Hopeful that UMM can cling to its DEI

There is no reason why I shouldn't sit here and feel 100 percent affection for UMN-Morris. It is the entirely logical mindset. It is also the self-interested mindset. 

I was delighted to have a meeting with UMM's chancellor on Monday at her office in Behmler. I might say the rarefied air of Behmler: third floor. Also present was a very nice representative of UMM's giving department. That individual keeps an eye on me as I make my way through the rarefied air of campus. It is truly and unapologetically a DEI campus. 

Is there any way I could be wrong in my concern about that? 

I follow the news maybe to an excessive degree. So what about all this hand-wringing over DEI? The pitched battles that appear to have broken out? And these involve the ultimate in rarefied air: Harvard! 

As of right now it looks as if Harvard just isn't going to take it any more. A major Republican-oriented newspaper has a headline saying Harvard "refuses to fight anti-Semitism." My critics berate me when they think I'm wrong. Not only am I told I'm wrong, it's insinuated that I lack intelligence. There's fun-poking. So I'd likely be derided if I said "anti-Semitism is not the question." 

Very obviously a most progressive institution like Harvard is not going to be into "anti-Semitism." The question here is over the pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel cause. And most Americans are not aware of just how much disagreement exists in Israel itself over a range of things. 

Our conservative media like, well, Mike Huckabee would think it's one big homogeneous cause and we need to treat this Netanyahu thug as the hero. I demur. Because our Morris MN is such an overwhelmingly "red" place, I'd likely be thrown on the defensive again. I have been in the minority so often like even with local issues. I can just see the look in the eyes of my detractors. 

 

Massaging "DEI"

UMM's chancellor made a very good argument for how UMM could present its DEI in a way that would allow us all to survive. I fervently hope that she is right. I don't know but I can just see the long knives brandished by the Stephen Millers. It would be nice if it was mainly "talk" or bluster. We can easily see our elected people posture. 

But look what is going on between Harvard and the top government people. Harvard has now decided to take great risk. The government has made serious threats with teeth to other institutions such as Brown University and Princeton. Elections surely have consequences. We're talking Federal research grant money with staggering $ figures. 

If institutions like Harvard are willing to take risks in the face of such dollar amounts, it's concerning. And the thing with our UMM is: I'm not sure our little school would really be able to re-purpose itself, in effect to start from scratch with a new purpose. Actually I think we are fortunate that UMM has found this DEI purpose as a way of giving it distinction. 

Who cares if it might seem unfair to the traditional white or "white bread" students. We're so small, so what? What's so hard about learning to like "diversity?" We really are a rainbow country. 

I don't miss at all the days when UMM sold itself as a place for kids of vastly superior intelligence. And it's not like the kids themselves were allowed to bask in their own intelligence, because I'm sure many of them feared: 1) long reading lists of books, 2) tough (of course) grading standards, and 3) final exams that caused them to consume pots of coffee as they "crammed." 

So in many ways I'm sure it could be depressing. But the kids were aware of the image they were supposed to project. And frankly I saw Provost Jack Imholte go right along with that image of superiority, of superior intelligence. 

I'm not the only one who formed this impression. You may remember the recently-deceased Donnie Eich of Morris. Saint of a guy. And he was actually quite loyal to UMM athletics. I think of him primarily sitting in the top row of bleachers, often by himself, for UMM women's events when the women's teams were still climbing to total legitimacy along with the men. Sometimes I'd take my photographs and then go sit by Donnie a while. A real class act and also capable of independent thought. I mean, independent of certain prevailing cliques in Morris. 

But I don't mean to drag y'all back to the 1980s here. I'm sure he was thankful for UMM's existence. But he said to me once: "All that a UMM education proves is that you're good at reading some books and then answering questions about them." 

At age 70 I have to remind myself that I can remember past things about Morris that are not so well remembered or remembered at all by younger folks. UMM's own employees appear to not be well-versed on much of this. So, what prompts this comment is that I remember times when I'd get greatly annoyed by the "UMM crowd" being disrespectful toward visiting athletes and fans. 

Imholte, despite his own embrace of the arrogance sometimes, put a plea in the campus newspaper once about how the kids basically needed to shape up for an upcoming football game. It was getting that bad. And all this over intercollegiate sports? 

I heard back from a current UMM person once after I had alluded to this history in a blog post. This person was incredulous. She then asked about just what kind of behavior I found objectionable. She wondered if I was talking about fans on one side of the gym "making noise" when an opposing player was at the freethrow line. Well of course I wouldn't get upset about such a thing, and I kind of resented the assertion. 

I responded to her that I was simply referring to "rat pack behavior of long ago." 

There is good news here: If the people today are clueless about the past behavior, that means the past behavior must be gone. And even though I do not attend Cougar games at present, I am 100 percent certain that the students of today - yes in these "DEI" days - are more calm, civilized and considerate, even if they want to cheer lustily. No chants based on the alleged inferior "GPA" of the visiting kids. I heard about that offhand one day at the Morris newspaper office. 

So cute: a chant about "GPA." Well hell, I would lump in the whole "GPA" thing with UMM's old way of thinking about academics and intelligence. So much anxiety in past times over "grades." Even in our public schools there used to be too much intimidation of kids with the "grades" they might get. They might not drink pots of coffee because they were too young for that. 

I think a lot of them found "escape" with rebellious behavior. Even destructive or self-destructive behavior as with drugs. And for what? To try to prove somehow that they could pass muster with their "intelligence?" And if they couldn't, then what? Many were not interested in reading a bunch of books and then answering questions about it. 

Why did our whole education system fall in that direction? 

Two theories: one is the Cold War which begat the military industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us about. The Cold War begat the Vietnam war. 2) The "meritocracy" principle in higher education which David Brooks of the New York Times has written about in such an attention-getting way recently. 

To distill, the meritocracy was borne of a raw egalitarian ideal, the dismissing of "bloodlines" as the basis for kids getting into top schools. Well we don't like that, right? But to be replaced with what? Well, GRADES, you knaves: We'll judge our young people according to a rigorous grading system that will be this "meritocracy." 

Everyone needed to take a cold shower. Maybe by now we have done that, so the UMM of today I doubt very much assigns piles of books and gives exams that instill raw fear. Besides, kids of today can walk away from the raw fear and find other options that open the door for a perfectly happy adult life. 

UMN-Morris has its niche now with DEI and I'm quite content with it. The storm clouds are coming from Washington D.C. Our UMM campus strives to be optimistic in the face. We have to be totally supportive at this time.

Janet Schrunk Ericksen, UMN-Morris chancellor

 

Addendum: I checked Morris newspaper in library a short time ago, noticed the banner headline article about someone giving $1000 to Morris Women of Today. Well, I gave twice that amount to the high school band program two years ago and did not get a mention in the fishwrap. Of course the reward is in knowing what I did for the band program. 

I did not see Anne at the library just now. I decided it would be inappropriate to ask library workers about her status. I think a lot of us are floundering trying to figure out what's going on. And we really are curious for good reason. Did the City of Morris hire an outside attorney on this matter? If so, then I'm sure the matter involves more than a $15 discrepancy. I sure hope the local media comes through to tell us about final resolution. I hope we are not "left hanging." But I wouldn't rule out the latter. 

I'm old enough that I remember covering the Women of Today for the Morris newspaper back when they were called the "Jaycee Women!" 

I remember the Women of Today's "Baby Olympics" at East Side Park which was the early-bird event for the old Prairie Pioneer Days! And now there's a movement to "preserve" East Side Park. Can we get a movement going to get more use out of the Killoran stage there?

  

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

Some would call this networking

Palm Sunday

'Tis the time of year for meals that are open to the public. I have to be careful because my diet is restricted. The meals are a good opportunity for social interaction. We missed out on so much of that during covid. 

The two ELCA churches of Morris have public meals today (Sunday, Palm Sunday). There's an "egg bake" at First Lutheran and a pancake breakfast at the church "across the tracks," Faith Lutheran. 

Yesterday at the Federated Church public event I was able to take in some pretty major news about the Morris ELCA churches. There has been talk for a long time of "pairing." But Whoa Nellie, the "hot" news now is not about a pairing of First and Faith Lutherans! No, it is the pairing of First and Federated! And now based on pretty unimpeachable sources that I have, it is official. 

I got home from Federated yesterday and wrote a "hot off the press" so to speak blog post in reaction. The post is on my companion blog "Morris of Course." So if you want to get in the weeds some with religion, here is the link to my post:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2025/04/wow-first-luth-federated-to-totally.html 

 

I am refreshed at the moment having just gotten home from my Sunday morning breakfast at Caribou Coffee at Willie's. It's a highlight of the week to meet with some of the Sunday a.m. "regulars." These are mainly the Apostolic Christian men. I crossed the parking lot and met up with someone who reminded me there was a high school softball tournament here yesterday. It was an invite that ought to be a showcase for our still-new "softball complex." 

The softball complex

Fans would be coming here from elsewhere for our invite. So how would these people react to the fan seating situation at the complex? You must know that such accommodations are minimal. "Minimal" might be generous. My friend in the parking lot agreed that there was an issue with this. He said "they'll have to do something about that." Well (expletive) shouldn't the place have been designed smarter in the first place? Or am I just talking too much sense? Trying to talk sense in this town can be a little hazardous. 

"Do something" about fan seating? I responded that any changes to the place would be difficult to accomplish. You have the long dugouts and high fences. The aluminum bleachers behind home plate at Holmberg Field are only good if you sit at the exact center, otherwise you don't get a view of the whole playing field. 

Of course I scouted out the whole place before a game was ever played there. I have a trait of wanting to know what's going on and whether there is accountability with our local government entities. 

The city rankled some people, I'm sure, when it said "no" to the second request for a money infusion from the City of Morris. I think the city took the attitude that "you should appreciate we gave the first time." 

The complex was a "partnership" with more than one entity involved. And the end product was so underwhelming. And I'm sure the ground was wet out there on Saturday. I'd advise not wearing good shoes out there. Look how the price of shoes has been soaring upward. 

The softball complex is on low elevation ground close to the river. A river is always the low point in any given region. 

 

How did Tigers do?

I just checked the "Minnesota Scores" website to see if any scores are reported from yesterday's games. I only see a list of participating teams, no scores. I mostly expected this because early-spring sports are a downer in so many ways. Many games postponed or canceled. Mother Nature isn't ready. Each year this grates on me: the "letdown" from winter sports with its "March Madness," to the spring sports amidst unsettled weather and sparse fan turnout. 

Fans should know they should bring their own chairs for softball out there. I see them very often sitting out by the outfield fence. Is that where they really want to be? Baseball in Morris has the advantage of a full grandstand at Chizek Field. Girls ought to get the same assets. 

There was much ballyhoo at the time the softball complex was first announced. Of course these people get the media to turn out and really turn on the promo. That's what our Morris commercial media does so much now: turn on the promo and happy talk for so many things. Oh, "junior council member" with the city council! And there's a photo that includes a smiling Kevin Wohlers. 

Hell's bells, when it comes to city government I don't want to see "fluff" like this - insert expletive - I want more understanding of this catastrophic matter of our public library. The public library of all things! Should be a subject that suggests total peace. And there has been such a horrible dearth of information for the public. So, you can't blame people for guessing or let's be more frank, gossiping. 

So, what did I hear at Caribou this morning with my Apostolic friends (plus one or two non-Apostolics)? Well I heard the whole library matter boiled down to "two women who don't get along." Yes it's an example of misogyny. But such talk does circulate. I won't sanitize it. 

Morris library

I heard from two well-placed sources over the weekend that the library matter is not yet resolved. And we get no official word about it. The city council has had to be protected by sheriff's deputies as they consult in private! Three Barney Fifes present for the second of these meetings, I'm told. 

Three! The crowds were turning out to support the librarian who I think we can say is under siege. Such a likeable person. Family has been well-known here for a long time. She builds bonds with the all-important UMM in Morris. Should any of this matter? Frankly I think no. 

The city manager is not nearly so well-known. I refuse to be biased against her. People can get hurt by narrow biases, by networks of friendships that are based on little more than personal affinity. 

I have little solid info to go on now. Is it true the city has hired its own outside attorney? And I assume as fact that the librarian has her own attorney. All these billable hours for attorneys! And over what? My friend at Federated Church told me yesterday the whole matter boils down to an apparent discrepancy of $15. I cannot believe that. 

Furthermore, if you hire an attorney to try to keep your job, your employer is not going to appreciate that. If the librarian survives it would be because of the massive wave of vocal support she has gotten. But she would have to co-exist with the city manager, n'est-ce pas? 

Really can't this whole matter just be resolved? Maybe UMM could find a position for the librarian if she moves on. Of course this would not be proper if it was just done to bail her out. But I have seen this kind of thing done before. The state always has money to throw around. Oh but we're thankful for that in Morris. 

 

UMN-Morris travail

Now I wonder if UMM could literally be snuffed out by the heavy hand of the Federal government. The heavy hand would come down at the Twin Cities which would then direct that UMM suspend operations until "DEI" is completely eradicated here. Haven't you seen the headlines about other colleges? The spigot of Federal grant $ being turned off? Because of DEI? 

It is Palm Sunday as I write the first draft of this. Religion should maybe cheer us up. But not at Easter with its images of Christ being literally tortured to death. I'll be happy to resume normal worship after Easter. In the meantime, a chocolate bunny would be nice.

 

Update: I'm clicking to publish this post after getting back from church at FLC. My head is swimming because some important people there tell me that it is NOT a done deal with the permanent paring of First Luth. and Federated. And yet I heard to the contrary yesterday from more than one person. Perhaps this "networking" by going to public meals in the spring just is not prudent. Maybe I should spend time flying kites instead. I personally am not going to rule out the permanent partnership story. So I'm going with it in today's post. 

 

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

The "science" of a garden hose?

John Candy

I sometimes imagine the late John Candy playing someone just like me when I go to the hardware store. He had the "everyman" image in a likeable way. The kind of guy who'd need assistance from store employees. In a way, sort of bumbling along but getting through life. 

Someday I think we'll appreciate John Candy and the characters he played even more. He came up when "SCTV" was making a splash on TV. A lot of that show's "bits" were intended as a satire on television. But as the years passed and we saw TV get more fragmented and cheapened, the parody seemed to become real. TV became like that and it wasn't a put-on so much any more. Remember Morton Downey Jr.? Remember "Elimidate?" 

I have mentioned the Candy persona to a friend now and then as I do chores on my home property. Time to stop at the hardware store again! 

And now as I become a little Andy Rooney-ish here, let me ask "have you ever noticed?" Rooney would intro a piece in such a way as he shared about a common everyday experience. Trivial as heck but yet important to us at the time. And to discuss these things as I am doing now, gives us the feeling we're not alone when we have confusion or misadventures at the hardware store or any other kind of store. 

"Can I help you?" a clerk will say. We're in the store to acquire a basic type of item. But then, shock: We have choices! And don't you come away very often thinking there are too many choices? 

I was very early this year in looking for a new garden hose. Commend me on doing this in month of March: getting prepared. I guess I use the hose mainly for keeping my rain gutter system "flushed out." At age 70 I can still get up on a ladder around my house. And so I use a running hose to ensure the drainage portion of system is free of leaves or organic stuff or "gunk" - you know what I mean. 

Our Minnesota governor has said that rain gutters often are under-appreciated by homeowners for their importance. We went too many years at my family's residence not being vigilant enough. I am highly vigilant now. So I felt I needed an additional garden hose recently. Oh, and I also planted new grass seed at the end of last autumn after Craig Beyer removed some more trees where I live. My property had gotten overgrown. 

I'm looking at doing a fair amount of watering this spring. Oh, to see spring truly set in - there is impatience. I plod around my property now and it's an adventure in wet ground. 

Why is this complicated?

Buying a garden hose, I was really only thinking in terms of how long it should be. Is it true that stores sell more substandard stuff nowadays? Rhetorical question. 

So, the guy played by John Candy (me) learned that when buying a hose nowadays, you must specifically find one that is billed as "kink-free." And even those might be a little susceptible to kinking. Holy balls. Mr. Candy came away wondering: why would any store even offer garden hoses that are prone to kinking? But they do. The situation can be hopeless. The disappointing hose that I bought had the name of a "name" hardware chain. I won't type it here. 

I went to a second store in Morris and this time bought a product that specifically presented itself as "kink-free." Live and learn, obviously. 

Now to the broader question: why do stores including hardware stores and most certainly grocery stores offer too many varieties or "choices" of things? John Stossel the great libertarian once did a documentary that answered this exact question. We're talking business competition and profit motive, of course. You see, all the companies that produce what we buy want maximum display space in the stores. 

Stossel held up two different kinds of barbecue sauce and asked "can anyone really tell the difference between these?" The company puts pressure on the store operators like our Paul Martin. "You just have to offer all these choices." And so the companies seek optimum display space for their brand. 

Oh I'm sure Paul knows all about this. I brought this up with Jay Nelson once and he knew all about it. And I think maybe the best example is the aisle with all the breakfast cereals! Why so many kinds? Seems to me these could be trimmed down to three or four basic choices. It would be nice to see a store a third as big as Willie's that pares down to the essentials. 

I can't help but think that grocery stores are a little outdated with their basic approach, as they seem designed for large young families like what was typical when I was growing up: my boomer generation. Families with 3-4 kids where the mother spent most of her time at home. Girls took "home ec" classes in school to prepare for that kind of life. Families would assign dishwashing duties at the end of the day. 

Dishwashing strikes me as more trouble than it's worth, and it's wear and tear on your plumbing too, isn't it? Willie's sells "Drano" and like products but my plumbing company says stay away from that stuff. 

I think grocery stores could offer "grab and go" meals more. Actually I think the kind of meals offered by Meals on Wheels would be ideal for everyone. Make yourself eat some beets, squash and sauerkraut sometimes. You'll be healthier. 

When it comes to breakfast cereals, I think the only real question for Mr. Candy (me) to weigh is "sweetened or unsweetened?" When I was a kid, Saturday morning "kids TV" was loaded with commercials for sweetened breakfast cereals. Today I don't touch the stuff. Well, I really don't touch breakfast cereal because my refrigerator is unplugged. As a diabetic the last thing I need is a "fridge" full of food temptations. I have a big hot breakfast downtown and that really gets me through the day. 

Hope I don't have to go to the hardware store again for a while. Need a mousetrap? There are several different kinds of course. And I can just see John Candy examining things with his always-affable personality, never revealing any actual confusion. He's on top of things even though he knows he's rolling the dice much of the time. Just like me. 

I'll have you know I am continuing home improvements. I'm having the windows and one storm door on the north side of the house replaced this summer. I began the window replacement on my older home (1962) after Mom passed away in 2018. I had always heard Andersen Windows was the best. I looked up their contact information on the laptop and was directed to a Fargo-based business. And so that's who I have been working with. 

I suppose it would have been better to work through a Stevens County business. But I called Andersen Windows and that's who they put me in touch with. They're happy working with John Candy. 

RIP John Candy. Your persona reflected so many of us. Confident even in the face of being confused.

 

John Candy with such a relatable persona! He left us too soon. SCTV was just the start for him.

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

UMN-Morris in highly vulnerable place?

Stardate April 8, 2025. Tariffs appear to be setting in. This is the guy we wanted as president. We are now backing protectionism. You haven't heard Michelle Fischbach object to this, have you? 

So we'll see if our preferred candidate for president actually makes our lives better. Truly we are red "Trump" country out here. 

Considerable distress is being caused for our institutions of higher learning. Republicans have never been cheerleaders for the Ivy League schools, "incubators of liberalism," except to the extent they want their own children to get degrees there so to acquire the proper pedigree. What a tangled web we can sometimes weave. 

Our campus in Morris is imperiled. If you disagree with me on this, please get back to me hopefully with civility. Truly, isn't it plain as the nose on your face? We put "DEI" on a shingle and put it out for the world to see. Have we even begun retreating from it? So we're in effect playing Russian roulette now. 

And it's not as if our own local college administration would be nervous about this. It's a given they would be, although a most well-placed source tells me our UMM chancellor actually answers to the head Crookston person. What would Jack Imholte think about that? The silver fox! 

And that reminds me of the fresh news story about the "dire wolf." Brought back from extinction! Will they ever visit our environs? We're surely wild enough out east of town. The odds increase of seeing a bear out there too. Wait'll this weekend: the 70-degree temperature will make the walking trail into rather a magnet. What a joy!  But such weather is overdue. 

The "dire wolf"

The "dire wolf" appears to be a large white animal. Hope it's friendly. Last spring we saw skunks at the north end of the bike trail. The females have their babies in May. I know that right from experience at my own property. Hope my defenses are sufficient now. But overall nature is wonderful. 

A super place to go in May is Niemackl Park near Herman. Wondrous wildlife in a place that seems a departure from the norm of West Central Minnesota. Really it feels like North Central Minnesota. It would be nice if the ground were to dry out a little now. 

What of bringing back extinct species? We have long heard talk about the "woolly mammoth" maybe making its return. But would the novelty wear off? My first concern, really, is that these new animals would disrupt established ecosystems. And what all would the consequences be of that? Fooling Mother Nature? We can't leave things alone. 

We can't leave our wonderful life in America alone. So on comes Donald Trump who is "in our faces" daily with sensational comments and boat-rocking proposals. The "Hands Off" day of protests was interesting but until we get a real groundswell to elect Democrats, it will be in vain. Cute but in vain. 

Now because of the whole Trump/MAGA thing, all hell is breaking loose for any and all educational institutions that have gotten into "DEI." Institutions that have even touched DEI. 

And UMM has this out on a shingle for the world to see. Which should not just cause distress within Behmler Hall (or at Crookston) but considerable eye-popping distress for the "big boys" at the Twin Cities campus, n'est-ce pas? 

How could it not? I mean, because huge sums of money are at stake. 

If a college has even allowed pro-Palestinian protesters, it will be in considerable trouble. Oh, it's anti-Semitic? I thought it was essentially anti-Israel. But what do I know? I'm not as smart as the Orange Man, I guess. 

And the leaders now say DEI is "discriminatory." You'd think there was a parallel with Jim Crow laws. A simpleton can see these things are worlds apart. DEI was developed to accommodate our pluralistic society in America, where segments of our population have had to fight past roadblocks like overt discrimination. DEI lifts up historically oppressed groups. 

But it's not my point here to really pass judgment on DEI. My point entirely is that the U of M administrators are probably wetting their pants over things that are happening now relative to DEI. The arguments aren't based on principle, they are based on money. We had a prime news item come forth about Brown University in the last few days. Before that it was Columbia University. 

Regarding Brown, here's how I shared with my fellow UMM advocate Warrenn Anderson on Monday:

 

Warrenn - I think I told you yesterday that Brown University was losing $300 million over issues connected to DEI. Here's a correction: it is actually over $500 million. Some of this involves alleged "antisemitism" but is it really antisemitism or anti-Israel sentiment?

Here's from a news article this morning:

The Trump administration plans to halt $510 million of federal funding to Brown over alleged antisemitism on campus and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, a White House official told The Herald.

- BW

This has to get our attention here in Morris. The crisis has been sprung on us by the Republican party which is the party of our local elected representatives, Torrey Westrom and Paul Anderson. So can we assume that Westrom and Anderson are in lock step with the top leaders of their party? Wanting to wipe out education institutions that fully subscribe to DEI? Can we assume that? 

We love this place

In theory that would be the logical conclusion. But, "all politics is local." Obviously UMM is an "economic driver" for the Stevens County area. That's nothing to shake a stick at. Maybe Westrom and Anderson would prefer that UMM change its mission. But I'm guessing that they're skeptical about the practicality of that. They would want UMM to stay viable. They'll have to "look the other way" when it comes to DEI. That is, unless politics is so local they can be allowed to form their own opinions. 

So I think that's what is happening. They might not take a phone call from Stephen Miller. 

Why does the UMM chancellor answer to the head of Crookston? Everything has a reason. The arrangement seems to contradict normal sound thinking. You're right, I have a theory. If the time comes for UMM to fall into what would hopefully be temporary closure, the suits at the Twin Cities campus would be spared the unpleasantness of having to announce it, spared getting the enraged feedback from UMM alumni/advocates. 

Let the Crookston person, a woman, face the brickbats. 

If you think I am blowing things out of proportion, or am fearmongering, please get in touch. I strive only to be a realist. 

I have spent my whole life being defensive as I try to prove I can be on the same turf as UMM profs with my intelligence. I grew up hearing every day about how superior our local school was, how it was populated by such superior kids. I can never rid myself of that distraction. Or maybe it's a delusion. "Ski-U-Mah!" Well, whatever.

 

Addendum: Is it possible the "dire wolf" is just a gray wolf with genetic modifications?

 

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

"The boy who cried wolf" with markets

Maybe everyone would be in a better mood to handle the stock market uncertainty (plunge) if we had just gotten a blast of warm temperatures first. Have you ever been this impatient about getting a sense of warmth in the air? 

March was absolutely good for nothing. No redeeming value, just gloom. Illness made the rounds too. I still have a somewhat scratchy throat. A temperature of around 70 would be a godsend, restore my normal vigor and ability to feel upbeat about things. 

Oh my goodness we are being challenged to feel upbeat in a general sense. As of 9 a.m. the situation with U.S. stocks looked terrible yet again. The tariffs and trade war do appear to be looming for all of us. Republicans are saying that any pain will be temporary. 

The problem with a stock plunge is that it can be like the boy who cried wolf. I asserted this in a comment to a Yahoo! News article early this morning. For so many years we have experienced a pretty quick turnaround anytime things look bad on Wall Street. So many big-name economists have seen their standing tumble by trying to predict a "crash" or something close. 

So what happens? If you follow the financial news, you know that a quick turnaround to the up side happens when someone close to "the Fed" even hints there will be an interest rate cut at the next meeting! But hey, how many times can we go to the well with this? In my young years, hardly anyone paid attention to the Federal Reserve. It was about the most boring topic you could imagine. Did the Fed even hold press conferences back then? 

Today the world awaits as if God is about to speak, when the Fed chair begins a formal statement or takes questions from the media. I have to laugh at the scramble by so many people to "translate" what the Fed chair says. Everything rests on interest rates, it seems. A magical elixir, sort of. So my question is, can this continue indefinitely? 

We have a big new factor in the equation now: the tariffs and trade war. Trump wants his followers to follow along, obviously. Just watch our congressperson Michelle Fischbach. Do you think Ms. Fischbach would ever deviate from anything that DJT says or wants? So I expect she'd tell everyone to be patient and have confidence that we'll all come out winners in the end. 

Maybe you remember when we heard about "bargain hunters" coming into the market so often after a dip. Watch CNBC much? This was in their script for a long time. Has it sort of disappeared now? Maybe because of sounding cliche-ish, cheap? The bargain hunters would move into the market after a down day to turn things around. Well, you cannot resist a "bargain," right? 

But my God, the market has gone upward so easily for so long. My late parents grew up in the Great Depression. All this must have seemed like the Twilight Zone to them. My late friend Howard Moser talked about how the Depression-era people "never threw anything away." And then the digital age comes along where we have to buy new generations of the tech stuff all the time. Discard the old stuff, buy new. How would you even describe this to the Depression-era people? 

We now sail along feeling quite sure that no matter how far the stock market indexes dip at any time, well surely the situation will right itself and it will probably happen within a day or two. 

But what if it doesn't? What if one of these days a true long-term calamity sets in? DJT has a long reputation of destroying everything that he touches. Going bankrupt with a casino? But he sold himself as this great businessperson. He surely got a head start within his family. Everyone disregards that. 

Now with Easter approaching, all the Stevens County hardcore Christians will have their faith in DJT re-affirmed because that is what it's all about for them now. I'll be happy to step aside for Easter. I'll skip the images of Jesus Christ all bloody and suffering. You can have that. 

I can accept the concept of Christ "dying for our sins." As a kid that's how it was presented to me. The most violent it got was to see the image of Christ up on the cross and certainly that was no picnic. But today? Are you all sadists or what? 

Yes, Christ "died for our sins. So that we may have eternal life." 

I embrace that. But I doubt today that Jesus Christ would approve of Donald Trump.

 

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

Jazz Fest shines as UMM imperiled

Positivity about UMM: Yes the Jazz Fest was wonderful. I had the pleasure of attending Thursday night. The UMM music department can still do wonderful things. Yes there have been cutbacks. The ensembles cannot stand on their own, as they now need augmentation from non-students to survive. And yes I was greatly disturbed, disconsolate when first hearing about that. 

I extended "feelers" to the Twin Cities campus about having my family fund for music transferred to benefit the Twin Cities campus which presumably can continue holding its own. 

The reputation of Minneapolis and St. Paul has greatly diminished. So maybe our pride should be elevated out here in the sparsely-populated parts. There are country singers that will sing all day about that. Now we have the guy walking off the set of "Saturday Night Live" right in that spirit. A country singer wearing the "costume" of such folks - you know the trappings, complete with jeans with holes. Such impoverished souls. 

And you might actually believe that, if you still support Donald Trump. I have friends who will detach from my writing immediately if I even mention Trump. They'll scoff at my skeptical attitude. You cannot succeed in making any points with these people. No helpful interaction. They'll just go back to voting Trump. They'll return to their church pews populated by all their MAGA brethren. Easter will be a time for them to celebrate their Savior Donald Trump. 

Go ahead, go to your right wing churches on Good Friday and hear all about the literal torture of Jesus Christ. Shall we call it a celebration of gratuitous violence? I want no part of it. Even if it's historically accurate I want no part of it. Experts have said that no human being could survive the torture inflicted on Christ in the Mel Gibson movie. 

Hey you rubes it's Hollywood! 

Don't be led along by the likes of Elon Musk and the whole gang that gets in the news every day as they holler about the left wing and its spokesmen who become sheer dartboards for their insulting language. Who would want to get into the political arena under these circumstances? Who would want to even try to lead progressivism now? 

But I ask you all to pay heed here in Morris MN. With all that is going on now including the drastic tariffs, take a look at the aggressive anti-DEI push and how this could literally force our UMN-Morris out of existence. Truly it could. 

Maybe the Morris economy is not as dependent on UMM as it once was. Numbers are down at UMM. And could UMM even survive an attempt at a re-start? 

We rejected Kamala Harris who was not perfect because no one is perfect. But she would project love and tolerance. She would surely support entitlement programs that are so helpful for our seniors and retirees. Many such folks live out here where we can hear coyotes howl. 

So, why my renewed concern about what the anti-DEI thing could do to UMM and to the whole of Morris? Here's a fresh headline this morning from the AP: "K-12 schools must sign certification against DEI to receive Federal money, administration says." 

So to accept Federal money, people and institutions must increasingly be required to show support for certain political ideas. 

The administration would say DEI is discriminatory. Everyone knows DEI was designed to lift up historically oppressed groups. So the intention was benevolent. Maybe some of it could be reined in. 

But I hate to see a total merciless "meritocracy." 

David Brooks

David Brooks of the New York Times in fact got lots of attention a few months back by commenting on the "meritocracy" that grew in higher education: this merciless judging of kids with "grades" as if that's all that matters. If you're my age you remember public schools when grading was "tougher." It promoted anxiety. It will trample on self-esteem. 

There was a time when UMM classes were in fact known as "tough, rigorous" etc. My father told a story of a visitor to the campus once who noticed some grades from an assignment posted outside a classroom. The grades were low. So the visitor said "this must not be a very good teacher." That was the "meritocracy." 

If DEI has caused a lightening up with that, then my thoughts about DEI would be generous. Go ahead UMM and have a multi-ethnic building. That building incidentally was where my father Ralph first worked when UMM started. It was the home of the music department. "HFA" not even built yet. 

I think my father's basic philosophy about college music was that it was more extracurricular than serious academics. The groups did perform challenging material though. And I think my father was well liked on the faculty because he ran competent programs while not coming up with grandiose ideas for spending more money all the time. He was happy with the pie slice that he got. 

He was happy with the basics because he had gotten through the Great Depression and then WWII. He was the youngest of five boys and he graduated high school in 1934. 

My dad had the credentials to present jazz. He had played in such groups himself as a young man in the Twin Cities. But the college culture was not ready for an earthy thing like "jazz" in the 1960s. We take for granted the UMM Jazz Festival in its glorious form today. No one questions the appropriateness of jazz. 

We take for granted women's athletics which did not exist when UMM opened. What sea changes. But ironically we must now contemplate the cancellation of UMM as we've known it, due to the anti-DEI push from the top of our Federal government. I have been advising friends that the Feds really mean business on that, right from Donald Trump. 

I have sent an email to Torrey Westrom and he did not answer. I have in the past found him to be friendly. He's blind, isn't he? So does he have emails read to him? I don't know. 

All hell could break loose with the government coming down on UMM for its DEI purpose. I'm just trying to warn y'all. I could warn you on tariffs too. Unfortunately it is a fool's errand trying to discuss such matters with MAGA people who will be filling the pews of our "conservative" churches on Good Friday, to take in the images of Jesus Christ being tortured to death. 

I'll skip it. I'll celebrate Easter with a chocolate bunny from Willie's.

 

Addendum: You know the real reason behind the big anti-DEI push, don't you? It is not what it appears to be. This is an effort to put painful pressure on all publicly-funded schools and really everything that is publicly funded. It will make life miserable for the people who try to run these systems because they will have to fear an end-of-career sanction.

 

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

Now it's "pissing match" on social media

My picture of the library

Oh my, oh my, oh my, I was not going to write about the Morris library matter again, at least not for a while. I'm still in a bit of a funk from having gotten worn out writing about "March Madness." It's a blessing but it can also lure you in and command your attention so thoroughly. 

I wrote about the Alexandria teams that have strong Morris connections. If I ever write about Bev Kieffer's grandchildren again, I will not use the name "Lucken" anywhere. I think she's mad at me about that. My sensitivity is probably lacking. I have never been married or even had an opposite-sex relationship. I think it is fraught with danger and risks. 

Who can forget Rick Lucken? Uh-oh, there I did it again. Well, sorry, I really would like all of my writing to pass muster. 

Yes I was exhausted after our March Madness spell. I was even busy with Minnewaska Area girls basketball, and at the end, West Central Area. Regarding the latter, my main point was about how Morris allowed our hometown girl Becca Holland to "get away" to there, instead of getting a position here in Motown. 

And if anything gets me in trouble in our beloved community, it's observations on sports programs, their coaches and their direction. I assure you I will always find a passion with writing about area high school sports. You can easily ignore me if you wish. 

So soon after the high school basketball mania, we had this hot potato subject of the Morris library land in our laps. Anyone with journalistic instincts and whose formative years go back to Watergate would be instantly mesmerized, wanting answers. (That's me.) 

I am a long-form journalist so you'd probably categorize me as a "dinosaur." People prefer communicating in short bursts in the digital age. Speaking of the digital age having taken over, why do we even need a public library? In fact, what about the redundancy of a city public library, a public school library and a library at UMM? Redundant as all hell, I would say. 

I suppose we collectively shake our heads and say "that's just the way it has to be." Just like re-electing Trump. Happy tariff week. That is, if the tariffs actually start, if it's more than mere talk or posturing. Now, why would I suggest it might be largely talk/posturing? Trump wouldn't mislead us, would he? He wouldn't be "playing" us, would he? He has never done that before, has he? 

 

Not my bag

I hate to acknowledge much about Facebook. I have chosen not to be a Facebook person, or Twitter or any of that jazz. Such scattershot conversations. Impulsive thoughts typically with a tinge of emotion. I stick with "long-form journalism" utilizing two blog sites and you'd probably say "nobody pays any attention to what you write." 

Obviously you're entitled to your opinion. 

Today is Tuesday so the Morris newspaper comes out. The library: what a ripe subject for the print media to put someone to work, Woodward/Bernstein style. Oh but the city council has had these lengthy "closed meetings!" A topic of such gravity obviously. 

Our librarian at the vortex

The library is supported by tax dollars. When a serious matter is being bandied about regarding the library, I think at some point some spokesman for the city has got to come forward with us and share on the most pertinent facts. Otherwise, well you know full well about what will happen: I saw it this morning as I "surfed" a little online. Heavens to Betsy, we have a full-scale "pissing match" having broken out. Surely you'll agree with me that this is the veritable "pissing match" for a small community. 

Is this the only course for the city to take? I have been forced to develop a theory or two on my own, because this is the only available route now. 

A newspaper writer could search around for "background" by talking to "knowledgeable sources" and the like, maybe even a council person himself who would be anxious to get his/her "take" out there. People "use" the press to try to get an advantage. Consider the term "leaks." 

What was "Deep Throat's" motivation?  Absolutely nothing mysterious there. The guy was Mark Felt. He was mad at being passed over for promotion in the FBI. A motive as old as the hills. 

What might we dig up now on the library matter or "mess?" Holy cow it's a mess: three deputies to ensure people's safety at these meetings. Over the library? The friggin' public library? A wholesome place. You almost have to apologize if you are going to criticize the library. 

"Children's story hour" each week. Let's all just step aside and let the library and the - ahem - Viking Library System consume more of our resources. Wait a minute, we do not blindly want to do that! Let's allow for the possibility that this "Viking" thing could be one of those feel-good agencies that may not really deliver services commensurate with what they claim to do. 

I hear even our county board gives money to Viking Library System. And I'm sure the commissioners are always nervous about the money they are having to spend. 

Mr. Anfinson of the SCT always talks about how we need newspapers as "watchdogs." Well here's your perfect opportunity Reed. You might run into some bumps in the road. So what?

Last night at the community supper I tossed out this thought to a friend: "Maybe Anne was given the opportunity to resign quietly and when she didn't, well the city said "Here we go." My, the wheels certainly began turning. With each passing day, I'm sure more of us are perplexed. 

The people who just love Anne no matter what will stick to their guns. I am age 70 and I've seen the "personality cult" thing at the small town level before. It's so distracting. What in heck is going on here? 

 

Below their dignity

I am disappointed that such an esteemed retired lawyer as Bob Dalager would go all-in on the "pissing match" we now see on this thing called social media. I see where Blaine Hill chimed in with a short comment. Below their dignity for these guys to be doing this. 

My approach is to put out a thorough post that I think asks the right questions. 

Maybe I deserve a pie in the face, I don't know. 

I don't see how Anne can continue as librarian now to be frank. I think she's a little "tainted." And if she's "exonerated" that would embarrass the council and city manager who dragged us through this morass of confusion and tension. 

Maybe what I needed was for March Madness to go on a little longer. It's an elixer. Right now I look out the window and the weather is crappy! Oh to be out on the biking/walking trail and petting people's dogs!

  

Addendum: A community controversy like this can lead to boycotts of businesses. Right now I am of a mind to not even go in the library for a while. Speaking of businesses, I am disappointed that Stone's Throw Restaurant closed. Another restaurant - DeToy's - was bustling with business on Sunday afternoon. Which leads us to conclude what? That the Morris economy is in good shape? That inflation is not scaring people here? Or, that maybe Morris could use another middle class type of restaurant.

 

Addendum No. 2: Oh to have Melissa Yauk back at the library with her steady hand. I appreciate more now the steadiness in her work. She's out in Idaho.

 

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