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Last Updated : Sunday, 27 October, 2002 at 07:33 PM -0600
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| Daynotes On a Budget Hosted By... Last Updated : Sunday, 27 October, 2002 at 07:33 PM -0600 |
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Monday, October 21, 2002 |
What Have I Done?
For those of you arriving late for this particular reel of film, a short recap is in order...
Prior to the age of eight, I was continually asking for a puppy. I was also asking for a younger brother. The younger brother bit was getting quite old, as, by 1969, I had three younger sisters. When it became apparent in late 1970 that we'd be having another denizen join us in the Dominik (The Elder) Household, I decided to put my 2¢ worth in.
When asked if it should be a boy or a girl, I asked for a puppy. Obviously, I didn't get one.
In the intervening years, the requests dropped off. Clearly, with four little girls running around the house (for obvious reasons, I spent much of my time outside or hiding in my room), one had little need for puppies - babies make similar messes, and grow up to make bigger messes - puppies make small messes and they remain a relative constant mess size.
A selling point which was, unfortunately, lost on my parents. Of course, in those days of single incomes and five children, one did not willingly increase one's expenses without due consideration.
Consideration which I have, to this day, attempted to apply rigorously to my own household, such as it is.
The cracks in the dam started last night. She Who Must Be Obeyed (time for the formal title) came downstairs, holding a section of the classified ads.
"You know what Jack's been asking for for his birthday."
"Gameboy Advance. Not gonna happen."
"No, besides that."
"What? A Puppy?"
"Now, this is just an idea, feel free to say no if you don't want to, but I found three ads in the paper. One's for a Jack Russell, and two are
Shepherd/Lab mixes."
"Uh, no."
"That's OK. Why not?"
"Well, for starters, money."
"These are free."
"Yeah, that's like a garage giving you an old beater car for free."
"What?"
"Food, shots, checkups, toys, carpet cleaners, training for all of us, and everything else."
"Well, one of the dogs comes with it's own supplies."
"Yeah, but what about adaptable? We do have two old, cranky cats."
"Well, this one's only five months old."
"I'm betting it killed the homeowner. That's why they're getting rid of it."
"Why don't I call tomorrow and find out."
"Let me think about it."
"OK!"
Well, the conversation went something like that. Not exactly, but something like.
So, I put it out of my mind. This morning, I get a call. No, not for a job interview (I'd probably fall out of the chair should something like that happen), but from Herself.
"Well, the free dog with supplies is already gone, but that owner also has five-week-old chocolate lab/shepherd puppies. $25, and he's got four females and a male."
How wonderful is that? I say "let me think about it" and suddenly I find I've lost the war.
I'm going to be fighting a rear-guard action on this one. I know I'm going to lose, and I know full well that this is not going to be pleasant. My twin hopes before we got a dog were that I would A) Get a job, and B) get one that paid enough to get one of those auto-cleaning cat boxes - no point in leaving kitty crunchies around for the puppy to eat - after all, we know the dog will lick the kid's faces, and the very last thing we need is cat-poop-breath.
Further updates as events warrant... One would think $30 in carpet shampoo in preparation for the sleepover would hold the woman off. Hardly.
Fence Ideas
You know, I'm very gratified that so many of you took the time to write to me with ideas for preventing the neighborhood children from pulling down my fence
boards.
I'm also concerned. My readership seemed to be a decent cross-section of people world wide, which I found quite humbling. Now, however, their true nature has come out, and boy, I'm glad a fair number of you don't live in my neighborhood. You scare me.
As I will name no names to protect the innocent (both of them) that wrote in, and the guilty (to protect my own), there's a large number of people out there who are quite deviant (or was that devious) in their use of electricity as a deterrent.
One individual suggested a rather complex wiring arrangement which would have secured that fence better than some around Fort Knox. Unfortunately, it would also have probably killed me as I forgot about it and mowed too close to the fence next summer. And insertion of the chainlink between fenceposts would have been possible, but difficult.
Another gentleman wrote about his variation on what he did to the window frames and gutters in his home. And while I'm sure squirrel tastes just like chicken when electrically barbecued by the current running through the gutters, I just don't think it's a good idea to light the house up by simple spark arcing - I think the lightbulb's a bit safer in that regard.
There are people who suggested adapting the trick they used to wire the trash can to prevent raccoon entry (three of those - and the fellow who said "coon tastes just like swan" isn't even funny any more). Interesting, but ... well, devious.
Then there's the one that sounds like a good idea - rig up a doorbell transformer. Right. No, not to "ding-dong" - to electrocute.
So, I'll just say "thanks". And since the city ordinances prohibit electric fences within city limits (damnit - I should have checked before this), I'll be outside working to remove a little project. Now, to find the linesman's gloves and staple puller...
MMMMMmmmmmm... Chocolate....</HOMER_SIMPSON_VOICE>
All right. I was looking up travel agents and trying to find Perugia on a map of Italy, intending to book a couple of tickets and go, then I got to the line about
"even styled hair with chocolate paint and chocolate covered berries". That's just not right. Just not right at all.
Application for Minnesotazenship
Section ONE : Personal Information
Last Name ___________________son
First Name ___________________
Middle Initial ___________________
Named After (Check all that apply)
| [___] FATHER | [___] MOTHER | [___] PATERNAL GRANDFATHER | [___] PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER | [___] MATERNAL GRANDFATHER | [___] MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER |
| [___] UNCLE (Mother's Side) | [___] AUNT (Mother's side) | [___] UNCLE (Father's Side) | [___] AUNT (Father's side) | [___] Other Relative (Mother's Side) | [___] Other Relative (Father's side) |
Sex: [___] Ole [___] Lena
Home Address _______________________________________________
Cabin Address _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
On Lake ____________________________________________________
Religion: [___] Lutheran [___] Catholic
Income: [___] We do OK
[___] We're Blessed [___] None of your beeswax
SECTION TWO : Qualifications
(check all that apply)
[___] I own a gas powered ice auger.
[___] Fargo floods hit a little close to home.
[___] I can name a dozen celebrities who've stayed at the Mayo
[___] I've been trick or treating in two feet of snow.
[___] My grandmother made me eat lutefisk.
[___] I liked it!
[___] I've been to a block party.
[___] My first beer was (check one)
[___] Old Milwaukee.
[___] Grain Belt
[___] Hamms
[___] Cold Spring
[___] Schells
[___] Leinenkugels (only Wisconsonites will check this one)
[___] Home-brewed
[___] Before I was legal
[___] My snowmobile has more miles on it than my car.
[___] I have a back up set of jumper cables in my trunk.
[___] I know what Cold Cranking Amps means.
[___] I have more than one plugin heater under my hood.
[___] I used an outlet bar for all the plugin heaters so I have only one plug sticking out the grill.
[___] Despite what everyone else says I DON'T HAVE AN ACCENT!
True/ False:
TRUE [___] FALSE [___] : I actually listen to telemarketers.
TRUE [___] FALSE [___] : "Have a Nice Day" is an ORDER!
TRUE [___] FALSE [___] : TV news anchors are celebrities.
TRUE [___] FALSE [___] : Part of my tongue is on a flagpole somewhere. (Bonus points for multiple flagpoles)
TRUE [___] FALSE [___] : It's not a rubber binder! It's a rubber band.
TRUE [___] FALSE [___] : They mistake pop for "soda" or "coke" in most other states.
TRUE [___] FALSE [___] : Hot Dish is neither a beautiful woman nor an overheated plate.
TRUE [___] FALSE [___] : Paw is both a hand and the male parent.
Multiple Choice:
[___] It's time to wear a hat when...
A) The temperature is below 10 degrees.
B) Your mother tells you to!
C) The temperature is -10 and the wind chill is in double digits.
D) Ice Fishing without the ice house
[___] My Favorite Weatherman...
A) Bud Kraehling
B) Barry Zevan
C) Mike Fairbourne
D) Dave Dahl
E) Paul Douglas
F) Ken Barlow
G) That guy on Channel 9, where ever he went to.
H) Belinda Jensen
I) The one that predicts sunshine no matter what.
[___] Favorite Radio Personalities
A) Boone & Erickson
B) Steve Cannon
C) Dan Donovan
D) Ruth Kozlak
E) Halsey Hall
[___] Growing up, at lunch we watched...
A) Casey Jones and Roundhouse Rodney
B) Carmen The Nurse
C) Clancy the Cop
D) All of the Above
[___] Favorite Sports Team
A) Twins
B) Vikings
C) Timberwolves
D) Wild
E) Thunder
F) Lakers
G) North Stars
H) Strikers
I) Any Gophers Team
J) Any Bulldogs Team
K) Any Husky Team
L) Packers (Only closet Wisconsonites will check this one)
[___] "Frostbite Falls" is actually...
A) International Falls
B) Ely
C) Orr
D) Embarrass
E) Duluth
Section THREE : Translations
Yahsureyoubetcha : ______________________________
youbetchadonchaknow : ______________________________
idano : ______________________________
yup : __________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Wind Chill : ______________________________
Dew Point : ______________________________
Section FOUR : Essay Questions
Complete All Questions
1. What "uff-da" means.
2. Ten or more uses for a five gallon pail.
3. Four cars reach a four-way stop at the same time. Who goes first? Why?
4. What "oopsy daisy" means to me
5. Casserole or Hot Dish?
6. Up North starts...
Okay, so I thought it was funny... Why?
You know you're from Minnesota when.....
Rebuttal
My wife has once again posted, this time with a rather shotgun approach to the Catholic Church's policy on Annulment, and my beliefs regarding it.
To help things along a bit, let's start with a bit of Canon law ("Cannon Law" being "he who has the biggest cannons and ammunition to use them makes the laws" but that's as may be). I'm no canon lawyer, nor priest, nor lawyer. I do claim 16 years of catholic education, exposure to the good priests (the ones who make you think AND THEN LET YOU THINK IT THROUGH rather than telling you what to think), and plenty of religious discussions in the post-Vatican II world, trying to figure out what the heck that was.
Marriage is the longest sacrament, for it is considered to be every day of a married individual's life. It is an ongoing sacrament, rather than a one-time event. Annulment, on the other hand, is a recognition by the Catholic Church that one or more requirements for a valid marriage union were never present in the sacrament to begin with. My wife's complaint that the church can assign blame and ban certain persons from remarrying in the church is part, but only part, of her complaint.
Marriage is an unusual sacrament. All other Catholic Sacraments (there are seven) are outward manifestations of a change in relationship between oneself and one's God. The sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Communion, Confirmation, and Anointing of the Sick are all sacraments which your average Catholic will experience - some, like Baptism and Confirmation, only once. Some, like Anointing of the Sick, may be given more than once. Others, such as Reconciliation and Communion are expected to be regular occurrences. Some will experience Holy Orders as they take vows and join a religious community and spend the rest of their lives in the service of God and others.
The remain sacrament, Marriage, is between two people. The others require a priest, witnesses, and sometimes special help (Baptism requires the participation of Godparents, while Confirmation requires a Sponsor in the church). All require the assistance of a priest.
But Marriage is a bond between two people who have vowed to spend the rest of their lives caring for one another. Marriage is not "The Wedding". Many people mistake this. Marriage is an ongoing, continuing, and life-long sacrament. Annulment is a recognition that one or both parties failed to enter the bond fully prepared, or willing to give what is needed. The annulment process is required if one or both parties to a marriage wish to dissolve their marriage bonds within the church, and free themselves to join again in the sacrament of Marriage, hopefully this time with better results.
Annulment is not divorce. A divorce is the legal recognition that a legal marriage is dissolved - this has nothing to do with the sacrament of marriage. An annulment is more properly the recognition that the marriage was not successfully created.
Previously, the requirements were usually quite stringent and high - lack of sexual union was one rare case. Almost the only reason one would gain exception, in fact.
That's the Canon Law portion of the exercise. Now, comes my belief.
I believe that you, as an informed adult, have the right to do what you want to yourself, be it poke holes in yourself, color on your skin with crayons, jump from high bridges connected by bungee cords, or bugger sheep. As long as the sheep is another consenting adult, hey, it's your life. If the sheep, or other animate object is not an adult of the age of consent, well, then, you have a problem. Most likely legal, and probably with the other members of your community, unless of course you live where people don't tend to peep through other people's curtains, and so forth.
I believe, however, that some things, while legal and acceptable to society at large, are not acceptable to me. While I could toss this one off with the crack "the list is long and varied" I'll be blunt - Homosexuality, while legal, I believe to be immoral. I do not condemn those who practice it - I do not accept the "love the sinner, hate the sin" rules. I have no problem with what you wish to do. If you wish to do it to me, in front of me, or in front of my children, then we will have some problems. Well, more likely, you will have medical bills and I will have a good attorney.
Be that as it may, the issue with which my spouse has chosen to take exception is the fact that the Catholic Church charges for annulments and also will occasionally ban someone from further participation in a future marriage as part of the annulment process.
I don't have a problem with it. Without going into specifics which I do not have on the case which caused the discussion, the Church granted Fred an annulment, while preventing Ethel from remarrying in the church. Certainly, Fred might have been in the wrong. Certainly, Ethel might have been as well. But the bottom line is that after presenting cases (and yes, I'm going to be a witness in the annulment of my friend), those who did have the facts did determine that Fred was due an annulment, and that Ethel, for whatever reason, would not be allowed to remarry within the church. No church wedding, no blessing of the vows, no celebration of your 20th wedding anniversary at the altar. Fred and Ethel (not their real names, by the way) have both remarried, and are both moving on with their lives. Fred, in a small church wedding, and Ethel by a JP.
I can think of any number of reasons which would cause the church to prohibit a person from marrying in the church. Things like an individual not taking a sacrament seriously, or refusal to comply with the requirements of the sacrament. But that said, sorry, folks, but some times there IS blame - some times there IS fault. That's the way it is.
As to the $450 cost of an annulment, first off, it varies by diocese, and there's ALWAYS paperwork involved. Paperwork is never, ever free.
Now, I'm no theologian, nor am I a church scholar. I am a lay man, and those are my conclusions after research and thinking about it. And yes, I'm aware that Heinlein (and Marx, coincidentally) felt religion was a big waste of time. So be it.
And On The Technical Front...
One dead Motherboard, one dead monitor, one missing PS2/AT conversion plug, one keyboard with a dead "D" key (problematic when you can only boot into
safe mode), one external CD-Writer with no writing software, one PC with "Fixed Disk 0 Failure", one PC with "Cannot read from Drive D"
(CD-ROM), and one dead monitor.
Yeah. Busy day. Nary a dull moment around here, let me tell you...
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Tuesday, October 22, 2002 |
So Far, So ... Dunno.
Regular readers by now will expect surrealism, and my life continues to lack disappointment for you in that regard. For me, it's just another day on the
roller coaster that is my life.
Got a call this morning from my sister. My father had e-mailed her, letting her know that my mother had been feeling unwell yesterday. I thought perhaps the portabello ravioli she shared with my sister at the Olive Garden yesterday the day before might have had something to do with it (when I have mushrooms in any great quantity, I can't stand near open flames. Quality, quantity, what have you - they're all the byproduct of me eating that sort of fungus).
Unfortunately, no. Mom went to the hospital with one of my sisters last night, and they decided that, in view of her pain (she's had five children normally, or as normal as we get, along with other intestinal issues, such as her cancer scare a few years back), they'd see what it is.
My father, being my father, decided that since there was nothing he could do, he would go to bed. See? I'm not the only one. "Rather than panic, he napped."
So far I have been informed that she has lost both her appendix and a small tumor which is "probably not" malignant, given the fact it's more like a golf ball than a soft tissue mass.
Which is my way of saying "what the hell do I know?"
And so we hurtle into another day, with me wondering just when the various conflicting forces in my life will be done with me and I can once again go on my semi-merry way.
Assholes Do Vex Me...
Indeed, yea verily...
Apparently I made the mistake of attempting to assist an asshole today. I received an e-mail from a fellow who included his phone number in the spam. Apparently the fellow is involved in an MLM company called SmartTravel (which I've got some knowledge of, unfortunately), and got my e-mail address somehow.
By the way - the "You Didn't Ask But I'll Tell You Anyway" department: MLM doesn't stand for Multi-Level Marketing. It's Moron Level Marketing. Only morons would get involved in such a cluster-$#%T#@ing activity (yes, I've been there, done that. MLM works great if you're a salesman who can stand to be surrounded by lesser sycophantic incompetents who lack the mental capacity to see through your "pitch" - marketing-ese for "shit". Then again, to each their own...), but again, that's just my opinion (which will likely come up some day when someone is looking through a search engine for MLM and they'll find a cached version of this page somewhere. God help them).
After telling this fellow that including his home phone number was a bad idea when sending spam, the guy became downright abusive, and threw a whole lot of profanity at me. I tried to explain that his "submission form he gets information from" is more than likely a spider - but he wouldn't hear of it, as he conducts training for this outfit regularly, and is in Nashville right now (What is it about Tennessee which can turn out incredible minds and great sucking morons from the same gene pool?).
Remind me again why I do the occasional good deed?
Electrical Modifications
When we first moved into this house, we had some problems with a breaker popping off occasionally. After some research, it seemed the kitchen
light/appliance circuit was the guilty party. If I left plenty of lights on, ran the dishwasher, and left the light over the sink on, click went the
breaker.
I'd been watching it carefully, and until today, I figured I was OK. However, I just figured something out which I'd rather not know. Apparently, when putting wiring in for a library nook, one of the previous owners decided it would be a good thing to tap into that underused kitchen circuit. So, instead of just being kitchen, etc., all of my computers are now sharing the load. Wonderful.
So, does anyone have any tips on adding some outlets and a circuit in the breaker box? I can run the wires, etc, without too much trouble - my concern is the breaker itself. Do I need an electrician to do that work, or can I do that as well?
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Wednesday, October 23, 2002 |
Bummer
Well, the good news is that I now have to find something ELSE to go as for Halloween.
The bad news is ... well, that picture stays with you. Like a really, really bad bean burrito. It just keeps on giving and giving and giving. And not in a pleasant way, I might add.
Mom
No news overnight (this is the way my family does things, of course). Mom is due to come home on Thursday, which means there will be frantic cleaning and
tossing going on in the time she's out of the house (one hopes).
Further news as events warrant.
Breakers
Well, the conversation started last night with Mr. Vogt. Over the phone we discussed a number of fundamentals, and this morning, with the breaker box
"available" I took a look.
Small problem. I've checked my math eight different ways, including plugging the numbers into a spreadsheet. My electrical box has a note on the door which says "GE Sylvania 150 Amp Maximum". There's a problem - in one stack alone I exceed that amperage by five - in the other stack I'm five amps short of it.
| SIZE | AMPERAGE | AMPERAGE | SIZE |
| Full | 15 | 20 | Full |
| Double | 30 | 15 | Full |
| Double | 20 | 40 | Double |
| Half | 15 | 15 | Half |
| Half | 15 | 20 | Half |
| Half | 15 | 20 | Half |
| Half | 15 | 15 | Half |
| Half | 15 | ||
| Half | 15 | ||
| TOTAL | 155 | 145 | TOTAL |
Clearly, this is a problem. I've done the math, and as you can see here, I'm pulling something like 300 amps if all of those breakers max out. Now, I'm not sure - I thought the standard service in these parts was 200 amp, but I could be wrong. I also have a second, unpopulated, smaller junction box in my garage, which might or might not have an effect on all of this stuff.
The curious thing is the main box still has room; I know that means nothing.
I've discussed this with a contractor friend of mine, who said "well, you don't run everything in your house all the time, do you?" Well, no. But computers will be on nearly all the time - barring vacations, thunderstorms, and the occasional breaker popping off and costing me a full-blown perfect post, that is, they'll be on 100% of the time. But most of the rest, well, no.
He said it's best to check with the electrician. Given his first house had 60-amp service, his next house had 350-amp service (much bigger house), and his present house is 300, he's thinking I might be just pushing the limit. Guess I'll wait and check with the experts. Oh well.
Hippo Birdie...
Yes, another relative's birthday. Nicolas Appert, the chef from the bastardized edge of the family, snuck off to France to cook, instead of sticking in
the Alps to raise sheep (and no doubt do other things), and he invented canning. The other
branches of the family still keep this connection to food alive, but good old Nick helped Napoleon.
How wonderful.
And, uh, the, uh, Alps? Well, one of my father's relatives once said "you had to be born within six axe-handles and a plug of tobacco of the Alps to be named Appert." My grandma was. Mary Appert. Came over when she was about three, and died in 1972.
Another Somber Anniversary
Yes, I know. Thirteen years ago tonight, an eleven-year-old boy, not too much older than my own daughter is today, was taken from a small town in
Minnesota.
That town was much more than a part of my life. St. Joe was one of the small towns surrounding St. Cloud - my father drove through it every day on his way to work at St. John's. I had spent many hours in town, watching Fourth Of July parades, marching in those parades, or trying to figure out how to get out of one of the many bars in town (obviously, when I was older). St. Joe was part of me.
Jacob Wetterling's father was well-known in the area - Jerry had his face on billboards advertising his chiropractic practice. So it was something of a shock to see the name on the nightly news.
To this day, the clues are terribly disjointed, the facts in the case few. Four boys left to return a video. A man stopped all of them, grabbed Jacob, and let the others go. They left. To this day they all carry incredible guilt about that evening. They shouldn't. They were children then.
And somewhere, there's a man who knows what happened. Perhaps he's dead now, or in prison for something else. Or he's out lurking in a community. We don't know.
All we know is that Jacob's not home yet, and may never come home. And that's the saddest part of all.
Oh. And...
I'm an uncle again.
Yes, that sounds odd. Especially for me with two sisters married, one engaged, and one still thinking about it - all anti-child - and one brother-in-law otherwise occupied. But I'm an uncle again. At last count, I have about 7 nieces and nephews, all from the same chunk of the family - Ann's birth-parent's kids'. Or something like that.
I won't replay the whole story here, but Ann has three genetically full brothers, who have four, two, and one, respectively. And the oldest (after Ann) had his first girl (well, his wife did - though what she sees in Reg is beyond me - she could do so much better ;-), and conveniently, we'll never forget the birthday - it's our anniversary.
So that will be convenient. Just subtract twelve from our married state, and we'll get little Skylar Morgan's birthdate. Convenient.
No, no pictures yet. The only one I have is sure to get Reggie killed, so I'm saving it for blackmail... She's a beautiful girl, too.
Late-Breaking News...
I might not have my priorities completely in order, but I will come up with the $40 for my family to go see this... I love the poster, too...
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Thursday, October 24, 2002 |
Of course, the loft must be finished tomorrow. Of course, the carpets, cat boxes, and computer area must be cleaned. Along with the upstairs, including my boxes from my now three months ago office.
And of course, today would be the day three jobs popped right onto the radar as "wow, that's me". So all priorities shift down one. Or two.
Maybe more tomorrow. What am I saying? Tomorrow will be filled with Slumber Party Madness! Oh, and of course, Mom's still in the hospital. Tumor is NOT malignant, but she's still in pain. Well, I would be too if I finally got my appendix out at 70+... Er, make that 29. Sorry mom...
(mental note - move some alcohol out of downstairs hidden fridge to upstairs fridge. Will be required tomorrow or Saturday).
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Friday, October 25, 2002 |
The Dreaded Slumber Party Commences...
But Before That...
There are three things running through my head this morning. Two are quotes I've heard which I can't possibly attribute to anyone, because I've forgotten
where I've heard them.
The first is "Insanity doesn't run in my family. It positively gallops."
The second is "I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every freaking minute of it."
The third is far, far more problematic.
One of the semi-local "lunch food" companies (Michaelina's - "Lunch Food" = frozen meals in cardboard trays which can be nuked and provide, at least for a few days, some variety in the every-day sandwich-for-lunch routine. Eventually, they all taste like cardboard) is running a new ad campaign. And they've rewritten the lyrics to one of those damnable songs that you just can't get out of your head.
The Macarena.
Between this and six screaming eight-and-nine-year-olds, my life is doomed.
Elvis
I have no idea what the heck happened to the Elvis picture above. He's back, though. Do not view while eating or queasy. You have been
warned...
OH NO...
CNN just reported Paul Wellstone's plane is down on the Iron Range near Eveleth. This is not good. Wellstone's staff cannot get in touch with him via cell phone.
I'm sure some people will be dancing in the aisles on this one. I won't be one of them. Senator Wellstone is way out on one end of the ideological spectrum, but frankly, any large political system like ours NEEDS someone representing each fringe - even the very, very conservative end.
Wellstone is a father, grandfather, and was leaving a funeral, apparently, on his way to a debate in Duluth, which is on the western tip of Lake Superior. I met the man, and I can tell you that what you saw was what you got. He was an energetic, short man who fought hard for what he believed in - not because it made him popular, but because it was right in his book.
Wellstone is a class act, and a decent human being, no matter what you might think of his ideology.
Wellstone's opponent, Norm Coleman, is about as principled as a randy goat, and frankly, about as attractive. Coleman started in this state as a Democrat, and when the party would not back him in his run for governor, backing instead his mentor, Hubert Humphrey's son Skip, so Coleman jumped ship and ran as a Republican. Coleman's key problem is, and will always be, that he lacks any sort of moral or philosophical footing. He has waffled on more issues than I can count.
Now, politically, President Bush has to be crapping his pants this afternoon. Senator Wellstone's seat will have to be filled, and Jesse Ventura, beholden to no one, and a lame duck governor, will have to appoint a replacement. That replacement will stand until after the election, where the outcome will determine what happens next. If Coleman wins, then I would expect the individual holding the Senate seat to resign and allow Ventura to appoint Coleman to fill the remainder of the term (and get a leg up on the other incoming Senators). If Wellstone is dead, and he wins, then Ventura will probably leave the person in the seat for two years, when we put up with this shit all over again.
Oh, shit. CNN has confirmed Wellstone is dead - as is one of his daughters who was traveling with him. Oh, shit. And his wife. Oh, SHIT!
Paul Wellstone...
Paul Wellstone taught politics at a college just down the road from where I live now. That college was in the same league with my alma mater, the MIAC.
While Wellstone was far and away more liberal than the state as a whole, I think the entire country benefited from the questions he raised in his work. But those people who are now saying "Wellstone who?" didn't know the guy like we here in Minnesota did.
Just this morning they reported that the Wellstone campaign had raised more money than Coleman - then again, Wellstone needed to, because it appeared (at least until last night) that about 60% of the "issue" ads were anti-Wellstone. Which is another way of saying that the knuckleheads with their out-of-state money are trying, and failing, to influence the race for Senate.
Wellstone was asked why he finally went negative in his current campaign. He said "I'm five (feet) five (inches) and a wrestler. I'll let you go a little while, but eventually I have to start fighting back." And with his smile and delivery, you knew he was going to keep fighting.
I can remember a few years ago, talking with him at the State Fair. He wasn't running for re-election. He wasn't even campaigning for the other fellow for senate. He was just there to listen and say "hi". A fair number of other politicians who were up for election weren't there - Wellstone was. That was the way he was.
Paul fought for the little guy, mostly because he was a little guy. There are hundreds of stories about Wellstone filling a room - even though he might have been the shortest man there. He was energetic, powerful, and utterly unwilling to watch injustice go by without doing something about it. He did right by us goyim.
Now, of course, there will be jokes. There will be people saying "oh, that's too bad". But it's worse than that. There's a family that's lost a grandfather and grandmother, a mom and dad. A daughter, who might have been a mom as well. Other families who've lost people.
It's a small tragedy. Typical small tragedy which will slide off the national stage in a few days and be replaced by the gunmen in the theater in Russia, or the lunatics with bombs elsewhere in the world, or yet another dipshit Palestinian strapping explosives to his ass in a bid to get the world to change the situation, not that a hundred of these people blowing themselves up has helped in the past, of course, but you just know that someone filled this guy's head with enough rhetoric to believe that maybe HIS death would make a difference.
Death, unfortunately, rarely makes a positive difference. Only negative ones. And in this case, I don't see where a better option will come from.
Talk about a miserable, miserable day. While I didn't agree with Wellstone all that often, I don't think anyone, including Coleman, would have wanted this sort of outcome.
Oh well. Now the feeding frenzy starts surrounding the seat. Wellstone can be replaced on the ballot up to next week Friday - or Halloween. The state DFL hasn't got a similarly high-profile individual hanging about with nothing to do - so we're liable to see one of those freak occurrence things. God forbid the DFL pick someone like Sharon Sayles Belton, the former Minneapolis Mayor, to run against Coleman, the former St. Paul Mayor.
Some Thoughts...
As a kid, the "news" ran at 5, 6, and 10 pm, locally - the 5 and 6 newscasts were split with the national news at 5:30 pm. It was incredibly
rare for the regular programming of the day to be broken by a news flash.
Which is why I remember the summer of 1974 so incredibly well. Nearly the entire summer was disrupted with senate hearings into Nixon's doings in the White House. At that time the key events in question were a few years old.
Some sixteen years later, I was married and working the evening close shift at Software Etc. when CNN broke news about the bombing in Iraq. We heard about it from the fellow who came in from the Best Buy across the way, and from the guy in the electronics department in Sears.
Last year, when the World Trade Centers were destroyed in the September 11th attacks, it happened right before our eyes. Today's plane crash came just as close to home, if not closer. I might have sat in a classroom with some of the people in the World Trade disaster, but I shook hands with Wellstone. He was elected just after we got married. He'd been part of our lives.
What concerns me, though, is that with the incredible connectivity we have - the world in our faces, the ability to get the latest news 24 hours a day, what are we doing to ourselves? People "at the site" or directly involved in the event typically are often counseling or assistance, but the rest of us, while not immediately involved, remain no less affected.
I wonder if the events will scar us in ways we cannot yet imagine. On the other hand, I wonder how much of our hunger for "new" news is via the force-fed media?
Oh, Lovely...
I'm just about certain.
A few years back I had to walk across a tarmac with jets nearby - loud, indeed. I've been on construction sites and at rock concerts. And none of them compare to the volume of noise that is created by six little girls. Not to mention people whining and complaining and five of the six not being my own children. Good bloody grief.
Sheesh. Just plain Sheesh.
12:45 am - I am certain that six girls in one basement is too damned many. Especially when most of them have not been duct-taped to walls, floor, or ceiling parts. I'm now going to make my third foray upstairs to see if they'll settle down. If not, well, I've got a phone and a vehicle, and I can drop off three and the other three can stand in the driveway and wait... Sheesh.
Goodnight. I hope.
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Saturday, October 26, 2002 |
Giants
One of the most overused cliches you will find is the phrase "larger than life." Sometimes merely used to describe stature, where it's dead
wrong - if larger than life, the focus of the comment would be dead, right? More often, it's used to describe spirit and will and the presence that makes
someone just a bit bigger than their fellow man.
Now that the national news has moved on, it's beginning to sink in a bit more, and it's really rather odd. Walking around today while running errands, people were subdued - there wasn't the undercurrent of shock and panic which followed the September 11th attacks, but there was a deeper, more profound sadness.
No loss could measure up to the loss of three thousand people and the safety and security we had felt prior to 9/11/01. But at least here in Minnesota, the feelings ran deeper.
There isn't a person in this state over the age of four who wouldn't recognize Paul Wellstone. Even on the Iron Range, where the combination of isolation and sparse population give plenty of material for jokes, Wellstone was recognized. In the case of us here in the metro, it was the media exposure. Up on the Range, Paul's repeated visits and presence were not because he was campaigning - that was the way he was.
In newspapers today, we saw many articles where the writers would reminisce about Wellstone. The stories were all over the place.
Perhaps, though, the most telling piece is the campaigning.
All of the campaigns - Coleman's, the governor's race, all the state races for congress, and all other campaigns, have suspended activities through the weekend.
Wellstone's campaign signs were also distinctive. His signs were green, with white borders and text (just like his bus), and simply said "Wellstone!" The exclamation point, Ann said, was Paul.
One of the best stories I'd heard was from a man on public radio last night. A writer who wrote many articles about politics, and was working on one for the Washington Post, had been following Paul. He'd met Senator Wellstone during his first campaign, if I remember correctly. He also said that the worst place anyone could ever want to be when it came to public speaking was after Wellstone.
Wellstone, just five feet five inches tall, was introduced by one of the others in attendance, a man a foot taller. The master of ceremonies and the writer stood next to Wellstone, towering over him. Paul put his arms around both and said "it's great to be back home with my Scandinavian cousins". He then proceeded to give a speech so rousing and fiery that the taconite miners and loggers were ready to carry him out and down the street on their shoulders. Then, the MC introduced the next fellow...
"And now, Mr. Hanson will read from his collection of Iron Range Poetry."
Talk about a showstopper.
And Wellstone's campaign signs? Gone. People have brought them in. They're no longer campaign material. They're history.
And so, unfortunately, is he.
The Morning After...
I last recall looking at a clock around 2:45 am, thinking "sooner or later they'll pass out." Foolishly, I'd forgotten the lure of that blasted
juvenile game "Truth or Dare". And one young lady was dared to eat cat food. She seemed fine when she left. I'm hoping she'll
recover.
I rolled out of bed around 9 am, which was something of a miracle. I then figured my basement was destroyed and the police probably had the house surrounded.
Nope. Three were up, three were still driving the fluffy bus. Some hours later (probably ten), the smells of Breakfast got them going, and away we went. Breakfast, and later lunch, resolved many issues.
However, just before we left to deliver the final two to their homes (yeah, we're that nice), I noticed a small problem. The driver's side front tire was plain-out near-flat. Good thing I've got my own mini-compressor. Got the tire up to thirty-five PSI in about 8 minutes, which beats hell out of a tire pump or changing to a spare.
Now, to work the budget into a suitable configuration to get a tire or two...
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Sunday, October 27, 2002 |
Did you set your clocks back?
Now that I'm no longer in time and attendance, I don't sweat this so much. We weren't allowed this upcoming week off going back about two
employers... I wouldn't mind working it now.
Whoops, That Was My Foot...
Now that Wellstone's gone, much consideration is being given to a name worthy of filling the place of Wellstone's on the ballot. Frankly, the state's
Democratic party had any of a dozen good options, and a few rather smelly old moldy ones. So, in the interests of maintaining some control on other seats
in the state (see below), they're leaning towards asking Walter Mondale, former senator, former vice president, and former presidential candidate, to fill in
for Wellstone.
Yup, that's the foot the state DFL just blew off. For, you see, nominating Mondale to replace Wellstone has a number of advantages not immediately apparent to the casual observer.
In the last major state election for a state-wide office, the DFL lost thousands of votes to Jesse Ventura - so many that their candidate, Skip Humphrey, the son of Hubert H. Humphrey, the only other vice president from Minnesota, finished THIRD in a three-way race.
The DFL, no strangers to the old ways of politics, are going to ride the death of Wellstone to a fairly large political victory in about 10 days, and one of the things they hope to benefit most is the Governor's race.
The DFL nominated Roger Moe, Skip Humphrey's running mate last time around, and a thirty-year veteran of the state legislature, to be governor. Moe was running a close second (in a three-way race) with Pawlenty, eight years in the State House, and the Republican candidate, and Tim Penny, the fellow who came from Ventura's endorsement in August, when he said "I'm not gonna run, but if I was gonna vote, I'd be voting for Penny." Penny's no stranger to politics, though, having spent a couple of terms in Washington as a state representative.
So, if you plug all of those variables in and then add a few more facts, the plan becomes apparent. Mondale's 74. Which, aside from Strom Thurmond, is fairly old. Then again, leaving aside recent examples from Minnesota, most Senators aren't much known for energy and vitality unless running for re-election. Now, the state DFL chair, no nitwit he, has decided that one way to keep those many droves of Democrats from abandoning their party in their hour of need (governorship-wise, that is), is to move forward with a candidate that is most likely to require replacement within four to six years.
So, with Mondale likely to be elected to the Senate, the next battle becomes the Governor's race. Rather than hope that Moe can do it himself, Mondale's presence on the ticket almost assures all of those waffling Democrats will not allow Pawlenty or Penny (a former Democrat, now independent) to select the next senator by voting across the line.
For my money, Mondale's old news. Old ideas, old methods, and old hat. Not someone new and energetic who could use the mantle of Wellstone to continue to fight for "the little fellers, not the Rockefellers" (one of Wellstone's campaign slogans). Then again, hoping that some politician would look out for anyone's interests is perhaps a bit too much.
Oh well.
Cool!
We went to the library yesterday, and just missed the end of the day of their book sale. Which bummed the kids out a bit, until they heard the good news -
Sunday was "bargain" day - show up, fill up a bag, pay a buck. Yup, you heard it, a buck. So we went back, and got into the feeding frenzy
that was the "scavenge the books" riot. We spent $4, and came home with about 80 books.
I stocked up on a few old friends - Katherine Kurtz, some others I had owned previously but hadn't seen in a while, and some new ones. A few fell into my hands by mistake - things like the A+ Certification series 1998 two-book set - things like "66 Projects From Plywood" and "83 Projects From Plywood" which were wonderfully dated by their publication dates (1983/1985 - all the furniture has that pseudo-futuristic look that was popular in the late 70s/early 80s).
The kids made out like bandits, and we're still going through that pile. I figure we might have condensed down to three bags, but you know, I figured I could spare the buck.
After that, we took a chance. Ann wanted a Washington Post or some other national newspaper with the Sunday Skinny on Wellstone, so we went to Barnes & Nobles. Unfortunately, the Barnes & Nobles moved from one strip mall to their own building - and boy, what a building.
I'm a bear of somewhat limited brain, frankly, when it comes to certain books. I'll check out the Science Fiction/Fantasy section first, then move on to Computers, then on to history, and finally to the kids books. Oh, yeah, and the clearance section.
And, in my book (sorry), any bookstore is all right if they've got a decent amount of Heinlein. The old B&N location had about a half-length three-foot shelf of RAH. This one had a shelf and a half of his works - and two shelves of Niven/Pournelle. So that works. And they also had first AND second editions of the PC Hardware in a Nutshell by Mr. Thompson.
After that, I got hauled away from the fun stuff (see, smart move - spend $4 on 80 books, then you don't spend $80 on 4 books), found the children, and we headed for home to carve pumpkins. Pictures tomorrow, provided the camera cooperates.
Oh - and Mom's home. Came home today. Along with Sister #4, back from England where she spent the fiancee's birthday wandering the British Museum, apparently. Ah, to be a jet-setting globe-trotter... Oh well. She's young, fit, and willing to put up with the hassles.
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