Perusing Morris newspaper at library

March going out like lion?

(Some people pronounce it "libery" instead of "library.")

 

Man, 20 degrees in late March is more piercing, more uncomfortable than subzero in mid-winter, I swear. Also, I look to my back yard on Northridge Drive and see about as much snow as I would expect in a normal winter. The conclusion: weather in Minnesota has its irregularities. But you know that. 

I kept my substantial winter outerwear on for walking downtown yesterday (Wednesday). The best place to acquire such outerwear, I have found, is the hunting department of big box stores. I even have some "camo" which has become a "cool" thing. Actually there is "real" camo and "cool" camo. 

So in the process of making my rounds yesterday, I stopped in at our public library, always a pleasure. We are fortunate in Morris having escaped the controversy that has come to public libraries in certain states of our nation. Of course this involves cultural flashpoint issues. Libraries in certain places face the storm cloud of actual closure. Well, these are publicly-supported places, I mean with tax dollars - a quite wise expenditure - and one of our two major political parties in America tries to cast skepticism on all such institutions. 

These people are probably regretting how they made anti-abortion such a big part of their agenda. If they do not regret that, this nation is in for more big problems. 

I always take a look at the Morris newspaper when at the library. Of course the Morris paper came out twice a week in all the years I was involved there. This county also had a Hancock paper which I was closely involved with for about 15 years. 

I noticed a couple weeks ago at the library that someone had walked off with part of the 'B' section. The 'B' section includes sports. So I mentioned to the librarian that maybe a kid had his name in there and wanted a souvenir. The librarian immediately responded "I never see kids with the newspapers." Very interesting. Change of habits with time. 

I find these days when I want to look at papers at the library, I almost never have to compete with anyone else, to wait for someone to put a copy back. Certainly we see news articles regularly about the "decline of print." It's a very real thing but as with so much change, it gets dragged out so we are less likely to notice it as much. It's the "boiling frog" thing. 

Yesterday I did find the Morris paper (fishwrap) to be intact. Man, if you still look at the Morris paper, does it distress you to see such a space-consuming "district court news?" Man, I told a friend it's enough to make me not want to step outside my house. Are there really so many local citizens who are neglectful of the law? 

My fear in leaving the house might actually be based on my sense of over-aggressive law enforcement. Might these people swoop down on you at any time? And if you get a citation of any kind, good luck if you want to be like Donald Trump and "appeal/delay" until hell won't have it. File motions and appeals. 

We awaken each morning to a whole new batch of headlines about the Trump legal misadventures/embarrassments. Hell's bells, Trump's voice is on tape in the George matter. But you know how it is, how rich and influential people can get lawyers with their suits and ties to try to shoot down anything. Win by delay, win by obfuscation. The "little man" can't do that. 

My, all the seat belt infractions. People my age can have a tough time with this, as we spent most of our adult lives with seat belt use voluntary. Were Americans so much more stupid then, not to impose a stiff requirement? Culture and norms shift. We did not see basic misogyny as a cardinal sin and we permitted smoking just about anywhere. 

All cultural changes take time to become the norm. Again, the 'boiling frog." I just happen to be the type of person who thinks it's good to remember. 

If you really want to see a time capsule type of video, call up scenes on YouTube from the movie "All the President's Men." Land line phones, people answering their phones just automatically. Telemarketing hadn't come at us yet. People were so willing to talk to a newspaper reporter. Reporters commanded respect and even a little awe. Man, to have the power to type paragraphs and put them in front of a mass audience! It was awesome power at the time, even at the local level. Hey kids, I assure you this is true.

 

In the Morris paper

Hey, this is a really big deal: soccer for boys at our high school! That's a news nugget with potential for reading, quite good consequences for our youth. I don't think the article said it would be a fall sport, but I believe it would be. Someone on the staff should have written a positive editorial about this, about how this development will advance the decline of football. 

Talk about "boiling frog": we began learning of the terrible health consequences of football years ago. But of course, letting go of football is an excruciating thing for the masses of Americans to do. I knew it would be like this. 

Cross country has been the longstanding alternative to football for boys. Cross country is super but is designed for lightweight kids to excel in, the truly "wispy" ones. Football linemen need not apply. Soccer presents so much potential as the alternative. 

Maybe within a few years, high school football will have died and been replaced by the "club" concept, because I don't think football will ever die completely. Morris may be in good shape under the "club" concept because we have Big Cat Stadium. In my view, the No. 1 highlight all year for Big Cat is when (or if) the Irondale marching band of the Twin Cities comes here to practice. 

When it comes to football, my only hope is that none of the boys experience life-altering injuries. Brain injuries can take time to reveal their effects. The boys themselves are going to be hesitant to walk away from football. They will need intervention by their parents, and I think this is exactly what will happen. The kids themselves feel the "invulnerability of youth." Let's protect them from that. And I'm saying this as someone who has never been a parent. 

This week's Morris paper is a downer in that we have to read some more about our public school teachers complaining. I have been around this phenomenon all my adult life, of public school teachers being so profoundly discontented. The teachers will stop at nothing to get their way. They will resort to just about anything even if it negatively affects the kids - oh yes they will. 

Maybe the problem isn't as bad now as it was say 40 years ago. But I see worrying signs. Health care? Man, my only health insurance is Medicare. And I finally disconnected my phone because I was sick of all the marketing phone calls from outfits selling "Medicare supplement insurance." We are paying marketing costs for all of that, whereas with pure Medicare this would not be a cost input. 

Listen to Bernie Sanders. Many of you I'm sure choose to listen to Donald Trump. You might have your "Trump Bible" for the Easter weekend. Money to be used for Trump's legal fees. You are all such incredible fools.

 

"Music in Our Schools Month"

Here's part of an email I sent to the local music store owner yesterday:

 

Just got back from libery, looked at Morris fishwrap. I didn't see you listed in the sucker ad for "Music in Our Schools Month," and before you get mad, I'll let you know that I think I know the explanation: you had to buy a big "package deal" to get in on something like this. Am I right Grasshopper? You might get a hard time about this. Of all businesses not to be in there! Why don't you give the newspaper a piece of your mind.

Boy the district court news is so extensive, what is the explanation for that? Does it cover a wider area now or are more people just screwing up? It's enough to make me not want to leave the house.

I saw photo of band from New Orleans, so that's nice. Ideally there should have been a little article too. But I don't think anything appeared for the Texas trip. Newspaper exposure isn't as important as it used to be. Another round of inflation and people will be cutting out expenses like this.

Wow, yet another school board meeting where teachers show up to make a big demonstration of complaining. I was reminded of Arne Carlson's little letter to the editor recently. He's concerned about the huge salaries for college presidents. The presidents say it just has to be this way because of "market competition" and Carlson is blowing the whistle on that, suggesting it's really a racket. Same with the teacher unions - they always say they have to keep up with other schools. I say it's "whack-a-mole." Someone is always going to be at the bottom. They sob about their health insurance. I'll bet their insurance package is really pretty good.

Boys soccer added. Wouldn't they have to add a girls sport too? I didn't notice if boys soccer would be fall or spring sport. If it's fall, it will draw away from football. Football will continue to fade. Parents will see to that.

Maybe someone hinted to the newspaper to quit giving big headlines to the teacher complaining stuff.

 

The music store owner responded with typical insightfulness. I seek to communicate with people who show evidence of being sentient. I taught him the term "sucker ad" which is a newspaper industry term for the kind of ad where a list of businesses appears under a benevolent message. He and I also talk about the imaginary "shoeshine guy" as a source for background "on the street" as it were.

 

Yes, you are correct in your assumption about businesses having to buy a package deal to get in the sucker ads. Yes, we are conspicuously absent. Seems to me that happened last year as well, and I did complain about it, I can’t remember their excuse. But I see there is yet another new woman running the ad department. The rep from the Chokio paper calls me every year to specifically ask if we want an ad for Music in Our Schools Month, which I gladly approve of. We’ll see if I get any complaints from anyone about not being listed, or if anyone actually notices or even looks at the ad.

I was surprised to see yet more teacher whining at the recent board meeting, as the shoeshine guy told me that the contract issue had been resolved as of last Friday, and a new contract approved by both sides. But apparently all the t’s hadn’t yet been dotted, nor the i’s crossed by the Monday board meeting. I can’t remember the exact number, but one teacher that spoke at the meeting said his pay worked out to something like 84¢ an hour. I’d like to see his math on that.

The court news was so extensive maybe because of few of the perps were charged with multiple offenses, and said offenses seemed to all carry different punishments and/or guidelines. There are some real messed up people out there roaming our streets. Yep, stay inside and lock the doors.

 

The music store owner is being humorous where he talks about dotting the t's and crossing the i's.

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com