Local

Posted on 7 November 2007 by Erik Hare | 3 Comments

All politics is local, but local politics is plain personal.

Yesterday was the culmination of our city council election cycle in Saint Paul. The great mystery of Democracy worked its way across our city as people did their part to confound all the expert predictions. In the end, it wasn’t all that surprising, with slate of DFL candidates of various kinds elected in all 7 wards and 3 of the 4 open School Board slots (DFL is the Minnesota term for Democrats, the result of a merger between the Democratic Party and the Farmer-Labor Party some 60 years ago).

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MEA Weekend

Posted on 19 October 2007 by Erik Hare | 2 Comments

Minnesota has an extra holiday, all its own. The third Thursday and Friday of October are what we call “MEA Weekend”, the time when the state teacher’s union holds their annual seminar and convention. The kids have off from school for it, so a large hunk of the state simply shuts down. Nevermind that the teacher’s union isn’t MEA, but “Education Minnesota” these days. We’re talking holiday, we’re talking tradition. It will always be “MEA Weekend”.

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Obsolete Houses

Posted on 9 October 2007 by Erik Hare | Leave a comment

I recently had a chance to talk with a real estate agent who has many years of experience. He’s seen ups and downs, and knows what it looks like when an entire city is on its knees or reaching to the sky with great cranes working downtown. The latest cycle? It doesn’t surprise him one bit.

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Distributed

Posted on 7 October 2007 by Erik Hare | 2 Comments

Technologies can change the way we live in an integrated world. The twentieth century saw a tremendous number of changes in our lives based entirely on the influence of the car. What is important is not the technology itself, although it is possible to ruin the planet with a bigger, better idea run amok. What matters is how people respond to the technology and use it to reflect their own hopes and fears.

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Soy Protein

Posted on 3 October 2007 by Erik Hare | 1 Comment

I was walking in a dripping rain yesterday, on my way to pick up my kids after taking the bus. It was one of my car-free days of splashing in puddles, something I enjoy a lot. The gas station at the corner drew my attention, and I realized that I hadn’t eaten yet that day. It was time for a snack.

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