First, from an email I received this morning (Thursday):
KMRS botched the Truman obit twice this AM – during the 7:00 news, they said the service was at the church, then during the 8:00 Brett said that the service was yesterday (it’s next Wednesday at Pedersen FH).
"Slippage," Edwin Newman would say of the error. "Slippage."
I was distressed to see in the current Morris newspaper, the plot synopsis for the MAHS play "Arsenic and Old Lace." I guess this is a well-known play so it must pass muster. Pass muster in terms of taste? Well I really have to wonder. I am not a theater devotee so maybe I just don't pick up the right vibes. Maybe we're all supposed to be amused by the idea of guys literally being poisoned. I find no amusement.
I asked a friend if we were really literally talking poisonings or if it was "a Bill Cosby thing."
"No" on the Cosby suggestion, I was told. It was literal poisonings which I guess was supposed to come across as a thigh-slapper. Not for me. Could I be persuaded if I actually watched the play? I doubt it.
Of course it's great to see the talent and energy of MAHS kids being put on full display. I'm acquainted with one of them, Thea Kolden from Don's Cafe. That's TAY-ah.
The paper's coverage seemed a little strange for after-the-fact, almost as if they were trying to make up for inferior promo beforehand. Pure speculation I admit. My strategy for pre-play coverage back in my halcyon days in the community press, was to emphasize rehearsal photos in issue prior. Nothing gets attention more than photos. If my wisdom were desired at the paper, I'd still be there.
Lacking excitement in my life, generally speaking, the current malaise with the weather really wears on me. As much as we're all conditioned to expect nearly anything with the weather, it really has crossed the line now. Normally we're encouraged in the month of January to look forward to moderation in conditions with March. I mean, enough to get out on the biking/walking trail and meet up with Sharon Martin and her dog "Goldy." I'll guess our month of March has been very trying even for intrepid souls like Sharon and Goldy. Or, her other canine friends "Jack" and "Midge."
There appears no hope in getting out there in the immediate future. Not unless you have the true explorer's spirit. The whole idea with getting out there, IMHO, is to celebrate the moderating weather conditions. Why, we have not even gotten into "snirt" season yet. You probably know that snirt is the combination of snow and dirt that begins to stand out when the snow retreats. Del Sarlette has suggested we might have a "snirt festival" in Morris complete with a "snirt queen."
Amusing and totally impractical because this community could not even keep our old cherished Prairie Pioneer Days going. And that would not seem to be a heavy lift at all. Gone with the wind now. The museum should solicit photos from people of PPD at the park from the event's heyday. And then put up a nice exhibit. "Morris MN used to be able to do this."
What has changed to make it impracticable now?
Del suggests that efforts toward any new community event would be handicapped. He jokes we ought to have an "apathy festival." Funny thing, starting in my young years I began hearing the word "apathy" attached to Morris. People are so eager to escape to their lake places in summer. Is that it? The movers and shakers tend to be the wealthy folks who can have lake places. They're happy to be doing well financially here but apparently not as eager to give a lot back.
Well, the rest of us can find our ways to get by.
Del says the planning meeting for an "apathy festival" would not work out because "no one would show up." A rim shot, please.
This morning there's news of a train derailment out in this neck of the woods. East Palestine redux you might say. When it rains it pours. When you give the Republican Party power, a Pandora's box gets opened because they slash regulations all over the place. And when the consequences affect you in your own backyard, you truly begin to think twice about voting for Republicans. All of a sudden, abortion won't seem so important to you. Or gay rights or drag shows.
You need to take care of yourself and your family. And then you'll rue the day you voted Republican.
A little buyer's remorse is creeping up, like in North Dakota where people are questioning how Republicans stood in the way of government-supported school meals. Minnesota has gone with universal school meals but we have a lot of Democrats here. There is discomfort in North Dakota now.
A conservative friend of mine even says he has no problem with government-supported meals for kids who after all are required to be in school. I am inclined to agree 100 percent but with one reservation. I'm reminded of the old Mike McFeely radio show where callers brought up this concern. I am afraid it is a valid concern: Many kids for whatever reason will choose not to eat, would in fact chuck their food. Defies credulity but true. Will it become necessary to actually discipline kids who choose to do this? That could get dicey.
I was not eager to consume my cafeteria food myself. I do regret that. There must have been some dark psychological obstacle. Maybe fear of the cafeteria where I'd have to choose who to sit close to? I'm afraid that figured in. Alas. . .
But let's give all the kids the opportunity to eat. Republicans would rather we kept giving tax breaks to multi-national corporations. If you keep voting for these people, it's your funeral.
I should report that the current train derailment episode is not that far away from here, in Raymond MN, hometown of Lyle Rambow. So I touched base with ol' Lyle this morning.
"I talked to some friends in Raymond," Lyle reported to me. "It seems all are safe."
Wonderful news of course but I'm still bothered by the possibility of environmental contamination.
So what's the deal? CNN tells us "a train carrying highly flammable ethanol derails in Minnesota, sparking an hours-long fire. Now four more cars with ethanol could spill."
Katy bar the door, let's get more Democrats elected to public office. Before it's too late, unless it's already too late.
I wonder if this rash of derailments will diminish the popularly of the model train hobby?
Let's touch on religion
The side-by-side advances of Republican conservative thinking and Christian spirituality gets my attention on my companion blog. So on "Morris of Course" I share further with this concern. It's a concern because I have felt all along that so many devoted local Christians have been hoodwinked by the political right. The right has said to them "we'll give you the cultural issues if you give us the tax cuts and slashing of regulations."
We reap what we sow. In my "Morris of Course" blog post I give special attention to the Good Shepherd Church of rural Morris. I might cite them as exhibit 'A' of the conundrum. You may read with this link and thanks.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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