I’ve been slow to say anything about the Gulf of Mexico situation because, in all honesty, words simply fail to express my disgust. Dwelling on blame doesn’t seem reasonable because in an economy that pigs out on oil the way we do something like this seemed inevitable. The cleanup is going to be long and difficult no matter what. But one angle that seems to have been lost in furor is the critical role that the Gulf of Mexico has in bringing life to North America and Europe in the form of warmth and rain. A tremendous slick of oil has the potential to change the climate in ways that are, at the very least, worth keeping an eye on.
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Futbol
“At least,” my daughter tells me, “We learn about countries we’d never hear about otherwise.” This on the second day of summer vacation and about 15 minutes after a tedious lecture on the short, sad history of Yugoslavia. We’re watching the USA get beat by Slovenia in World Cup action while the angry bees in the stands sound as if they approve. This is how we bond as a family, learn about the world, and generally pass the time these days – sports.
Public and Private
Like any good urban dispute, it seems simple enough on the surface. Along a stretch of golf course known as the Town and Country Club there is no sidewalk, but many people walk there. A well-worn dirt path to the bus stop seems out of place in the middle of the city, so paving it with concrete to look like the rest of Marshall Avenue is only logical. But is this something that the club should be charged $42,850 for – and be held responsible for keeping clean from now on? It won’t benefit them or their members, but this is how we build sidewalks in Saint Paul. A suit has been filed to stop it.
A court case over a sidewalk may seem trivial, but it’s a great illustration of how the public realm is a kind of neglected after-thought based on The Way Things Are™.
Swearing
The first thing anyone wants to know when they learn a language is usually the bad words. It is important if you want to understand people at their worst. For example, the refs for the World Cup match between England and the USofA did their part to brush up on how the players would be taunting each other. But as practical as learning the swear words has become, we still have our limits as to when we can use them. It’s just that those limits are fading fast.
Nurses’ Strike
Yesterday Minnesota was home to the largest nurses’ strike anyone can remember – 12,000 nurses picketing 14 hospitals. There was a sea of red-shirted union members outside of United Hospital here in Saint Paul, including many from a new generation that hasn’t seen a labor action before. Today, they are back at work without a contract. The action was taken not for more pay or benefits but for something we all take for granted from a hospital – the nurses simply do not feel that the long hours they put in are reasonable or safe. I, for one, cannot believe that it has come to this.
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 