After the mechanized cruelty and destruction of World War II, two important works of literature tried to capture the feeling of despair. Along with well known 1984 (1948) by George Orwell, there is the lesser known Age of Anxiety (1947) by W H Auden. Both of these cast a shadow we still live under, twisting our language to defy and define a mechanical world not entirely fit for humans. Auden’s more romantic treatment is worth the read if for no reason other than its resonance today.
Convention Contention
The Minnesota State DFL Convention is this weekend. It’s one important step on the road to what should be a highly contested and interesting election for Governor this November. It should be, that is. The USofA isn’t in the kind of mood that makes for good elections at the state level, and it certainly isn’t in the kind of mood that favors left-leaning candidates. That’s a real liability given that the last time a State DFL Convention endorsed a winning Governor was in 1986, when Rudy Perpich was picked. But the real question isn’t the candidate, it’s what the DFL does to bring up its energy and focus for the next six months.
I Report, You Decide
There’s been a lot of strange economic news lately. All of it, sadly, was true. Here are a few stories that I would prefer to see.
Formaldehyde
Ever day we learn that a chemical in our lives is thought to cause cancer or some other illness. After a while, most people’s eyes glaze over and it’s left to the experts to figure out what the real hazard is. Sometimes, movements form to get rid of the offending material and either an industry converts away from it or legislation is passed to force the conversion. One very simple molecule, formaldehyde, has stubbornly resisted the pressure on it and remains a large part of some people’s lives to this day. It is, at least, very strange.
Water
Spring is the season of water. The world starts to wake up as the sun beats down stronger, but the buds and the leaves wait for rain. We finally had a good soaking storm announce the arrival of the season with thunder interrupted sleep just the other night. Saint Paul is waking up to the water. But how that storm gets here is a story in itself, the story of planet that defines itself by life and the movement of water from one Spring to another.
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 