(click to enlarge illustrations) Tuesday brought an unexpected assignment: the kind that goes along with the general category of “honey, do….” Ellen, my spouse’s long-time friend, needed a ride to a doctors appointment, and there was a schedule conflict. I volunteered. Ellen is a long-time U.S. citizen, of African descent, whose accent betrays her growing […]
(click on photos to enlarge) I took seriously the notice: “Join us as we support Representative John Lesch at 11 am on Monday, December 19, in State Office Building Room 181 for a press conference announcing a National Popular Vote bill for Minnesota,” getting there not long after 10:30. Had to ask the guard where […]
A few days ago I got several e-mails reporting that my Facebook account had been hacked. There is something humiliating about such a violation of boundaries, but it happens. I changed my password (a story in itself), but decided not to close down and start over. I know, now, how to shut it down if […]
POSTNOTES: Of course, there have already been questions about what, why, etc. I don’t know the specific answers myself – this is basically without a precedent, going back almost to the founding of our country. Here are some links, provided by readers: from Madeline: Ask the Electors December 19, U.S. from Carol: Make Hillary Clinton […]
In November, 1985, over 30 years ago, a single page letter arrived at my office in Hibbing MN. It was from June Johnson, a teacher of English at Bigfork (MN) High School, who edited our Teacher union newsletter, Top of the Range. Her reminiscence is from the 1940s most likely in the general area of […]
Post-Election, here is my personal “favorite” political statement about us, as I saw in Rochester MN five days before the 2016 election. It says so much…. Click to enlarge. * * * * * On the morning of Nov. 10, a good friend of mine, who rarely ventures into politics, sent a brief e-mail which […]
You can easily determine the photographers location when he took the above photo by comparing with the following painting. (click to enlarge any illustrations). I’ve written often about my Dad’s brother, my Uncle Frank Bernard, who perished on board the USS Arizona, Dec. 7, 1941. My reference link with his – and my – story […]
A few mornings ago a friend at a neighboring table asked “out of the blue”, “so, are you going to Cuba?” This was a head-scratcher. At the time, I hadn’t learned that Fidel Castro had just died in Cuba. At any rate, while I have an interest in Cuba, generally, my life doesn’t revolve around […]
A week from now, Dec. 7, 2016, is the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941. As many know, my Dad’s brother, my Uncle Frank, went down with his ship, the USS Arizona. (click to enlarge) But for this moment I digress, to call attention to another victim of Dec. 7, […]
Tuesday night came the first snowfall of the season here in Woodbury. Perhaps there will be a little left as we go “over the river and through the woods…” (not really, but across town for a family gathering Thanksgiving Day.) Happy Thanksgiving wherever you are. This year I’ve been thinking back to a small Thanksgiving […]