t like those solutions?  Give me yours.  But I’m not buying that people “need” or “should have” the right to own semi-automatic rifles like that.  What is the basis of their need? And is honoring their desire for an AR-15 more important than protecting our children?  I cannot fathom how.

For a real look at what might work, The Rand Corporation has done a study and it shows what some ideas might do.

What can you do today?  If you are struggling with the aftermath of this shooting, find help.   Be sure you are talking with others, giving yourself space to heal, and finding productive outlets.  Grief is a process.  But balance the grief with hope and optimism.  I think watching these young activists in Florida is a good way to stay hopeful.

And their efforts are already affecting Minnesota’s race for governor.

During the last election cycle, as a Bernie supporter, I became VERY disillusioned with our political system.  Bernie would have beaten 45.  I’m sure of it.  Alas, that’s an argument that no one can never prove. But these kids are already bringing me hope that perhaps our political system CAN return to health.

Over the time since we’ve moved here, we’re seeing the same takeover in Minnesota that we saw in Indiana. The Republicans took over the government slowly and eventually took the Governorship and then began driving out the main Democratic leader, Superintendent of Schools, Glenda Ritz.  It was unbelievable how there would be meetings on Education to which she was not invited.  The Republicans kept taking more and more of her power away.  Of course, they didn’t want real education or teacher supports, all the things Glenda had run on and won in a state becoming more deeply red every cycle.  She took a position Democrats had not held since 1973.

Now we’re watching the same pattern materialize in Minnesota – where we moved because it was more progressive. (Well, and because there’s water.)  Things have been reverting more and more conservative. The Republicans are pushing a fear agenda in their efforts to pit Rural against Urban and it’s working. Division is the friend of the corporate and powerful… It keeps all us peons fighting amongst ourselves while they do as they wish.

This year, Minnesota’s Democratic Governor is stepping down. And it looks like the DFL (Democrat-Farmer-Laborer) party is going to support Walz, a white male candidate – largely because he’s a DINO (Democrat in Name Only) – and they are afraid of being too progressive with any of the three female candidates, all far more progressive than Walz.
But last Tuesday, Walz released a statement noting that he’s listening to these kids.  He’s donated all the NRA funds he’d received and will take no more. And he’s agreed to an AR-15 ban in Minnesota.  Sounds like a real come-to-Jesus experience!

I don’t think that’s enough, but it shows that he’s definitely realizing he may need to fight to hang on where he sees real political trouble.  And we need to keep letting the politicians know where they are in trouble.  From gun violence to climate change to fair wages to health care.

But rather than accept the candidates who “change stripes” to meet the demand, I say we bring in those who KNEW What The Fuck was needed in the first place!  Erin Murphy supported a ban on assault rifles BEFORE the latest shooting and uprising of the constituents-to-be.  These progressive candidates are a more trustworthy place to give our support. So much less likely to, once elected, go back to original plans, with full explanations of why they “simply cannot do what I really wish I could and had promised I would do…”

Closer to home, Bemidji has had it’s own fluff-up last week.  English teacher, Gina Marie Bernard organized “a “Women’s March Youth EMPOWER” walkout at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 14, at the high school. The plan is to have students, teachers, school administrators and parents leave school buildings across the country for 17 minutes.”  The next day, the Bemidji Pioneer reported:

Bemidji Area Schools Superintendent Jim Hess said he didn’t support a Bemidji High School teacher’s call for students and faculty to leave class next month to protest school shootings, and the teacher told the Pioneer the event has been cancelled.

So… those in power can just cancel a walkout, eh?  Do they comprehend that the very nature of a walkout indicates it is an act of civil disobedience?  That it’s not about asking permission but taking to the streets to express outrage?  I’m betting this decision by Mr. Hess spurs the event to be even larger than it would have been had he just let the movement grow on its own.  Never tell a teen what they cannot do.  I’m wondering if this Superintendent ever had children…  Instead:

District staff are weighing other options, which include a plan to speak to students about gun violence during homeroom on March 14, when the walkout was planned, or to meet at the school’s flagpole before school.

I’m betting those students may well do as they please.  Kind of like those in Florida who ignored 45’s attempt to control the situation.  People are ready to take matters into their own hands.  Administration has had plenty of time, and they’ve done nothing.

Two days later, my letter to the Editor posted.

In the end, if we are not teaching kids that they have a right to freedom of speech, and that this country was BUILT on nonviolent civil disobedience, WHY are we teaching them at all?

And do we think the efforts of these Douglas HS kids are working?  Well the criticism they’ve garnered seems  to indicate that thosewho oppose them are pretty scared.  And that’s where the fear needs to be in politics.  The power of the people CAN bring this country back to its senses. If only we can keep our focus.

Photo Credit:  CNN –  This is also a link to Emma’s entire speech.

Can We Stop School Shootings in America?

Tags

common sense, guns

Once again, it is the talk of the Nation: Another horrendous mass shooting in a public school.  If a country cannot assure its children are safe in public schools, I don’t think it deserves to call itself civilized.  And if continued outcry for solutions doesn’t lead to improvement, then it’s a pretty piss-poor democracy.  It’s been almost 20 years since Columbine – the school shooting that brought this issue to our attention April 20, 1999.  But that was far from the first school shooting.  School massacres are older than our democracy but have taken a seeming exponential rise over time.  And in 2018, we’ve had 18 shootings already this year.  Or have we?  We cannot even agree on the statistics.

Snopes has a pretty thorough analysis of 2018 school shootings but I was disturbed by this sentence in their analysis – which seemed to downplay the statistics.

Only seven were intentional shootings that occurred during normal school hours.

Only seven!  In the first six weeks of the year.  Well, cheer up, everyone!!

While I agree that suicide at a school which has been closed for several months would not be a public school shooting, I would not classify incidents where no injuries occur as non-relevant.  Snopes gives a thorough breakdown of each incident with details.  In all, 22 deaths and 36 injuries.  Just this year.  Just in our schools.

And the laws are fucked up.  In Florida, you have to wait 3 days to buy a handgun but an AR-15 style rifle?  You can clear a background check and walk out with one in minutes.  “Under federal law, you also must be 21 to buy a handgun from a firearms dealer. But 18-year-olds can buy semiautomatic rifles.” But there is some good news from the election of 45.  “The publicly traded gun makers Sturm, Ruger & Company and American Outdoor Brands both lost about a quarter of their market value in the days after Mr. Trump’s victory.  Earlier this week the Remington Outdoor Company, one of the country’s biggest and oldest gun manufacturers, said it would seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid plunging sales and mounting losses.”

Ironically, the fear mongering of the NRA is quite successful when “gun-control” Dems are elected, but their purchase of “pro-gun” GOP leaders has resulted in losses for the businesses that should find their efforts the most helpful.

So where can we look for answers?

I’d first like to direct you to a recent blog of someone I have newly discovered.  She said so much so succinctly and so well that I have left much of it to her.  Please check her out as she has much wisdom on this and many other topics.  Here’s an excerpt from her Engineering, Parenthood, and a Solid Attempt at Adult Status blog Fuck you, I like guns.  (Note – the title is a quote and accounts for a third of the f-bombs in the piece.  She does a nice job of making solid points with excellent analogies and minimal cursing.) :

“This (AR-15) rifle is so deadly and so easy to use that no civilian should be able to get their hands on one. We simply don’t need these things in society at large. I always find it interesting that when I was in the Army, and part of my job was to be incredibly proficient with this exact weapon, I never carried one at any point in garrison other than at the range. Our rifles lived in the arms room, cleaned and oiled, ready for the next range day or deployment. We didn’t carry them around just because we liked them. We didn’t bluster on about barracks defense and our second amendment rights. We tucked our rifles away in the arms room until the next time we needed them, just as it had been done since the Army’s inception. The military police protected us from threats in garrison. They had 9 mm Berettas to carry. They were the only soldiers who carry weapons in garrison. We trusted them to protect us, and they delivered. With notably rare exceptions, this system has worked well. There are fewer shootings on Army posts than in society in general, probably because soldiers are actively discouraged from walking around with rifles, despite being impeccably well trained with them. Perchance, we could have the largely untrained civilian population take a page from that book?” ~ Fuck you.  I like guns. 2/15/18

Weapons meant for quick people-killing are NOT the type of gun you want anywhere… except maybe the front lines of a war.  This blogger makes an amazing argument and I’m hopeful her voice will make an impact on this issue.

Australia has figured it out.  After a mass shooting in 1996 by a gunman who killed 35 and wounded 23 more – notably NOT in a school – Australia implemented a massive buyback of semi-automatic weapons and implemented “new gun laws (which) prohibited private sales, required that all weapons be individually registered to their owners, and required that gun buyers present a “genuine reason” for needing each weapon at the time of the purchase. (Self-defense did not count.)” While that may not be feasible in America “Land of the Free, Home of the Brave”, it has been successful in Australia: “In the decade before the Port Arthur massacre, there had been 11 mass shootings in the country. There hasn’t been a single one in Australia since.”

Switzerland has a pretty good system too where men ages 20-30 (34 for officers) are issued guns (for militia training) which they can keep at home.  However, there are strict controls on ammunition.  Every round is accounted for in regular checks.  In recent years, only the gun is kept at home and ammo is retrieved from nearby in case of a need for militia (with the exception of a few designated people).

Danny often argues that we don’t have to worry about guns if we should make ammo EXTREMELY expensive.  If it cost $100/round or even $25/round, you’d be thinking hard about each time you shot.  At shooting ranges, you could purchase all the ammo you want really inexpensively. But you’d have to shoot it all there. We could even subsidize this ammo with the “home” ammo purchases.  And what about those who make their own ammunition?  In the time spent making bullets, they’d have time to think about where those bullets were going to be used.  And, if they used them in the wrong place, pre-meditation would be easy to prove.

Maybe the Youth in America will finally resolve the issue.  The #MeNext and #NeverAgain movements, along with the planned walkout on 4/20, the anniversary of Columbine, may give the wake-up call we need.  I’m hopeful we won’t have to wait until these young people are all old enough to replace the bought-and-paid-for NRA politicians we have in place now.  But fear runs strong in America and many just can’t see any cure for guns except… more guns.   I think the real cure is to work on getting rid of the fear.  But the rich and powerful love it when we’re afraid… especially of each other.

And how might this affect the race for Governor in Minnesota?  No telling. But what we do know is that Walz has an A+ rating from the NRA… on which Erin Murphy has said, “That means he’s done their work plus the extra credit to get the plus.”  Love it.  Note: Erin has an F rating from the NRA, supports “limits on sales of certain ammunition, expanded background checks and a ban on sales of AR-15 rifles in Minnesota,” which puts her toward the top in my ratings.  While Rebecca Otto appears to be our most Progressive candidate, with the data indicating she will beat out the competition, I’m guessing the DFL will weakly decide to run with DINO candidate Walz and end up losing anyway.  They’ve maybe learned nothing from the Bernie Sanders / Hillary Clinton fiasco from last cycle.  Or the continued horror happening in our schools.

Photo Credit:  Please go here for MANY MORE well-written memes…

Storyteller Michael Venske

Tags

fun, storytelling

I knew I’d likely be going to see Storyteller Michael Venske in the Farm by the Lake Storyteller series and, after reading the report on his event in the Farmers Independent and on FB, I definitely knew I wanted to meet this guy.

Michael… spends his (time) on projects that help the greater good.  ~ Michael Venske Event Promotion

From recordings for Hazelden, teachings on de-escalation techniques for individuals in mental health crises, HIV awareness videos, performing environmental comedy shows, and working with First Witness Child Advocacy Center teaching law enforcement how to conduct forensic interviews with victims of childhood sexual abuse… this guy has spent a lot of time working on the greater good.

And he spent three years in China teaching English.  I was anxious to hear his reporting as compared with what Tom had shared with us years ago after his trip to China.  Michael seemed the kind of guy who’d be up for adventure. So what did I do?  I reached out to him!

I sent him a message and, as I expected, he immediately responded.  He ended up calling the house and we chatted about the possibilities of meeting, deciding that he’d come for a meal with us during his visit to Clearwater County.

Michael came by our place for lunch prior to the Library gig and we chatted for a while and then had a nice local food lunch including pork roast from Split Oak Farms along with pickles and green beans from Merry Gardens Farm that Connie and I canned this past fall.  We ended with some warm tapioca with a bit of coconut added – this is becoming a great go-to dessert for me of late.

We shared a bit of our story with him and Michael noted, after being introduced to our Rocket Mass Heater, that his story today would include a fireplace aspect.  I was impressed when he mentioned his “Rumford” fireplace.  Ah, a kindred spirit…  We told stories all through lunch and then Michael and I headed to his gig while Dan wrapped up at the Harn.  It was endless back and forth during our ride to Bagley.

We had a good crowd at the Bagley Library where Dawn Loeffler and Marty Cobenais from Farm by the Lake had prepared a wonderful place for him that included a fake fireplace!  The story went up and down, from dramatic and compelling to hilarious (yes, I was laughing out loud – a lot!).  It pulled us all forward and then circled back and then wrapped up with a warm and comforting close.  The crowd was very happy with his performance.  Lots of laughs and a few good things to ponder.  We had a lovely Q&A session at the end and I was surprised by several questions – these people knew a few things about Michael’s work – what a prepared audience!!

A really fun day of meeting a new friend.  I was thrilled to learn more about this amazing guy.  He’s worked on some wonderful projects, one of my favorites of which is training police officers on de-escalation practices for interacting with people with mental illness.  I had some ideas on how we could really use this training to help improve our law enforcement in Minnesota.  But I’m most looking forward to sharing more with him on one of my favorite subjects, which as he was wrapping up the day I found also interests him, Death.

Dan and I have decided Michael can come visit us at the Harn any time, especially if he brings his pink robe!  And Athena.

Photo credit: http://michaelvenske.com/about/

C&C with C&A

Tags

DIY, fun

What a week of fun!!  Cooking and Crafting with Connie and Angie.

I am feeling so lucky in many of the new friends we have up here in the North Woods and two of the best are Connie and Angie.  Luckily for me, Connie lives close enough that we’re talking about biking to each other’s homes… once summer comes ’round again!  And even though Angie is farther away, she has cute bunnies and goats and the best cat ever, Helga, so I get there too.  Both of these ladies have something that I do not… a real kitchen with stoves, ovens, running water that doesn’t go into a bucket. 😀

But the other thing they have is a love of crafts.  We started the crafting venture with Wire-wrapped Pendants and now we’re on to Driftwood Art, which uses some of the same techniques.  While Connie focused more on the bead creations aspect, Angie and I both made a Driftwood piece.  And we all chatted and chillaxed and created.  Here’s our work: Angie’s, mine and two for Connie.

So much fun!  I am loving this creative outlet.  It is amazing to see where it all goes as it’s a natural process and came sometimes turn out different than you expect.

So this was the second day this week for creation at Connie’s as she and I had done cooking too.  We worked on a few Gluten Free (GF) recipes and had good luck with all though we thought we’d only had luck with about half.  So, we started with a GF Beet Chocolate Cake… I KNOW!  It sounds weird.  But it’s really good.  I wasn’t sure but I really ended up liking it a lot.  Even Danny liked it!  So.  One success.

We had some weirdness along the way like a hard boiled egg in with the regular ones.  But we tried three different cracker recipes with mixed results.  The Sesame Seed crackers were the best of the three – nice and flaky, crunchy and tasty.  The Corn Puffs did not really puff – and while these were the third favorite, they were too salty.  This lead to several ideas on how we could improve on the recipe and we plan to implement three of those ideas by making a few more batches for the Super Bowl Feast.  The least workable was an Almond Flour Flax Seed cracker which we didn’t use Almond Flour to make.  Yeah, maybe most of the problem.  The substitution flours were likely too absorbant and we ended up with a VERY crisp cracker.  Too dry.  But the spice blend was good and Dan declared them “good”.  So, we can claim 4 victories… of sorts!

We’ve got lots of crafting and cooking plans so I’ll keep you posted if we have more fantastic adventures to share with you all.  Hope you are having your own successful creative endeavors as well.