I hear all sorts of opinions in the course of an average day, from all sorts of people. Part of this is due to being retired, and thus having more varied opportunities. A larger part is a desire to hear, and engage with, more points of view than one gets as a ‘bird of a […]
Labor Day, I was caught in the magnetic pull of the Minnesota State Fair. It was the last day of the great Minnesota get-together, and I went on a whim. It was my second visit in the Fair’s 12-day run. I have rarely if ever missed a Fair in 46 years in Minnesota. I’m one […]
We went to the film, The Help, Sunday afternoon. It was time very well spent. There are many reviews: Go to IMDB for many of them and other information about The Help. If you haven’t seen the film, consider taking it in, either in the theater, or by other means. The Help is about Jackson, […]
Our evening news of choice is CBS with Scott Pelley. Like most folks, perhaps, my viewing is rather casual, not intense. In 30 minutes, there is perhaps 20 minutes of actual “news” and this is broken down into a number of segments. The rest is advertising, which a cynic might say is the only real […]
Nine days from now is the Anniversary-Impossible-to-Forget: 9-11-01. I have been preparing my own reflection that I’ll publish next Thursday in this space. It is basically complete, and I doubt it will change, much, in the next few days. But it has been a real struggle to compose. Next weeks post will begin with two […]
Monday was Senior Citizen day at the Minnesota State Fair and I made my way over to fulfill my annual ritual, now stretching back to the mid-1960s when I first arrived in the Twin Cities. This year found me less engaged than in the past – no particular reason. Maybe next year I won’t be […]
I walked with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar in the annual Woodbury Days parade yesterday. While I didn’t count, it seemed there were perhaps 30 of us, along with the Senator and her daughter, on the approximately two mile walk. Cathy, my wife, walked as well, as did Amy’s daughter. (click on photos to enlarge) Over […]
One of my favorite volunteer duties is usher at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis MN. Through the doors of that magnificent place come people at all places in their faith journey, the welcoming and non-judgmental mantra of the Parish. The Sunday just past I was working at the back (main) entrance to the […]
Directly related posts: here and here. Yesterday’s news has President Obama going on vacation for a few days. Of course, presidential vacation is not a vacation at all. But this does not prevent the Congressional critics, themselves on a one month vacation, from saying the President should be back in the White House creating jobs […]
Directly Related post here; other related posts, here and here. Yesterday, a valued relative of mine sent me one of those ubiquitous anti-Obama forwards. This one was full of dismal statistics about America suggesting that every problem was all Obama’s fault. I replied: “So what does this prove…? Is Obama THE government?” He responded: “Let’s […]